The Environment Show

Michael Reynolds – inspiring words from the maverick eco architect

Phil Stubbs — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 04:00:03 +0000

Michael Reynolds was the focus of the award-winning film ‘Garbage Warrior’ – a documentary about his 40 year struggle to build sustainable houses.

The Environment Show recently interviewed Reynolds as part of our new series on environment leaders. That interview is coming up soon. In the meantime we’ve found this 1 minute video* to give you an introduction to the man.

Plus we found so many great Reynolds quotes in our research, we thought we’d compile them for good keeping. (We couldn’t bear to let them get away.)

Mike Reynolds has been described as a radical and a maverick. He was a qualified architect until he was – in his own words – “defrocked”. He now calls himself a ‘biotech’. And instead of houses he describes his buildings as ‘Earthships’ – which refers to the fact they’re designed for self-sufficiency.

Here’s some classic quotes from one of the world’s most innovative green building designers …

How do-able is sustainable housing:

People can live in carbon zero homes right now. The technology is here. Allowing it to happen is the problem. Our rules and regulations won’t let us do it.

On rules and regulations:

The way we’ve been living is over. And that means our rules and our regulations are over.

Our rules and regulations are about things that aren’t pertinent any more – stick frame houses that you pump heat into, endless of amounts of energy and water – wasteful methods of living. Those days are over due to climate change, population explosion and dwindling resources. If you project them into the future we’ve got a problem.

His response to getting busted for breaking the rules:

I was twisting the law to get sustainable housing out there folks.

How he started designing green buildings:

It’s not like a light bulb went on and I thought: ‘I’m going to make sustainable housing’. It happened little by little as a result of responding to the news (of environmental issues.) I stumbled into this as a result of responding.

When I first started doing it, people thought I was crazy. When I told an engineer I was building a house out of beer cans, he told me I was a disgrace to the architectural profession.

Why he’s doing what he’s doing:

If humanity takes the planet down the tubes, I’m dead. I’m trying to save my ass. And that is a powerful force.

How to bring about behaviour change:

It’s clear to see that people are in a lot of stress themselves due to the way they live. And they’re imposing that stress on other people and the planet. If we are able to remove the stress from people in terms of how they live and what they have to give of themselves to exist and what they have to take from the planet to exist – if we’re able to eliminate a lot of that stress, the world’s going to be a better place. I think if you simply remove stress then people will be much better.

Where his work fits in:

I see my work as an exploration of how to remove stress. That’s not necessarily architecture.

On architecture:

Whether it’s beautiful or not, if it doesn’t take care of itself and the people in it, it’s as bad as a sinking ship – which is what most of it is.

On the need for sustainable housing:

This is not a moral issue, it’s not a spiritual issue, it’s not a political issue, it is a logical issue.

On the potential for green building:

If every building was to consume it’s own sewerage that’d be huge. Then if every building made it’s own power, and heated and cooled itself, and caught its own water rather then sucking water out of the aquifers – the ramifications of how people live in their own units could effect things in an unbelievable way. Ultimately it would effect the minds and hearts of people.

On population:

You’re here and there’s 6 billion of you here – you’ve got to apply some logic to how much longer this ball can support more people.

On cities:

Cities are dangerous places of chaos that can’t support themselves any longer.

On human potential:

We have the potential to enhance the planet. Trees enhance the planet. People could go further. We could make the Earth sing.

If you took stress out of people’s lives and made them happy in terms of the way they live – if you made it easy for them to be at peace on this planet – they would bloom. And I think humanity could go to a whole different level.

On creativity:

Inspiration, imagination and intuition are squashed in our world. But if you can go there, and stay there, you’ll have a lot more energy.

His approach to work:

This is all I do – my job, my recreation, my physical, my spiritual, my financial.

On hard work:

It is physical (making bricks from tyres.) What would I rather do though? Go lift weights staring at a TV or beat dirt into tyres and make a building.

On power and water utilities:

Centralised utilities lock us into a 50 year increment of evolution. That’s not fast enough given the growth in population and change in the planet. Centralised utilities should be a thing of the past.

On education:

We should really learn about the Earth (the physics and biology of it) so we can can work with it – to make sure we can live here without destroying it.

On taking action:

It’s almost like a disaster has to happen to cause the world to start preparing.

On tyres (why he uses them in his buildings):

Talk about indigenous. Everybody all over the world has tyres.

There are more automobile tyres than trees on the planet now.

That’s a natural resource. If you came here from another planet, you would think this planet produces these things.

Why he moved from Cincinnati to the New Mexico desert:

There was so much more of the planet to see without the effects of people.

On bureaucracies:

There’s just a ridiculous amount of energy spent to get the tiniest thing done.

I learned a long time ago … tell ‘em what they want to hear.

The state of the planet:

I think it’s in bad shape. From the skies to the waters, to the happiness of people, the haves and the have-nots. There’s so many places on the planet that are trashed beyond repair. The oil spills, the junk, the sewerage, the radioactivity. It just keeps growing.

Why we’re stuck in old ways:

It’s like the gravity of the Earth. There’s a gravity of human nature that makes it hard to think in any other way than the way that’s here.

What we need to do in the future:

We have a tremendous amount to learn and unlearn. Unlearning the dogma that’s part of everybody’s belief system.

Leading by example:

I like to demonstrate that it’s easier and more logical, and a more soothing way to live.

If you walk the talk, you don’t have to talk that much.

* Video courtesy of Planet Green on the Discovery Channel.

The fall on an environmental leader: Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed

Phil Stubbs — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:43:41 +0000

Who is Mohamed Nasheed and why does he matter?

Until last week Nasheed was President of The Maldives – a string of 1200 tiny islands in the Indian Ocean where the average elevation is just 5 feet above sea level.

After Nasheed came to office in 2008, he made world headlines when he declared the Maldives was in the market for a new homeland for its doomed population – given predictions of sea level rise due to global warming.

The leader of this little nation then challenged the world’s largest developed and developing countries to stop pointing the finger of blame and to start acting on climate change. He pledged the Maldives would lead the way and be the first country on the planet to become carbon neutral.

But it’s been a turbulent time back at home for Nasheed. Things came to a head last week when forces loyal to former president Gayoom (who ruled the Maldives for 30 years) began rioting. Nasheed had set a collision course after ordering the arrest of a troublesome judge. One that had been installed by Gayoom.

In an opinion piece a day after he was deposed, Mohamed Nasheed describes the country’s judiciary as “rotten”, and defends his actions and his decision to step down in order to avoid bloodshed. Read Nasheed’s opinion piece in the New York Times ‘The Dregs of Dictatorship’.

So what’s the deal with Nasheed? Why was he important?

Mohammed Nasheed was shaping up as a spokesman for the “vulnerable nations” – managing at last to lift their plight higher in the consciousness of the world’s priveleged. To get them to understand what’s at stake and that we’re all in this together.

In 2009 Nasheed was named as one of Time magazine’s leading ‘Heroes of the Environment’. In 2010 he was became one of the UN’s Champions of the Earth.

The above video is the trailer for the the documentary ‘The Island President’ – an in-depth portrait of the man due for release 28 March 2012. (You can find international screening dates and places on the film’s website.)

Following the events of last week filmmaker Jon Shenk cut this latest short portrait of Mohamed Nasheed. Worth checking out in the meantime.

So will we see Nasheed’s return to the world stage? Time will tell. But then time is not really a luxury for the world’s most vulnerable nations.

Related links
Nasheed’s 2009 address to the UN – where he announces his country’s intention to lead by example (video)
Nasheed’s 2009 address to the Climate Vulnerable Forum (video)
The Guardian’s recent profile of Nasheed

Here’s Nasheed being arrested in a shop in Male last week:

Compare the cost: more natural disasters v. doing something about climate change

Phil Stubbs — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:31:07 +0000

This dramatic video shows the beginnings of Queensland’s “inland tsunami”. This body of water, along with other tributaries, flowed into the Lockyer Valley and killed 14 people last week. From there it went on to inundate Brisbane, the city I grew up in. The worst floods there since 1974.

When I was a kid, they told us the ‘74 flood was a once in 100 year event. That was 37 years ago.

Did climate change cause the recent floods here in Australia?

Well, if you listen to the climate scientists, you’ll find they won’t commit.

What they do say, and have been saying for awhile, is that climate change is likely to increase the number and severity of these unusual weather events. (More on that in the post I wrote following the Victorian bushfires of 2009 – ‘Extreme weather: is climate change responsible?‘)

The question I’m not hearing the media or politicians asking is: how does the cost of more floods, fires, storms and other natural disasters stack up against the price of tackling climate change?

Clearly in financial terms the cost an extreme weather event is huge. Just this one disaster – the Queensland floods – at this stage is said to have directly cost $6 billion, plus another $5 billion coming in clean-up. (It may go higher.) Now add other disasters to that. And then think about the cost in human lives.

If this cost is additional, if we could have avoided it, how does it compare to the cost of actually doing something about climate change?

A year ago, at Copenhagen, the leaders of the world’s nations failed to act on climate change. The rationale given was the cost to their economies.

A similar story here in Australia almost two years ago. Not only was the start of a scheme to help do something about climate change scuttled, a Prime Minister was deposed and the Opposition Leader who supported it dumped too. All due to scare campaign about “the cost to the economy.”

Same thing in the US, where Barack Obama’s own attempt at an emissions trading scheme went down the gurgler late last year. Again “cost” was the culprit.

You can see where I’m going with this. From an economic, straight dollars and cents point of view, it makes sense to tackle climate change. The additional cost of more extreme weather events alone is reason enough. (Plus there’s a strong argument that a push into clean industries will create jobs and even stimulate the economy. More in my post on a “Green New Deal‘.)

If you still don’t believe me, if you’re a hard-arse business brain, you might be interested to know that some of the first businesses in the world to take climate change seriously have been the insurance companies. Why? Because an increased number of extreme weather events makes a big dent on their bottom line. Pardon the pun, but it could even sink them.

Extreme weather events are a wake up call for us all. Don’t let the cynics fob this issue off.

Nature is bloody powerful. You only have to have been stuck in a rip in the ocean to get a taste. In the end, unfortunately, feeling the power of nature may be the thing that finally motivates us to act.

Related links

News article in The Australian ‘Financial cost of Queensland floods put at $6bn, and rising‘
News article in the Herald ‘Brown assailed over comments‘ (where the Greens Leader reckoned mining companies should take some responsibility for the Queensland floods)
‘Global warming will cause further extreme weather patterns‘ article in The Australian
Treehugger piece on climate change and natural disasters
Stern Review on the economics of climate change
The Independent’s reading list on flooding

David Suzuki documentary: first green film for 2011

Phil Stubbs — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 07:47:23 +0000

This a heads up on the first green film I’ve seen released for 2011.

It’s a documentary about David Suzuki. Here’s the film’s spiel:

David Suzuki, iconic Canadian scientist, educator, broadcaster and activist delivers a ‘last lecture’ – what he describes as “a distillation of my life and thoughts, my legacy, what I want to say before I die”. The film interweaves the lecture with scenes from the places and events in Suzuki’s life creating a biography of ideas forged by the major social, scientific and cultural events of the past 70 years.

If you’re in Australia, the film will screened at the Moonlight Cinema in Melbourne on the 20th February (as part of the Sustainable Living Festival.)

It’ll also screened at the Moonlight Cinema in Sydney on 28 February.

See you there.

(I’m back blogging again by the way. Stay tuned for more regular posts in 2011.)

Useful links
More about David Suzuki
More about the David Suzuki Movie

Why we need a “fundamental shift” to a sustainable economy (and the role of creativity to get there)

Phil Stubbs — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:47:03 +0000

Last year I heard a speech by Professor Jeff Sachs which crystalised a lot of things for me. (Sachs is a Special Advisor to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University.)

I’m giving a speech myself soon at The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. It’s for Design Week and it’s about ‘the importance of creativity for sustainability’. In preparing I’ve found myself coming back to Sachs’s talk at Sydney Uni.

Reason being Sachs puts the whole damn thing in context. He describes how we got to where we are now, how special our time is, and how we are at a watershed moment in human history where we’re going to have to make a fundamental shift to a sustainable economy.

In this post I’ve included a synopsis of the Sach’s speech and links to a podcast of it. I’ve also posted some notes from my proposition that creativity is going to be key in re-thinking and changing how we live.

Sachs on Sustainability

How we got to this point (where “the Earth is creaking under the weight of human economic activity”)
History explains a lot. Jeff Sachs described how for 2000 years the world’s population changed imperceptibly – staying in the hundreds of millions. Then with the Industrial Revolution the total number of humans suddenly shot up into the billions. (The change brought on by the revolutions of mastering energy and food production.) We’re at 6.7 billion now, and there’s no slow down in sight.

At the same time, the Industrial Revolution brought with it an explosion of economic activity. The amount of economic production per person has multiplied a hundred times since the mid-1800’s. And like the population increase, economic activity per person is showing no signs of slowing down.

If you put those two key facts together – the number of people on the planet and the economic activity per person, you end up with a shitload of economic activity. All of which of course relies on massive natural resource use, not to mention the waste that comes with it.

We are only now beginning to realise that the planet is creaking under the weight of all this economic activity.

“It ain’t just climate change”
Sachs also confirmed something I had been thinking for some time. That climate change really is just a symptom of a much larger problem.

Yes, there is something bigger than climate change. And that is that all of the Earth’s physical symptoms are in decline. Our oceans, our forests, our water, our air, our fisheries, species on the planet, and the climate. All the things we rely on for our very survival. They are all under unprecedented assault – from this explosion of economic activity. And in fact in many cases these problems are compounding on each other.

All this has happened suddenly
Compared to how long humans have been on the planet, this change has happened merely moments ago. My Great Great Grandfather was born when the Industrial Revolution kicked off – in 1837. He was an Irish Journalist named James Ryan who came out to Australia in 1862 and set up a paper on a gold field in Victoria. In a little town called Walhalla on the edge of the Victorian Alps.

At that time the Earth’s natural resources must have seemed limitless – land, forests, water, air, fish were plentiful. In fact our economies have continued working under that premise – that there’s enough of everything. Which may have been ok up until a few generations ago, but certainly isn’t true now.

“We have to change how we live”
What we need is a fundamental shift in the way we live. Not just tinkering around the edges.

Modern technology has brought us where we are, and given us the lifestyle and advantages we enjoy. The challenge for us is to develop in a way which doesn’t destroy the Earth’s natural systems. This new way of thinking needs to be in every thing – in a big way. That’s where creativity comes in.

“The uniqueness of our time”
We are only really coming to terms with this new realisation now. As Sachs said, this is the challenge of our generation. Clearly we’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve got to make a start. That vision of what society could be, I think, is an exciting one. To be at the forefront of a major change in society.

The role of creativity

Creativity – when two different things come together
The change to sustainable development needs to happen in each of the sectors of our economy – in the field where you work. And actually it needs cross-over between the disciplines.

Big ideas can often come out of two very different things or fields coming together. The idea for the printing press came about when Gutenberg observed the way a wine press worked, for example. Up til that time the written word was transcribed individually and bulk things like the bible were done by monks. Who would have though that the cross over paper and wine would revolutionise communications? Sustainability needs these kind of revolutionary ideas. It needs the kind of big ideas that arise when people from different fields come together.

Creativity – big ideas + inspiration
Creative people tend to see the big picture first. They’re inspired by big ideas. And they use big ideas to inspire others. (Which is why I think I liked the Sachs speech.) The sustainable revolution needs big ideas. And we need to inspire people to come on board.

Creativity – inspiration from nature
There have been some creative people who have seen sustainable solutions in nature itself. Janine Benyus’s ‘biomimicry’ idea where we learn to construct man made things from the genius of nature. And Paul Hawken’s ‘Ecology of Commerce’ which puts forward the idea of all business working in a cyclical way like nature – where everything is re-used – as opposed the linear, throw away system we have now.

Creativity – possibility
Also tied in with inspiration is the concept, and the feeling, of ‘possibility’. Imagine a world, an economy, that’s sustainable. How good would that be? If we grew food close to where we lived. If people rode bicycles to work. If our energy came from wind and solar. And people collected the plentiful rainwater that falls in cities. If our buildings were sustainable and our cars were electric.

Get me to Denmark
It’s not only is it possible, it’s already happening. Denmark is one of those places. And interestingly, they celebrate and encourage creativity. In fact they have legislated innovation – that companies must have a strategy for innovation.

When the global financial crisis hit, the Danish Government was one of the main backers of the ‘Green New Deal’. A proposal that the huge financial injections be put into making economies sustainable.

Check out our previous story and podcast on the Green New Deal. It’s a big, inspiring, revolutionary idea.

Useful links

You can see, hear and read on more on Jeff Sachs and his rationale for a sustainable revolution through the links below.

Video
1. Jeff Sachs at Sydney Uni – the talk that got me thinking.
2. Jeff Sachs speaking at Boston University.

Audio
Jeff Sachs speaking on NPR about ‘Common Wealth’

Articles
1. Jeff Sachs’s Time magazine article on the sustainable development revolution.
2. Review of Sachs’s book ‘Common Wealth’ by the UK’s Independent.

Other links
1. More about Sachs’s book ‘Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet’
2. Sachs at The Earth Institute at Columbia University.
3. More about Jeff Sachs.

Lecture slides Common Wealth Jeffrey Sachs

View more documents from Kreshna Aditya.

Quote
Sachs’s speech winds up with this quote from John F Kennedy. A rallying call of why it is possible for us to pull together.

“In the final analysis our most common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breath the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.”

Photo
Jeff Sachs shot courtesy of the European Parliment on Flickr.

Dig baby dig! (And grow baby grow!)

Phil Stubbs — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:23:14 +0000

With all this gloom and doom around, here’s something positive you can do. It’ll not only be good for your weekly budget, but all also make you happier. And surprise, in a very small way, also be good for the planet.

Grab a shovel, go out to the verge in front of your house, and dig it up. That’s right, turn that earth, plant some vegies in there, and watch food grow before your very eyes.

I did exactly that and you wouldn’t believe the results. Vegies are just some of them.

‘After (a month)’

The other, even more brilliant thing, is that I’ve met some great people who live around me who’ve pitched in and helped get it to where it is. We now have over 30 in our little collective. Every time I’m pottering around out there some passer-by comes up and says “I just wanted to tell you you how great it is you’re doing that.”

Here’s the before and during shots:

‘Before’

‘During’

I’ve felt a sense of community, which really is an amazing thing to strike in Sydney. (Not normally one of the city’s strong points.) And of course there are all those other benefits – like the joy of picking your own stuff to eat, getting your hands dirty, showing the local kids where food comes from, saving on food miles, peak oil and all that. In fact those clever Permaculture people were advocating we do this long ago.

Audio:
You can hear my interview with David Holmgren, one of the original proponents of Permaculture, here. He reckons its quite possible for Sydney to grow all its own food here where we live (except for broadacre things – like wheat.)

Articles:
In amazing recent turn of events, Britain’s National Trust have pledged to hand over stately home land for people to grow their own vegies. (Recent story from The Independent.) And here’s an article from the Herald last year: Green solution just outside your door.

Useful links:
Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network
Sydney City Farm (brilliant new plan for a farm in the city)
Food for the Future Fair (a celebration of urban food growing which inspired us)

Anyway, what are you waiting for?

p.s. Next project on the agenda is to do a tour of community vegie patches round Sydney. Suggestions of where to go are welcome.

Special thanks to Barbara, my neighbour. It wouldn’t have happened without your hard work and ‘yes we can’ attitude.

Earth Hour: is it a waste of time?

Phil — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:30:11 +0000

Earth Hour is on again – tonight 28th March at 8.30pm. The event asks people and businesses to turn off lights and appliances for one hour. It ran for the first time in Sydney only a few years ago. Since then the idea has been picked up by many other major cities around the world.

But looking beyond all the hype, how useful is it really in helping to tackle the problem of climate change?

Last year I spoke with Andy Ridley, Executive Director of Earth Hour, to put him on the spot. Listen to the interview with Andy Ridley.

Check out their website. There’s heaps more information there – www.earthhour.org.

Sydney Green Drinks is the first Tuesday of month

Phil Stubbs — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 23:47:51 +0000

Gidday, this is to let you know that Sydney’s Green Drinks is the first Tuesday of month. If you live in the big smoke here in Sydney or you’re planning to visit our city in the future, you’re very welcome to attend.

You can find more details via the Sydney Green Drinks Facebook group or the Sydney page on the Green Drinks International website. Or the group’s MeetUp site. Our first bash was a huge success. Come along, it’s going to get even more interesting.

Emissions Trading: what the ….?

Phil Stubbs — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:55:19 +0000

Just at the time Australia is launching into an emissions trading scheme, the EU one appears to be faltering. Eek. In this post we’ve collected links to articles and videos on the European scheme and the political stoush that’s happening here in Oz. (We predict it’s only a matter of time before the Opposition here cotton on to the European failings.) And of course there’s the question of – what the hell is an emssions trading scheme anyway? Plenty of people wouldn’t have the foggiest. We explain here at the end. Click on.

It’s all set to hot up due to the timelines the Australian Government has set itself – to introduce the scheme by mid-2010. The Climate Minister Penny Wong should be unveiling the new legislation next month or so. And in a strange twist, the Greens have sided with the Conservatives to force a Senate Inquiry. So we’re bound to see more of this in the news. And more time lost. Plus, to complicate things, at the end of the year we have the big meeting in Copenhagen where the nations of the world come together to hammer out a post-Kyoto agreement.

Video:
The EU’s emissions trading scheme
How carbon trading could solve global warming

Audio:
Here’s an old podcast interview we did with Matt Dever from Emit Brokers explaining how carbon trading works.

Photo:
Coal power plant photo courtesy of Wigwam Jones on flickr.

Extreme weather: is climate change responsible?

Phil Stubbs — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:23:46 +0000

The last few days has seen some of the worst fires in Australia’s recorded history. That’s in the South East of the country. Meanwhile in the north we’ve had extensive flooding. Not so well covered in the Australian media has been the snow storms enveloping the Northern hemisphere in places like the UK.

So is climate change the cause of these extreme weather events?

The ABC’s Lateline last night addressed this issue bringing in Professor David Karoly, a lead author in the for the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). According to Karoly, it’s hard to directly pin extreme weather events such as Hurricane Katrina and the recent ones in Australia on climate change. But the scientists are pretty certain climate change means more intense events, more often. He likened it to the rolling of a dice and the increased likelihood of our number coming up.

Here are some of the other key points from my digging around on this issue:

Australia is the developed country most at risk from the effects of climate change.

Even if we can turn climate change around it’s going to take some time to do – because we’re stuck with the greenhouse gases we’ve put up there for decades.

Scientists have expected these kinds of effects from global warming but they say it’s happening faster than expected.

Weather records have been broken recently by unexpectedly large margins e.g. Melbourne’s hottest day on record was broken this last week by almost a whole percent when normally records go by 0.2%.

Records have been broken not just for highest temperature but also for the duration of the recent heatwave which preceded the fires.

It’s not just hotter days, lower rainfall also means a drier landscape and increases the possibility of larger fire events.

The scale of disasters is also increased by the fact there’s more people on the planet, and more people living in danger areas.

Many people think global warming means small temperature increases. The reality is small changes in climate increase the likelihood of large changes in weather.

You’d think these disasters would be a wake up call.

A week ago two and a half thousand people encircled Australia’s Parliment House to demand we do more about global warming. There was not one article in the Sydney Morning Herald about the protest. Instead we got pages on the global financial crisis and the economic stimulus package.

I don’t think I can put it any better than Freya Mathews who did manage to get an opinion piece in the Herald today:

…. the consequences of climate change will make the financial crisis look like a garden party.

But when the embers die in rural Victoria and the next media story blows in, will we go back to business (or worrying about business) as usual?

Audio:
David Karoly discusses the role of climate change in Victoria’s bushfires (ABC Radio National)

Transcripts:
Quite fortuitously climate experts from around the world have gathered in Melbourne this week for a conference on global warming. The link below provides Lateline’s interviews with leading climate specialists Kevin Hennessy of the CSIRO and Andy Pitman from the Uni of NSW about extreme weather. Transcript of the interviews from the Melbourne extreme weather conference.

Here also is the transcript of the Lateline interview with Prof David Karoly, the Victorian Government’s chief climate change adviser.

Useful links:
Environmental Defense Fund site on extreme weather

Photos:
Sydney Morning Herald’s multi-media on the Victorian bushfires
Photos on flickr of the bushfires in Australia

More video:
Another video tracing emerging news on the fires in Victoria

The time to act is now: a clever commercial on climate change (and an event for your calendar)

Phil Stubbs — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 01:24:32 +0000

Check out this video which reminds us how easy it is to make noises about climate change. But what about doing something about it?

Here in Australia the Rudd government initially talked up the importance of dealing with climate change but then committed to relatively small cuts in Greenhouse gas emissions.

Now a groundswell of community action groups are rallying to put pressure on the government to do more.

Two hundred community action groups from around the country are coming together in the nation’s capital Canberra for a climate action summit from 31 January to 3 February. The event will culminate in a peaceful protest at Parliment House on the 3rd. Word has it they intend to form a human chain around Parliment House. Tuesday the 3rd is the first sitting day of Parliment following the summer break, so you can expect this story to be all over the news then.

Useful links:
If you want more info or want to get involved in the Canberra protest, go to www.climatesummit.org.au. There’s also more in our events section.

Video credit:
Time to Lead! (Time to Lead is a collaborative campaign from the Climate Action Network, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and WWF in Europe.)

Christmas Lights doco on tonight. Merry Christmas!

Phil Stubbs — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 22:48:16 +0000

Here’s a Christmas present. Check out the trailer to this interesting documentary about Christmas Lights (and why people do it.)

Video:
Christmas Lights documentary trailer. The film is on the ABC tonight at 10pm.

Related story:
Our recent post Christmas Month v. Earth Hour has more on the energy irony of it all.

Merry Christmas. See you in the new year.

Christmas Month v. Earth Hour: a snapshot of our sustainability schizophrenia

Phil Stubbs — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:41:45 +0000

Climate crisis, what climate crisis?

Audio:
Have a listen to our Christmas lights podcast. In it we hear from people with ‘over-the-top’ Christmas lights on their houses to find out why they’ve done it.

It seems pretty obvious the root of our environmental problems comes back to one key thing – consumption. And there’s one time of year when it really hits you in the face – Christmas.

Mostly I’ve stayed clear of the shopping centres myself, but one thing you can’t avoid is Christmas lights. Every year there seem to be more houses getting into it. And every year they seem to be more over-the-top.

It got me thinking – how does this stack up against Earth Hour? If Earth Hour is meant to be a symbol people do care about the planet – by switching their lights off for an hour, what does that make the whole month of December? A time when not only do people festoon their houses with Christmas lights, consumption is well and truly king.

Television:
The film clip in our podcast is from the documentary ‘Christmas Lights’. It premiers Wednesday 24 2008, 8.05pm on ABC2 and Thursday 25 December 2008, 10.05pm on ABC1.

Video:
Click this link for more over-the-top Christmas lights video – this house is brilliantly synchronised to music. But wait there’s more … ‘OTT’ video. (This house got the same idea.)

And don’t forget not long til the official Energy Wasting Day! (1st April.)

More photos and where to see more Christmas lights:
Click these links for more photos and locations of houses with over-the-top lights in Sydney – from our learned colleagues at The Telegraph and 2GB.

Archie and my big Christmas lights adventure was to Matraville. The shot below is a house complete with Sydney landmarks in Franklin Street. Nearby Barwon Cresent is a mind explosion (for kids) of lights on every house. You should also check out – Hodge Street, Hurstville.

I’m sure there’s plenty more near you.

Merry global warmed Christmas.

Snow is looking increasingly unlikely for Sydney.

This last photo and the first (feature) photo courtesy of Screen Australia.

New film shows nature’s energy answers

Phil Stubbs — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:11:19 +0000

A new documentary called ‘The Future Makers’ shows how the answers to our environmental problems are there in nature itself. It includes renewable energy innovations in solar, wave and geothermal. And discusses the application of biomimicry.

Video:
You can view here the The Future Makers documentary trailer.

(If you’re a YouTube fan you can find it on The Environment Show’s YouTube channel. It’s also on The Environment Show’s Current TV Channel.)

Television:
The documentary airs on the Discovery Channel on Boxing Day 26th December.

Useful links:
The Future Makers film website and news.
Review in G magazine.
Discussion in Sydney Morning Herald article ‘It’s the ultimate hottie’.

2008: only the 7th warmest year on record!

Phil Stubbs — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:40:27 +0000

2008 – a not so hot year compared to the last few, but ….. it looks like the only way is up! This is the global temperature trend since the industrial revolution.

Maybe we’re so used to hearing about global warming, the 7th warmest year on record doesn’t sound so bad. But remember most of the other warmest years have all occurred since 1998 – as you can see in the chart above.

These figures have been compiled and were released yesterday by NASA’s Goddard Institute and the World Meterological Organisation.

According to James E Hansen of the Goddard Institute, we’re building a blanket of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which will take a long time to turn around. Hansen is a campaigner for immediate and significant cuts in emissions. Otherwise he says we run the risk of the Earth becoming “a different planet” from the one humans have experienced for thousands of years. (Source: The New York Times ‘Dot Earth’ blog.)

Hansen is the guy who testified before the US Congress 20 years ago and explained that the world was heading toward dangerous climate change and we needed to do something about it.

Video:
And what response have we had from politicians since 1988? This Greenpeace TV commercial sums up two decades of our leaders leading on climate change.

Here’s a short ABC news story on the outspoken James Hansen.

And check out this more detailed doco from the PBS TV network in the US Frontline: ‘Global warming – is it getting warmer?’ Yes, the science is in, but there’s still skeptics. (Not sure the IPCC has convinced Barnaby Joyce.)

First World polluters could save Third World trees: deforestation proposal at Poznan

Phil Stubbs — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:28:36 +0000

It’s less than a year until the major UN climate change meeting in Copenhagen – where the nations of the world are meant to settle on an agreement that will take us the next step on from the Kyoto Protocol. In the lead-up to Copenhagen, nations have been meeting at Poznan in Poland to prepare the ground.

One of the many issues in the climate debate has been how to halt rampant deforestation in developing countries. Destruction of forests is a significant contributor to global warming. It’s thought to be up to 20% of the problem.

But how do we get poor countries to stop chopping down their trees when they need money for the basics we take for granted – like food and education? And as some in the developing world would argue, why should they stop when the West has already done the deed on its own forests.

On the sidelines of Poznan green groups are pitching their own solutions. In the following interview, we examine an interesting proposal from Greenpeace on deforestation. It proposes that the money generated from auctioning pollution permits in Developed countries be used to encourage Developing countries to keep their trees.

Audio: Paul Winn is Greenpeace’s ‘Forests for Climate’ campaigner. He’s speaking with Carolin Wenzel about Greenpeace’s deforestation proposal . Paul is on the ground in Poznan Poland.

Useful links:
Official 2009 Copenhagen Meeting website
Background on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Greenpeace’s Forests for Climate Report “Preserving Paradise”
Greenpeace Poznan blog
Oxfam’s Climate Change Campaign

Video:
UNFCCC Exec Sec Yvo de Boer explains what the conference is meant to achieve. And MIA President Elect Obama gives us his thoughts on climate change.

Articles:
The spin sounds good in theory, but as we’re hearing from Poznan, the reality of these climate talks is somewhat different. Check out this recent article from The Age – ‘Hot air but little else at global climate talks’. No surprise really when you get that many bureaucrats and politicians in one place.

Photo:
Let the hot air begin. The UN Climate Change Conference opening. Shot by Piotr Fajfer from Oxfam International. And you can see the reality of third wild forest logging at Phil’s photo favourites.

So what will be the fate of the Greenpeace proposal? Maybe it will plant the seed.

‘It’s time’ for a Green New Deal – an answer to climate change, peak oil and the financial crisis

Phil Stubbs — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:22:37 +0000

It’s estimated governments have collectively found about $5 trillion to rescue banks and galvanize economies. Now the Head of the United Nations Environment Program and the leaders of some European countries are saying the time is right for the world to invest substantially in renewable energy. They’re calling for a “Green New Deal” to tackle our climate, oil and credit crisis together.

Audio:
Listen to our interview with Senator Christine Milne on the Green New Deal.

Leaders of the G20 countries recently met to discuss what can be done about the global financial crisis. Spending our way out of the crisis seems to be a big part of the solution. Already we’ve seen the Australian government promise to spend more than $10 billion to stimulate its economy.

But exactly how will such vast sums of money be spent?

The “Green New Deal” calls for a massive injection of funds to radically change our economies – to make them more sustainable. It’s an idea which draws inspiration from Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” 75 years ago. A plan which helped pull the U.S. out of the Great Depression.

Video:
Van Jones is the author of the bestseller “Green Collar Jobs”. Watch Van Jones spruik the Green New Deal.

Related articles:
Here’s some interesting articles on the Green New Deal:
‘How green technology can spark economic growth’ from Newsweek magazine.
‘A Green New Deal can save the world’s economy’ from The Independent.
‘Climate crisis: Roosevelt revisited’ from the BBC.
‘7 ways to fund a Green New Deal’ from Treehugger.
‘Green New Deal makes sense but unlikely’ – opinion piece from Reuters.

Useful links:
The New Economics Foundation is a leading economic think-tank in the UK and one of the pioneers of the Green New Deal idea. Their page’‘A Green New Deal will tackle the triple crunch of credit, oil and climate’ describes the idea further.
Here also is a link to the Greens website.

More audio:
Thomas Friedman is author of the book ‘Hot, Flat and Crowded: why we need a green revolution and how it can renew America’. Listen to the ‘Living on Earth’ interview with Thomas Friedman.

Hear Bob Brown on developing a new green economy. And there’s a good discussion on the ABC’s ‘Late Night Live’ program on the Green New Deal – which includes Ann Pettifor from the New Economics Foundation and Nick Nuttall, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program.

Photo:
Sparktography, Creative Commons, Flickr

International Bicycle Film Festival rolls into town

Phil Stubbs — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:53:56 +0000

Fresh from its gig in Paris, the Bicycle Film Festival is about to start the Australian leg of its world tour. First stop Sydney this Friday and Saturday night, 14 and 15 November. Then onto Melbourne from 21 to 23 November.

Video: Have a sneak peek at ‘Perfect Circle’ – featuring Matthew Modine. (Many of the films in the festival are shorts.)

Audio: Listen to a clip from the Bicycle Film Festival movie – Perfect Circle.

The humble bicycle is an amazing thing. It can get you from A to B, doesn’t use oil, doesn’t generate pollution, costs almost nothing to run, keeps you fit and makes you feel great. It also takes cars off the road and makes cities more human.

A growing number of people are buying and riding bikes. And with it there’s a growing number of hard-core proponents. A few them are even making movies about their big bike love.

Useful links: Bicycle Film Festival Sydney program, Bicycle Film Festival Melbourne program, BFF Sydney blog.

More videos: at the Bicycle Film Festival international website.

Walk against warming (and for a green economy)

Phil Stubbs — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:39:06 +0000

The ‘Walk Against Warming‘ is on again this Saturday the 15th of November. It’s organised by a coalition of green groups and it’s no small thing. Last year there were 80,000 people in Sydney and Melbourne alone and thousands more in other places around Australia.

Yes people are aware of global warming already, but this is a chance to let the pollies know now is the time to transform our economy into a clean, green one. And be amongst heaps of other people who feel the same way.

Useful links: Walk Against Warming website shows where and when it’s on.

Video: Watch this 2007 Walk Against Warming video, including speech by Bob Brown. Shows the mood for change on the issue of climate change – two weeks before the ousting of the conservative government.

Photo: The Walk Against Warming in Sydney, courtesy of Erland Howell from the Nature Conservation Council.

Why Australia has the best beaches (from the man who’s been to every one)

Phil Stubbs — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 04:13:41 +0000

Theres one person whos been to every beach in Australia – all 12,000 of them. It’s Professor Andy Short, Director of the Coastal Studies Unit at the University of Sydney. In this interview Andy explains how he came to visit every one and why Australia has the world’s best beaches – by far.

Audio: Interview with Prof Andrew Short on why Australia’s beaches are best.

Useful link: How Australia got the world’s best beaches (Herald article)

Photo: Not bad for the middle of Australia’s largest city hey? The infamous ‘Bra’ – Maroubra Beach. My local. (Where I go to wake up in the morning.) Shot by betta design.

National Surfing Reserves: Australia recognises its iconic surf sites

Phil Stubbs — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 05:52:55 +0000

Not that long ago, surfing was seen as a renegade sport in Australia. In the early 60’s, surfers were even required to have a license to use some beaches. Just how far things have come can be seen in the establishment of a number of ‘National Surfing Reserves’ in recent years.

Audio: Interview with Andrew Short on Australia’s Surfing Reserves.

These reserves recognise the iconic nature of the sites and the special bond surfers have with them. In New South Wales they’ve been gazetted under state law.

The following places have been designated as Surfing Reserves so far: Maroubra, Angourie, Lennox Head, Crescent Head, Cronulla and Bell’s Beach.

Useful links: This article by Neil Lazarow goes into more detail. It’s entitled ‘What is a Surfing Reserve and why should surfers care about them?’ And here’s the official spiel from the NSW government on National Surfing Reserves.

Photo: Lennox Head locals and the National Surfing Reserves Australia committee. Lennox was recognised earlier in the year. (The point break, just below here, ‘goes off’ when there’s big swell.)

James Woodford’s grid-life crisis: one man’s journey to leave the city and live sustainably

Phil Stubbs — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 13:00:51 +0000

Lots of people dream of making a ’sea change’ to escape the rat race of the city. Some people even do it.

But how many leave with the intention of living sustainably? To live on the land, grow their own food, generate their own power and water, and even restore their new patch closer to its original, natural state. James Woodford and his family are working on just that.

Audio: Interview with James Woodford about his new book ‘Real Dirt’.

And no James, isn’t a hippy. He loves sushi as much as any inner-city dweller, and for a long time was an ambitious journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald.

Just how he came to be living on a beautiful stretch of the South Coast and slaughtering his own chooks is documented in his new book ‘Real Dirt: how I beat my grid-life crisis’. It’s a very personal account of “what you have to go through to get to where you want to be.”

I read it recently and got decidedly itchey feet myself. I then spoke with James by phone – at the place he now proudly calls home.

Useful links: This and other books by James Woodford are available through Text Publishing. There’s more of his James’s writing on his blog – Real Dirt. And here’s an excerpt from the ‘Real Dirt’ book – recently published in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Photo: James Woodford, environment journalist and “footprint changer”, at his true home on the South Coast of New South Wales.

Bicycles v cars: Adam Spencer on city commuting

Phil Stubbs — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:54:17 +0000

You may know Adam Spencer as a presenter of ABC Radio in Sydney and from ABC TV. But did you know he cycles everywhere and hardly ever drives?

In the lead up to ‘Ride to Work Day’, Adam goes into bat for the bike. In fact, in this interview he says what he really thinks of the constant hoo-haa about building more roads and tunnels in our cities. And doing the traffic report when you don’t drive a car.

Audio: Listen to our interview with Adam Spencer on why the bike is better.

Video: Adam Spencer also has a gentle word about the price of petrol.

Adam initially started cycling to loose weight. (Do you remember the pudgey comedian of the nineties?) But once he started, he got hooked. Now he uses his bike as his vehicle of choice.

This coming Wednesday is National Ride to Work Day. The aim of the day is to raise the profile of the humble bicycle as a way of commuting and encourage newcomers to try it out.

On the eve of the day we thought we’d let Adam put the case.

Not convinced of the advantages? How about a free breakfast to encourage you to give it a go? There are free breakfasts all over the country for people who take part in Ride to Work Day. One of the Sydney ones is at Hyde Park South.

Useful links: The Ride to Work Day website has more information about the day. (They’re keen for people to register so they can keep track of the numbers.)

Photo: Adam Spencer, cycling advocate and sometime ABC presenter, at Live Earth. Shot by James Kirsop.

Why Germany has 1000% more solar power, with half the sunshine

Phil Stubbs — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 10:01:25 +0000

A decade ago Germanys uptake of solar energy was on par with Australia. But thanks to an innovative financial incentive, Germany has surged ahead. So much so, its renewable energy is now a mainstream industry and a leading employer in that country.

Audio: Markus Lambert explains the effect the electricity feed-in tariff has had in Germany.

A key driver of renewables in Germany has been the introduction of an electricity feed-in tariff. The scheme views households and businesses producing renewable energy as mini-power stations and pays them for the power they generate.

Here in Australia, Victoria and South Australia have recently introduced versions of the tariff, and one is about to launch in the ACT. New South Wales is yet to try the scheme, but the State Opposition has vowed to implement one if it’s elected in 2011.

Markus Lambert is a German now working for local renewable energy firm Energy Matters. In this podcast he explains the effect the feed-in tariff has had in Germany.

Useful link: The Energy Matters website explains the difference between a net feed-in tariff and a gross feed-in tariff. And what each of the state governments in Australia are offering. The renewables industry is pushing for a gross feed-in tariff.

Interest in sustainable housing goes through the roof!

Phil Stubbs — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:29:01 +0000

The number of ’sustainable houses’ is growing worldwide. And if you’re interested in making your place more sustainable, the best way to get going is to see one in action.

But where are they? This weekend is Sustainable House Day (which in fact runs Saturday and Sunday) when some of Australia’s best sustainable houses will be open to the public.

Audio: Interview with Judy Celmins from Sustainable House Day.

Sustainable houses cleverly manage energy, water and waste. Some drawing no electricity from the grid, no water from the mains and generating next to no waste.

There’s not many around. But they’re certainly growing. There’s probably even one near you. So go and check them out.

Links: The Sustainable House Day website has the houses that’ll be open, where they are and their features.

Article: Recent story from the Sydney Morning Herald on sustainable housing.

The Cars That Ate China, Part 1 (how Western auto makers are scrambling to feed the beast)

Phil — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:25:25 +0000

At the recent Sydney Film Festival I saw a great new documentary called ‘The Cars That Ate China’. In this podcast the director Stefan Moore discusses the background to the film and we hear a clip with Joe White, China correspondent for the Wall Street Journal.

Joe takes us to the Beijing car show and explains how foreign car makers are piling into China to make a killing in the last big score in car manufacturing.

Audio: Listen to The Cars That Ate China interview and movie podcast – part 1, Joe White and the Beijing Car Show.

Link: More about the film on the makers’ website Jumping Dog Productions.

Photo: Commutr, Creative Commons, Flickr

The Cars That Ate China, Part 2 (why the Chinese have gone car mad)

Phil Stubbs — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:10:59 +0000

Western marketing has moved into China in a big way. In this podcast we hear a clip from the film ‘The Cars That Ate China’ with Tom Doctoroff from J Walter Thompson Advertising. He explains how marketers have tapped into Chinese thinking. And specifically why the Chinese have gone so nuts about getting a car.

Audio: Listen to The Cars that Ate China movie podcast – part 2, Tom Doctoroff on Chinese consumer behaviour.

Photo: decade_null, Creative Commons, Flickr.

The Cars That Ate China, Part 3 (implications for the world’s environment)

Phil Stubbs — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:05:06 +0000

Industrialisation and consumerism at warp speed – China’s economy is growing so rapidly and there are so many people in that country, we will need 4 planets of resources to cope with the demand. In this podcast we hear from James Kyng who wrote the book ‘China Shakes the World’. He introduces us to the implications for the world’s environment of China’s mad rush to prosperity.

Audio: Listen to The Cars That Ate China movie podcast – part 3, James Kyng on the implications for the world’s environment.

The Cars That Ate China – epilogue

Phil Stubbs — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 09:00:58 +0000

China now has car hoons too. A new generation of hot rodding has grown up as China taken to the car. (Another interesting revelation from the film.) In this podcast we also hear some of the Chinese hip hop music that’s currently firing up Beijing’s young petrol heads.

Audio: Listen to the final bit of the interview with Stefan Moore, director of the film The Cars That Ate China.

Green business sees opportunity in a lower carbon economy

Phil Stubbs — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:12:49 +0000

Instead of banging on about risks, threats and costs, some in business have seen what needs to be done and are just getting on with it. We’re talking here about how our economy will need to change if we’re ever going to deal with climate change.

In this interview Fiona Wain, CEO of Environment Business Australia, tells us about the opportunities for business and some of the interesting green business innovations on the go – some we rarely hear about.

Sydney City Farm struggles to plant its roots

Phil Stubbs — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 07:35:13 +0000

Will Sydney get its own urban farm? In the first of our series on city farms, we look at the proposal to put an organic farm at Callan Park in the city’s inner west.

The proposal draws ideas from successful farms that have ready been established in places like Melbourne and London. And the site is a beautiful location right on the harbour and in the grounds of the now abandoned mental hospital.

It all sounds good, apart from the fact that the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority have not included the farm in their plans for the whole site and a final decision is going to be made on its future use soon.

Audio podcast
In this interview I speak with Rod Simpson and Andrew Jackson from Sydney City Farm. Andrew is the head of this non-profit organisation and Rod is the architect and designer behind the plan. You can listen here to the Sydney City Farm interview. It starts with Rod Simpson.

How to support the Sydney City Farm
If you think the farm is a good idea, there’s a couple of things you can do. Join the mailing list at www.sydneycityfarm.org and write to the New South Wales Planning Minister and to the Vice Chancellor of Sydney Uni to ask them to include the farm in their plans.

More info on Sydney City Farm
More on the farm in this article from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Do your own thing
If you want to join or start a community garden where you live, check out the Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network.

Garnaut lashes out at climate change sceptics (in his own gentile way)

Phil Stubbs — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:52:28 +0000

The good professor has a message for the sceptics who still don’t believe in climate change and the scaremongers who would have us believe the sky will fall in if we re-gear our economy to lower our carbon emissions. Listen to the podcast interview with Ross Garnaut on climate change.

Climate change – the mother of all environmental issues

Phil Stubbs — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:02:40 +0000

The program for this week is on climate change. And specifically the Garnaut Review and where Australia is headed. We have an interview with Professor Ross Garnaut and comments from leading green and business groups. Check out the show live to air on Thursday 17 July at 9am – streamed live at 2ser or on your wireless at 107.3fm. You can also download segments onto your ipod through the itunes store.

And we have these videos from the Garnaut Forum. In fact you can even rate what he has to say. In this video, the good professor lashes out at the sceptics (in his own gentile way):

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Here’s what Ross said when asked why Australia should act when other countries aren’t:
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And here’s what Professor Garnaut had to say about compensating the coal industry:
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The new carbon emissions trading scheme: will it be choked by competing ambitions?

Phil Stubbs — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:23:55 +0000

A carbon emissions trading scheme is coming soon. In 18 months in fact. But what will it look like?

It seems the two majors parties are heading for a showdown on the shape of it. And thrown into the mix is a newly configured senate. A strange assortment of new powerbrokers – The Greens, Family First and Mr X – may well determine the new scheme’s fate.

This segment came out of our regular review of key environment news. Each week we speak to one of the country’s leading environmental journalists to find out what’s happening. This week, we talk to Ben Cubby, the Sydney Morning Herald’s Chief Environment Reporter. Listen to The Environment Show’s interview on the latest carbon trading scheme news.

The car lobby lobs back – on peak oil and the Fuelwatch ad

Phil Stubbs — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:43:10 +0000

The car lobby is given the right of reply in this podcast. I speak with Alan Evans, President of the NRMA, Australia’s largest motoring body. He says the GetUp organisation need to get real. To build public transport to all parts of Sydney and into the country is simply not going to happen. That people are always going to have a need for mobility. And since most of the growth of the traffic in our cities is commercial operators, do we really want to see refrigerators being wheeled onto a train instead? Listen to the interview with Alan Evans from the NRMA – on cars, public transport, fuel price increases and peak oil.

FuelWatch ad: the future is f***ing expensive

Phil Stubbs — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:00:53 +0000

This commercial takes the p**s out of the government’s FuelWatch scheme. Made by GetUp to make the point that we need long term planning for a sustainable transport system.

Watch the FuelWatch commercial.

Is peak oil more urgent than climate change?

Phil Stubbs — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:38:58 +0000

In this interview I speak with Bruce Robinson, Convenor of the Australian Association for the Study of Peak Oil. (ASPO is a leading international group of concerned scientists on the issue.)

Bruce says governments should be informing people and preparing our economies now for peak oil, the inevitable declining rate of oil production.
Listen to the podcast interview with Bruce Robinson (from the Association for the Study of Peak Oil.)

Peak oil: the world’s looming oil crisis

Phil — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:41:28 +0000

In case you hadnt noticed, the price of oil is on the march. And there’s analysts saying we’ll look back at 2008 in the years to come and think we were lucky. That petrol was cheap.

So what is happening with oil?

There’s no doubt the world’s demand for oil is increasing in a big way. What is in contention is the world’s supply.

A growing number of experts are saying we won’t be able to keep up with the world’s insatiable demand. And in fact, we’ve reached a tipping point. The term they’re using is ‘peak oil’.

In this interview, Michael Lardelli from the University of Adelaide sounds the alarm bells. Listen to the interview with Michael Lardelli on peak oil.

New environmental radio show on 2ser (107.3 fm) in Sydney on Thursdays 9am

Phil — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:00:40 +0000

Australia’s no. 1 environmental podcast is launching a weekly half-hour program on Radio 2ser. (107.3fm in Sydney.) It’s Thursdays 9 to 9.30 am.

We also have a number of other media channels on the go:

Check out The Environment Show’s online community and social network. The site allows you to meet other like-minded souls, create your own groups, post ideas on the environment, ask questions, put up photos of pristine natural environments you’ve travelled to, and promote your environmental cause or enterprise. Like facebook, only better.

(Actually, we have an Environment Show facebook group for the diehard facebook fans, but we think our official site (on ning) may be better. Check them out and decide for yourself.)

And at the Environment Show, we’re interested in visuals as as well as audio. You’re welcome to join our community site and post photos directly to it or join the Flickr site for The Environment Show Community. Show off the pristine, natural places you’ve been to. And any shots to do with environmental issues or innovations.

Catch you on the airwaves. The first shows cover peak oil, planning cities for people and permaculture. And we’ve lined up a weekly check-in with Ben Cubby, environment reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald. Hope you can join us. Cheers, Phil.

‘Sharkwater’ will change how you think of sharks

Phil — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:23:05 +0000

Sharks have had a pretty bad rap for a long time. Now a new film, busts the myths about sharks and highlights the dire situation for shark populations around the world.

Rob Stewart, an underwater photographer, set out to show the beauty of sharks in his film ‘Sharkwater’, but stumbled instead onto the billion dollar shark fin industry. He found sharks having their fins cut off and their bodies thrown back in the ocean on a large scale. All to supply the demand for shark fin soup in Asia.

I went to see the film, then tracked down the director – who was in Paris on his way to Cannes – to flesh out the story. Click here to listen to the interview with the PR Manager for sharks, Rob Stewart.

Check out the trailer and the making of the Sharkwater film.

And if you want to help, you can adopt a shark through the Nature Conservation Council. They’re one of the few organisations campaigning to protect sharks in Australia.

Just add water (to food labels)

Phil — Sat, 03 May 2008 02:54:14 +0000

Here in Australia we know we should be watching how much water we use for things like showers, gardens and washing cars.

But really, it’s a drop in the ocean compared to how much water goes into the products we consume.

Now an Australian academic has proposed that the amount of water used in making food and other items be clearly shown on product labeling. Listen to the interview with James Hazelton.

To see how much water goes into making different products, check out www.waterfootprint.org.

Biofuels: blessing or curse?

Phil — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:11:39 +0000

In many developed countries food prices have skyrocketed. So much so there’s been riots and demonstrations in a range of countries from Cameroon and Senegal to Haiti, Mexico and Egypt. One factor is believed to be the increasing use of crops to produce biofuels rather than food.

So is biofuel an important solution to our transport energy needs. Or is it creating problems the world doesn’t need?

To find out more about biofuels and the situation for biofuels in Australia, I spoke with the CSIRO’s biofuels expert Deborah O’Connell. I started by asking where biofuels come from. Listen to the biofuels interview.

Grow your own says The Green Gardener

Phil — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:30:49 +0000

Josh Byrne is a presenter on the ABCs Garden Show. He’s also written a book called ‘The Green Gardener’.

Josh reckons people have seen the light and are now using their backyards to grow food. In this interview, he talks about how to go about grow your own, making your garden sustainable and the role of permaculture in his work. Listen to the Josh Byrne Green Gardener interview.

I caught up with Josh at the Australian Permaculture Convergence.

Back to the backyard: the permaculture answer to peak oil

Phil — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 07:19:54 +0000

Permaculture is real counter-culture. Thats what I thought after attending the Australian Permaculture Convergence last weekend.

It combines traditional farming techniques and thinking about nature with modern technology to enable people to live differently to how most of us live. To live in a truly sustainable way.

In this interview, I tracked down David Holmgren, the co-originator of permaculture, at the conference.

Interestingly, having originally developed the idea in response to the oil crisis of the 70’s, David reckons permaculture is the answer to our looming energy crisis. With peak oil, permaculture is more relevant than ever.

Cataret Islands: world’s first climate change refugees?

Phil — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:14:03 +0000

As the world continues to debate what to do about climate change, the people living on a small atoll to Australia’s north are about to become our region’s first climate change refugees.

The Cartaret Islands, north east of PNG, are only a metre above sea level. Each year tidal surges on the island get bigger.

The tides have damaged the islands’ fresh water sources and food growing areas. To the point where the people of The Cartarets are now planning to evacuate to nearby Bougainville. It’s estimated their island will be unihabitable by 2015.

Phil spoke with Charlotte Sterrett, Climate Campaigner for Oxfam Australia, to find out more about the situation and what can be done. Listen to the interview.

Sea Shepherd captain claims he was shot by Japanese whalers

Phil — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 06:14:48 +0000

Paul Watson claims he was hit by a bullet during the latest clash with whalers in Antarctic waters. Read more.

But the Japanese deny the claim. Read more.

For more on whaling and Watson, check out past Environment Show stories.

Meanwhile, there’s talk of Japan halting its “scientific” whaling in the Antarctic in return for a resumption of commercial whaling off its own coast. Read more.

Jan Gehl – the urban planning rock star (part 2)

Phil — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:00:31 +0000

Cities like Sydney and New York can shake their car culture and get people to walk and ride bikes. It can be done. It’s happened in Copenhagen. It’s even part of the Danish national health policy. Jan Gehl tells us all about it.

He also tells us about the transformation of the Melbourne CBD (thanks to his plans.)

More common sense and dry Scandinavian humour from the urban planning rock star.

The ‘urban planning rock star’ changing city environments around the world

Phil — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:12:48 +0000

Wall to wall vehicles. Thats how Jan Gehl describes Sydney’s CBD. He says Sydney has squandered its beauty and it’s time something was done about it.

Professor Gehl was commissioned by the City of Sydney to re-think its centre. He’s proposed to divert cars and give streets back to the people. Sound radical? His plans have been implemented in other cities like Copenhagen and Melbourne, and surprise, they’ve made life heaps better. And, interestingly, not just for people. Businesses have thrived too.

Check this interview out – Jan’s quite a character. No wonder he’s been called an ‘urban planning rock star’.

His next commission, by the way, is to develop a plan for New York City.

Major parties fail the green test

Phil — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:53:34 +0000

What do green groups think of Peter Garrett? I asked the Australian Conservation Foundation’s Campaign Director, Denise Boyd. The interview followed ACF’s analysis of the environment policies of Australia’s political parties. Both major parties, including Garrett’s Labor party, failed the test.

Listen to this independent rating of our political parties.

The interview was just prior to the election last year. Following the success of Labor in the election, Peter Garrett has become Australia’s Environment Minister.

(If you’re reading this from outside Australia, you may know Garrett as the lead singer of the band Midnight Oil. After many years of activism on environmental issues, including a stint as head of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Garrett re-invented himself as a politician.)

Community supported agriculture: a new way to get your fruit and veg

Phil — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:30:08 +0000

Ever dreamed of having your own farm? Don’t have the capital, the time or the expertise? Here’s a way for you have a direct connection with a farm and still live in the city.

It’s called ‘community supported agriculture’ and it’s rapidly growing in the U.S. Under the scheme, you pay the CSA farmer up front for a season. Not only do you get a regular box of produce, you can also get involved in the farm, help pick the fruit and vegies, and take your kids out there to show them where their food comes from.

Many of these farms also use organic practices and some biodynamics.

John Peterson has a successful organic CSA farm in the Mid-West of the U.S.. He had quite a ride with his family farm, almost losing the lot before he switched to CSA farming some years ago. John has documented his life and struggles in a great film entitled ‘The Real Dirt on Farmer John’.

I interviewed Farmer John about community supported agriculture when he came out to promote his doco. Listen to the Farmer John interview. You can find out more about the farm and find the film at: http://www.angelicorganics.com/ The film is worth tracking down. Margaret Pomeranz gave it 4 stars.

Do we need desalination when rain goes down the drain?

Phil — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:08:48 +0000

Is desalination the answer to the water shortages in Australian cities when we waste so much water? Or do we need the desal “insurance policy” for our water supply as the politicans say?

I spoke with Kate Noble, sustainable cities campaigner for the Australian Conservation Foundation, to find out. Listen to the desalination interview with Kate Noble.

Many state governments in Australia are well on the way to building desalination plants. The New South Wales and Victorian governments are forging ahead and the Western Australian government already has its plant in operation.

Why won’t the government seriously back rainwater tanks?

Phil — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:44:27 +0000

Bucketloads of water went down the drain in the last few weeks here. Wouldn’t it be good if people collected it? Isn’t that water better than any stuff that might be recycled from poo. Or taken from the ocean? Or pumped from a dam with an algal bloom in it?

I spoke to Sam McGuiness from the Nature Conservation Council to find out why governments won’t seriously get behind rainwater tanks. I mean so we’ve all got one and we stop loosing good water we’re going to need in the near future. Listen to the water tank interview with Sam McGuiness.

Dr Karl: clean coal is a furphy

Phil — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:41:14 +0000

Dr Karl gets down and dirty on ‘clean coal’. Is it a furphy? A key part of clean coal is burying CO2 under ground. Isn’t this the kind of thinking that got us in this mess in the first place? Listen to the Clean Coal Dr Karl interview.

Howard ignored climate change and lost: election day vox pops

Phil — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 23:08:23 +0000

The previous conservative government in Australia may well have been the first in the world to have lost office because it ignored climate change (and refused to sign the Kyoto protocol.)

The day of the election at the end of 2007, I went to a polling both to gauge the mood of the people – for change generally and to check the importance of the environment in their decision making. Listen here to what they had to say: election day vox pops.

The booth was at Sydney’s Bondi Beach in the contentious seat of Wentworth. Wentworth was held by Malcolm Turnbull – who was at that stage Environment Minister.

Byron Bay: nature has more in store

Phil — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 07:40:53 +0000

Ever been to Byron Bay? I have, just recently. And each year hordes of international visitors and Australians go there. Why wouldn’t you? Nature has carved out one of the most brilliant, beautiful coastal niches in the world.

But most visitors would be oblivious to the fact nature hasn’t quite finished its work there. And with climate change, it may be working overtime to bring some changes which may be a tad unwelcome – particularly for the rich folk who’ve built their designer houses right on the sand dunes. I spoke to Australia’s leading coastal expert Professor Bruce Thom (of the Wentworth Group of Scientists) to explore what nature has in store for Byron. Listen to the Byron Bay – Bruce Thom interview.

An important listen if you’re going to spent some time at Byron in the future.

‘Into the Wild’ film review and interview with author Jon Krakauer

Phil — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:22:25 +0000

This is a review of the Sean Penn film Into the Wild. You may be interested in this one if you’ve ever had the itch to ditch your hum-drum routine and see the world. The real world. It includes an interview with author Jon Krakauer who wrote the original book.

Listen to the ‘Into the Wild’ film review.

Why are the Japanese so hell-bent on killing whales?

Phil — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:46:14 +0000

Another year begins and whaling is in the news again, with two activist groups disrupting the activities of Japanese whaling vessels.

Both Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd argue the Japanese whalers are carrying out commercial operations in what has been designated by Australia as a whale sanctuary. But the Japanese don’t recognise Australia’s territorial claim or the sanctuary and continue to argue strongly their culling of whales is for scientific purposes, a line that’s hotly contested by the green groups.

I’ve been following the whaling story for awhile and have been intrigued by the sheer determination of the Japanese fishing fleet to continue whaling despite strong opposition from many quarters, including Australia, a nation that would normally be an ally of Japan.

I spoke to Junichi Sato, Oceans Project Leader for Greenpeace Japan, to get a better understanding of why these Japanese are so hell-bent on whaling.

Whaling interview – with Junichi Sato Greenpeace Japan

Paul Watson: eco-terrorist or eco-hero?

Phil — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:30:10 +0000

Sea Shepherd tangle with Japanese Whalers in the Antarctic

Paul Watson is a man on a mission. He has played a leading role in alerting the world to what he calls the illegal actvities of Japanese whalers. In 2007 I spoke by satellite phone to Paul in the Antarctic, the day after his ship the Farley Mowatt had chased down and collided with a Japanese whaling vessel. Click on the link above to play this podcast.

Following is a link to an emotive video posted by Watson’s organisation Sea Shepherd on YouTube. It explains where he’s coming from:

Wikipedia sums up some opposing views on Watson:

“Paul Watson has been denounced as an ecoterrorist. Some former colleagues in Greenpeace have distanced themselves from him. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Jim Bohlen, one of the founders of Greenpeace, said: ‘I’ve known the guy for 15 years, and he’s absolutely insane’.”

“Thus far, all attempts at prosecuting Watson have failed. Watson defends his actions as falling within international law and Sea Shepherd’s right to enforce maritime regulations against illegal whalers.”

What’s the latest? Well, the new Rudd government in Australia appears to be taking Watson’s outcries more seriously, recently sending a large Australian Customs vessel to monitor the Japanese whalers and gather evidence which may be used in international courts against them.

There’s more on the new Australian government’s stance in this ABC story just prior to Christmas. Click here.

Expect to see Paul’s ship tangling again with the Japanese on a TV screen near you. They’re down there now. How he finds them, I don’t know. Next interview.

And now time for an ad break …. (animators get political)

Phil — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A compacted view of what commerce is doing to the planet.

Actually, I do have a Commerce degree, and I have worked in the corporate world, but this commercial is pretty good and pretty telling.

But it doesn’t have to be like this. If business worked more like nature (in a cyclical instead of linear way), we’d all be better off. Check out the ‘Ecology of Commerce’ by Paul Hawken for more detail on how and why. And there are businesses which are right now learning from nature. Interface Carpets is probably the most well known.

I intend to feature this kind of new entrepreneurship on The Show this year.

Trouble at mill – Gunns (the largest pulp mill in the southern hemisphere)

Phil — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 01:42:12 +0000

The key issues in the Gunns Pulp Mill controversy, as discussed with Sean Cadman from The Wilderness Society.

Late last year the Australian government gave the go-ahead to building what will be one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest pulp mills. The Gunns Pulp Miill is planned for the state of Tasmania, the scene of many epic environmental battles due to its pristine nature. Prior to the recent election, both major parties in Australia supported the mill.

The previous Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, emphasized his decision to approve the mill was based on science. What the minister didn’t emphasize was the limited terms of reference of the review by the Commonwealth’s Chief Scientist.

His review concentrated on threatened and migratory animal species and the effect on marine environment. According to critics such as The Wilderness Society, important issues remain untested. These include the impact of the mill on Tasmania’s wild forests (the source of timber for the mill), emissions from the plant and the impact of the mill on local business. And many still have doubts about the mill’s effect on the marine environment

Following is a link to the video ‘Pulp Friction’ which was posted on YouTube. It attempts to address both sides of the argument.

And this is a link to The Wilderness Society video on Gunns, also on YouTube:

All of which begs the question, what will the new environment minister do? (For our international readers, that’s the bald bloke who formerly fronted the band Midnight Oil.) Peter Garrett ‘played the game’ during the recent federal election in order to win power, but now he’s there what will he do with it? The Gunns story has gone quiet now the election is over, but for how long?

What is carbon trading and can it work?

Phil — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:45:58 +0000

How do we go about reducing our carbon emissions? Increasingly we’re hearing about carbon trading, but what exactly is carbon trading, aren’t there schemes running already, do they work, and what’s the best configuration for Australia?

Phil Stubbs spoke to Matt Dever from Emit Environmental Brokers to find out.

For a fuller explanation, I’ve added this link to a video interview with Dr Andrew Sentance who was formerly the Head of Environment for British Airways. It was produced by Warwick iCAST and can be found on YouTube.

And for more on the European carbon trading system (which is well down the track), there’s a link below to a video prepared by European channel EUX.TVand loaded to YouTube.

Kayaker explains why he paddled from Australia to NZ

Phil — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 00:11:50 +0000

James Castrission discusses: why they did it, the highs and lows of the trip, his sea legs, what he and his partner Justin Jones missed most from their old lives, and how they felt about hitting dry land. Why they did it and the highs and lows (Catrission 1)

Castrission speaks by satellite phone in an exclusive interview about the expedition to be the first to cross the Tasman Sea – from Australia to New Zeland with kayaking partner Justin Jones. At the time of the interview, James and Justin were out on the Tasman, 115 kilmetres short of NZ. A few kilometres later, they were to sight Mt Taranaki in New Zealand and paddle non-stop, flat out to reach their goal. This was their last interview in the midst of their journey.

Kayaker tells of 4m shark and “the massive whirlpool”

Phil — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:45:55 +0000

James Castrission tells of the 4 metre shark that tested if their kayak was food. And the massive whirlpool which forced them to paddle back towards Australia to get out of it and thereby loose 10 days. (In fact the boys paddled an extra 1000km.) Sharks and whirlpool (Castrission 4)

Kayaker speaks about sleep deprivation training, the vast ocean, the next trip and Justin

Phil — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:30:00 +0000

James Castrission discusses training (including sleep deprivation exercises), his friendship with Justin, their next trip and feeling small in the vast ocean. Sleep deprivation, Justin, the next trip, and the vast ocean (Catrission 2)

Kayaker describes how their use of the net has re-shaped expeditioning

Phil — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:18:07 +0000

James Castrission discusses how their use of the internet has re-shaped expeditioning, why their expedition has been so professional, their thoughts on Andrew McAuley who a year earlier had disappeared 90km short, the relentless gnawing of the sea on them and their gear, and why their daily washing was so critical. How the internet has re-shaped expeditions (Catrission 3)

Kayaker speaks about food, beer and life after the expedition

Phil — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:08:56 +0000

James Castrission discusses the “ravenous mind” (food), beer, how he’s changed as a person, the welcome in New Plymouth and life after the expediton. Food, beer, and life after the expedition (Catrission 5)

Kayakers conquer ocean’s Everest

Phil — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:00:25 +0000

Two Australians’ determination to paddle from Australia to New Zealand demonstrate the hallmarks of the late Sir Edmund Hillary.Click on this link to see the SMH news article on Sir Ed Hillary, who along with Tenzing Norgay, were the first to climb Mt Everest.

Click on this link for an article from the Sydney Morning Herald on the kayakers and how they’ve almost reached NZ. My satellite phone interview with James Castrission gets a mention.

Just a few days before his recent death, Sir Edmund Hillary had been planning to meet the two young Australian kayakers who had the courage to paddle for two months from Australia across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand.

After paddling 2000 kilometres, kayakers James Castrission and Justin Jones are now within kilometres of achieving their goal, but will miss out on meeting the legendary New Zealander Hillary following his passing last Friday.

There are echoes of Hillary though in the tenacity and determination of the kayakers’ expedition. No one has yet paddled a kayak between the two countries. A year ago Australian adventurer Andrew McAuley tragically disappeared just 90 kilometres short.

Conditions on the Tasman Sea, casually referred to by New Zealanders as “the ditch”, are in fact notoriously difficult and Catrission and Jones have not been spared.

With a short distance to go, Castrission spoke by satellite phone with Phil Stubbs for The Environment Show. The pair come across as remarkably positive and determined which is extraordinary given what they’ve been through and the photos which clearly show they look physically knackered.

Sleep deprivation was probably the worst part of the trip Castrission told me. The pair went without sleep for long periods, almost 4 days at one stage, when they were battered by huge swells of up to 10 metres and spent days on end stuck in their cabin “being tossed around like a sock in a washing machine”. The swells a consequence of a cyclone north of New Zealand.

They’ve pair have done it tough too with currents. When they left Foster, the Eastern Australian Current gave them huge distance toward NZ in only a few days. Half way across the Tasman though, they got stuck in a massive eddy which pulled them backwards, so much so they ended up being back where they were 10 days before. Incredibly, Castrission and Jones decided to paddle west back to Australia to get themselves out of the whirlpool. And in the last few days, frustratingly close to finishing, the pair were trapped in another eddy caused by the NZ continental shelf.

The duo have been posting podcasts to their internet site throughout their trip. The standout for me is the ’shark’ podcast. They had 2 and 4 metre sharks circling them for an hour and banging up against their hull. Justin and James had to go to sleep that night knowing those sharks were only centimetres away from their heads.

James and Justin are two remarkable young Australians. The determination and professionalism of their expedition is impressive, particularly given they are in their mid-20’s now and started preparing for this trip in their early 20’s. It’s that determination which will get them over the line. Like marathon runners though, I reckon they may collapse in a heap when they get there. And they may not have enough strength in their legs to stand as their muscles have slowly deteriorated over the two months of paddling.

A huge welcome is expected in New Plymouth, south Auckland, where the pair are expected to land. Depending on weather and current conditions, they are expected to arrive on Sunday, but keep watching their site.

I asked James Castrission if he would be adverse to a Kiwi bringing out a beer each for them when they got close to the coast. He didn’t say no.

You can see how close the pair are, hear previous podcasts and write them a message at: www.crossingtheditch.com.au I am compiling a ‘best of’ their podcasts from “The Ditch” for the team’s managers Race Recon. Check their site again for it on Monday 21 January.

How Australia got the world’s best beaches

Phil — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:46:02 +0000

Being a beach man, I’ve often gone and checked out the beaches of other countries when I’ve been travelling the world. People have said, “you must go and see such and such beach.” And they’ve always been disappointing. Haven’t seen anything to match what we have in Australia.

Click on this interesting article from the Sydney Morning Herald to find out how we got them.

The article also mentions one small catch with our love affair with the beach. Sand formations can change rapidly, which is bad news for the thousands of people with homes in prime beachfront positions – given current cliimate change predictions.

Anyway, where else in the world does have the best beaches? I’d be keen to know if there’s some good ones I’ve missed. Don’t say Thailiand or Greece, because they didn’t cut the mustard. (Tips on good surf breaks for long boards are welcome too.)

Here’s the big picture

Phil — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:59:36 +0000

Above is a link to a great video on YouTube. It provides a good, simple explanation of how and why old-fashioned commerce is damaging the planet. (Part 1 is first up. Click on the ‘menu’ to bring up the other parts after that. Each is a few minutes long.)

What’s the answer? Bring on the second (smarter) industrial revolution where business works in a cyclical way like nature. More on this idea in Hawken’s book ‘The Ecology of Commerce’.

U.S. cities act local, while the boss refuses to think global

Phil — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 23:00:05 +0000

George Bush may have refused to sign up to emissions targets set by the Kyoto Protocol and been a reluctant partner at the recent Bali climate change conference, but in his home state of Texas, local authorites are taking matters into their own hands and getting on with the job of trying to meet the standards of Kyoto.

Cities like Austin have been making some of the most progressive changes in the US. The action of these cities in Texas and states like California shows the other side of the U.S. coin. And they show there’s plenty more Australian cities could be doing.

Following is a link to a news story by Aljazeera which has been posted to YouTube.

Binding carbon emission targets: is it really the end of the world as we know it?

Phil — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 22:00:00 +0000

All countries now seem to agree carbon emissions need to be reduced, but debate continues over the setting of targets for each nation.

The U.S. government under George Bush has refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol and refused to commit to binding carbon emission targets. Following the change of government, Australia with Kevin Rudd now at the helm, is still being coy about specifying a target, despite having signed the Protocol.

Phil Stubbs spoke with Julien Gronbach from Greenpeace to clear the air on binding emission targets. Click on the following link to play this podcast. (To come.)

About Phil Stubbs

Phil — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:30:21 +0000

Phil Stubbs is an environmental journalist, producer, blogger and podcaster. He is a regular contributor to Radio 2SER. (Sydney Educational Radio which broadcasts out of the University of Technology Sydney.)

Phil lives near the ocean in Sydney. His work keeps him in the city, but he’s really most at home when he’s off ‘into the wild’.

Phil has over 15 years experience in the media. He has worked as a journalist, corporate communication strategist, writer, producer, ad exec and media lecturer at university. In his spare time he’s been a DJ, film & music reviewer, surf instructor and outdoor guide. And he’s done a stint as marketing manager for the outdoor education organisation Outward Bound Australia.

Phil has had a long interest in the environment. He’s chuffed it’s getting more attention in the media, but believes there’s plenty more to do to make it more accessible.

Phil is keen to help people re-connect with the real world: nature. He believes we all share that bond at a very basic level – and the more we realise it, the less likely we’ll be to trash the joint.

And he believes many of the answers to our current environmental challenges are just common sense and are already there for us. His goal is to unearth them and present them in ways which are easy for people to understand and connect with, so they become mainstream rather than fringe ideas.

The Environment Show is Phil’s vehicle.

Keep watching this space. There’s heaps more to come. Including podcasts and a radical upgrade of the site in 2008. We’re just starting out and your feedback is very welcome.

Special thanks to the Stubbs family: my brother Matt for his IT genius and support, my sister Jen for believing in me, my 3 year old Archie for his brilliant lateral thinking and humour, my father John for introducing me to the ocean (which I love so much) and for helping when I needed it, and my mother Joan for showing me the beauty of nature and the importance of making the most of every day on this earth. We miss you mum. You would have liked this show. (Though my grammar would have got a shallacking.)

The Environment Show Blogs On

Phil — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:00:18 +0000

Welcome to The Environment Show, my New Year’s resolution for 2008.

TES is a weekly program for radio, the web and podcast.

We’ll do our best to avoid preaching to you about the environment and getting bogged down in the minutae (as the media can often do.) Our aim is to make the environment interesting and accessible, as it should be.

The Show features important current environment issues, interviews with leading campaigners and experts, best practice and solutions to our big environmental challenges, how you can find work in the environment, the best of what the environment can offer in terms of pristine places, reviews of environment films and books, ‘gentle music for gentle people’ and a what’s-on guide to events.

And we’re going to make it interesting by using multi-media: video, audio, photos, weblinks and no-nonsense text from our writers.

Please let us know of any other good material on the blog topics or other environmental issues – especially in these different media formats. We also plan to take video, audio, photo and text submissions from our audience in the future. (Just needs to fit the TES mantra.)

In the meantime, we welcome your feedback and ideas via our blog.

Stay tuned. There’s loads more to come. Cheers,
Phil.

The Environment Show
‘A show for the real world.’