Environmentality 29 June 2011

Dear Environmentality listeners.

We had two guests on the show today. As the next edition of the Alternative Technology Associations magazine ReNew has just come off the press we caught up with the magazine’s editor Jacinta Cleary. We first spoke to Jacinta on the 20th of April.

Jacinta reminded us of how the ATA began following the first major oil crisis in the 1970’s. ATA has an emphasis on technology for sustainable homes and a greener environment. ATA produces two magazines; ReNew which has a focus on technology and Sanctuary which deals with sustainable homes.

This edition of ReNew magazine has a range of articles about technology and sustainability issues for the home. Some of the feature article’s we asked Jacinta about were; Fielding’s passing shot-the wind farm enquiry, 2020 tech: what’s coming next to lead the way in a low carbon world, a home insulation buyers guide, an update on the competition for ideas about recycling you CRT TV, and the mud brick circle house built using passive solar design principles.
All up this edition of ReNew has 11 feature articles plus a home hydronic heating special covering 12 pages. The regular features and advertising also provide a wealth of sustainable technology information.

Our second guest was Elliot Fishman from the Institute for Sensible Transport. The Institute grew out the hike in oil prices following Hurricane Katrina. The organisation hopes to stimulate a better debate about transport options and solutions to reduce the need for us to get in our cars.

One project Elliot told us about was working with local councils about dealing with increased costs associated with oil depletion. Councils can reduce the oil intensity of services delivered to the community such as waste collection and disposal, meals on wheels and transport. Some councils now purchase 4 cylinder cars over 6 and 8 cylinder ones.
Another project we spoke to Elliot about is public bike schemes. A key finding has been that users of the schemes tend to be people who are walking rather than car users. The incentive needs to be there to encourage use by car users. And it is politically difficult for government to encourage bike use over car use.
Elliot also provided some insights into Melbourne’s transport system including the idea for a train service to the airport.
As Smokey was not able to be at the show today Jaime looked after the music selection with another great selection from his jazz collection.
You got to hear:

1. Bird Land by Weather Report
2. My Song by Keith Jarrett
3. Pianola Roll by Dave Graney
4. Stay, Please Stay by Oh Mercy

Another very informative show. Find more information about today’s guests and their organisations by clicking on the links in the above text.
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Environmentality 22 June 2011

Dear Environmentality listeners.

We had another interesting show today. Prior to interviewing today's guest Smokey told us about some of his thoughts about his recent trip to Bali from an environmental perspective.

We also took the opportunity before our guest rang the studio to interview two students from the Craigieburn Secondary School who happened to be visiting the studio. We spoke to Ben Leavey and Ben Chambers and after introducing themselves they answered a few questions about environmental sustainability. From their answers to these questions we felt the students had a very informed view of environmental issues and knowledge of possible solutions.

Our principal guest for today was Travis Scicchitano who is the Woodlands Project Officer from Conservation Volunteers Australia.

Woodlands Historical Park is in Greenvale near Tullamarine Airport and Travis explained how he has been restoring the park in preparation for the re-introduction of the Eastern-Barred Bandicoot to the park.

By 1991 the bandicoot was on the brink of extinction through habitat loss (for agriculture and development) and predation by introduced foxes and cats. In preparation for the release of 50 Bandicoots from a breeding program into Woodlands, Conservation Volunteers and Hume City Council have been removing weeds, replanting natives and fencing the Woodlands site.

Anyone wishing to volunteer to assist with the program can do so by attending Woodlands on a Thursday. Contact the West Melbourne office at 162 Aderley St, WEST MELBOURNE VIC 3003, Phone 03 9326 8250 or email melbourne@conservationvolunteers.com.au for details.

Travis also told us about another project he has been involved with at Conservation Volunteers; Green Gym. The Green Gym Project is based on the idea that volunteering for activities in Parks is a great form of exercise and also is a social activity and an opportunity to learn new skills and knowledge about the natural environment. As Travis mentioned we use three times more energy standing up than sitting down.

With Smokey back on deck today Jaime only got to play one more Jazz track from his Jazz collection.

You got to hear;

Round Midnight from the George Russell Sextet

Sensitive by The Field Mice

Children of The Revolution by T-Rex

From the Flagstones by the Cocteau Twins

I walk the Line by Johnny Cash.

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Environmentality 15 June 2011

Dear Environmentality listeners.

Today we spoke to Cate Lawrence from Green Renters. Cate and her partner started the organisation some years ago after finding there was little information available to assist people in rented accommodation live more sustainably.

The organisation delivers workshops, runs projects and the website is full of tips, tutorials, product reviews and inspiring stories, all specifically geared to renters.

Some upcoming workshops include Living Sustainably in Rental Accommodation (June 29), a Green Renting Workshop (June 30) and DIY Natural Cleaning (October 22).

In 2007 Cate also launched Polka Dot Rabbit which represents Cate's creative side where she reclaims once loved items, recreating them to be loved all over again.

As we waited for Cate to arrive at the studio Jaime began the show by mentioning the opening of the Hume Eco Living Centre at Banksia Gardens Community Centre last Wednesday which is why we did not have a show last week.

The Centre has been built using environmentally sustainable principles including passive solar design and has transformed the facilities at Banksia. The following photos show how the centre has been transformed.

Before

After

Jaime at opening ceremony

Uncle Stan performing traditional opening.

Some external and internal views of the centre.

As Smokey is away in Bali Jaime did a great job looking after the music for today’s show. We got to hear a track from Kat Lavers the guest on our previous show two weeks ago and also one from Cate our guest today along with some great jazz from Jaime's collection.

You got to hear;

1. Six Seasons Rap by Ilan Abrahams (Selected by Kat Lavers our previous guest)
   
2. Meet B.B. by Count Basie and his orchestra
3. So What by Miles Davis
4. Golden Brown by The Stranglers (Selected by Cate)
   
5. My favourite things by John Coltrane

Another great show providing some great information from an organisation dedicated to sustainable green renting. Listen to the show!

Environmentaility 1 June 2011

Dear Environmentality listeners.

Today we spoke to Kat Lavers from Transition Darebin which is part of the worldwide Transition Network.

The organisations vision is a relocalised and resilient Darebin that is liveable for current and future generations. Key drivers for the initiative is peak oil and dealing with climate change.

Kat highlighted the negative media scenarios which have been presented about climate change and peak oil. However by imagining the type of future we desire the Transition Network can assist planning for the transition to a sustainable future. Darebin has produced an excellent document “Climate Change and Peak Oil Adaptation Plan” about these issues and an adaptation strategy.

The organisation is run by volunteers and has a doing and fun attitude to building resilience and adaption in the community to these pressing environmental issues. They are trying to localise food production which relies heavily on oil inputs and have a local food directory and community supported agriculture scheme.

An interesting transport initiative was the shifting of a home’s furniture and contents using bicycle transport raising the question that if bikes can be used to shift a house is an SVU required to get the milk?

A key them to the Transition initiative is Permaculture which is about sustainable design; reducing resource use, reducing waste production and observing natural cycles.

On Saturday June 4 Transition Darebin has organised the “Darebin Urban Harvest Fruit and Vegie Swap”, 10am – 12pm at the Northcote Uniting Church.

We heard an interesting selection of music from Jaime, Smokey and Kat. You got to hear;

1. Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap.
2. Shuck by You Am I.
3. Cinnamon Girl by Diesel.
4. Happy Guy by Stephen Cummings
5. A track from Kats disk by the artist Tim Scanlon.
6. Someone to Watch Over Me by The Conglomerates, compliments of Kat.
7. Days Like These by Diesel.

An upbeat and entertaining show showing how Darebin is tackling environmental sustainability.

And a great effort by Kat to get to the show using public tranport and her bike!

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Environmentality 25 May

Dear Environmentality listeners.

Today we had a conversation with Nina Bailey who is one of the Sustainable Living project managers at Victoria’s peak non-profit environmental organisation Environment Victoria, not to be confused with the Victorian Government's department Sustainability Victoria.

Environment Victoria represents environmental groups in the state such as friends groups and other grassroots organisations. Their aim is to reach all 5 million Victorians engaging everyone to help protect the environment.

After a brief introduction about the organisation, Nina spoke to us about the GreenTown program, an initiative that reaches out to different cultural groups in the community to inform and educate their members about sustainable living. Nina was telling us that in the process, very often they find that many people in these groups also have much to contribute from their own cultural experience to sustainable living.

Smokey played more great music including a track selected by Nina. You got to hear;

1. The most beautiful girl I the room (live) by Flight of the Concords.
2. A century of fakers by Belle and Sebastian
3. Hold on my heart by Sarah Blasko
4. Elephant Gun by Beirut (Nina’s selection)
5. Celia Ann by the Pixies.

We found ourselves quickly running out of time for this show as Nina proved to be another truly fantastic guest!

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Environmentality 18 May 2011

Dear Environmentality listeners,

Today we spoke to Jenen Taylor who is the Media Officer at the E. W. Tipping Foundation. The foundation is a prominent service provider in disability, children, youth, families and aged across Victoria. The foundation has taken significant steps to improve its environmental footprint by reducing its water energy and waste impacts through the implementation of its SustainAbility project. The organisation has been nominated for the 2011 Premiers Sustainability awards in the Community Sector.

The foundation is working with people it supports and staff to save water, energy and waste in its group homes which showed consumption figures up to three times the Victorian average. As part of the program the foundation developed a SustainAbility Star-ter Kit which is a complete tool kit of information, activities, and resources for people with disability living in group homes, and their support staff and service providers, to implement household sustainability.

An important feature of the program has been the 6 Star Accreditation Program where a house is awarded a star for signing up for the program and a star each for committing to achieve improvements in the areas of Energy, Water, Waste and Shopping, Transport and Community Involvement.

Unfortunately we did not receive an SMS answer to our listener question for the day; “What award has the E. W. Tipping Foundation been nominated this year”? So listeners stay tuned next week as there may be another question so that we can give away our remaining box of chocolates! Remember, our SMS number for questions, comments during the show is 0447 777 989.

To complete the show Jaime presented a range of interesting articles from the latest CSIRO magazine ECOS which can be viewed on the magazines website. Some of the articles mentioned included; Greenland, Antarctic ice sheets melting faster than predicted, Towards baseload solar thermal power, and Rising CO2 plants and biodiversity.

As usual Smokey presented an eclectic selection of music for the show. You got to hear;

1. Business time by Flight of the Concords
2. Alright by Supergrass
3. Do you want to by Franz Ferdinand
4. Common people by Pulp
5. Roxanne by Katie Noonan and Kerin Schaupp
6. There she goes by The LA’s
7. I’m a believer by the Monkees

Next week we hope to play our guest Jenen Taylors request, something from Lady Gaga!

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Environmentality 4 May 2011

Dear Environmentality listeners,

Today we decided to take advantage of a great article in the New Internationalist Magazine and we went through a number of myths and misconceptions that are often used by Climate Change deniers to argue their case. Smokey was put on the spot and he definitely rose to the challenge by providing eloquent arguments to counter these myths, and Jaime added a few additional facts from the article.

Some of the myths questioned were;

• CO2 is not a greenhouse gas
• Warming increases before CO2 increases
• Some scientists do not agree with the scientific consensus
• Arctic North West passage now navigable
• The world isn’t really warming
• The world cooled between 1940 and 1970
• Climate change data has been manipulated
• Our winters are colder
• There are other effects greater than humans
• Climate change caused by the sun
• Climate change can have good effects

We were also happy to hear from Helen, a listener from Craigieburn who responded to our challenge and came up with an artist who has gone better solo than with a music group. Helen will receive a box of chocolates in the next few days.

Remember listeners that you can send SMS questions or comments while the show is on air to 0447 777 989, at the cost of a normal SMS.

So all in all, it was nother chilled out show with music selected by Smokey. You got to hear;

1. There is a light that never goes out by The Smiths
2. Radio by Teenage Fanclub
3. Imitation of Life by REM
4. Wonderwall by Oasis.

Listen to the show!