Posts Tagged ‘resilience’
Cost-Effective Distributed Energy Systems in Australia
Posted in Opinion, Research by Kate Archdeacon on December 15th, 2011
Source: Climate Spectator
Photo by twicepix via flickr CC
From It’s time for a smarter grid by Giles Parkinson:
Imagine for a moment that you are the head of a large group of network operators, faced with a decision about what to do about rising peak electricity demand. And you are presented with a choice: invest $2.6 billion over five years on upgrading your network – the route you would normally take; or spend a comparable amount on solar power and energy storage, distributed throughout the network. This was the question posed by Professor John Bell, of the Queensland University of Technology, and Warwick Johnston, a leading solar analyst with Sunwiz, when they sought to find out if there was a better way than the traditional response of building more poles and wires to cope with rising peak demand.
Using Queensland network operator Energex as an example, and its forecast peak demand growth of 1.25GW over the five years to 2014/15, the study analysed the existing approach of spending $2.6 billion augmenting the grid, or investing a comparable amount in either 25GWh of storage, or 1.25GW of solar PV and 10GWh of storage. The study concluded that a combination of battery and solar PV produced a far better outcome, because of the ability to generate revenue from the energy produced, and the use of battery storage to resell energy. Over a five year period, the net present value (NPV) of the poles and wires solution was negative $2 billion, while the NPV of the solar/storage solution was negative $750 million. But because these could produce revenue over a 20-year period, the solar/storage had a positive NPV of $2 billion over a 20 year period.
Bell and Johnston say the main take-home messages from this are that the integration of distributed PV and battery storage into the existing energy system has the potential to be cost effective now, and it underpins the case for reform of the National Electricity Market, to ensure that distributed generation is fairly treated and that network providers are encouraged to opt for the solutions that have greater market benefit, rather than simply being least upfront cost.
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>>Read the full article by Giles Parkinson on Climate Spectator.
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>>Read about VEIL’s work on Distributed Systems.
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Social Exclusion Monitor: Community resilience
Posted in Research by Kate Archdeacon on November 9th, 2011
Source: Brotherhood of St Laurence
Image credit ‘The Brotherhood of St Laurence and the Melbourne Institute 2011′
More than one million Australians experience deep social exclusion.
Social exclusion occurs when someone experiences multiple, overlapping problems, such as unemployment, poor health and inadequate education, which stop them fully participating in society. Tackling social exclusion helps make Australia a better place to live for everyone.
The social exclusion monitor is a new approach to measuring social exclusion in Australia. Developed by the Brotherhood of St Laurence and the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research (MIAESR), it uses the annual Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey of 13,000 people. The monitor finds that more than one million Australians deal with deep social exclusion. This means that they experience at least four different sorts of disadvantage in their lives, such as being on a low income, having little work experience, not being involved in community clubs or associations and not being socially active. You can use the monitor to better understand who is missing out in Australia and to gauge the effectiveness of government social policy.
Read more about the Social Exclusion Monitor; the eight key groups who experience social exclusion; and the project’s background research: www.bsl.org.au/Social-exclusion-monitor
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Fire and Rain: Social Innovation and Community Leadership
Posted in Events, Research by Kate Archdeacon on July 26th, 2011
| 1 August , 2011 | ||
| 2 August , 2011 |
Fire And Rain: Social Innovation And Community Leadership In Natural Disaster Management And Emergency Services
This national conference will explore innovative community responses to Australia’s ongoing vulnerability to natural disasters and need for effective disaster risk management and emergency services. Its emphasis is on community-based innovation, self-help and leadership, with the aim of identifying and strengthening effective grassroots community responses to the ravages of fire, flood, drought and wind. The conference will identify cases around the country where social innovation and self-help are being implemented in creative ways. The conference will bring together community innovators and leaders, service practitioners, researchers, policy makers, social entrepreneurs and workers in community agencies who are interested in furthering social innovation and community self-help in these areas.
August 1 & 2
Angliss Conference Centre
Melbourne
Visit the website for more information
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Changing Cities: Landscape As An Integrated Perspective
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on May 5th, 2011
| 10 May , 2011 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 8:00 pm |
Landscape master plan and urban design for the fortifications surrounding Cartagena, Cartagena de Indias in Colombia, which is listed as a World Heritage site.
Melbourne School of Design: Dean’s Lecture Series 2011
Day after day people’s lives are affected by poor or inadequately planned development. The world is in flux: climate change, deforestation, floods, urbanization, the shifting weight of the developing world, and the rising shortage of resources are causing us to rethink the way we design places. The modern world presents both challenges and opportunities to those who design and shape built, natural and social environments. Using Colombia as a case study, leading landscape architect Martha Fajardo will give a Latin-American perspective into this global issue.
Martha is CEO of Grupo Verde Ltda, a firm dedicated to the professional practice of Landscape Architecture, Landscape Urbanism and Urban Design, based in Colombia and Latin America. In her illustrated lecture, Martha will detail the transformations which have recently occurred in Bogotá, Medellin and Cartagena in relation to transport, public spaces, art and culture, education, social urbanism and social inclusion. In this illustrated lecture, she will explain that by optimizing, diversifying and regenerating urban spaces, we have a unique opportunity to make a difference – to create affordable landscapes, landscapes of happiness. The quality of the environment is a key component of robust economic growth believes Fajardo.
“Remarkable, valuable, historical and beautiful landscapes are given sanctuary, but at present, the everyday landscape – the social, economic and physical context of our lives – has no champion. Fragmented into various components that are green, grey or blue, agricultural, historical or ecological, it is undervalued and neglected, seemingly belonging to everyone, but actually to no one.”
7.00pm – 8.00pm
Tuesday 10 May 2011
Carrillo Gantner Theatre
Basement, Sidney Myer Asia Centre
The University of Melbourne
Please RSVP at http://msd.unimelb.edu.au/events/deans-lectures/fajardo/index.html
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Sustainable Urbanisation : A resilient future
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on December 20th, 2010
| 16 February , 2011 5:00 pm | to | 18 February , 2011 2:30 pm |
An international one-off conference for inter-disciplinary researchers and practitioners to advance the knowledge and create pathways to resilient, sustainable cities. This 2011 Sir Mark Oliphant International Frontiers of Science and Technology Conference is hosted by the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne and Swinburne University of Technology. The conference is intended to be:
CREATIVE: engage in TEDxCarlton public forum with international speakers, facilitated workshops and city tour with other disciplines and early career professionals
PURPOSEFUL: workshops to create a leading-edge book on sustainable urbanisation, to develop new theory, research agendas and practical proposals for public policy.
You should attend if you are interested in working with other disciplines and solving the real world problem of sustainable urban development, specifically:
• Early career researchers and professionals
• Professionals engaged in urban planning, design and development
• Land and park management
• Urban Researchers
• Government at all levels (local, state and federal) from sectors as varied as planning, environment and community services
We look forward to your input, attendance and enthusiasm. Please email your name and organisation to info@sustainableurbanisation.com.au to receive conference updates.
The program in a snap shot :
Visit the website for more information and to register – www.sustainableurbanisation.com.au
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Eco-Acupuncture 2010: VEIL Exhibition
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on September 23rd, 2010
| 27 September , 2010 9:00 am | to | 8 October , 2010 5:00 pm |
What might a sustainable and resilient neighbourhood look like ? How can we transform existing urban communities through design interventions?
To develop low-carbon resilient communities from within the existing fabric of (sub)urban life it is important to have two things: visions of desirable future living scenarios – and visible interventions, today, that can re-orient the path of future development. Since 2007, the Victorian Eco Innovation Lab [VEIL] has been exploring the transformative power of future visions for new developments in Melbourne. This work has been complemented by another program with design professionals, academics and students, working with an existing community, to design a suite of local interventions that can release community energy for building a sustainable neighbourhood. VEIL calls this new program: Eco-Acupuncture.
This exhibition introduces two projects, one looking at a future development north of Docklands; the other sited at Broadmeadows, a suburb currently wrestling with many of the problems facing Australian suburbs. New developments can create sustainable communities from scratch; Broadmeadows requires the ‘retrofitting’ of an existing community. VEIL work has focused on food, water, transport, energy, information and eco-businesses and services and the development of new Local Activities Districts. ‘Broady’ is a place of rich cultural diversity and history, opening up many possibilities for innovative design thinking.
The exhibition features work in collaboration with the Hume City council, from design professionals and design studios held at Melbourne University, RMIT University, Monash University and Swinburne University in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, industrial design, communication and service design, 2008-10.
Exhibition dates: Monday 27 September to Friday 08 October. Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm.
Location: The foyer, Urban Workshop. 50 Lonsdale Street. Melbourne. 3000
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Food Security: Feeding a hungrier world in an ever changing climate
Posted in Events by land-environment on September 7th, 2010
An MSLE Graduate School Week Event:
The extra 3 billion people we expect on this earth in the next 40 years will predominately live a wealthier lifestyle in our cities. Dr Michael Robinson, Director of the Primary Industries Climate Change Centre will discuss how ensuring food security in a changing climate will be one of the challenges of our lifetime.
For more information visit the website.
Wednesday 8 September
5.30-6.30pm
Cuming Theatre, Chemistry Building (Building 153), University of Melbourne, Parkville
Other events include:
- Vulnerability, adaptation and resilience: ways of understanding social dimensions of environmental change
- Sustainability and Interdisciplinarity
- Climate change and the impact on plants and forests
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Ethical Consumer Group Meal & Movie Nights: August
Posted in Events, Movements, Opinion by Kate Archdeacon on August 11th, 2010
Source: Ethical Consumer Group
Thursday 12th August, Yarraville
Capitalism: A love story
Is capitalism the only way? Is it the best way? This film by Michael Moore centres on the financial crisis of 2007–2010 and the recovery stimulus, and the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans. Topics covered include Wall Street’s “casino mentality”, for-profit prisons, Goldman Sachs’ influence in Washington, DC, the poverty-level wages of many workers, the large wave of home foreclosures, and the consequences of “runaway greed”.
Friday 20th August, Blackburn
The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba’s economy went into a tailspin. With imports of oil cut by more than half – and food by 80 percent – people were desperate. This film tells of the hardships and struggles as well as the community and creativity of the Cuban people during this difficult time. Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanised, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens. A practical example of options and hope for our time.
Dinner 6.30 – 7.30pm – byo ‘food and thoughts’ to share, Movie begins 8.00pm. Wrap up by 10.30pm.
The Ethical Consumer Group meets once a month to discuss aspects of living out sustainable alternatives in a consumerist culture. Join us for “Meal and Movie” (.. or just movie). Visit the website for more information.
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Future Perfect – Subjectivity in Times of Uncertainty: Public Lecture
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on August 10th, 2010
Presented by Prof Renata Salecl, London School of Economics & Birkbeck College School of Law:
We live in times of uncertainty, where the feelings of anxiety are on the rise. However, we seem to be encouraged by contemporary science to think about lives as being open to endless improvement. The ideology of choice which dominates post-industrial capitalism has created a new mythology of science which has radically affected the way we perceive subjectivity. However the idea that our lives as being capable of ever new improvements, that we can prevent risks to happen and that we can predict when things might go wrong has paradoxically resulted in an increase of feelings of guilt and inadequacy. This lecture will look at how the idea of the perfect future has affected the way we look at reproduction, raising of children, delinquency, aging and death.
Thursday 12th August 2010, 6-7pm
Gryphon Gallery, 1888 Building
The University of Melbourne
School of Social & Political Sciences
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Phase 2 of Paddock to Plate: re-thinking food and farming
Posted in Research by Kate Archdeacon on September 3rd, 2009
Source: Food Climate Research Network
Paddock to Plate: policy propositions for sustaining food and farming systems is the second and final phase of the Australian Conservation Foundation’s Future Food and Farming project.
The report puts 24 propositions to the Victorian Government, based on the premise that healthy environments, healthy farming systems and healthy people are intricately intertwined. The report looks at the activities and investments that will be needed if Victoria is to equip its food and farming systems to produce more healthy foods, more sustainably, in a much more difficult climate, while consuming less water, energy and soil, fewer nutrients and without damaging our biodiversity.
How can we improve the performance and resilience of the Victorian food and farming system? This propositions paper outlines policy suggestions that would substantially assist the Victorian food system in delivering healthier foods, healthier profits and healthier landscapes.
Download the report.