Due to space limitations in our print edition (and the time constraints of the editor!), there are some news items that we could not publish, but would love to bring to your attention and give you the opportunity to read.
WIRES
WIRES has had an exceptionally busy time recently and there are many fascinating stories and pictures on their website at http://wiresnr.org/Carersstories10.html including news of the recent bat crisis where thousands of bats lost their lives due to heat stress and what WIRES and other organisations have been doing to care for the orphans left behind.
Lismore Regional Gallery
Lismore 2074: Our Future Present by Duke Albada based on conversations with Lismore residents. Showing at Lismore Regional Gallery
What will Lismore be like in 60 years from now? This is the question that artist, Duke Albada, took to members of the Lismore community as part of an installation artwork commissioned by Lismore Regional Gallery. The outcome will take the form of an exhibition entitled, Lismore 2074: Our Future Present, which will be on display at Lismore Regional Gallery from 1 November to 14 December 2014.
The Camera never lies?
In his exhibition, Silent Speech, on from 1 November to 14 December 2014 at Lismore Regional Gallery, Raimond de Weerdt subverts the commonly held idea that photography captures reality and is therefore a measure of truth. De Weerdt uses his command of the technical possibilities of digital photography to explore a push and pull between realism and fictional, dreamlike states. The resulting works are mysterious and unsettling, drawing us in to unravel untold stories from an unknown time.
It’s my house, but you can’t come in :: Rahima Jackson
This is an exhibition which investigates individual perceptions of the conscious experience. Rahima Jackson was winner of the 2013 Lismore Regional Gallery Graduate Award.
Untitled : Brigette Lucas
Brigette Lucas explores her identity as a woman with Alopecia (hair loss), questioning the pervasive association between luxurious head hair and the feminine ideal. This exhibition is a project of the SCU Curatorial Lab, overseen by Dr Wes Hill.
Lismore Handmade Market
An extra market day on December 20th gives you a chance to get special last minute gifts
Planet Ark
Forgotten e-waste: finding new lives for old tech at Christmas
Christmas is fast approaching, which means a festive season of gift giving and receiving is about to begin.
Unwrapping a new gadget might provide a short-term high, but with more active SIM cards on the planet than people, it comes with an environmental impact[i].
Global sales figures for smartphones, tablets and PCs, are projected to reach 2.4 billion devices for 2014, and that figure is tipped to grow into next year[ii].
This Christmas, Planet Ark and its supporters TechCollect and MobileMuster are asking consumers to think about how many old, unused tablets and mobiles they have lying around the house that could be recycled.
Planet Ark’s awareness campaign ‘The 12 DOs of Christmas’ encourages those who receive an electronic gift at Christmas make sure that their old ones are re-homed or recycled.
Tech companies are hoping for a bumper Christmas with many new products on the market tempting consumers to upgrade their devices.
With mobile devices becoming increasingly popular, it is important to look at ways of making sure the non-renewable resources that go into making them are kept in use, by recycling them through government-certified recycling programs.
“We are constantly refreshing our technology, especially at this time of year,” says Planet Ark Spokesperson Rebecca Gilling. “Many of the materials and components found in these gadgets are rare and can be harmful to the environment if sent to landfill, so it’s important to recycle them responsibly.”
MobileMuster accepts all brands and types of mobile phones, plus their batteries, chargers and accessories for recycling, working with partners like mobile phone retailers, local councils and Australia Post to collect phones from the general public, businesses, schools, councils and government agencies. Each and every mobile received is dismantled and recycled ethically, and any data left on the handset is destroyed through the recycling process.
As part of the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme, TechCollect accepts tablets as well as laptop computers, PCs and accessories.
Batteries are another electronic item prevalent at Christmas, as they are used to power new toys, cameras and gadgets. Buying rechargeable batteries and chargers can be a great way to lessen the impact of single-use batteries, which can be recycled at Aldi and Battery World stores.
Drop off and collection points for all these items, along with the 12 DOs of Christmas action sheet, are available on RecyclingNearYou.com.au, a comprehensive household recycling directory that lists options for a variety of items, by council.
For more information, visit Planet Ark’s RecyclingNearYou.com.au website or call 1300 733 712.
[ii] Tech Crunch, Oct 2014 http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/15/tablet-sales-growth-plummets-in-2014-as-android-smartphones-continue-to-soar-gartner/
About Planet Ark
Planet Ark Environmental Foundation is an Australian not-for-profit organisation established to help people, governments and businesses reduce their impact on the environment. We create simple, powerful and positive actions that help people live in balance with nature, through our program of inspiring campaigns, which promoting sustainable resource use, low carbon lifestyles and connect people with nature.
Cancer Council
Bringing the defeat of cancer closer
Recently, local communities across Northern NSW united for Pink Ribbon Day, so far successfully raising tens of thousands of dollars towards prevention, research, advocacy and support for women’s cancers.
In NSW alone, it’s predicted that, by 2016, 18 people will be diagnosed with breast or gynaecological cancer every day, with over 6,500 cases, and 1459 deaths expected in a single year.[1] Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Australia; with a new case diagnosed every hour.
The Cancer Council thanks all volunteers from the Far North Coast who passed on their infectious passion, effectively encouraging others to make the biggest possible difference in the fight against cancer.
Pink Ribbon Day Coordinator says “So far the region has fundraised a very generous $13,000, which is hugely attributed to the men, women & young people who worked tirelessly all day in the heat last Friday 24th October”.
“Pink Ribbon Day allows volunteers to harnesses the support and power of the community to drive positive change and ultimately, we will beat cancer!”
Interested in participating in Pink Ribbon Day next year? Contact Sarah on 6639 1303 / sarahro@nswcc.org.au.
[1] Cancer incidence and mortality: projections 2011 to 2021 Cancer Institute NSW, Sydney: May 2011
Thanks a bunch Australia!
Coles raises a blooming $2.84 million for
Cancer Council’s Daffodil Day
Coles supermarkets and Coles Express are celebrating a record-breaking fundraising effort after raising their greatest amount ever, more than $2.8 million across Australia, of which $843, 669 came from NSW, for this year’s Daffodil Day campaign.
A Better Future for Far North Coast Clubs and Community
Clubs across the Far North Coast of NSW today passed a vote of thanks to the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government in recognition of their support for not-for-profit clubs during a meeting at Ballina RSL Club.
On behalf of more than 60 clubs across the Far North Coast area, representatives applauded the NSW Government’s decision to sign a historic Memorandum of Understanding with the club industry, one that will help boost the club industry’s economic and social contribution.
The MoU locks in tax rates for the next term of the NSW Government and commits to further enhancing the ClubGRANTS program – a move that is expected to see the average annual economic contribution of clubs to the state grow to a record $3.7 billion per year, while the amount of direct community funding is expected to soar to $128 million per annum.
The agreement provides certainty not only for Far North Coast clubs, but also for their almost 250,000 members, their more than 2000 employees, and 2280 club volunteers.
With a focus on strengthening industry viability and red tape reduction, the 2014 MoU also makes sure local clubs can continue to operate as community hubs, building and maintaining essential local infrastructure.