29 Ways to stay Creative

People Power

Please, NO gas fracking in WA!

As we breathe a sigh of relief at the news that the government has said ‘NO’ to coal mining in Margaret River we still have the spectre of gas fracking, as Colin’s Capers captures in this week’s cartoon.

Big Help Mob

Hello ,
Are you ready to help launch a new generation Big Help Mob into the world by building an entire wetland (from scratch) on Saturday 18th August? There will be sweating, planting, potential mud-fights and more!

It’s going to be epic! Sign up here
Loads of Captains are needed to rope in some mates and make this wetland come to life, while celebrating the launch of a new era of Big Help Mob with gusto.

'Kuhl Intentions' will be no ordinary Big Help Mission. You may have been hearing rumours lately that the second generation of Big Help Mob will include a shiny new website and iPhone app, and that if you sign up as a Captain you get a free unicorn. We can neither confirm or deny rumours about unicorns, but we can definitely confirm that there will be a new website and iPhone app introduced at ‘Kuhl Intentions'.

So grab as many superhero friends as you can and get ready to see what a big difference you can make at Big Help Mob For more events check out the Facebook site

See you Saturday 18th August,

Megan, Tim, Basha, Kristen and the rest of the Big Help Mob Mafia.

We're one of the sunniest countries in the world!

Check out this infographic that shows how Germany is harnessing their limited solar potential and creating heaps of jobs in the process.

As the sunniest country in the world, Australia has the opportunity to lead the way in renewables!

Want a say on our renewable energy target? Hold a youth decide event - Sign up here 

Plastic Free July comes to an end

This is the second year I am participating in the Plastic Free July challenge, both times only for two weeks as I was on holiday the first two weeks of the month.

It's a real challenge as when you are trying to avoid buying anything packed in plastic at the local supermarket you realise about EVERYTHING is packed in plastic!

Since I did the challenge last year I'd already had changed a lot of my habits like taking my homemade bags to put veggies, fruit and nuts in instead of using the plastic bags provided at the supermarket. And since about five years I use shampoo and deodorant bars instead of the stuff what comes in plastic bottles and my husband uses a bar of shaving soap and changed his plastic razor for a metal one which only uses metal blades.

There are a lot more habits like buying in bulk and making my own. But it's not enough as I still have stuff in my 'dilemma bag' like the plastic sheets in between the puff pastry, and the plastic container of our favorite sheep cheese which I reuse so it's not too bad I guess.

I haven't bought any candy as most of it is wrapped in plastic, luckily chocolate bars aren't! And I was lucky that I always buy in bulk and when on sales so the pantry was pretty full so I didn't need to go to the supermarket that often. It made me use the stuff in the pantry a bit more.

Thursday 2 August those who did the challenge are coming together in Subiaco to listen to a talk by Paul Sharp, founder of the Two Hand's Project who sailed in a historic scientific research expedition in July. The Japanese tsunami provided a unique opportunity to study a large amount of plastic entering the ocean - Paul is a fascinating and knowledgeable speaker so don't miss out! After the talk there will be an officially closure of 'Plastic Free July'.

All welcome to this free community event.

When: 7pm Thursday 2 August
Where: Perth Modern School, Roberts Rd Subiaco (parking available on basketball courts on Subiaco Rd)
RSVP: Phone 9384 4003 or rsvp@wmrc.wa.gov.au
BYO: mug for a cuppa, light supper provided

Plant a tree this Sunday and win!

There is still plenty of time to plant a tree this Sunday, check out the many places in your area to plant trees and rsvp online. So take your spouse, kids, siblings, grandparents and whoever you can find and come along this Sunday!

In May 2012, Planet Ark developed a report, sponsored by Toyota Australia, focusing on the benefits of interaction with nature for children's health, wellbeing and development. The report, Planting Trees: Just What The Doctor Ordered, builds on a 2011 study commissioned by Planet Ark that showed a dramatic and worrying shift in childhood activity in Australia from outdoor play to indoor activity in the space of one generation.
More info here

Toyota Australia has sent me a $100 Bunnings Warehouse gift voucher to share with one of my Australian readers to purchase and plant native trees, shrubs and grasses in our local area.

So if you are living in Perth please leave a comment on this post, tell us what your favorite native tree is and where you live and I will do a random pick on Sunday and will post the winner.

The cost of the carbon tax

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Sign the petition here

National Tree Day 2012 - Sunday 29 July

If you love trees and want to help planting this coming weekend, here are a few tips:

The City of Subiaco is holding a National Tree Day planting in a section of the Perth to Fremantle rail reserve on Sunday 29th July from 9am - 11:30am. There will be a free sausage sizzle afterwards. Registration is required to take part and needs to be completed at this website

The Town of Cambridge is planting 1200 trees for Carnaby's Black Cockatoo at the Wembley Golf Complex this Sunday 29th July from 9.00-12.00pm. Volunteers will need to assemble at the Wembley Golf Complex pro-shop at 9.00am and walk to the planting site as a group. A sausage sizzle lunch will be provided following the planting. Please register participation with Sue Waite on 9347 6082 or swaite@cambridge.wa.gov.au

Friends of Lake Claremont will continue their work restoring the vegetation around Lake Claremont and plant over 30 000 native seedlings with the help of volunteers during National Tree Day this Sunday July 29th from 9:00 am – 12:00pm. Register here or phone Heidi on 0416 614 696 for more details.

Story of Change

More info here

Ride2Work Day

Ride2Work Day is Australia's biggest celebration of bike riding and the perfect opportunity to have a go at riding to work.


Ride2Work Day on Wednesday, 17 October 2012 is part of a National Behaviour Change Program and celebrates bike commuting within the workplace as an alternative means of transport while encouraging Australian workers to adopt a healthier and environmentally sound means of commuting.

Riding your bike is simply the most significant advocacy you can do every day. Sign up here

NEW: Food Watch WA

Foodwatch advocates and educates communities on the threats of genetically engineered crops and foods, and their irreversible impact on the environment, agriculture and food security; and to inspire and support individuals and communities to actively campaign against the spread of GM crops and foods in Australia.

Find out more about FOODwatch here

No this isn’t Brazil. This is Perth WA

This is Bayswater, Perth, WA (crn Tonkin Hwy and Collier Road) and this is your urban forest. 

To give you a sense of scale (as photos often don’t) these are huge big trees. I was staggered by the size of this operation. The pile of giant carcasses in the centre photo is to be burnt and made into silicone. Each hill is different product. You can see by the number of trees that are visible, that this is not all just green verge collection waste. The mountain on the right with the excavator was recently a bush in Malaga. Then to appreciate the scale of this industry, consider that this private “recycling” operation is “tiny” compared to others in Perth, according to the bulldozer driver pictured here. Apparently “the one in Joondalup is massive”, I was told by a local government worker recently. The owner of this “recycling” business also operates a big tree lopping/clearing firm and a wholesale/retail mulch company as well. I have reason to suspect this industry does not have the capacity or the market to process all of the material that is being ripped out across our suburbs and quite a bit is going to landfill (TBC)? One can’t help but wonder what the long term plans are for this completely unregulated industry by its big players? Will a lack of regulations actually be to their disadvantage in the not too distant future?

Leisha

Memorial Service Sunday 22 July 3pm


If you haven't as yet seen the devastation at the Perth Esplanade Reserve, please join Save our Trees on Sunday afternoon at 3pm for a Memorial Service for the trees by Celebrant, Joyce Tasma at the corner of The Esplanade and William St.

This is a regular event for Sundays at 3pm in July.

DIA Design Awards 2012

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Joy of Wood - August workshops

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Design for product life time

Core77, Autodesk and iFixit challenge you to design a smart product that is smarter environmentally; a product that can be repaired and will stand the test of time, even if some of its components need to be replaced. Rethink the design of average household appliances, electronics, lighting, toys—any and all kinds of products that are ripe for a lower-impact redesign.

Read more about it and enter by 10 October