Farming and food production have strong connections to us all. Join us on a journey through three film nights as we explore some of the darker sides of our relationship with food. Issues ranging from industrial factory farming and genetically engineering of food to the loss of food sovereignty and threat to food security will be addressed. We’ll have a short discussion of some of the problems raised and pose solutions and actions we can all take.

Anti-nuclear and Clean Energy campaign art auction fundraiser.

Friends of the Earth's Anti-nuclear and Clean Energy campaign are holding an Art Auction at Synergy Gallery, 253 High St Northcote on June 12th at 7pm.

Exhibition opens for viewing from Tuesday June 3rd @ Synergy Gallery, 253 High St. Northcote. Open Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 7pm.

For more information please contact Michaela 03 9419 8700 or Ila 0427 501 944 / ila@melbpc.org.au.

Tax-time appeal

A major source of financial support for our work comes from our supporters during tax time. We’d like to invite you to make a tax-deductible donation to Friends of the Earth to help us continue our work. Without the generous contributions made by our supporters, none of our local campaigns can survive for long.

To make a donation, you can either fill in the appeal letter and post it back to us, or you can make an online donation by clicking here.

The Barmah Collection: a month of music

Get excited about Thursdays in May... at the Edinburgh Castle in Brunswick you are in for treat with a seductive selection of musical delicacies ranging from ambient pop and acoustic folk to hip-hop and gypsy punk.

All proceeds go directly to the Barmah-Millewa Campaign, to save the world’s largest river red gum forest from logging and achieve land justice for the Yorta Yorta people.

Highlights include Yorta Yorta woman Lou Bennett and her band the Sweetcheeks; hip hop MC Joelistics from TZU; award-winning folk band Milk and Gyspsy stars Chalga Party.

Every Thursday in May - $6/$10 - Doors 8:30pm - For full band line-up click here

Fund raiser & events co-ordinator position available [Melbourne]

Friends of the Earth Melbourne Fund raiser and events co-ordinator position. 1.5 day a week for six months, starting July 2008 Friends of the Earth Melbourne is seeking a part time fund-raiser and events co-ordinator. The position is 1.5 days a week, initially for six months (July – December 2008). This position would collaborate with existing fund raisers at FoEM to build our ability to engage in strategic fund raising opportunities.

Applications close June 13.

For a position description, please check here.

Pesticides in our drinking water?

Friends of the Earth Melbourne and National Toxics Network have released a major survey report on Pesticides in Surface Waters of Domestic Water Supplies under the control of Victorian Water Authorities. It identifies major concerns about pesticides in drinking water and makes a series of recommendations for land managers.

Image: Wurdee Boluc aquaduct, vulnerable to pollution from 2 4D and other agricultural chemicals

There is little monitoring of agrochemicals in surface waters in Victoria. Water authorities have the best set of information in Victoria about pesticides in drinking water, but in many cases even this is most likely woefully inadequate.

Pesticides detected in Victorian domestic water supplies included some such as 2,4-D, which is classified by the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) as a Class 2B carcinogen - possibly carcinogenic to humans. 2,4-D is also known as an endocrine disruptor.

The report can be found at: http://www.foe.org.au/news/2007/new-report-on-pesticides-in-domestic-drinking-water-catchments

Speeding towards dangerous climate change

Public forum on climate and transport – 15 June 2008

Hear what the world’s leading climate scientists are discovering about the speed of climate change, the potential impacts on our way of life, and what we need to do to safeguard our future.

Guest speakers include David Spratt and Dr Patrick Moriaty

David Spratt is a climate-policy analyst and co-founder of Carbon Equity. Together with Philip Sutton, David co-authored Climate Code Red which meticulously documents extensive scientific evidence that the global warming crisis is far worse than official reports and national governments have indicated — and that we’re almost at the point of no return.

Paddy Moriarty is an Honorary Research Associate at Monash University undertaking research in areas such as urban land use and transport and alternative energy. Paddy has published extensively on alternative fuels, energy efficiency and transport systems.

When: Sunday 15 June 2008, 2:30 - 5pm
Where: Supper Room, Melbourne Town Hall, cnr Swanston & Collins Streets
RSVP: office@ptua.org.au

This event is organised by the Public Transport Users Association, FoE, Environment Victoria and City of Melbourne.

Climate Emergency Rally, July 5

We are calling for Victorians to join the Climate Emergency Rally on July 5. We want to send a wake-up call to state and federal governments that they are heading in the wrong direction. New coal, new freeways and desalination plants increase our use of and reliance on fossil fuels dramatically at a time when we must be cutting our use even more dramatically. We are calling on governments to implement sustainable alternatives to these irresponsible and expensive projects. Alternatives such as renewable energy and public transport.

We call on all community groups and individuals to join us to send this important message to the government. We are going to form a 140-metre-long human sign to spell the words "Climate Emergency". Please organise your group to send endorsement, tell everyone you know, and come on the day wearing something red to symbolise emergency.

Community assembly established at desalination plant site

On Saturday 10th May, Your Water Your Say (YWYS) activated its Community Assembly to demonstrate the community’s determination to stop works at the Wonthaggi desalination pilot plant.

Various pieces of equipment have moved onto the site already and it is expected that Korumburra contractor ANCON will try to move horizontal drilling equipment onto the desalination site within days.

The group intends to maintain a 24 hour a day presence at the site and is seeking support from http://www.yourwateryoursay.org/

Climate Campaign

The Friend of the Earth Melbourne climate campaign works to bring about necessary changes in lifestyle, society, industry and policy to halt dangerous climate change.

Friends of the Earth Melbourne climate change campaign is focused on bringing about deep cuts to our greenhouse gas pollution (with a need for annual emission reductions), working with community groups to tackle climate change and stop the proposed HRL coal fired power station in the Latrobe Valley and promote clean green renewable energy solutions.

HRL - Burning Coal at Three Minutes to Midnight

The Corporate Watch report on HRL, for Friends of the Earth, ‘Burning Coal at Three Minutes to Midnight’ has been released. Shedding light on the government grants and business interests behind the proposed HRL coal fire power plant in the Latrobe Valley of Victoria.

With $150 million of state and federal government grants this new coal fire power station has benefited from a large injection of taxpayer money to continue Victoria’s reliance on coal based electricity.

The proposed HRL coal fire power plant is one of the first of the so-called ‘clean coal’ power plants scheduled to be built, and if allowed to go ahead will expand Australia’s reliance on polluting fossil fuel sources of energy such as coal, to the detriment of the clean, green renewable energy solutions available to us.

Climate Code Red Report

Climate Code Red: The case for a sustainability emergency. This new report, prepared by Carbon Equity and the Greenleap Strategic Institute, argues for the need to declare a climate emergency.

Climate code red: the case for a sustainability emergency published by FoE, finds that serious climate-change impacts are already happening, both more quickly and at lower global temperature rises than previously projected.

Download a copy of this must-read report to learn more about the latest science on climate change and more importantly what we can do to halt dangerous climate change here

Managed Investment Schemes Enter Melbourne's Water Supply, Pesticide Risk Exposed

Strawberry crops near Woori Yallock. The person who took this photograph ended up in hospital due to pesticide exposure. For more information click here Woori Yallock.

Bay dredging alert

Please take the time (less than a minute) to send a letter to Peter Garrett and help stop the proposed dredging of Port Phillip Bay - just click here to use our simple form now. (This link will take you to an e-lobby on the FoE International website)

LinkUp Melbourne - Sustainable Transport Campaign

Our government needs to provide viable alternatives to private car use. Cities like Vancouver, Toronto and Perth have increased their share of travel by public transport while Melbourne has not, despite the fact that these cities have fewer rail tracks, spend less per person on transport,
and have a lower population density. They have done so by putting public transport under the control of efficient, accountable public agencies, while Melbourne is a privatised, unaccountable, uncoordinated mess.

But Melbourne's public transport can be taken back into public control modelled on the very best in the world, if the state government does not extend or renew the rail and tram franchises by the 30th November 2007. If the government so chooses by the 2007 deadline, Melbourne's trains and trams will revert to public ownership without the need to
compensate the private operators.

To support our sustainable transport campaign, please see their website.

FoE Real Food Campaign

O ur new local food/ 'real food’ campaign was launched early this year. There are meetings at FoE where you can find out more (and get involved if you have the time). If you are really keen to write, edit, do design, etc please feel free to contact Cam via email: cam.walker[at]foe.org.au.

To get a sense of what we’re doing, check out the FoE England website.

Climate Justice: A Fair Share of the Atmosphere

The recent release of the Stern review has caused many who were previously unconvinced of the need to reduce greenhouse emissions that urgent action is needed now. However, a new publication from Friends of the Earth, ‘Climate Justice: A fair share of the Atmosphere’ emphasises that our reasons for addressing climate change must be humanitarian as well as economic. The new report from Friends of the Earth highlights how many people in the Global South are already experiencing devastating impacts of climate change with impacts upon food security, water security, health and livelihoods. Climate change is therefore creating a global human rights crisis which will be much worse without deep and immediate reductions in emissions. Download the publication here

Nuclear power: No solution to climate change

John Howard may have jumped on the nuclear power bandwagon but all the evidence suggestions that nuclear power is no solution to climate change.
*
* Report: 'Nuclear Power: No Solution to Climate Change' September 2005
* Our anti-nuclear campaign with the real story on mines, waste, radiation and health and more
* FoE Australia submissions and briefing papers and the new report Yellow Cake Country: Australias Uranium Industry (PDF 3.7mb)

FoE has been campaigning for real energy solutions and against uranium mining and nuclear power for 35 years. With our allies in civil society, indigenous and local communities we’ve been an important part of some great victories such as stopping the Jabiluka mine, limiting the expansion of the uranium industry in Australia and scuttling a proposed nuclear waste dump in Southern Australia.

Now we face one of our biggest challenges. Please support the campaign. You can donate on-line.

BOYCOTT REFLEX COPY PAPER

Friends of the Earth Melbourne is concerned that a new pulping facility at the PaperlinX owned Maryvale pulp mill, will increase native forest logging by that company by 50% (200,000 cubic metres per year). The new pulp mill will also mean the establishment of 20,000 hectares of eucalypt plantations in the Gippsland Lakes catchment.

On a positive side, the new facility will reduce PaperlinX's need for chlorine bleaching, with almost no dioxin outputs into the Latrobe River and Bass Strait occurring after the new facility is constructed.

For more information see: www.australianpaper.forests.org.au/index2/updates11-02.htm

Real Food Film Nights