STOP CSG Sydney

 CSG, Events, News, Resources  Comments Off on STOP CSG Sydney
May 252012
 

www.nogasmininginsydney.com

News and Events and FAQ’s on Coal Seem Gas

What is Coal Seam Gas?

Coal Seam Gas (CSG) is a gas consisting of around 98% methane and is formed from the degradation of plant matter over millions of years. CSG is trapped by water and ground pressure against the surface of coal in underground coal seams and is also located within pores inside the coal. The spaces between the coal are known as fractures or cleats. Some of the fractures are interconnected and permeable which allows water and gas to move between the fractures.

How is Coal Seam Gas extracted?

CSG is extracted via CSG wells that are drilled into the coal seams to release the gas trapped within the coal. For economic extraction of CSG, coals seams in Australia are generally between 200metres – 1,000m metres deep. The CSG wells are cased with steel and cement. In situations where coal seams are very deep and of low permeability, the use of hydraulic fracturing or ‘fraccing’ may be employed to increase permeability. This process involves pumping fluid comprising water, sand and other additives such as BTEX (BTEX is an acronym for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene compounds) at high pressure down the cased CSG well and into the coal seam. This action fractures the coal seam and provides a pathway to facilitate gas flow through the coal.

www.nogasmininginsydney.com

 

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Gardening in harmony with native wildlife workshop Saturday, 2 June.

 Events, Wildlife  Comments Off on Gardening in harmony with native wildlife workshop Saturday, 2 June.
May 252012
 

Date: Saturday, 2 June. Time: 9 am–11 am
Presenters: Kim Strong and Brigette Sharp from WIRES.
Place: Randwick Community Organic Garden, Paine Reserve, Corner Rainbow and Botany Streets, Randwick
RSVP by 31 May: Jessica Perini perini.jessica@gmail.com
Cost: Members of garden free. Friends of the garden $10. Non-members $20 to be paid on the day. Please bring correct change.
Topics: Introduction to WIRES • What native birds, mammals, reptiles and frogs live in urban environments? • Why should we protect native wildlife? • Types of habitat • Plants to attract wildlife • Wildlife solutions to issues in organic gardens (snails, rats, bountiful insects) • How to protect fruit trees (and native wildlife) • And so much more!

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“Bush School” documentary & local organic dinner | Transition Sydney

 Events, Transition Bondi  Comments Off on “Bush School” documentary & local organic dinner | Transition Sydney
May 212012
 
This Wednesday, 23 May, 6:30 pm… We will screen “Bush School” for Sorry Day and share another healthy and delicious local organic dinner. Yumm! 🙂

www.transitionsydney.org.au

‎”Five years ago, school teachers Colin and Sandra Baker, decided to move to the town of Warrego, situated on the edge of the Tanami desert and run the Warrego primary school. However, the gold mine closed and almost overnight, Warrego became a ghost town. With no students left, the school would have…
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 Posted by at 9:20 pm

Sydney Central ATA – Tuesday 12 June – Geoexchange Heating and Cooling Systems

 ATA, Events  Comments Off on Sydney Central ATA – Tuesday 12 June – Geoexchange Heating and Cooling Systems
May 212012
 
The Sydney Central ATA group meeting on Tuesday 12 June will be at 6pm (until 8pm) in the Wallaby Room, 11th Floor, Testra Buidling, 320 Pitt St, Sydney.
The topic will be “Geoexchange Heating and Cooling Systems: Review of Local and International Case Studies”, and will be presented by Yale Carden is the Managing Director of GeoExchange Australia.

Yale will present a short overview of geoexchange heating and cooling systems and their various applications. He will include a series of local and international case studies that will range from residential applications through to commercial projects, including office buildings, Councils, universities etc.

Yale Carden has a First Class Honours degree in Environmental Science and a Masters in Environmental Engineering. Yale has been working in the sustainability sector for over fifteen years and has spent the past six years working with geoexchange systems. He is a member and certified installer with the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) and has advised on Geoexchange systems across the Asia Pacific.

Please Register by selecting ATTEND at atasydney.eventbrite.com.au
Please see below for AuSES Activities including tomorrow night.
Expressions of Interest
If any members are available on Date: Monday 4 June 9 am – 2 pm or part there of and would like to man a table we will give you support todo so.

This year the University of Technology Sydney, TAFE  NSW Ultimo College and ABC Ultimo are hosting a joint “Green Week” of activities during the week of 4-8 June. This week incorporates World Environment Day on Tuesday 5 June and World Oceans Day on Friday the 8th.

 

ATA has been invited to participate in Green Week by hosting a free stall on Monday 4 June to help promote environmental NGOs and their work to students and staff of UTS, TAFE and ABC. You are welcome to conduct fundraising activities and sign-up new members on the day.

 

Venue: concourse of UTS Tower Building 1

Date: Monday 4 June

Time: 9 am – 2 pm

Cost: free

AuSES.org.au activities
(1) May Information Evening for AuSES, NSW Branch

6.00 for 6.30 pm, Tuesday, 22 May 2012
University of Technology, Sydney
Ultimo campus, Room CB02.07.110

Main Speaker:        Paul Dastoor (University of Newcastle)
Topic:        The Potential for an Organic Solar PV Industry in Australia

Future Directions Speaker:       James Cox (SIM Venture Securities)

To register and more information, click here or email nswbranch@auses.org.au.

ATA Sydney Central branch regularly receives invitations  of interest to our branch members but we are careful to ensure we do not fill up your inbox. So that you do not miss we have started to post these items to Sustainability News Facebook and Twitter along with an increasing number of sustainability related groups. 


ATA Sydney Central Branch – Treasurer

Tony Muscio

Email Direct to Tony@LaSource.com.au
Phone: 0407 55 88 47
Visit the ATA website or our SydneyBranch site
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 Posted by at 9:08 pm

“The Agro Rebel – Permakultur in the Salzburger Alps” documentary and local organic dinner

 Events, Food, Transition Bondi  Comments Off on “The Agro Rebel – Permakultur in the Salzburger Alps” documentary and local organic dinner
May 142012
 

“The Agro Rebel – Permakultur in the Salzburger Alps” documentary and local organic dinner

Time:

16 May 2012 – 6:30pm9:00pm

Location:

“Chapel by the Sea”

95 Roscoe Street

Bondi Beach NSW 2026

The Agro Rebel - Permakultur in the Salzburger Alps

 

The Agro Rebel – Permaculture in the Salzburger Alps

A film by Bertram Verhaag

“In the southernmost tip of Salzburg Land – in Lungau, the “Siberia“ of Austria – Sepp Holzer, farmer and forester, does farming of a different kind on his mountain property.

Contrary to all conventional rules  –  and despite annual average temperatures of 4.5 °C and an altitude of between 900m – 1400m  –  he has created an edible, paradisiacal landscape and caused quite a stir in so doing.  In forty years of observing nature, of unrelenting joyful experimentation and fighting government agencies, he has succeeded in convincing his opponents of his way of farming, which means adhering to the laws of nature.  Holzer states:  “Variety instead of uniformity, for all plants and animals have a meaningful function“.  He completely refrains from using pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers.  Sepp Holzer’s golden rule for achieving success in farming and the basic principles of permaculture:  “Cooperate with nature instead of fighting it.  Observe nature to determine which plants support one another.“

Since 1962 when he took over his father’s farm at the age of 19, Sepp Holzer and his wife have operated a perfectly functioning permaculture system without ever having heard the term “permaculture“ before.

Laid out in terraces, similar to rice fields in Asia, his 46-hectare farm greatly differs from the surrounding pine monocultures.  Many things grow here not thought possible at an altitude of 1400m, ranging from cherries, apples, mushrooms and kiwis to lemons, pumpkins, potatoes and zucchinis.  Nature is sprouting and thriving everywhere, along the paths, on the terraces, in the woods, on extremely steep inclines and even on rocky ground.  Within the mixed cultivation there are ca. 45 water gardens, humid biotopes, ponds and three mountain lakes.  It is here that the organic farmer breeds rare fish, toads, crustaceans and aquatic plants.  His pigs plough the earth, harrow and fertilise it, and plants supply each other with moisture, nitrogen and fertiliser.  In this way, Sepp Holzer has less work and more time to elucidate his mixed cultivation to interested visitors from all over the world.”

 

Watch the trailer here: http://www.denkmal-film.com/

Suggested donation to cover our costs for dinner: $12 for general public, $7 for Transition Sydney members or what you can afford.

If you would like to help us cook, come at 6 pm.

We start dinner and the movie at 7 pm.

To pre-order a box of local organic produce to take home, visit www.foodconnect.com.au and order online.

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 Posted by at 8:43 pm

Top 50 sustainable building leaders, those who inspire

 ATA, AuSES  Comments Off on Top 50 sustainable building leaders, those who inspire
May 142012
 
Your Future Home

Your Future Home is creating a list of the Top 50 leaders, those who inspire and are focused on sustainable building in Australia. Thank you to all those who nominated someone. VOTING IS NOW OPEN. Click HERE to vote. Once finalised, the Top 50 list will be sent to media so they can do their thing.

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 Posted by at 8:26 pm

Global Food Security May 16

 Events, Food  Comments Off on Global Food Security May 16
May 142012
 

Global food security is a topic of interest to economists and agriculturists alike. Professor Chris Barrett discusses the challenges of planning to provide food security for an ever-growing population.

Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm May 16 Cost: Free

Venue: Law School Foyer, The University of Sydney, Eastern Ave, University of Sydney, Camperdown

Enquiries: The University of Sydney sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/ (02) 9351 1935

via Sydney Talks – Talks This Month.

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 Posted by at 8:03 pm

Sydney Bioregional Meeting and Skills Sharing Workshop Sunday, May 13, 2012

 Events  Comments Off on Sydney Bioregional Meeting and Skills Sharing Workshop Sunday, May 13, 2012
May 112012
 

Sydney Bioregional Meeting and Skills Sharing Workshop
http://www.meetup.com/Transition-Sydney/events/56794662

This will be a combined Transition Sydney bioregional meeting and skill-sharing workshop.

Skills workshops locked in so far –

  • Basic Beer and Mead brewing (Dave Martin)
  • Personal Resilience (Sandra Nichols)
  • (if time allows) Starting a social enterprise (Fiona Campbell)


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 Posted by at 12:43 pm

Speed Date A Sustainable Designer 23rd June 2012

 ATA, Events, Sustainable Tools  Comments Off on Speed Date A Sustainable Designer 23rd June 2012
May 102012
 

What is Speed Date A Sustainable Designer?

Are you renovating or building? Do you have plans and ideas you’d like to discuss with green architects or building designers?

The Alternative Technology Association (ATA) would like to invite you to Speed Date A Sustainable Designer.

Speed Date a Sustainable Designer brings together Australia’s leading architects and building designers in the one spot so that you can meet and discuss your plans in a relaxed “no obligations” environment.

The first Speed Date A Sustainable Designer event was held as part of Victoria’s 2010 State of Design Festival and was a great success. At this event we arranged 90 “dates” between homeowners and 10 sustainable architects and designers. Watch the short YouTube video overview. Over 500 homeowners applied to be part of that first event, so make sure you register quickly!

With the support of bankmecu the ATA is conducting speed dating events in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in 2012.

Ok, so what do I bring?

Bring your sketches, plans and photographs for critique and advice, on your tablet, laptop or good old hard copies! The designers will offer solutions, ideas and alternative viewpoints.

All “dates” are 10 minutes in length.

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 Posted by at 3:57 pm

EcoExpo this weekend FoxStudios May 12-13

 Events, News  Comments Off on EcoExpo this weekend FoxStudios May 12-13
May 102012
 

EcoXpo Sustainable Eco Living – Organic, natural and sustainable eco living products and services
http://www.ecoxpo.com.au/

Thousands of amazing sustainable products and services all under one roof! – See numerous eco living live presentations by eco-icons and celebrities, engage exhibitors and visitors alike EcoXpo is THE all-inclusive forum of sustainable companies and their customers interested in eco living. EcoXpo creates success and flourishing for our eco friendly companies and customers living green.

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 Posted by at 1:58 pm