Next meeting: Monday 15th September 6:30pm at the Community House (6 Pengilly Ave, Apollo Bay).

1. Meeting Minutes 1st September 2008
2. An open letter to ORCA from Cate Cousland
3. Carpooling Ideas – by Fern Rainbow
4. Green Paper Final submission [Word 73KB] by ORCA. The Green Paper is a document which outlines the Federal Government’s proposed response to climate change and carbon pollution reduction. The template used has been created by Kirrilee Boyd at Adelaide Hills Climate Action Group.  If you would like to make your own submission note – Submissions close September 10, 2008 and can be made online via http://www.climatechange.gov.au or emailed to emissionstrading@climatechange.gov.au or posted to: Green Paper Submissions Department of Climate Change GPO Box 854 Canberra Act 2601.

Calendar of coming events:

1. September 4th , ATA Seminar – Melbourne: Could carbon become a new currency? – Are personal carbon allowances, reminiscent of wartime rations, the way forward? 6:15pm onwards. The Banking Chamber theatrette, Ground Floor, KPMG, 147 Collins St, Melbourne. Disabled access via 161 Collins St. Costs: $15, $10 for ATA members (ATA couples $15). Refreshments provided after the presentation.
   RSVPs required: Email Wendy Clarke on wendy@ata.org.au or ph:(03) 9631 5407
2. September 11th Torquay public meeting. The Western Coastal Board will hold a public meeting on Thursday 11th September as part of its regional program to raise awareness of coastal management issues in Western Victoria.
3. September 13th 1.15pm Saturday at Abbotsford Convent: Climate Emergency Network General Meeting (details to be announced)
4. September 13th – 14th Sustainable House Day
5. September 24th: Forest and Climate Change Action Forum – Kindness Sans Frontiers Room, Level 2, Kindness House, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, 7pm, Wednesday
6. October 4th 2008 Changing the Dream Symposium – Aireys Inlet
7. October 14th: Melbourne. The Consumer Utilities and Advocacy Centre (CUAC) will be hosting a forum on community energy projects (details to follow soon). The ‘Improving energy supplies to your community’ forum is to help community groups understand what is involved in getting together a community energy project, and how it can be done. It will be a one day forum from 9-5.30pm based in Melbourne, and will be focused on reticulated gas and renewable energy projects.
8. October 17th Friday – Otway Ranges Climate Change Action Forum (planned)
9. October 22nd Proposed date for Human Sign – letter from Dean Bridgfoot
10. November 15th 1:00 pm: Melbourne Walk Against Warming. Organisers are looking for volunteers to help out in the lead up, so if you or anyone you knew were interested they’d love to hear from you. Ph: 03 9341 8112 Mobile: 0428 480 409
11. January 20th to February 20th 2009 CO-EDAPT

Perhaps of interest:

1. Article by Rachel Sullivan in the current edition of Ecos magazine published by CSIRO. The article titled “Living culture whose time has come” is available as a .pdf download
   or a shortened version for online viewing. It’s an excellent and very positive piece with some great photos including an aerial view of Masdar the new car-free city under construction in Abu Dhabi. You will need to download the .pdf to see all the photos and additional boxed content.
2. Power consumption of desalination plants v rainwater tanks – by Peter Campbell
3. Capitalising on carbon – article by Giles Parkinson
4. Major discovery from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution Scientists mimic essence of plants’ energy storage system. By Anne Trafton, MIT News Office July 31, 2008
5. ‘Middle of the road…towards a cliff’ by David Spratt …A final hurdle concerns targets. Garnaut has already said that the climate science demands emissions reduction rates much faster than the Government seems willing to contemplate…
6. Guy Pearce in The Monthly, July 2008 “Throughout this period, while most Australians gave Rudd the benefit of the doubt, many environmentalists were suspicious. However, the green leadership was complacent, compliant and worryingly quiet on many of the issues that mattered most…”
7. Environment Victoria submission to the Victorian Government’s “A Climate of Opportunity” Summit Paper [PDF 440KB]
8. Climate Action Groups at Environment Victoria Meeting Minutes This meeting was held at Ross House on 26th July 2008.
9. Transition Towns: This website is a WIKI for use by all the communities that have adopted the Transition Model for responding to the twin challenges of Peak Oil and Climate Change. [link provided by Fern]
10. Transition Towns in N.S.W Assorted links to interviews etc [link provided by Fern]
11. Future Scenarios around Peak Oil This site is arranged as an essay in Peak Oil broken into micro-chapters. [link provided by Fern]

Grants available

1. Australia Post Community Development Grant – closing sept 19th Community groups can now apply for yearly grants of up to $3,300 (including GST) to help improve their local community and environment, through the Australia Post/Landcare Community Development Grants Program.
2. Renewable Energy Support Fund The Renewable Energy Support Fund is a key initiative of the Victorian Climate Change Program and aims to facilitate and demonstrate innovative renewable energy projects that contribute to reducing Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Ecoliving Grant The EcoLiving Grant has been allocated by the Victorian Government from the Sustainability Fund, as an initiative of Our Environment Our Future Sustainability Action Statement 2006, to help Victorians reduce their impact on the environment. Through the EcoLiving Centre Grants program $3 million will be invested over four years for the establishment of EcoLiving Centres – a community building that demonstrates sustainability in action and provides learning and change programs for local communities.
4. Mercy Foundation Environmental Grants for Schools – Closes September 1st The Foundation can be contacted at office@mercyfoundation.com.au or by phone on 61 02 9699 8726.
5. Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) The Helping Hands Program is available to not-for-profit organisations for projects and activities that offer clear public benefit for communities living in small rural and remote locations in Australia, contributing to their development in social and community welfare, economic, environmental, health, education or cultural areas. Remaining grants have closing date of 27 October. To date FRRR has allocated $13 million to communities across the nation and has leveraged many millions more supporting projects that stimulate the renewal of whole communities.