A Sustainable Hour about the advantages of “building green” when renovating old homes and building new houses, storing energy with thermal mass, learning about the latest research, about benefits of energy efficiency, finding out what is happening in the building and architectural area, and the exciting prospects ahead.
Guests in the studio:
• Glen Rodgers – Architect Director, Zero C Architects
• Andrew Conte – Director, Mekari Constructions
Excerpt from speeches in front of Sarah Henderson MP’s office in Waurn Ponds:
• Aaron Lewtas, Green Energy Opions
• Heinz Dahl, World Wind Industry Association
Excerpt from the Future Proofing Geelong Green Carpet Awards presented by Sam Smith and Costa Georgiadis:
• Best business partner: GPAC
• Best community project: Heidi Fog
Listen to The Sustainable Hour no. 62:
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More information
More about the the topics we talked about in The Sustainable Hour
Keep the Renewable Energy Target
Speeches by Aaron Lewtas, Heinz Dahl and Daniel Cowdell, recorded at the ‘Ask Sarah Henderson MP to stand up for the RET’ event on Wednesday 4 March 2015 at 10am to 10:30am at Sarah Henderson’s Office in Waurn Ponds, Geelong.
The Abbott Government is still trying to cut the Renewable Energy Target (RET) – one of Australia’s last policies directly addressing climate change and creating jobs and investment. But Geelong’s local Liberal MP, Sarah Henderson, is one of the few members of the federal government who describes herself as as “a strong supporter of renewable energy”. She recognises the RET is creating jobs, driving investment in our region and reducing carbon pollution.
Urging her to do more now, to take the fight to the party room, not just for our region but for the future of the entire renewable energy industry in Australia, 40 GetUp members joined with local business groups and citizens to hand-deliver a solar panel to Ms Henderson’s office. They wanted to say thanks for the support so far, and ask her to really step up on this one.
GetUp wrote about the event:
Geelong locals put the solar spotlight on local MP Sarah Henderson
Sarah Henderson’s office was met by renewable energy business leaders and over 40 local GetUp members from Geelong today as they delivered a symbolic solar panel to her office.
Christian Pritchett, director of Geelong business City to Surf Solar, said: “As the largest local employer in the renewable energy industry, it would be nice to think that the Government would have the foresight to encourage positive policy towards what it is that people are crying out for – clean energy for a brighter future.”
Last year during a speech in parliament Sarah Henderson said, “I am also a strong advocate for renewable energy and the Renewable Energy Target, and very much hope that a bipartisan position on the RET can be achieved so that certainty can return to the renewable industry sector.”
The solar panel was presented to support Sarah Henderson’s continued fight for the renewable energy target, despite her own party doing all it can to take it apart. The government’s assault on renewable energy risks jobs and billions of dollars of investment in renewable energy, one of Australia’s most promising new industries.
GetUp campaigner Dan Cowdell said, “The RET’s been an unqualified success for the country, doubling renewable electricity generation and reducing wholesale electricity prices. Getting rid of the RET will damage 21,000 jobs in Australia’s fast growing solar industry and hit the 1.3 million Australians using solar to reduce their power bills.”
“This is just one more captain’s call from the Prime Minister – we need Sarah Henderson to stick up for the local businesses who will be affected if the government’s cuts to the RET go ahead. The government subsidises the fossil fuel industry to the tune of $4 billion a year, which dwarfs the tiny support given to the fledgling, but fast growing renewables sector.”
“It’s hard to believe the government that said we’re open for business is now sending renewables investors packing to China and the USA.”
Tony Abbott’s Government promised before the election to keep the 41,000kwh Renewable Energy Target.”
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Geelong Green Carpet Awards
See the winners at FPG’s inauguaral Green Carpet Awards on Friday 27 February 2015, part of the Sustainable Living Festival 2015.
Future Proofing Geelong’s Green Carpet Awards was presented by Sam Smith and Costa Georgiadis.
• Best business partner: GPAC
• Best community project: Heidi Fog
» See the winners on Facebook
» Facebook post with invitation: www.facebook.com
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This is the link to the animation on Bloombergs site, which Glen Rodgers mentioned in the program:
www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2014-hottest-year-on-record
The animation shows the Earth’s warming climate, recorded in monthly measurements from land and sea over 135 years. Thirteen of the 14 hottest years are in the 21st century.
The data sets were provided by NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the US.
This is a little excerpt on the topic of climate skepticism from John Oliver’s American tv-show ‘Last Week Tonight’:
‘A Statistically Representative Climate Change Debate’, August 2014
The advantages of building green
Mekari Constructions: Why you should choose a sustainable green builder in Geelong
The booklet ‘Smarter Homes Smarter Living’ which Andrew Conte mentions in The Sustainable Hour is attached to the company’s newsletter – in other words, you will get it when you subscribe to Mekari’s newsletter on www.mekari.com.au
“Climate Knowledge for Climate Action”
23 March 2015 is World Meteorological Day
“Climate knowledge for climate action” is the World Meteorological Organization’s theme for this year. It provides an opportunity to take stock of the climate knowledge built in the last decades as an essential base to support the path towards more ambitious action to address climate change and climate variability.
Podcasts and posts about climate change
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Hours and hours of sustainable podcasts
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“Participation – that’s what’s gonna save the human race.”
Pete Seeger, American singer