May 2009
Sydney Metropolitan Plan Review - an important opportunity and a test of community will?
The 2005 Sydney Metropolitan "City of Cities" Strategy, prepared by the NSW Department of Planning, covers the period up to December 2010 and is due for review in 2010. The review process is proposed to include community consultation. The questions now are...
Leave that Coal alone! (Catherine Brahic - New Scientist 27 May 2009)
To avoid dangerous climate change, we must not burn more than one quarter of our remaining reserves of fossil fuels. That's the conclusion of the most comprehensive effort yet to work out how much carbon can be pumped into the atmosphere without pushing warming past 2 degrees celsius.
A Good Home Forever - Booklet and DVD reviewed by Russ Grayson
(from Russ Grayson)
Katoomba-based permaculture educator, Rosemary Morrow, left an interesting package when she was here in Manly recently. It was her recently published booklet, A Good Home Forever, and the accompanying CD.
I've had a chance to take a look at them now, and following, you can find my impression....
Community Supported Agriculture - Does it work?
If you ever wanted evidence that community food systems are riding the wave of the future, you need look no further than Food Connect. Brisbane's premier community food system, Food Connect now boasts around 75 core and around 30 peripheral farmers supplying fresh, regionally-grown food to something like 1000 city subscribers.
Bringing the good news to those at the first of the TransitionSydney Cafe Conversations at Glebe's Fair Trade Cafe was Robert Pekin, coordinator of the ambitious social enterprise. He reported that, despite the recession, trading has increased by 86 percent this past year, yielding something like $50,000 turnover a week. Story by Russ Grayson follows...