Your Sustainable Community 2013

Your Sustainable Community A guide to sustainable living on the north coast

March, 

Highlights

Ray of sunshine – p Trends in home design – p Biochar revolution – p Local inventors – p Men-oh-pause – p

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Your Sustainable Community – March, 

A little ray of sunshine



Developments in renewable energy

Buffeted by winds of change



Energy utilities see fall in demand

CSG vs traditional industries



Trends in home building



Council initiatives



Planning for the region



Citizens assert a preference

New designs favour small size, high quality Four shires showcase their programs Sustainability in the northern rivers

The biochar revolution



Organics go mainstream



A simple way to help the planet Buying organic is the new food standard

Harmless modes of transport  Local inventors showing the way

Changing the mindset

How to foster low impact tourism



Ethical investment 



Men-oh-pause



A guide to shareholding integrity

Comedian Mandy Nolan sheets it all home

Towards a renewable future Welcome to the th edition of Your Sustainable Community. It is both an exciting and challenging time to be pursuing a sustainable life and future in the northern rivers.

The time to get into it is now and has never been more important as the past 0 days of summer leave us 12 broken heat and rainfall records across the country.

Sustainability can be a slippery sucker at the best of times and this supplement seeks to inform and motivate us. It provides access to a great range of programs and initiatives already available to help lighten our footprints and to connect with other like minded people.

You will find ways to create your own backyard biochar, how to join the mobile app enabled carpool fraternity or how some of our local pioneers are giving us solar powered options for getting around. We also highlight trends in collaborative consumption, renewable energy technology and D printing. Or perhaps an alternative source of gluten-free, essential protein and fatty acids, like hemp, will be more to your liking?

Sustainability is very much defined by what happens at the local level. The northern rivers’ overwhelming grass roots rejection of the idiocy of coal seam gas mining is the obvious example. The people’s energy for sustaining our land and water, our agricultural industries, tourism and personal health is palpable and bodes well for moving toward a sustainable human economy.

Sustainable living by definition provides us our future – get into it any way you can!

Nigel Dornan Editor

Your Sustainable Community AN ECHO SUPPLEMENT

THE BYRON SHIRE

www.echo.net.au

NETDAILY www.echonetdaily.net.au Supplement Editor: Nigel Dornan Advertising Manager: Angela Cornell Client Liaison: Penny Bagshaw Design & Production: Ziggi Browning Front cover: ‘The Blue Marble’ taken from Apollo 1, December , 192, sourced from Wikipedia/NASA Contributors: Sapoty Brook, Melissa Hargraves, Eve Jeffery, Dave Lawrence, Glenn David Morris, Mandy Nolan, Giles Parkinson Photographers: Eve Jeffery, Jeff Dawson, plus supplied images © 2013 Echo Publications Pty Ltd ABN 86 004 000 239 Village Way, Stuart Street, Mullumbimby Phone 02 6684 1 Fax 02 6684 119 Byron Bay: Unit 5, 6 Tasman Way, Arts & Industry Estate Phone 02 6685 5222 Printer: Horton Media Australia Ltd Reg. by Aust. Post Pub. No. NBF923.

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3

A guide to sustainable living on the north coast

A little ray of sunshine: developments in renewable energy Sapoty Brook

T

he obvious worsening severity of climate change demands not only that we halt the increase in greenhouse gases, but that we implement ways to reduce their atmospheric concentrations.

Eventually renewables must and will win, and fossil fuels will be abandoned. The sooner governments and investors realise that, and jump on the renewable bandwagon, the better for everyone’s future.

President Obama recently said, ‘If Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will’ and ‘Solar energy gets cheaper by the year -- let’s drive down costs even further.

As long as countries like China keep going all in on clean energy, so must we’. China’s President Xi Jinping has promised to reduce the nation’s heavy reliance on coal-fired power generation. Up to 5,000 small coal mines will be closed in the next two years.

The sciences of climate change and ocean acidification clearly tell us that dramatic action must be taken with all the haste of national defence in wartime. Unilateral, multilateral, global, who gives a shit.

We are all facing catastrophe together, so let’s just do it!

Bright, switched-on future Thankfully there are altruistic Australians with a new vision for energy supply and use.

They are real, learned, experts, including a Nobel Prize winner, who have given their time and energy to planning a bright, switched-on future.

Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) is their non-profit organisation which has created a detailed plan for supplying Australia with 100 per cent renewable power within ten years. Their power proposal has been designed with economies of scale in mind. The cost is just three per cent of GDP, about the same as we spend on insurance or gambling, and it

creates plenty of employment and export opportunities too.

BZE is associated with University of Melbourne’s Energy Institute and has offices around Australia with hundreds of volunteers promoting the ‘Stationary Energy Plan’ and forthcoming zero carbon emissions plans for buildings, transport, land use, and more (beyondzeroemissions.org).

Essentially, the Stationary Energy Plan shows how Australia’s power can be generated by a combination of wind and concentrating solar thermal (CST) power stations, with around-the-clock thermal energy storage. By connecting these power plants across the country

New solar tech with high ambitions Technique Solar is an Australian company developing hybrid solar technology that combines electricity generated from solar cells with heat collected in solar collectors.

The technology was first developed at Melbourne’s RMIT University nearly a decade ago. The Technique Solar modules boast an efficiency rating four times that of current household panels because of their ability to use heat for hot water and reverse cycle air conditioners.

Technique Solar says its technology breakthrough is the use of a concentrator lens to focus the sun’s rays onto a photovoltaic (PV) cell array. This means 5 per cent fewer PV cells are required to produce the same electrical energy as the traditional flat plate array of the same area as the lens, and the production of heat energy as well. It says this gives the technology

a solar conversion efficiency of more than 60 per cent, compared to less than 20 per cent for most conventional PV panels.

According to the company’s website, it has high ambitions – the creation of ‘smart solar’ grid and the installation of some two million Technique Solar modules in Australia. n Adapted from ‘Australian solar hybrid firm eyes major manufacturing deal’ by Giles Parkinson at www.reneweconomy.com.au.

with a special low loss transmission link, sufficient electricity can be generated to supply Australia day and night. During the one per cent of time that unfavourable weather prevails nationwide, stored biomass can be burned to operate the solar thermal generators. This is sustainable because the amount of carbon released is taken up in growth of new biomass.

The planned power system includes the generation of enough electricity to power all transportation. This realises fuel cost savings under the plan of $AU1,10 billion through to 2040.This is attainable because electric motors are far more energy-efficient than internal combustion engines. For this and other reasons such as the extraordinary price difference between sunshine and coal, with a 30-year time frame, the plan is thousands of billions cheaper than business-as-usual scenarios.

From a Byron/northern rivers perspective, the BZE plan does not always elicit full enthusiasm because it is a solution that keeps power centralised.

The Byron hill-tribes’ dream of freedom from Big Brother may yet be realised as a result of the plunging price of solar panels. Moore’s Law (trend of exponentially declining price) has applied to computer costs for many years, and it now also applies to solar PV systems.

Recently Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) in Sydney issued a press release

headed, ‘Renewable energy now cheaper than new fossil fuels in Australia.’ This may provoke coal-loving regulators to change electricity pricing structures to allow network costs to become a fixed unavoidable charge. However, that would add incentive for solar panel buyers to go off the grid.

Cheap solar panels The apparent certainty that solar panels will be cheap in three or four years raises interesting opportunities for local, home, and business based power generation and storage.

Rooftop solar is particularly suitable for businesses, which generally consume most power during the day. Complementary small wind generators are readily available, but sometimes come with insurance and regulatory issues. For storage, hopefully we will soon have battery technology riding down a cost curve on Moore’s Law. Then the grid will fast become a

20th century anachronism.

It is not well known that in the first six months of the carbon tax, overall emissions in the national electricity market have declined by a massive 8.6 per cent (cleanenergyfuture. gov.au). What we have to resist is the foolish vision, espoused by our two major political parties, of a ‘golden age’ of gas, with gas fuelled electricity generators spread far and wide.

It is this carbon spewing vision, which has been planned for decades, that has hypnotised the Australian energy elite to discourage and ignore renewable power generation. May they too feel the threat of extinction. n For information on solar cell

technology on polyimide film: www.empa.ch/plugin/template/empa/*/131441.

For more on renewable energy being cheaper than fossil fuels: www.energymatters.com.au/ index.php?main_page=news_ article&article_id=3583.

Spotlight on Byron Community Centre The Byron Bay Community Centre enjoys the benefits of a 10kw solar system with 52 panels.

The project was financed through Nickel Energy who donated the first eight panels to the community. Soon the vast majority of the lighting in the theatre will have been converted to LED lighting, made possible by a state government grant.

The conversion includes stage lights and all house lights.

The extremely efficient LEDs also provide different coloured light, which saves on traditional filters and their fitting and replacement.

A state government subsidy has also helped in the decision to change the exterior and public area lighting over to LEDs. The payback period for both LED projects is just two years.

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Your Sustainable Community – March, 

Australian energy utilities buffeted by winds of change Giles Parkinson

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Cheers to the small things To the tiny creatures living under your feet, the source of all fertility.

To the small farms, organic and family owned, feeding us from this soil.

To the little shops, locally owned, part of our community, giving us choice.

The small are to be cherished, they will never let us down.

Rosnay, a family vineyard and farm in the NSW Central Ranges, has been supplying the Byron region good, honest organic wines for a decade, thanks to the small things.

Visit www.rosnay.com.au to find your nearest shop.

The winds of change in the energy industry have struck at the heart of the earnings of another of the country’s big three utilities, EnergyAustralia, which has reported a 42 per cent slump in profits as a result of the changing dynamics in the sector – lower wholesale prices, greater uptake of solar, and other decentralised generation, and lower consumption from energy efficiency.

It may seem ironic that in a year when consumer electricity prices jumped so sharply that Australia’s biggest energy utilities should suffer such sharp falls in profit. But the other big trend to weigh on EnergyAustralia’s earnings was a cost-conscious public, who are either reducing consumption or producing it themselves, through rooftop solar.

EnergyAustralia said that on average, its electricity sales per household in Victoria fell by more than 10 per cent from 6.5MWhs in 2011 to 5.8MWhs in 2012. Across the eastern seaboard, the fall in consumption from its more than 2.5 million retail customers fell by between five and 10 per cent.

So finely have energy business models been calibrated that this fall in demand translated into a fall in the retail electricity business of around 25 per cent, and a fall in the profits of the overall business by 42 per cent to HK$1,685 million, compared to HK$2,911 million the previous year. (EnergyAustralia is owned by the Hong Kong based CLP Holdings.) This fall follows a 35 per cent fall in earnings from the country’s largest energy retailer, Origin Energy, announced recently.

The brown coal Yallourn power station was hit by flooding in its mine caused by the collapse of a coal conveyor, and additional losses, but EnergyAustralia said that the combined effect of falling demand and a suppressed wholesale price caused it to close one of its four generation units until the summer heat brought increased demand in early January. One of the few strong parts of its wholesale operations was its renewables business – which lifted profits from $91 million to $158 million.

The deterioration in earnings forced CLP to cancel its planned stock market listing of EnergyAustralia last year, and it now seems that the float has been put on hold indefinitely – or at least until the company can recalibrate its business model. Perhaps the same issues need to be confronted by the state-owned generators and network operators in NSW and Queensland.

EnergyAustralia says one key focus of the coming year will be managing the implications of reducing growth in energy demand, which it noted is leading to suppressed wholesale prices. It has suggested ‘Yallourn units may be pulled offline – at least in the winter months – in the future’.

Its other key focus, it says, will be on ‘policy advocacy’.

EnergyAustralia was one of the fiercest opponents of the Renewable Energy Target, arguing that maintaining the fixed target of 41,000GWh would cause damage to its business, and raise costs for customers. It noted in this week’s announcement that the wholesale price continued to be lowered by the build-out of renewables.

That argument against the RET was rejected by the

consulting firm Port Jackson Partners, has issued a detailed report recommending that the RET be diluted because of the ‘high cost’ of abatement from wind farms, and even suggests that gas-fired generation be included in the RET. Ian MacFarlane, the opposition energy spokesman who as minister brought the first renewable energy target to a sudden and dramatic end more than a decade ago, was quoted as saying that the coalition would wait until the next RET review in 2014. All the coalition state premiers oppose the RET as well.

The CCA has recommended that the next RET review not take place until 2016. However, its recommendations have yet to be endorsed by the Labor government. In any case, the

Can energy utilities and retailers become energy service providers?

ACT government legislation which came into affect on January 1 this year now requires electricity retailers in the ACT to provide energy efficiency services to willing households for three years until 2015.

Main retailer, ActewAGL, is going door-to-door offering households free energyefficient light bulbs, door seals and automatic standby power controllers (SPCs). The scheme will result in net savings for participating households and price increases for those not participating.

Climate Change Authority (CCA), which recommended the status quo be retained. But EnergyAustralia seems hopeful that its argument may win out in the end.

In its outlook, CLP says it foresees creating only a ‘limited amount of wind generating capacity’ – possibly in the hope that an Abbott government would dilute the RET. The coalition has had an ambiguous stance on the RET, but the signs grow that a backdown is likely, or even probable. The Australian Financial Review notes that one of the Liberal Party’s star recruits, Angus Taylor, from the

Mandating a business model based on provision of energy services rather than quantities of Kw/Hrs will help consumers and the environment by motivating energy efficiency. The ACT’s Energy Efficiency Improvement Scheme is likely to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by almost 50,000 tonnes over three years. n Adapted from www.canberratimes.com.au/ act-news/light-bulb-momentsfor-every-household-201302152ej35.html coalition intends to scrap the CCA as one of its first acts of government.

Interestingly, one of Taylor’s suggestions is that Australian generators be allowed to buy credits from offshore generators to satisfy their RET obligations. ‘A tonne of carbon from New Guinea is the same from a policy point of view. Frankly, it doesn’t matter – what matters is whether you are going to get the abatement,’ he was quoted as saying by the AFR. Presumably, he’s quite enamoured

by Origin Energy’s proposed 2,200MW hydro project in PNG. Port Jackson Partners, it continued opposite

A guide to sustainable living on the north coast

5

CSG versus traditional industries: citizens assert a preference Melissa Hargraves

affected. Unlucky for them but lucky for us, we have seen real examples from Queensland, where not only has industry been affected, but people’s health is suffering.

The emergence of CSG as an industry in the northern rivers is not as inconsequential as merely one new place of production. This is a far-reaching and pervasive industry that encroaches on whole communities and landscapes.

With thousands of wells planned for the region, it is impossible to believe that existing industries will not be affected. Light, noise, water, soil and air pollution are just some examples of cited impacts from one exploration well. Multiply this effect through a network of wells across our hinterland and one cannot imagine the devastacontinued from page  sues, it planned to invest in no tion to country and the grief should be noted, produced the new coal-fired capacity in India. and loss from the impact on CLP says it will instead focus on current social and commercial research for a BCA submisactivities. renewable energy projects in sion on carbon pricing, which CSG mining is still in the India in the future, and accordI wrote at the time was one of exploration phase in the ing to Deutsche Bank, that is the most appalling presentanorthern rivers and the induswhat large industrial users in tions that the BCA had ever India will do as well. try would have us believe that produced. there are no adverse effects, Additional note: one interest- n http://reneweconomy.com. au/2013/australian-energyparticularly at this stage. As ing observation from the CLP utilities-buffeted-by-winds-of- the wells are cased in cement results was its confirmation change-54368 we are assured that there that due to infrastructure isthis financial year.

So why do our elected representatives continue to A sustainable ideology needs support new industries such to be the core of how our as coal seam gas (CSG) mining shared and finite resources when there are real risks to are managed. Although the shared critical resources – goal of creating a sustainable economy cannot be achieved water, soil and air – and there is insufficient evidence that overnight, industries are gradually becoming more CSG is a clean energy source? responsible about their enviEven the ronmental and social impacts, environmenand consumers are making tally unaware are more ethical choices.

The federal government has scratching their heads right now at introduced a carbon price in the emergence of a an attempt to reduce industrial and individual footprints mining activity that will threaten existing industries. and redirect investment into The northern rivers has a more sustainable industries. rich history of agriculture and Nationally, there are signs that this is having the desired nature based tourism. The CSG industry has asserted through effect, with emissions from the electricity sector falling by an advertising campaign that 8.6 per cent in the first half of none of these industries will be

Buffeted by winds of change

for this. If sustainability is a key core principle of RDA-NR, any potential threats to this In May 2012 an addition to the RDA-NR Regional Industry and growth should be considered Economic Plan (RIEP) reflected community concerns about (see panel).

CSG as an emerging industry in the northern rivers: Regulation of dominant polluting industries is ineffective ‘RDA–NR recognises that there is significant community without adequate compliance concern in the northern rivers concerning the practice and measures. Currently, the NSW impacts of coal seam gas mining and acknowledges that state government is spending new scientific data are providing greater information about more on enforcing compliance its potential impacts… RDA-NR supports the communities’ of concerned citizens opposcall for a moratorium on all coal seam gas mining in NSW ing this industry via taxpayer until further, more conclusive, evidence about its potential funded police resources than impacts on the environment and communities has been it is on monitoring, and more established. importantly regulating, this ‘Until such time, RDA-NR encourages the application of short term, unsustainable the precautionary principle, signalling concern for the industry. environment and a wish to ensure there are true benefits for With such a clear democratic our communities, as well as for industry and its shareholders.’ failure, the majority of residents in the northern rivers have adwill be no aquifer interfertries as isolated units. The inence. Even if the well life were terdependence of existing and opted self-organised citizenry guaranteed for a hundred emerging industries on shared which Southern Cross Univeryears, this is only a blip in the resources should be acknowl- sity law lecturer Aiden Ricketts timeline of natural systems edged, planned and managed describes as ‘activocracy’. The CSG Free Communities model and does not guarantee their by focusing on compatibility was developed in the northern future health or those depen- and sustainability. rivers and has been adopted all dent on them. Well integrity Regional Development around the world. is an obvious issue; however, Australia – Northern Rivers Locally, it involves comprewater usage and its purity are (RDA-NR) – see also page 9 – hensive street surveys conalso critical. does not have an active role ducted to determine whether Contamination of water in the regulatory framework the majority want their roads from added chemicals or the but participates in building and lands gasfield free. The surfacing of compounds in partnerships with communiresults continue to be damning water not yet ready for aeraties and industries within of the CSG industry. tion will directly impact on the region, as well as having This is a grassroot, citizen-led surrounding industries in the links with all three tiers of northern rivers. As demand government. The organisation democracy, clearly expressing for shared resources increases primarily identifies future opthe people’s desire for a suswith population growth we portunities for regional growth tainable northern rivers, now can no longer look at indusand helps industries prepare and for future generations.

Quasi-govt body cautious on CSG

6

Your Sustainable Community – March, 

Small size, high quality trends in home design and building Dave Lawrence When you look at what is happening on the home front you find a movement towards smaller dwellings.

Smaller houses There are many different definitions of what makes a home sustainable but one of the major factors is the actual size of the building (in relation to the number of occupants).

A smaller house requires fewer resources to build it, less energy to heat and cool it and less maintenance. Smaller homes are becoming more popular now in NSW with secondary houses (aka granny flats) being encouraged as one step towards solving the housing affordability crisis. We are seeing many homeowners building small second homes alongside the main house.

This form of infill housing suits many types of occupant.

There are elderly parent(s) who can move into the granny flat and retain their independence.

Adult children, who would be otherwise unable to afford their own home, now have the possibility of being able to build their own home. Young adults and teenagers often need their own space, but still need to be close to their parents. The secondary dwelling

can be let out to nonfamily members to help the homeowner with mortgage repayments. Or the empty nesters can move in to the smaller home themselves and let the house out to a separate family – ideal for those who wish to downsize, but are not quite ready to let go of their home.

Sharing resources and costs while retaining some privacy has the potential to turn the suburbs into modern day ‘ecovillages’ and ‘urban multiple occupancies’.

future sustainable homes.

Rather than single glazed standard glass aluminium framed windows (which are generally the weakest thermal link in most houses), more people will consider the extra Quality build investment in superior double glazed (or secondary glazed), With secondary dwellings being limited in size to 60 sqm improved glass and thermally broken framing (to reduce heat it becomes feasible to focus transfer. More thought will be on the quality of the building, put into which aspect the winrather than the size. dows face and the appropriate Until relatively recently the shading for different windows. vast majority of Australian Traditional 90mm thick stud homeowners, builders or designers have never felt the need walls only allow for maximum to consider energy efficiency, in- R2 insulation to be installed. door air quality or water usage. Thicker wall studs (even double But as we now know with rising stud walls) allow for upgrading the insulation or for using power costs, water shortages hempcrete or other cutting and compulsory BASIX certifiedge sustainable products. cates, running costs of homes Hempcrete has been used for are extremely important. decades in other countries and With this in mind improved windows and thicker walls will is now both approved and available in Australia as a breathing become more important in

CAD rendering

by Jesse Lawrence – www.beedad.com.au insulation with superb acoustic and thermal properties.

Here are some other interesting trends in the building scene.

coming standard and it is now possible to predict energy usage and comfort levels for given locations and climates as you are designing your home, thus enabling ‘virtual tweaking’ of the design which is much more cost effective than building and renovating later. Homeowners not familiar with reading standard architectural plans also find it much easier to visualise their new home.

Improved indoor air quality

Green living roofs

Owing to most new houses being far more airtight now Living turf roofs are a fanthan they used to be (reduced tastic option for sustainable draughts and gaps to reduce homes in the suburbs. You heat loss/gain), it is vital to don’t lose any garden space, stormwater runoff is minimised, reduce the level of indoor toxins and off gassing. Painted the insulation is wonderful, Earth in Byron Bay stocks a there is no glare off the roof, fantastic range of both local solar panels installed on them and imported nontoxic paints operate more efficiently than and finishes. they do on other roofs (due to lower ambient temperatures) and they look amazing, blend- Solar power and solar ing into the environment like hot water systems no other structure.

As power costs rise and solar power becomes viable Architectural financially more homeowners software will install solar systems. It is essential to use local experiSophisticated software capable of sun studies, 3D ren- enced installers who may be ders and walkthroughs are be- required for backup service.

Prefab housing/ modular components This type of housing has the potential to revolutionise the housing industry, with its ability to limit cost blowouts, reduce build time and site disturbance and provide quality control you can expect from a factory assembled product.

SIPS (structural insulated panel system) is one such form of prefab housing being introduced to move away from traditional wall stud frame systems. SIPS walls have an internal foam core bonded to a cladding on the outside and a lining on the inside, much the same as cool stores are constructed.

Hebel is a lightweight masonry product with excellent insulation properties, and is made in large panels that can be used for walls, floors and roofs.

What’s old is new In contrast to the speed of the new prefab housing, there has been a renewed interest in centuries-old methods including rammed earth, cob construction, mud brick and straw bale. These ancient techniques provide an ambience difficult to achieve with modern methods, while also providing the opportunity to have a modern energy efficient home.

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A guide to sustainable living on the north coast

7

3D printing – the next revolution

Sunflower sounds awesome

What is it? Three-dimensional printing is based on what is known as ‘additive manufacturing’. A 3D printer reads the data encapsulated by a CAD drawing and translates it into a series of cross-sections, which it builds up via successive layers of liquid, powder or metal, and ultimately joins or fuses automatically to create the final shape.

A small basic printer costs $5,000 or less than half that if you build it yourself.

A printer looks rather like a sophisticated glue gun mounted in a meccano set.

Currently, a growing group of enthusiasts share designs and modifications of their machines. A common manufacturing material used is 3mm diameter plastic made from polylactic acid (derived from corn starch). Commercially, the technology is used in jewellery, footwear, industrial design, architecture, automo3D printed skull © 2012 Joshua Harker, sourced from tive, aerospace, medical industries and springleap.com on flickr. many other fields.

3D printing makes it as cheap to create a n Adapted from 3D printing tech – the big single item, as it is to produce thousands, green implications: www.tgdaily.com/sustainathus undermining the economies of scale of traditional manufacturing. This has far-reaching bility-features/66859-3d-printing-tech-the-bigimplications that include the likely decentralisa- green-implications.

For humanity’s first self replicating manution of manufacturing and halting or reversal of facturing machine see www.youtube.com/ the urbanisation that follows industrialisation. watch?v=iMhG4fWQnlE. As with any technology, the sustainability implications are mixed. If sophisticated 3D printers become household items then the footprint of many goods will be vastly reduced through lower global transportation of goods. In the third world, community-owned fabricators in Marine debris is having a devastating impact conjunction with open source software could on the world’s marine ecosystems and it is shift longstanding inequalities. On the flipside, estimated that over six million tonnes of debris 3D printing does not sidestep the need for raw find their way into the world’s oceans every resources or the reality that all resources are year. There are over 13,000 pieces of plastic litter limited. floating in every square kilometre of the world’s oceans.

In the ocean, some of these plastics – polycarbonate, polystrene and PETE – sink, while Tunisian green energy startup Saphon Energy LDPE, HDPE, polypropylene and foamed plastics has created a new bladeless wind turbine which float on the ocean’s surface. Sunlight and wave draws inspiration from the design of a ship’s action cause these floating plastics to fragment, sails, and promises to convert the kinetic energy breaking into increasingly smaller particles, but of the wind into electricity at up to double the never completely disappearing – at least on any efficiency – and half the cost – of a typical wind documented time scale. turbine.

As plastic particles circulate through oceans, The bladeless technology is said to involve they act as sponges for waterborne contamichannelling the wind in a back and forth monants such as PCBs, DDT and other pesticides, tion, until it is converted into mechanical energy PAHs and many hydrocarbons washed through using pistons. The pistons then produce hydraulic our watersheds.. pressure, which can be instantly converted to Science is beginning to ask the question: do electricity via a hydraulic motor and a generator, these chemicals such as PCBs and DDTs that are or stored in a hydraulic accumulator. The savings in plastic pellets get into the tissues and blood in manufacturing result from being able to discard of the animals that eat plastic? Do these chemithe blades, hub and gearbox needed in a tradicals work their way up the food chain, becoming tional wind turbine, according to Saphon Energy. increasingly concentrated and potentially entering our bodies when we eat seafood? n Source: www.gizmag.com/saphonian-bladen Source: http://5gyres.org less-wind-turbine/24890/23.2.13

The Sunflower is a mobile 1.8kw solar-powered sound system generator designed by Southern Cross University visual arts technicians and students. It boasts state of the art energy storage and management and can be tilted and positioned for optimum orientation to the sun.

Contemporary music and visual arts technicians and students have worked with industry partners – Creative Environment Enterprises, EV Energy Systems, and energy company Rainbow Power – to help design and build Mr Speaker and the People Party enjoying the solar vibe. the mobile system with a focus on developing the project as an interactive ‘Music festivals are not just about music these audio visual art installation as well as an energy days. Music festivals are a great place to show generator. Metal fabrications for the solar panel off new creative ideas. Operating the technolarray were completed by local metal work deogy at a music festival means that SCU students sign company North Coast Fabrications. have a great pathway into the industry after ‘The aim of the project is to show the way they graduate.’ sustainable design principles can be promoted The Sunflower is set to be showcased at within the Australian music industry as well as Bluesfest in Byron Bay at Easter, while discuspromoting best practice in alternative power sions for use at other festivals such as Splendour generation and energy efficient audio-visual in the Grass and the Mullumbimby Music Festitechnology,’ senior lecturer Dr Barry Hill said. val are also under way.

Marine debris

Bladeless turbine

Choose LEDs for efficiency A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor light source that releases energy in the form of photons.

Efficient lighting is needed for sustainable architecture. In 2009, a typical 13-watt LED lamp emitted 450 to 650 lumens, which is equivalent to a standard 40-watt incandescent bulb. In 2011, LEDs have become more efficient, so that a sixwatt LED can easily achieve the same results.

A standard 40-watt incandescent bulb has

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8

Your Sustainable Community – March, 

Council initiatives from around the northern rivers to grow fruit and veggies.

• Carpooling to work or study – reduce your travel footprint and save dollars.

The Northern Rivers Carpool Community consultations were conducted in February for website can link you to otha new Pyrolysis Treatment Plant ers travelling in the same set for operation by 2015 at the direction. There are over 1,200 members and a new free app Ballina Waste Facility. In comparison to current composting for mobiles – it has never been easier – www.nrcarpool.org techniques, slow pyrolysis is • Check out the Byron Shire Recycled Water Program a much more efficient and Sustainable Food Directory, The $60 million upgrades to more carbon neutral way of which lists 20 restaurants, marboth the Ballina and Lennox processing organic waste as it Head waste water treatment quickly heats it without oxygen kets and retail outlets of organic and local food. Find other plants are near completion, and turns it into two main sustainable businesses in the and it is hoped high quality re- substances called Biochar and cycled water will start flowing Byron Shire Sustainable Industry Syngas. out of them around September Guide. Both guides available For more info on what this year. online on the council website, sustainable initiatives Ballina New residential properties at libraries and participating Council is undertaking go to within the shire will use the www.ballina.nsw.gov.au or call businesses. water in their gardens, toilets • Stay connected throughout communication and education and cold water washing mathe year with the quarterly officer for waste and water, chines. It will take pressure off Byron Shire Sustainability EKate Pye on 6686 1458. fresh water drinking supplies as Newsletter. This publication lets well as reduce the amount of you know exactly what is going treated effluent being disposed on in the shire. Sign up at of into the environment.

Council’s website www.byron. nsw.gov.au/sustainability Green to Gold Campaign • Upcoming sustainability The ‘green to gold’ campaign events include: will run from February through – Energy efficiency workto May and involves random shop for Seniors on March 18, bin-checking of residential celebrating Seniors Week; organic bins.

– The North Coast Energy Ten lucky residents will Forum (May 31) working to be drawn each month and Mayor Simon Richardson said develop a sustainable home rewarded with a $30 fruit and it is often the small everyday grown energy solution for the veggie hamper (locally grown). actions individuals take that north coast; The prize symbolises the promake significant changes – World Environment Day cessing of organic waste into to environmental and social Celebrations (June 8) golden compost, which is used impacts.

Pyrolysis Community Consultations

Save

– Biodiversity and Sustainability seminars held bi-monthly in the Council chambers; – ‘Think Global, Eat Local – Sustain Northern River’s Food Revolution’ held in May www. sustainfood.com.au.

like to include your own home in Sustainable House Day visit: http://www.sustainablehouseday.com/new-south-wales. php. These homes should be within the Lismore LGA (or close-by).

To measure its greenhouse reduction achievements Council is releasing its 10-year report in early 2013. For a copy of this report send an email to: council@lismore.nsw.gov.au titled ‘10 year GHG report’ and request a copy.

dogs, cats and foxes, use native plants in your garden, keep dogs and cats inside or on a leash.

Protect the coast Have your say on Council’s draft Coastal Estuary Zone Management Plan.

River health & biodiversity Exclude stock from waterways and native vegetation, control weeds and plant natives. Enquire about Council’s grants.

Sustainable farming Buy local produce, have your say on Council’s draft Sustainable Agriculture Strategy In 2013 Lismore City Council when it comes out for public will undertake major retrofits at feedback. the Lismore Baths and Sports Reduce carbon emissions & Aquatic Centre to improve Walk, cycle, take public transenergy efficiency. This project port or use the Northern Rivers is being co-funded under the Carpool scheme, cut your Community Energy Efficiency energy use and power bills Program (CEEP). The CEEP with free assistance from the project includes the first trial in Home Power Savings Program Australia of a solar and windTweed Shire Council’s sustain(if eligible). powered streetlight, which is ability officer, Debbie Firestone, Reduce waste located outside the City Hall on says, ‘We can all do more to Reduce food waste as part of the Bruxner Hwy. It is a strong care for the natural environthe ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ camsymbol of the community’s ment and live more sustainably paign, report illegal dumping. commitment to achieving in the Tweed shire.’

Conserve water sustainability.

Residents can get involved Get up to $100 from Council In September 2012 Council by making some simple chang- to replace old showers and hosted the first Sustainable es to their habits, taking action taps at home; sweep, don’t House Day in the northern when they see something that hose, to keep your driveway and paths clear. rivers. In 2013 this event will can be improved and having Working together afford wider opportunities to their say on council initiatives.

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9

A guide to sustainable living on the north coast

Northern rivers planning for regional sustainability Melissa Hargraves

Sustain Northern Rivers (SNR) and through specific projects Individuals and businesses like the Sustainability Advanwithin the northern rivers tage Program.

SNR is a collaboration are increasingly committing themselves to being environof 26 peak regional mentally sustainable. Regional organisations that sustainability is a critical princi- are committed to ple for this region as popula‘communicate, contion grows and local, national sult and collaborate and international demands on on action for climate our resources increase. With a change focusing on key shared commitment to sustain- areas such as transport, energy, ability, the region can formalise food and social innovation.’ its core values and more impor- The goal of the working group tantly guide and protect itself is to reduce greenhouse gas from unsustainable practices emissions by 20 per cent while and industries. increasing the proportion of Local councils attempt to renewable energy sources to manage their local government 20 per cent by 2020. area (LGA) with sustainable SNR refers to many studies strategies, but a ‘regional strat- which indicate that a sustainegy’ integrates neighbouring able energy pathway will ‘genLGAs and can identify potential scope for collaboration, ‘A sustainable energy resource sharing and response pathway will generate to impending threats.

The Regional Development a higher level of Australia Northern Rivers (RDAemployment than NR) is implementing a Regional a fossil-fuel based, Industry and Economic Plan through planning and consulcentralised energy tation with government and strategy.’ communities. Its goal is ‘for the region to achieve economic development and employment erate a higher level of employgrowth in a sustainable way ment than a fossil-fuel based, for our region’s population.’ centralised energy strategy.’

RDA-NR defines sustainable SNR believes this is even more economic development as pronounced on the north coast ‘an activity that improves the as there have been major job prosperity of our region or cuts over the last 30 to 50 years at least maintains it, without due to the centralisation of the prejudicing the capacity for electricity industry. future generations to enjoy the Identifying future energy environment.’ skills required for the transiCEO of RDA-NR Katrina tion into a low-carbon policy Luckie shared a broader susframework has been a major tainability vision for the region. undertaking and there were ‘We need to recognise the some interesting outcomes importance of our natural from the research. The majority infrastructure and our natural of identified skills gaps can be environment and how we addressed relatively quickly as can invest, support, maintain these skills were not new green and enhance that. It is also skills, rather a combination about building strong resilient of traditional skills in a green communities and also about context. The remaining skills maintaining an economic sets are in bioenergy and engienvironment that will provide neering and will take longer to meaningful employment opdevelop. portunities for our current and Another recommendation future residents.’ from this research was that RDA-NR is pursuing this visustainability be embedded sion largely in partnership with in training rather than as an

add-on. A parallel was drawn between sustainability and occupational health and safety, which are now core to industry training and processes.

The Sustainability Advantage Program is an ongoing project that RDA-NR is facilitating across the region on behalf of the Office of Environment & Heritage. The program offers medium to large businesses an environmental performance review and an 18 month program identifying possible initiatives that will improve their environmental performance.

Katrina added that ‘sustainability is quite diverse when you look at it; it is more than just working at the business end; it can be things like, for example, how do people who are socially isolated still have meaningful lives?’

RDA-NR is working in close partnership with the Northern Rivers Social Development Council on a regional social plan to develop the social capacity of the region. Councils implement social plans that support and feed into larger planning models. RDA-NR invests equally into the natural, social and economic capital of the region.

In a climate of perceived political misrepresentation of the region, particularly surrounding the coal seam gas issue, readers may be suspicious of the RDA-NR when they learn that the RDA-NR is a national and state government body that works closely with the NSW departments of Industry and Investment & Planning, departments which have recently taken control of many decisions normally made by local councils. However, the RDA-NR has supported the community’s call for a moratorium on all CSG mining until more evidence is available about its potential impacts on the environment and its communities.

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Your Sustainable Community – March, 

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Biochar. When I see the word bio as a prefix to anything my eyelids start to flutter and the yawns come creeping up from my innards.

When I first heard about biochar I had visions of some vaguely industrial diesel fuel replacement, oil-slicky, hippy, smelly gardening gunk. It all just sounded too messy. As it turns out, the stuff could be the hero of the planet.

Bio (life or living) char (charcoal) refers to the carbonrich materials (that’s the charcoal) produced from the slow pyrolysis (heating in the absence of oxygen) of biomass (biological material from living, or recently living, organisms, most often referring to plants or plant-derived materials).

Still confused? It’s the bio word – I can feel myself snoring, but this is where things get more interesting…

Rob Crosby demonstrates a homemade biochar kiln.

and gardening becomes easier tutor Rob Crosby runs a short over time’. course on the subject: ‘Biochar Dr Taylor is producing a new – is Black the New Green?’ The book this year, Gardening with course is described as a handsBiochar, an illustrated praction, magical mystery tour. cal manual on exactly how to Students learn how to make make biochar and use biochar, how to test it, how to it in the garden and condition it and how to apply it small farm with in their own situation. plants and animals.

‘The session is very hands on’, Biochar has the says Rob. ‘With gloves! I encourcapacity to sequesage participants to construct ter carbon in the soil, and operate their own miniaTrapping CO2 that is trap it and hold it ture pyrolysis kilns. The actual building and operation provide When you mix the stuff with there out of harm’s way. While it is difficult to estimate how the examples and learning opyour everyday gardening medium, that is the soil and com- long newly created biochar will portunities on the day.’ post and whatever else you use stay in the soil, some suggest Charcoal is not to make your tomatoes tasty, it 1,500 to 5,000 years!

Tim Flannery, 200 Ausdoes two things: it makes your biochar tralian of the Year, is equally tomatoes super yummy and Rob says that the kilns rarely nutritious, but at the same time enthusiastic ‘Biochar may work smoothly the first time. it is having a positive effect on represent the single most ‘The group can look at the the globe by locking in climate important initiative for humanity’s environmental future. The problems, discuss what is going changing CO2 present in the wrong, modify the apparatus biochar approach provides a biomass. and try again. The day prouniquely powerful solution, Dr Paul Taylor is an astrofor it allows us to address food gresses as we literally play with physicist who has worked at security, the fuel crisis, and the fire. At the end I expect parHarvard, NASA and MIT. He ticipants to have gained some climate problem, and all in an has relocated to the northern understanding of the difference rivers and moved his attention immensely practical manner.’

So how do we get out hands between burning something from movements in the sky to on the stuff? You can make it or and subjecting it to pyrolysis; the movement under his feet, researching and educating on the subject of biochar.

‘Biochar may represent the single most In his book The Biochar Revoimportant initiative for humanity’s lution: Transforming Agriculture and the Environment, Dr Taylor environmental future.’ tells how biochar can turn waste biomass material into a that charcoal is not biochar, but you can buy it. ‘There are simlong lasting soil amendment ple biochar making stoves that rather biochar is a specific form that can remediate soils and of charcoal,’ he says. improve food production while are described in my book, or Rob says students will also that I have available, that can mitigating climate change. learn basic testing procedures, make biochar while cooking a ‘It can help the soil by improving soil tilth, increasing meal, or just enjoying the light about the addition of minerals and warmth of the fire’, says Dr before firing and post-firing water and nutrient holding Paul. ‘These can be scaled up to conditioning. ‘They will also see capacity, and promoting an abundance of microorganisms’, make a clean burning backyard that biochar is a high quality, low cost, long lived substance, biochar maker out of recycled says Dr Taylor. ‘If a person is enhancing microbial soil life, drums. Lots of organic waste interested in gardening and chemical and electrical activity, food growing, and particularly produced on the property is water retention and a directly best used for compost, but if they want to reduce their some of it – from woody waste measureable method of carbon environmental footprint, then biochar can be integrated into to dog poo – can be made into sequestration.’

And that, dear people, is a biochar. their backyard activity.’ simple way we can help save If you are still stifling the Dr Tayor says he uses biochar the planet! yawns or can’t get your head in his hydroponic system, around making it, just take my which is a very simple way to word for it. This is the good oil, n Visit www.byroncollege.org. grow vegetables. au for Byron Community Coluh, I mean soil. You can buy ‘It can be combined with compost and then used in pot premade biochar by searching lege course details.

For more information on on the web. There is a complants or small garden beds.

Some people recycle the nitro- pany just out of Brisbane called biochar visit Dr Paul’s website: biochar-books.com or the gen in their urine into their gar- Black Earth, which produces New South Wales Department den beds by combining it with and sells bags and buckets of of Primary Industries: www. biochar and compost. Soil and biochar-compost mixtures. dpi.nsw.gov.au.

Byron Community College crops become more resilient

11

A guide to sustainable living on the north coast

Organic food goes mainstream

Be Sustainable...

Great courses starting soon!

Melissa Hargraves Organic food is officially mainstream, with one in 20 shoppers now regularly buying organic foods and products.

They are now easily accessible via local farmers markets, community gardens, specialty produce stores, supermarkets and many households growing their own fruit, herbs and vegetables.

This is a healthy trend that helps the shift into a lowcarbon and toxin-free environment.

Many proponents of organic food load its value with more than just health benefits: animal welfare and food integrity are examples of other motivating factors.

Australia has one of the most stringent organic food labelling programs in the world. This eradicates false claims and upholds integrity of the produce.

To achieve certification, land must be farmed free from synthetic chemicals for at least three years. Farmers are then audited yearly to ensure standards are upheld.

Australian Organic (AO), formerly Biological Farmers of Australia (www.bfa.com.au ), is one of the nation’s leading organic certifiers with more than 3,000 licensed farmers, operators, producers, processors and traders. It owns the trademark Australian Certified Organic ‘Bud’ mark on much of Australia’s certified organic produce.

Another is the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia (NASAA, website nasaa.com.au) which has more than 1,000 licensed operators.

Both certifiers have been around for almost 30 years.

There are currently around 12 million hectares of organic farmland in Australia, most of which is in states with an expanding mining sector.

Backyard Chooks Beekeeping Biochar Growing perennial vegies Green cleaning Fruit trees Organic gardening Permaculture design Water for life Wild feast Build a chook tractor

Lyndel Watson, from One Organic, at the New Brighton farmers markets. Photo Jeff Dawson New Brighton have many stalls offering organic produce.

Co-ordinator of the Mullum and New Brighton farmers markets, Allie Godfrey, said that while many stallholders sold organically grown food, a number of them struggled to afford the certification process.

‘The real issue is sustainability. We encourage people to support local food production and grow their own food to become more self-sufficient,’ Ms Godfrey said. `Most of our farmers don’t spray and are switched on about sustainability, they adopt a chemical-free ethos, and most understand the importance of not rubbishing the soil with the use of chemicals.’

The farmers markets also organised regular workshops on a range of topics related to food including composting and permaculture.

call 6684 3374 www.byroncollege.org.au

0 per cent of farmers are actively involved in Landcare and maintain the sustainability of our food chain, land and environment.’

Hemp food There are emerging organic food sources that can be farmed simply and sustainably.

Organic hemp seed is an old food source that Australia currently allows to be produced and exported but not for sale here.

But there are positive reports on hemp for food use and a review of the legislation enabling legal hemp food production is underway with a decision expected later this year.

Lismore-based Paul Benhaim is a loyal campaigner for the Australian hemp industry and managing director of Hemp Foods Australia (www. hempfoods.com.au).

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Mining threats

Pic supplied by Paul Benhaim, © www.hempfoods.com.au.

Australian Organic’s Greg Paynter says that ‘some of the greatest threats mining poses to organic and biodynamic properties are chemical contamination and altered public perception, the materials used to extract or explore would not be compliant with the requirements of an organic standard.’

Unimaginably, some organic farmers have negotiated an agreement with mining companies where they perceive their standard of organic integrity is not compromised!

Sustainable food production in the northern rivers goes hand in hand with a vibrant local food culture boasting farmers markets and celebrations of food such as the Sample Food Festival.

In Byron Shire alone, four farmers markets at Bangalow, Byron Bay, Mullumbimby and

For further information on the markets, visit their Facebook pages.

Many of the market stallholders and growers are members of the Tweed Richmond Organic Producers organisation (TROPO). To contact them, email co-ordinator David Forrest at organicforrest@hotmail. com.

Northern Rivers Food (www. northernriversfood.org.au) is an industry body run by growers, manufacturers, food artisans, restaurateurs, distributors and retailers who work as a group to ‘facilitate the development, growth and sustainability of the food businesses in the northern rivers.’

Pam Brook of Northern Rivers Food says ’our farmers and growers play a key role as stewards of the land. Over

After founding the industry in the UK, he worked tirelessly in producing, educating about, and legalising hemp as a fibre and food source in Australia.

Over 18 years ago, Paul discovered that hemp was a highly digestible, complete protein source and the best natural plant-based source of essential fatty acids and their contribution to better health and wellbeing.

‘It is still my mission to feed as many people as possible with this raw, vegan, gluten free organic seed,’ Paul said.

‘The nutrients it contains are needed by most people.’

Industrial hemp farming requires very little water and, more notably, it can be farmed organically. Paul said, ‘hemp requires no pesticides, herbicides or fungicides.’

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12

Your Sustainable Community – March, 

Locals removing emissions from their transport

Ash Grunwald Eve Jeffery

campaigning for services on the Casino–Murrwillumbah rail The cars we drive are choking line. Toot’s vision is for 16 light the planet. There are no two rail services per day on the ways about it, unless you are existing 130km track. one of the small minority leav‘The lack of public transport ing no footprint with your tyre in this area is well-documenttread, you are stealing the air ed, particularly for our youth,’ straight out of our grandchilsays TOOT president Karin dren’s lungs.

Kolbe. ‘Many of our towns are Every day fossil fuel emisfacing increasing congestion sions from cars, trucks, ships, and parking problems. Enviplanes and motorbikes are ronmentally, a steel wheel on floating up into our atmosa steel track is about 10 times phere and it’s getting to the more efficient than rubber on point where we are overloaded. bitumen. Using rail instead of Decoupling our transport cars or buses will reduce greentechnologies from their emishouse gas emissions.’ sions intensities is not going A local innovator, Sapoty to happen overnight; however, Brook, is expanding his Beyond solar and wind power offer Oil company’s range of electric obvious renewable energy bikes and scooters to include pathways for powering our a new electric recumbent transport. Government initiatrike model which he calls the tives have been piecemeal and ‘SolarEV’. They are in the same haphazard but the responsibil- class as electric bicycles and ity for sustainable transport have pedals and electric hub gains also lies with our commu- motors of the approved size. nities and its individuals.

They are allowed to go anywhere a bicycle can go. Having three wheels they are more stable and, in this way, safer than bicycles. Flags and fluorescent The way to immediately paint also increase their safety. work on the problem is to It is a pretty nippy vehicle that walk, ride a bike or just stop has a sporty feel to ride. unnecessary car trips. Car Sapoty, an electrical engipooling is an effective way to lower emissions and works on neer, has also configured an many levels. You halve, third or approach to solar charging for lithium electric bicycles using quarter the amount of carbon a standalone panel. ‘That adds you burn, depending on how up to free-energy transport’, he many extra people travel.

Taking the bus or train is the says. ‘For one-person roundtrips, up to 40km, electric bikes extreme travel pool, though and trikes are a wonderful zero the lack of train travel in this carbon option providing some area is contentious and lamented by many. Trains on our healthy exercise, timely travel, Tracks (TOOT) is a community- and also saving a lot of money based self-funded lobby group in car running costs.’

Walk, ride, carpool

Howard Hughes Howard Hughes says he was mildly skeptical of climate change, but after research into the subject it prompted him into doing something about it. And so the ‘Road-e’ was born. Based in Ballina, Hughes Engineering’s expansion from aeroplanes to electric vehicles was a desire to contribute to climate change solutions.

The result is what he hopes will be Australia’s first produced and designed, threeseat, electric motor vehicle. ‘Anything that saves energy, saves money and saves carbon is the industry of the future, that’s how I see it,’ he says. ‘An electric car is quite useless if you have to plug it in to coal-fired power stations. We plan that it will live at home under a solar-panelled carport or feed off your current solar setup. You come home at night, plug the car in and it charges up by morning and away you go the next day.’

Italian renewable energy group Silex Power claims to have designed a premium luxury electric vehicle – the Chreos – that is capable of achieving outstanding range, performance, and charge time.

Among the fastback sedan’s eyebrow-raising specifications are a 1,000km range (at 125km/h), less than 10 minutes’ charging time from flat batteries to full, the ability

OUND TABLE IVE

by mutual responsibility

Still in the pre-production stage, he says the Road-e will get you about 200 kilometres per charge and will reach a top speed of around 100 kilometres per hour.

Local 14 year old Liam Channer is still in school but he is already thinking about the future. Liam has built an electric quad bike that has a 48V (volts) 40AH (amp hours) battery pack which can store 1.92KWH (kilowatt hour). ‘It also has regenerative braking, so when I go downhill the electric motor works as a generator and recharges the battery’, says Liam. ‘It will tow 200kg up and down hills no problems.’

Liam says he has modified a quad he ‘bought as a basket case with a blown engine’, and has no current plans to build the vehicle commercially. He says he gets about 30km from a charge and keenly awaits im-

proved battery technology. In the meantime he is doing his bit for the planet and keeping mum happy. ‘She doesn’t like the noise and smell of a petrol engine.’

Local bluesman Ash Grunwald is doing his bit to save the planet. He plans to go completely electric one day but in the meantime drives a Prius to reduce his transport footprint.

Grunwald has another envirosaver up his sleeve. He rides his Big Daddy to the shops for milk and bread. The Big Daddy is the all terrain electric skateboard from FiiK. With a top speed of close to 40km/h and a range of between 20 and 30km per charge, the Big Daddy is the perfect solution for personal light travel. Grunwald says it’s the only way to go.

‘This skateboard has so much torque for such a small motor.

This is just magic. If this thing can get my 90 kilos up the hills of Ocean Shores, the technol-

ogy is there to carry around a car load of people easily.’

Ash’s home has 13 solar panels which are merrily feeding back into the grid. Together with the Prius (‘we wanted to go all electric but needed something with a longer range than the technology has yet attained’) and his Big Daddy, the Grunwalds are certainly putting their money and their carbon footprint where their mouth is.

So the current answer is: walk, run, ride, sail, carpool, take the bus when you can and solar charge your electric motors… your babies and their babies will thank you for it. n For more information:

Sapoty’s website is: www. beyond-oil.com The Big Daddy can be found at: www.fiikskateboards.com Hughes Engineering is here: www.road-e.com.au Find Toot: www.toot.org.au Carpool contacts: www.carpoolworld.com

Range anxiety banished by swish new electric car

ROUNDTABLE R L IVE R A Climate L L for Change.

OUND by mutual responsibility TABLE IVE

Sapoty Brook

by mutual responsibility

We can make it happen!

A community discussion on creating positive environmental change.

Including panelists (more to be confirmed):

Helena Norberg-Hodge ..... The Economics of Happiness Dr. Paul Taylor ................... The Biochar Revolution Jeannette Martin ............... MullumbimbyCommunity Gardens

April 11th Byron Bay Community Centre 6:30pm mutualresponsibility.org

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A guide to sustainable living on the north coast

Changing the mindset to low impact tourism Mandy Nolan Tourism industries and businesses need to partner the community in the resistance against coal seam gas exploration. This is the key challenge in establishing any concept of tourism ‘sustainability’. Tourism marketing consultant, and one time CEO of the now defunct Northern Rivers Tourism, Russell Mills, believes that ‘it’s extremely concerning that the agricultural sector and fishery have all stood against CSG but no one in tourism has put their hand up to lobby against this.’

Mr Mills was at the helm of NRT when they made it clear that they believed CSG mining and exploration would harm the environment and thus harm an industry worth 1.4 billion dollars to the northern rivers.

‘The community could be using the tourism industry as their key lobby group. It would add more to the debate and it would get tourism and community on side. I would be happy to be part of that movement. But we need an economic impact study on the impacts of CSG mining on the tourism industry. That should not be a community cost. The first step is to call on government.’

This is possibly the most critical issue Mr Mills believes need to be addressed if we are to have a truly ‘sustainable’ tourism industry not just in the northern rivers, but in all areas of Australia affected by CSG. Mr Mills believes that the concept of sustainable tourism needs proper consideration at environmental and fiscal levels.

‘I don’t think that considering the definition of sustainable tourism in terms of conservation values is sustainable.

It has to make money. The best definition of sustainability is triple line accounting in that it’s socially, environmentally and economically sustainable.’

Byron Shire mayor Simon Richardson agrees and believes that it is important for any sustainable tourism practice to

involve community consultation.

‘I think it starts with the premise of providing and promoting what we want rather than reacting against what we don’t want,’ he says. ‘We need people spending more money and staying longer so that the community can depend on it.’

Mr Richardson believes that innovation is required if we are to restructure and re-invigorate an industry that has come under fire from community and media in recent months for its unsustainability.

‘We are working on creating an education precinct where people can come from all around the world to study. It’s low impact. People live here in the community, their money is spread across the community.

For me sustainable tourism is about embracing initiatives which allow people to become part of the community.

‘There is a new phenomenon,’ says Mr Richardson ‘of volunteer tourism, where people come to give to a place.

The idea of everyone just going and taking from a place is about coming from a position of entitlement; it’s the old Bali model we are infamous for.

But this new tourism (where people get involved in permaculture, education, etc) is about people being able to think a place is better for their having

leverage to counteract environmental impacts. One such event was the World Rally now relocated to Coffs Harbour.

‘It was polarising, never more so than in Kyogle and the Tweed’, says Mr Mills.

‘There were people extremely opposed to it and a lot of people who thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. Personally I thought it wasn’t a good fit for the region, but at the time we looked for opportunities to get the message out.’

So when it comes to sustainable practice, how does Mr Mills think Byron is going?

‘Well, if it was a report card, it would say “has lots of potential

‘Don’t spoil us, let us spoil you’ come. It advocates to bring in people who give to the community. This is a very different kind of tourism.’

Mayor Richardson believes that festivals and events are perhaps leading the way in sustainable and environmental practice.

‘Festivals are going gangbusters when it comes to site remediation and adopting green practices.’

Not all events are welcome.

Some have fallen foul of local communities who have decided that economic benefit alone does not give sufficient

but could do better”. It is lucky though that it hasn’t been polished up into a pristine destination like Noosa, it’s still a word of mouth destination.

The campaign “Don’t spoil us, let us spoil you” is a good one.

It’s spiky. Peter Noble told one of our meetings that it is like when you go to New Zealand, and you get welcomed with a haaka of someone sticking their tongue out, its confrontational, but it’s saying come and enjoy our part of the world. But don’t wreck it.’

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ing board, with Cameron Arnold, president of the newly established shirewide tourism organisation VIA Byron, excited about announcing a new project in upcoming weeks.

Just recently he visited Dieter Horstmann’s Eco Park at Tyagarah.

‘We went there and it’s unbelievable.

It’s spectacular. The location is phenomenal.

It’s next to an airstrip. There’s a golf course, horseriding, ballooning, a tea tree lake. He wants to build accommodation and most importantly he wants the park to have its own power generation’.

As an operator, Mr Horst-

mann’s philosophy is textbook sustainability.

‘I believe you need to understand the relationship between humans and nature,’ he says, ‘and I like to work with nature instead of against it.’

So how does a shire council develop and implement strategies for sustainability in a shire of 30,000 with an annual visitation of 1.8 million? That’s a lot of carbon-munching cars.

Although they’ve just had their funding knocked back, Mayor Richardson is adamant that the council will introduce a park and ride system.

‘If we can get cars off the road through park and ride then we will have tackled part

13

of our traffic problem. People have to be willing to change their mindset. You need innovative ideas. We could have entertainers greeting people so they are having an experience before they even get on the bus.’

Mayor Richardson has inherited some rather curly challenges, particularly when it comes to sticking to the ethos of the Greens party and championing sustainable solutions.

‘I am excited about New Years Eve this year because I think it’s the big sustainability challenge. What we have now is the community on board.

And that’s the first step.’

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Your Sustainable Community – March, 

AUSTRALIAN ETHICAL SUPER IS THE ONLY FUND THAT DOESN’T INVEST IN COAL

Ethical Investment  Investing ethically means that you know what your money is doing and what it is funding.

Ethical investment is also known as sustainable investment and socially responsible investment (SRI). The term describes an investment process that incorporates environmental and social factors when selecting investments, in addition to the objective of achieving a competitive financial return.

There are three main approaches to ethical investment, which can be used in combination or on their own. social and environmental best practices, often through meetings with senior management or through voting at annual There is currently no one general meetings. universally agreed definition of This might mean encouragwhat constitutes an ethical in- ing a company to reduce its vestment, but a common way carbon emissions to improve that fund managers decide on the conditions of workers in its an ethical strategy is using a supply chain. For instance, you process called screening. could invest in companies you Negative screening: one may not approve of, in person might want to avoid order to encourage companies investing in arms more responsible manufacture, tobacco or business pracnuclear energy. This is known tices within those as negative screening, where companies. Rather companies are excluded or than invest directly ‘screened out’ from investin these businesses, ments because of their involve- most providers offer ment in certain activities ethical funds into which you deemed to be negative. Most pool your money with other ethical retail funds employ likeminded investors in negative screens. order to engage with the Positive screening: a different companies. investor may want to support a company involved in projects with a positive social or environmental impact, such as renewable energy or waste management. This is known as positive screening – where companies are ‘screened in’ One example of shareholder for taking social responsibility activism is F&C Investments’ seriously and making positive REO (Responsible Engagement contributions to society and Overlay) program, which exerts the environment.

Screening

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A preference or best of sector approach applies social, environmental and ethical guidelines to give a preferred selection when all other factors are equal.

For example, an ethical fund might have criteria that enable it to invest in the oil and gas sector, but will only invest in those oil companies that are ‘best in their sector’, meaning these preferred companies have better records on the environment and human rights than other companies in their sector.

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its influence as one of Europe’s largest shareholders to help promote better environmental, social and governance practices.

One of the first major victories claimed by ethical investors was a successful campaign to get pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline to cut the cost of anti-AIDS drugs in Africa in 2003. This was brought about largely by pressure from the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), the largest US pension fund.

If you’re investing with this type of activism in mind, check on the fund manager’s website or ask them to provide evidence of how they have engaged with companies and helped bring about positive change.

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attempt to positively influence corporate behaviour.

This approach doesn’t have to exclude, include or prefer companies. Instead, the active investor or fund manager encourages companies to adopt

describes the rapid explosion in traditional sharing, bartering, lending, trading, renting, gifting, and swapping which is being reinvented through network technologies on a scale and in ways never previously possible.

Sharing and renting more stuff means producing and wasting less stuff, which is good for the planet and even better for one’s self-image.

Examples include systems where you pay for the benefit of using a product without needing to own it outright, like car sharing, bike sharing, ride sharing, solar power, toy rental, fashion rental and movies. You can redistribute used or pre-owned goods from where they are not needed to somewhere or someone where they are, using neighbourhood marketplaces or internet swap sites.

It’s not just physical goods that can be shared, swapped, and bartered. People with

ing together to share and exchange less tangible assets such as time, space, skills, and money.

Peer-to-peer sharing ‘involves the re-emergence of community,’ says Rachel Botsman, co-author of What’s Mine is Yours: the Rise of Collaborative Consumption. ‘This works because people can trust each other.’

We yearn to trust and be trusted – one researcher has found that people get a spike of the pleasant neurotransmitter oxytocin when they’re entrusted with another’s goods.

That’s the beauty of a sharing society – and perhaps the reason it might prove more lasting than one built on ownership. n Sources http://www.

collaborativeconsumption. com/the-movement/ www.time.com/time/specials/ packages/article/0,28804

15

A guide to sustainable living on the north coast

Men-oh-pause

And so it would appear our eviction is imminent. Mother Earth is over it. Like many women of a certain age, she’s stupid. If Planet Earth was a Mandy Nolan changing, and she’s changing rental property we wouldn’t fast. She’s becoming be getting our bond back.

Well boys, I hate to be the one more temperamental.

We haven’t just wrecked the standing here pointing the finMoody. Unpredictger, but I’m over it. You’ve really carpets, we’ve ripped them out able. She’s warmscrewed up this time. Someone and sold them piece by piece. ing up. Having a What are we doing to our has to say it. Here it goes. You giant planetary beautiful mother? I imagine her hot flush. As a are not going to like it, but as a woman and one half of the pop- sitting in a cafe, head in hands woman movtalking to the other mothers. ‘I ing towards my ulation who didn’t get the vote give and I give and I give, but until 1903, who remains underown internal climate represented around the world as they just take take take. It’s change, I now unkilling me.’ The other mothers heads of state or as CEOs, who derstand the true look on, clucking in sympathy, meaning of men-oremains over-represented in underpaid and volunteer work, some advocating tough love. pause. It’s like a ‘You look like shit. Kick ’em out. message from I, and the women who have come before me, have had very Let them deal with the consethe heavens and little, if any, say in putting us on quences. They’re old enough it couldn’t be now to face the music.’ our current trajectory towards clearer. Men! environmental annihilation. I am blaming you for climate change.

Planet Rape.

You and your coal and your Glenn David Morris world we still have a very poor cars and your silly indusunderstanding of how landtrial revolution. You and your Through the open gateway scapes and the world function corporatisation of the global before us lies the greatest era as a whole. We still have a very economy and genocide of susof connection between hupoor understanding of the role tainable indigenous communiman ingenuity and ecosystem our decisions play in maintainties and economies. You and regeneration the world has ing the vital living ecosystem your escapist habit of spendever seen. processes all life depends upon. ing billions of dollars sending Above and beyond the Like a mob of uncertain rockets into space when we still politics, above and beyond the bullocks we are staring at the haven’t solved our problems views of politicians, scientists, entrance of an open gateway, here on Earth. You and your economists and all other reluctant to leave our familiar silly capitalist greed. In the race separatist areas of expertise but over-exploited grounds, for profits through relentless lies the question for every one unsure whether to venture over-consumption, we have of us: what sort of nation and through the gateway of become the generation that earth do we want to create for change to a new world view fried the planet. Nice work, we future generations? and an everlasting future. should be very proud. We have Despite all the knowledge This is a world view that reached the pinnacle of evoluthat has been gathered in the will deliver clean energy and tion and we’ve never been so

Oh! Pause! It’s time for blokes to stop. Time to put down their drilling rigs, the coal, the leaky gas pipelines, the CSG leases, the nuclear power plants, the CFCs and the chainsaws.

Time to stop this ridiculous phallic quest for world domination and go home. If they still have one. Time for the boys to spend some time on the bench and give the girls a crack.

If anyone knows how to manage a menopausal Earth, it’s us. We know what she needs.

She needs a lie down. A medita-

tion class. She needs to find herself. To feel loved. She needs to feel a sense of purpose and deep connection. She needs a foot rub. She doesn’t need any more senseless pounding, cutting, drilling, milking, leaching, or taking. The old girl needs restorative justice.

Corporate leaders and politicians need to come together in a room and apologise for the harm they have caused to our children and the unborn with their rape and pillage approach. It’s time they took responsibility instead of making it everyone else’s problem.

We have some major changes to make. We shouldn’t be shopping. We should be growing our own stuff. That’s gonna be a tough one. We girls might

need shopping patches. We should go to bed when it’s dark and wake up when it’s light.

We should be working where we live. We should be taking care of our own shit. We should share our car with the entire village. Maybe we shouldn’t even have a car. We should burn our diaries and stop scheduling our lives full of relentless activity that just leads to more sludge in the carbon sink. We should tidy up. No. Let me rephrase that. We should have a ‘nanna nap’ and the men should tidy up. After all it’s their mess. And if they don’t clean up their toys they’ll never learn. We should re-enact Lysistrata and refuse men sex until order has been restored. Now that is what I call a Happy Ending!

Above and beyond politics and climate change – one organic farmer’s view transport, fertile regenerated soils, nutritious health building foods, abundant water cycles and supplies, beautiful ecodesigned housing, a stable climate. Enhanced conditions for biodiversity. Freedom from toxins. Shorter working weeks, increased time for family and the arts, cities free from pollution. And peace between nations.

While there is always a degree of uncertainty with change and what might be waiting on the other side of the gateway, eventually a leader will emerge out of the mob and walk quietly and confi-

dently through the gate into a richer future. Strengthened in confidence by the leader, more and more individuals will follow, until finally even the most reluctant will realise the benefits of going through the gateway of change.

The gates are now open – we have a decision to make!

We can either lead our families and future generations through the open gates of change by adopting a world view based on ethics and a respect for life, in turn designing a richer future which regenerates the foundations of a healthy planet, or we continue

our primitive mentality of carving up and exploiting the Earth at the expense of our grandchildren’s future.

By adopting a greater understanding and respect for life and the world as a whole we can deal permanently and effectively with the challenges of climate change, food security, land and water degradation, extreme droughts and floods, increasing diseases and the greatest extinction rates in the history of the planet.

These are no ordinary times.

Welcome to the gates that stand open to a brand new world!

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They are certainly doing that withThey many their doing wonderful are of certainly that meals being harvested directly with many of their wonderful out of their organic garden. meals beingown harvested directly out Tristan of their own garden. also organic mentioned that from a marketing perspective Tristan also mentioned that solar power gives a strong from a marketing perspective positioning show solar powerstatement gives ato strong positioning statement to show

hopefully help leave the planet as pristinehelp as when for hopefully leaveI arrived the planet my children.”

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I thinkefficiency Alex said it best though with this comment will I think Alex said it“I best though with this comment “I will

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