Kurrajong Eco Fair Coming Soon

You might have seen an article in the Penrith Press this week about the Be Green eco lifestyle fair that's coming up very soon. If you are in the area on Saturday 1 September why not drop in to the fair which is being held at Kurrajong Memorial Park in Kurrajong Village between 9am and 3pm.

The fair promises tips on sustainable ways to build and renovate the home, as well as general eco lifestyle options. There will also be a series of speakers on sustainability topics including sustainable design, how to apply for government grants and how to live green and within your means.

Students from UWS will also be on hand to showcase their projects and demonstrate what they have been up to, along with workshops, food and drink stalls, entertainment and that old favourite - giveaways!

For more information visit www.kurrajong.org/begreen.

Free Tickets to Sustainable House Day 2007

Sustainable House Day is an annual event organised each year by the Australia New Zealand Solar Energy Society (ANZSES). This year the event is being held on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 September with around 100 homes across the country opening their doors to interested people for a sticky beak!

Penrith City Council is sponsoring the event in 2007 and has 20 free tickets to give away to residents interested in visiting a local sustainable house at St. Clair (value $5). To get your free ticket contact Council on 4732 8050 or email Carmel Hamilton.

Sustainable House Day is a great opportunity to visit the homes of and speak with ordinary people who have done some extraordinary things in their homes. For owners of the local St. Clair property, Nevin and Linda (below), the day is a chance to showcase their projects and let others know just how simple it can be to live more sustainably.

Nevin and Linda's home is a standard 1978 brick veneer house that has an emphasis on low cost retrofits and DIY projects. They have installed ceiling insulation, external window shading, a 300 litre solar hot water system and a low voltage photvoltaic system to power all their lighting and some appliances. Their yard also bears testament to their sustainability efforts, and includes a permaculture garden, greenhouse, mobile chook tractor, compost system and worm farm - all together pretty inspirational stuff!

Why not pop along on Saturday 8 September between 10am and 4pm and check some of these features out for yourself?

Other homes across Western Sydney will also be opening their doors including homes located at Rooty Hill, Richmond, Glenhaven and East Kurrajong. For a detailed listing of addresses and information about theses homes email Carmel Hamilton. Tickets to all homes can be purchased at the door on the day for $5.

For more information visit the Sustainable House Day website at http://www.solarhouseday.com/.

GreenPower a Household Hit

There are a number of news stories out today about the encouraging GreenPower statistics that have just been released. It seems that Australians are switching to accredited clean GreenPower in ever increasing numbers - at a rate of about 1000 Australians per day!

Green Power is electricity that has been generated from renewable sources, like solar, wind, hydro and waste. When you subscribe to Green Power your electricity supplier will purchase the correct amount of renewable energy from one of these sources on your behalf. In theory this reduces the reliance of the NSW electricity market on cheap coal, which currently supplies more than 90% of NSWs energy needs.

The attraction of Green Power lies in the reduced greenhouse gas emissions - when coal or gas is burnt to generate electricity significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions are generated, however with renewables the amount of these emissions is negligible.

While purchasing GreenPower does cost more it appears that more and more households and businesses are willing to pay the price (estimated to be up to $400 per year for the average household). What's more it appears that the increased uptake of GreenPower is having huge benefits, with savings of nearly 4.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year, or the equivalent of taking 930,000 cars off the road!

If you are interested in purchasing GreenPower remember to look for the accreditation label (shown above). This label means that the product your supplier is offering has been accredited by the Government as coming directly from a renewable source and that the generator complies with stringent guidelines and annual auditing.

To find out more visit http://www.greenpower.com.au/, download our fact sheet or contact your electricity supplier.

Latest Sustainability Street Newsletter Out Now

The latest newsletter from Council's Sustainability Street program is out now. Click here to download a copy.

Stories include:

• New Streets Off to a Great Start!


• Upcoming Street Dates


• First Meeting Wrap Up
  
• Meet Some of the New Locals


• Annual Gardening Australia Expo is on Again!


• Website of the Month: Sustainable Penrith Blog
  

If you would like to be added to our electronic mailing list so you can receive this newsletter automatically email Carmel Hamilton.

Water Dragon Makes New Friends

Penrith Council held their annual Open Day on Saturday 4 August, with the friendly Sustainable Penrith Water Dragon turning up to spread an important message that is close to his (her?) heart - to make Penrith a Sustainable City!

The as yet unnamed Water Dragon made a lot of new friends on the day and was a hit with folks young and old. We are hoping to run a competition to name our mascot in the next couple of months so start thinking of a great name and get ready to enter (you could always include your suggestion in a comment!).

Penrith Council has adopted the Eastern Water Dragon as our symbol for sustainability. The water dragon was chosen because it symbolises all three aspects of sustainability – environmental, social and economic health.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH = The Water Dragon is relatively common and lives along the banks of the creeks and waterways all over the Penrith LGA. Finding the water dragons along our waterways is a good indicator of the health of our waterways

SOCIAL HEALTH= Water dragons are also long-living, sociable animals that live together in communities.

ECONOMIC HEALTH = And finally, in Chinese mythology the water dragon is a symbol of well being and prosperity.

Wordless Wednesday

Nepean River, originally uploaded by penrithsustainabilityunit.

wordless wednesday