We’re too late for their recent information session, but Melbourne Carrotmob have been busy on the streets of Boroondara encouraging small businesses to ‘go green’ by promising a plethora of customers if the businesses plough the profits back into environmentally friendly measures…
A carrot instead of a stick as it were…
After all, businesses are generally renters to!
Well, support a great venture as part of Yarra council’s Sustainable awards scheme and vote for them…
More details here.
The Festival raises awareness and provides tools for change by showcasing tangible solutions to the ecological and social challenges we face.
In 2009 the Festival at Federation Square attracted over 124,000 visits and engaged more than 450 community volunteers.
In its eleventh year, the Festival is getting even bigger!
The 2010 Festival will include 2 programs, the Main Event at Federation Square (19-21 February 2010) and the Local Events Program (6-21 February 2010). The new 2-week format will enable individuals and communities across Australia to host and promote their own sustainability event, extending the reach of the sustainability message even further.
The Main Event at Federation Square in the heart of Melbourne will continue to celebrate the very best examples of ecological and social sustainability. The event will fuse interactive workshops, talks, demonstrations, artworks, exhibits, films and live performances. In recognition of the climate situation, the Main Event will be inspired by the theme: Get Ready for the Safe Climate Decade!
Our pics (most relevant/interesting to Renters)
Top 10 Reasons to Grow Your Own
How Car Dependence is Turning the Suburban Dream into a Nightmare
Sustaining Fashion? An Open Forum Exploring The Darker Side Of Fashion
Life Time Affordable Sustainable Housing
Consumer Power-Making the Change
And of course… How to Live Sustainably in a Rental Property yep, we are presenting a talk. It’ll be lots of fun with pictures, samples and demonstrations of things you can make yourself, so please come along 
. You can also chat to us as part of the Sustainable Living Library
Monsanto is an American-owned international agro-chemical and foods conglomerate. It employs about 45,000 people and peddles over eight billion dollars a year in chemical products all over the world. While Monsanto has been critised for some time for their production of NutraSweet and the genetically engineered rBGH (Bovine Growth Hormone), the latest criticism is for it’s moves into the world of GMOs (genetically manipulated organisams). They produce ‘RoundUp Ready’ soya beans that are genetically altered to be resistant to their chemical herbicide ‘Roundup’ (the biggest selling agro-chemical in the world with sales totalling more than $620 million a year), which provides 40% of the companies operating profit.
You can view afantastic documentary on Monsanto, why they are evil and why you should say no by clicking here
You also might like to attend the following rally:
Farmers and Shoppers World-Wide say No ! Monsanto !
WHEN : 7 am on Thursday 18th February
WHERE : Hilton on the Park, 192 Wellington Parade East Melbourne (near Fitzroy Gardens)
Monsanto spokesperson Peter O’Keeffe will address the Rural Press Club at the “Hilton on the Park” promoting farmers’ “choice” to grow GM canola and Monsanto’s role in the future of agriculture.
In solidarity with majority world farmers who are fighting for sovereignty against multinational control of their land and patented seed monopoly, we will rally outside the Hilton to say “No! Monsanto !”
Profits, seed monopoly and patenting are Monsanto’s real agenda.
From the cotton fields of Indonesia, where the company was fined $US1.5 million for bribery while trying to influence a GM cotton approval, to India, where over 100,000 people fasted in January against seed monopoly and GM eggplant introduction, world-wide awareness of the threat of GM crops is building. Corporate spin will not convince us that Monsanto’s patented seeds will “feed the world”.
We don’t want unstable, untested GM food products on our plates while GM canola spreads and contaminates our paddocks, in the name of a farcical “choice” which destroys our choice to farm and eat GM free.
Join us for a GM free breakfast rally with speakers and debate.
Rally sponsors : MADGE info@madge.org.au LASNET lasnet@latinlasnet.org Friends of the Earth Australia realfood@melbourne.foe.org.au
I was interested when a friend of mine Gauri started a blog on how she would cease from shopping for non-essentials for a year. We all know that shopping and buying things we don’t need are big problems when it comes to reducing our environmental footprint. She kindly consented to an interview for Green Renters.
I was really excited to find out about the new Take Out With Out Campaign, directed at reducing the use of unnecessary plastics and packaging with take out food. They have the very sensible creed:
When taking out, refuse the unnecessary packaging! Think about the spoons, forks, straws, and napkins that you get served (why do they give you enough for a family of 20 when eating alone?). Ask yourself before accepting all these items, “Do I really need all of this?”, “Am I going to be eating this right away?” (If so, why take the bag or the napkins)… just enjoy your muffin – and be neat so the napkin isn’t needed!
Bring your own reusables (BYOR) and you won’t need to use the can – garbage, that is. You can bring your own containers, straws, cutlery, mugs, bottles, and even your own bag – It’s so easy to find and use!
It’s easy to fall into a routine, so why not choose to create a new one? Reconsider and readjust your habits and adopt healthier eating strategies – it might be challenging at first – but it will save you time, money, your health, and our world. The bonus? You’ll feel like an eco-hero and will inspire others around you to follow suit.
It’s a great little campaign which includes posters and wallet sized tips you can download, an interesting blog and a list of restaurants which support the cause. I usually bring my own bags where I go, and still often have to state more than once “I don’t need a bag thanks”, and I think this is a great extension of the BYO bag idea, taking it up a notch. We’ve seen it happen with the reusable coffee cups such as the Keep Cups we reviewed last last year and I think this is the next step. It would be great if restaurants and cafes supported the enterprise by offering a small discount to those who BYO their own containers etc since they are saving on packaging.
Most of us know that bottled water is a waste of money and masses of resources and energy. There are already plenty of tap water bottles out there, but I came across this UK product that tickled my design bone. I think it’s a good case in point that sometimes some clever design and marketing, i.e. acting a little like the ‘big boys’ makes products look so much better and more desirable.
Really pleased to find that Martha Stewart has been talking about food and vegetarianism and ethical farming, interviewing the director of Food Inc and organic farmers featured in the documentary. (It’s a great documentary, we saw it this year at the Melbourne International Film Festival) She even spends some time cooking vegetarian recipes. Good stuff as she has an enormous fan base.
No impact man has been mentioned here a few times, and it’s refreshing to see that he’s still gaining a lot of media attention, I came across a post of his recently which is a summary of some of his favourite posts from the past few months, so a great place to dip your toe into the world of No Impact man…
noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/no-impact-mans-environmental-howtos.html
I received an email recently about the Buy Nothing Christmas campaign.
Buy Nothing Christmas is a national initiative started by Canadian Mennonites who offer a prophetic “no” to the patterns of over-consumption of middle-class North Americans. They are inviting Christians (and others) all over Canada to join a movement to de-commercialize Christmas and re-design a Christian lifestyle that is richer in meaning, smaller in impact upon the earth, and greater in giving to people less-privileged.
There is a alternative campaign put into action by Ad Busters which encourages consumers to use Christmas to reflect on their consumer habits instead of expanding them.
I should say first up that as a small business owner, I have a vested interest in people buying my wares, particularly this time of year! I’ll discuss this more in a minute. That said, Christmas (or any occasion) can be festive and celebratory without buying presents.
Ideas for no spend gift giving:
Organise a day trip:
I still think the most long for gifts for many of us are time and company. I would rather spend a fun day with loved ones rather than get ‘more stuff’. Have a picnic, go swimming, see a film or exhibition, whatever you enjoy.
Help a Friend Out:
Help paint the house, plant seedlings in a friend’s garden, help them cook for a dinner party. We always appreciate car trips to places we might need to go as we don’t drive.
Recipes:
Most of us have favourite recipes that we are often asked to share. It’s fun gift, especially if you show someone how to prepare the dish. Alternatively you might like to buy a handmade help cookbook (effectively a donation), with all proceeds going to the Salvation Army towards Victorian bushfire victims.
Make something:
Biscuits, jam, home brew, soap, cushions, clothing…the choices are endless. I much prefer baking to going to the department stores at christmas time!
If you simply feel you must buy something, consider buying locally produced, handmade products which use recycled materials and support local small businesses. Much better than something made in China that they don’t really want.
