Canberra GreenDrinks: March 2010

KNOWCHANGE Canberra

Monday 22 March 2010

Although this is not a specific Green Drinks event, it did involve discussions about green topics with a range of people from various backgrounds, and it did involve drinking - so I think it is appropriate that the outcomes of the discussions from the evening be included on this blog.

The initial question of the evening started with:

What may be the single most underlying factor in the way of systemic change towards sustainability?

This question was then followed with:

What do you as an individual need to create systemic change towards sustainability?

The night was set to be interesting!

RESPONSES:

Time-resources
Stepping out of comfort zone
Awareness, knowledge and availability of information
Choice
Realisation of cause and effect
Seeing possibilities
Chunks of money
Taking responsibility
Empowering myself and others
Thinking outside the square
Unleashing my creative potential
Unlearning
Open communications and conversations
Connecting

Money
Understanding and succeeding in empowering people
Ban on advertising
Fun/Comedian

Independence - banks (financial) and self sufficiency
Dance lessons
Connection and collaboration
Long-term planning
Achieving Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Establishing Green as the new Black
Talking to the right people
Getting into action
Knowing who the right people to talk to are
Establishing missing skill-sets and tapping into skill-sets of others
Blog, Journo's, talk back radio

A big thank you to Elena Bondareva for facilitating the evening.

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It was proposed to have another event in 2 months time, so put the tentative date of 17 May 2010 in your diary - 6.00-8.00pm: location to be determined.

How can we make housing in Canberra more affordable and sustainable?

Wednesday 10 March 2010

There was much discussion at GreenDrinks tonight, which fluctuated between housing, transport, apple festivals and camel culling.

Some key points of discussion about how to make housing in Canberra more affordable and sustainable included:

PLANNING AND DESIGN

Canberra Cohousing and sharing - such as cars.
Size of houses and number of people in the house.
More land does not equal more affordable housing.
Planning guidelines need to be reviewed and enforced, particularly carparks for pool cars, how to encourage community and safety and design for good solar orientation.
Solar vents, move away from concrete, mandatory double-glazing and proper sealing of doors.
Net zero energy home targets, which allows for a spectrum of varying profits, and minimum standards to best practice of complete zero energy homes or beyond.
Design for garages/bins together to facilitate informal conversations and encourage a sense of community.

ECONOMICS

Developers income revenue stream, particularly in the 5-7 year range, and how to have low energy use incentives, such as ESCO (energy service company).
Need to address supply demand.
Taxation.
Bank lending criteria.

TRANSPORT

Free bus travel should be included with car registration.
Establish a bus system that operates like a light rail that has main carriage ways and circular bus systems that run in smaller loops, dropping passengers at main carriage ways (these could be minibus').
Transit bus lanes along Northbourne Avenue.
Park and Ride at schools.

SOCIAL/CULTURE

Behaviour/cultural changes.
Simplify the argument and convert the sceptics.
Encourage frugality and reduce the need for competition and dissatisfaction.
Reduce the fear and reluctance to change, control and have power.
Develop a sense of community with everyone having vested interest.
Focus on positive instead of negative.

ACTIONS

Get University Students to research the above ideas.

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What can we do to make Canberra transport more sustainable?

Wednesday 10 February 2010.

Welcome!