Welcome to Mt Victoria Transition Towns page.

Transition Towns Mt Victoria: 2018 Programme

Meetings: 1st, 2nd or 3rd Tuesday* of the month beginning 7:30pm
(*schedule TBA)

NEXT MEETING:

Tuesday 9th October at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria. 'Waste and Recycling film’.We will be showing a film about waste and recycling. All welcome. For more information contact Frank Cook, 027 6496508

Library & DVDs
We have a growing library resource of DVDs and books relevant to the wider theme of transition towns - including the topics of climate change, peak oil, gardening, sustainable development, energy use, environmental issues etc. The DVDs can be borrowed on application to frank.c@clear.net.nz. See the list here. The list is updated as new DVDs are added.
It is also aimed to start an environmental book reading group.

Gardening
The group also acts as facilitator to link up people in the area who have gardens they struggle to keep going with people who would like to garden.

Renewable/Sustainable Technologies
We are also keen to learn from local examples of installations of solar collectors, water tanks and the like to help others keen to do likewise. If you have an installation and can help others do likewise please contact frank.c@clear.net.nz

Other news

Climate Change - Ministry of Primary Industries Papers: Some may recall late last year Russel Norman talking on TV3 about some hard to find Ministry of Primary Papers discussing the impact of various climate change scenarios on New Zealand farming. Titled Four Degrees of Global Warming: Effects on the New Zealand Primary Sector the paper is available at: http://www.mpi.govt.nz/news-resources/publications.aspx?title=four%20degrees%20of%20global%20warming. This gets to the full paper, the appendices, and the summary. The summary is only eight pages and shows some pretty telling graphs. The four degrees scenario is probably conservative by now. The International Energy Agency (IEA) did have a proposal to get back to a two degree trajectory, but that has largely been ignored, including by the New Zealand Government.

Incidentally the IEA four policies for 2-degrees are:

• Targeted energy efficiency measures in buildings, industry and transport account for nearly half the emissions reduction in 2020, with the additional investment required being more than offset by reduced spending on fuel bills.

• Limiting the construction and use of the least-efficient coal-fired power plants delivers more than 20% of the emissions reduction and helps curb local air pollution. The share of power generation from renewables increases (from around 20% today to 27% in 2020), as does that from natural gas.

• Actions to halve expected methane (a potent greenhouse gas) releases into the atmosphere from the upstream oil and gas industry in 2020 provide 18% of the savings.

• Implementing a partial phase-out of fossil fuel consumption subsidies accounts for 12% of the reduction in emissions and supports efficiency efforts.

PREVIOUS EVENTS:

Food Matters Aotearoa conference, 14 and 15 February 2015

PREVIOUS MEETINGS:

2018 Programme

Tuesday 14th August at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria. 'More than Honey film’.We will be a showing of the film More Than Honey, a documentary film about bee colonies around the world. All welcome.

Tuesday 10th July at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria. 'Living the Change film’. We will be a showing of the film Living the Change, which explores solutions to the global crises we face today - solutions any one of us can be part of - through the inspiring stories of people pioneering change in their own lives and in their communities in order to live in a sustainable and regenerative way. A 2018 documentary by Happen Films. All welcome.

Tuesday 12th June at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria. 'Inhabit film (or alternative)’. We will aim to view Inhabit, a film on permaculture. In the case this is not possible, we will view instead a BBC program on food. All welcome. For more information contact Frank Cook, 027 6496508

Tuesday 8th May at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria. 'Sustainable film’.We will view Sustainable, an American film on the future of agriculture. All welcome. For more information contact Frank Cook, 027 6496508

Tuesday 13th March at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria. 'Impact of Climate Change’.We will view more material from season two on the impacts of climate change. All welcome. For more information contact Frank Cook, 027 6496508

2017 Programme

Tuesday 14th November at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria. 'Impact of Climate Change’.We will view more material on the impacts of climate change. All welcome. For more information contact Frank Cook, 027 6496508

Tuesday 8th August at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria. 'Bill Nye’s global meltdown’.We will watch the dvd ‘Bill Nye's global meltdown: the five stage of climate change grief'. Scientist Bill Nye examines the earth's warming temperatures through the prism of the five stages of grief. All welcome. For more information contact Frank Cook, 027 6496508

Tuesday 11th July at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria. ‘Plastic in the Ocean’. We will show material relating to the plastic in the ocean and plans to clean it up. All welcome. For more information contact Frank Cook, 027 6496508

Tuesday 13th June at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria (note new venue). ‘Hidden Half of Nature’ video. We will show a 2016 talk by David Montgomery, author of The Hidden Half of Nature, on the role microbes play in soil and human health. All welcome. For more information contact Frank Cook, 027 6496508

Tuesday 9th May at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria (note new venue). ‘What the Health’ film. We will show the new film “What the Health”, from the makers of Cowspiracy, which investigates the impacts of highly processed industrial animal foods on our personal health and the greater community. Meant to be shown April, but arrived a day late! All welcome. For more information contact Frank Cook, 027 6496508

Tuesday 14th March at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria (note new venue). 'Chasing Ice' documentary. We will show the documentary film Chasing Ice, a 2012 documentary which captures a multi-year record of the Arctic’s changing glaciers. All welcome. For more information contact Frank Cook, 027 6496508

Tuesday 14th February at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria (note new venue). 'Into the Gyre' documentary. We will show the film 'Into the Gyre', a 2012 documentary about about plastic pollution in our oceans. There will be time for discussion after the film. All welcome.

2016 Programme

Tuesday 8th November at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria (note new venue). 'Bikes vs Cars' film. We will show the documentary film 'Bikes vs Cars', a documentary about the bike and what an amazing tool for change it can be. It highlights a conflict in city planning between bikes, cars and a growing reliance on fossil fuels. All welcome.
For more information contact Frank Cook, 027 6496508

Tuesday 11th October at 7.30pm, at 24e Elizabeth St, Mount Victoria (note new venue). 'Seeds of Time' film. The Seeds of Time is a 2014 documentary which follows agriculture pioneer Cary Fowler's global journey to save the eroding foundation of our food supply in a new era of climate change. All welcome.
For more information contact Frank Cook, 027 6496508

Tuesday 20th September at 7.30pm, at New Crossways, Roxburgh St. 'The True Cost' film. The True Cost is a 2015 documentary about the human and environmental cost of today's clothing industry. It was made in the wake of the Bangladesh tragedy. Also see below of a description the three linked meetings in July, August and September 2016. All welcome. For more information contact Frank Cook, 027 6496508

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The next three meetings explore a theme involving multi-nationals and their pursuit of their own agendas with the associated disregard for both the environment and ethical behaviour. The films cover the food and diet industry, electric vehicles, and the clothing industry.

The first, Hungry for Change, is on Tuesday 12 July, 7:30 at New Crossways, Roxburgh St. It does have its own agenda but I think that will be quite clear . It is a film from the FoodMatters group about diets and the food manufacturing industry and is quite long - 90min.

The second, Who Killed the Electric Car recently showed at Cuba Lighthouse and in attendance was one of the women who were deeply involved at the time. She did say, when asked has anything changed (it was made in 2006), that yes and no, and I think the no related to ruthlessness with which the multinationals pursue their own agendas. That will be on 9th August and is an excellent film.
The third, The True Cost, is on the clothing industry and will show on 20th September. I hope to have someone there to update us on practices in the clothing industry.

Finally the September meeting will likely be the last in the Roxburgh St venue as the Trust works to find different venues for the various groups.

Tuesday 9th August at 7.30pm, at New Crossways, Roxburgh St. ' Who Killed the Electric Car' film. See below of a description the three linked meetings in July, August and September 2016.  All welcome. For more information contact Frank Cook, 027 6496508

Tuesday 14th June at 7.30pm, at New Crossways, Roxburgh St. 'Deep Listening' film. We aim to show Deep Listening, a documentary from Living in the Future which asks “What skills do we need to build successful relationships and how can we create communities that are both healthy and sustainable?” All welcome.

Tuesday 17th May at 7.30pm, at New Crossways, Roxburgh St. 'The  Wisdom to Survive' film. We will show the 56 min film The Wisdom to Survive which provides visions of how we should live in the midst of massive environmental challenges. All welcome.

Tuesday 19th April at 7.30pm, at New Crossways, Roxburgh St. 'The Worm is Turning' film. We will show The Worm is Turning, which includes the story of how corporate agribusiness is taking over the world's food production and shows how this system is destroying people's health, economies and the ecology of the world. All welcome.

Tuesday 8th March at 7.30pm, at New Crossways, Roxburgh St. 'This Changes Everything' film. In our first meeting for 2016 we will view the documentary 'This Changes Everything', Naomi Klein's 90 minute film that is billed as an epic attempt to re-imagine the vast challenge of climate change. All welcome.

2015 meetings: The Mt Victoria programme details from 2015 are available here.

2014 meetings: The Mt Victoria programme details from 2014 are available here.

2013 meetings: The Mt Victoria programme details from 2013 are available here.

2012 meetings: The Mt Victoria programme details from 2012 are available here.

2011 meetings: The Mt Victoria programme details from 2011 are available here.