Transition Kurilpa has been awarded $37 000 by Brisbane City Council to run the initial component their exciting new sustainable energy project, Energetic Kurilpa. Businesses and homeowners are sometimes given assistance from Government and other bodies, while the not-for-profit sector misses out.  The Energetic Kurilpa project will facilitate our local community and existing non-government organisations to gain the knowledge, tools and resources to reduce their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and to understand sustainable energy issues, thereby adapting to the oncoming impacts of climate change and peak oil.

To achieve this, Transition Kurilpa will work collaboratively with existing community organisations and businesses to offer a program of Level 1 or Level 2 energy audits[1], appropriate retrofits, forums, film screenings and workshops. Participants will also gain training in using audit kits and will be able to loan them during and after the project.  Emission reductions will be monitored and quantified.

More information found HERE

Contact us if you would like to be involved with Transition Kurilpa or participate in this project on info@transitionkurilpa.org.au.

Transition Kurilpa and the Brisbane Transition Hub are hosting an evening with:

David Holmgren, co-founder of permaculture.

JUNE 15th

South Leagues Club
Davies Park, West End (map)
DOORS OPEN 6PM FOR TASTING AND A 6.30PM START

David Holmgren on Future Scenarios

Cost $10/5

“The simultaneous onset of climate change and the peaking of global oil supply represent unprecedented challenges for human civilisation. In this workshop I will present an integrated approach to understanding the potential interaction between Climate Change and Peak Oil using a scenario planning model. In the process I introduce permaculture as a design system specifically evolved over the last 30 years to creatively respond to futures that involve progressively less and less available energy.”
Global oil peak has the potential to shake if not destroy the foundations of global industrial economy and culture. Climate change has the potential to rearrange the biosphere more radically than the last ice age. Each limits the effective options for responses to the other.
The strategies for mitigating the adverse effects and/or adapting to the consequences of Climate Change have mostly been considered and discussed in isolation from those relevant to Peak Oil. While awareness of Peak Oil, or at least energy crisis, is increasing, understanding of how these two problems might interact to generate quite different futures, is still at an early state.
FutureScenarios.org presents an integrated approach to understanding the potential interaction between Climate Change and Peak Oil using a scenario planning model. In the process I introduce permaculture as a design system specifically evolved over the last 30 years to creatively respond to futures that involve progressively less and less available energy.
David Holmgren, co-originator of the permaculture concept. May 2008
http://www.futurescenarios.org/
http://www.transitionbrisbane.org/transition-town-initiatives/transition-kurilpa/
http://www.transitionbrisbane.org/about-2/

See Flyer: David_Holmglen

SOUTH LEAGUES CLUB
DAVIES PARK, WEST END
DOORS OPEN 6PM FOR TASTING AND A 6.30PM START

Bought to you by Transition Kurlpa

Here’s Rob Hopkins talking about the transition to a world without oil at TEDglobal in Oxford last year.

There are lots of other great TED talks available on the website, many along the Technology, Entertainment, Design subject areas but increasingly others too, such as A Greener Future?

This is a regular social gathering on the first Sunday of the month – good local food, cob oven pizza, weeding, making new friends and supporting one of our local Community Gardens.

So come on down and welcome in the Year of the Tiger.

From 9 a.m. to noonish, this Sunday.

Paradise Street Community Gardens

33 Paradise St

West End

More information about community gardens in Brisbane here.

The Transition Town movement is gaining momentum in cities and towns around Australia as small groups of motivated individuals come together to make positive changes in their communities.

Our group of panellists are all involved with a range of projects and initiatives that demonstrate resilience and adapatability on an individual and community level.  Collectively, they are providing education, advice, support and encouragement to those keen to learn more about how to build a richer and more vital community.

Come along and hear our terrific panellists and join in the Q & A session.

Phil Heywood: Phil Heywood is currently Associate Professor of Urban & Regional Planning in QUT and a Fellow and former President of the Queensland Division of the PIA. He is the author of a number of publications including: Planning & Human Need (1974) on the social role of planning and The Emerging Social Metropolis (1997) on the future of metropolitan regional planning.  His latest book on Community Planning is being  published by Wiley-Blackwell in late 2010

Howard Nielson: Principal Consultant and co-owner NAC Consulting.  Howard Nielsen lives at Samford and conducts his family consultancy company with a focus on sustainable business, leadership and community engagementHe was previously CEO of an organization that was listed in the top five “learning organizations” in Australia.  Howard is currently working with fifty businesses in three Queensland communities to help them develop sustainable business practices and sustainable local economies.

Andrew (Wilf) Wilford: Andrew is an Associate Professor in the School of Sustainable Development at bond University.  He is passionate about leading the professionalism of project managemet and has been actively involved with introducing project management into the Climate Change arena.

Emma-Kate Rose: Emma-Kate is currently the Enterprise Development Coordinator for the Food Connect Foundation, leading projects that include the Sustainable Farmland Trust and New Farmers Pathway.  She also provides support for Food Connect’s community franchises in five cities around Australia.  In 2006, Emma founded the Ashgrove Climate Action Group, and in 2007 started Brisbane’s first commercial car-sharing operation in Brisbane.  She is a founding member of the Brisbane Transition Hub.

Event date: 1st March 2010

Venue: The Qld. Irish Association, 175 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane

Cost: $25.  Free for subscribers of The Brisbane Institute. Bookings and pre-payment required.

RSVP: 26th February by telephone to: 32202198 or email to rsvp@brisinst.org.au

Transition Town initiatives offer hope, as we meet the challenges of peak oil and climate change. Towns, cities, islands globally are following the Transition model. Hear how local communities are taking action – their strategies and how you can be part of it too! You can listen to the talk and question time by going to the Greenhouse website here.

Friday, September 11, 2009

More time for public comment on SEQ climate change plan

The Queensland Government has extended the period for public consultation on the Draft South East Queensland Climate Change Management Plan by one month, to 9 October 2009.

The plan aims to move the region towards a low-carbon future and help communities become more resilient to the long-term impacts of climate change.

The draft plan describes proposed actions to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from land management and future urban development in South East Queensland (SEQ).

“This plan will set the climate change policies of the newly released South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009–2031,” Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Stirling Hinchliffe said.

“Toward Q2: Tomorrow’s Queensland sets a state-wide goal of reducing our residential carbon footprint by a third.

“The new climate change plan will help the government work out how much of the state-wide target will be achieved through urban planning in the state’s most populous region.

“As nearly 70 per cent of Queenslanders live in the fast growing south east, smart planning is imperative.

“The Australian Government’s proposed carbon pollution reduction scheme and renewable energy target will be critical national tools for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“However, smart urban and regional planning will also be important, with its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure communities are resilient to climate change only now being recognised.”

The Draft South East Queensland Climate Change Management Plan identifies 32 potential climate change planning actions for SEQ.

These actions range from improving transport and settlement patterns to planting more trees to store carbon, increasing renewable energy and building community awareness of climate change impacts.

Last month, members of the public, professional organisations and local governments attended eight public information forums on the draft plan in Brisbane, Strathpine, Maroochy, Nerang, Ipswich, Cleveland and Kilcoy.

“People attending these forums have already raised issues that will help the government prepare the final climate change plan,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

Among the issues raised to date are:

·feasible regional emission targets that are tied in with other sustainability indicators and population impacts

·alignment of government policies on sea-level rise and storm surge that affect coastal communities—including natural disaster plans

·identification of implementation timelines and outputs that are useful to local governments

·research and justification of actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and climate change risks

·greater recognition of actions to improve water supply security, rural production and the management of natural resources.

“Climate change is a complex issue and people need time to understand it and put together their comments on this very important draft plan—hence the reason we extended the public consultation period.

“I encourage all residents of SEQ to read this draft plan and have their say on what they believe are the region’s highest-priority climate change actions.

“By working with other levels of government, the development industry, councils and residents of SEQ, we will find practical and cost-effective ways to address the challenges of climate change.”

Responses to the draft plan can be made at www.dip.qld.gov.au/climatechange