hope enews bulletin 2015 #9 --- 23 sept 2015 editorial · 2015. 9. 28. · participate at the 2016...
TRANSCRIPT
Householder’s Options to Protect the Environment Inc. PO Box 6118 - Clifford Gardens, Toowoomba QLD 4350 (22 Vacy Street, Toowoomba QLD 4350) Ph 07 4639 2135; Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.hopeaustralia.org.au ABN 48 036 173 161
HOPE Enews Bulletin 2015 #9 --- 23 Sept 2015
The following items have been gathered from various e-newsletters received by HOPE in recent times; and/or prepared specifically by HOPE members and supporters. If you have any news to contribute, please forward to [email protected].
Deadline for articles is 15th
day of the month. If you would like to discuss news items displayed or have letters for the editor please contact the office or <newsletter editor - hotlink>
Editorial Hi everyone. I hope the last month has treated you well. Interested in our articles this month??? Want to know how to clean those stubborn, stuck-on food stains in your oven? This article is definitely for you! Do you feel like helping out with an environmental Non-Government Organisation (NGO)? Do you know how to plan and provide for sustainable and resilient food systems? If you don’t, or would like to know more, this book may be for you.
For those of you who don’t know, I am expecting my first child in the upcoming weeks and as a result of this, I will be stepping down as editor of the monthly newsletter with effect from this edition. If there is anyone out there who wants to step up and have a go, by all means contact our officer manager at [email protected] and let him know you are interested.
As always, let us know what you think, what you liked and more importantly – what you want to see in our next edition or on any of our social media pages. Facebook | Twitter | Website
Charmaine – outgoing Newsletter Editor and Social Network Administrator
Calendar of events
Search the national environmental events calendar and/or national community calendar for any events that might interest you.
International Year of Light - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Year_of_Light
International Year of Soils - http://www.fao.org/soils-2015/en/
OCTOBER
1-3 Smart Future Cities Conference, Newcastle, NSW - http://www.smartfuturecities.com.au/
3 HOPE Community Forum – State of the Park with Mr Paul Donatiu, NPAQ
1-10 National Organic Week
4 World Animal Day
4-10 World Space Week
5 World Habitat Day
10-11 Buzzed about Bees – Balanced Beekeeping, 2 day workshop, Laidley, QLD https://www.facebook.com/events/1507514609538963/
13 International Day for Disaster Reduction
15 National Ride 2 Work Day
17 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
18-24 National Water Week
19-25 Bird Week
19-25 Aussie Backyard Bird Count
24 United Nations Day
27 World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
NOVEMBER
6 International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
7 HOPE Community Forum – Murray-Darling Basin Authority with Frank Walker, MDBA
10-13 NSW Coastal Conference - http://www.coastalconference.com/ - Forster, NSW
13 National Walk to Work Day
14 HOPE AGM
9-15 National Recycling Week
18 International GIS Day
21 World Fisheries Day
DECEMBER
3 International Day of People with Disability
5 International Volunteer Day
10 Human Rights Day
11 International Mountain Day
14-16 Canberra Conference on Earth System Governance http://www.earthsystemgovernance.org/canberra2015/
Date Claimer
HOPE Community Forum – State of the Park, Saturday 3 October 2015
The future of our National Parks will come under the spotlight at the next community forum to be held by environmental group Householders' Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE).
The free community forum will be held on Saturday 3 October at the Dr Price Room, 6 Little St, Toowoomba starting at 4pm.
Guest speaker Paul Donatiu, Principal Advocate with the National Parks Association of Queensland (NPAQ), will talk about how National Parks protect our unique plants, animals and landscapes, along with some of the challenges these vital tracts of land are facing.
A highlight of the forum will be an outline of the pressure brought to bear on national parks in Queensland from early 2012 to late 2014 when they came under siege from numerous quarters and were asked to fulfil roles that they were never designed for.
Mr Donatiu brings extensive experience and knowledge to this subject from his background in architecture, psychology and environmental management.
He has worked for WWF-Australia, Griffith University and Greening Australia and his Churchill Fellowship in 2010 took him to California, Europe and South Africa to study climate refuges for endangered species.
Mr Donatiu said that "National parks are the foundation of biodiversity conservation across Australia. Only national parks and other conservation areas fully protect our unique plants, animals and landscapes, and enable threatened species to survive."
Everyone interested in preserving these unique habitats is welcome to attend.
For further information and/or to reserve your seat at the community forum on Saturday 3 October, please contact the HOPE office on ph: 07 4639 2135 or email: [email protected] . _________________________________________________________________________________
Office Hours HOPE’s office is open every Monday from 9am to 5pm; with the library resources available at the same time. Other times by appointment only.
Phone the office on 07 4639 2135 to signal your interest in coming along for a chat or to access the library.
HOPE requests
WANTED – USED POSTAGE STAMPS
HOPE collects used postage stamps and/or un-wanted stamp albums for community groups’ fund-raising purposes. Please consider collecting used postage stamps from home and/or work, and forwarding a pack of used stamps to the HOPE (Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment) office, PO Box 6118 - Clifford Gardens, Toowoomba, QLD 4350; or drop them off at 22 Vacy St, Toowoomba.
WANTED – PHOTOCOPY PAPER
HOPE has used up its current stock of photocopy paper and we are asking our members and supporters to donate a ream or two of A4 photocopy paper. Donations of paper can be left on the table in the carport at 22 Vacy St, Toowoomba. Alternately, cash or cheque donations can be made online at http://www.hopeaustralia.org.au/annual-pledgedonation/ or posted to HOPE Inc., PO Box 6118 -Clifford Gardens Toowoomba QLD 4350.
POSITIONS VACANT
Due to the recent departures of key committee and admin support staff, we are in urgent need of extra personnel to fill the following vacancies:
Monthly e-newsletter editor – duties include editing and formatting the newsletter as well as proof reading submitted articles
Vice President - duties include chairing meetings; and provide media comment projects, campaigns and general activities
Website Manager - maintain ‘freshness’ of website by doing regular maintenance; and sourcing new material
Admin support – various tasks from helping with internet research, article writing, media support and staffing of information displays, etc. at community events
State Liaison Officers to be responsible for promoting HOPE in their jurisdictions
Newsletter Team to solicit and/or write articles – with the editor compiling the newsletter
Media Team to prepare media releases, community service announcements, date claimers, etc.; and to assist with research and writing (feature) articles
Website Manager to keep information up-to-date
Librarian – to complete the cataloguing of our resources; and to undertake weekly maintenance updates
So, if you have some spare time and talents to offer, please give the office a call on 07 4639 2135 or email [email protected] .
Letter to the Editor Dear Editor,
From a personal perspective I am keen to reduce waste to landfill – the whole reduce, reuse, recycle phenomena – to care for our planet. Having been given the opportunity to cover the Water & Waste Portfolio with Cr John Gouldson has provided me with insight into many facets of waste. I have learnt a lot from the region’s perspective but also through two committees I am on – the LGAQ Waste & EH Reference Group and the Council of Mayors Regional Waste Management Taskforce – these two groups have provided opportunity for us to look at cross border strategies to assist in waste to landfill reduction and better outcomes generally from the perspective of the environment.
By putting out weekly recycling tips I am assisting in educating residents in being more thoughtful with their waste disposal and I am delighted as I increasingly run into people saying they are using these tips. Keep the earth green, not grey – recycle!
Best wishes, Nancy
Cr Nancy Sommerfield, Toowoomba Regional Council
Office News Report --- September 2015 Hello folks,
Wow! Where has the time gone! The past month has been extremely busy with both office work and organising events.
Our information display at U3A Toowoomba’s Seniors Expo on 19 August was a resounding success – with lots of solid enquiries and 70% of the literature taken by enthusiastic event visitors.
Windows 10 software was installed on 21 August. Apart from a minor hiccup on 27 August, the system is running okay.
HOPE’s contribution to September’s national Sustainable House Day event included inspections at 2 facilities in the morning and an afternoon community forum on Saturday 5 September. Considering the amount of effort put into organising both aspects of this event, attendance at the open facilities were low and 19 people on hand at the afternoon community forum. Many thanks to Hugh & Kay Krenske for opening up their house and gardens at 210 West St, Toowoomba; and to Excel Solar for showing visitors around their Solar Farm at 24-25 Croft Crescent, Toowoomba. Thanks also to our speakers at the community forum – Ms. Joanne Galea from the Building Designers Association of Queensland (BDAQ), Mr Terry Davis from Excel Solar and Mr Jerry Coleby-Williams from Gardening Australia.
We submitted funding applications to:
Ergon Energy for $5,000 to host a series of Energy Efficient Workshops in the Toowoomba region; and
Condamine Alliance for funding “to encourage landholders to improve the native vegetation structure and habitat value of their blocks for small mammals and small birds through improved management.”
We sent out some 250 sponsorship request letters; completed a survey and interview on our involvement in the Australian Climate Change Movement; and researched possible community grant programs.
If you would like HOPE to support an existing national, Queensland or Toowoomba project or you wish to propose something new for us to undertake, please email your suggestion(s) to [email protected] at your earliest convenience.
Volunteers are required to assist with updating our administrative policies and cataloguing our library resources. So, if you have some spare time and talents to offer, please contact the HOPE office on 07 4639 2135 to volunteer your services.
Our quarterly Ordinary Meeting held on Saturday 12 September welcomed several new members and supporters – bringing our national membership tally to 634 full and associate members. The meeting adopted the Business Plan as drafted by Joseph Mula; and accepted the invitation to participate at the 2016 Ipswich Plant Expo being held at the Bundamba Turf Club on 12-13 march 2016. HOPE has been offered 3 free sites for our information display and demonstration activities – as well as the raffle concession at the expo.
Regular planning meetings for the 2nd
Toowoomba Youth Leading the World (YLtW) Congress and Community Forum culminated in a successful event held on 14-16 September 2015. 20 secondary students from 4 local high schools developed Action Plans to:
develop strategies to improve energy efficiency at Toowoomba Anglican College and Preparatory School
introduce composting at Centennary Heights SHS
promote litter reduction at St Saviour’s College
start an Environment Committee at Harristown SHS. We wish the students every success with their projects.
Lastly, we wish Charmaine, our newsletter editor, all the best as she starts maternity leave. Regards, Frank Ondrus, President – HOPE Inc., ph 07 4639 2135, [email protected]
Supporter Profile
DESIGNS FOR CREATION – http://www.designsforcreation.com.au/
Designs For Creation Pty Ltd was established in 2011 by Joanne Galea in Mackay, but she has been calling Toowoomba home since 2014. Starting modestly as a child, Joanne would scurry around peoples’ homes and various public buildings sketching building plans, clothing designs, and even solar-driven appliances. She also witnessed her Grandpa and Father build their homes, whilst having her face buried in Grass Roots and Earth Garden Magazines… This grew a strong interest of sustainability and design in Joanne, which has been carefully nurtured by attaining expertise in Building Design, Product Design, and Building Biology; culminating into the establishment of her own bio-based design business.
Designs for Creation takes the principles of Building Biology and Building Design and fuses them together to produce sustainable, and unique business and home design solutions. Throughout the design process, the health and well-being of the building’s occupants are foremost and addressed through the Principles of Building Biology and the application of the Precautionary Principle.
Building Biology is a multi-disciplinary science that identifies and mitigates the health hazards within the built environment (for example, toxic chemicals in building materials, mould, and drinking water contaminants). Joanne also adopts 25 Building Biology Principles, which cover the placement of the dwelling, building materials, natural ventilation, passive lighting, locally sourced building materials, and much, much more. (http://www.hopeaustralia.org.au/resources/sundry-publications/ )
The Precautionary Principle holds the view that if a practice or material has safety standards that are inadequate, or the scientific research lacking, then the practice or material shall not be used to reduce the risk of any unknown impacts.
Sustainable design is also an essential pillar in the Designs for Creation process. Waste minimisation, water and energy efficiency, and good solar orientation (to create ventilation cross flow and increase passive lighting) are all considered, but these are not the only sustainability issues addressed in the wholesome approach taken by Designs for Creation.
In addition to building design, Designs for Creation also offer Bio-Product design and BioID auditing.
With over eight years of industry experience, several tertiary qualifications, and attaining numerous Building Designers Association of Queensland awards and Building Designers Association of Australia awards; Joanne Galea is steadily steering her well-prepared Designs-for-Creation-ship through a sea of unsustainable and unhealthy building practices to deliver a synergy of human, environment, and building health.
For more information, visit http://www.designsforcreation.com.au/
(Article written by Shannon Michael, HOPE member Qld)
Annual Pledge/Donation - http://www.hopeaustralia.org.au/annual-pledgedonation/ We invite members and supporters to consider making an annual financial contribution to help cover our operating costs of approximately $20,500 p.a. Currently, our income is derived from project grants, fund-raising, corporate sponsorship and donations, but falls well short of our requirements. Your financial support, by way of an annual pledge or donation, will considerably help us to achieve better financial viability.
Feature Articles
Will your actions impact the future?
Sustainability is about more than conservation and the environment.
Sustainability is often thought about in terms of environmental sustainability—reducing waste, minimising consumption and protecting and conserving wildlife and natural habitats.
These are all important aspects of being sustainable but, sustainability can also be considered more broadly as: ‘being able to meet our current needs without infringing on the ability of future generations to meet their needs’.
From this perspective, sustainability is not just about conservation but also about related issues of fairness and equity and the importance of thinking about our impact on the lives of future generations.
Today’s young children represent the first of those future generations and this makes it important for us, as parents, to help them realise the significance of caring for and protecting their environment.
Supporting your little ones to connect to their world involves practices and strategies that will:
Provide children with a large range of natural and recycled materials
Identify changes to cleaning and maintenance procedures and resources to enhance environmental sustainability
Support children to become environmentally responsible and show respect for the environment
Support others to become environmentally responsible and show respect for the environment
Model and practice sustainable behaviours
The natural environment is a place of wonder and amazement for most young children. Young children interact with their natural environments every day in the way they discover a lady beetle in the grass, watch a butterfly, and are amazed by the beans or flowers that have bloomed overnight, by rolling in the grass or sitting under the shade of a tree. They have a natural appreciation for the wonder and beauty of nature.
The significance of early childhood as the starting point for life-long learning cannot be ignored. The importance of the years from birth to six have been recognised as crucial learning years for child development, and now this recognition has been carried through to education for sustainability.
As parents we are tasked with supporting young children in understanding that they can respect and take care of their environment for future generations, that is, that their actions will have a long term effect on the environment. We can assist them in deepening their understanding and knowledge on sustainable practices. Some helpful tips:
As parents we can assist our children by modelling respect, care and appreciation for the environment through a multitude of strategies that may include:
Using recyclable materials where possible.
Encouraging children to use half flush on the toilets,
Encouraging children to turn the water off when they have washed their hands,
Encouraging children to recycle paper and rubbish within their rooms, at home and when in the wider community,
Talking with the children about electricity and encouraging them to turn off lights,
Educating children in the natural decomposition cycle through exposure and participation in worm farms and composting food scraps,
Educating children and having them participate in ‘garden to plate’ activities i.e. seed sprouting, weeding, vegetable gardens, cooking amongst other activities,
Educating children in how to care for pets and letting them actively participate in caring for a service pet,
Educating children on caring for plants and our waterways i.e. recycling water
Model behaviour that may include:
Watering the garden
Putting all rubbish in the bins provided including your own
Commenting on the weather
Taking time to listen to nature, e.g. the sound of the wind, the rain on the roof, the clouds in the sky…
Showing interest in the environment and how ecosystems link together (Provided by Kath Dickson Family Centre, Toowoomba, Qld - Phone 1300 336 345 or email [email protected] )
One man’s trash is a kids treasure
Natural and recycled materials make the most amazing resources for our littlies!
Parents should take advantage of the beautiful natural materials that are available in abundance in their very own backyard! Furthermore by recycling an assortment of goodies, such as roadside collections, op shop pre-loved items and other general house hold bits and bob, the opportunity for play at home is endless.
Providing loose items that can be mixed and matched gives children a sense of independence. Remember that old saying ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!’ Here are a few ideas of trash that you and your child could turn into treasure.
Rocks and pebbles can be used to enhance your imaginative play at home
A basket full of goodies from the Op Shop (materials, cooking utensils, old furnishings) to inspire the children’s imagination and creativity
Pine cones, pebbles and a piece of fake fur to enhance your discovery corner. You could also introduce a plant
Try making old corks into toadstools for your fairy corner
Thinking outside the square and making a little effort means huge savings on resources, our environment and it’s a great way to save money on the family budget.
Introducing recyclables and loose parts into your child’s play helps to explore sustainable practices as well as allowing them to use creativity and imagination.
In play, loose parts are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, and taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. They are materials with no specific set of directions that can be used alone or combined with other materials. Loose parts can be natural or synthetic.
In an outdoor environment we can provide an array of loose parts for use in play. Such as stones, stumps, sand, gravel, fabric, twigs, wood, pallets, balls, buckets, baskets, crates, boxes, logs, stones, flowers, rope, tyres, balls, shells and seedpods.
Having loose parts available allows children to use these materials as they choose. Often we find that children would rather play with materials that they can use and adapt as they please, rather than expensive pieces of play equipment.
Encouraging children to use resources as they choose can provide a wider range of opportunities than one that is purely adult led. Children playing with loose parts are using more creativity and imagination and developing more skill and competence than they would when playing with most modern plastic toys.
It may take a very open mind on our part (there is often a lot of cleaning up involved as materials end up in places you would never expect them to be) but when children cross play materials and areas in creative ways, it is our responsibility to support and encourage their work and ideas.
At Kath Dickson Education and Care Centre sustainable practices play a core role in driving our educational programs. We value the resources we use and we look at ways to interact with our environment.
(Provided by Kath Dickson Family Centre, Toowoomba, Qld - Phone 1300 336 345 or email [email protected] )
Queensland News
NATIONAL PARKS ASSOCIATION OF QUEENSLAND (NPAQ) - http://www.npaq.org.au/
The National Parks Association of Queensland: Working to protect our national parks
Who is NPAQ and what has this organisation been up to on the advocacy front in the last 12mths.
The National Parks Association of Queensland, an environmental NGO based in Brisbane, has a mandate to promote the preservation, expansion, good management and presentation of national parks in Queensland. NPAQ has 3 part-time staff, a managing Council of 12, and a collective member and supporter base of 3,500 people.
In the last 12mths, NPAQ strove to ensure that national park expansion remains guided by an acquisition strategy targeting areas that show the greatest resilience to the impacts of climate change. In June 2015, three properties (189,000 ha) between Lake Bindegolly and Currawinya NPs in western Queensland were gazetted by the State Government, and additions were made to Blackbraes NP and several Regional Parks. This expansion was made possible by funding secured by NPAQ. Remarkably, for the first time in its history Queensland surpassed 5% land area as national park. Queensland now has 301 national parks covering 8.75m ha.
NPAQ also lobbied the State Government to gazette 12 properties (400,000 ha), purchased previously under the federal government’s National Reserve System program, as national park. Until January 2015, these properties were subject to a Protected Area Review. The current ALP State Government has indicated that it will proceed with national park tenure on unencumbered components of these lands, and regional park tenure on areas affected by mining exploration permits, with the latter being subsequently retired over a 5-10 year period.
NPAQ is also very interested in Nature Refuges. An additional 22 Nature Refuges (over 300,000 ha) were added during the last 12 months thanks to the ongoing rollout of the $7.2m Nature Assist program - another funding commitment secured by NPAQ. At June 2015, Queensland had 492 conservation covenants on private land covering 3.995m hectares. NPAQ has asked the State Government to consider a tenure category that offers nature refuges the same level of protection as a national park.
Commercial and Recreational Activities in National Parks NPAQ is aware of 12 proposals for commercial activity in national park, including the redevelopment of the Green Mountains campground at Lamington. After representations by NPAQ, the zip-line over Obi Obi Gorge in Kondalilla National Park has been ruled out by the State Government. NPAQ also raised concerns about the impact of some recreational events, such as the Coastal High 50km trail run planned for the Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk, and the expansion of horse-riding in Queensland national parks.
Grazing on National Parks Recently, NPAQ investigated the full extent of grazing on Queensland national parks, now known to be 87 leases on 32 parks affecting >200,000 hectares of land. For example, 20% of Carnarvon National Park is being grazed across 4 leases, with all due to expire by March 2016. As a result of NPAQ’s representations, the current ALP State Government has committed to retiring these leases as they expire over the next 24 years. Visit http://www.npaq.org.au/ for more information about NPAQ.
CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS
Conservation Volunteers is a national, not-for-profit, community based organisation that is dedicated to involving the community in practical conservation natural resource management programs. We welcome volunteers from across Australia and around the world, to join programs for a day, a week or longer.
Conservation Volunteers projects are designed to enable you to make a real difference to conserving the environment. You will be part of a team of up to 10 volunteers, though sometimes teams are smaller depending on the task we’re doing and the number of people choosing to volunteer that week. You’ll be accompanied by a Conservation Volunteers Team Leader. Your Team Leader will explain the project aims to you, and help you to complete each project safely and effectively.
Typical projects include: Planting trees, removing weeds, collecting native seeds, Building/maintaining tracks and trails, Restoring habitats and Heritage restoration.
Conservation projects take place in both urban and rural areas. Project hours are usually from 8am – 3pm, although this varies depending on the project location. Projects normally leave from, and return to, 333 Bennetts Road (Brisbane CVA office), though we can sometimes arrange to meet you on site or pick you up at a convenient point on the way to the project site.
Join us! We need your support now more than ever. Help us protect our landscapes, wildlife and heritage!
E: [email protected] | W http://www.conservationvolunteers.com.au/
PEOPLE’S CLIMATE MARCH – QLD – SATURDAY, 28 NOVEMBER 2015
Across Australia and the world, people are coming together to create a better future! Queensland Conservation Council (QCC) is part of a broad and diverse coalition organizing People's Climate Marches (rallies) around Australia on the weekend of 27-29 November 2015, just before world leaders gather at the UN climate talks in Paris.
Over that weekend, People's Climate Marches will take place in hundreds of major cities around the world, with the goal of creating the largest mobilization the world has ever seen. In Australia, we want to show just how diverse, beautiful and resilient our movement is.
We have a State Organising Committee that meets fortnightly and if you are keen to get involved we are having a planning day to generate more volunteers for the big rally.
We need lots of people to help with logistics as well as getting a very wide cross section of Queensland’s Community – some come and join us…
If you want to be part of this worldwide event please contact QCC on 07 3846 7833 or [email protected]
Also like us at: https://www.facebook.com/peoplesclimatemarchqueensland
New Cane Toad Campaign - Be toadally sure of your frogs and toads
http://www.qldfrogs.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/be_toadally_sure_QFS_FA_web_1.2.pdf
National News
AUSTRALIANS TO INSTALL 55 000 BATTERY SYSTEMS A YEAR BY 2025 by Sophie Vorrath, http://reneweconomy.com.au/
Australia’s energy storage market could be worth hundreds of millions a year by 2025, a new report has predicted, with Australian households and businesses installing battery storage systems at a rate
of 55,000 a year.
The report, Sound and Fury – Australia’s Distributed Energy Storage Market to 2025, by energy
research group Energeia, predicts that demand for battery storage will be booming by 2025, as system prices fall, feed-in tariffs are wound back, network and retail tariffs become more cost
reflective, and energy services business models gain traction.
Download a copy of the report at http://energeia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Sound-and-
Fury-Australias-Distributed-Storage-Market-to-2025-EXTRACT.pdf
LANDCARE IN FOCUS - http://www.landcareaustralia.com.au/
To commemorate the 2015 International Year of Soils, soil is explored as a special focus for this edition of Landcare in Focus. Some of the issues we look at include how farmers are conserving and restoring soils – that's the question that Soils for Life seeks to answer by collating outstanding land management practices from around Australia. You can also read about Queensland's Scott and Melissa Dowling's use of laser-levelling to redistribute flood-affected topsoil across the damage zone of their 300ha farm to recover from Tropical cyclone Oswald. After Australia's first Threatened Species Summit last month, we report on the impact for Landcarer and talk to a Victorian group working to protect the threatened Loddon Curlew, at risk of survival due to loss of habitat and redundant survival strategy. Friends are a great thing to have but when does this translate into improvements on the ground? We speak to bushcare groups in the Shire of Mundaring – the 644 square kilometre shire has 87 Bushcare Friends groups who collectively make a big contribution to maintaining the integrity of bushland isolated by development. Plus, there's Green Army and 20 Million Trees updates, information about the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper and more! Read the August e-magazine online or download the pdf here. We can now deliver each quarterly edition of Landcare in Focus straight to your inbox. If you wish to subscribe please click here.
BUILDING AUSTRALIA THROUGH CITIZEN SCIENCE - http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2015/07/occasional -paper-building-australia-through-citizen-science/
A new paper from the Office of the Chief Scientist highlights how partnerships between scientists and the community are strengthening Australia’s research capacity, solving real world problems and enhancing our awareness of science. (See also Australian Citizen Science Association - http://www.citizenscience.org.au/wordpress/ )
World News
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION - http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/garbagepatch.html
What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? The "garbage patch" is a popular name for concentrations of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. While "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" is a term often used by the media, it does not paint an accurate picture of the marine debris problem in the North Pacific ocean. Marine debris concentrates in various regions of the North Pacific, not just in one area. The exact size, content, and location of the "garbage patches" are difficult to accurately predict. The name "Pacific Garbage Patch" has led many to believe that this area is a large and continuous patch of easily visible marine debris items such as bottles and other litter — akin to a literal island of trash that should be visible with satellite or aerial photographs. This is not the case. While higher concentrations of litter items can be found in this area, much of the debris is actually small pieces of floating plastic that are not immediately evident to the naked eye. Ocean debris is continuously mixed by wind and wave action and widely dispersed both over huge surface areas and throughout the top portion of the water column. It is possible to sail through "garbage patch" areas in the Pacific and see very little or no debris on the water's surface. It is also difficult to estimate the size of these "patches," because the borders and content constantly change with ocean currents and winds. Regardless of the exact size, mass, and location of the "garbage patch," manmade debris does not belong in our oceans and waterways and must be addressed. Debris found in any region of the ocean can easily be ingested by marine species causing choking, starvation, and other impairments.
Advertising Rates HOPE is keen to raise some much needed revenue through the introduction of paid advertising in our newsletter.
At this stage, we are offering business card sized adverts for $30 + $3 GST per edition; OR $300 + $30 GST for a full year.
If interested, please send your advert to [email protected] and your payment to HOPE Inc., PO Box 6118 – Clifford Gardens, Toowoomba QLD 4350.
(Direct debit banking details available on request.)
Resources
HELPFUL HINTS FROM THE SELF SUFFICIENCY SHOPPE
http://theshoppe.com.au/
Top 5 Uses for Bicarb and Vinegar!
1. General Surface Cleaner – For surfaces such as bench and table tops, marks on wall, door frames, switches, laundry tub, kitchen sink – a sprinkle of bicarb soda followed by a spray of vinegar will remove the stain even before you’ve had time to reach for the sponge to wipe it all off!
2. Oven Cleaner: For slightly messy ovens a simple paste of bicarb soda and water applied to a warm oven – walls, glass doors, etc. will do a reasonable job. But for a stronger cleaner a combination of bicarb and vinegar is even better. Either sprinkle the area with bicarb soda and then spray with vinegar or make a paste of bicarb & vinegar – apply to a warm oven – then wipe off. It will remove dried food from inside the oven, from glass oven doors plus clean the metal oven shelves.
3. Shower Cleaner – The same technique for cleaning the oven will work for scum-laden shower
walls, tiles and glass shower screen. Also works on bathroom basin, bath and other tiled areas.
4. Stainless steel and other metal surfaces: Bicarb and vinegar will do wonders for the stainless steel sink and similar surfaces. Apply a combined paste, rub well, and rinse off. Also very effective on barbecues, hot plates, and other metal items.
5. Clearing Blocked Drains: For blocked or smelly drains pour a tablespoon bicarb soda down the drain followed by ½ cup vinegar. After frothing subsides pour in a cup of two of boiling water to finish the job. It will deodorize the drain and disperse fat and food residue blocking the drain. Much cheaper than calling in a plumber!
RECYCLING BASICS
Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as rubbish and turning them into new products. Recycling can benefit your community and the environment.
Benefits of Recycling
Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and/or illegally dumped;
Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals;
Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials;
Saves energy;
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change;
Helps sustain the environment for future generations;
Helps create new well-paying jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries. Steps to Recycling Materials
Recycling includes the three steps below, which create a continuous loop, represented by the familiar recycling symbol.
Step 1: Collection and Processing - Collecting recyclables, including curbside collection, drop-off centres, and deposit or refund programs
Step 2: Manufacturing - More and more of today's products are being manufactured with recycled content. Recycled materials are also used in new ways such as recovered glass in asphalt to pave roads or recovered plastic in carpeting and park benches.
Step 3: Purchasing New Products Made from Recycled Materials - By buying new products made from recycled materials you help close the recycling loop. There are thousands of products that contain recycled content. When you go shopping, look for products that can be easily recycled, and products that contain recycled content.