Zoo launch their 'WIpe for Wildlife' campaign

Australians currently flush more than 6 million trees down the toilet each year. This doesn't make sense, especially when toilet paper can be made from waste products such as recycled paper. So what type of toilet paper is wildlife friendly? Look for 100% post-consumer waste, made within Australia, using non-toxic chemicals. Get your school workplace, neighbourhood involved! Find out more at http://www.zoo.com.au/wipe

FREE Waterwise Gardening Workshops

Better gardens, less water
In conjunction with ACTEW, local independent specialists are holding workshops to help you learn about how to have a healthier garden which uses less water.
At the workshop you will learn about:
designing and installing an irrigation system that is right for your garden; the benefits of drip irrigation; irrigating the smart way; mulching and drought resistant plants; and how to use a 'whole of garden' approach to water saving.
Places are limited so please call the ACTEW Water Conservation Office on 6248 3131 or email waterconservation@actew.com.au to book your place.
Explore other water efficient ideas whilst attending the workshop at:
Grass Roots - the turf and irrigation research project
Rosary Primary School
Fleming Street, Watson (parking off Higinbotham St)
Upcoming workshops:
Saturday 13 February 8am and 10am Rosary
Tuesday 16 February 4pm and 6pm Rosary
Thursday 4 March 4pm and 6pm Rosary
To book your place in one of these workshops or to put your name down for future workshops please contact the ACTEW Water Conservation Office on 6248 3131 or email waterconservation@actew.com.au

Check out Earthwatch's new one day research expeditions in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane

http://www.earthwatch.org/australia/expeditions/1_day

Melbourne Microbat Research One Day Expedition - Earthwatch

http://www.earthwatch.org/australia/exped/vanderree_short.html

Act up for nature

Victorians are being urged to sign up to the Act4Nature campaign, which encourages people to protect the state’s precious animals, plants and ecosystems.
Launched by environment and climate change minister Gavin Jennings last week, the campaign asks people to make a different pledge every month for one year that in some way helps protect the environment.
This month’s theme focuses on how harsh washing detergents can place many of Victoria's frog, fish and platypus populations under threat.
Read more
> www.act4nature.org.au

10,000 voices needed to help keep VEAC alive

The Victorian National Parks Association has launched a statewide campaign to stop the Brumby Government from axing the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council.
The VNPA says plans to abolish VEAC would put future habitat protection at risk, and is instead calling on the State Government to strengthen the council with more powers and resources.
VEAC is an independent, science-based body that looks at the ecological value of habitats and advises government on what to protect. It was instrumental in the creation of Victoria’s new River Red Gum national parks.
The campaign needs 10,000 people to sign a petition that will be presented to Victorian Premier John Brumby by June 5, World Environment Day.
Sign the petition at http://www.vnpa.org.au/subsection.php?subsection_id=226

Help save sharks from shark finning!

WildAid and Shark Savers have launched a new anti-finning advertising campaign in China, and they need your help! They are hoping to have 1,000 billboards in Beijing and Shanghai for an entire year. Each costs $100, but they are happy with donations of any size- every little bit helps!

http://www.sharksavers.org/en/get-involved/ways-you-can-help-save-sharks/613-buy-a-billboard-in-china.html

WildAid also recently introduced a fantastic new anti-finning public service announcement, which will be airing on Chinese state television. See the video and join the discussion about it's effectiveness here:
http://southernfriedscience.com/2010/01/07/new-yao-ming-anti-shark-finning-psa-released/

Help our leaders fill in the blanks at Copenhagen

https://support.acfonline.org.au/SSLPage.aspx?pid=208&tab=1

Turn over a new leaf for the New Year with ACF

https://support.acfonline.org.au/SSLPage.aspx?pid=208&tab=1

Write to your MP in the lead up to the climate change talks in Copenhagen

From 7-18 December this year, countries will meet to hopefully agree on a global deal climate change as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations in Copenhagen.
The two main issues that countries need to agree on are:
What targets should be set by which countries?
How much money are countries willing to put up to address climate change – both in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation) and also in terms of giving money to poor countries to help them cope with the effects (adaptation).
Churches through the Micah Challenge global campaign on poverty and injustice have been calling for the following action on climate change. You might like to make some of these points in your letter:
- Climate change is one of the most serious threats to sustainable human development and poverty reduction. The Stern Report (2006) stated that: "The poorest developing countries will be hit earliest and hardest by climate change, even though they have contributed little to causing the problem. Their low incomes make it difficult to finance adaptation. The international community has an obligation to support them in adapting to climate change. Without such support there is a serious risk that development progress will be undermined."
Micah Challenge calls on the Australian Government to:
• Take a leading role in international efforts to reach an agreement to keep the global temperature increase below two degrees. This should include a recognition that while all countries must play a part in mitigation efforts, developed countries have a responsibility to shoulder a significantly larger portion of the burden due to our much greater per capita contribution to climate change (both historically and currently) and our greater capacity to finance mitigation. Australia must be prepared to reduce its greenhouse emissions by up to 40% below what they were in 1990 by 2020 and by 80-90% by 2050.
• Commit to its fair share of external funding required by developing countries to adapt to climate change. At present the amount required is uncertain but it could be as high as $100-150 billion pa, of which Australia’s fair share would be $2-3 billion pa. This funding should be over and above the international aid commitment of 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI).
Politicians receive lots of emails and letters. But when a local voter takes the time to personally call or visit face-to-face, they are much more likely to listen.
For all you need to know about how to find and how to visit your local MP got to: http://www.micahchallenge.org.au/assets/pdf/Action-Guide-%28VISIT-A-POLITICIAN%29.pdf

AVAAZ campaign on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Climate Change Promises

http://www.avaaz.org/en/australia_lead_on_climate/?cl=368830923&v=4464

TAKE ACTION: Destructive Fishery up for Review

Take action now, click here


One of Australia's most destructive fisheries is up for review RIGHT NOW. The level of destruction caused by bottom trawling our oceans and bycatch of threatened species like our Australian fur seal is grossly unsustainable. It is unbelievable that it goes on and on and on, every day. But it does.
We have just 7 days to protect our endangered ocean wildlife and habitats. As an ocean lover I'm calling on you to defend our seas once again. Please take action before Wednesday 11th November. Every day, off our coastline, out of sight and out of mind, Australia's largest fishery is catching high numbers of over-fished, deep sea, long lived species which are highly vulnerable to extinction.
Stretching from Cape Leeuwin in South Western Australia to Fraser Island off the Queensland coast, the 'Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery' is one of the most unsustainable fisheries in Australia. This is a fishery that catches over 700 fur seals each year as bycatch. It also catches our precious and threatened sea lions, albatrosses and dolphins.

This is a fishery that bottom trawls our deep sea, destroying fragile habitats as it goes. This is a fishery that has recently increased its quotas for vulnerable species of concern. Now is the time for us to make a stand. Please TAKE ACTION NOW.
Submissions on this destructive fishery are due 5pm (AEST) 11 November 2009.
Incredibly, this fishery has recently increased the quota for the threatened and hugely over-fished orange roughy - our 'old man of the sea', that deep sea, iconic fish that lives for over a century, not breeding until around 30 years of age.
This fishery also catches deep sea sharks, gulper sharks and gemfish - all red list species in Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide. All threatened, all under immense pressure from our very own fisheries. The Government is assessing this fishery and may give export accreditation to fish caught from overfished stocks with environmentally damaging practices.It is incredible that the Australian Government could put their hand on their heart and claim that this fishery is sustainable. Our ocean wildlife needs you to speak out and sign on to the letter today. Be assured that our cyber actions do work. They give AMCS the muscle to let our government know that the public is serious about ocean protection. Please sign the petition today and send to your friends.
Together we will let the Australian Government know that we want our seas managed sustainably, and we want it now. Click here for more information on the the review of this fishery from the Australian Government website.

Calling on YOU to Decide the Future of the World

We all know polling booths strike fear into the hearts of politicians. Imagine their faces when they see over 330 climate polling booths and tens of thousands of online votes, organised by young people, for young people, this week, in the world's first youth climate vote.

Less than 3 hours in to Youth Decide voting week and already over 1,000 votes have been cast. Vote for the world you want to inherit now at:

www.youthdecide.com.au

Building a movement big enough to overcome all the barriers to solving climate change will not be easy. Make no mistake what we're up against.

We're up against the stereotype that our generation doesn't care about these issues - that young people don't have anything to say, and that if we do, we should wait our turn until we're old enough to be taken seriously.

And we're not just up against the coal, oil, gas, aluminium, cement, electricity generation and mining industries - but also our own doubts about whether we really can make a difference. Do you think we can?

www.youthdecide.com.au

The Australian Youth Climate Coalition and World Vision, through this Youth Decide vote, have created the chance for young Australians to lay our cards on the table and express what kind of future we want to choose.

This campaign is original and creative enough to cut through. We can present a unified youth voice calling for a very different kind of future to the path we're currently on.

Voting opens Monday 14th and closes Monday 21st September and if you're aged 12 - 29 and live in Australia you're eligible to vote.

Please vote right now in Youth Decide - and make sure all your friends vote as well.

Choose wisely - it's your future,

Ellen, Nathan, Dan, Anna, Amanda, Alana, Ella, Gemma, Kirsty, Sophie, Sasha, Tash and the rest of the team

P.S. If you're aged 12 - 29 and think our generation has the right to a voice in the kind of world we want to inherit, vote here in Australia's first national youth climate vote.