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"Edible City is a fun, fast-paced journey through the Local Good Food movement that's taking root in the San Francisco Bay Area, across the nation and around the world. Introducing a diverse cast of extraordinary and eccentric characters who are challenging the paradigm of our broken food system, Edible City digs into their unique perspectives and transformative work, finding hopeful solutions to monumental problems. Inspirational, down-to-earth and a little bit quirky, Edible City captures the spirit of a movement that's making real change and doing something truly revolutionary: growing the model for a healthy, sustainable local food system."

"Geelong Sustainability Group - climate action, local & global Climate Action, Local and Global"

"A new project proves what's possible with the benefit of local knowledge."

The Wellington Mayor says a compensation deal between council and the developers of a proposed windfarm at Bodgangora has come at a "considerable cost". Rod Buhr says the $2 million Voluntary Planning Agreement with Infigen Energy will be used to upgrade and maintain local roads and to develop a community benefit fund.

Tired of hearing that sustainable construction has to cost more, Josh and his colleagues want to prove that resource efficient homes can be built at comparable cost and timeframes to regular houses. The homes will be thermally comfortable year round, without the need for air conditioning or additional heating. They will generate more electricity than they use, and will harvest and recycle water. In addition to private garden areas, a common productive garden will supply both houses with fresh food. What sets this project apart from many others is that the building designs have achieved a 10 Star energy efficiency rating*, whilst intentionally using conventional building materials and construction methods so they can easily be replicated by industry and the wider community. The project also demonstrates a more sensitive approach to residential subdivision that has considered maximising effective garden area around the homes to allow for natural shading, children's play spaces and local food production - important health and lifestyle benefits that are rapidly disappearing from our suburbs. Construction started in November 2012 and is scheduled for completion by May 2013.

"CREATING AUSTRALIA'S MOST EDIBLE CURB COMPETITION We are people that like our food fresh, local and free. We like social gatherings, designing and building useful things and getting to know neighbours. We empower people like you to RECLAIM THE CURB."

"It is important to distinguish between genuine local concerns and the increasingly professional anti-wind activists whose strategy seems designed to confuse and inflame the debate on wind energy. In Australia, some anti-wind groups promote bogus science, claiming a litany of medical ailments attributable to turbines. "

"Macarthur wind farm - the largest in Australia and the southern hemisphere - was officially opened in south western Victoria on Friday by the local member and state premier Denis Napthine. The 420MW wind farm, built at a cost of $1 billion by AGL Energy and New Zealand company Meridian, is the biggest single investment in renewable energy in the country since the Snowy Mountain hydro project was completed in the 1970s, the companies say."

"By Giles Parkinson on 20 April 2012 California-based Sungevity is set to become the first solar company in Australia to offer zero-cost rooftop solar, teaming up with local company Nickel Energy to offer pay-as-you-go leasing deals that have proved enormously popular in the US."

"What happens to electronic waste (e-waste)? Watch this clip about the physics of recycling to find out the way that useful materials are captured from waste at a local materials recovery facility. Presenter Tanya Ha investigates e-waste, the products it comes from, and the sustainability challenges it poses."

"The UN claims climate change is 'almost definitely' caused by humans, and now Google Earth users can see the impact they are supposed to have made to temperature changes in their local area. Climate researchers at the University of East Anglia have added the world's temperature records as a layer on the mapping service. It lets users zoom into 6,000 global weather stations and see monthly, seasonal and annual temperature changes dating back to 1850."

Climate change has become a difficult concept for the general public to imagine, with an array of scenarios each affecting the world differently. The federal government, nonprofit groups and individuals have come up with visualization tools to help the public better understand the impacts that climate change may have not only on the world, but also at the local level.

Clean Energy Week is Australia's biggest event for the renewable energy and energy efficiency industry, incorporating ATRAA (Australia's largest solar event), a huge trade exhibition, two awards programs and a clean energy debate on the 2013 conference theme of 'rethinking energy'. Hosted by the Clean Energy Council, Australia's peak industry body, the week delivers the latest news on policy initiatives and technology developments, as well as the opportunity to make valuable new contacts and close critical business deals. After drawing more than 2500 local and international delegates to Sydney for the 2012 event, Clean Energy Week is set to be even bigger when it comes to Brisbane from July 24 - 26 in 2013.

Closed Loop specialise in setting up programs that maximise usage from your existing waste systems. When additional infrastructure is required, we can provide you with state-of-the-art equipment via our local and international relationships.

"Australian restaurants generate a huge amount of food waste, a large proportion of which currently goes to landfill. But a local company is hoping to convert that waste into compost for city vegie patches. Closed Loop sells machines that turn food waste into useable compost within 24 hours. Managing director Rob Pascoe is on a mission to lease out as many as 20 of the units to Melbourne restaurants within the next month. He says the machines not only turn organic waste into a useful resource, but can save restaurants money by drastically reducing the amount they spend on waste collection."

"South Gippsland is blanketed with more than a dozen licences for unconventional gas exploration - which uses controversial techniques to extract hard-to-reach gas. For now, nothing is happening. In August 2012, the state government announced a moratorium on coal seam gas exploration and on the drilling method known as fracking, in which water, sand and chemicals are pumped underground at great pressure to fracture coal or rock, and release gas. Even so, people are worried, fearful about risks to water supplies and local health, as well as the price and productivity of their land. Poowong has declared itself "coal and coal seam gas free" and six other towns are likely to do the same before the year is out."

"Community renewable energy has significant political and economic benefits, but is often hindered by five major barriers. Watch this vividly illustrated presentation to learn how communities can overcome the barriers and advance more local renewable energy. ILSR Senior Researcher John Farrell gave this presentation as part of a Sustainable Economies Law Center webinar on April 30, 2013."

"One evening in the small village of Ashton Hayes in Cheshire, England, someone started a conversation about climate change and energy at the local pub. It was 2005. Two years later, residents had cut their carbon dioxide emissions and energy costs by 20 percent. Ashton Hayes now aims to be England's first carbon-neutral community."

"These maps are based on data from the Clean Energy Regulator, the Australian Government agency tasked with the administration of the Renewable Energy Target. For each postcode and local government area, the map shows the estimated percentage of dwellings that have a PV system and the total photovoltaic capacity installed. Most of the PV systems in Australia are small-scale rooftop installations; however there are a number of larger-scale PV power stations with a capacity of more than 100 kW. These power stations are indicated by individual markers. Live performance data is available for systems in the Desert Knowledge Precinct in Alice Springs, and at the University of Queensland."

Do Something Near You is Australia's definitive community directory and volunteer portal. The website provides vital links between charities, councils and communities. The aim of the project is to encourage and assist members of the public and the business community to invest their time and resources in local not-for-profit organisations, to the benefit of all Australians.