Sustainable Maleny Project

'Going Local' Relocalisation Convergence May 24

shine_on — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:21:39 -0700

On the weekend 24/25 May I attended the Going Local Convergence at New Farm, Brisbane. I got the chance to catch up with our neighbours from the Sunshine Coast Energy Action Centre and the Sustainable Maleny Project who also attended!

Apart from meeting some great people from as far north as Cairns and as far south as Melbourne, all interested in relocalisation of their regions, I came away with some deeper questions, such as what is truly of value? And, what is the real meaning of security? I encourage everyone to think about these questions. Does it matter how much money you have if you don't have access to fresh food? What if all the money in the world couldn't provide clean air to breathe or fresh water to drink?

Judy Wicks, who runs the White Dog Cafe in Philadelphia in the US and co-founded Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) spoke at the convergence and made some profound points: security is belonging, not belongings. She told of her experience living in an Eskimo village for a year, how the locals share everything, so no-one ever feels vulnerable, lonely or fearful, knowing they are taken care of by the entire community. It made me think about how much relationships have broken down in some communities, especially in larger cities, and to consider how to reestablish stronger community relationships. Do you know your neighbours?

Judy also spoke of her concept of "growth" in business; rather than subscribing to a view of success as one of exponential growth in profits and size, Judy spoke of a "deepening" of her business- keeping her one cafe, while exploring educational opportunities in her business, running community events, building genuine relationships with her employees and engaging in a variety of ways in her community, rather than expanding into a chain of generic franchises. Judy has built a successful business that enriches her community, but still makes decisions from her heart. It is possible!

There was also a presentation and discussion on sustainable investment strategies, the idea of investing directly into local business and community initiatives rather than other options like term deposits at a large bank, or the global stock market. Maleny provides examples of this with co-operatives (you can now borrow a DVD about Maleny's Co-ops from the SustainaBundy section at the Bundaberg library!). The co-operative concept usually involves a larger number of investors within the community, with smaller amounts to invest, pooling their financial resources to own shares in a business. It can be more risky in the short term but has more community benefits over the long term. I also think all local businesses should consider how to invest more in their local area, not only financially but with other forms of support as well. What can you contribute to our region?

There were some other fantastic speakers, including Helena Norberg-Hodge, founder of ISEC (International Society for Ecology and Culture) and leading anti-globalisation speaker, and Robert Pekin from Food Connect. We did a lot of interactive workshops and discussion about future solutions- my brain hurt afterwards, but it was great to make so many connections!

You can view the notes from the conference at www.climateleadership.net.au

SustainaBundy

World Environment Day

Sonya — Sat, 31 May 2008 19:32:28 -0700

Start: 2008-06-21 09:00

End: 2008-06-21 17:00

Sustainable Maleny Project

Building Sustainable Communities Ecovillages and Bioregions

pekadillo — Tue, 27 May 2008 06:32:44 -0700

Start: 2008-06-13 18:30

End: 2008-06-15 16:30

Sustainable Maleny Project

Building Sustainable Communities Ecovillages and Bioregions

pekadillo — Tue, 27 May 2008 06:29:26 -0700

Start: 2008-06-13 18:30

End: 2008-06-15 16:30

Creating a Sustainable Sunshine Coast - Nambour to Mooloolah

Relocalisation film night

Sonya — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:04:26 -0700

Start: 2008-05-28 19:00

End: 2008-05-28 22:00

Sustainable Maleny Project

Future Scenarios - David Holmgren

Sonya — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:42:38 -0700

Sustainable Maleny Project

Food Forests

Sonya — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:22:46 -0700

Start: 2008-06-21 09:00

End: 2008-06-21 15:00

Sustainable Maleny Project

Animals in the Permaculture system

Sonya — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:19:54 -0700

Start: 2008-06-14 09:00

End: 2008-06-14 15:00

Sustainable Maleny Project

Permaculture Plants & Seed Saving

Sonya — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:16:54 -0700

Start: 2008-06-07 09:00

End: 2008-06-07 15:00

Sustainable Maleny Project

Building Healthy Soil Part II

Sonya — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:14:18 -0700

Start: 2008-05-24 09:00

End: 2008-05-24 12:00

Sustainable Maleny Project

Building Healthy Soil Part I

Sonya — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:11:26 -0700

Start: 2008-05-17 09:00

End: 2008-05-17 12:00

Sustainable Maleny Project

Garden Design & Pest Management

Sonya — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:08:30 -0700

Start: 2008-05-11 09:00

End: 2008-05-11 12:00

Sustainable Maleny Project

Permaculture Principles

Sonya — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:05:20 -0700

Start: 2008-05-03 09:00

End: 2008-05-03 15:00

Sustainable Maleny Project

Introduction to Permaculture

Sonya — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:02:26 -0700

Start: 2008-04-26 09:00

End: 2008-04-26 15:00

Sustainable Maleny Project

Chevallum Permaculture Meeting

Sonya — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:56:29 -0700

Start: 2008-04-30 19:00

End: 2008-04-30 22:00

Sustainable Maleny Project

The Power of Community DVD screening

Sonya — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:25:19 -0700

Start: 2008-04-26 10:00

End: 2008-04-26 11:30

Sustainable Maleny Project

Rising Sea Levels

elvirawhite — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:07:38 -0700

I would like to share an interesting site I found on possible rising sea levels. You can play with it endlessly and view almost anywhere in the world to see what a new sea height would do to the coastline. Very educational, and fun to find your own roof! Have a look!

www.flood.firetree.net

Sustainable Maleny Project

US

Lori Scott — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:51:19 -0700

I have lost in cyberspace my first blog entitled US which was a rundown about how hubby and I had come to this point.

It was amusing, concise, interesting and informative.

No honestly, you can take my work for it - it really was but its gone now down the neck of the netmonster that eats unloved posts.

Just thought I should explain that the US was me and hubby and not the United States about which I know next to nothing.

So put in a picture instead. Seeya

Sustainable Maleny Project

Coloured cotton

Lori Scott — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:40:26 -0700

Elvira suggested that I should write about coloured cotton plants.

When we lived in the west, I grew lots of ordinary cotton just as a garden plant. We would pop a bush in anywhere in the spring and then they grew with quite an attractive flower a bit like a single hibiscus. When the bolls were full and cracked, the cotton fibre within would look fairly dry. We would hand pick the bolls and just pull the fibre out. You soon realize where the saying "cotton picking" came from because each boll would have ten or more seeds which we just picked out by hand. Any suggestions for doing this more easily would be welcome.

I then received some coloured cotton seeds which are naturally mutated into shades of green and brown. I had always known that these mutations existed but obviously they are relentlessly weeded out of commercial cotton crops because the slightest dark fibre in bales of cotton can cause endless trouble.

The greens went from pale green through to a teal green colour and the browns went from creamy champagne to an onion skin brown. When the fibre is sorted into greens and browns, blending with a card comber can make the colour more uniform when spun.

After picking the seeds out, all these seeds can be used the next year. In the west, I would plant them in spring for a long growing season. But since trying to grow cotton at the coast I have found that the wet season plays havoc with the quality of the fibre that a boll will produce. I have been thinking that I might plant them in mid summer so that they can do their growing during the wet season and by the time they have flowered and set bolls, it will have dried off a bit in autumn to make the fibre production more successul.

I would probably anticipate putting them in in late November or early December. I wonder how that will go?

And if you hand pick the bolls, your plants will keep producing for years unlike the commercial cotton plants where they kill/ defoliate before harvesting. I think a bit of frost might knock the plant back a bit but they seem fairly hardy and are certainly not soft little plants to look at - there can be a lot of hard wood in them so they may come through a hard winter for you.

Cotton is hard to spin unlike wool. Wool fibre has the natural little scales which cause the fibre to catch onto itself and spin into a nice yarn. Also, spinning wool in the grease before washing also makes it easier to spin. Cotton is not greasy and its fibrous scales are smaller so to spin cotton on a spinning wheel requires a very high tension and spinning speed to give lots of twists per inch.

I would like someone to try spinning cotton on a drop spindle and tell me how that works. I haven't tried it but it might be easier. Also, I wonder if adding an oil to it would facilitate the spinning.

I find the best use for home grown cotton is to blend with wool for spinning, thereby making a lighter yarn that is a bit softer and cooler.

Some australian cotton growers are growing coloured cotton organically and selling a woven fabric which is quite beautiful. Just google organic fabric australia and they will come up. They are using the coloured cotton with cream/ white to weave a gingham check and doing imaginative things with other organic fibres.

Have a look for that and enjoy.

Sustainable Maleny Project

US & Relocalization

Lori Scott — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:25:02 -0700

So we've skipped over the adventures in the bush. When we had had simply too much drought and floods and geographical isolation and intellectual isolation we headed back to the coast to our little hobby farm which had been rented out and we started again.

We were right. We had many more skills than before and were ready to make a real go of the self sufficiency thing. However, still lacked money. As a result I am now working 50 hours a week with nearly two hours of commuting each day and hubby is working full time.

We now classify as time poor.

But I really loved the idea of relocalization and jumped on the scheme when I heard about it. This is because I know that one day I will not be working and my local people will be my main group with whom I will interact. I need to start relationships now for when I am at home.

Also, I remembered the Joh electricity strikes. Does anybody else remember these? Joh went head to head with the electricity unions who then went on strike and power supplies were dramatically cut. We were supposed to get one hour one and 1/2 hour off electricity. In reality it turned out more like 3 hours off and 45 minutes on.

Now I was living in a largish country town and I can remember just laughing at the poor people in the south east corner. In our town we had an abbatoir, a dairy which did milk, butter and ice and a large small crop industry.

The council stepped in and made sure that priority electricity supplies went to the hospital, dairy, abbatoir and some cold stores. Health needs were centralised, we had plenty of milk and ice to keep food fresh, fresh meat and fruit and veg. We seemed to have plenty of local baked bread as well so they may have been working with gas ovens. We saw vision on the TV of how consumers in the south east were panic buying and running out of things.

So we were fine during what was a difficult energy supply time. But that town has since grown. And it no longer has a dairy. It has closed and all dairy production is centralised in Brisbane and freighted back to other areas. There are still a few local bakers but most bread is baked in Brisbane and sold through supermarkets. I don't know if the abbatoir is still there - I don't like to ask. The fruit and veg industry is still there but it is mainly grown under contract to the supermarkets. And a lot of the farms have been cut up for housing.

So if energy supply became an issue today, would we still be laughing? These things I have been through makes me understand the absolute necessity to decentralize production and services throughout the country. However, this is not government policy and it is not economically rational so these difficult times which may occur at any time due to production problems, supply problems or just simple accidents would have a much greater effect on our daily lives than it would have 20 years ago. We have made ourselves vulnerable to incidents which would impact on community security and stability of the necessities of daily life. This must be amended and if we have to start personally and one at a time to get the message happening, we will just have to do it.

One day, when I finish work......

Sustainable Maleny Project

Food Festival to Promote Relocalization?

elvirawhite — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 02:43:54 -0700

A very interesting thing happened here last week. We had a public meeting sponsered by the Chamber of Commerce and two projects were chosen. One that I want to help with is a festival promoting local produce of all kind (local in the food mile sense, too!) All sorts of things could be showcased, including bush foods, plants and a farmers market, as well as products made locally from them. What an opportunity for educating our community about enjoying local produce! And perhaps growing some of their own, too! I'll let you know how we get on as we progress with organising it.

I dont know if we need to actually start a relocalize group yet officially. I looked at the form to fill in and I dont even know how to describe our goals in Kenilworth yet.

The other thing we are thinking of doing is revitalising our old CWA as its goals are very compatable with relocalising and they have insurance cover. We could meet in their building free if we were members. How do all the groups manage insurance issues for their member's activities? This could be important these days.

At the moment we are mostly getting our own vege gardens going. I am going to the seed saving workshop at Chevallum in May to get the info we need and tell the others who couldn't go.

Sustainable Maleny Project

Regional Powerdown Blog

Sonya — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:00:32 -0700

Well, it's one month today since the local council election and the amalgamation of three councils into one.

The EDAP is still being written, but in reality, we it wouldn't have been appropriate to deliver it to the old council and we need to give the new council a little breathing space before we deliver it to them.

Janet and I had a meeting with State Government this week, which was really encouraging. We have a relatively new Minister for a new portfolio called Climate Change, Sustainability and Innovation and he had already commissioned a report on oil vulnerability in our state prior to his appointment as Minister.

It was through his office that we had the meeting and discussed all the things we been setting up here on the Coast.

It all looks very promising, media interview requests are rolling in via the website as are other contacts in universities, councils and community groups around Australia.

Our next step is to meet with the new Mayor, discuss what we have done and plan to do. Keep in contact with State Govt, finish the EDAP and start developing a Transition Team Troika Network to start to really get this out in the community and around the region.

This week is very busy for me - I have meeting to plan the layout of a mock "Transition Town" at our World Environment Day celebrations in May, then on Thursday night Janet and I are presenting at a film screening of The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil which includes special guest Roberto Perez, then on Friday I'm helping Janet all day with a huge school garden seminar she has organised with 45 schools attending (teachers, principals, groundspeople and parents) to discuss how permaculture and all its uses can be incorporated into school curriculums.

On Saturday we have an all day expo on sustainability. Guest speakers include Roberto Perez, Geoff Lawton and locals Bob Cameron (sustainable business owner) and Frances Michael (Green Harvest business owner).

I'll be doing a presentation on Transition Towns and what the community can do about climate change and peak oil. Andi Hazelwood will be there talking Relocalisation and I'll also be doing a compost demonstration.

Busy times and momentum is definately building... exciting times and lots to do!

Sonya

Sustainable Maleny Project

Not Like Y2K!

elvirawhite — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:18:16 -0700

While talking to someone yesterday about peak oil and its possible effects on every aspect of life, I felt a bit like I did about Y2K. Do you all remember the hype and doomsday pictures that were predicted? Then nothing much happened(thank goodness!) and it all settled down. The person asked me if I REALLY thought it was all going to happen. I said, "Yes, but even if it wasn't as bad as all that we still needed to change a lot of things about our lives and communities to make them better." Has anyone assembled a good answer to the question as to whether Peak Oil changes to lifestyle will really happen that can be given briefly in a conversation without sounding fanatical? Any comments ?

Sustainable Maleny Project

Participating in Local Community Groups

elvirawhite — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:02:51 -0700

We have been thinking that one of the best ways to help relocalize our community is to join existing organisations that have similar aims and revitalise them! For example, the QCWA, that is, the Country Womens Association, has similar aims to strengthen the community and learn skills such as cooking and craft that would be of benefit in hard times. Also, if the community needs a focal place for markets etc, the local community hall would be vital, but the committee that runs it needs help as they are all aging. If we join them and give our support then a vital piece of already existing framework will be maintained.

In our local rural community, there is a falling away of volunteers for all of our organisations, due to increasing work committments and lack of childcare assistance, mainly.

Everyone can think of volunteer organisation in their areas that probably need support and often what they need is new blood and fresh ideas. Perhaps an efficient use of our time and resources would be to pitch in while spreading the relocalize message! The general population respect those who are not afraid to join in and help practically, and would be more likely to listen to any message thay have to give. Also, you would not have to reinvent the wheel in that situation. I think cities also have this same situation.

Events such as community forums are also a great oppertunity to have the message heard and meet others similarly minded. Suggest ideas that people will be able to agree with and support, such as community gardening being a great social connecter and promoting health and wellbeing, not just a neccessity in a collapsing society!

Has anyone had experience at these types of approach to relocalizing their communities and do you have any further suggestions along these lines?

Sustainable Maleny Project

Seed Saving Workshop

Sonya — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:49:14 -0700

Start: 2008-05-10 09:30

End: 2008-05-10 14:30

Sustainable Maleny Project

Plan of chook run and food forest

elvirawhite — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 04:37:40 -0700

Here is a plan showing the food forest I am creating next to the chook run and then our cow/sheep paddock. The chook run has small compartments down it in which to grow veges and chook food. The hens can be let in or out as wanted through gates. They can also forage in the food forest when it is mature enough. The Midyim bushes are only 1-1.5m tall so wont shade the veges and the forest will get progressively taller towards the east. This will also help with frost protection, I hope! The forest needs to be dense enough to provide a cover for more frost sensitive things. I am mulching with cardboard from our local shops and the grass I rake up from the paddock. A mower wouldn't fit between the rows and petrol costs might make that impossible anyway, dont you think! Kikuyu is hard to kill off though, so I hope this works!
I want to inspire others to try this. I have to do it fairly much myself so it is a bit at a time and it will eventually be a forest. When I am old I hope to sit under it and eat the fruit of my labours (alongside the chooks!)

Creating a Sustainable Sunshine Coast - Nambour to Mooloolah

Food Forest

elvirawhite — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:40:39 -0700

With all the rain this Summer, I couldn't do much to my farm. Not even keep up with the grass! Now the weather is cooling,I am all inspired to get to work!
I have finally begun on my food forest that adjoins the long chook run. I plan to put low bushes next to the run to allow sunlight to get to the vegetable compartments down the run, and then plant sucsessivly taller trees until reaching the other side of the paddock. The paddock will be fenced to keep out the cow and any stray horses and keep in the chooks when they forage in the mature forest.
Well, the first plants are bought! I was at the Yandina Markets on Saturday and came across 70 little Midyim plants in tubes for a good price and snapped them all up! I will have just enough to plant them in two rows at about 1m apart. They are supposed to grow 1-1.5m tall and they will be perfect for the first row. They bear from Jan to June so will be very good to eat.
Next problem to overcome is the Kikuyu grass. I asked the local 4 square for cardboard and they have lots of it so I started putting it down over the grass and covering it with raked up grass. A long hot job but I think it will work. The plants have to be very close together to create a frost free understory so I cant mow between them. Anyway, with the price of petrol going up I wont be able to forever mow, will I?
I am going to tree guard them with the ones I made for the Gum trees last year, just in case the hares try to eat them as well.
A friend is going to help with the fence soon. I have almost all the materials I need bar the metal gate, and that isn't essential at the moment. There is lots to do with refreshing the chook run as well and finishing the compartments down it for the veges. I have one finished for vegetables. The chooks have been pecking it over and fertilising it all Summer and now it is ready for action! I just added lots of fresh grass straw and cut up branches to their straw yard and they are happy again! Molting is finished and they are starting to lay again. I have 10 old hens that are probably not laying and 10 younger ones that should be! Here's hoping!
I hope to inspire my community to start their own gardens and keep chooks like in the early days. Everyone did out here in Kenilworth but now they need encouraging again. People see me working from the road and wonder what I am doing:)
Anyone with helpful comments is welcome to sent some to me. It is all a bit of a Permaculture experiment!

Creating a Sustainable Sunshine Coast - Nambour to Mooloolah

Sustainable Maleny needs YOU

pekadillo — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 05:15:54 -0700

Start: 2008-03-29 14:00

End: 2008-03-29 16:00

Sustainable Maleny Project

The Case for a Sustainability Emergency

Andi Hazelwood — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:39:42 -0800

Creating a Sustainable Sunshine Coast - Nambour to Mooloolah

Bogota radical urban reform: Radio National

pekadillo — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:00:37 -0800

Start: 2008-02-16 21:00

SustainaBundy

Sunshine Coast Peak Oil action interview

Sonya — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:13:11 -0800

SustainaBundy

Film showing: "Think Global, Eat Local"

pekadillo — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:27:17 -0800

Start: 2008-02-02 16:00

End: 2008-02-02 18:00

Creating a Sustainable Sunshine Coast - Nambour to Mooloolah

Waste Not - Want Not

Sonya — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:52:58 -0800

Start: 2008-03-01 10:00

End: 2008-03-01 12:00

Creating a Sustainable Sunshine Coast - Nambour to Mooloolah

Peak oil & Energy Descent Action Planning radio interview Melbourne Australia (also on podcast)

Sonya — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 22:46:28 -0800

SustainaBundy

World Environment Day Festival

Sonya — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 17:56:15 -0800

Start: 2008-05-31 09:00

End: 2008-05-31 17:00

Creating a Sustainable Sunshine Coast - Nambour to Mooloolah

Queenslanders the highest greenhouse gas producers in the world

Sonya — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 12:09:53 -0800

SustainaBundy

Australian Energy Descent Action Planning courses in 2008

Sonya — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 19:22:46 -0800

Sustainable Maleny Project

The Real Dirt on Farmer John - film night & meet him in person

Sonya — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 19:04:43 -0800

Start: 2007-11-30 17:00

End: 2007-11-30 22:00

Creating a Sustainable Sunshine Coast - Nambour to Mooloolah

Climate change is "severe and so sweeping that only urgent, global action" can head it off

Andi Hazelwood — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:20:47 -0800

SustainaBundy

Australian National Recycling Week 2007

Andi Hazelwood — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 00:23:52 -0700

Start: 2007-11-12 00:00

End: 2007-11-18 23:59

Creating a Sustainable Sunshine Coast - Nambour to Mooloolah

WALK AGAINST WARMING - SUNSHINE COAST

Sonya — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 23:55:03 -0700

Start: 2007-11-11 10:30

End: 2007-11-11 12:00

Sustainable Maleny Project

Who on earth cares?

Andi Hazelwood — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 22:14:05 -0700

The Australian Conservation Foundation now has a website, called Who On Earth Cares, where we can each put ourselves on a map of Australians who care about climate change. Over 11,000 of us have already signed up, and have committed to taking the equivalent of more than 16,000 cars off the road by reducing our personal greenhouse gas emissions. You can answer some short questions and input your address and it will generate a letter you can personalise and send to your local member of Parliament - it even creates it in PDF and gives you the name and address of your MP! I cruised around the map and saw that a number of people in my city have already signed up, and other members of relocalize.net have too (yep, I found you Sonya!) I asked the ACF to add functionality to allow people to message one another through the site to work together on community actions - hopefully they'll come through.

My local MP is Paul Neville. I emailed him my letter, rather than posting it, to save transport emissions and materials consumption. I also edited it heavily. Here's what my letter said:

Dear Mr Neville,

Climate change and resource depletion are the most critical issues we face today, bar none. As indicated in next month's IPCC report and recently discussed by Tim Flannery, because of our overconsumption, since 2005 Australia has already been producing the amount of greenhouse gases that weren't expected until 2015. We have very little time before climate change happens so rapidly and on such a large scale that it is irreversible. To reduce my greenhouse pollution, I:

- shop with businesses that sell local (instead of imported) products whenever possible
- will be installing solar panels on my home
- have installed a water efficient shower head and reuse my greywater in the garden
- always set my washing machine to wash my clothes in cold water, on a lower RPM setting
- always turn off appliances at the wall when they aren't in use, instead of leaving on standby
- eat less meat, grow my own vegetables
- work from home, and walk or bike instead of driving whenever possible

It is absolutely critical that we reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and unnecessary stuff. We must carefully conserve resources, and manage and recycle our waste. We must start treating the environment with the respect it deserves - we don't have anywhere else to go once we've used it up and left it for dead. I hope to see Australia become a leader in relocalisation: reducing consumption and producing all our needs locally, instead of polluting our air, water and soil to transport the latest shipment of iPods.

Ordinary Australians are doing what we can, but we also need your leadership. I would like you, as my political representative, to step up to the challenge of reducing Australias greenhouse pollution. What goals will you set to reduce our emissions by 2020 and 2050 as part of Australia's contribution to avoiding dangerous climate change? How will you ensure that 25% of Australia's electricity comes from renewable energy by 2020? Will you help Australia join the rest of the world by ratifying the Kyoto Protocol? I ask that you raise these important questions with your party and let me know your party's position on them.

Please acknowledge receipt of my letter, which I am sending via email instead of post to reduce transport and materials consumption. I look forward to receiving a prompt response to my questions.

Sincerely,
Andi Hazelwood
SustainaBundy
http://sustainabundy.org
(contact info removed)

Sign up, add yourself to the map, and send a letter to your local politician. Who On Earth Cares makes it as simple as possible.