Sustainable Shopping: the eco-friendly guide to online Christmas shopping

by editor | 6 Dec 2017 | SLAM

Online shopping has recently smashed retail records worldwide, while its growth has continued significantly in Australia. With Christmas just around the corner, Australia Post expects this to be the busiest year it has ever seen. December is the largest buying month...

Video: Top 10 brands polluting our beaches

by editor | 6 Dec 2017 | SLAM

Every September, millions of people around the world participate in International Coastal Cleanup Day to take part in a larger effort to protect our ocean. Cleanups alone, however, will never solve the problem of plastic pollution in the ocean or on its shores. This...

By-election #StopAdani gathering with those knagging Nannas!

by editor | 30 Nov 2017 | AACSGaM, Event

We are being visited by a group of 5–7 Coffs Coast Nannas on their way home from a major Queensland protest against Adani. They have invited us to join them in front of Barnaby’s Office. P – L – E – A – S – E come along and have...

Armidale briefing: Land Clearing Legal Case

by editor | 30 Nov 2017 | Event

On Monday you’re invited to join a special briefing at 6pm and the Armidale City Bowls Club to hear about the legal case we’ve just launched against the Government to court to scrap its destructive land-clearing laws, and what the laws mean for nature. From...

Coal and gas update from the Narrabri front line

by editor | 30 Nov 2017 | AACSGaM

The NorthWest Gas Pipeline – a Trojan Horse for Coal Seam Gas in NSW While the eyes of the nation have been on the scandalous Adani Carmichael coal mine in Queensland, here in NSW there is an immediate and serious threat of new coal and gas projects and mine...

‘Political watershed’ as 19 countries pledge to phase out coal

by editor | 30 Nov 2017 | AACSGaM, Climate, Energy

A new alliance of 19 nations committed to quickly phasing out coal has been launched at the UN climate summit in Bonn, Germany. It was greeted as a “political watershed”, signalling the end of the dirtiest fossil fuel that currently provides 40% of global electricity....

Steps to make planter boxes and plant them out

by editor | 30 Nov 2017 | Garden, Local Food

Here are some photos on the steps to make the planter boxes/compost bins and tools/techniques to plant them out. The box dimensions are 1200 by 1200 by 900mm high, as large as any forklift pallet timber pieces are. I am 52 years old, always enjoyed growing vegies...

Tamworth Rally 26th November — The Future of Our Food Bowl

by editor | 21 Nov 2017 | Climate, Event

Hi Armidale folk, there will be a crew catching the train, attending the rally (which was moved back so you would make it on time) and then having lunch together 🙂 Hear from experts about the effects of climate change on agriculture, the potential for renewable energy...

Invitation: Free Information Evening With Australian Wind Alliance

by editor | 21 Nov 2017 | Energy, Event

Making renewable energy projects work for the whole community. A free information forum for landholders and neighbours living near large scale renewable energy projects, with lessons from projects around Australia. Understand contracts you may be offered and how...

Black Gully Music Festival 2017 Guide

by editor | 8 Nov 2017 | Black Gully, Event, Garden, Waste

Every year New England folk gather at Black Gully (behind NERAM) to celebrate community, music and biodiversity. Starting at 10.00am you can browse through the Maker’s Market and chill out with art, food, drink, nature and of course live local music. Kids art...

Progressive Cinema presents: Chasing Coral

by editor | 8 Nov 2017 | Event

Progressive Cinema presents: Chasing Coral at 6:30pm on Thursday, 9th November, 2017, at Kent House in Faulkner Street opposite Central Park, Armidale. Join us for discussion and community dinner after the film. Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an...

‘Spring into the Pilliga’: Pilliga Forest Trip 2017

by editor | 8 Nov 2017 | AACSGaM, Event

When: Friday, 10 November 2017 – 9:00am to Sunday, 12 November 2017 – 6:00pm Where: The Pilliga, North West NSW, return from Sydney, Newcastle and Northern Rivers. The Pilliga forest is the largest woodland in eastern Australia. It is a sacred place for...

A Day in the Life of Your Soil

by editor | 8 Nov 2017 | Event, Local Food

New England North West Regional Science Hub presents: A Day in the Life of Your Soil Soil organisms are very important for agricultural productivity and the health of natural environments. They influence how much water enters and stays in your soil, nutrient cycling,...

Australia is second worst in world for biodiversity loss

by editor | 8 Nov 2017 | Starfish

A new international study published in the journal Nature found that Australia is among a group of seven countries who are causing around fifty percent of global biodiversity loss. Using measures from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red...

Glen Innes recognised as renewable energy hub

by editor | 8 Nov 2017 | Energy, Starfish

Glen Innes is at the centre of the renewables revolution according to a recent ABC news article, which highlights the Sapphire and White Rock wind farms. Both are being constructed close to the town due to the ideal combination of high winds and grid connectivity...

November Forum: SLA Celebrates 10 Years

by editor | 2 Nov 2017 | Event, Monthly Forum, SLAM

Special Forum Thursday, 2nd November at 7pm Kent House, opposite Central Park on Faulkner Street Where to now? Ten years ago a large group of Armidale people were concerned enough about our future to create SLA. Are you still interested in how we might locally...

Between Art and Poetry: New Perspectives on Tablelands Flora

by editor | 2 Nov 2017 | Event

Join us for an Exhibition, Reading and Book Launch With Music by Alana Blackburn Friday, 17 November 2017 6.00–7.30pm Reader’s Companion 151 Beardy Street, Armidale Between Art and Poetry is a recent collaboration between botanical poet John Charles Ryan and botanical...

Kenyan government introduces toughest plastic bag ban to date

by editor | 2 Nov 2017 | Starfish, Waste

In the toughest crack-down on single-use plastic yet, the Kenyan government has introduced a countrywide ban on the production, sale and use of plastic bags, with penalties of up to four years’ jail or fines of up to $US40,000. Whilst critics of the ban say it will...

Millennials’ biggest concern is climate change & destruction of nature

by editor | 2 Nov 2017 | Climate, Starfish

Climate change was chosen as the top concern by nearly half of participants in the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Survey 2017. The survey included over 24,000 young people who responded in 14 languages. The majority of participants also agreed that humans are...

Support community investment in Sapphire Wind Farm and go in the draw to win an iPad!

by editor | 19 Oct 2017 | Energy, Starfish

Early results show strong support for community investment in the Sapphire Wind Farm but more expressions of interest are needed for this groundbreaking project to go ahead. Learn more and complete our online survey to win an iPad. Sapphire Wind Farm will undoubtedly...

Progressive Cinema presents film This Changes Everything

by editor | 19 Oct 2017 | Climate, Event

Progressive Cinema presents This Changes Everything Tuesday 24 October 7pm McCrossin’s Mill Uralla Inspired and narrated by Naomi Klein, the film presents seven powerful portraits of communities on the front lines of climate change, from Montana’s Powder River Basin...

5th solar power bulk-buy block closing Tuesday 31 October

by editor | 19 Oct 2017 | Event, Starfish

Final orders for the 5th block of the solar power bulk-buy are closing with enough time to ensure that all installations are completed before the end of this calendar year. This timing is important as it means participants will be ahead of the next reduction in solar...

The Victorian Government has just announced they will ban single-use plastic bags!

by editor | 19 Oct 2017 | SLAM

It took some time, but at last, we will have a ban on single-use plastic bags in Victoria. Thank you for being a part of this tidal wave of change! Plastic pollution travels easily from land to sea. It blows in from bins and garbage dumps, or flows through stormwater...

Frontline Action on Coal

by editor | 19 Oct 2017 | AACSGaM

Front Line Action on Coal started in August 2012 and grew from Australia’s first coal mine blockade. The #LeardBlockade was established in response to Whitehaven Coal’s proposed Maules Creek mine and other coal mining operations in the critically endangered Leard...

Oven Mountain pumped hydro between Armidale and Kempsey

by editor | 19 Oct 2017 | SLAM | 2 comments

“A $1 billion, 600MW pumped hydro project is being proposed on private land in northern New South Wales, in yet another example of the extraordinary interest in storage technologies as the share of low-cost renewables increases across Australia. “A company...