The Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute (BMWHI) established Low Carbon Living Blue Mountains in 2013 to lower the carbon footprint of the Blue Mountains Region. Since this time, the impact of climate change has become ever present, with our local fire services putting out more fires than ever in 2017, and their modelling predicting that our iconic upland swamps will dry out in 60 years.
To help fast track carbon reductions, Low Carbon Living joined forces with the University of Technology Sydney’s startup, Ecologic to develop a sophisticated online carbon calculator which enables households, organisations and businesses to measure their carbon use and gain recommendations about lowering their carbon footprint automatically. The LCL carbon calculator app will also encourage the adoption of the Low Carbon Living program nationally. Check it out here lclaustralia.org.
To support Low Carbon Living’s introduction of to a wider audience, we launched a crowd funding campaign in August and September, to encourage local community engagement with the program. Our Climate Change Fundraiser has contributed significantly to the ongoing running costs of the LCL program. To celebrate our success, an afternoon of dance, discourse and song was held at Kindlehill School in Wentworth Falls on September 22nd.
The ever infectious Hands, Heart and Feet set the tone, kindly inviting the Brazillian percussionist group Samba Trombada, AfriChele, the Ghawazi Caravan bellydancers, and the Paco Peasants Gypsy choir to share the stage. Safe to say, the quality of entertainment at a Low Carbon Living event is high!
Environmental activist, Noni Mc Devitt from Blue Mountains Renewable Energy Cooperative addressed the crowd, explaining that the major concerns over climate change raised in the 1980s, are still not being addressed by world leaders.
Kindle Hill principal, Lyn Daniels spoke about a recent school trip to Pele Island, Vanuatu, where the impacts of climate change determine daily realities faced by the children, teachers, community and school.
BMCC Cr Kerry Brown highlighted the importance of carefully planting trees in negotiation with our neighbours, allowing them to establish and stabilise ecosystems; provide fresh oxygen and shade; providing fresh oxygen and shelter for all living creatures, as well as transforming damaging atmospheric carbon into new growth.
A tasty, vegetarian menu of soup, pizza, cake and Chai freshly made was on offer and served by a fantastic team of light-hearted, earth-minded, cup-juggling and finally, dish doing volunteers.
The American environmental writer Paul Hawkins described the emergence grass roots activism as the Earth’s Immune System in action. As the implications of climate change unfold, it’s up to environmental activists, residents, communities, artists, businesses and schools around the world to be the agents of the
change we need so badly to see. To all the volunteers, musicians, dancers and speakers, who generously donated their time, talents and resources, a very big thank you from all of us at Low Carbon Living. Your efforts to act on ‘Climate Change Now,’ mean the world to us.
