See invitation below from John Dee, Planet Ark.

The Victorian Sustainable Development Conference 2008 will bring together key Victorian Government ministers, industry leaders, local government, scientists, conservationists and others to discuss the current and future directions and frameworks for sustainability in Victoria, and will review how it will affect Victorian local government, business and the community.

It will provide an opportunity to examine progress towards sustainable objectives in a range of key areas such as:
Water
Energy efficiency
Climate change response
Waste and resource recovery
Planning and urban design, including a review of the Melbourne 2030 strategy.

The Conference will also feature best practice case studies in sustainable development, including creating a sustainable workplace, addressing challenges of sustainability, and provide advice for how state and local government and business can achieve their sustainable development goals in a cost-effective manner.

Keynote Speakers include:
Hon. Gavin Jennings MLC, Minister for Environment and Climate Change
Hon. Peter Batchelor MP, Minister for Energy and Resources
Dr Ian McPhail, Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability
Timothy Piper, Director, AiGroup
Kelly O’Shanassy, Chief Executive Officer, Environment Victoria
Rob Hogarth, Partner, KPMG
Dr Wendy Craik, Director, Murray-Darling Basin Commission

Confirmed Speakers include:
Andrew Allan, President, Stormwater Industry Association - Victorian Branch
Michael Ambrose, Construction Systems Scientist, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems
Linda Bradburn, Education Officer, Melton Shire Council
Larissa Brown, Executive Director, Centre for Sustainability Leadership
David Buntine, Chief Executive, Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority (PPWCMA)
Colin Dimitroff, Principal, Corporate Sustainable Solutions, URS Asia Pacific
Robert Easson, Manager Alliance Partners, Prima Consulting
Andrew Fennessey, Principal Adviser Industry and Economics, Department of Sustainability and Environment
Paul Holper, Manager, Australian Climate Change Science Program, CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research
Chloe Munro, Commissioner, National Water Commission
Robert Kerr, Commissioner, Victorian Competition and Efficiency
Robert Powell, Industrial Resource Efficiency Officer, City of Frankston
Cathy Ronalds, Policy Officer - Climate Change Adaption, Department of Sustainability and Environment
Maria Simonelli, Executive Manager, ICLEI Australia/New Zealand
Brian Peadon, CEO, Waterexchange
Thinh Tran, Project Manager, Sustainability Victoria
Jon Ward, General Manager, Business, Innovation & Technology, Sustainability Victoria
Tony Wood Executive General Manager, Corporate Communications & Government Relations Origin Energy.

A conference agenda is available at www.halledit.com.au/conferences/sustainability/2008 or by contacting Denise McQueen on (03) 8534 5021 or denise.mcqueen @halledit.com.au.

This course was also listed on the Climate Action Calendar. This Climate Action calendar covers local events in the greater Northern and Eastern area of Melbourne, Melbourne City based events and major events elsewhere in Victoria and other places. Regular updates will be sent out as information becomes available (roughly every two weeks). If you wish to add an event, subscribe or unsubscribe to the calendar please e-mail the details to Monique Decortis at decortis @bigpond.net.au.

The Our World in Crisis course is:
For those working in business, government, the professions, education, media, trade unions and religious and community organizations;
For those interested in issues of development, environment, Climate Change, human rights, security, conflict resolution and democracy;
For anyone wishing to understand better our rapidly globalising world and Australia’s place in it.

Questions asked are: What are we to make of all this? What are credible sources of information? How do we go beyond clichés and media hype? A serious approach is called for – one that makes use of the best available expertise and resources, one that skills, informs and stimulates. This course attempts to do just that.

The course will consist of 10 consecutive weekly sessions. All participants meeting assignment and attendance requirements will be presented with a course certificate. Principal lecturer and course coordinator is Joseph Camilleri (Professor of International Relations and Director of the Centre for Dialogue, La Trobe University). Assisting him will be:
Larry Marshall (Project Coordinator, Centre for Dialogue, La Trobe Uni), and Craig Woolley (Manager, Centre for Dialogue, La Trobe University). Guest academics and practitioners will also contribute to the course.

The course covers:
• Climate of Change
• World Economy
• What is the WTO
• Poverty or Development
• National or Human Security
• Energy and Climate Change
• What are the implications of the Kyoto Protocol?
• Clash or Dialogue of Civilisations?
• Human Rights
• Race and Culture in Australia
• Does multiculturalism have a future?

Application forms must be received by Friday 18 April 2008 (Applications may be considered later, on availability).
Further info http://www.josephcamilleri.com/owic or contact Craig Woolley, owic2008 @wachy.com Mob 0400 422 022, ”Our World in Crisis?” PO Box 31, Carlton South 3053.

Tuesday evenings. Sessions will convene from 5.15pm. Course work commencing at 5.45pm sharp and concluding at 9.15pm.
Held at: Australian Volunteers International, 88 Kerr St, Fitzroy.

Participants should apply only if they have a high degree of commitment to the course.

Costs:
Institutional Rate $550
Individual Rate $450
Low Income Rate $295
Light meal served with every session

Village Well in collaboration with the Ethos Foundation, Donkey Wheel Trust, Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies (CERES), Victorian Eco Innovation Lab (VEIL) and RMIT invite you to….

Going Local and Making Great Places: A Free Public Lecture with Judy Wicks
Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab. Wednesday 21 May 2008
7.00pm - 9.00pm Storey Hall, RMIT, 342 Swanston Street Melbourne (MEL 579 K7)
RSVP: info @villagewell.org or 03 9650 0080 by Friday 2 May 2008

And

Workshop with Judy Wicks - Going Local: Creating Sustainable & Resilient Business Networks and Communities
8.30am-4.00pm, Thursday 22 May 2008
100 Mile Cafe, Level 3, Melbourne Central 211 La Trobe Street MELBOURNE

Judy Wicks
Inspiring founder and CEO of the White Dog Café in Philadelphia, cofounder and a director of the US-wide Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) and of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, Judy is the recipient of more than 40 local, national and international awards. In 2004, Inc. magazine named her one of America’s 25 most fascinating entrepreneurs, “because she’s put in place more progressive business practices per square foot than any other entrepreneur.” Find out how local businesses are meeting the challenge of globalisation, Climate Change and Peak Oil to create sustainable communities that sustain life, economic viability and the natural environment, and are deeply rooted in their natural and cultural place. Business people, entrepreneurs & everyone involved in the design, creation & management of our cities needs to come to this.

‘Business is about relationships. Money is simply a tool. Business is about relationships with everyone we buy from & sell to, and work with, and about our relationship with Earth itself.’ Judy Wicks

For more information about these events and to book for the workshop print out the pdf below.
going-local-lecture-workshop-1.pdf

The Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab has just released its first policy research report and it’s all about food!

The report, “Sustainable and Secure Food Systems for Victoria: What do we know? What do we need to know?” discusses the environmental challenges relating to the food system, examining:
- how the production and consumption of food impacts on the environment; and
- the risks and vulnerabilities of the food system to environmental change and social responses (such as policy aiming to reduce environmental impacts)

The report considers: direct impacts of climate change; energy, greenhouse emissions and responses to these; resource constraints such as water, land, oil and agricultural inputs and depleted stocks (eg. fish); biodiversity (ecological and agricultural); waste; and health and nutrition.

The report also discusses strategies and innovations that are being employed to manage environmental risks and reduce impacts (including low-input production methods, changing distribution systems such as farmers’ markets, and consumer food choices). It considers the extent of their potential contribution and identifies opportunities for further investigation or support.

The report finds that there are significant and urgent challenges to the security and sustainability of the food system. It also identifies many opportunities for technological and social innovation to reduce exposure to environmental risks and resource constraints.

The full report, and a summary document (containing just the main points and recommendations), can be downloaded from www.ecoinnovationlab.com/pages/library.php.

Would you like to be trained to provide talks to community groups on promoting climate justice and preventing runaway climate change?

Friends of the Earth (FoE) receives requests from a range of community groups to provide talks on climate change. These are important opportunities to increase awareness about climate justice and climate change issues, and to promote FoE’s valuable work in this area.

We are inviting applications from people who would like to provide talks to community groups about these issues on FoE’s behalf, on a voluntary basis (though travel expenses incurred through making presentations would be reimbursed). Successful applicants will be trained to prepare for their role, focusing on skill development in public speaking, presentation
techniques, understanding climate justice and climate change issues, and responding to questions from the audience. Approximately 5 hours of training will be provided.

Successful applicants would do approximately one talk per month, and we are hoping for a commitment of at least six months. Handout material and a PowerPoint presentation (for those situations in which it is needed) will be provided by FoE for presenters to use.

To be eligible, you must be either a current or former FoE member, and/or have donated time (e.g. through volunteering on a specific task or campaign) or money to FoE. You would need to understand FoE’s general principles and philosophies concerning our social justice and environmental work, and have at least a moderate understanding of climate change and climate justice issues. You don’t need to be a great public speaker, but be someone who likes to communicate with people and be willing to improve your presentation skills.

If you are interested please contact Arius, arius.tolstoshev @foe.org.au asap.

Op shopping is a great way to reuse and recycle, save money and contribute back to the community.

I op therefore I am is a collaborative blog dedicated to Melbourne’s op shopping scene. There are links to the names, addresses and opening hours of some three hundred op shops in Melbourne and surrounds as well as maps showing their locations.

The aims of the blog are to:

- promote and encourage op shopping
- promote sustainability
- encourage different ways of thinking about what we use and get rid of and how we can do things differently.

Have a look at what other people have found, join in and show your latest treasure, or check where your nearest op shop is for next time you want to donate stuff that you no longer use.

Fosters (the beer brand – but they own wine and spirits too) has recently launched a ‘carbon offset’ beer – see here for the press release http://www.fosters.com.au/mediacentre/40C711FE44664123A68139930F3899EC.htm and here for further details: http://www.cascadegreen.com.au/default.aspx

The company has also published its 2007 sustainability report. http://www.fosters.com.au/about/sustainability.htm. The energy target is to reduce energy use per case by 10% by 2011.

I found this job posting on the Australian Policy Online newsletter and thought it might interest the Sustainable Melbourne audience.

Research assistant/research fellow, public transport and social research
Monash University, Clayton
We are seeking a Research Assistant/Fellow to support public transport planning research in the fields of social disadvantage in transport, market futures in transport and transport and urban planning. The applicant will be experienced in quantitative research methods, survey results analysis, general research support and have high written and oral communication skills. At least an honours degree in a related field is required and research experience is desirable. Experience in public transport planning or social research and GIS software would be an advantage.

Salary range: $Aust47,472 - $64,427 / $67,818 - $80,535 pa Level A/Level B plus superannuation
Duration: Fifteen-month appointment. Continuation beyond this based on performance.
Enquiries: Professor Graham Currie, tel. 9905 5574 or email graham.currie@eng.monash.edu.au
Applications: By mail addressed to Ms Brenda O’Keefe, Institute of Transport Studies, Monash University, Building 60, Clayton, Vic 3800 or email brenda.okeefe @eng.monash.edu.au by 25/04/2008
Location: Clayton campus

See the message below from Jim Rettew.

To address all the sustainability issues, and for the 20 million people not invited to the 2020 Summit, the online created a wiki (a user-generated website) so people across Australia could post, discuss, and vote on the best ideas for the country. It’s like a virtual 2020 Summit for the whole country. It’s totally a grassroots effort. It’s free, can be anonymous, and as I mentioned, isn’t being sponsored by any political party, corporation, union, or special interests. It’s just people who want to encourage an online national brainstorming session.

The site is at http://ozideas.wetpaint.com/?t=anon. There are pages for over 20 different issues and even an online petition to get the best ideas heard at the actual Summit.

So far, we’ve had over 180 ideas submitted, 2000 unique visitors and 15,000 pages views.