Permablitz – Phillips place – Sunday 5th September.
A weekend of carbon cycling alchemy.
On Saturday and Sunday I will be harvesting separating vermicompost.
sieving and building up a high quality container potting mix
for the integrated vermiponic system – tomatoes beans this year,water chestnuts for next year.
I Have a TLUD to cook lunch on (BBQ), bring some food to share.
WE will cover on the day vermiponics, potting soils, composting, biochar, nutrient processing.
I will be home all weekend, please drop in.
Sunday 9:00 till whatever
Saturday by appointment.
email kathy_ehmann@acenet.com.au for details

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.Spring is springing and frozen puddles are a thing of the past. Now is the time to get active in the garden.

If you’re stumped, you can get out to the Moss Vale Community Garden Monday and Friday mornings to help out and get some tips.

Aussie Organic Gardening is a great website, maintained by a very wise woman.

Aussies Living Simply is an online forum with 6600 members. There you’ll find lots of advice and answers to any questions you may have.

Of course, the local libraries have a fabulous range of books to help you get started.

Whatever you grow and however experienced you are, there is nothing like sitting down to a meal from your own garden. It also entitles you to announce it at every such meal. Enjoy it.

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In the midst of a Federal Election and with the major party leaders equivocating on climate, the Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan will be launched at the Sydney Town Hall on Thursday August 12.

Hosted by ABC Stateline NSW presenter, Quentin Dempster, speakers will include:

· Malcolm Turnbull, MP for Wentworth
· Bob Carr, former NSW State Premier
· Scott Ludlam, Greens Senator for WA
· Matthew Wright, Executive Director, Beyond Zero Emissions
· Allan Jones MBE, Chief Development Officer, Energy & Climate Change, City of Sydney
· A technical panel including Keith Lovegrove (Solar Thermal Group Leader, ANU), Lane Crockett (General Manager, Pacific Hydro), and Roger Dargaville (Energy Systems Analyst, Melbourne Energy Institute)
The Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan shows that political and social will are the only obstacles standing in the way of a 100 per cent renewable, zero emissions electricity supply system being implemented in Australia and that this can be achieved in a decade.

The Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan – a research collaboration between Beyond Zero Emissions and the University of Melbourne Energy Institute – outlines in great detail that cost and variability are not obstacles to achieving zero emissions within ten years; and that the technology required to achieve this goal is already commercially available.

Melbourne Energy Institute Director Professor Mike Sandiford says the plan highlights that political will is the resource most lacking in the energy debate.

“The technology required is already available, and cost is not prohibitive. What is lacking is the political will and social drive to make it happen,” he says.

Beyond Zero Emissions Executive Director and lead author Matthew Wright says the new PM must consider the Zero Carbon Australia report’s findings when developing its climate policy.

“The Gillard government must incorporate findings from the Zero Carbon Australia plan into its climate policy. Our research shows that baseload renewable energy is now available and that Australia can get started building a renewable energy system, right now, today,” says Wright

“Australia needs a nation-building climate change project with the scale and vision of a Snowy Mountains Scheme for the 21st Century. This approach can win the hearts and minds of Australians and put us on track to restore a safe climate. It’s in this country’s DNA and in all the parties’ electoral interests to do so,” says Wright.

The Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan (ZCA Plan) will be made publically available at this event and can be downloaded or purchased from the BZE and Melbourne Energy Institute websites, www.beyondzeroemissions.org and www.energy.unimelb.edu.au.

The plan will be launched at a free public seminar incorporating a panel discussion at 6:00-8:00 pm on Thursday August 12 at the Sydney Town Hall, 483 George St.

For more information contact: Emma O’Neill, Media Unit, University of Melbourne on 03 83447220 or 0432758734; Susannah Powell, Melbourne Energy Institute on 8344 3519 or 0422 920 592; and Matthew Wright, Beyond Zero Emissions on 0421 616 733.

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Sustainable House Day is on in the Southern Highlands!

Would you like to visit a sustainable house in your neighbourhood-to find out more about reducing waste around the home, saving water, natural home heating and cooling, passive solar design, photovoltaics … and more?

Sustainable House Day is a nation-wide initiative, where people open up their eco-friendly homes to showcase them to the public. By coming along to the Sustainable House Day on 12 September, you can get tipa from home owners who’ve put sustainable living into practice – as well as share some tips of your own.

CANWin is partnering with the organisers of Sustainable House Day to promote the day. For more information about Sustainable House Day, and to find out where you can visit houses in the Southern Highlands, click here.

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CANDIDATES’ FORUM

Every election – national, state and local government – CANWin presents a Candidates’ Forum where each candidate is given the opportunity to present what they see as important election issues.  They are also given notice of questions in advance, and are then asked to answer some of those questions.  The forum is organised in a very orderly manner, and all candidates are assured equal time and opportunity.

Four Candidates have been invited to attend the forum:  Alan Hay, Nationals; Stephen Jones, Labor; Peter Moran, Greens & Juliet Arkwright, Liberal.  We are hoping they will all attend.

Your Questions to the candidates are invited, and need to be received by Sunday, 1st August – similar questions may be collated.  Please email them to:  Bob Thomas bobuc2@bigpond.net.au

Friday 6th August, 2010
7.30 pm at the Uniting Centre, Cnr Bendooley & Boolwey Streets, Bowral

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WALK AGAINST WARMING

In past years, CANWin has organised a local Walk Against Warming.  However, this year, with the issue having reached a critical point, we have chosen to join with other groups and individuals in Sydney to create a large gathering of solidarity on climate change action.

The Sydney event, organised by the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, will be starting at 12 Midday in Belmore Park (next to Central Station).  “Due to the significance of this year with the Federal election, we want the march to be the biggest yet, and to do this, we are asking for your help.  Together, we will remind government that we’re doing our bit.  We’re working hard to reduce greenhouse pollution.  We’re saving water and energy.  We’re buying greenpower.  We’re forming Climate Action groups.  Its time for the Government to do their bit.”

Those wishing to gather under the CANWin banner in Sydney should meet the train at Moss Vale, Bowral or Mittagong Stations.  Train departs Moss Vale/Bowral/Mittagong at 9.22/9.30/9.34 and arrives Central at 11.25.
The return train departs Central at 4.07 and arrives Mittagong/Bowral/Moss Vale at 6.02/6.07/6.15.

Contact David Tranter:  dh.tranter@bigpond.com to let him know you will be joining the group and to receive any updates.

Sunday 15th August, 2010
12 Noon from Belmore Park (near Central Railway Station).

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The Empire Cinema in Bowral is showing Food Inc for a very short time.

From the cinema’s website:

The current method of raw food production is largely a response to the growth of the fast food industry since the 1950s. The production of food overall has more drastically changed since that time than the several thousand years prior. Controlled primarily by a handful of multinational corporations, the global food production business – with an emphasis on the business – has as its unwritten goals production of large quantities of food at low direct inputs (most often subsidized) resulting in enormous profits, which in turn results in greater control of the global supply of food sources within these few companies. Health and safety (of the food itself, of the animals produced themselves, of the workers on the assembly lines, and of the consumers actually eating the food) are often overlooked by the companies, and are often overlooked by government in an effort to provide cheap food regardless of these negative consequences.
Main cast: Gary Hirshberg, Michael Pollan, Troy Roush, Joel Salatin
Official website: Visit the website (includes trailer)

Session times:
Thursday 1/7, Friday 2/7, Saturday 3/7, Sunday 4/7, Monday 5/7, Tuesday 6/7 & Wednesday 7/7 at 7.45pm

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Workshop: The Secrets of Sourdough Bread Making

Paddy ran an acclaimed wood fired oven bakery for many years and now offers to share his skills in a one day sourdough bread making class in his purpose built training kitchen in Bundanoon. Cost $130 pp and includes tuition, lunch and resource CD to take home. For more details P. 4883 7830 or 0427 837 830 or see Paddy’s website.

Check the Bundanoon Community Web for more events.

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