World Environment Day

How are we and our environment going in Victoria? Dr Kate Auty, the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, reports on Victoria's environment. Dr Auty has travelled far and wide and deeply around Victoria speaking with people about environmental issues. And what has that got to do with Port Focus?  Everything and something quite particular -  Kate Auty is a descendant of our inventive, imaginative and indomitable Liardets. Her findings are encapsulated in the the title of her recently released report Many Publics Participation Inventiveness and Change. The key messages from this report are reproduced below.

Dr Kate Auty responds to a question at today's Annual Sustainability Oration

• 'there is an astonishing amount of inventive and intelligent environmental work being done in the community, often by volunteers, across generations, social and cultrueal backgrounds, geographies and sectors.
• there are many publics, across the state deeply committed to environmental sustainability who recognise the need for change and who want to be part of that effort.
• Those driving change are both planning carefully and acting spontaneneously and, while support is always welcome, they are not waiting for outside direction.
• communities and individuals are driving change in places they know and care about, and they are collaborating extensively and building networks committed to sustainable efforts.
• Much of the baseline local knowledge underpinning this commitement to change is of long standing, sometimes intergenerational, and it would be constructive if it was offered respect.
• Meaningful, not token, participation in formal discusion about environmental issues and solutions is a basic requirement for inventiveness to thrive.
• Support for, and the nurture of, networks builds community capability and individual and collective confidence, and this in turn promotes sustainable outcomes.
• A partcipating community will be better able to deal with extreme events and calculate risk and respond, reducing reliance upon external intervention
• Environmental reporting ... must be accessible and responsive to be useful and effective.'

What really matters [ie not the Grand Prix]

'State of the Climate 2012 provides an updated summary of long-term climate trends. It notes that the long-term warming trend has not changed, with each decade having been warmer than the previous decade since the 1950s. The warming trends observed around Australia are consistent with global scale warming that has been measured during recent decades, despite 2010 and 2011 being the coolest years recorded in Australia since 2001. Global average surface termperatures were the warmest on record in 2010 (slightly higher than 2005 and 1998). 2011 was the world's 11th warmest year and the warmest year on record during a La Nina event. The worlds 12 warmest years on record have all occurred in the past 15 years.' To access more of this short and very readable State of the Climate 2012 report from the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO, click here.

For the record

Today the Government's Clean Energy Future legislation passed through the Senate.

Significant day to record

The Clean Energy legislative package passed through the House of Representatives today. The 19 Bills which comprise the Clean Energy legislation and the Steel Transformation Plan Bill, will put a price on carbon pollution, promote investment in renewable energy and support land management practices that reduce carbon pollution. For a link to the legislation, click here.

Electronic waste

Your e waste can be recycled if you take it to the Resource Recovery Centre cnr White and Boundary St - just off Ingles St. Melways 2E F11. We accept TVs, printers, monitors, and av equipment. Let people know about this great service - better than leaving it on the footpath.

Action on climate change is about a safe climate

The Conference last week was Four Degrees or more? Australia in a Hot World. Port Focus is about this place where we live, and climate change will affect the place where we live most profoundly. For this reason, I thought I would share some of the material presented at the conference over the coming week and refer you to some information sources should you wish to pursue them in more detail.
Beginning with the question why - why should we be taking action on climate change? It is generally accepted that 2 degrees increase in warming is the absolute maximum that is consistent with maintaining a safe climate. [Some think that even 2 degrees warming is too great] World leaders at Copenhagen and at Cancun did agree on one thing - and that was to maintain a safe climate at no more than 2 degrees of warming. Currently the trajectory of global greenhouse emissions is taking us into a climate that would warm the planet beyond 2 degrees - to 4 degrees or more. At 4 degrees or more, impacts become more and more unpredictable and severe for society, the environment and the economy. The purpose of any action on climate change is to keep the climate within a range that is safe for human health, food production, biodiversity and the economy. Please refer to The Critical Decade: Climate science, risks and responses by the Climate Commission at www.climatecommission.gov.au

Today the government outlined how Australia will move towards a low carbon future. The plan includes a tax on carbon, renewable energy, energy efficiency and land use [the carbon farming initiative] For more detail at www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au

Carbon Tax information forum

Just returned from a forum hosted by a collaboration of local community organisations to provide accessible information on carbon pricing and climate change science. John Thwaites, now the chair of Climate Works, described the difference between a carbon tax and an emissions trading scheme - a critical difference being that a trading scheme includes a cap on emissions, while a tax does not. Peter Christoff, from the University of Melbourne, was forceful in spelling out the climate consequences of the emission reduction targets that are set. Should our emissions continue to track on current trends we are likely to face warming of 4 degrees whereas most scientists agree that warming of 2 degrees is the absolute maximum for a safe climate. All speakers rued the lack of bi-partisanship in tackling climate change and contrasted this with Germany and the UK. We were reminded that Australia is the biggest per capita emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. Speakers agreed that any revenues arising from a carbon tax should be directed towards assisting low income households [for whom energy costs are a higher proportion of expenditure than a higher income households] and reserved to deal with the high costs of climate change adaptation. It was emphasised that any action taken now will be cheaper than action taken later. Peter Christoff emphasised that energy efficiency technologies are known and available to implement right now. Thwaites said in response to a question that only 18% of the anticipated rise in the price of electricity is attributable to the carbon price - the rest is for network and infrastructure improvements to meet our growing demand for electricity.
www.csiro.au/science/Climate-Change.html

www.garnautreview.org.au

Draft Budget 2011/12, 3: Sustainability and Climate Change

The proposed budget has a strong focus on sustainability as outlined in the Council Plan 2009 - 2013

Capital projects

• Environmental building retrofits [$500k] to improve the energy efficiency of council buildings to reduce energy consumption permanently


• Drainage renewal programme [$845k]


• Reducing heat island effect [$200k] - the city can be up to 7 degrees warmer than the rest of Melbourne. More vegetation and alternative building materials can reduce this effect


• Irrigation system renewals [ $650k] to be able to manage captured storm water


• Street lighting renewals to more sustainable fittings [ $500k] - we've done our houses - now the streets


• Public place recycling [$50k] - members of the community expect this service
  

[Some] Other initiatives

• Managing buildings for greater energy efficiency [$85k]


• Creating sustainable owners corporations and apartment blocks [$100k]


• CitySwitch - Council participation in national commerical office energy efficiency program [$15k]


• Implement the climate change adaptation plan [$190k]


• Tomorrow's Leaders - an integrated programme of educational, practical projects and leadership activities delivered ins chools to help young people understand the key principles and issues in sustainability [$20k


• Increasing resource recovery options at the Resource Recovery Centre [$50k]

For the full list of proposed initiatives to be funded, please refer to p77 of the Budget documents available from the front page of the Port Phillip website www.portphillip.vic.gov.au

The multiple benefits of composting

I must admit I wasn't aware, but now I am, that it is International Composting Awareness Week [1 - 7 May 2011]. The Simply Living Community Garden in Bridge St, Port Melbourne hosts a communal composting arrangement. It can be more challenging composting in the small garden spaces of Port Melbourne but the principles of a 3 nitrogen/soft green : 1 carbon/woody brown outlined in this helpful clip work universally. 60% of the rubbish in mixed waste garbage could be composted. In decomposing, organic material releases methane, a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, so composting is also one of the suite of actions against climate change.

Environmental initiatives in Port [6 of 7 things Council has done in Port in 2010]

Solar panels were installed at the Sandridge Trugo Club and this well loved, well used facility was also re-furbished. In 2011, the Council will be accelerating work to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of its buildings.

Stormwater diversion openings were created in the kerb and channel when re-constructing Station and other streets so that stormwater now flows onto the magnificent trees, rather than out into the Bay. Incorporating stormwater treatments like this will become business as usual in future.

Planting tomatoes

There may be a lot of debate about the best date to plant tomatoes, but you are invited to plant a tomato at the Simply Living Garden on Sunday.
The tomato plantings shown here are an extension of a frontyard productive garden in Esplanade West.
Simply Living Garden
cnr Nott and Bridge
Sunday 21 from 11 to 12
Or you may prefer to make Jam in the Kitchen on Tuesday 23rd 9.30 to 12. Make some jam for Christmas and a few extra for the Simply Living Garden market stall. $3 contribution.

Weed Busting this weekend

Several coastal grasses, regionally significant for conservation, grow on Port Melbourne's foreshore. One of these, spinifex hirsutis, is coming into flower now. The male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. [the male flowers are pictured here.

Across Australia, weeds are a huge threat to biodiversity. Weeding is an essential response to this threat. The ways that weeds threaten indigenous vegetation are many and various.

That is why the Friends of Port Melbourne's Foreshore invite you to a weed management morning this Saturday 13 November from 9.30 to 12.30 pm. The session will be facilitated by Biosis Research consultant Jeff Yugovic. Meet at Life Saving Victoria HQ, cnr the Boulevard and Todd Rd. After initial discussion the group will visit Perce White Reserve, our most significant place for biodiversity, for action learning.

Final report from a busy weekend in Port

Checking out my worm farm with interested children at the community rich and enjoyable Skills Fest at Port Melbourne Uniting Church on Saturday.

Skillsfest: sharing skills for living in the inner city

Skillsfest is about skills that have been lost, skills to be re-discovered and skills to be shared.

There will be food growing advice for gardens of any size: window sill, balcony, courtyard or backyard. People will show how to make wicking gardens - those are gardens that optimise the use of water - and knitting - a rug will be knitted on the day. Also bike maintenance, composting, worms ...

Bring your friends - hopefully it will be a beautiful day like today.

Janet Hoare, coordinator of the Simply Living Garden, can barely be seen amongst the abundance that has been created in this place. Have a look at the post of September 29, 2008 to see what this area used to look like.

Skills Fest, Saturday November 6, 12 noon to 4 pm

Port Melbourne Uniting Church, cnr Bridge and Nott St

More recycling possibilities

The 7:am cafe in Bay St recycles its coffee grounds.

There is a dedicated recycling bin to pick up the coffee grounds once a week.

Reporting on Council's carbon emissions

Port Phillip Council's commitment is to 'reduce water use, energy use and waste, while increasing the use of renewables in both council operations and the community' and to report on our performance[Council plan 2.1]
Achievement will look like:

• Reduction in the organisation's non-renewable energy and potable water consumption
• Reduction in the community's non-renewable energy and potable water consumption.

The target for reduction in council's carbon emissions is 9.043 tonnes CO2-e*. The quarterly report for April to June 2010 shows the actual result was 10,022 tonnes CO2-e.

The container fridges being used at South Melbourne Market while the 'veggie lane' is being roofed over contributed to us being over target.

* carbon dioxide equivalent

Dig In puts in new raised beds

Dig In community garden had a mega working bee today to install several new raised modular garden beds. They were going to get new brick beds to match the old, but couldn't find a bricklayer willing to take on the task.

The beds are highly water efficient using the 'wicking' technique which is explained here.

The mix of gardeners reflects today's Port Melbourne - long term residents, people from Beacon Cove and further afield. There is a mix of expertise too: landscape architects, engineers, a former farmer, teachers and horticulturalists.

Dig In is in Murphy's Reserve - more or less opposite Beacon Rd.

South Melbourne Market's recycling record

I thought you might be interested to know that the South Melbourne Market, owned and operated by the City of Port Phillip, recycles

• green waste: 307 cubic metres
• polystyrene: 1,300 bails
• fish offal: 265 tonnes
• meat offal: 501 tonnescardboard: 400 tonnes
• waxed cardboard: 88 cubic metres
• waste cooking oil: 26 tonnes which is removed free of cost to create biodiesel

In addition, every Sunday volunteers from Port Melbourne Rotary gather donations of food from stallholders that would otherwise be thrown away for SecondBite - 16 tonnes last year.

Annual Report shows how we are going on waste and recycling

Council adopted the 2009/10 Annual Accounts and Annual Report tonight. The Annual Report is full of interesting Council detail. I will post a few more snippets over coming days:

• Waste and recycling: Annual waste collection per bin was 567.4kg
• Resource Recovery: the volume of e-waste, paint, batteries, light bulbs and textiles being dropped at the Resource Recovery Centre rose dramatically to over 6 tonnes of material diverted from landfill a month. This includes around 15kg of batteries per month collected via recycling drop-off points at town halls

[I attended 22/22 Council meeetings, and 10/10 Statutory Planning meetings]