An evening with Peter Cundall

Amongst the gardeners of Australia, Peter Cundall has become a household name.

In 1969, he began presenting a studio-based garden advice program for the ABC. This show, after several name and format changes, became one of the longest running, most iconic shows in Australia - Gardening Australia. His departure from Gardening Australia has left a huge void in that TV shows popularity.

Good news! Peter is coming back to WA for two nights only.

"Bloomin Marvellous", an evening with Peter Cundall - Will be a fire side chat with long time friend and colleague John Colwill about his life, gardening trends, sustainable gardening, Q&A’s and much more. Supported by a photo presentation.

When:
Monday 22nd August at Performing Arts Centre Ormsby Terrace, Mandurah
Tuesday 23rd August 2011 at Octagon Theatre- University of WA

Time: 7.30pm-9.30pm

Tickets: $ 25.00
More info here

A trip of a lifetime - move, eat, learn

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films.....
Watch all three here

Thomas Thwaites: How I built a toaster -- from scratch

It takes an entire civilization to build a toaster. Designer Thomas Thwaites found out the hard way, by attempting to build one from scratch: mining ore for steel, deriving plastic from oil ... it's frankly amazing he got as far as he got. A parable of our interconnected society, for designers and consumers alike.

Surging China costs turn some U.S. makers homeward

On a recent morning at Master Lock's 90-year-old factory in Milwaukee, a cluster of machinery was whirring, every 2 seconds spitting out one of the combination locks used by American high schoolers as the company readied for the back-to-school rush.

The seven-day-a-week, three-shift-per-day whirlwind of activity marked a change from two years ago, when the machine normally ran for just a few hours a day because the unit of Fortune Brands Inc (FO.N) was ordering more padlocks from suppliers in China instead of making them.

Why move production from the world's low-cost workshop back to a unionized U.S. factory where wages are six times higher than in China? Efficiency: The machine in Milwaukee is about 30 times as fast as the Chinese factories the company had been buying from, more than making up for the difference in wages.

"I can manufacture combination locks in Milwaukee for less of a cost than I can in China," said Bob Rice, a senior vice president at the largest U.S. padlock manufacturer.

Master Lock is not alone. General Electric Co and Boeing Co are also part of the small group of U.S. companies that are boosting production at their U.S. factories.

A variety of factors are driving the shift, including rising wages in parts of Asia, surging fuel prices and the complexity of transporting goods across the Pacific.
Read article

KEEP IT LOCAL - GET MORE MANUFACTURING BACK TO AUSTRALIA TOO!!!
Will be good for the design community as well :)

Chinese chopsticks: Made in USA

It looks like opposite worlds: America providing chopsticks to China. China has a shortage of disposable wooden chopsticks
so an American company started to manufacture and deliver.

China has a severe lack of wood but in the state of Georgia there are plenty of poplars and gum trees and manufacturing the wooden chopsticks is cheap; less then one cent per piece.
The company aims to manufacture 10 million sets a day for export by the end of this year.

Green Campus update

As part of Curtin’s commitment to sustainability, and the development of a greener campus, I am happy to see some recently implemented initiatives to help Curtin reduce its impact on the environment.

New drink container recycling bins have been put in place across campus. And I've already used the new installed drinking fountains. These fountains supply filtered water and more fountains are planned around campus for the coming months.

More information about how Curtin is working to make our campus greener here.

This is a good thing although it has been years ago, at the start of 2008, when I was discussing this topic with several people at Curtin. I couldn't believe it was that difficult to install recycling bins but apparently it was, as it is 3.5 years later now. But I am very happy it's there!

Who Needs a Paper Diploma, When You Got a 3-D Printed Pig Head?

A surreal graduation medal, for students at a famed design school.

The Design Academy in Eindhoven, Netherlands, is one of the best design schools in the world, and each year, for graduation, they don't settle for lame paper diplomas. Instead, they hire an artist to create a graduating trophy. This year, they've outdone themselves with a 3-D printed pig's head by designer Ted Noten and Freedom of Creation.

Yes, a pig's head. Why? Because. (Also, pigs are something of a national mascot for The Netherlands -- the country is reputed to have more pigs than people, and many famous design projects have featured pigs).

But through the magic of 3-D printing, this isn't just a pig's head. Rather, the pig's head is comprised of slices, which then become medallions that the graduates can wear around their necks:

I graduated at The Design Academy in 1988 and got a boring piece of paper stacked away somewhere in a binder...

National Tree Day this Sunday

I noticed it when I was talking with students at Curtin about what they were doing in their spare time and was amazed most of them are spending that time indoors behind the computer gaming or watching movies. Kids and youngster aren't spending as much time outdoors as we did at their age. Is it because they are lacking space? Almost all new homes build in Perth are without a backyard, with a bit of luck there is space for a bbq and a table to eat outside, but not much space to play or potter around in the garden.

I suggest that all those people, young and old, who are spending more time indoors than outdoors will go outside this Sunday and plant a few trees. Either in their own garden or with a local community like here in Claremont. Friends of Lake Claremont and the Town of Claremont want to plant over 30,000 native seedlings at Lake Claremont this Sunday! More info here

There are plenty of opportunities to plant trees in your community, check it here on Planet Ark. Toyota is partnering with Planet Ark and took up this innitiative to reflect the company's positive support of both the environment and local communities, they are sponsoring National Tree Day since 2000.

‘Flashes of Hope’ film screening 6 August

Click on picture to enlarge

New space for collaboration, innovation at Hub Perth

BUDDING WA entrepreneurs, creatives and business people will have a new space to work in with the launch of Hub Perth today.
Hub Perth, organised by Social Innovation in WA (SiiWA), will be a co-working space for a variety of industry representatives to work together.

“We’re trying to set up a hub for all the different communities in Perth,” SiiWA managing director Brodie McCulloch.

“It builds a funnel, where we’re going to have all these entrepreneurs coming through this space,” he added.
Read article

Applied Design's short courses at Central

Courses will be commencing week beginning Monday 15 August as noted on the Enrolment form.

Courses will only run if there are sufficient number of enrolments and this will be confirmed with participants following the close of enrolments on Monday 8 August.

If you have any further queries regarding the short courses please don't hesitate in contacting linda kemp | administration assistant | central institute of technology aberdeen street, northbridge wa 6003 | t 9427 1905 (Mon-Tue) t 9427 1564 (Thu-Fri)linda.kemp@central.wa.edu.au

the Economics of Happiness

'Going local' is a powerful strategy to help repair our fractured world – our ecosystems, our societies and our selves. Far from the old institutions of power, people are starting to forge a very different future...
More info here

Graduating in Design and want some feedback?

Click on picture to enlarge

Environmental Art Awards

CCWA and the City of Perth are proud to present the inaugural Western Australian Environmental Art Awards.

The Awards provide the opportunity for the Western Australian community to develop and exhibit art work reflecting the WA environment and key environmental and sustainability themes such as:
• Climate change
• Energy
• Over consumption
• Natural resources
• Mining
• Waste
• Water
• Drought
• Biodiversity
• Marine
• Transport
• Forests

Entries can include both two and three dimensional art works in a diverse range of mediums such as:
• Photography
• Paintings
• Collage
• Sculptures
• Drawings
• Textiles
• Prints
• Digital works

Entrants are strongly encouraged to use sustainable materials in both the creation and display of their art works, for example materials that are recycled, re-used, local, hand-made, natural and found.

The exhibition will run for two weeks at Perth City Farm from Saturday 22nd October to Saturday 5th November

More info on the prizes to be won and where to send it by 23 September here

Perth Green Drinks 12 July

RSVP by Thursday 7th July to get on the list for the next meetup.

This month we’ve got a shiny new venue and two inspirational speakers to entertain us. The drinks and the snacks are as tasty and abundant as always!

Guest speakers
Tim Barling from Sustainable Energy Now, speaking about his group’s work with renewable energy, and
Eugenie Stockmann from The Green Swing, fresh from her presentation to TEDxWhadjuk, telling us about her sustainable city-living project.

Where At the new building at Central, Lecture Theatre B354 (upstairs), corner of William and Aberdeen St (30 Aberdeen St), Northbridge.

When Tuesday 12th July, 6-8pm

Cost Free!

But let us know you're coming along so we've got enough food and drink for everyone. Email greendrinks.perth @ gmail.com or go to Facebook for more info

This will be the first time that I can't go to the Perth Green Drinks because I am going up north to show my niece a bit of Australian outback... also very nice :)

The ad they don't want you to see

And unfortunately it's true, and not only Harvey Norman is at fault here, there are heaps of other chains and stores who do the same.

But that is because the big part of the Australian market is demanding this, yes, you!

Everyone buying cheap stuff because it's made in countries with lower wages and less rules are at fault here!

I work with the local furniture industry and the few who are still there are having a very hard time to survive. Only the bigger mantufacturers, who also send over the wood to China to have it made there, survive because they can compete with the prices of all the rest of the imported furniture while the local manufacturers go bankrupt one after the other...

So next time you need a new piece of furniture look for this logo:

Carbon tax myths

Myth 1: It'a a tax on you.
The price on pollution is not a tax on individuals, on households, or on small or medium-sized businesses. It’s a tax on the top 1,000 biggest polluting companies in Australia – the top 1% who produce 75% of Australia’s pollution. Until now, these companies have been allowed to pump their waste into our air for free. Crazy, eh?

Myth 2: Households won't be able to afford it.
Australia's top 1,000 corporate polluters should foot the bill, with pass through costs to the average household electricity bill expected to be around a cup of coffee per week.

With half the money raised by the tax to go to low and middle income households as compensation, 2.6 million households should in fact be better off! The rest of the money should go to supporting investment in clean energy and compensating affected industries.

Myth 3: It will cost thousands of jobs.
Climate action doesn’t kill jobs, it creates jobs.
Modeling by the CSIRO, Treasury and many others supports that Australia can take bold steps to reduce emissions AND drive overall employment growth. The CSIRO predicts an extra 2.5-3.3 million jobs by 2026, including strong growth in industries like construction, transport, agriculture, manufacturing and even mining.

Climate Institute research found that regional Australia could see to a net increase of 34,000 jobs with a price on carbon and clean energy policies

The rest of the top ten myths are in a factsheet you can download here or click on the picture to enlarge it.

'Shocking case': plastic kills turtle

A green sea turtle has been found dead on a New South Wales beach with more than 300 pieces of plastic in its digestive system.

The turtle was found washed up at Ballina, in the state's north, earlier this month.

Australian Seabird Rescue spokeswoman Rochelle Ferris says it is the most shocking case she has seen in 15 years.

She says there is no doubt the plastic killed the animal.

"We see 40 or 50 sea turtles each year that are suffering from plastic ingestion," Ms Ferris said.
Read article

Foreigners buying up water licences

The Greens are calling for an audit of water licences out of concern foreign interests are buying them in increasing numbers.

Earlier this week it was foreign investment in the mining industry the Greens were concerned about and now it is overseas interest in water licences.

The concern also comes as debate continues about the merits of overseas investors buying local farms.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the Federal Government should commission an audit to gauge the level of foreign ownership of Australian water licences.

"Water is a scarce resource in this country we should know who owns it and we should know what the interest is," she said.
Read article

Last year article about water rights

The difference between a carbon tax and an ETS

The proposed carbon pricing policy in Australia is now routinely referred to as a “carbon tax” by both government and opposition.

This is odd, because the proposed scheme is not actually a tax.

How does an ETS work?
It seems reasonably likely that Australia will, sooner or later, end up with an emissions trading scheme (ETS) for CO₂.

An ETS works by setting a cap on emissions and requiring emitters to hold a permit for each tonne of CO₂ that they emit. The level of the cap determines the number of permits available.

If emitters don’t already hold a permit, they must either cut back on their emissions or buy a permit from another emitter, who must then cut back.

This means that a cost is imposed on emissions, equal to the price of buying or selling a permit.

But importantly it’s not actually the price that causes the overall cuts in emissions. The cap determines the level of emissions, and the required cuts in emissions cause the price.

That is, permits have a value because they allow you to avoid making cuts in emissions.

How does this differ from a carbon tax?
A carbon tax is sort of the opposite. A cost is added to all emissions, equal to the level of the tax, and this causes people to cut back.

There is no cap on emissions in a tax-based system. People are free to emit as much or as little as they like, but if they do emit, they must pay the tax.

Unlike an ETS, under a carbon tax it is the price that determines the level of emissions.
Read article