Levi contest - Care To Air Design Challenge

While much work has been done to educate consumers about fuel efficient cars, re-useable shopping bags and water bottles, few people think about the environmental impact of their laundry room.

Levis company research demonstrated that the most important thing consumers can do to reduce the climate change impact of their clothes is to return to old-fashioned air drying (almost 80 percent of the consumer care impact).

So Levis are hoping to change habits by changing the conversation. Levi Strauss & Co. is hosting a "Care to Air" design contest to find new innovative, covetable and sustainable ways that people can dry their clothes. Design winners will be eligible for $10,000 in prizes - and help change the way people think about line drying..

Full contest details

'contemporary ethical' online marketplace

Bluecaravan is an Australia based venue for buyers and sellers of all things independently designed and ethically made.

It’s about lovely, interesting and edgy products - beautifully finished, made with heart, and bought directly from the designer/maker.

It only recently opened it's virtual doors so check them out here.

For kids, video games top saving nature: survey

Ten times more children around the world rank watching television and playing video games as more important to them than saving the environment, according to a survey released Wednesday.

Earth's flora and fauna are disappearing 1,000 times faster than the natural extinction rate, but only nine percent of kids gave a top priority to protecting the planet's animal life.

Many did not even know what is meant by "endangered species," reported the survey, released by the UN Convention on Biodiversity.

"The survey confirms the alarming disconnect of our children with nature," the Convention's Executive Secretary, Ahmed Djoghlaf, said in a statement.

He called for "urgent action to close this growing gap between tomorrow's citizens and their natural heritage."

Sponsored by European aircraft giant Airbus, the survey was conducted among 10,000 five-to-18 year olds in 10 countries.

When asked which type of animal or plant they would most like to save, nine percent cited birds, 23 percent favoured reptiles, and 50 percent gave mammals top priority, with the snow leopard given as an example.

Only six percent chose plants and less than one percent opted for insects.

The participating countries were Australia, Britain, China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Spain and the United States.
Read article
WA article

Next Wednesday 26th May is Sorry Day.

The major event in Perth on that day, which is organised annually by the Bringing Them Home Committee (WA), will take place at Wellington Square in East Perth.

This year promises to be bigger and better than ever! Start at 10.30am with an exciting range of activities for schoolchildren and then the formalities commence at 12noon. There are some inspiring young Aboriginal people speaking this year and there is some wonderful local Aboriginal musical talent on show. There is also a sausage sizzle for those who are hungry!

If you have the time to assist as a volunteer on the day plase call Alan Carter on his mobile (0428 250 155) or talk to Yvonne Sargeant at WACOSS (ph: 9420 7222)

25 Jobs That Will Probably Kill You

Anna Miller has a blog with a lot of top 25's, 50's and more.

One of them is 25 Jobs That Will Probably Kill You

Here another one 50 Best Blogs for Creative Thinking

Or this one 100 Awesome Twitter Feeds for Architecture Students

Etc.

Zero Emission.

La nueva jornada de Nissan! What makes zero emissions mobility so much fun? Find out more about it at the website

Perth Green Drinks on 1 June

You are invited for the Perth Green Drinks on 1 June 2010

Green Drinks is for anyone involved in the environment and related fields. Green groups / NGOs, Freelancers and consultants, Companies, Students, Academics, Government departments, Local Authorities, Younger as well as older people so please forward this invitation to anyone you think might be interested in meeting other people related to sustainability.

When: Tuesday 1 June 6.00 – 8.00 pm

Where: Central (TAFE) East Perth Campus at 140 Royal Street, come by train, just 2 minutes from Claissebrook station. There plenty of free parking available at the back of the building off the Brown Street entrance. (Map on attachment)

How: Central Institute of Technology is providing one voucher per person for a choice of drink + nibbles on the table. Following drinks non alcoholic.

What: Network, interact, talk, laugh, debate, drink, have fun!

RSVP: Green Drinks is a free event but please rsvp before Thursday 26 May 5pm - rsvp@central.wa.edu.au

Topic of tonight: How do we get the next generation of designers, developers, engineers and architects ready to create sustainable products, production methods and buildings? Listen to three different views from three different disciplines; architecture and building, interior design and product design.

3 SPEAKERS: Ten minute talks in the theater by:
٠ David Plowright – Lecturer Architectural Technology & Building at Central Institute of Technology in Leederville
٠ John Frost – Lecturer Interior Design at Central Institute of Technology in Perth
٠ Wilma van Boxtel – Sessional Lecturer Product Design at Curtin University and Casual lecturer Design at Central Institute of Technology in Perth

After the talks we go downstairs for drinks where some students are showing work done in our sustainable design classes.

Hope to see you there!

Metro growth 'a threat' to coast

The Environmental Protection Authority has warned the State Government about growth of the southern metropolitan area, advising against further development of coastal land from Dawesville to Binningup.

In a report released yesterday by the environment watchdog, the South-West corridor, encompassing 28,600ha that is the logical development extension from Mandurah, was deemed of "national and international environmental significance" and "largely unsuitable" for development.
Read article

So sad

Today I cycled back home from the university when I reach the Narrows bridge to cross the river in South Perth. Entering the bridge broken pieces of Styrofoam where scattered along the path. Heaps of white pieces of foam, plastic and cardboard covered the cycling path along the freeway as if someone had lost his packaging rubbish. Coming down the other way and continuing along Mounts Bay road I discovered a lot of scattered Styrofoam in the river.

I am getting so sad of seeing this kind of rubbish ignorantly lost along the way, polluting not only the road but also the river. Who is responsible for something like this?

Days of Change

Days of Change is an amazing program developed by Julian Ilich. Jules and his crew have put an incredible effort into creating this program which is designed to encourage and support WA residents to make changes to their lifestyles to make them more sustainable.

You join as a household and make a series of small yet powerful pledges which will help us to create a more environmentally and socially sustainable society. Many of the pledges will help save you money, but most importantly they'll give you a kick from knowing you're doing something meaninful to help.

Make your pledge now!

It started here, in York...

My Big Fat Green Wedding

Green and glamourous go together in our guide to a planet-friendly, eco-fabulous celebration.

Did you know that the average 100-guest wedding creates 7.7 tonnes of greenhouse gas? That’s close to the amount created by one return flight from Sydney to Paris! And think of the figures when you multiply that by the estimated 116,000 weddings in Australia each year.

Thankfully, making your wedding eco-friendly doesn’t mean scrapping your princess-inspired dream for a D-list drama starring paper-bag brown invites, hessian-style dresses, dreary bouquets and an insipidly bland reception.
Check G-magazine online article for inspiration

Oil lease 'threatens WA tourism site'

Conservation groups have condemned a federal government decision to allow oil and gas exploration off the coast of one of Australia's best-known tourism and environmental regions.

Margaret River in Western Australia's southwest is internationally renowned for its surfing, tourism and wine industries.

The waters off the coast are home to unique marine life and half the world's whale and dolphin species, the WA Conservation Council says.
Watch news and read article

Oil exploration off Margaret River a long process
A petroleum engineering expert says oil drilling off the coast of Western Australia's south-west may never occur despite the Federal Government's approval for exploration in the area.

Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson yesterday approved 31 new offshore oil exploration leases around Australia, including an area 85 kilometres off the coast of Margaret River.
Read article

DESIGN 21 - Social Design Network

FeaturesThe relevance of social design is gaining global momentum. Here’s a collection of thoughts and ideas from people both in and outside the network.

Share
The conversation starts here. Share information, ideas and resources or discuss what others are doing to further the practice of social design.

Act
This is where the action starts. Respond to a Non-Profit Need or take up a Challenge.


Competitions
Ready for some healthy competition? Use your talents for the greater good in our competition series, and show how thoughtful design can make a difference.
Visit website

FREE Electronic Waste Recycling Event

Sat 12 & Sun 13 June 2010 - 9am-4pm

Perth regional councils are again working with Apple Pty Ltd to coordinate a metro-wide free e-waste recycling event.

This year there are eight locations across Perth to dispose of your unwanted televisions, computers and other electrical items:
1. MIDDLE SWAN
City of Swan Operations Centre, Corner Bishop Road and Great Northern Highway
2. STIRLING
City of Stirling Administration Centre, Corner Civic Place and Cedric Street, Stirling
3. COTTESLOE
Town of Cottesloe, Corner Napier Street and Marine Parade, Cottesloe
4. CANNING VALE
SMRC Regional Resource Recovery Centre, 350 Bannister Road, Canning Vale
5. CRAIGIE
City of Joondalup Craigie Leisure Centre, Whitfords Avenue, Craigie
6. ROCKINGHAM
City of Rockingham, Corner Chalgrove Avenue and Civic Boulevard, Rockingham
7. SPEARWOOD
Sims Recycling, 174 Barrington Street, Spearwood
8. ARMADALE
City of Armadale Landfill and Recycling Facility, Hopkinson Road, Brookdale

What will be accepted:
• Computers
• Televisions
• Home office equipment
• Electronic games and consoles
• Entertainment equipment

Products that will not be accepted include white goods, overhead projectors and other kitchen household appliances, hazardous waste, contaminated equipment, broken glass or monitors, and batteries that are not an integral part of the system.

All items collected during the weekend will be manually dismantled and their components sent for recycling (plastic, metal, copper, silver, nickel, glass etc). Recycling costs are provided courtesy of Apple Pty Ltd.

For more information visit website

Plastic Qantas cutlery not so fantastic, reused up to 30 times

PLASTIC cutlery on Australia's largest international airline is being reused as many as 30 times before being thrown away.

Qantas admitted reusing plastic knives, forks and spoons multiple times, collecting them at the end of meals and sending them to a washing facility to be cleaned, before distributing them to a new set of passengers.
Read article

Pest munches up China fields after GM crop sprays halt

Here is more evidence that the GM treadmill is failing, and causing major agricultural damage.

HONG KONG - A once minor pest has ravaged fruit orchards and cotton fields in China after farmers stopped spraying insecticide in crops of a genetically-modified type of cotton resistant to bollworms, experts said.

China started growing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton in 1997 because it gave better yields and stood up to bollworms, but a key fallout has been a thriving population of mirid bugs, which were earlier just an insignificant pest.
Read article

Seeds of GM discontent

Derrinallum based John Sheehan is just one of many farmers who have lost their enthusiasm for GM canola, in just two years. Read the rest of his story in this article.

“Despite the claims of increased yields from GM proponents, Sheehan has recorded no such increase. What he has noticed is a much higher cost of using GM canola than using TT varieties. Roundup Ready canola costs $25 a kilogram, whereas TT costs about $4 - although this is modified by the amount needed to be planted. 'With TT you have to plant about five kilos to the hectare whereas with Roundup Ready and Clearfield , you only have to plant three.

'But the real problem with Roundup Ready is the very limited window allowed for weed spraying. You can only spray the plants when they have between two and six leaves … There are times when you might need to spray if weeds develop when the plants have 12 leaves, but if you do that you really knock them around. This [limitation] has really taken the gloss off GM.'
Read article

'Lunatic' farmer wages chemical war

More about Food inc.

JOEL Salatin is pulling on his braces. He’s just had his picture taken wearing a suit — our photographer wants to show that he’s not just a hands-on local farmer but also a new-era businessman — and now he’s getting back into his work gear: muddy jeans, straw hat, and a farmhand’s shirt that reads, in embroidered script, ‘‘Roy’’.
Read article in The Age
And in The Australian

Go see the movie Food inc. at The Luna

Banksia Environmental Foundation

CALLING FOR YOUR ENTRY FOR THE 2010 PRIME MINISTER’S ENVIRONMENTALIST OF THE YEAR AWARD

Free Award Entry Information Sessions
Banksia Award Entry Information Sessions give you the opportunity to hear in person some useful tips to assist you in putting together your award entry. In an informal atmosphere, information will be provided on entering all our Awards along with an opportunity to ask questions.

Where: Level 6, 172 St Georges Terrace, Perth
When: 19 May 6pm regist for 6.15 pm start
Sponsored by: ERM
Click here to register

Hazelmere Recycling Centre

Today I had a site visit organised for my students Sustainable Design at Curtin University to the Hazelmere Recycling Centre to see how timber and mattresses are recycled.

We saw how old timber is shredded into small parts and later divided into two heaps, one pile goes back into industry to create particle board and the other pile is sold for animal bedding and mulch.

More info on Hazelmere Recycling Centre