Welcome to Issue #22

COUNCIL ELECTION UPDATE 

Our Meet the Candidates event on Sunday 4 August was a great success. Over 15 progressive, climate-friendly candidates introduced themselves and talked with attendees, and we were pleased to see that many younger people are standing for election.

Interestingly, some conservative councillors have withdrawn from the race, which is a positive sign, although we expect more conservatives to announce their candidacies in coming weeks. It’s time to ramp up! Our climate-progressive candidates are getting out there with signs, market visits, door-knocking and letterboxing to spread the word. Can you help them? Let us know if you can donate or volunteer.

More recently, our forum with Progressive Port Phillip, Local Climate Action Now, was held on 25 August to a full house. David Spratt – a well-respected climate policy and science analyst – led a lively discussion with other local climate activists. There were several incisive presentations: check them out here. 

MEANWHILE, IN THE CITY OF PORT PHILLIP … 

The current Council goes into caretaker mode in September, so we don’t expect to see any significant new climate initiatives until the new Council is inducted in November. However, a positive initiative has come to the City of Port Phillip: the Solar Savers Program, which gives residents access to quality solar systems, batteries, heat-pump hot-water systems and split systems at competitive prices. For tips on how to use solar the smart way, follow the journey of Shane and Nicole, who are electrifying their home and skewing their household routines to take advantage of free energy periods. 

Speaking of community-produced energy … Not sure what a neighbourhood battery is, or whether one could be relevant for your locale? You can complete an online training course about them here. Then you can take your knowledge to the next level and apply for a grant during September to get one. Learn more here

The Council is currently considering making Carlisle Street brighter at night in an effort to make it more attractive for visitors. We would hope that its plan would balance the needs of the human community (safety, a more lively atmosphere) with the needs of our local flora and fauna, who are already exposed to massive amounts of light pollution by our activities; but we see no mention of this. Have your say on lighting up Carlisle Street 

Council is sponsoring the Walk & Wheel program during September. It encourages students to walk, ride or scoot to and from school, with prizes for the most active kids. Sign up here

We all breathe this one air, we all drink the same water. We all live on this one planet. We need to protect the Earth. If we don’t, the big winds will come and destroy the forest. Then you will feel the fear that we feel.
Rooni Metuktire

We are living and working on the unceded lands of the Yalukit Willam people. We pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land and their ongoing connection to land, waters, sky and culture.

TAKE PERSONAL ACTION IN SEPTEMBER 

Port Phillip fun

The wonderful Port Phillip EcoCentre is still looking for more volunteers (and participants!) for their 19th Schools Sustainability Festival on Thursday 5 September.

Register for an author talk with Claire Dunn on her book Rewilding the Urban Soul at the St Kilda Library at 6.30pm on Wednesday 4 September.
Come back to the Library on Friday 6 September for the latest Share & Swap Shop, where you can trade some pre-loved goods for others’ treasures. Find out more and register 

The Deep Time Walks are a wander through the history of the planet that will invigorate your sense of wonder. The latest Walk starts at the Port Melbourne Rotunda at 1pm on Sunday 8 September. Registrations essential! 

Campaigns we’re supporting 

The AYCC (Australian Youth Climate Coalition) is running a petition to tell the Federal government to give no more public money for gas projects, and especially to stop the Middle Arm project in the Northern Territory. Learn more and sign here

The Australian Marine Conservation Society is running a campaign to have the Heard and McDonald Islands down near Antarctica included in marine sanctuaries. Learn more and sign the petition here.

Greenpeace are running an email campaign to stop plastics pollution ahead of the final round of the Plastics Treaty talks. Learn more and email Tanya Plibersek here.

The ACF (Australian Conservation Foundation) is running an email campaign asking our major banks to stop financing the companies wreaking havoc on our environment. Learn more and send your email here.

The best global outcome is to leave gas in the ground, but if people insist on extracting and selling it, the companies involved should pay reasonable royalties and taxes: we understand that 70+% of the value of Norwegian gas sold goes into their sovereign wealth fund. Ludicrously, in Australia, the gas exporters mostly pay zero royalties and taxes! Learn more. The Australia Institute has a petition campaign to demand that the gas industry pays royalties. Learn more and sign here

Expos and festivals 

The 2024 Electrify Boroondara Expo is on Sunday 8 September – it should be a great event. Learn more and register

Zero Waste Victoria are holding a festival in Federation Square on Saturday 14 September. Learn more here

If you feel like a trip to Canberra, the Better Futures Forum Australia is on there on 10 and 11 September.

Australia is the fast-fashion capital of the world

On average, Australians buy more clothes per person each year than any other country. This means that over 200,000 tonnes of old clothes go to landfill in Australia each year. There are many things we can do to change this wasteful situation, if we have the political will to start. Learn more here

France has been looking to control fast fashion through banning advertising and requiring that companies include an item’s reuse, repair, recycling and environmental impact information on its price tag. See here

Hydroelectric dams are ruining diversity

Around the world, free-flowing natural rivers are being fragmented by dams, weirs and other barriers. It’s one of the biggest and least acknowledged causes of biodiversity loss worldwide. We need to get our thinking caps on to avoid these problems. Learn more here

Stockholm’s Wood City

In a former industrial area in Southern Stockholm, an urban property developer is creating a five-minute walkable, all-wood city with 7,000 office spaces and 2,000 homes spread over 250,000 square metres of land. Wood, in the form of engineered timber, is a carbon-negative, renewable building material that can be readily used for multi-storey buildings. It’s even safer in a fire than reinforced steel concrete. If only we had visionary urban planners that could create something similar for Fisherman’s Bend, or even just the Barak Beacon development! Learn more here

Also, a 62 storey, mixed use Passivhaus certified building containing 317 apartments along with offices, restaurants and other spaces has been completed in Boston’s financial district. Again, why don’t we see this kind of innovation in Melbourne? 

And just for fun …

The Marlboro Man is turning into a buzzing mechanical humming bird! Drones are now being used to muster cattle and sheep. Much less noise, pollution and environmental damage than the motorcycles and helicopters that are now more commonly used. And much less expensive. Details here

And in a vaguely related story that tickled our fancy, Denmark is introducing the world’s first annual carbon tax on livestock (AU$145 per animal), starting from 2030. Learn more here.