Posts Tagged ‘agriculture’
“Don’t Frack The Earth” film and discussion evening
Posted in Events by TransitionTownPortPhillip on September 23rd, 2011
| 27 September , 2011 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 8:30 pm |
The Port Phillip EcoCentre, in collaboration with Transition Town Port Phillip & L.I.V.E (Locals Into Victoria’s Environment), is hosting a film & discussion evening, about the risks of coal seam gas mining, currently proposed for Victoria.
The technique, hydraulic fracturing – otherwise known as “fracking” – seriously risks permanent contamination of the water table, land surface, plant & animal health as well as human health.
Join us for the screening of the ABC doco and part of “Gasland”, get informed, enjoy some hearty discussion & a bite to eat.
Tuesday 27 September, 7-8.30pm
Port Phillip EcoCentre 55a Blessington St, St Kilda Free event, bookings & more info please call 9534 0670 —Think Global, Act Rural: MIFF Screening
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on July 21st, 2011
| 24 July , 2011 | ||
| 12:00 am | to | 11:00 pm |
| 5 August , 2011 | ||
| 6:30 pm | to | 8:30 pm |
Source: Permablitz Designers Guild
“Alarm-raising and catastrophist films have been made, and they have served their purpose. Now the time has come to show that there are solutions, to give a voice to the farmers, philosophers and economists who are inventing and experimenting with new alternatives, while explaining why our society is mired in the current ecological, financial and political crises.” Coline Serreau
Going beyond merely denouncing an agricultural system that has been perverted by unreasonable growth imperatives, Coline Serreau invites us in “Think Global Act Rural” to discover new farming systems, successful production techniques which not only produce better yield, but also repair the damages and offer better life and health to the communities, while ensuring perennial food security. Coline Serreau travelled the world for over three years, armed with a handheld camera, to meet women and men in the field – thinkers and economists – who locally, successfully, are trying out solutions to mend our long ill-treated earth.
Pierre Rabhi, Claude and Lydia Bourguignon, the landless workers of Brazil, Kokopelli in India, Mr. Antoniets in Ukraine… Meet the resistance fighters in love with Earth.
In turn funny and touching, assertive and inspired, they are granted a speaking platform in Coline Serreau’s documentary. The series of unbelievably concordant interviews proves that there are options, that an alternative is possible. It is responding, with concrete elements, to the ecological challenges and, generally speaking, to the civilization crisis, we are currently going through.
Looking beyond the disastrous effects of agriculture’s mass commodification, Think Global, Act Rural investigates the way forward, profiling organic farming techniques that may offer hope for the future.
Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) Screenings:
- July 24, 9pm
- August 5, 6:30pm
Read more or make a booking for Think Global, Act Rural
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Transitions to Sustainability in Agriculture: Public Lecture
Posted in Events, Research by land-environment on May 17th, 2011
| 24 May , 2011 | ||
| 5:30 pm | to | 7:00 pm |
Date: Tuesday 24th May
Time: 5.30pm
Speaker: Professor Pamela Matson
Chester Naramore Dean of the School of Earth Sciences
Stanford University
Richard and Rhoda Goldman Professor of Environmental Studies
Location: Lower Theatre, Melbourne School of Land and Environment Building, University of Melbourne
Earth is undergoing rapid population growth, urbanization, industrial growth, and consumption of natural resources, with concomitant changes in the global life support systems. How can we meet the needs of the 9 billion people while at the same time sustaining the ecosystems, air, water and climate systems on which we rely for our and future generations’ well-being and survival? Professor Matson will discuss some of the critical challenges at the nexus of food, water and global environmental change, and will present research examples from a multi-disciplinary project in Mexico in which use-inspired research both improved scientific understanding and contributed to sustainable management approaches.
To register, please visit: http://www.land-environment.unimelb.edu.au/deanslectures/matson
Victorian Food Supply Scenarios: Impacts on Availability of a Nutritious Diet
Posted in Research by Kate Archdeacon on April 6th, 2011
The report of the Victorian Food Supply Scenarios: Impacts on Availability of a Nutritious Diet project has been released. This VEIL-led research project was funded by VicHealth and undertaken in partnership with the CSIRO, Deakin University and the Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development.
The purpose of this project was to develop and demonstrate a new methodology to link land and resource use with availability of a nutritionally adequate food supply for Victoria’s population.
To do so, it has built the capability of the CSIRO stocks and flows model as a platform for on-going ‘what-if’ investigation of Victorian and Australian food supply security.
The full report and a summary version are available for download on the VEIL website. www.ecoinnovationlab.com
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How Australian Agriculture Can Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Lecture
Posted in Events, Research by land-environment on August 25th, 2010
| 2 September , 2010 | ||
| 5:30 pm | to | 6:30 pm |
Melbourne School of Land and Environment: Professor Deli Chen on ‘How Australian agriculture can reduce greenhouse gas emissions – the role of improved fertiliser and water efficiency’
The application of nitrogen fertiliser in agriculture is essential for world food production – about half of the world’s population would not survive without it. Nitrogen fertiliser use in Australia has increased almost 30 fold since the 1960s. However, nitrogen fertiliser is not used efficiently and often more than 50% is lost to the environment. Agriculture in Australia is the second largest contributor of greenhouse gases, accounting for an estimated 16% of our total emission. Approximately 19% of the total is emitted as nitrous oxide mainly due to the use of nitrogen fertiliser. In his inaugural Professorial Lecture, Deli Chen will outline the main reasons for the poor efficiency of fertiliser nitrogen use and discuss options for improving its efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Professor Deli Chen is the discipline leader in Soil Water, Nutrients and Greenhouse Gases, Melbourne School of Land and Environment, University of Melbourne, and Deputy Director of the Australia-China Centre on Water Resource Research. Professor Chen has active international collaboration with scientists in China, the US and Europe, and has worked on several large projects funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research during the last 15 years. He has also worked closely with industry including Incitec-Pivot and other fertiliser producers.
Professor Chen was recently awarded the JA Prescott Medal for excellence and achievement in the field of soil science by the Australian Society of Soil Science.
Thursday 2 September 2010, 5.30-6.30pm
Arts Education Building (Building 199), level 2, corner Grattan and Swanston Streets, University of Melbourne, Parkville.
Registrations: www.land-environment.unimelb.edu.au or ecl@unimelb.edu.au
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Sustainable Agriculture Flagship: CSIRO
Posted in Research by Kate Archdeacon on April 22nd, 2010
Source: Cleanfood, the Future Climate newsletter
CSIRO’s National Research Flagships tackle Australia’s major research challenges and opportunities through large-scale multidisciplinary partnerships. The Sustainable Agriculture Flagship’s goal is to secure Australian agriculture and forest industries by increasing productivity by 50% and reducing carbon emissions intensity by at least 50% between now and 2030.
CSIRO’s research brings together many different scientific disciplines to address the economic, environmental and social sustainability of agriculture and forestry. Australian agriculture and forestry are entering an era where it must cope with rapidly changing global markets for commodities, changes to water allocations, rising input costs, skills deficiencies, environmental pressures and meet consumer expectations for sustainable land management and healthy, ethical food production. These land use goals cannot be simply traded off against each other.
The national challenge for the Flagship is to develop rural land use systems that deliver the highest value benefits to the Australian economy and society and address the major global issues of food security and greenhouse gas abatement.