I attended a talk last Friday by Ross Garnaut, sponsored by CEDA, the Committe for Economic Development of Australia. The audience was made up of a large cross-section of CEOs, business analysts, insurance brokers, accountants, corporate sustainability advisers, general managers, media representatives, environmental group spokesperson’s, energy traders, resource sector barons, carbon neutral entrepreneurs and a particular past Prime Minister with a flock of hair so white, you’d swear it had been enhanced in Photoshop.
Garnaut only had an hour. But what he summarized and how he answered the following questions from an impassioned, curious floor, was utterly compelling. As Carl offered to readers of Street Editors in a previous post, the report is a lengthy document. At 600pages it is the most comprehensive study done to date, incorporating the most sophisticated modeling scenarios ever undertaken, to indicate alternative futures extending out to the end of this century. To put in perspective, it goes beyond The Stern Report and anything the IPCC has published thus far. This places Australia at the leading edge of having the knowledge to act, adapt and prosper. The following is a summary of points and the chapters you can read to learn more. Continue reading ‘what if?’
Greenpeace Australia Pacific is celebrating its big 3-0 this year and to share the love, is touring the country with a photographic exhibition of original images snapped by photojournalists over the year. Photos include pics from the first protest that sparked Greenpeace Australia Pacific – an anti-whaling campaign to shut down the last whaling station in Australia at Albany, Western Australia. Brisbane is on the touring path from 26 March to 5 April and everyone is invited to the party at Metro Arts Galleries. Sydney is also hosting a separate photographic exhibition of images by Dutch photographer Robert Knoth who has been travelling through the former Soviet Union, using his camera to explore upfront the devastating effects of nuclear power on residents. A panel discussion on photo activism featuring Robert Knoth, photographer Dean Sewell, and Greenpeace Audio Visual Coordinator Michelle Thomas, will be held On Wednesday 26 March at the Australian Centre for Photography.
This is the TED wish of Jehane Noujaim.
It’s often the simplest things that can make the most difference to the world. Who knew that if every person in the world made the effort to turn off a light switch that it could have such a phenomenal impact? Last year on March 31, 2.2-million people and 2,100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour, resulting in the reduction of the city’s energy consumption by 10.2% for one hour (the equivalent effect of taking 48,000 cars off the road for one hour). One year later, the rest of the world is following suit, with Earth Hours planned across the globe from Toronto to Tel Aviv. As a proud supporting business of Earth Hour 2008, we’ll be doing our part here at map – both in the office and at home – to deliver the powerful message about taking action against global warming. You can sign up to do your part and pledge to brave the dark for an hour on March 29. Not only will you be doing something for the planet, but imagine all the fun you could have with the lights turned off.
One of the biggest threats to our planet comes from excessive consumption by the rich few (which includes you and I). This year, I will not join the consumerist excess of the silly season. My gifts to friends and family will be hand-made, they will lighten my environmental impact and support those who really need it. Inspired by the folk at Adbusters who are spriting Buy Nothing Christmas, here are my tips for gifts that avoid wasteful consumption: change to renewable energy, host your own clothes swap, feed a child, help someone help themselves with a microfinance loan, install energy-efficient lightbulbs, help conserve Australia’s diminishing wildlife, buy handmade, restore someone’s sight. If none of that gels, try buying less, making your own and wrapping in re-usable papers and fabrics. Despite the name, Buy Nothing Christmas is not about being a scrooge, it’s about meaningful giving and avoiding yet more ecological damage through excessive consumption.
Traffic in China’s cities is often so thick, and traffic lights rare, that cyclists have difficulty crossing intersections. Typically, a bottleneck of cyclists builds until there is enough of them to stop traffic and move together across the road. Critical Mass, a monthly bike ride held in cities from Barcelona to Brisbane, is named after this phenomenon and is a chance for keen cyclists to celebrate and publicly assert their road rights, en masse. Seeded in San Francisco in 1992 and based on the Chinese phenomenon profiled in Ted White’s documentary, ‘Return of the Scorcher’, the concept quickly spread around the world. Critical Mass rides are local, democratic and somewhat viral: anyone can start or join a ride in their city and they’ve been labelled an organised coincidence. The rides vary by place: in some cities, riders try to obstruct traffic and riots have ensued; in others, participants dress up and hold street parties. According to recent web postings, Bris-vegans interested in joining a Critical Mass bike ride should meet in Queens Gardens (next to the casino) on the last Friday of the month at 5pm.
Japanese whalers have set sail for Antarctic waters in their biggest campaign since the international moratorium on commercial whaling was launched over 20 years ago. They aim to take more than 1,000 whales, including endangered fin whales and threatened humpbacks. An inspiring story is about to unfold as the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society goes in to bat for the whales. Literally. Founded by Paul Watson 30 years ago to protect the world’s marine life, the Sea Shepherds are known for their combative interventions: one of their signature tactics is ramming vessels (a big dent in the hull of the vessel, the Robert Hunter, attests to this) and they have sunk their fair share of whaling boats. Watson founded the hands-on activist group after being dissatisfied with the non-interventionist stance of Greenpeace. Sea Shepherd campaigns are conducted legally as citizen law enforcement and include action against seal-clubbing, dolphin kills and poaching in the Galapagos Islands. The vessels are crewed by a mixed bag of volunteers and the organisation’s supporters include Martin Sheen, the Dalai Lama and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. A crew of 30-something sets sail from Melbourne on the Robert Hunter for Antarctica next week. Follow their journey, be inspired, grant a wish. Photo credit: Paul Taggart/World Picture News
Jeanette Winterson is a master of storytelling – rich characterisations, fantastical worlds, and intricate relationships rule her pages. In her new novel, The Stone Gods, she slightly changes tact, in some senses coming down to earth to respond to the state of the world we live in and to propose a future we might be hurtling towards. Human folly, the struggle for survival, genetic modifications, warring civilisations, and the discovery of a new planet are wrestled with in Winterson’s unique style that is always imaginative and playful. In her monthly column on her website, she speaks of that feeling she hopes The Stone Gods will offer those who find its words resonate with their thoughts as they ponder where our world is heading. “The best work is a cup that holds the liquid that you are. The miracle is that someone else, very different to you, will also feel it is their book, their character, their situation. This is achieved not because we are reading a slice of life – no slice of life can do more than fit in a few of us, but because a particular set of circumstances suddenly becomes universally relevant. This happens when a book can go deeper than the top layer of life and into the subterranean place where emotion and imagination chemically react into self-revelation. We learn about ourselves through someone not ourselves – it is like falling in love – the stranger brings the gift.”
A few friends and I have recently discussed the need for a reliable source of information about how, through every day actions, individuals can make a difference. I found the website, Good Environmental Choice - Australia (GECA) today, and on first glance, it appears to fulfill part of the gap in question. While not representative of all consumer products in the marketplace (yet), it does provide a product register of many brands, surprisingly most of them of industrial size and in nature (think manufactures of tiles and carpet). Continue reading ‘a choice for the environment.’
From Microplace: When Tracey Pettengill Turner - a social entrepreneur and seasoned business executive - first heard of microfinance, she was inspired by the prospect of a solution to global poverty that mixed capitalism, human dignity, and old-fashioned hard work. Upon graduating from Stanford Business School, Tracey headed for Dhaka, Bangladesh to find out if the reality of microfinance lived up to her expectations. After working at the Nobel Peace Prize winning Grameen Bank for a few months, she was convinced that microfinance was a powerful tool to help alleviate poverty.
Upon her return, Tracey discovered that the capital markets in the United States were beginning to view microfinance as an attractive investment opportunity. However, only major financial players like institutional and high net worth investors could invest. An everyday investor like Tracey had no way to participate. That insight led to the vision of MicroPlace: a company that enables everyday people to make investments in microfinance. Continue reading ‘invest wisely. end poverty.’
A simple weekend away can do the world of good. We could not be luckier in Brisbane to have real paradises about an hour away from us in any particular direction. As warm days and cool nights lull us into a spring-time reverie, head to Springbrook, just inland of the Gold Coast, for an opportunity to relax, reflect and respect the amazing natural world that grows high around us.
Accommodation-wise, just a few seconds on their website will tell you The Mouse’s House is one of the best rainforest retreats on the ridge - with cosy wooden chalets, simple yet stylish furnishings, fully equipped kitchen and big bbq, spa (and bathrobes!) all the thinking is done for you and eases you into a relaxing, stress-free weekend. Just don’t forget the champagne, because the closest bubbly can only be found in Nerang.
While listening to the sound of the stream that runs past your deck, lounging in your rainforest surrounds or borrowing the pushbikes available at Mouses House can easily fill in your time, Springbrook offers some other experiences worth investigating. Continue reading ‘if you need to get away’
Via Grist: Al Gore is writing another book – and you can bet that climate change is shakin’ in its boots. The Path to Survival, a solutions-focused sequel to the groundbreaking An Inconvenient Truth, is slated to hit shelves on Earth Day 2008. (Where was that impeccable timing when you were campaigning, Al?) Billed as “part scientific manual, part exposé, part visionary call for a new planet-wide political movement,” the book will spell out climate-helpful steps for both individuals and governments to take. It will explain how “bold choices now to protect our environment will also create new jobs, propel sustainable economic improvements, and inspire a new generation to tackle our most challenging issues with moral leadership,” according to a statement from publisher Rodale. There are not yet plans to turn the sequel into a movie, but, nonetheless, we’ve already bought our tickets.
In the meantime, fulfill map magazine’s 8th birthday wish and take a friend to see Leonardo DiCaprio’s eco-documentary, The 11th Hour, or enter to win tickets to our exclusive premiere here. Good luck!
Watch this. Enviromission, a Melbourne based company, is in the final feasibility stages of planning the construction of the world’s biggest solar power plant and the tallest structure ever built. At Sunraysia (fitting), in the outback of New South Whales, the sun shines for 300 days of the year (a bit like Brisbane until this beautiful rain came our way) and this site has been earmarked for the project. Rising 600m into the air, the enormous pipe will tunnel hot air that has been heated up under an area of glass six times the size of New York Central Park. Is this a possible future? If private industry can do this in Australia with minimal government support and investment, what could it do with the opposite?
We hear it every day – all the ways we could be saving energy if we just took the time to turn off the lights when we leave a room, stop lingering in front of an open fridge for so long, or to switch off our computer when we’re not using it. But if you haven’t yet managed to incorporate such energy-frugal behaviours into your lifestyle, here’s a good place to start. Last year, blogger Mark Ontkush wrote a post about how much energy Google could save if it had a black screen. You see, according to Mark’s calculations, when your screen is white – whether it’s a blank word document or the Google homepage – your computer consumes around 74 watts, but when it is black, it consumes only 59 watts. Taking into account the huge number of page views, Mark calculated that up to 750 mega watts/hour per year would be saved. In response to the post, Google has created a black version of its search engine, called Blackle, which exhibits the same functions as the original version, but with lower energy consumption. And while it’s a small step, it’s definitely one in the right direction.
As the world slowly shrinks and the population dramatically increases; and every last piece of earth has been turned into a shopping mecca for budget tourists - hopefully this little island in Fiji called Nagigia will remain as unique and awe-inspiring as the day I fell in love with it. World class private surf breaks are at your doorstep and their uncrowded! Life stops at Nagigia and conversation and natural well-being begins. It is a surfers heaven but in saying that, the natural beauty of the area is perfect for anyone needing to escape, slow down and become a human being. Just plain old simple being…nothing else! Eckhart Tole would be proud of the enlightenment most receive at Nagigia. It’s nature and human at their finest. Situated at Cape Washington, Nagigia is about 1 km off the South West tip of Kadavu Island. You fly to Nadi, catch a small plane to Kadavu and then it’s approximately forty minutes by boat to Nagigia. Definitely a unique place in the world - I wish I was waking up tomorrow and riding one of their constant year-round waves.
Less than sixty-minutes from Brisbane and perched on the edge of the Coomera gorge escarpment is a place where you can revitalise the mind, body and spirit. It’s called The Ethos Centre and it’s an opportunity that all people should try and experience regularly. We are incredibly lucky to have such a Centre in Australia, and the fact that it is local just demonstrates how progressive some of the minds of Brisbane’s community members are when it comes to making the world a better place. And do that they will! If you’ve seen this week’s news about the latest international climate change report (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, February 2 2007) and are wondering what it all means then please consider their invitation to attend a Think Tank on Wednesday March 28, with some of Australia’s leading climate and sustainability scientists, thinkers and practitioners. Continue reading ‘ethos foundation invites you…’
Via Silverjet: From 25 January 2007, a new exclusively business class British airline, Silverjet, is to radicalise transatlantic travel by becoming the world’s first carbon neutral airline, including a mandatory carbon contribution within its fares to offset its total emissions. Silverjet will offer customers a private jet experience from London Luton Airport to Newark International Liberty Airport. From ‘999 return, customers can enjoy a 30 minute check in at the airline’s private air terminal, plus an award-winning flat bed on board. Intercontinental firsts for Silverjet include dedicated security and a separate ladies bathroom. On night flights, lights stay off from take off to landing, overhead lights and irritating call bells have been removed and optional breakfast is served on tip toes. Minimal announcements are made and all trolleys have been removed from Silverjet’s aircraft to ensure maximum quietness. Jackets and coats are returned on leaving the aircraft, not an hour before landing. For those who want a lie in, Silverjet has devised a ‘Breakfast Express’ option so customers can have their breakfast ‘on the go’ and leave the plane with a steaming cup of coffee.
In 2004 Wangari Maathai won the Nobel Peace Prize for her commitment to Kenya and the planet. In 1977 Wangari created the The Green Belt Movement Kenya and later Green Belt Movement International. Its vision is to create a society of people who consciously work for continued improvement of their environment and a greener planet. Its mission is to mobilise community consciousness for self-determination, equity, improved livelihoods and security, and environmental conservation. It is guided by the values of volunteerism, love for environmental conservation, pro-action for self-betterment, accountability, transparency, and empowerment. On receiving the news of being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 2004 Wangari said, ?It is evident that many wars are fought over resources which are now becoming increasingly scarce. Continue reading ‘wangari maathai’
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