World Environment Day 2009 - Your planet Needs You – Unite to Combat Climate Change

This Friday is an important day for communities worldwide – both present and future. It is World Environment Day.

World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Celebrated annually on June 5, World Environment Day is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and attracts political attention and action.

The theme for this years World Environment Day is ‘Your Planet Needs You! Unite to Combat Climate Change’.

On this World Environment Day, people from all walks of life are encouraged to take steps towards making the planet greener and cleaner. Switch off the lights. Take public transport. Recycle. Plant a tree.

Our planet needs more than just action by governments and corporations; it needs action from each and every one of us. Although individual actions may seem small in the face of global threats and trends, when billions of people join forces in common purpose we can make a tremendous difference.

World Environment Day is ‘a people’s day’, which means it is your opportunity to be part of the global action to promote the protection of our planet, the sustainable use of our natural resources, and the adoption of a lifestyle that is friendly to the environment. Be part of the growing voice that calls for all peoples of the world to unite and take positive action to combat climate change.

Remember, whoever you are, wherever you’re from, you can make a difference.

For further details see - http://www.unep.org/wed/2009/english/

On the Road to Sustainability

Council's Senior Sustainability Planner, Bernadette Riad, has been a part of the Sustainability Team at Penrith City Council for many years now. During this time she has seen Council's commitment to sustainability grow and has been impressed by just how far we have managed to come along the road to sustainability.

This video was recorded as part of a symposium on Sustainability in Local Government and presents a short snapshot of the key steps in Penrith's journey towards sustainability. To find out more you can access a copy of our timeline by clicking here, or contact the Sustainability Unit on 4732 8050.

May Edition of Sustainability Street

Download your copy of the May Edition of Sustainability Street! Simply click here.

In this issue, you will find great stories on:

• Watching Your Waste Line


• Upcoming Events


• GaBaToiLaKi


• Simple Water Saving Tips


• Rainwater Tanks


• Water Saving Services
  
• The News in Brief

If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive a copy of the newsletter automatically please email Carmel Hamilton with your name and contact details and specify whether you would like to recieve it electronically or in the mail.

Are you FoodWise?

Foodwise is a new campaign that has recently been launched by the group 'Do Something' to draw Australia's attention to the huge amount of food that we waste.

Did you know?

• Australians spend $5 billion a year on food that we buy and then end up throwing away


• Each Australian throws away the equivalent of 145kg of food, adding up to a massive total of 3 billion tonnes every year


• Approximately 20% of the food we buy at the supermarket ends up in our bins

These figures are staggering, particularly when you consider the huge number of people across the world who go to sleep each night without enough food. Perhaps it's time we went back to basics to place a real value on our food and just how precious it really is.

The Foodwise Campaign offers simple and practical tips and ideas to save on food wastage including:

• Write a list before you go shopping and plan to buy only what you need.


• Check the best before and use by dates of products that you buy, and products at home. Make sure you use your older stock up first.


• Avoid processed foods. Often these foods are very energy and water intensive and have usually been shipped long distances, adding to the hidden costs of your food.


• Buy products that are in season and buy locally wherever this is possible.


• Be smart about your cooking and use your leftovers creatively, for example use leftover cooked meat as the basis of a pasta dish or casserole the following night.


• Freeze leftovers for quick meals at a later date.

Visit the Foodwise site for tips, information, resources and, if you submit your own tip before May 15, you can go in the running to win a Tupperware prize pack. What are your tips and suggestions for cutting back on food wastage?

Christmas Edition of the Sustainability Street Newsletter Out Now!

The Christmas edition of the Sustainability Street Newsletter is out now. Click here to download your copy. The newsletter is full of updates on what our six Sustainability Streets have been up to, including:

• Have a Merry (& Sustainable) Christmas!


• Upcoming Street Dates
  
• Sustainability Streets Take on Water


• Greywater...No longer a grey area


• Water Efficiency Labelling for Household Appliances


• Make Yours a Green Christmas


• Australia Ratifies Kyoto Agreement


• Give the Environment a 'Happy New Year'


• Fresh Manure Available

If you would like to be added to the electronic mailing list for this newsletter send a quick email to 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.