Issue No:4

Fri 27 June 2008

Welcome

Hi & welcome. Sorry about the rather many words this week (below). We aimed for brevity but it tended to get away on us. Thanks to quite a few of you for supporting NZAEE's seminar on Thursday. It went OK, quite good (as we say in NZ).
Remember to send us the info to promote your environmental events and causes. Also to pass on (or forward) ecoNet to others you think may find it interesting/useful.
Here's a further selection of news and articles of interest from around and about, and here and there, eg:

from here

Forest and Bird's talk (see events diary) is timely indeed -
MainPower has applied for consent (see here) to build a windfarm along the ridge of Mt Cass - Canterbury's premium and most valuable limestone landscape by a country mile.
The proposal includes major earthworks (estimated 365,000 cubic metres), 95,000 cubic metres of concrete and a roadway along the ridge-line which would cut through the heart of the region's remnant and often rare native vegetation.
Set the country's understandable enthusiasm for renewable energy against the national importance of limestone areas (included in NZ's top four most highly rated for protection) and there lies a massive clash of values.
Plan to get to the talk if you can and be much the wiser for it.

...and more on Mt Cass:

The Mt Cass Ridge Protection Society (see events diary) aims:
1.  to protect the best limestone ecosystem in Canterbury ,   
2.  to oppose  the building of a wind farm on it by MainPower NZ Ltd  
3.  to persuade MainPower to shift to an ecologically neutral site;
4.  to work towards the acquisition of the Mt Cass ridge for a regional park.
for Mt Cass pictures: see here.  

Sustainable Otautahi Christchurch (SOC): is intent on steering city and citizenry towards the best possible social and environmental future before multiple global realities of peak oil, climate change and resource depletion take serious effect.
Listen to this (lively and interesting) interview with committee members Roger Buck and Dave Evans (Plains FM's Earthwise) to get a feel for their interests and concerns. Or visit their website sustainablechristchurch.org.nz. SOC's AGM comes up this week (see events diary) and everybody welcome, especially prospective members.

Workshop: Urban Development Strategy (UDS) and Intensification. (see events diary). How will Christchurch achieve ordered development without destroying its character and heritage? (A follow up to Anna Crighton's Tsunami of Destruction held last year).
• How will intensification change the heritage and character of the Central City and our older suburbs?
• What is the CCC and ECan staff response to the UDS?
• Have urban design criteria been advanced in the last year?
Speakers: Simon Markham for UDS, CCC staff, and Laurie McCallum for ECan. Then questions and answers.
Anna Crichton will MC and Councillor Chrissie Williams will open and wrap up (i.e. the workshop).

Two very good environmental education websites: for school kids and teachers and ...and well everyone really. Both are New Zealand orientated: education for sustainability here and climate change education for teachers and students (4 million careful owners) here.

And speaking of school kids - Going Bush (TV1 Closeup video clip) - is the one about Wade Glover, the young man on a mission to visit all 600 plus of the South Island's DOC huts. (The video link is in the middle column on the page.)

It's Eco and it's free - whether building new or retrofitting ... great idea Auckland! What about instituting the service here?  more here

Re-linked submissions, consultations etc:

• Garden bird survey 2008 Spend an hour (i.e. just one) counting birds in your home garden, local park, or school ground sometime over the survey period and contribute to a national survey of common garden birds.
  Survey period: Saturday, 12 July - Sunday, 20 July 2008
  Time: between 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. details here. Last year's survey results here (Landcare Research).
  
  
• 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
  

• 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 (NB: last week coming up).
  A new park is 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

• US: Americans abandoning the suburbs & migrating back to the cities. (Telegraph, UK. 20 June 2008).

• US: Are Big Oil and Big Coal Climate Criminals? Big oil and coal. (23 June, Dot Earth/New York Times).
  
  
• Small is Bountiful. (George Monbiot, Celsias).
  
  
• The world's Greenest Country: (20 June, Telegraph, UK).
  
  
• UK: Getting Britain back on two wheels: 100 million quid. (Times online, 20 June).
  
  
• UK: Prince Charles saves England's apples. (Treehugger, June).
  
  
• Overnight delivery becomes a luxury. (19 June, Los Angeles Times).
  
  
• Major turbulence ahead for airlines. (Christian Science Monitor, 26 June).

• More efficient solar panels. (June 19, The Daily Green, US).
  
  
• Oil cost drives plastic companies out of business: Oil and Plastic. (NPR.org, 20 June).
  
  
• Are rechargeable batteries better? rechargeable batteries. (Mother Earth News, 19 June).
  
  
• ... stealing into their neighbours' gardens at dead of night and nicking their wheelie bins: Britain is at war over rubbish. 23 June, The Guardian
  
  
  
  
  

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.

How do I contribute?

Use the links below to:

• forward ecoNet address to others you think may like to receive it - it's free
  
• become a subscriber
  
• send us information for the weekly diary.
• contact us

• Free Home Composting Workshops(1)

  Strickland St Community Gardens
  188 Strickland St, Spreydon 
  Saturday 28 June 1-3 pm 
  Sign up to our Home Composting Advisory Service 
  Contact: Christine Blance
                ssgardens@paradise.net.nz
  Ph: 942 6630
  
  

• Free Home Composting Workshops (2):

  (Bokashi, Hot Compost, and Worm Farms)
  Where: Opawa Community Gardens, Opawa Rd (at Aynsley Terrace).
  When: 1st & 3rd Saturday each month at 1 pm   & 1st & 3rd Tuesday at 1 pm, eg: July 1, 5, etc.
  How:  Just turn up.
  More info:  Annmarie Banchy 021 190 4559, or 942 7190 (evening),
  abanchy@paradise.net.nz.
  
  

• SOC: Sustainable Otautahi Christchurch:

  Transition Communities: the concept outline and network. 8.00 pm
  (following the AGM, 7.15 pm).
  When: Monday 30 June
  Where: Environment Canterbury, 64 Kilmore St.
  Supper will follow. For more information contact Dave Evans, dave.evans@alliedtelesis.co.nz
  
  

• Meeting: the Mt Cass Ridge Protection Society

  When: Tuesday, 1 July, 7 pm.
  Venue: WEA Rooms,  59 Gloucester St, Christchurch.  
  Contact: Phone 366 0285
  members and prospective members all welcome
  (see also under News and Links)
  

• Talk: The international pressures driving privatisation.

  Speaker:  Dr Bill Rosenberg
  When: Wednesday 2 July, 1.30 - 2.30 pm.
  Where: Canterbury WEA, 59 Gloucester St.
  Cost: $4.  
  Contact: Phone 366 0285. All welcome.
  
  

• Public workshop: Urban Development Strategy & Intensification:

  Date: Thursday 3 July
  Time: 5.30 pm - 7.30 pm
  Venue: Our City, Cnr Worcester St. & Oxford Tce.
   (more: see under News and Links)

• Forest and Bird Protection Society:

  The botanical values of Canterbury's limestone ecosystems:
  Speaker: DOC Botanist, Nick Head
  When: July 9, 7.30 pm
  Venue: WEA, 59 Gloucester St
  Contact: Phone 366 0285. All welcome.
  
  

• Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) 15th Biennial Conference

  Environmental Education up the track: Hot topics for our community
  When: 9-12 July 2008
  Where: Darwin, Northern Territory; Charles Darwin University
  Virtual conference registration information: here
  
  

• The Climate Change Series: Science, Solutions and Consequences

  8 evening lectures and a final public discussion.
  University of Canterbury: Learning for Life
  Enrolments close: 10 July
  Learn more: here
  

• Free Course: Introduction to Te Waipounamu Culture and Practice

  When: Saturdays: August 2, 9, 23 & field trip 30, 31 (Sunday).
  Time: Starts at 9 am each Saturday
  Venue: Te Puna Wanaka, CPIT, Coventry Street, Otautahi / Christchurch

• Finishing Sunday: 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: until 30 June
  Where: NG Gallery, 212 Madras St.
  
  

• Earthwise, Plains FM 96.9

  Each Monday & Wednesday at 10 pm.
  Conservation, environment and peace with justice.
  This week's interview: Christoph Hensch"Communities can weather the coming economic crisis by creating community-based economies & currencies."
  Presenters: Martin and Lois Griffiths.