We invite you to join us for a suburban Over The Back Fence Tour…..

Woden SEE-Change visits an Energy Efficient House in Holder

On the first day after the winter solstice, we are visiting a solar passive house featuring insulated precast concrete panels, solar chimneys and air-tight design.

It is a Strine Design house with a big internal thermal mass and the ability to shed heat passively through the chimneys.

It has a flexible floor plan and adaptable housing features.

Currently this home requires no heating or cooling appliance!

Does all this really work in the middle of a Canberra winter?

Come along and find out!

Car pool to show your support for a more sustainable Canberra!

When:        Sunday 23rd June 2-4pm

Where:       Address provided on registration

Cost:          Free

For bookings, further information or to carpool contact woden@see-change.org.au

There's a whole week of activities coming up that will excite fans of sustainability.

You can spend some time with Professor Tim Flannery and the Climate Commissioners at the Canberra Community Forum in the Playhouse Theatre at 6.00 pm on Monday the 17th.  More details here.

Or instead, you might want to get involved in some real grass-roots, local activity, by joining the Woden SEE-Change Meeting at 7.00 pm on the 17th.  RSVP for the address - details here.

On Tuesday 18th, why not spend some of your lunch break showing your support for renewable energy at the rally in Garema Place?  More information is available here.  

And speaking of renewable energy: if you haven't already registered with SolarShare for their first community owned renewable project, then you'd better get in quick:  the maximum target for the first project has almost been reached.  

We're excited to see a disinvestment campaign running at the Australian National University.

This video begins by asking the question: where will the world be in 50 years?  The answers - provided by people from a variety of fields - provide a powerful insight into where, why and how change is happening around the world.  

Many of the subjects upon which they speak will resonate with our community of changemakers.  

It certainly made me feel positive about what we are doing in SEE-Change.  

I hope you will be inspired too.  You can view the video via YouTube.

In case you missed Renew Economy's Graph of The Day on the 26th of April.

It's sobering news for anyone with an interest in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

If you read this and feel sad, angry or helpless please get in touch.  If you feel unconcerned, please get in touch.  If you feel inspired to do something but you're not sure what, please get in touch.  If you have an idea for community based emission reduction that you'd like to develop, please get in touch.  And if you've already taken action to reduce your CO2 emissions, then please consider sharing your story with the SEE-Change community.

Contact office@see-change.org.au.  or phone 02 6162 2320. 

It's not too late to get along to the Sustainability Network's Talking the Walk tomorrow, Saturday 27th of April.  This month's topic will be The Next Hundred Years – Designing a Sustainable Canberra; a public discussion led by Professor Barbara Norman.  More information is available from the Canberra Environment Centre website.

Our good friends there are always on the lookout for people to demonstrate sustainable technologies of all kinds.  If you have an interest in grey water recycling (or any other area of expertise you'd like to share) then please contact me directly at the SEE-Change office.

If you're on the southside please try to make it along to the Jerrabomberra Wetlands event this Sunday the 28th of April.  The Friends of Jerrabomberra Wetlands have some great activities planned.  More here.

Please visit the coldest house in Canberra website to find out more, or join us at the Yowani Country Club on the 19th of June to find out more.

Entries close 30th June 2013, with finalists announced on the 1st of July, and the winning entry on the 29th of July.

(And don't forget that the ACT Government website has a list of handy hints for staying warmer if you don't want to shiver through the winter!)

Ben Elliston, a Canberra resident and SEE-Change member, is researching his PhD in partnership with colleagues at UNSW on renewable energy and the Australian electricity market.  This is a highly relevant topic for the future of Australia in energy investment, climate change and political decision making. 

On 9 April the Belconnen SEE-Change group  hosted a presentation of Ben's research findings, and a rich discussion with 19 people around "Is it possible and cost effective for Australia's total electricity market to be generated with 100% renewable energy?".  Many excellent ideas were shared and questions explored. Ben has recently co-authored a peer reviewed article in an international journal [read the article here].

Participants felt it was important for more people, and especially politicians, to be aware of the implications of the detailed research findings for the future of electricity generation in Australia.  Please forward this link to others, as well as the Grattan Institute report on energy options (which includes a section  on fossil fuel subsidies), and an online article on renewable electricity which references Ben's article.

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Parts Per Million is a theatre project to explore our thoughts and feelings about living in a rapidly changing climate, and what we want to express about this.  Anyone who is concerned about our changing climate and wishes to enter a process to explore their concern is welcome. No previous theatre experience is necessary, and there are no auditions.



Cost: Free!



Dates, times and places:  Monday evenings, 6-9pm at the Downer Community Centre, from April 8.

For more information or to join contact Robin at robin.davidson@belconnenartscentre.com.au.