Group items tagged

"Sustainable Smart Towns is a three stage program that Heyfield is showcasing as the first town to become sustainable as a whole community targeting 25% plus of its population."

IT'S a problem that besets every urban area: dodging dog droppings on the footpath. Now one town has come up with a clever way to keep doggie doo off its streets - and remind owners of their responsibilities. It sends the offending deposits back to the owners marked "Lost Property".

"Beverly McGuire saw the warning signs before the town well went dry: sand in the toilet bowl, the sputter of air in the tap, a pump working overtime to no effect. But it still did not prepare her for the night last month when she turned on the tap and discovered the tiny town where she had made her home for 35 years was out of water."

Eco-Cycle is one of the largest non-profit recyclers in the USA and has an international reputation as a pioneer and innovator in resource conservation. We were created 36 years ago by everyday residents who had a passionate belief in conserving our natural resources. These Eco-Cycle volunteers brought recycling to town in 1976, making Boulder one of the first 20 communities in the U.S. to offer curbside recycling. We continue to be driven by these same passions and innovative actions.

"Fast, efficient and individualistic, the bicycle is no ordinary mode of transport. It's a church, a gym, a community creator, a cash printer, a protest placard, a dopamine generator, a mechanical expression of self-determination, an icon of hope. It is touchable, attainable freedom. It is also a tool for nature conservation and one that the City of Cape Town-indeed, any city-stands to benefit from."

"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."

"Since the Waubra wind farm started generating power in 2009, the town has acquired a dubious reputation: the so-called `Waubra Disease' is now known internationally. But how much sense does it make? Whilst there's a small number of complainants among the population of 500, there are also 30 families hosting turbines on their land as well as many turbine neighbours -- including community leaders - who live happily with the turbines. Neil Barrett has been researching the Waubra situation for the past year. Whilst his attempts so far to understand the issues raised by complainants have been unsuccessful, it has become clear to him that the apparent good health and well-being of the turbine hosts and most of their neighbours deserves to be more widely known. "

Climate Commons is a map-based interactive platform that contains layers of news and information on climate change in the US. It is designed to provide academics, policymakers, journalists, and the general public with the latest data and stories on the causes and impacts of, and responses to climate change across the country. The map combines the most recently available data on climate change indicators, such as temperature, precipitation, and emissions, with the latest, geo-tagged stories on climate change in the United States. By providing users with the ability to compare recent data and media coverage on a local, regional, and national level, Climate Commons aims to inform Americans about the impacts of and responses to climate change in their own towns, regions and states. It also serves as a tool for better analyzing the perception and realities of climate change across the US.

"Transition Network helps communities deal with climate change and shrinking supplies of cheap energy (peak oil). This process, which we call Transition, aims to create stronger, happier communities."