Environmental Education for Sustainability - Central Australia

AAEE Conference and Art Exhibition in Second Life

2008-07-18T11:55:00.000+09:30

Alice Solar City commercial program launched

2008-07-18T11:38:00.002+09:30

The Alice Solar City Commercial Services Program was officially launched (link to this media release on website) on 30 May, and over 25 businesses have expressed their interest in getting involved. Did you know that the non-domestic sector consumes over 50% of Alice Springs’ power? The call for applications for large businesses to access Alice Solar City incentives was announced on 10 July (link to this media release on website). Large businesses are those that use over 160 megawatt hours (MWh) per year. Businesses who are interested can check their powerbill to see if they qualify to apply for subsidies of up to $25,000, or for more innovative projects consideration will be given to provide up to $50,000. Applications close August 22nd, however there will be a second round offered early in 2009 if businesses are not ready.

Alice Solar City will also support Schools that are applying for the Federal Government Grant of up to $50,000 per school in the National Solar Schools Program. More information about this coming soon.

The residential program is proving to be extremely popular with over 300 residents already signed up to receive a variety of services and financial incentives. A substantial number of residents have also expressed interest to install a rooftop solar PV system, however there are still a significant number of the 225 PV systems available. If you would like to find out more about Solar PV, other incentives or to sign up to Alice Solar City just drop into the Smart Living Centre at 82 Todd Street (next to Bojangles) or call 8950 4350.

Greywater bucketing is now OK in the NT!

2008-07-18T11:37:00.001+09:30

Manual bucketing onto lawn and garden areas using water from the bathroom or laundry, or temporary use of a hose manually fitted to a washing machine outlet hose, is permitted subject to the advice found here. However, permanent greywater diversion systems still need NT Health Dept approval as explained here. The health department website has a page on onsite wastewater management, with lists of approved greywater diversion devises .
Do:
• Avoid contact with greywater before eating or drinking
• Prevent children from playing on greywater irrigated areas until dry
• Use washing products with low salt, phosphorus and boron
• Remember greywater is often alkaline and not good for acid loving plants
• Avoid using kitchen greywater
Don’t
• Store for more than 24 hours
• Allow it to pond
• Use if people in the family have diarrhea or are vomiting
• Use kitchen greywater

Home Water Audits

2008-07-18T11:36:00.000+09:30

Want to save water and combat climate change? Book a home water audit from DKA COOLmob. Audits cost only $10 and take about an hour. Your auditor may even bring some free water saving items such as a shower timer. You can also find out about the NT government’s $500 plumbing rebate. To book. ring 8952 0299

Making Solar Ovens out of old hot water systems

2008-07-18T11:12:00.001+09:30

Making Solar Ovens out of old hot water systems – Saturday August 23rd
Learn to make and cook in your own solar oven out of recycled and new materials, including bits from old solar hot water systems.

Steve Sawyer, winner of last year’s solar oven bakeoff, is conducting the workshop at Red Hot Arts on making a box cooker. Materials provided. Places are limited to a maximum of ten.

RSVP by August 19th to Kat, 8952 0299 or dka.coolmob@coolmob.org

Social networking site for environmental professionals

2008-07-13T21:35:00.001+09:30

Earth Newswire is a professional network and news website driven by people interested in environmental science, ecology and conservation. The site includes member-generated pages, event notices, discussion forums, and photos and videos.

New Education for Sustainability Online Journal

2008-07-13T21:29:00.002+09:30

London South Bank University (UK) has launched Indicator, a new online journal focusing on education for sustainability. The journal is freely accessible, and downloadable content will be archived to build a valuable resource over time.

I have added a permanent link to Indicator from this blog in the links section so you can always find it by returning here.

Keep Australia Beautiful Week 2008

2008-07-03T16:05:00.004+09:30

Keep Australia Beautiful Week 2008 runs from Monday 25 – Sunday 31 August.

You can help tackle climate change and protect our natural resources by participating in the Score Points for the Environment Challenge during Keep Australia Beautiful Week 2008.

For more information see the flyer. Register on the KAB website.

Solar Oven Bakeoff

2008-07-03T06:54:00.002+09:30

Now is the time to start thinking about entering the Solar Oven Bakeoff

Steve Sawyer, winner of last year’s Solar Oven Bakeoff, is preparing to hand over the Green Spoon trophy to the next solar chef. This could be a great challenge for students, especially those in the middle years.

Get your ovens ready and start creating recipes for the 2008 Bakeoff on September 20th at Olive Pink Botanic Gardens. The judge is rumoured to be a very well known cookbook author.

Climate Change Workshop

2008-06-20T12:18:00.002+09:30

On the morning of Monday 30th June the Central Australian Research Network based at CDU in Alice will host the first of two scenario-building workshops on Central Australian Climate Change.

The workshops are part of the CDU's School of Environmental Research's program to develop regional models of climate change.

This month's workshop in Alice will be facilitated by Professor Stephen Garnett and will be used to develop an initial trial set of scenarios to be re-analysed later this year.

We would like the workshop to be attended by people, not just with
an understanding of the way the landscape in central Australia is
lived in and used, but also the imagination to envisage a future
thirty years hence.

For more information, or to register your interest in participating please email
rolf.gerritsen@cdu.edu.au

My Environmental Education Evaluation Resource Assistant

2008-06-20T12:05:00.002+09:30

A new web-based tool to assist environmental educators in conducting programme evaluations has been created by Dr. Michaela Zint of the University of Michigan (USA).

My Environmental Education Evaluation Resource Assistant provides guidance on all aspects of evaluating an education programme.

2020 Summit Report

2008-06-14T08:05:00.002+09:30

Just in case you haven't heard, the final report of the 2020 Summit is now available online

2020 Summit Final Report

Carbon Free Youth Conference

2008-06-13T06:03:00.005+09:30

In early July, 9th - 12th, the Australian Association for Environmental Education is holding is biennial conference in Darwin.

An important part of this conference is the Youth conference that is being coordinated by Alicia Curtis through Millennium Kids Inc.

The goal is to have as many young people from the NT participate as possible.

The conference is open to 10-25 year olds and will be the first Carbon Free Youth Conference in Australia

Instead of 100 young people flying to Darwin for the conference, there will be activities in locations across Australia for young people to participate in and then connect in with state youth representatives in Darwin via video link.

For more information, please contact
Alicia Curtis – AAEE MK Youth Conference Coordinator
E: alicia@aliciacurtis.com
M: 0413 565 338

Find out more

Students of Sustainability 2008

2008-05-30T14:39:00.004+09:30

Students of Sustainability (SoS) is a five day conference for anyone interested in creating a more ecologically and socially sustainable world.

SoS '08 will be held at the University of Newcastle from the 5th to the 9th of July, with camping close by. Students, community and Indigenous activists, academics, public intellectuals, environmental educators, social change agents of all stripes and from all over Australia will come and participate in a range of educational, practical and participatory forums and workshops. SoS is about imparting the inspiration, tools, motivation and education required for participants to inspire and educate others when they return to their own communities.

The conference includes
- Workshops on environmental and social justice issues
- Planning for a sustainable future
- skills and planning sessions for taking real action
- High Schools Day (Monday 7th July)
- Community Day - Linking the local to the global

Serviced campsites provided

The conference will take place at the University of Newcastle from 5th-9th July.

For more information check out the website

The conference will be followed by the Camp for Climate Action, which is also being held in Newcastle from 10th to 15th July

World Environment Day Movie

2008-05-30T14:03:00.002+09:30

The Arid Lands Environment Centre is hosting a film night at The Lane on World Environment Day, Thursday 5th June.

The film, The Future of Food will start at 8pm and will be followed by DJ's

Cost is $5/$10

Wear warm clothes

Muster up your old mobiles

2008-05-29T21:47:00.005+09:30

The mobile muster program recycles old mobile phones. Over 90% of materials in phones can be recycled. There are 3 drop off locations in Alice Springs; Cartridge World, Telstra and XLcom. In Tennant Creek, you can take them to town council. You can even post your phone free of charge. Information on your nearest drop off point and the free mailing labels can be downloaded from the mobile muster website.

Materials in mobile phones that can be recycled include: nickel, cobalt, cadmium, gold, silver and plastic. One tonne of mobile phone circuit boards can yield the same amount of precious metals as 110 tonnes of gold ore, 123 tonnes of silver bearing ore and 11 tonnes of copper sulphide ore.

Launch of carbon calculator / Environment day library display May 31st

2008-05-29T21:29:00.003+09:30

The Alice Springs carbon calculator will be launched on Saturday, May 31st at the Alice Springs library. Come along between 9am to 1pm and give it a go.

Representatives from ALEC and Alice Solar City will be there too.

The display celebrates World Environment Day (June 5th).

Learning to Change - Changing to Learn

2008-05-20T19:13:00.006+09:30

This is a great video entitled "Learning to Change - Changing to Learn" which looks at learning for the 21st Century. It describes our present situation as 'the death of education, but the dawn of learning' which could be a very exiting place to be - if we can get there in time!

For some reason the sound is not in sync with the picture on this version - if you are accessing this from somewhere where YouTube is accessible, you might like to go to the YouTube version

k-12 Online Conference 2008

2008-05-20T19:01:00.001+09:30

The K-12 Online Conference invites participation from educators around the world interested in innovative ways Web 2.0 tools and technologies can be used to improve learning. This FREE conference is run by volunteers and open to everyone. The 2008 conference theme is “Amplifying Possibilities”. This year’s conference begins with a pre-conference keynote the week of October 13, 2008. The following two weeks, October 20-24 and October 27-31, forty presentations will be posted online to the conference blog (this website) for participants to download and view. Live Events in the form of three “Fireside Chats” and a culminating “When Night Falls” event will be announced. Everyone is encouraged to participate in both live events during the conference as well as asynchronous conversations. More information about podcast channels and conference web feeds is available!

8 ways to reuse a 2 litre drink botle

2008-05-20T18:43:00.000+09:30

NOT JUST ANOTHER ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT CALCULATOR

2008-05-13T16:23:00.001+09:30

The Global Footprint Network is pleased to announce a new Ecological Footprint Calculator!

Currently they have calculators available for the U.S. and Australia, with more countries being added all the time.

www.footprintnetwork.org/calculator

AUSTRALIA 2020 SUMMIT- INITIAL REPORT

2008-05-13T16:13:00.001+09:30

The Initial Report from the 2020 Summit to the Prime Minister, sets out thekey results of discussion by 1000 Australians over the weekend of 19 & 20April in Canberra.www.australia2020.gov.au/docs/2020_Summit_initial_report.doc

ENERGY AND EQUITY - Preparing Households for Climate Change: Energy, Equity and Immediacy

2008-05-13T08:44:00.005+09:30

Energy and Equity, a report produced by Australia’s leading environmental, consumer and welfare organisations, says energy efficiency is potentially the quickest and cheapest way to cut greenhouse pollution. Energy savings of 30% are possible using immediately available effective technologies. The report recommends that efficiency improvements be complemented by appropriate utility tariffs and safety net measures.

The report, a joint project between the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and CHOICE, says five percent of existing homes should be retrofitted each year with energy and water saving technologies such as insulation, solar hot water and rainwater tanks to offset inevitable increases in utility prices resulting from emissions trading and other factors.

http://www.acoss.org.au/upload/publications/papers/4204__EnergyEquity%20low%20res.pdf

AAEE Awards

2008-05-13T08:41:00.002+09:30

AAEE Executive and the Award Recognition Committee invite nominations for the 2nd Annual Award for Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Education in Australia. The Award is presented to a person who has made an exemplary contribution to the field of environmental education. The Award is coordinated through the recognition committee within the Australian Association of Environmental Education. Prior Chapter nominations can be entered again. Please send your suggested nominations toyour Chapter representative: NT Birut Zemits: birut.zemits@cdu.edu.au

Be informed about Uranium

2008-05-06T15:02:00.004+09:30

Concerned about the idea of a Uranium mine near Alice?

Worried, as some people say this could contaminate our water supply?

Heard there will be some benefits?

Don't know what, or should that be who, to believe?

Dr Gavin Mudd, Environmental Engineer from Monash University Department of Civil Engineering can help you to sort the facts out from the fiction.

Dr Mudd has been an active researcher and advocate on the environmental impacts and management of mining for over a decade. He has been involved with many aspects of industry with a particular specialty in brown coal wastes, uranium mining and environmental management. His work has been showcased in several international journals and conferences. Gavin maintains an independent perspective, and has undertaken research for mining companies, community groups and aboriginal organisations. In particular, Gavin has had extensive involvement in examining the underlying scientific issues associated with uranium mining in Australia, with detailed knowledge of the Australian uranium mining sector as well as globally. With strong qualifications and experience, he has developed a unique understanding of the multidisciplinary nature of the environmental aspects of mining in Australia and globally, culminating in a distinctive view on how to quantify an apparent oxymoron – that of “sustainable mining”. Additionally, Gavin has active research interests in urban groundwater issues, groundwater management and assessment, especially with respect to climate change and sustainability.

Gavin will be the keynote speaker at a public meeting about the Angela/Pamela uranium deposit being held at Anzac Hill High School tomorrow

6pm, Wednesday 7th May, Anzac Hill High School