Articles
The race for sustainability New networking websites Story & photo Victoria Cosford
Victoria Cosford
There’s a touch of Race Around The World about the Lifeline Project – albeit with an environmental and humanitarian consciousness. In the former, an ABC television series from the late nineties, participants armed with video cameras set off on a journey around the world, creating documentaries in the process. The Lifeline Project consists of participants equipped with cameras travelling the globe in order to visit, work on and document sustainability projects around the world. Inspiration for it came from UK filmmaker Phil Stebbing, and this year sees the inaugural event. Over 12 months, three teams of three filmmakers each will embark upon three different journeys: London to Capetown, New York to Buenos Aires and Byron Bay to Tokyo. Brunswick Heads-based Kirsty Thompson is producer for ‘Team Oz’ and spoke to The Echo about the Project. Its purpose is to raise awareness of the environmental deadlines we face and to offer solutions for sustainable living; the means to do so will be ‘via the power of film and the internet.’ A long list of projects has been compiled and the itinerary for Kirsty and her two team members (comprising a cinematographer and another person she refers to as The Traveller) consists of Tasmania, New Zealand, The Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Bali, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China, Taiwan and Japan. They will not only be volunteering on and documenting the ef-
A website functioning as a social network dedicated to planetary awakening and making positive change has been created by local musician and artist Dan Vantari, aka Narada Das. Dan told The Echo that he had been ‘working solidly for three years with the idea of creating something involving large numbers of people online... with the focus on contributing something positive on a global level.’ The OneEarth Network ( at www.oneearth.ws) is described as ‘the world’s most beautiful and cosmic free online social networking site’ and is, in the words of Dan, ‘a new-age MySpace’, combining features of the latter with additional ones like instant messaging, customisable blog and dragand-drop content blocks. Dan’s ambition for it is to ‘develop it into a thriving hub for networking positive projects’ and eventually he hopes to facilitate ways for its members to sell their own (ethical, sustainable) products and services through their pages. What distinguishes it from other social network sites? ‘It’s a grassroots operation’, Dan explained, ‘and it will never be sold to corporations.’ Its
Team Oz producer Kirsty Thompson.
forts of individuals and grassroots organisations offering sustainable living solutions but will also be covering their own personal journeys (through video logs and blogs) and the highs and lows of travelling as sustainably as possible, avoiding air travel where they can, utilising public transport and ‘our own leg power’ – in short, to limit their carbon footprint. ‘We’ll be forced to slow down and enjoy the journey’, said Kirsty. ‘The aim is to make an entertaining, engaging and educational TV series alongside the short docos in order to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, thus spreading the message of sustainability as far as possible.’ Examples of the projects include the Iriri Village Project in the Solomon Islands where a micro-hydro electricity scheme has been set up to both supply energy and provide local employment; in Bali the East Bali Poverty Project supports the local community through education and employment opportunities. ‘The whole point about it for
me,’ explained Kirsty, who had long been interested in volunteer work and making a difference, ‘is to learn about these things – we’re going to get as involved as they let us.’ The big issue is, of course, funding for such an ambitious project which enables the nine participants to not only absent themselves from regular employment for 12 months but also to cover administrative costs,, insurance, food, travel, accommodation and gear. They are still in the process of applying to ethical corporations and any interested parties for funding as well as for ‘public donations by people who connect with our intentions.’ The outcome will include a 9-DVD box set called ‘The Ultimate Guide to Sustainability’, to be used as a resource for schools, communities and individuals as ‘an exact guide to making sustainable changes in all our lives.’ For further information, sponsorship enquiries or donations Kirsty can be contacted via kthompson@thelifeline.tv or on 0416 933 872.
SpiritWeb partners Vigy Jadeanam, Elfie Jadeanam, and Dan Vantari.
categories include Sustainability, Sacred Geometry, Peace and War, Laughter Therapy, Whales and Dolphins and Time and Cosmos. ‘Its purpose is to network good projects and have positive things come out of it,’ said Dan. ‘I’m open to however that wants to happen really. I’m doing this as a service to the world, if you like.’ Because it is only as useful as the amount of people who decide to use it, he is looking for reviewers, monitors, artists and anyone else interested in becoming a part of the project. ‘We’re at that stage where all it really needs is a few more people involved and a bit of financing – I’ve done the whole thing on a total shoestring.’
In addition to this website he and two partners have created SpiritWeb Solutions, ‘a complete website building platform and website-managing tool that allows us to offer big-business features at a small-business price.’ With this website (www. SpiritWebSolutions.com) the partners wanted ‘to help local ethical businesses to get properly set up online. ‘We share a commitment to contribute something positive to the global process,’ Dan told The Echo. He claims it is ‘a tool to help people do whatever they dream.’ Anyone interested in the projects can call Dan on 0407 627 650 or email him at dan@ spiritwebsolutions.com.
Biopackaging to take away at the Top Story & photo Victoria Cosford
Andy Gordon of Byron Bay’s Top Shop reckons he sells around 2,500 cups of takeaway coffee every week. Becoming so aware of what he refers to as ‘the impact you have in the take-away business’ led him to the implementation, about six weeks ago, of a new type of biopackaging. BioCups are biodegradable coffee cups produced with a compostable corn-based plastic lining and as such are both fully renewable and leave a smaller environmental footprint. ‘It’s not even that much more expensive,’ he told The Echo, ‘and if more café owners could change over to them the price would come down even further.’ So far, customer response has been ‘overwhelming’. Andy spoke about the huge rise all over the world in the popularity of take-away and what he refers to as its ‘modernisation’. www.echo.net.au
‘We’re going to see a lot more of it in the future’, he said. The Top Shop, since he took over last year, has managed to undergo a dramatic transformation while retaining its essential ‘beachy’ feel. The 90-year old business was overhauled to create a cleaner, contemporary look; a brand new kitchen was installed and a large window opens out on to the street. Dishes sent out from the kitchen incorporate
locally-sourced ingredients where possible – Hayters Hill sausages, Alstonville chicken, Jordan’s breads – and the farmers’ markets are frequented. Distributor of the BioCups is John McCauley from Alpacka Packaging, who agreed with Andy that ‘you really have to have a grassroots community push for it’. For further information on this product John can be contacted on 6680 7747. <echowebsection=Articles>
The Byron Shire Echo October 20, 2009 19