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TGoG Podcast 067 – Simple Climate Action You Can Take Right Now

June 11, 2014 @ 22:24 By Gavin Webber 2 Comments

The Greening of Gavin PodcastTonight, I attended a webinar hosted by the Australian Conservation Foundation that got me all fired up.  It was titled ‘Don’t drop the ball on climate action’.  It was great and Victoria  presented it like a pro.

So it got me so enthused that I just had to record this weeks podcast episode about the simple climate action that you can take right now.

Listen to the Episode Below (00:30:19)
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Firstly, I must say that I did express my disappointment with our current Australian Government and their campaign against strong climate action.  However, with that said, after the 7 minute mark, I focus entirely on individual actions that you can take to lower your personal environmental footprint.  It also features other community actions that you can also take.

Hopefully this episode will put a fire in your belly and help you think deeply, take positive steps to climate action, and to living a more sustainable lifestyle.  Just like the webinar did for me tonight.

Also, here is the link to the petition that I mentioned during the show; http://www.action.org.au/keep-our-climate-safe

Please take the time to sign it and forward to your social media networks.

As always, if you enjoyed the podcast, please pop over to iTunes, give it a rating, and leave a review. You can also do the same within Stitcher Radio if you use that service.

It would help me out so much, and elevate the ratings so that others can find out about the podcast and learn about sustainable living in the ‘burbs.

You can subscribe to the show via RSS or iTunes or Stitcher for your portable device.  Just use the subscription buttons below.

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Until next time, stay green and keep keen!  Take a simple climate action today.

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Filed Under: ACF, activism, Al Gore, carbon footprint, Carbon Price, climate change, energy efficiency, Environment, Podcast, Sustainable Living, TGOG Podcast

Community Actions Abound

June 3, 2010 @ 19:00 By Gavin Webber 3 Comments

Of late, I have been extremely busy attending meetings, workshops, and assisting in the formulation of community actions .  This is the main reason that I haven’t been posting as regularly as I would like to, so for that I apologise.

For the last four Tuesday evenings I have been attending ACF GreenHome Community Workshops, which have been held in our shire.  They have been a great success and are very well run by the GreenHome team and the volunteer ACF Community leaders, of which I am proud to say am one of. A big thank you goes out to Michele, Ross and Bruce from the ACF who organised the events and made them fun to attend.

Tuesday night we got together into groups and began working through the actions that we had decided upon in the previous weeks workshop.  The three groups were;

  • Community Garden in Caroline Springs
  • Permablitz
  • Community Enterprise

I helped lead the Permablitz group and during the first session we wrote down ideas from everyone based around the entire theme.  The Permablitz concept is basically like the TV show ‘Backyard Blitz’ but with two big differences.  Firstly, you spend a lot of time learning about permaculture with a very hands on approach, and secondly, instead of getting an outdoor room, you make a food garden with the help of lots of other like-minded people.  It can be executed very slowly or over a single weekend.

During the second session we watched a presentation given by Andrew Bray from Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions (BREAZE), about how the group formed in 2006 and how it has grown from strength to strength over the last four years.  Here is a two part video of his presentation.  Andrew gave me his permission to put it up on YouTube to share.


The BREAZE website (www.breaze.org.au) is a wealth of information, and even provides info about how to start a climate action group.  I actually used their info to assist me when I was figuring out how to form the Melton Sustainable Living Group!  It was really that helpful and made my job just a little less painful.
Andrew is a great bloke and extremely passionate about climate change and community actions.  I had a great chat to him afterwards about all things community group wise and we swapped details.  I do believe that our groups will keep in touch moving forward.

The third session was the prize draw for those people who had attended all four community workshops.  Guess who’s name was drawn out of the hat first?  Yes, you guessed it, it was me!  I had the choice of a worm farm or a compost bin, but as I already have two worm farms and three compost bins, with a fledgling compost heap on the go, I thought it best to decline the prize and I asked for it to be redrawn.  They put my name back in the hat, and eventually I won again, this time I chose a weather strip for a door which will come in handy for the kitchen renovation that we are going through.

In the fourth session, our permablitz group (now renamed permasnail due to the fact that we won’t be blitzing anything at first) refined the first four priorities for our action to be successful and to get it off the ground.  Firstly, a meeting in the next two weeks, and agenda which is under way, sharing of contact details, and the list of ideas to go through at the meeting.  After the first meeting, it is anyone’s guess to where we end up, but I do have lots of ideas having had transformed my own suburban yard into a food forest!  I dare say a visit to my urban farm for the group may be in order to help them get a better idea of what is possible over the course of a few years.

Finally, the evening ended with quick critique of all the sessions over the course of the four weeks. My presentation on the second week scored 67 out of 10 (difficult to describe I know), so I was chuffed to bits.
All of the community leaders will be catching up on a monthly basis so we can share our experiences.  That will definitely keep the leadership group cohesive and the spark alive.

Last night the Melton Sustainable Living Group held an education night where we watched the documentary “Food Inc.”, which was attended by 6 of us.  It was an eye opening view of the way the industrial food complex.  Here is a brief synopsis;

Food, Inc. is a documentary about the state of the food industry within the United States. Food is cheaper and more abundant than it has ever been, but how is this the case? We have detached ourselves from how food ends up on our plates. Food is marketed to us as if it comes from a little farm with a white fence and rolling hills but this is simply an illusion. The food actually comes from mega factory farms. Our society has cheaper food but there have been more E. coli and Salmonella outbreaks in the past twenty years than ever before and obesity and the rate of diabetes are through the roof. Food, Inc. discusses how these problems have developed, how our society’s food has evolved over the years, why our food is cheaper, where it is coming from, and the unsafe conditions from which it comes from.

Suffice to say, the conversation was very interesting after the film had finished, and it really spurred me on to grow even more of my own food as I believe that other members will as well.  As I have in the past 3 years, I re-confirmed my pledge to never to visit another McDonald’s restaurant ever again in my lifetime.  Watch the movie and you will understand what I am on about.

Anyway, an action packed few days and I am looking forward to catching up with the new “Permasnail” group very soon and helping it grow.

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Filed Under: ACF, activisim, GreenHome, Sustainable Living

ACF GreenHome Workshops

April 19, 2010 @ 11:30 By Gavin Webber 2 Comments

You’re invited to four FREE workshops

You’ll be able to:
• learn from energy & gardening experts
• meet your neighbours
• tackle climate change and sustainability in new and creative ways with your community.

The Australian Conservation Foundation GreenHome program will help you reduce your environmental impact and take practical steps to save water and energy, produce less waste and grow local food.

Tuesday 11th May
Greening your home – part 1: Becoming energy efficient
Learn more about energy efficiency, workshop ideas and hear from energy experts.

Tuesday 18th May
Greening your home – part 2:
Gardening towards a sustainable future
Special guest: Vasili Kanidiadis – presenter of Vasili’s Garden SBS.
Hear form Vasili and other gardening guru’s about having a water efficient veggie patch, composting and
worm farming.

Tuesday 25th May
Community actions for tackling climate change – part 1
Hear from inspiring speakers and tackle climate change in new and creative ways with your community.

Tuesday 1st June
Community actions for tackling climate change – part 2
Network with your friends and neighbours and discover how your actions can make your neighbourhood a happier, healthier and more sustainable place to live.

All sessions run from 6.30 – 9.15pm

Come to all four workshops for your chance to win a worm farm, compost bin and great energy prizes

Where:
Caroline Springs Civic Centre & Library
193-201 Caroline Springs Blvd (Corner of Lake St)
Caroline Springs. Melways Ref. 356 G10
Light refreshments will be provided at each workshop.

Cost: FREE

Book online at www.acfonline.org.au/carolinesprings or call
Australian Conservation Foundation on 1800 223 669

RSVP by Friday 7th May as places are limited

Please forward to anyone else that may be interested.

Everyone attending will receive a free GreenHome guide and other giveaways.
For more information and ideas on sustainable living visit
www.acfonline.org.au/greenhome

P.S.  I  will be in attendance at all four workshops as part of his GreenHome Community Leaders commitment.  If you would like to meet me, please come along if you live in the area!

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Filed Under: ACF, GreenHome, Sustainable Living

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About Gavin Webber

An Ordinary Australian Man Who Has A Green Epiphany Whilst Watching A Documentary, Gets a Hybrid Car, Plants A Large Organic Vegetable Garden, Goes Totally Solar, Lowers Consumption, Feeds Composts Bins and Worms, Harvests Rainwater, Raises Chickens, Makes Cheese and Soap, and Eats Locally. All In The Effort To Reduce Our Family's Carbon Footprint So We Can Start Making A Difference For Our Children & Future Generations To Come.

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  • Always inspiring and entertaining!
    August 4, 2016 by floriographer from Australia

    I've crowed about Gavin's podcast before but I just have to recommend it once again - I love that he shares his learning as well as his successes - it helps the rest of us try try try again! Thanks Gavin!

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    July 22, 2016 by Ketaea12 from New Zealand

    I really enjoy listening to Gavin, he has a kind lovely voice. He covers some great relevant topics for the everyday greenie. With lots of tips or how to or what not to do. Thanks Gavin, love it!!

  • Well worth your time to tune in
    October 23, 2015 by A Vision Splendid from Australia

    I can highly recommend Gavin’s podcast ! I have followed Gavin’s blog since the very beginning and have loved to see his journey unfold. Gavin has a lovely speaking voice so this podcast is always very easy to listen to. Gavin has a very authentic approach to his green living lifestyle. He shares the ups and downs but always provides motivation and practical steps that we can all implement.

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    June 28, 2015 by Scared pax from United Kingdom

    This is a great podcast if you want to improve your life in so many aspects and become a more sustainable person. I love the soothing voice, the good pace, and it contains lots of useful information. Recommended!

  • opened my eyes
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    A wonderful show!

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    This is a great podcast if you're looking for practical info on saving money by living more sustainably from someone who's made that journey over the last few years. Told in a nice, easy conversational style

  • Green Living, inspiring and practical
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    Thanks Gav for sharing what has (and hasn't) worked along your journey for living a greener lifestyle. Inspiring and achievable for anyone, I look forward to this podcast weekly.

  • Local food equals less waste
    December 27, 2014 by allotmentadventureswithjean from Australia

    Another brilliant podcast from Gavin Webber encouraging us, and showing us how, to cut down on food miles, growing our own food, and cutting down on food waste. Gavin is a really interesting speaker, showing us how to eat better, growing our own food and how to live more sustainably.

  • Honestly australian
    December 15, 2014 by HodgepodgeOz from Australia

    Fantastic podcast, with a wide variety of well thought and researched topics. Gavin is a honest, forthright pod aster with a genuine interest in helping others get green. Like a day alongside is a day wasted, so too is a week without listening to Gavin. Highly recommended for people starting out, or those in the midst of their new lifestyle. Keep it up Gavin, wish there were more great reviews! Kimberley

  • Morning motivation
    December 8, 2014 by Bunnyworm from Australia

    Gavin has a great passion for living this greener lifestyle that motivates others to do the same. The podcasts are always interesting and informative. :)

  • Passionate Advocate
    October 18, 2014 by BoomOpGirl from Australia

    Gavin's enthusiasm and passion for creating a more sustainable world is nothing short of contagious. Thanks Gav, you are my weekly source of motivation for living a sustainable life! :)

  • Gavin speaks from the heart
    October 13, 2014 by Green gavin from Australia

    Gavin's podcasts are required listening for anyone planning to live a more sustainable life. He doesn't preach, but tells you his story from the heart. You'll laugh, smile, share in his concerns and along the way you'll pick up some great tips on living a simple life.

  • Green thoughts, so well iterated
    October 9, 2014 by Kwasikwami from Australia

    This is a wonderful podcast. Not only does Gavin talk knowledgeably on a range of sustainability topics from gardening tips all the way to the issues facing humanity as a whole, but he does so in such a wonderful voice, it's like listening to my Dad, love it!!

  • Easy listening inspiration on being green
    September 24, 2014 by Broomedy from Australia

    Gav knows how to share his journey to a more sustainable life in a manner that shows just how easy it really is. Not to mention healthier, economically beneficial and generally rewarding. The podcasts are an easy way to absorb Gav's great lifestyle. I recommend to anyone.

  • Thanks Gavin!
    August 31, 2014 by Honeywoodmilk from Australia

    Great practical advice for a greener lifestyle. This podcast is for anybody interested in growing their own food in suburbia, saving electricity, brewing beer, making cheese, all that wonderful business and most of all, saving money! Thanks Gavin, love the podcast mate!

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    Like you we are having winter here in Chile—brrr! Every bit we can save on heating we will.

  • Green Podcasts
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    Excellent podcasts, which are full of information to help get started on a sustainable lifestyle.

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    July 19, 2014 by HeathrowHeath from Australia

    I highly recommend Gavin's podcast and blog. Down to earth, entertaining and inspirational. Thank you.

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    Gavin & his guests make this green journey lots of fun.

  • Great green listen
    April 18, 2014 by Obscurenickname from Australia

    Gavin is a great down to earth, tell it like it is aussie with a passion for sustainability and growing food and making cheese

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