Zero Emission Network

A great success! Missed the conference? Check Melbourne 2007 for talks and other information.

NOTE TIMES

Day 1 Registration 8.45 Start 9.00am Finish 5.30pm
Day 2 Registration 8.45 Start 9.00am Finish 4.25pm

The Zero Emission Network Zero Emission two day conference "TARGET ZERO" is on at the end of June.

Overview

The first day is a foundation building day focused largely on the solutions needed to implement a fast transition to a Zero Emissions Minus future.

The second day will consist of campaign skills training, workshops, Zero Emission Network AGM and a series strategic planning meetings around different campaign focuses.

Date: June 30 / July 1
Venue: Casey Plaza Theater - Rear Bld 10 - Bowen Lane - RMIT - Melbourne
For a location see RMIT campus map grid H6

Who should come?
Members of climate action groups, people campaigning on zero emissions, people wishing to find out more about climate change solutions, people who believe a "zero emission minus" goal is not achievable and are willing to be convinced otherwise.

Registration

Registrations by email are now closed. Registration on the day welcome.

Costs are a suggested donation of:

• $20/10* for the weekend.
• $10/$5* for a day

which can be paid on the day (cash only).

*Part employment, concession, student etc.

Program

The program is looking very interesting with only a few more speakers to confirm.

The draft program is below.

DAY 1

8.45 - 9.00am Registration

9.00am - 10.20am Session 1 – Setting the Scene
Session 1.0 Welcome – Adrian Whitehead – Zero Emission Network Coordinator (10min)

Session 1.1 Why fast action on climate change is needed – James Hansen – NASA - Goddard Institute for Space Studies - VIA phone link up (30min)

Session 1.2 What is Zero Emission Minus and how low do we go – Philip Sutton - Greenleap Strategic Institute (20min)
Session 1.3 Carbon Equity – David Spratt - Carbon Equity Project Australia (20min)

10.20am - 10.50am - MORNING TEA

10.50am – 12.30pm Session 2 – Technological Solutions
Session 2.1 Energy Efficiency – Bruce Thompson - Moreland Energy Foundation (25min)
Session 2.2 Zero Emission Stationary Energy – Matthew Wright - Beyond Zero Emissions (25min)
Session 2.3 Sustainable Buildings – Andrew Walker-Morison - Building Materials Expert (25min)
Session 2.4 Zero Emission Transport – Matthew Wright - Beyond Zero Emissions (25min)

12.30pm - 1.20pm - LUNCH

1.20pm – 2.10pm Session 3 – Biological Solutions
Session 3.1 Forests – Chris Taylor - Beyond Zero Emissions (25min)
Session 3.2 Agriculture & Biological Sequestration– Adrian Whitehead - Zero Emission Network (25min)

2.10pm-3.00pm Session 4 – On the Horizon - Part 1 - Non Solutions?
Session 4.1 The Nuclear Option - Michaela Stubbs - Nuclear Campaign Friends of the Earth (25min)
Session 4,2 Carbon Trading – Mike Cebon - Global Trade Watch (25min)

3.00pm - 3.20pm – AFTERNOON BREAK

3.20pm-5.25pm Session 5 – On the Horizon Part 2 - Solutions
Session 5.1 Systemic Change – Philip Sutton - Greenleap Strategic Institute (25min)
Session 5.2 Solar Thermal – Dr Keith Lovegrove - ANU - VIA phone link up - (25min)
Session 5.3 Molecular BioFuel – Dr Warwick Hillier - ANU - VIA skype link up - (25min)
Session 5.4 Hot Rocks – Dr Adrian Williams Geodynamics Limited (25min)

5.25pm - 5.30pm Close Day 1

DAY 2

9.00am -9.40am Session 1 – Effective Campaigning
Session 1.0 Welcome – Matthew Wright – Beyond Zero Emissions (10min)
Session 1.1 Effective Campaigning an Introduction – Adrian Whitehead – Zero Emission Network Coordinator (30min)

9.40am - 11.00am Session 2 - Success Stories

Session 2.1 Sandringham Beach Sign - Coni Forcey - Bayside Climate Change Group (20min)
Session 2.2 Taking on Shell - Catherine Jones - corporate community campaign (20min)
Session 2.3 Terry White - Central Highlands Greenhouse Alliance VIA phone link up (20min)
Session 2.4 Environmental Radio - Viarnne Mischon Executive Producer- Wonderful World Media Network (20min)

11.00am - 11.30am - MORNING TEA

11.30am – 12.30pm Session 3 – Skills Workshops 1 - Concurrent
Session 3.a Federal Election Campaigning - Adrian Whitehead with special guest Stephen Luntz
Session 3.b Setting Up a Climate Action Group - Shannon Higgs
Session 3.c Messaging Zero Emissions – Matthew Wright / Philip Sutton

12.30pm - 1.30pm - LUNCH - Plug in TV

1.30pm – 2.30pm Session 4 – Skills Workshops 2
Session 4.a Guide to Effective Lobbying - Cam Walker - Friends of the Earth
Session 4.b Running a meeting - Adrian Whitehead
Session 4.c Media - Matthew Wright

2.30pm - 3.00pm Session 5.1 Focus Discussions (concurrent)
Session 5.a Nuclear Campaign – Discussion led by Dr Jim Green - National Nuclear Campaigner - Friends of the Earth
Session 5.b Federal Election 2007 Climate Campaign - Discussion led by Adrian Whitehead and Matthew Wright
Session 5.c Climate Councils Campaign – Discussion led by Shannon Higgs and Deborah Hart
Session 5.d Taking the zero emissions / minus goal into mainstream organisations that can shape the economy (eg. corporations, government departments, etc.)) - Discussion led by Philip Sutton
Session 5.e Forest Campaign and Climate Change - Discussion led by Sarah Rees

3.00pm - 3.30pm – AFTERNOON BREAK (Optional)

3.30pm - 4.15pm Session 5.2 Focus Discussions (continued)

4.15pm - 4.25pm Close of Conference

Supported by

Beyond Zero Emissions

Lental as Anything

Speakers

Dr. James Hansen
Dr. James Hansen heads the NASA Institute for Space Studies in New York City, which is a division of Goddard Space Flight Center's (Greenbelt, MD), Sciences and Exploration Directorate, and he is an Adjunct Professor of Geology at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. He was trained in physics and astronomy in the space science program of Dr. James Van Allen at the University of Iowa. His early research on the properties of clouds of Venus led to their identification as sulfuric acid. Since the late 1970s, he has worked on studies and computer simulations of the Earth's climate, for the purpose of understanding the human impact on global climate.

Dr. Hansen is best known for his testimony on climate change to congressional committees in the 1980s that helped raise broad awareness of the global warming issue. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1995 and, in 2001, received both the Heinz Award for environment as well as the American Geophysical Union's Roger Revelle Medal. In 2006, Dr. Hansen received the World Wildlife Federation’s Conservation Medal from the Duke of Edinburgh and was designated by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in 2006. Dr. Hansen is also a 2007 Laureate of the Dan David Prize for the field of Quest for Energy.

Dr. James Hansen

Michael Cebon
Michael Cebon is coordinator of Global Trade Watch, an Australian organisation monitoring the social and environmental impacts of the global trading system.

At both the international and the national level, governments around the world are intent on creating carbon trading systems with the aim of stemming the flow of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. But increasing numbers of experts question the effectiveness of carbon trading systems to actually reduce emissions, as well as raising the equity issues associated with "privatising" the very air we breathe. While the planet warms, are we being sold a dud?

Coni Forcey
Coni Forcey is Co-President and a founding member of one of Melbourne's largest community-based climate change action groups, Bayside Climate Change Action Group, a non-political, not for profit organisation of over 450 families determined to reduce the impact of climate change by raising community awareness and by working with businesses, local council, residents and community groups to reduce greenhouse emissions. BCCAG has hosted two public forums, with more speaking engagements planned in the lead up to the Federal Election. The group is active with their successful Schools and Community Education Program, and "No Junk Mail" campaign. BCCAG are working with the Bayside Council in developing a mentor program to raise levels of sustainability in Bayside. In April 2007, BCCAG organised the "Human Sign on Sandringham Beach" with over 2,500 participating to form the environmental message "Halt Climate Change Now!" for an aerial photograph, featured in the Herald Sun, as well as numerous websites both in Australia and overseas. Ms Forcey was interviewed on the ABC Science show, "Catalyst" for making significant contributions in raising awareness on the issues of global warming. Ms Forcey is married with three teenage children, and is a full-time student at Australian Catholic University.

Dr Jim Green
Jim Green is the national nuclear campaigner with Friends of the
Earth, national coordinator of the Beyond Nuclear Initiative, and a member of the EnergyScience Coalition which was formed to counter the government's pro-nuclear panel headed by Ziggy Switkowski.

Shannon Higgs
Shannon has been involved in climate change campaigning for the past three years, and is currently the coordinator of the Yarra climate change action group - YCAN! She has completed a Bachelor of Science and is a qualified Analytical Chemist. Some of her achievements include, working with the University of Melbourne student Climate Change Collective, a member of the University of Melbourne Environment Advisory Committee, involvement with ASEN (Australian Student Environment Network) and participation in the development of the AYCCC (Australian Youth Climate Change Coalition).

Catherine Jones
Catherine Jones has been involved and help formed a large number of community campaigns including, SMOG, Bellarine Seastar, Geelong Community for Good Life, Otway Conservation Council. Kalang Environment Group

She is community,social and environmental activist /campaigner, practicing non vilolent action and heart politics.

She has recently been involved in:
- taking Shell and the E.P.A. to the supreme court and V.C.A.T.
- the closure of a cement works in Geelong.
- the formation of the great Otway National Park
"I urge all you out there who are not happy with the way big industries are getting away with "Blue Murder". There is something YOU can do. People power can make a change!! All you need are some committed community members and lawyers that are prepared to spend many probono hours representing you in court "

Viarnne Mischon
What a Wonderful World is the innovative and award winning Melbourne drive-time radio show produced by Wonderful World Media Network and broadcast on radio 3WBC 94.1FM. What a Wonderful World is a specialized programme dedicated to providing the rare commodity of positive, informative and uplifting media that promotes sustainable consciousness at all times. The success of any project substantially relies on the vision, expertise and commitment of its creators. What a Wonderful World was born as a result of executive producer Viarnne Mischon’s passionate life long dedication to researching and promoting sustainable principles and solutions. Viarnne, Founder of the Wonderful World Media Network, is an author, publisher, educator and motivational speaker with eclectic multi-media experience. Viarnne recently formed the Wonderful World Media Network with the aim of utilizing the power of communication, IT and the media to both protect and enhance our local and global environment by inspiring and motivating our community to be pro-active about creating a sustainable future.

Andrew Walker Morison
Andrew Walker Morison managed the Sustainable Materials program at the Centre for Design at RMIT University from 2004-2007, and was responsible for developing tools and research to assist design and decision-making in the built environment including the commercialisation of www.ecospecifier.org, Australia's leading information source on eco-preferable building products, overseeing the first national review of building materials environmental impacts for the Federal Government in 2006, and writing product reviews for Inside and Architectural Review. An architect by background, Andrew is a passionate advocate for the potential for our buildings and cities to be a crucial part of the solution to the sustainability challenge.

Sarah Rees
Sarah Rees has been a front line forest campaigner for 8 years in the Central Highlands of Victoria. Her roles have involved regional and metro community programs and events, volunteer mobilisation, strategy development, Media, ENGO adviser, government policy and corporate lobby work. In her 8 years as a campaigner, despite vigorous attack from the logging community and repeated legal threats from the native pulp industry, Sarah has been instrumental in shifting public and government attention to issues such as logging in Melbourne's water, the plight of endangered species and has been rewarded with several major campaign victories for Victoria’s Eastern forests.

She is currently employed as a project manager for the ‘My Environment Project’ with The Central Highlands Alliance Inc, and is soon to be accepting a position to expand this role to include East Gippsland's forests. Sarah is completing a post-graduate degree in Philanthropy and Social Investment at Swinburne University.

David Spratt
David Spratt runs the Carbon Equity Project Australia that promote the concept of global carbon rationing.

Carbon rationing is a fair way to rapidly reduce emissions,
guaranteed to achieve results, and more effective in reducing carbon pollution when targets are high. Carbon taxes and upstream emissions trading are experience remotely by the end consumer as a prices rises, and emissions trading is seen as a “corporate” thing. In contrast carbon rationing is egalitarian, allows people to make choices and offers a personal carbon budget to keep within, and encourages behaviour change in the knowledge that others are also acting.

Philip Sutton
Philip Sutton is the founder and Director-Strategy for Green Innovations, a non-profit environmental strategy think tank and advisory organisation promoting the achievement of global and local ecological sustainability.

Philip's work is focused on environmental management systems for sustainability-promoting organisations and on strategies for achieving an ecologically sustainable economy.

Philip was the architect of the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee legislation passed in 1988. He also worked on the Victorian Government Energy Strategy (1982-3) and the Victorian State Conservation Strategy (1983-4). He worked for a year in 1991 in the Victorian Office of the Environment to develop strategies for achieving a successful green economy.

Philip has written on sustainability-orientated environmental management systems, economic development strategies, economic growth, ecotaxation, industry policy for the timber and plastics industries and energy and urban policy. He initiated the Greenleap email list in 1997 and has been the manager of the list since that time. Philip's paper Greenleap: Innovating to an ecologically sustainable economy in 30 years or less summarises and set in context most of his work on the creation of an ecologically-sustainable economy.

Michaela Stubbs
Michaela currently coordinates the Friends of the Earth Melbourne Anti-Uranium Collective. She has been a part of the campaign at Friends of the Earth for over 6 years now and in her current role for 2 1/2 years. She has worked at local community organising, as well as playing a leading role with the Aboriginal-environmental Alliance Against Uranium and the annual Radioactive Exposure Tours. Her long time involvement in the Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, Social Justice and Environment movements has led to her current position - actively working toward a vision of a healthy, peaceful and just future for everyone!

Chris Taylor
Chris Taylor has been working in architectural practice for a number of years. He is completing his PhD looking on Forest Certification and the use of the market based mechanisms to reduce the environmental and social impact that material procurement can embody. Chris has a strong interest in good environmental design in buildings and consults with industry at the Centre for Design at RMIT University and teaches at the faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning at the University of Melbourne. Chris is concentrating on research, specialising in sequestration and green buildings, and helping run tours.

Bruce Thompson
Bruce Thompson is the Business Program Director for the Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd. Bruce has taken a lead role in developing projects such as the Phoenix Fridge Project, a partnership with the Brotherhood of St Laurence and EcoSmart Electricians a partnership with the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) developing a national training and accreditation scheme for electricians. His most recent focus has been project managing the Coburg Solar Village consortium bid as part of the Federal Government’s Solar Cities programme.

Bruce has a technical background in energy management and extensive experience in community partnership development, working for many years in advocacy roles for a national environment NGO. He is a qualified engineer, has a post graduate certificate in Project Management and is presently completing a Masters in Engineering (Sustainable Energy).

Adrian Whitehead
Adrian Whitehead has campaigned on environment issues since 1988. His early campaigning on the issue of native forest logging was with the East Gippsland Coalition and Environment Victoria. Later he helped found the Otway Ranges Environment Network (OREN) whose campaign resulted in the creation of the Great Otway National Park. Adrian has also played roles in stopping the Stone Haven Power plant near Geelong and helping the marine park campaign in his local region, before founding futurenergy.org with Matthew Wright. His most recent success was running a campaign to stop the Naas valley Dam in the ACT. Adrian recently left a full time Climate Change Campaign position in Canberra to return to Melbourne to lead the Beyond Zero Emission Campaign. Adrian holds a BSc from Melbourne University and a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Management from Deakin. His key activities are strategic planning, coordination and public outreach. Adrian co-ordinates and administers the Zero Emission Network.

Dr Adrian Williams
Dr Williams, CEO of Geodynamics Limited, is an engineer with a broad experience concerning energy and technology. As a consultant based in London, and then as Chief Engineer Geomechanics for the Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation, he has worked on large energy and infrastructure projects in Algeria, throughout Asia and Australia. In every case, he led the commercial resolution of technical challenges. He led the development of the Australian Petroleum Cooperative Research Centre, one of Australia's first CRCs, and with CSIRO, was the foundation chief of its Petroleum Resources Division and then Chief of its Energy Technology Division.

Dr Williams has been committed to the development of Australia's hot rock geothermal energy for over eight years, including winning of tenements in the Cooper Basin which were subsequently added to Geodynamics' portfolio. He has worked closely with Dr. de Graaf, members of the Board and others in Geodynamics on various tasks over the last few years, including the Innamicka Power Project and development of Geodynamics' proposal to the Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund. He is thus familiar with Geodynamics' strategy and operations.

He holds civil engineering degrees from the University of Melbourne, a PhD in rock mechanics from Monash University and an MBA from Melbourne University.

Matthew Wright Matthew Wright became interested in the environment through exploring Victoria's wilderness with his father as a child. He became involved in climate issues in 2003 after becoming concerned about the true motives behind the anti wind movement here in Australia and overseas and consequently founded futureenergy.org. Strong from his experience as a specialist engineer supporting Reuters, Matthew is able to deliver the group the best IT solutions in the field and in the office, research, and communications. In addition to IT and communications support,

Matthew is the lead campaigner for Beyond Zero Emissions and conducts research, specialising in stationary energy transition to zero emissions and is presently working on a near zero transport plan. Matthew supports a number of community organisations' in their IT strategic needs, including 3CR radio, Friends of The Earth, The Australian Greens, Sea Shepherd Conservation society, and Kindness House Trust.