FoEM NEWS & EVENTS

Australia's Climate Action Summit

Jan 31 – February 3

FoE has been one of the main organisers of the climate summit planned for this
weekend and into the first week of the autumn session of parliament. We would
urge you to attend if there is any way you can do so.

Australia'
Climate Action Summit will be two days of facilitated meetings and workshops.
The program will consist of four strands: campaign development, movement
building, skills workshops, and information and discussion sessions. The aim of
the two days is to create a strategic national climate campaign and form a
national grassroots network.

On the Monday - a day of dynamic training in climate campaigning skills for
taking action, facilitating climate action groups, effective lobbying and more.

On Tuesday, the first day of the 2009 Federal Parliament, we will hold a
peaceful, community action of thousands of ordinary Australians demanding
immediate political action for a safe climate. On the same day, the grassroots
climate network will launch our national campaign at Parliament House.

Details at: http://www.climatesummit.org.au/

'Breakthrough: From Recession to Sustainability'

Sustainable Living Foundation, Friends of the
Earth, and Greenleap Institute present the 2009 sustainability convergence

• As we face a looming
  financial crisis, what are the threats and opportunities to social and
  environmental movements?
• How do we break the
  'business as usual' model?
• How do we 'bail out' the
  planet?
• This convergence seeks to
  bring together people from across Melbourne
  to start to develop a pathway through the recession to a sustainable
  economy.
• What would this look like
  and how we would we get there?
• What about livelihood and
  good work, what about community resilience?
• What about our place in the
  world?
• How do we respond
  effectively to the looming crisis of climate change?
• And what does this mean for
  the social and environmental movements in the short term?

This one day forum will look at the opportunities and threats connected to the
economic downturn – political, financial, cultural.
We will look at hope and fear (and how we can speak in frames not of opposition
but of hope and determination), sketch out pathways to a better future,
and  how we could get to a safe climate economy in 10 years.

When:
Saturday February 14, 9am – 5pm

Where:
Northcote High School, St Georges road, Northcote

Full details at: http://www.melbourne.foe.org.au/?q=node/393

 

North South
Pipeline Cuts through Toolangi
Forest

I felt incredibly proud of the small but spirited action we held last week
to slow work on the North South pipeline as it cuts through Toolangi forest.
Mara, Jono, Ellen, Gerard and myself 'did the deed' and were arrested for our
troubles. Although we only stopped work for about an hour, we got some good
media coverage. And I was overwhelmed by the calls and emails I got from people
across rural Victoria
expressing thanks and solidarity.

We are thinking of doing another action soon. If you might be interested in
attending (it will need to be on a work day), please contact me.
Kind regards
Cam
cam.walker@foe.org.au

 

ACTION ALERTS

Rally For
Democracy; the Desalination Project is UNDEMOCRATIC and We Demand Answers!!!

If you can't be in Canberra on the  3rd, please come along
on:

TUESDAY FEB. 3, Parliament House, Melbourne @ 11:30 a.m.

A big Melbourne
media event with inspiring celebrity speakers. A show of strength and resolve.
Called by Watershed Victoria

Details - Stephen Cannon, 0407811778.

Demand
Sustainable Water Options for Melbourne

Community presence outside the office of Tim Holding

Springvale, friday Feb 6

[NB: please note date change]

We all know that Melbourne
is facing growing water stress. In response, the state government has announced
a desalination plant for the Gippsland coast near Wonthaggi and the North -
South pipeline, which will pump water from the Goulburn River.

The pipeline and desal plant will be disasterous for our state:

• They will have major
  impacts on rural communities and coastal environments.
• They will create very few
  long term jobs.
• The desal plant will need
  vast amounts of energy – and hence contribute substantially to greenhouse
  gas emissions (if green energy is sourced to run the plant, this will
  limit our ability to shift current energy production from coal into
  renewables).
• A French company - either Suez or Veolia -
  will control the desalinated water.    
• These projects will be
  enormously expensive – around $5 billion dollars.

Both these projects are being built for the benefit of Melbourne people, so we should educate
ourselves about the impacts of these projects, as well as looking at the
alternatives.

It is time to bring the message to the Minister for Water, Tim Holding, and
other key members of the state government that Melbourne people want a sustainable water
future.

There will be a peaceful and colourful community assembly outside the electoral
office of Victoria's
water minister, Tim Holding, on friday February 6, from 11.30 am – 1pm.

Please consider coming along, and send a message to our government that we want
water options that:

• are sustainable
• create long lasting jobs
• are greenhouse friendly
• don't take water from
  parched river systems north of the Divide or damage coastal areas

Where: 387 – 389 Springvale road, Springvale (close to Springvale station).

Please bring friends and banners

This community action is organised by Friends of the Earth, please let us know
if you are able to add your organisations name.

For further information: Cam Walker
9419 8700, 0419 338 047, cam.walker@foe.org.au

Parliamentary Inquiry into Iranium Exports and Other Nuclear Treaties

The Prime Minister has asked the federal parliament's Joint Standing
Committee on Treaties (JSCT) to investigate all of Australia's
nuclear-related treaties, including Australia's uranium export
treaties.

This is an important opportunity to expose the serious flaws and limitations of
the 'safeguards' system and the serious risk of Australian uranium contributing
to the proliferation of nuclear weapons - the most destructive Weapons of Mass
Destruction ever devised.

Please consider making a submission (due by Jan 30). Full details at:
http://www.foe.org.au/anti-nuclear/issues/jsct09/

 

FUNDRAISERS

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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CAN YOU HELP?

100%
Renewables Campaign

FoE is asking for volunteers to help to letter box our “100% Renewable
Energy Supply for our State by 2020” postcards. On the back of the postcard is
a letter to Premier Brumby demanding a safe climate future!

It's a really easy way to help out and great exercise too!

We would like some help in most suburbs throughout Melbourne so if you can
manage the time then please drop into the FoE Campaigns Office (upstairs from
the Bookshop / Food Co-Op) or get in touch with Cam (cam.wallker@foe.org.au or
ph. 03 9419 8700)

Thank you to everyone who has been helping with letterboxing so far!

Paper Re-use

Friends of the Earth Melbourne tries to
minimise waste wherever possible.  We avoid using new paper and instead
collect paper that has been used on one side for use in our photocopier and
printer.

If you or your workplace is able to keep A4 paper that has been used on one
side for us, we'd appreciate it very much!  If you are able to collect
paper for us, please contact Mara on 03 9419 8700 or mara.bonacci@foe.org.au

Graphic Designer

FoE requires a volunteer graphic designer (or
two!) for help with our campaigns (flyers and web etc.) If you have the skills
and would like to help us, please contact justin.butler@foe.org.au or ph. 03
9419 8700

Ongoing IT Volunteer

FoE is looking for a reliable IT volunteer to help with maintaining
its
network and servers.

Some experience with Linux is necessary as is a commitment to maintaining an
ongoing relationship to FoE over a longer term. Distros / Software which FoE
uses: Centos, Ubuntu, Debian, OpenVZ, Postfix, Courier-IMAP, OpenLDAP, Samba,
Apache, PHP, MySQL, Plone, Drupal.

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OTHER GROUPS EVENTS

The Thin
Green Line Festival - http://www.thingreenline.org.au/front

3000 festival goers at the carbon positive hub
event: Coolart Wetlands on the Mornington
Peninsula supporting
rangers and communities for conservation around the globe.

22 acts including Top Australian artists confirmed: Xavier Rudd, Archie Roach,
Mia Dyson, Shane Howard, Neil Murray, Dan Warner, Bomba, Tom E Lewis, Cousin
Leonard and TOV. Miniatures of Massive, Tash Parker, The Wishing Well, special
Arnhem Land performance, Circus performers... and more great acts to be
announced.

Organic world foods, micro-breweries, local wines, world films, and eco-village
all at the historic Coolart wetlands close the shores of the picturesque Somers Beach
on the Mornington Penninsula.

Climate Summit and / or Human
Chain around Australian Parliament 

Many of you will be going to the Climate Summit and / or be part of the
Human Chain around the Australian Parliament.  

You may be interested in staying on while there to support the rally to put an
end to the NT Intervention and to demand justice for Aboriginal people across
Australia with a rally at 12 noon at Parliament House on Tuesday, 3 February.
The Intervention Collective Sydney (STICS, http://stoptheintervention.org/) is
currently working with other groups around the country to organize this protest
convergence in Canberra.

Daintree Blockade 25th Anniversary - Community Forum

Rainforest Rescue will be holding a Community
Forum with Ian Cohen (MLC Legislative Council NSW), Mike Berwick (previous
Douglas Shire Mayor) and John Seed (Rainforest Information Centre) sharing
their stories and discussing how the Blockade shaped their lives and the
environmental movement as a whole.

We will be showing video footage of the blockade and a slide show of archival
images. The forum will be held at Brightspace - 8 Martin St, St Kilda, Melbourne on
Saturday the 7th of February from 5pm to 7pm. All welcome, free admission.

DEEP 
ECOLOGY with JOHN SEED

Deep Ecology group work helps to de-condition us from centuries of
culturally induced anthropocentrism, and to heal our broken relationship with
the natural world.

In this gathering, through interactive exercises, guided meditations, and work
with body, breath and despair, we are able to shed our solely human
identification and feel deep empathy for the myriad species and landscapes of
the Earth.

You will also learn how to -

• Practice deep ecology in
  our daily lives
• Nurture our larger identity
• Clarify, dignify and heal
  our personal conflicts.

The processes explored in this 1-day workshop
include - "Geological Grounding", "Earth as Peppercorn" and
"The Cosmic Walk" and will be of particular interest to people
wanting to facilitate this work.

Presented by John Seed
John is an author, musician and film-maker and a long-time rainforest activist
and facilitator of experiential deep ecology workshops

Date: Sunday 8 Feb
Time: 9.30am - 5.00pm
Venue: Port Phillip EcoCentre, St Kilda Botanical Gardens
Cnr Herbert & Blessington Sts, St Kilda, Victoria, 3182 [Melway ref. 58
B11]

Please bring food to share for lunch

Registrations before February 5th 2009:

Please register by email or phone with Alison Elliott
Email: elliott_renhard@optusnet.com.au or
Phone: (03) 9431 6968

Cost of workshop:
There is a sliding scale for the cost of this one day workshop - $30 - $80.
All funds raised will go towards reforestation of the sacred mountain
Arunachala. If cost is a barrier to your attendance please contact us www.
rainforestinfo.org.au/

Sustainable
Living Festival - Federation
Square

The Sustainable Living Foundation (SLF) will once again host Australia’s
largest sustainability event, the Sustainable Living Festival, held at Federation Square
and Birrarrung Marr from February 20th to 22nd, 2009.

Festival 2009 incorporates the theme ‘Sustainability – Taking it to the
Streets’, and marks 10 years of spreading the message of sustainability to the
broader Melbourne
community.  

Event highlights include:
•    Music that Rocks Our World
•    Sustainable Fashion Parade
•    Eco Clothing Exchange
•    Design Market
•    NGV Sustainable Art Space
•    Sustainable Gardening Australia seminar series.
•    Transport Forum
•    Twilight Films

Entry to the Festival is free, or by purchasing a voluntary ticket. 
Further information about the Festival can be found at www.slf.org.au/festival
or by calling 03 9249 1888

MEMBERSHIP

As an independent activist organisation, we absolutely rely on our members
and supporters to keep us going. If you are not already a member, please
consider joining us. Your membership directly funds our campaigns, and keeps us
free from corporate funding. It's only $50 per year if you are waged, or $30 a
year concession. You can download a membership form from:
http://www.melbourne.foe.org.au/?q=support
- or ring the campaigns office 9419 8700 and we'll post you one.

For any membership issues, including changes of address and any problems
with this list, please contact Justin Butler: justin.butler@foe.org.au

For any changes to your financial contributions to FoE, please contact Mara
Bonacci: mara.bonacci@foe.org.au

To have items included in future bulletins, please send (brief) details as
plain text to Pat: patrick.oneill@melbourne.foe.org.au

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