Sustainable Design Studies

Design Studies is a Fair Trade Workplace

Mark Mcguire — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:34:24 +0000

The Department of Design Studies recently applied to FTAANZ (the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand) to become cirtified as a Fair Trade Workplace. Yesterday, we received a letter and cirtificate (posted on the board outside the office) stating that we have met all of the requirements and will be added to their list of Fair Trade Workplaces. This is a fitting conclusion to a semester in which we focussed on supporting and promoting Fair Trade and the Trade Aid shop.

Dunedin 350.org meeting 5:30PM 13 Oct.

Mark Mcguire — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:26:48 +0000

The group that is organizing the Summer Spring Food Festival at the Farmers Market on 24 October (and other 350.org events) will be meeting on Tuesday 13 October at 5.30pm at the Centre for Science Communication, 303a Great King Street.

The 350.org website explains the meaning behind the number 350, includes a list of ideas and downloadable action resources, and lists several Dunedin events. The Dunedin Spring Food Festival is described here.

Nick Holmes and Guy Ryan, who are both Science Communications Masters students at Otago, are working with a group of people in Dunedin to organize the Spring Food Fesitval as part of the global 350.org effort on 24 October. This will be the largest 350 event in New Zealand. Click the links below to download the flyer, background information, and poster. If you are interested in helping with this event, email Nick and Guy at dunedin350@gmail.com. An online planning document, has contact details for people responsible for various tasks. The organizers have also created a FaceBook site, and a Ning site (online social Network) To hear a podcast by Nick Holmes about climate change, click here. An ODT article about the event, published on 29 August, can be seen here, and piece on the Scoop news site can be seen here.

350 Dunedin Spring Food Festival Flyer

Spring Food Festival 2009 Info.pdf

Spring FoodFest Poster A4.pdf

Jeanette Fitzsimmons: “Is emissions trading really the answer?” 1PM Friday 9th October

Mark Mcguire — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:22:08 +0000

Jeanette Fitzsimmons will give a talk, “Is emissions trading really the answer?”, at 1PM on Friday 9th October in the Archway 1 Lecture Theatre. She will discuss the Green Party Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill. You can read their Submission Guide for the Bill here.

Free “Age of Stupid” Screening 7PM 14 Oct.

Mark Mcguire — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:14:07 +0000

There will be a FREE screening of the film, “Age of Stupid” at 7:00PM on Wednesday 14th October in the College of Education Auditorium, Union St East (see this flyer). This is an independent screening by the New Zealand Youth Delegation, a group of passionate young people who are going to Copenhagen in December to represent the youths views on climate change.

Dunedin 350.org Meeting Tuesday 29 Sept. 5:30

Mark Mcguire — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:36:44 +0000

I just received an email from the Dunedin 350.org crew, who are organizing the Spring Food Festival at the Farmers Market on 24 October, about their next planning meeting. The Students for Environmental Action will be thre as well to discuss their planned activities.

“We will be hosting the next meeting on Tuesday September 29th at 5:30pm. Just to mix things up a bit we are holding our meeting alongside that of SEA (Students for Environmental Action) in the Evison Lounge, which is on the first floor of the Clubs and Societies building on Albany street. The plan for the meeting is to have a general overview of where we are at so far, and then to split off into groups (Community, Logisitics, Media, Stalls and workshops, Entertainment, and Funding) to figure out a plan of attack!”

Dunedin Wake Up Call 21 Sept.

Mark Mcguire — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:32:26 +0000

Dunedin Wake Up Call 21 Sept

Protesters gathered at 12:30PM on Monday 21 September in front of the Otago Museum to raise the alarm about climate change (see earlier post). Politicians were phoned to hear the protest and the 350.org campaign was promoted. My photos can be viewed here. Click the player below to hear a one minute recording. You can also see how the event was covered in the ODT and on Channel 9. A video showing what happened around the world on the day can be seen here.

Car Free Day Tuesday 22 Sept.

Mark Mcguire — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:47:05 +0000

I just received teh following as part of the DCC’s promotion of Car Free Day.

Car Free Day is on Tuesday 22 September and we would love to get as many people as possible leaving their car at home and walking, cycling, or taking the bus or train to work. Think of all the benefits, no parking stress, no traffic hassles, time to think, less noise and safer streets, more pleasant streets for walking and cycling, more liveable and enjoyable Dunedin.

DCC have arranged for a commuter train to run from Waitati to Dunedin and back on the day, calling at the communities on the route. The attached poster (designed by Mark Jackson) shows times and costs and how to book tickets.

Start planning now for how you can change your normal routine and leave your car at home. Think of ways to overcome all those barriers that usually prevent you from taking alternative modes of transport.

eDay Saturday 12 September

Mark Mcguire — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:48:29 +0000

The following text is from the eDay website. Dunedin drop-off points are listed here.

Clean up New Zealand’s e-waste

Recycling electronic waste (e-waste) enables the recovery and reuse of valuable materials and ensures toxic materials are not buried in our landfills – so it’s better for our environment.

eDay is a cars-only drive-through recycling event which gives you the opportunity to recycle old computers or mobile phones in an environmentally sustainable way.

Over 16,550 cars dropped off 87,056 items during eDay 2008. A total of 946 tonnes of e-waste was diverted from our landfills. This year we hope to divert over 1,000 tonnes of e-waste from New Zealand landfills.

eDay 2009 is to be held on Saturday 12th September 2009.

Penguin Hospital Blog

Mark Mcguire — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:11:28 +0000

Jill Leichter, a masters student in Science Communication at the University of Otago, publishes the Penguin Hospital Blog as part of her Masters research. Her engagement with students at Opoho School and George Street Normal School has increased the audience for the blog and has resulted in some terrific comments.

Nick Holmes Reports on Climate Change

Mark Mcguire — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:00:54 +0000

Nick Holmes, a Science Communications Masters student at Otago, created this audio podcast (6 min 51 sec) about climate change. Nick and Guy Ryan, who is also a Science Communications Masters student, are working with a group of people from Dunedin to organize a Spring Food Fesitval as part of the global 350.org effort on 24 October. You can email Nick and Guy at dunedin350@gmail.com.

To download this file from UniTube, click here.