I think this is the beginnings of an economy based on perpetual growth and fossil fuel energy running headlong into geological energy constraints. Basically I see an undulatory downward path for the rest of my life. From here out, I think any rallies in our economic condition are going to be met with spiking commodity prices that knock us right back down.
Joined: Oct 16, 2004 Posts: 1281 Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 6:56 am Post subject: Re: Watching Pumping Empty in Bris?
Thanks for the heads-up. It's too late to register online for it now. I'll show up early at the town hall and see if I can get a ticket at the door. By the looks of it it's a part of a localisation push by the "Climate Change Leaders Network". There's a 2 day formal conference (with social activities and everything) this next weekend. The thing tomorrow night looks like an 'outreach' to the community. An introduction to the concept and an attempt to raise a support group for the network in Brisbane perhaps. Should be interesting. _________________ Kind regards, Katkinkate
"The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops,
but the cultivation and perfection of human beings."
Masanobu Fukuoka
Joined: Dec 07, 2005 Posts: 1978 Location: Australia
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 6:53 pm Post subject: Re: Watching Pumping Empty in Bris?
Hope to hear from you tomorrow again then and good luck with getting a seat and hopefully the hall isn't full with people already PO aware. No point in preaching to the church choir. _________________ It's not a bailout, it's a buy-in" - Nancy Pelosi
Joined: Oct 16, 2004 Posts: 1281 Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 6:29 am Post subject: Re: Watching Pumping Empty in Bris?
Micki wrote:
Hope to hear from you tomorrow again then and good luck with getting a seat and hopefully the hall isn't full with people already PO aware. No point in preaching to the church choir.
I think the audience was a bit church choirish, at least no-one expressed surprise or doubt in what was being said. Anyhow, I got in and after 3 long butt-numbing hours we were let out again and when I got home, at nearly 11.00 o'clock, I penned most of the following presented for your edification below. (I added a bit extra today) Sorry it's a bit rambly and note-like.
............................
Tuesday night 20/5/08 Started 7.00
4 speakers:
Mr Andrew McNamara - State Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation and rep for Hervey Bay, talked about the basics of the peak oil problem and the need for a complete rejection of 'business as usual' model and setting up a new system to cope with it
Judy Wicks, owner of White Dog Cafe Toronto and Director of the US Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) - a community and people-centred way to do business and live life.
Gilbert Rochecouste, deep ecologist and community builder from Melborne (originally Mauritius) talking about the need for a new story to live by and showing how city communities are working in Melborne:
Robert Pekin, local farmer and organiser of Food Connect a local Brisbane CSA network- he gave out free organic fruit, I got an apple, quite yummy no worms.
There weren't any confronting questions, really, except the one about how hard did Andrew try to stop the new tunnel and airport link road that will be useless soon. Although personally I don't mind too much as part of it is a dedicated bus-only road and will be a quicker and flatter bike ride into the city when the busses stop. Although according to their maps the road will be going through my bedroom. Lucky I'm planning on moving soon anyhow.
The Documentary itself (about 2 hours into the session)
Local Brisbane job. Modelled after the other 'talking heads being interviewed' type docos with shots of cars, houses, oil wells, petrol stations and shopping centres and the occassional appearance of the host, presumably the one asking the questions for the heads to answer. Just like 'The End of Suburbia" and "Crude" only with Brisbane landscapes, local boys and girl and not so much polish - one of the interviewees was not at all used to or comfortable with speaking to a camera but her words were true, the camera work was a bit ... ordinary.
No surprises apart from that jarring feeling you get when you're used to seeing most of your movies coming from overseas or at least interstate and you suddenly recognise a house you passed in the bus last week and the service station you had lunch at last time you hired a car on holidays, oh and the freeway you travelled down on the bus to work every workday for years.
Was pretty good, covered the basics, nothing really new except it was from an Australian perspective. Was shot in Brisbane and the talking heads were mostly locals and a few extras like Andrew McNamara, and ex-fossil fuel co. executive and a bloke from ASPO Australia. It was funny in a way, several of the speakers were from Griffith University School of Australian Environmental Studies where I got my degree. I recognised a few teachers and one of my fellow students, whom I shared several classes with. I met her just before it all started and ended up sitting with her and there she was on the screen.
It was good seeing her again, took me back. But was rather cringeworthy as I've done nothing with my degree and she got a job working on Local Govt policy with peak oil and Climate Change in mind, an advisor to the government, and is still out there trying to change the world. I'm flat out trying to change myself. Anyhow, after the speakers and the question time, then the doco, we left at 10.15, I eventually caught a bus home and wrote this up. It's now midnight and time for bed.
Respectfully yours
Kate.
Oh, yeah I forgot - it was all organised by the Ethos Foundation (based at Mt Tamborine) and is the forerunner, and maybe bait, for a 3 day seminar/symposium/workshop on sustainable communities and relocalisation being run this Friday-Sunday. Would be interesting if I had $300 to spare. Maybe they'll give out more free fruit. Maybe Brisbane will be the next transition town! Hot damm, maybe I won't move after all. _________________ Kind regards, Katkinkate
"The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops,
but the cultivation and perfection of human beings."
Masanobu Fukuoka
Joined: Dec 07, 2005 Posts: 1978 Location: Australia
Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 7:01 am Post subject: Re: Watching Pumping Empty in Bris?
Appreciate the update.
I would have enjoyed being there even if the film sounded pretty average.
McNamara should have been grilled a bit more.
He has for many years known about PO and lobbied for action. Now his party is in charge, so he should really be pushed to do as much as possible. (I was quite disappointed that alternative energy didn't get some funding in the budget. )
Hope you get lucky with your job hunting.
Maybe you should contact your "celebrity" friend and mention that you are into PO awarness and looking for a job. I'll be your reference
And you know what, I think Brisbane is and is going to be even better place than Melbourne or Sydney. I reckon yo should stay.
And God knows I'll be heading up there as soon as I can. Love the place. _________________ It's not a bailout, it's a buy-in" - Nancy Pelosi
Joined: Oct 16, 2004 Posts: 1281 Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 8:17 am Post subject: Re: Watching Pumping Empty in Bris?
Your welcome. Actually I've got a job. I'm thinking of leaving it. I want to be on the edge of the city, or a big town like Gympie or Grafton. Maybe I should get a job there first, but I'm not sure where exactly I want to settle down. So I'm considering taking an extended holiday to go land hunting in a campervan.
Anyhow, the representative for the Ethos Foundation said there was a loose association between several organisations and councils from Northern NSW to Hervey Bay and inland, working on a sustanability agenda for their local areas. Sunshine Coast has officially taken on the Transition Town thing and I know of a few others working for it in other areas, like inland of Gympie, around Lismore and around Beaudesert. Wouldn't it be nice if we could make the whole area into a Sustainability Region? Then we could work on the rest of the east coast communites, then we march inland, take over Australia!!! Then the WORLD !!!!!! Conquest!!!!! We'll spread like the cane toad .... only faster. _________________ Kind regards, Katkinkate
"The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops,
but the cultivation and perfection of human beings."
Masanobu Fukuoka
Joined: Dec 07, 2005 Posts: 1978 Location: Australia
Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 9:02 am Post subject: Re: Watching Pumping Empty in Bris?
Great news.
I'll keep my eyes open for what is happening.
Got a house waiting form me on the border to Sunshine Coast, so what ever goes on there in highly interesting to me.
In NSW, I kinda liked Yamba (drew up with campervan from Melbourne to Brisbane round new year).
And furter South I thought Forster/Tuncurry stood out.
But that is quite a long way from QLD.
Grafton should be OK, but I thought the place was a bit anonymous. Didn't leave me with any impression.
Your idea to do a bit of sightseeing first is probably a good idea. _________________ It's not a bailout, it's a buy-in" - Nancy Pelosi
Joined: Oct 16, 2004 Posts: 1281 Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 4:57 am Post subject: Re: Watching Pumping Empty in Bris?
Just checked out Yamba online. Looks very nice, but the land prices are a bit high. Australia land prices might drop eventually, but unless I win the lottery tonight, I can't afford to look there. I like Grafton because the land prices around it are lower than further north, or south for that matter and its a big enough town to have some of the basic services taken for granted in our civilized world. And it's on a train line. Same with Armidale, Maryborough and Gympie. _________________ Kind regards, Katkinkate
"The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops,
but the cultivation and perfection of human beings."
Masanobu Fukuoka
Joined: Dec 07, 2005 Posts: 1978 Location: Australia
Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 8:44 pm Post subject: Re: Watching Pumping Empty in Bris?
Yeah, guess Yamba would be a bit pricies casue of the closeness to the sea.
Think it is good if you pick a place near a river at least. Then you can get some yabbies, crabs and fish.
Maclean would probably be better location than Grafton from that point of view, but probably a bit smaller than Grafton.
(I went through both but can' t remember much about either place)
If prices are similar I reckon Maryborough seems more attractive.
And a bit less isolated.
I think property prices will come down, but on the other hand I have been predicting this for two years now. I just can't see how people are going to be able to handle inflation and high interest rates and high levels of borrowing and still support the property market unless they open the spigots for immigration. _________________ It's not a bailout, it's a buy-in" - Nancy Pelosi
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but her words were true, the camera work was a bit ... ordinary.
