The Greening of Gavin

Djerrawarrah Festival 2010

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The Melton Sustainable Living Group had a stall yesterday at the Djerrawarrah Festival, which is the main event of the year in our town.  Our stall had display boards, educational pamphlets, drought tolerant succulents, vegetable seedlings, and buckets and buckets of sheep poo.   We had everything!

Everyone who volunteered had a great time telling people about the sort of things they can do at home to grow their own food, save energy and money, and to green up their lifestyles.  We even had about 6 people express interest in joining the group, which is a fantastic outcome.  Hopefully they will join our merry band of environmentally aware citizens.

Here are some photos and commentary from throughout the day.  Click any picture to enlarge.

David, Jonathan, Caroline, and Amy

David and Renata,

The growing section of the stall.  Hundreds of plants and our world famous sheep poo.

The undercover educational display boards and pamphlets.

Gavin holding up the tent, looking friendly in an attempt to entice the crowds in to the display.

Jake manning the displays trying to look cool.

Jake, Gavin, Rick and David late in the day.

The raffle prize.  We sold 160 tickets and a local lady from Melton West won the prize.  I know she will have fun setting up the mini vegetable patch!

The sheep poo.  We even met the guy who donated it.  We thought they would be a hit.  They were not.  People did not want to carry the bucket around the festival.  We should have thought it through a bit better.

Jiffy pellets that we thought would sell.  They did not.

Herbs and succulents.

Tommy Toe tomatoes.

More succulents.  They were a big selling item as were the vegetable seedlings.

Gavin showing a local all of the things members do around their homes.

All getting tired by now.

Waiting for the final bell to go home.  There was no-one around by this stage.

The pack up crew.  David, Jake, Megan and Gavin.  Rick is taking the picture.

I would like to thank all volunteers who helped out on the day, but a special thanks goes to our Secretary, Kim, who has worked tirelessly for the last two weeks organising everything and keeping the event on track.  Well done to all and thanks for a great day!

I really enjoyed myself and all we met so many passionate people who wanted to know how to start greening their lives and saving money.  We had lots of queries about solar PV and how to grow your own veg.  A lot more interest this year than last.  Maybe this is the dawning of the age of Aquarius  🙂

Hazelwood To Close (kind of?)

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When a state government facing an uncertain chance at the polls, they are liable to make announcements that are not fully thought through.  Today is one of those days.

Today the Victorian Government announced that they are closing down Hazelwood Power Station.  I for one welcome the announcement, however there is a big catch.  The government don’t actually own the power station!  International Power own Hazelwood.  So that means some sort of deal with the owner that has yet to be brokered, so an announcement that the power station will incrementally close down generators is a little premature.  Here is an extract from The Age to put it into context;

Victoria has been forced to go it alone after the federal government ruled out setting a price on carbon until after 2012 in a move the premier said threatened investment in green energy.

“We’ve got new investment which has been deferred indefinitely until there is certainty in relation to Hazelwood,” Mr Brumby said.

“I’ve made our position very clear today and that is that if you want to tackle greenhouse (emissions), if you want to tackle climate change – you can’t do that without tackling the worst of the coal generators, which is Hazelwood.”

Hazelwood produces about a quarter of Victoria’s energy.

Shutting down two power units would save up to four million tonnes of emissions annually over the next four years. This equates to about 28 million tonnes by 2020.

The government has set a 2020 emissions target of 20 per cent of 2000 levels, or about 30 million tonnes.

All fantastic news, especially the emissions target which will be a first for Australia, however there is no articulated plan on how to cut the emissions except the closing Hazelwood piece.  But here is the rub;

International Power spokesman Jim Kouts stressed that while there was a preliminary discussion about closing Hazelwood “there is certainly no agreement”.
Shutting down Hazelwood “would require governments to support the phased closure of all generating units over an agreed term in return for a fixed capacity payment,” he said.

So no deal struck, just talk, and no plan on what to replace it with renewable energy (that I have seen).

Gee, that reminds me of another post I wrote recently about climate change policy!  I will rejoice if it comes to fruition, but I still hold my breath.

More info about this plan when it comes to hand.  I will have to read the 30 page white paper and get back to you all.

Gav

Climate Change Policies

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Well so far I am not impressed by either of the two major parties in the up coming Australian Federal Election.

I have been waiting with baited breath for the Labor announcement, and was sorely disappointed.  With an already delayed ETS postponed until 2013, this is the policy we are meant to believe will reduce carbon emissions enough to limit CO2-e to 450ppm and keep global average temperatures below 2 degrees of warming.  350ppm is what the real target should be but no western government seems to be aiming for what the science tells us is required.

An extract from ABC on-line:

“A re-elected Labor government would ask a new “citizens’ assembly” for climate change advice, under a key part of the ALP’s new climate change policy set to be launched by Prime Minister Julia Gillard today.

The ABC understands Ms Gillard will outline plans to set up a committee of scientists to advise the Government on climate change.
The committee will be paired with a citizens’ assembly, consisting of 100-200 volunteers who will gauge feeling of the community on its attitude towards putting a price on carbon, and feed it back to the Government.”

WFT???  Another bloody committee?  Sounds like the 2020 Summit all over again that was simply a gab fest, and another tactic to delay on real action on climate change.  I could have drafted an better policy in my sleep.  I though that the Federal election was the ‘citizens’ assembly’.  I know where my vote is not going to go.  This citizens assembly has already confirmed via feedback on this blog and many others that people of our country want action now.  Just get on with it Julia and stop piss farting around.

But wait there is more. As reported by The Age;

“Prime Minister Julia Gillard has promised standards that would ban the building of new “dirty” power stations – but her policy would not cover up to 12 coal-fired plants already proposed across the country.
Launching the first piece of a revised climate policy, Ms Gillard proposed greenhouse gas emissions standards that would rule out new brown-coal fired stations in Victoria unless they came with “clean coal” technology.
But the standards would not stop the development of new black-coal power plants in NSW, Queensland and Western Australia.”

12 more freeking coal fired power stations?  Why do we need more of these planet killing factories?  What happened to the massive investment in renewable energy.  We can power our entire country on renewables if you believe Beyond Zero Emissions, which by the way, I do.  We just need the political will power to make it happen.  The PM also announced;

*Introduce a Climate Change Commission of experts to inform the public about climate science and report on the level of international action to cut emissions.
* Reward industry that made early cuts by promising to keep emissions trading compensation at the levels promised last year.
* Invest $1 billion over the next decade in the electricity grid.

Even Kevin Rudd promised more in the lead up to the last election.

To be fair, lets look at the Liberal Climate Change policy as reported in The Age;

OPPOSITION leader Tony Abbott has hardened his position on climate change, declaring unequivocally there would be ”no carbon price on consumers under a Coalition government”.
The opposition leader’s tough line sharpens the divide on climate, which had narrowed when the Rudd government deferred its plan for emissions trading. Dismissing the likelihood of a binding global agreement to tackle climate change, Mr Abbott said the Coalition did ”not believe in artificially imposing a carbon price on consumers”.
An international deal to limit emissions was a ”most unlikely hypothetical situation” given it was ”very, very unlikely” India and China would deny themselves the opportunity to improve living standards. ”I say that you can be certain under a Coalition government that there will be no carbon price imposed on consumers,” he said.

 So how will you be reducing carbon emissions Tony?  By shutting your mouth I hope.  Maybe some of that hot air will then not make it into the atmosphere!  That is not a policy, that is a cop out and a delaying tactic at best.  Saying that you will just sit back and wait for an international agreement is just climate suicide!  Someone has to act first, then others will follow.  Sound like a mob of sheep waiting for the first ewe through the gate before they all take off!

And now what do the Australian Greens have to say.  Listen to what Senator Christine Milne had to say on ABC AM this morning.  Not trying to be biased one way of the other, at least the Greens are openly stating that they will implement a price on carbon as a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  More than I can say for the other two parties.  Here is the some more of their policy as reported on the Australian Greens website;

  •  take a leading role in negotiating a multilateral emission abatement treaty which includes binding emission targets for all countries.
  • establish binding national emission targets for 2012, 2020 and 2050 supported by a detailed strategy to reduce emissions from the energy, transport, industry, waste and land management sectors.
  • drive the equitable transition to a low carbon economy through a range of market-based and regulatory mechanisms reflecting the real costs of greenhouse gas emissions.
  • address the social impacts of the transition to a low carbon economy.

At least they are clear and concise, and we know what they stand for.  De-carbonising our economy is a great step to lowing our countries emissions.

But don’t let me sway your decision with my green bias.  Vote for who ever you like, but just make sure you are informed about what each party promise they are going to implement in an attempt to avert climate chaos and a warming planet.

Gav