Our 4th seminar in this popular and important series is scheduled for Saturday 15 November. It will be held at the Royal Botanic Gardens Education Centre at Mt Annan. There will also be a visit to the nearby Macarthur Sustainable Living Centre.
The overall theme of the seminar is a positive message of what state and local government are doing to improve our natural environment and how we as designers and contractors need to understand the implications of the new rules and regulations. The challenge is not to get government up to speed with environmental outcomes but to get the industry in a position to be able to deliver on it.
By the time you receive this newsletter the Garnaut report on climate change will have been released. Ross Garnaut’s report is not a comforting one in regard to what needs to be done to combat global warming. The planet is already changing and so is life in Australia. Petrol prices and food prices are spiralling and we haven’t yet begun to make the real sacrifices that are expected with the release of this long-awaited report.
The following talk in Sydney’s north is looking towards the future. AILDM’s Global Warming and Education committee fully support this event.
Next Meeting Monday, 21st July 7pm for 7.30pm sharp start
Ku-ring-gai Centre for Seniors
259 Pacific Highway Lindfield map
More information can be found at www.permaculturenorth.org.au Phone 1300 887 145, or email info@permaculturenorth.org.au for more information.
Peak Oil, Climate Change and the Sydney Transition: Permaculture’s Latest or Greatest Challenge?
After decades of debate, challenge scepticism and uncertainty there is now a growing global consensus on the reality of global warming, though still debate about solutions and weak commitment to action in many nations. Peak Oil - though first predicted in 1956 - is a newer debate and is going through a similar cycle. There are still nations and vested interests in denial and plenty of sceptics. There are plenty of others hoping for a ‘techno-fix’ to the Peak Oil issue. The impacts of Peak Oil, however, are starting to bite right now, much earlier than severe climate change effects. Rising fuel prices, rising food prices, airline cost-cutting and price increases, transport industry struggling and even food-riots are current daily news. We may have much less time to adjust to Peak Oil than to Global Warming. No one can know the exact impacts or timing, but the future scenarios all seem to involve both energy and climate volatility and uncertainty.
Transition Sydney has been formed to stimulate and support local action initiatives aimed at building community resilience and planned adjustment to a world where cheap energy is no longer available and our personal and collective carbon footprint must be reduced to save the planet’s climate and biosystems. Such community-driven ‘relocalisation’ initiatives are likely to prove the most important response to the future challenges, particularly if government responses prove ineffective or even dangerous.
In a multi-media and interactive presentation, Peter Driscoll and Andrew Harvey from Transition Sydney will provide key information on Peak Oil and Climate Change and how these two realities might interact. They will examine possible future scenarios and possible solutions. The vulnerability of the Sydney Region - a metropolitan conglomeration of over 4 million people, 40 local government areas and 8 large city hubs will be discussed. They will then focus on the areas of Sydney serviced by Permaculture North’s activities and activism, the actions that can be undertaken and the central role of Permaculture in building localised community resilience. Finally they will discuss the Transition Towns model of community engagement with local councils to develop local energy descent action pathways for their communities.
After the meeting we will have an open discussion and debate about permaculture strategies to transition. Be prepared for a thought provoking and stimulating meeting this Monday that will get you planning for action.
Frouke de Reuver notes by Frayne Dyke-Walker
Click her to view Frouke de Reuver’s Presentation
MC - Gavin McConnell opened the event posing the question:
‘Is Global Warming a Local or Global, Personal or Corporate (including Government) issue?’
The resulting challenges are ethically, politically, threateningly diverse. . . affecting; health, economies, security, communities with the change in comfort levels, income and fear - Not only of change, but of the unknown. And a lot of people just can’t, won’t, or are too frightened, or even feeling too powerless to even attempt to do anything let alone start making the sorts of sacrifices we need to right now.
So where does that leave us? Let’s strip it down - make it a personal journey and as simple as possible to make a start . . . which segued neatly into Frouke de Reuver’s talk. Continue reading ‘Frouke de Reuver Notes’
Dr Jane Tarran BSc - UTS Program Director - Urban Ecology
Click to view Dr Jane Tarran’s presentation
ROLE OF URBAN FOREST IN PROVIDING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR CITIES
A report,with personal comments, by Frayne Dyke-Walker.
Benefit of Urban Forest include;
- Environmental & Ecological
- Aesthetic & Visual
- Social, Psychological & SPIRITUAL Benefits - (I also bought a Fab book ‘Healing Gardens’ that discusses this in detail - from Floralegium)
- Economic Benefit to Business
I could add to this list Urban Wildlife - critters and birds, not just for the environmental and ecological benefits - but for the distressing fact that not a lot of families can now have pets, and without urban wildlife they would be even more disconnected from the other inhabitants of the planet that have just a much right to a sustainable planet as we do. ENOUGH EDITORIALISING!
Continue reading ‘Dr Jane Tarran - Urban Forestry Notes - My favourite speaker!’
The ABS’s 7.30 Report aired an interesting article last night.
Kerry O’Brien and Dr Bill Hare from the International Climate Change Panel discuss compelling evidence that climate change is worse than we thought.
Read the transcript or view the article here…
Not even an accident on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and trackwork which took all trains off the North Sydney line could stop Saturday’s seminar being an wonderful success.
Attendees arrived to find the bustling North Sydney Markets with craft stalls, food and music creating a wonderful atmosphere. Did the council organise this because they knew AILDM was coming? Our fears of chaos were swept away by the delightful atmosphere and good humour of our members and guests as they anticipated this long awaited seminar, GW2 was in September 2007. And well-worth waiting for it was.
The three speakers, Frouke de Reuver , Dr Jane Tarran and Josh Byrne complemented each other very well with the title of the seminar “Sustainable Business, Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Gardens” well and truly represented.
A full report of their talks will be posted on the AILDM forum and AILDM websites, with links to the full powerpoint presentation of the first two speakers available, soon.
AILDM would like to thank our speakers, all those who attended this great afternoon, the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change for sponsoring this event, Universal Magazines for their continuing support and North Sydney Council for their support and assistance and use of Hutley Hall.
We are also very grateful to Alpine Nurseries for the stunning display of plants which covered the presentation area and captured CO2 throughout the afternoon.
Hutley Hall in North Sydney is at 200 Miller St.
Entry into the hall will be via the open carpark entrance next to the park.
It happens that this Saturday is Market Day and stalls are set up in the carpark. Unfortunately carparking may be a problem so we encourage attendees to come via train or bus.
Train and bus services to North Sydney - transport timetables can be found on the internet www.131500.info or by phoning Transport Infoline 131500.
North Sydney station is 10 minutes walk diirectly up Miller St from North Sydney Station and there are numerous buses travelling through North Sydney.
If you are bringing your car there is the Ridge St carpark which is free but which will also be used by people going to the markets.
Street parking in North Sydney is 1, 2 and 4 hour metre parking.
The following weblink connects you to a number of carparks in North Sydney.
Looking forward to seeing you
Green Roofs Australia www.greenroofs.wordpress.com is hosting a series of lectures across Australia by Prof. Manfred Kohler.
Prof Kohler will be covering the following topics
1. The 30-year history of modern green roof and green wall development in Germany (where the leading city now has 14% of its commercial buildings with green roofs).
2. The significance of the practice of combining green roof and green wall culture with solar power collection — for much-improved efficiency. Germany is pioneering in this important field, as the world’s solar energy production costs are lowering by about 40% in the next two years.
3. The role of the World Green Roof Infrastructure Network, which Professor Koehler chairs from Germany (with a world headquarters now being set up in Toronto, Canada). Green Roofs Australia Inc is a foundation member with six other national bodies.
With proposed green roof and green wall company displays.
Manfred will also be speaking in Brisbane,Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne during his time in Australia, for further details please see Green Roofs Australia web site www.greenroofs.wordpress.com
Professor Koehler’s visit to Australia is at a significant time for Australian global contributions against climate change and improvement of the built-environment .
The Australian Institute of Landscape Designers & Managers (AILDM) is please to announce that the Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW is the official sponsor for it’s third seminar in this series.
SUSTAINABLE GARDENS - SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS - SUSTAINABLE CITIES
The Australian Institute of Landscape Designers and Managers (AILDM) presents the third in its popular Global Warming – The Landscape Challenge seminar series.
AILDM has brought together three sustainability gurus from three separate spheres to present their individual experiences and their sustainable philosophy. The speakers will be providing thought provoking insights into sustainable solutions for global warming from the residential perspective, the business perspective and the urban / city perspective.
Josh Byrne the popular ABC TV Gardening Australia personality is an environmental scientist with a passion for green gardening. He believes that many of the pressing environmental challenges that confront our cities and towns can be tackled by gardeners if given the opportunity. Water shortages, nutrient pollution, organic waste management, urban biodiversity and clean food production are all issues that fall well and truly into the realm of gardeners.
Dr Jane Tarran, Senior Lecturer and Course Director, Department of Environmental Sciences,
Frouke de Reuver from the Dept of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) will explain how we can advantage our business, ourselves and our community and ultimately the planet by running a sustainable business.
Date: Saturday 8th March
Time:
Location: Hutley Hall
Investment:
$65 Non Members
$55 Members
$25 Students
(Early registration - save $5 if booking is received before
