NZ Assn. for Environmental Education, ChCh Branch:
Issue No: 2

Welcome

Hi. Welcome all. We've received quite a number of new subscriptions through the week so if you're a new subscriber and you don't receive this issue, sing out - we've glitched. Thank you for the occasional - rare, sparse, at the framer's - notes of encouragement following our first issue. We apologise for its slow server delivery - 24 hours for most if not all subscribers - thereby rendering out of date a couple of diary listings.

Please forward ecoNet's address to whoever you think may be interested (we are not allowed to send it uninvited).
And above all send us information to promote your upcoming events and causes.

This week as well as the events diary we begin inclusion of a selection of news and articles of interest from around and about, and here and there, eg:

from here

• Making waves work: wave energy trials underway in Wellington A uniquely ‘Kiwi’ wave energy generator is harnessing the power of waves in Evans Bay Wellington. (From the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA), 05 Jun 2008).
  
  
• New climate change projections released for New Zealand Canterbury now has around 20 fewer frosts than 30 years ago and will be about 2 degrees warmer by 2090: new climate change obversations and projections for New Zealand. (from NIWA, 27 May 2008).
  
  
• Average Christchurch rubbish production is 746 kg a head. Christchurch couple, Matthew and Waveney, are on a mission to reduce theirs to just one rubbish bag for the whole year. Their website http://www.rubbishfreeyear.co.nz/profiles the project and tracks progress. If you haven't already done so, take a look - it's well laid out and makes interesting reading. (Waveney will speak at CPIT on Monday - see events diary).
  
  
• Green Green Limousine: Steven Muir, Christchurch cycling back to the futurist, on his latest alternative transport project. http://www.cyclingchurch.org.nz/limo.pdf
  
  
• fuel cost increases: ECan bus fares to rise ten to 15 per cent from July 7, 2008.
  (The popularity of Christchurch's Metro is growing at around 6 per cent annually. April usage is almost 20 per cent up on a year ago for both Christchurch and Timaru). The last Metro fare increases were three years ago. click here for more
  
  
• open now: Ecan tree planting, fencing, biodiversity fund  
  Landowners or groups working to protect and enhance native biodiversity in Canterbury have until the end of August to apply for contestable grants of up to $5,000 through Environment Canterbury’s Environment Enhancement Fund: more here
  (Wednesday, 11 June 2008 )

Submissions and Consultations

• DOC Canterbury: Conservation Management Strategy review
  The Department of Conservation’s Canterbury Conservancy wants your help to develop the direction of its conservation work over the next 10 years. To find out more and to contribute: click here
  

• Two Thumb conservation park proposal
  A new park proposed for mid-Canterbury bringing 11 pieces of conservation land together across the Two Thumb Range. Written comments are invited up till 4.00 pm Friday 4 July 2008. For further information click here

• ECan website feedback wanted
  As part of a complete website overhaul, ECan are running interviews and focus groups in late June to gain opinion of the website and how they can improve. People interested in sustainability are one of their target groups. (...more)

from there

• Australia: Electric bicycles reduce oil dependence, pollution and are potential economic users of solar electricity. "In a few years solar electric charged Pedelecs and E-bikes have the potential to be the most important form of motor transport in cities to replace car trips of less than 10 km and to access public transport for longer trips."
  
  
• England: Travelling Light: Is the airship a viable alternative to jet travel? George Monbiot.
  
  
• US: Second Great Depression in Detroit: Michael Nystrom. Homes for $US 5000 and less. Quite a long article, but interesting and well written. A rumination on arguably the most productive manufacturing city the world has seen. And a portent perhaps for big cities in the future. The comments are worth a look also. Even the locals are applauding by and large - the article that is.
  
  
• Michael Pollan, Guardian: Don't Give Up
  
  
• China Dialogue: Should We Stop Eating Meat to Save the Planet? Mary Ann Bird.
  
  
• Major new study shows that modified soya produces 10 per cent less food than its conventional equivalent: Exposed: the Great GM Crops Myth: Geoffrey Lean, The Independant, 20 April 2008.
  
  
• Stay home, read, have sex Will insane gas prices finally pummel us into evolving? How bad will it get? Mark Morford, SF Gate columnist, San Francisco Chronicle.
  
  
• Recipe for Disaster: Add unsustainable farming methods to a spiralling demand for food and you have a society heading for catastrophe. Guardian, books review.
  
  
• Richard Heinberg: How Do You Like the Collapse So Far?
  
  
• Professor Garnaut, architect of Australia's response to climate change: Climate Change Will Probably Beat Us June 5, the age, Australia.
  
  
• How to Live with Just 100 Things. Time Magazine
  
  
• Birth of a New Wedge: Terra Preta, agri-char, bio-char - whatever they call it, it sounds pretty interesting.
  
  

Using ecoNet

Is easy. Just send in to the editor information about an event, activity or submission you want to share and it will go in ecoNet....as long as it's appropriate of course.

ecoNet is put out (Fridays) by Christchurch Branch of NZAEE (NZ Association for Environmental Education), a non-profit, national organisation of people working to promote and support environmental education, lifelong learning and sustainable behaviour throughout New Zealand/Aotearoa.

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• Le Bons Bay School:

  working bee – weeding in preparation for native restoration.
  Saturday 14 June (if wet, Sunday 15 June)
  9:00 am -12:00 pm at the school.
  If you can help please join them.
  (Le Bons Bay School is an enviroschool and students have initiated a project to return the area between the school and the river back to its natural state).

• How to reduce your rubbish to one bag a year!:

  Speaker: Waveney (See Links and News page at left).
  Where: CPSA Student Centre, CPIT (ChCh polytech), (the big yellow building off Madras St).
  Monday 16 June, 12-1 pm
  Bring your organic, homemade rubbish free lunch! ( Event in association with CPSA and CPIT June Environment Month).

• The problems and risks associated with the genetic modification of crop plants:

  - Dr Elvira Domice. Public Talk.
  Where: the Canterbury WEA, 59 Gloucester Street
  When: Wednesday 18 June, 1.30 - 2.30pm.  Cost: $4.  
  Contact: Phone 366 0285. All welcome.

• Dealing with the changes of the future:

  modern pop mythology, the stages of grieving, actions you can really do - Associate Professor Susan Krumdieck, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury.
  Thursday 19 June at 7.30pm at the Common Room, Rangi Ruru School, Hewitts Road, Merivale.
  Free.

• Movie Night: Film: The Witness

  - How does a construction contractor from a tough Brooklyn neighbourhood become an impassioned animal activist?
  When: Thursday 19 June 7:00 pm
  Where: SAFE, Level 1, 145 Armagh St, Chch
  Vegan snacks provided and all welcome
  For more info about the movie: http://www3.greens.org.nz/sites
  /all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?
  u=3146&qid=37500

• World Refugee Day:

  The Benefits of Refugee Resettlement in New Zealand.
  Speaker: Anne-Marie Reynolds, Southern Regional Manager, Refugee Services Aotearoa NZ.
  Where: at the Canterbury WEA, 59 Gloucester Street
  When: Friday 20 June, at 6 pm
  Cost: Gold coin donation.
  Contact: Phone 366 0285.
  Organised in association with Amnesty International -  all ages welcome -
  refreshments provided.

• Seminar evening: ‘Are there wiser ways of living?’

  - climate change, peak oil, pollution, loss of biodiversity, drought, famine, rising food prices …. the issues mount up.
  Five people representing five differing world views – Christian, Buddhist, Mãori, Scientific, and Deep Ecology - will share their perspectives.
  Date: Thursday 26 June Time: 7-9 pm
  Venue: Environment Canterbury lecture theatre, 58 Kilmore Street
  Cost: koha gold coin. Supper will be provided.
  For more information contact: Jocelyn Papprill, jyc@caverock.net.nz (NZAEE branch sec)

• exhibition: Artists for SAVE OUR WATER

  Artists based in Te Waipounamu concerned at the effect the taking and diverting of water in the Mackenzie Country for intensive farming will have on our instream ecosystems, birdlife, water quality, and the cost to our beloved landscape.
  When: exhibition 3 June – 30 June
  Where: NG Gallery, 212 Madras St, Christchurch

• Earthwise, Plains FM 96.9

  Each Monday & Wednesday at !0 pm.
  Conservation, environment and peace with justice.
  Presenters: Martin and Lois Griffiths