WANT TO CREATE THE FUTURE OF MELBOURNE…?

Future Canvas Inc., Future Melbourne and the City of Melbourne are proud to present Futurelab, a FREE two-day workshop to be held on 17 and 18 May 2008 at Digital Harbour, Docklands. Designed to stimulate creativity and social entrepreneurship among a new generation of Melburnians, Futurelab’s objective is to create and organise community projects that will make Melbourne a more sustainable and innovative city in which to live.

Futurelab is designed to spark youth-driven creative community projects to tackle the city’s social and environmental problems. Through creating small, tangible projects, participants will work towards building communities that are healthy and are in balance with their environment.

Day 1 Creativity:
The first day involves extensive tours through the city (our canvas) where participants are encouraged to observe everyday life and processes around them and become aware of specific issues, with the view to generate solutions and new visions of interaction - both between people, and their environments.

Day 2 Innovation:
The second day involves a consolidation of the ideas generated on day one; through discussions and interactions with experts in a variety of fields participants will focus and develop a few key ideas into projects with social and environmental benefits. They will leave with ownership of, and inspiration from, these projects. A number of events have been planned post Lab to encourage and support the implementation of these projects.

Also.. we will also be making community waste sculptures, listening to local dj Dave Cull … mixing his vinyl collection & listening to an amazing array of social entrepreneurs share their expertise with us.

and…Lord Mayor John So is also expected to make an appearance on the second day to hear about the amazing project ideas you develop to make the city a better “place to be” (have to live up to the number plate slogan).

How to register
Register online at: www.futuremelbourne.com.au
Registration closes Monday 12th May - be quick places are limited!
Participation is free.

Queries and more info:
futurelab @futurecanvas.org
Cathryn Kriewaldt
Senior Tutor
School of Global Studies, Social Science and Planning
RMIT University
GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne 3001
Room 48.4.12
t: +61 3 9925 8261

The Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab (VEIL), SustainableMelbourne.com and VicUrban would like to invite you to:

The Sustainable Cities Round Table - SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
6:30 – 8:30pm including drinks, Wednesday 28 May
Melba Hall, Ground Floor, Conservatorium Building (near Gate 12), Royal Parade, University of Melbourne
RSVPS essential to fedwards @unimelb.edu.au
Proudly supported by VicUrban

The Sustainable Cities Round Tables showcase local environmental initiatives and encourage networking for people working in urban sustainability issues. In addition to our “famous” 3 minute presentations of people from the public, private and community sectors, we will also be featuring music accompaniment by pianist Dave Newington, an exhibition of RMIT University students’ work on food in cities and networking and drinks. To view previous Sustainable Cities Round Tables click here. The theme for the next event is “sustainable food systems“.

Speakers include:
Kirsten Larsen, VEIL Report: Sustainable and Secure Food Systems
Mary Stewart: Insights into the food retail and wholesale sectors
Marika Wagner: Water for food petition
Ferne Edwards, VEIL: Introducing the VEIL food map
Michael Chew, Environment Victoria: Scoping the Fruit Peddler project
Marcus Godhino, CEO, One Umbrella
Mikhil Kotak, Co- founder, Tiffins
Grant Taresh: Elgo Estate Wines
Chris Ryan, VEIL: Jim’s food ventures in Melbourne 2032

Seats are limited! RSVP to Ferne Edwards at fedwards@unimelb.edu.au by 23 May.

The City of Stonnington presents its inaugural Sustainable Living Expo hich continues Council’s commitment to reducing our impact on the environment. The Expo will feature presentations and a range of exhibitors showcasing their products and services for homes and small business - visit the Exhibitors page for further information.

Free event
Friday May 9 to Sunday May 11: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Malvern Town Hall, Corner of Glenferrie Road and High Street, Malvern

Exhibitor expression of interest: complete the Expression of Interest form.
Info: Emma Bentley at Arts Events on 9663 7044, emma @artsevents.com.au or visit http://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/
Hosted by: Arts Events

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

Please find a message below from Growing Communities.

Dear all across Australia,
It is time to bring the Australian school gardens community together to celebrate our achievements learn from each other’s experiences and examine the role of school gardens in bringing about a sustainable future.

Growing Communities would like to invite you all to the 1st Australian School Gardens Network Gathering & Learning in the Garden Seminar, Brisbane, 13th, 14th, & 15th July 2008.

After our suggestion for a National gathering of the school garden community about a month ago, already 10 people from outside Queensland have said they want to come. So, seriously think about booking your flight and registering as if there are lots of people coming, then will need to adjust size of venue, re-think billeting, etc.

For program and registration details visit http://www.growingcommunities.org.au/litg2008.htm.

All inquires email: litg @growingcommunities.org.au

Hope to hear from you all soon.
Happy gardening.

Growing Communities

Growing Communities
192 Boundary Street
West End Qld 4101

p: 0423 945 621
f: (07) 3844 7322
e: info@growingcommunities.org.au
i: www.growingcommunities.org.au

Growing Communities is a community based cooperative enterprise working to promote the establishment, development and on-going support of school gardens, community gardens and city farms in South East Queensland and beyond.

I have been selling 100% biodegradable and compostable catering ware for just under a year, (I thought i should get the commercial interest out of the way straight away) and the market awareness of the product is steadily growing to the point where some festivals will only allow the food vendors on sight if they use this type of product instead of plastic. This is of course great news for a future filled with sustainable events except for one major hurdle. It has become apparent that the composting of the biodegradable catering ware and food scraps is not as easy as first thought. I have documentation from the zero waste program which is aligned with Flinders Uni in S.A proving the catering ware is biodegradable and SITA have been testing it and hopefully are in the process of writing a report, but no body including SITA will take the stuff for a number of reasons. 1. SITA is at or near capacity. 2. Fear of contamination of the compost for on-selling purposes. 3. Seemingly a lack of alternatives to SITA that operate on a much smaller scale. This last reason is probably the biggest hurdle as the amount of compostable fully sorted waste generated from the last Sustainable Living Festival was apparently only one skip full. Surely there is a future for this type of event waste if we are to have a sustainable future. Can any one help?

Yours in frustration.

Sean Flynn

Going Green Solutions

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

Wedges: understanding the potential to reduce Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions
The Nous Group / Victorian Government
Posted: 04-04-2008
This report looks at the potential for emissions reductions across the energy, transport, agriculture, land use and forestry and waste and industrial sectors. It provides important guidance on areas for future focus and trade-offs associated with different options.
To read the full text visit http://www.climatechange.vic.gov.au/summit/Resources/Wedges%20Report.pdf.

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.

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.