Grey Lynn 2030 Transition Community

Multiple crises — financial,economic and environmental – are
triggering big structural shifts in business, society and politics
around the world. Policymakers and corporates are scrambling
to understand the changes and respond to them in effective and
timely ways. Potentially, some of these shifts could be very beneficial
to New Zealand. If we figure out how to play to them, we could earn
a bigger, more sustainable livingin the world economy. Conversely,
if we chose to ignore them, we’ll be in deep trouble.

Rod Oram has more than 30 years’ experience as an international financial journalist. He has worked in Europe and North America for leading publications such as the Financial Times of London. His FT career spanned 18 years (1979-1997) as an editor and writer based in London and New York. Rod has also traveled extensively in North America, Europe
and Asia.Rod and his family emigrated from the UK to New Zealand in 1997. He is currently acolumnist for the Sunday Star-Times; a regular broadcaster on radio and television; and a frequent public speaker on business and economic issues. He was Editor of the Business Herald section of the New Zealand Herald, 1997-2000. Rod is an Adjunct Professor in Business School at Unitec, Auckland’s technology tertiary institution, and he has contributed to several regional economic development
projects.

At the 2006 Westpac Business & Financial Journalism Awards, Rod won the Reporting on Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability or Community Engagement category.

Penguin recently published Rod’s book about the New Zealand economy, Reinventing Paradise. It’s available in bookstores nationwide in New Zealand

Where Red Lecture Theatre Building 180 – B001 Unitec New Zealand
Entry 4, Carrington Road, Mt Albert, Auckland
When 28 April 2009
Time 6 – 7:30pm (refreshments will follow after the lecture)
Phone +09 815 4321 ext 7044
Email arodgers@unitec.ac.nz

Now this is a great idea…

One person’s rubbish is another person’s treasure. Our recent inorganic waste collection certainly proves this. Also Westmere Primary raised $5,000 from selling people’s no longer wanted things.

Here is a site that is run by the Queenstown Lakes District Council.www.recirculate.org.nz
Welcome to ReCirculate.org, the resource exchange site for the Queenstown Lakes District.

With the goal of reducing the amount of materials sent to landfill, the Queenstown Lakes District Council and Wanaka Wastebusters have come together to develop ReCirculate — a free resource exchange site for all to use within the district.

We welcome you to post your wanted or unwanted resources, or to enquire about an available resource. Each listing is personally reviewed and posted to ReCirculate by our administrator, who will then contact you if there is a response to your listing. Once the connection is made, the two parties can work out the most convenient way to exchange your resources.

Our goal is to create lasting networks between those with excess resources and those seeking them. In doing so, the Queenstown Lake District will begin the transition from a “cradle-to-grave” to “cradle-to-cradle” flow of materials, extending the life of usable materials and keeping them out of the landfill.

Could we get something like this going on a much smaller scale using Grey Lynn 2030?

To get things moving in a very simple  way, if you have anything you want to give away please send me the details and I will add to the weekly newsletter.

Auckland City Council is offering free composting courses for residents. By learning how to recycle food scraps you can make a significant difference to the amount of waste that goes to landfill.

The courses teach participants how to compost correctly, operate a worm farm and how to use bokashi systems. The course is being held in Grey Lynn on 27th June.

To register, call Kaipatiki Ecological Restoration Project on 482 1172.

Participants also receive a $20 discount on any compost bin, worm farm or Bokashi bin bought on the day.

Rob is to me is the “father” of the Transition Town movement.

Rob’s own site www.transitionculture.org is worth a look.

“the site is designed in such a way as to allow me to share thoughts, insights and resources that I come across as I do this research, in the hope that it will be of use to you. I am designing an Energy Descent Action Planning process for Totnes which will begin in the summer, once the first year of research is out of the way and I have a thorough methology worked out”

Grey Lynn 2030 Steering Group are looking to become a legal entity.The two options are Charitable Trusts or Incorporated Societies

There are a number of reasons why we are ready to do this.

If you have knowledge and experience in this area and want to help us through this process please get in touch.

Anybody reading this who lives in the South Island?

Get Real are about to send Angus and Sophie around the main South Island centres to network with organisations and sign up people to our Plastic Bag Levy Campaign.

Sophie and Angus will be travelling around the lower South Island. Please get in touch with Sophie Ward – sophie@sustainablewanaka.co.nz

if you want to  do some time on the street with the “Super Activist Support Vehicle”.

Get Prepared People, Get Real will be heading north!