The lastest edition of Sustainability News is now available from the Darebin City Council website at:
http://www.darebin.vic.gov.au/Files/SustainabilityNewsWinter2007.pdf

Please take time to fill out the Climate Change Survey at http://survey1.quest-survey.com/login.php
and be in the draw to win one of three $100 vouchers to Northland Shopping Centre.

Inside this issue
Darebin Council to Become Carbon Neutral
Darebin’s Sustainability Team
Edwardes Lake Our Lake NEIP events
Community Grants
Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne
Spring into Compost
Plastic Codes 1 to 6 Now Recyclable
Supporting Green Travel for Schools
Waterwatch Training
Northcote Businesses Environmental Program
Upcoming Events and lots more!

For more information about Darebin City Counci’s activities visit http://www.darebin.vic.gov.au/

12th International Metropolis Conference - Migration, Social Cohesion and Economic Growth
8-12 October 2007
Melbourne, Australia

* Conference conveniently follows Immigrants as Citizens
* Preliminary program now available
* Register before 27 August 2007 to receive a reduced rate.

The 12th International Metropolis Conference will examine research, policy and practice in the areas of migration, diversity, social cohesion, and associated economic impacts. It will include 12 exciting plenary sessions, 80+ workshops and an engaging set of study tours. Given that this is the first International Metropolis Conference to be held in the Southern Hemisphere, special attention will be paid to the Asia-Pacific region.

To register or to view the preliminary conference program, please visit www.metropolis2007.org.

Zero Waste e_bulletin August 2007, http://www.envict.org.au/

What’s been happening in Zero Waste?
The Zero Waste Challenge
There was a fantastic response to Environment Victoria’s first-ever Zero Waste Challenge, which challenged about fifty households around Victoria to reduce their waste sent to landfill to zero. We surveyed most of the participants afterwards and found some interesting and revealing statistics:

Four out of five participants reduced their overall waste output from week one to week two (even though some of our participants already produced low levels of waste).
One third of those managed a mere 100-500 grams in total waste for the whole week, which just shows what’s possible with household waste.
One in four participants produced between 600 grams – 1 kg (that means over 50% of Zero Wasters got below 1kg; a very commendable effort!)
The challenge provided our campaign with some valuable insights into the barriers that interfere with reducing households’ everyday waste. One of the biggest barriers to Zero Waste was that usual suspect: packaging of food products from major supermarkets, in particular wrapping of fruit and veggies. This prime example of unnecessary packaging has been repeatedly highlighted to supermarkets, and yet they carry on with their polluting and worsening business as usual practices. We’ll return to this issue in a bigger way in the next few months with the 2007 DUMP Awards (for damaging and useless material in packaging), but in the meanwhile, we recommend that you use your consumer power and shop at markets and small retailers who operate more sustainably.
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An EPA Victoria initiative, the Carbon Innovators Network is a forum for organisations which want to address the strategic and practical issues of carbon emissions. The network aims to stimulate debate and innovation in carbon management, provide the support and tools organisations need to develop sound carbon management strategies, and transform climate change from a business cost to a business opportunity.

The ‘Carbon Matters‘ newsletter updates members on Australian and international carbon management and climate change issues, useful resources and case studies on businesses that have taken up the carbon management challenge.

If you have stories to contribute that profile innovative actions in carbon management, please email carbon.innovators @epa.vic.gov.au.

For more information about the Carbon Innovators Network or to sign up to receive their free email newsletter, visit the EPA website.

Economic, social and environmental sustainability - priorities and choices

A two-day conference ideally suited to directors, senior managers and policy makers from the corporate sector, government, NGO’s and not-for-profit organisations, as well as anyone interested in sustainability management and practice.

24 and 25 September, 2007
Rydges Carlton Hotel

Keynote speaker: The Honourable John Brumby: Treasurer, Minister for Regional and Rural Development and Minister for Innovation, Victorian Government.
Hosted by: The Faculty Law & Management, the Graduate School of Management and the Public Sector Governance and Accountability Research Centre (PSGARC)

Visit the La Trobe University website for more information: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/

On with the journey…

Sometimes we get so caught up in the small picture that we don’t take time to look at the bigger picture. Part of the Sustainability Street Graduation Ceremony was a reflection on what Sustainability Street has become in peoples lives, local areas and on a broader scale. The outcomes were amazing.

Let the quotes speak for the whole.

“I used to know 40% of the street, now I know 90%.”
“We never knew these people before Sustainability Street, now we leave our keys with them when we go away.”
“ I can’t go outside and weed the lawn anymore. I spend all my time talking”
“Now I go down the street to buy milk and spend most of my time chatting”
“We had a Christmas party and almost the whole street turned up.”
“Even though they never came to the meetings, just the talk in the street influenced their behaviour.”
“We haven’t really got a project up and running but everyone’s individual actions are being influenced by the principles of Sustainability Street.”
“Somehow the conversation always ends up on Sustainability and what we can do to help.”
“People from streets away want to come and join our Sustainability Street.”

There were many stories of community interaction which didn’t exist prior to Sustainability Street. The social spin-offs and small environmental wins were eye opening. The most common theme of all the stories was a stronger well connected community with a focus on the environment and a desire to make things happen.

We would like to thank Councillor Mendo Kundevski for his participation as the Vice Chancellor of the Sustainability Street Communiversity and his ongoing support throughout the program.

Dates to Remember.
Saturday September 8th
9.45am – 3.00pm
CERES Education Centre
Lunch Provided (RSVP Essential)
Please RSVP to jason @mefl.com.au

You don’t have to be an, “environmental expert”, or even have been to SSA sessions, to attend the Train the Mentor course! If you have been inspired in some way by the SSA and are committed to working with your local community towards an ecologically sustainable future, then you will make a fantastic mentor and we urge you to attend and invite others if you wish.

This a great chance to continue your involvement with Sustainability Street, to work with your own community as well as new emerging communities.

For more information about the Sustainability Street project, visit www.sustainabilitystreet.org.au.

This September, The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum comes to Sydney, bring together the leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific nations to discuss a possible Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP).

To help Australians understand what APEC is, and how its policies really affect people in the Asia-Pacific, Global Trade Watch has produced a new short film:

: : : Squeezed: The Cost of Free Trade in the Asia-Pacific : : :

Filmed in Thailand and The Philippines in July 2007, Squeezed tells the story of how globalisation and free trade agreements are changing the lives of millions of people living in the Asia-Pacific region.

Featuring interviews with farmers, workers and slum-dwellers, the film travels across the landscapes of Asia, from the lush rice paddies of Thailand to squatter settlements perched on a rubbish dump in urban Manila.

A short film of contrasts and contradictions, Squeezed is an
emotional document of the impact of globalisation on people in the Asia-Pacific, and their responses to it.

Watch a teaser for Squeezed here: http://www.thescarab.org/
ScarabStudio/APECteaser.wmv

** You’re invited to the launch of Squeezed:

Thursday August 30, 7pm
Kaleide Theatre (RMIT), 360 Swanston St, Melbourne.
$15/$12 Entry

Environment Victoria has recently posted their latest Healthy Rivers e-Bulletin, August, which outlines many local, river-related water issues. Topics include:

• Say YES to a drink for River Red Gums on the brink! - contribute to the latest VEAC submission regarding river red gums
• Fresh from the Ovens River – new ‘Your River’ stories now online
• Help assess the health of the Yarra River with OzGREEN - 2 community field days on the Yarra
• Toughest fish in the Murray - the Murray hardyhead – now facing extinction due to unprecedented low water allocations
• Take a trip along Moorabool River on You Tube and check out the Moorabool Gorge Recovery Project

There’s also a whole range of river activities and more! To sign on for the e-bulletin visit Environment Victoria’s website at http://www.envict.org.au/.

Enrolments for the Sustainability Street Approach Mentor Workshop … are now open

The SSA Mentor Workshop
on Sat. 8th September @ CERES
9.15 for 9.30 - 3.30
Places Limited. RSVP Essential!
To enrol, contact Jason Cox …
9381 1722 … jason @mefl.com.au

This course has been completely revised and revamped … with a focus on transformative education and community engagement.

The ecological sustainability tide is turning, at last. We are all playing a part in this historic, massive, global movement to drag the Earth back from the precipice. Much work remains and we all know we’ll have to stick at it for the rest of lives, to make sure “that it never happens again”. The Sustainability Street Approach (SSA) is dedicated to helping us get the very most out of this wonderful journey of shaping a new ecologically sustainable culture. The SSA is also about deeply rejuvenating the ethos of experiencing & enjoying and the Earth.
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When the Doomsday Clock was moved to Five Minutes to Midnight this year, climate change was positioned as much of a threat as nuclear weapons. Now more than ever, Asia is attracting international focus on its records and policies on climate change.

Join Dr Christoff and Dr Pearman in their examination of the realities of climate change, engaging good science and finding equitable solutions for Australia and the region.

Dr Peter Christoff coordinates Environmental Studies in the School of Social and Environmental Enquiry, University of Melbourne and Dr Graeme Pearman was Chief of CSIRO Atmospheric Research from 1992-2002. Chairing this event is Professor Ross Garnaut, Asialink Board Member and most recently, commissioned by the Labor Party to study the economic impact of climate change.

This event is presented by Asialink.

WHEN: 6.30 pm - 8.00 pm, Thursday 23rd August 2007
WHERE: Carrillo Gantner Lecture Theatre, Sidney Myer Asia Centre, University of Melbourne
ENTRY: Free
RSVP: To reserve a seat, please send an email to events @asialink.unimelb.edu.au with “Climate Change” in the subject line.