Climate Matters: Black crate recycling system continues to achieve waste diversion goals

by editor | 18 Jul 2018 | Waste

Many people in the community have often asked me why we continue to use the black crate recycling system instead of moving to the co-mingled yellow lid recycling bins used by many other jurisdictions. At Council and with the support of our recycling contractor...

Plastic straw free Bello Winter Music Fest

by editor | 18 Jul 2018 | SLAM, Waste

Bellingen went plastic straw free for the Bello Winter Music weekend thanks to the efforts of Waste Not Bellingen. Thanks to all the amazing businesses that have pledged to reduce their single use plastics!

Future Learn: Volunteering with Refugees

by editor | 18 Jul 2018 | SLAM

I have done a free online course offered through Future Learn that I found very interesting and useful. While I have not done Volunteering with Refugees, I believe it will certainly have something helpful for those who choose to do it. It is a commitment of only a few...

July Forum: How can I help? 7:30pm

by editor | 3 Jul 2018 | Event, Meeting Minutes, Monthly Forum

With many new refugees now becoming part of our Armidale community, SLA is hosting a forum with the key players involved with their resettlement. Find out what’s happening, what’s proposed and how you can get involved and help. A panel of speakers will include...

SLA 2018 AGM 7pm

by editor | 3 Jul 2018 | Event, Monthly Forum

The AGM will be held before the July forum with office bearers elected and Convenors of Action Groups endorsed. A brief year in review by Action Group convenors and vision for the future year will be presented by the current convenor Iain MacKay. The AGM will start at...

Climate Matters: Armidale Community Garden

by editor | 3 Jul 2018 | Garden

Six years ago a group of enthusiastic volunteers took up the challenge of turning six abandoned tennis courts into a community garden. Armidale Community Garden lies just across the creek behind the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM), and although still very much...

#PlasticFreeJuly #ReduceYourUse watch World Wildlife Fund video

by editor | 3 Jul 2018 | SLAM

Plastic. It’s become such an essential part of our lives, and the statistics are staggering. On average, Australians use 130 kg of plastic each year, but only 12% is recycled. More frightening still, up to 130,000 tonnes of plastic will find its way into the...

Petition to end deforestation in Australia

by editor | 3 Jul 2018 | Climate

Last week, the Wilderness Society wrote to the UN asking them to investigate the alarming deforestation crisis in Great Barrier Reef catchments — and it’s international news. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which is the body set up to look after World Heritage...

Climate Matters: Batteries — What’s all the fuss about?

by editor | 25 Jun 2018 | Climate, Energy

We’ve all being hearing about batteries lately. From adding a battery to a household solar PV system to the world’s biggest battery installed by Tesla on the South Australian grid. Even Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is talking energy storage with Snowy Hydro II. So...

Visions for Armidale Creeklands AGM

by editor | 20 Jun 2018 | AURG, Event

Any interested in joining our not-for-profit association and all existing members are invited to come along to our 1st Annual General Meeting – to be held upstairs at the Armidale Bowling Club (Dumaresq St) – at 5.30 pm on Thursday June 21, 2018. Please...

Prickly Problems Project launch

by editor | 20 Jun 2018 | AURG, Event, SNELC

You’re invited to the launch of the Prickly Problems Project and to celebrate 16 years of Armidale Urban Rivercare projects. Saturday June 23, 10-12pm at Creeklands Behind Phil Wheaton Oval, Erskine St Free brunch by Dumaresq Lions Club All...

VIDEO: Save Ugly

by editor | 20 Jun 2018 | SLAM

Wilderness Society have rebooted their look with the tag line ‘Life. Support.’ and refreshed their campaigns with the latest being ‘Save Ugly’. Its a new angle on an ongoing problem of motivating people to value threatened environment and...

June Forum: Love in an anthropogenic climate

by editor | 3 Jun 2018 | Event, Monthly Forum | 1 comment

Dr Vanessa Bible will talk at the Sustainable Living Armidale’s Thursday Forum on the topic of love of place, how it can cultivate community, and how it can be a powerful motivator for environmental action. She will focus on research conducted in the Northern Rivers,...

Carbon with a twist — artists, farmers and scientists come together for an unusual project

by editor | 3 Jun 2018 | Event

From June 16, Bingara’s very own The Living Classroom will host the first artists in residence as part of a major two-year art project exploring our changing relationship to land. “An Artist, a Farmer, and a Scientist walk into a bar…” brings contemporary artists into...

Upcoming Leard Pilliga tours

by editor | 3 Jun 2018 | AACSGaM

Hi, Places are available for all tours. An all wheel drive vehicle is preferable as the unsealed roads can be potholed and corrugated. It is advised to fill up in Narrabri on the way to the Pilliga town ship, before starting the tour, and again on returning to...

Climate Matters: Smart Electricity Deals Save Money

by editor | 3 Jun 2018 | Energy

Choosing an electricity retail provider is often challenging. Privatised electricity companies generate substantial profits and can confuse consumers. A common trick is to increase prices, then entice customers with impressive-sounding discounts. . Until August 2017,...

TEDtalk video: My mushroom burial suit

by editor | 3 Jun 2018 | SLAM

Here’s a powerful provocation from artist Jae Rhim Lee. Can we commit our bodies to a cleaner, greener Earth, even after death? Naturally — using a special burial suit seeded with pollution-gobbling mushrooms. Yes, this just might be the strangest TEDTalk...

Solar power take-up accelerates throughout the New England North West

by editor | 3 Jun 2018 | Energy, SLAM, Starfish

The take-up of solar power has accelerated throughout the New England North West region, with a local community bulk-buy program adding 2% more installations in the last eighteen months alone. “We’ve seen the level of community interest in solar power grow...

Choose to refuse — Plastic Free July

by editor | 3 Jun 2018 | Waste

You may already know that Plastic Free July had its humble beginnings in 2011, as a local initiative driven by the Western Metropolitan Regional Council in Western Australia. The incredible growth the campaign has seen since then has seen us recently become an...

AACSGaM & Progressive Cinema: Sacrifice Zone

by editor | 9 May 2018 | AACSGaM, Event, UNE

Armidale Action on Coal Seam Gas and Mining and Progressive Cinema present Sacrifice Zone. ‘Sacrifice Zone’ — the film of the threat posed by Santos’ CSG proposals for the Pilliga. When: Thursday 10 May, 2018, 7-9pm Where: Arts Theatre 2, University...

Nonviolence Film Festival 2018 enviro film: Blowpipes and Bulldozers

by editor | 9 May 2018 | Event

Peace Studies presents the Nonviolence Film Festival 2018 7-11 May – Oorala Lecture Theatre, UNE Mon 7 May: Winter Go Away (2012, 82 mins) Tues 8 May: My So-Called Enemy (2010, 90 mins) Wed 9 May: Concrete, Steel & Paint (2009, 55 mins) Thurs 10 May:...

They keep coming back — Boomerang Bags

by editor | 9 May 2018 | Boomerang Bags, Event

Saturday 12th May, 9am, The Jacaranda Room out the back of Kent House is the location of Armidale Boomerang Bags third sewing bee. Join us to help reduce the use of plastic by sewing cloth bags. If you can’t sew, no problem, we can help you or there are...

Climate Matters: How does climate change affect our health?

by editor | 9 May 2018 | Climate

For some of us, climate change is a problem in the future. But the health impacts of climate change are already evident. Climate change is a problem right now. Worldwide, weather-related disasters have increased by 46% since 2007. Australia itself has experienced more...

North West NSW residents: Santos response to EIS submissions weak, inadequate

by editor | 9 May 2018 | AACSGaM

The Santos Response to Submissions for the Narrabri EIS fails to address the many problems that experts and community groups have raised, leaving major data gaps that increase environmental risks. The report provides a detailed breakdown of the submissions, confirming...

Paddle the Clybucca Wetlands

by editor | 3 May 2018 | AACSGaM, Event

Save Our Macleay River Inc. invite you to Paddle the Clybucca Wetlands on Saturday 26th May 2018, sponsored by North Coast Local Land Services. This event will showcase the environmental issues associated with the drainage of the Collombatti- Clybucca Wetlands. Guest...