BREAZE

Member survey...

A big thank you to all our members who responded to our survey - 251 respondents in total!  We are still working through the information, but a few stand out responses include a desire for BREAZE members to share their knowledge and skills, lots of ideas for activities and events about sustainable living, interest in continuing bulk buys for energy efficient and gardening goods and lots of suggestions for the website. We will get some more information to you on the survey findings as soon as it is ready.

Over the next few weeks, our Volunteer Support Coordinator, Chris Pollock, will be getting in touch with people who said they would like to get more involved! A big thank you to our volunteer John Petheram who is working on analysing the results!

Our meeting with Penny...

Andrew Bray and I met with Penny Wong as part of the Community Cabinet Meeting at Ballarat High School last week. We had anticipated a 10 minute meeting, but in the end had half an hour with Penny and her senior advisors, which meant we had time to discuss a few issues in detail. We emphasised the need for Federal action on:

• a strong and effective market mechanism (CPRS or other...), with targets of at least 25% by 2020

• more additional measures and not relying so heavily on the CPRS (like fixing issues with the Renewable Energy Target - maybe we were the last straw that triggered the changes this week!? - and stronger energy efficiency programs), and

• a public education campaign to shift the debate into a new sphere - not bogged down in skeptical rhetoric.

Penny was keen to stress that she thinks that putting a "price on carbon" is the most important thing. Whilst the "price on carbon" does need to happen, I still left feeling that a seriously compromised program, based on low targets and abundant freebies, is NOT better than nothing. We need to keep pushing for the strongest most effective program possible, one that is genuinely based on a polluter pays principle, and with complementary incentive programs that support transition to our "new green economy". For details of the issues we discussed, see the Engaging Government page of our website.

Victoria's emissions

According to The Climate Group, Victorian's are doing something right with emissions reduction. A recent report shows that in 2009 greenhouse gas emissions decreased in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. The main reason for this fall in emissions was a decrease in electricity produced from coal. The fall in emissions occurred despite strong population growth in all states – between 1.2% and 2.6%.

Here are a couple of links if you are interested in some more info:

• Green Energy Markets
• The Climate Group Greenhouse Indicator

On a greener note...

Our very wise Committee Member Michele Harvie pointed out to me the other day that "if you grow zucchinis you quickly run out of friends"! My challenge for the summer has been to get zucchinis into nearly every meal! My favourites so far have been the zucchini "carbonara", chocolate zucchini cake and pickled zucchinis. We have also had the best cucumbers ever, and our tomatoes are coming on strong. I hope other BREAZErs have had an abundant crop of zucchinis and other garden produce this season!

-- Lisa