Peninsula Environment Group

Hurry - cheap solar offer!

marksmann — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:17:21 +0000

Hi PEGers,
If we can raise a small group of people locally, we have the opportunity to buy 1kW solar panels for $1400 (which is about half the price of the next-cheapest I’ve seen solar panels) as part of a scheme being run by Climate Action Newcastle - see http://climateaction.org.au/campaigns/newcastles-going-solar

If anyone is interested, can you let me know asap. Any questions, email me, or phone me (phone in the morning). The cut-off date is December 31st so we’ll need to be quick.

Please pass this on to anyone around the Woy Woy, Gosford, Killcare area who might be interested.

Mark Mann
02-6589 4342
043 255 0255

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A note on the “real” cost of this offer
See webpage below for full details of costings. The basic figures are approx $1400 for 1kW panel plus inverter (to connect to the grid) for a single-storey tin roof, plus $250 if you have a tiled roof and $300 for two-storey houses.

Plus you have to put up $8000 up front which you get back as a rebate about three months later. If you get a short term loan for $8000 for three months, you’ll pay maybe $400 in interest. So the full cost of this offer ranges from $1400+$400=$1800 for a one-storey tin roof, to $1400+$250+$300+$400=$2350 for a two-storey tiled roof.

They say you can expect, ballpark, a kW panel to save you about $200 worth of electricity a year, giving the system has a payback time of 12 years. This will become less as energy prices rise in future, so in reality you might expect this system to pay for itself in about 7 or 8 years.

(Feed-in tariffs would reduce this payback time considerably, but I’ve heard the NSW feed-in is likely to only apply to any overall surplus you generate - ie you’d have to generate more electricity from the panel than you use in your home, which won’t happen with a 1kW system.)
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For full offer details, see…
http://climateaction.org.au/files/Newcastle’s_Going_Solar_Round_2_Project_Information.pdf

Sunday 14 December: Picnic in the Park

marksmann — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:40:43 +0000

11am-2.30pm Lions Park, Brick Wharf Road, Woy Woy

Our final event of 2008 - come along for a relaxed chat with green-minded folk in a nice, kid-friendly spot. Bring something to eat and drink. See you there.

PEG: One Year On

marksmann — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:36:16 +0000

AS PEG approaches the end of its first year, the organisation has developed a small core group of a half-dozen people, with perhaps another half-dozen people attending and helping out at events. There are also a few people with very young children who have indicated they would at some point like to join or rejoin the core group. Beyond that we have about another 30 people on the mailing list.

Over the course of the year, we’ve settled on a program of activities that comprises a monthly meeting plus talk/film (first Tuesday) and a monthly picnic (third Sunday), plus occasional other events including occasional bushwalks and a Sustainable Living Day event of practical green workshops.

We have also established a “food network” of about a dozen people to bulk-buy organic dry goods at wholesale prices.

To date, we have seen PEG’s role as building a local “green network” that supports people on the peninsula trying to live more sustainability, both as a social network and to share knowledge and ideas on sustainable living. We have not, as yet, got involved in campaigning on local issues such the Umina Coastal Sandplain Woodland, the footpath to Pearl Beach, the Ettalong foreshore, dredging of the Ettalong channel, Coca Cola’s Peats Ridge factory, the nature of future development in the area, or plans for new coal mines for the Central Coast. This reflects, I think, both the interests of the core group and a feeling that we don’t yet have the resources, energy or numbers to “win” campaigns of this nature. But it’s certainly possible PEG may decide to be more vocal on local issues in future.

2009
The basic program is to continue with a monthly meeting followed by a talk or film on the first Tuesday of each month, and a monthly picnic in Lions Park on the third Sunday, plus:

Mark Snell will lead 2 or 3 Sunday morning bushwalks in June, July, August with identification of local plants to Blackwall Mountain, Warah Trig, rock platforms behind Umina Citidel.
another Sustainable Living Day event at the WWEC
a demonstration of solar cooking at Joachim Muller’s house

We hope to consolidate the Food Network and would like to help establish a Community Supported Agriculture scheme in which farmers on the Somersby Plateau provide organic food boxes to subscribers on the Central Coast.

We also want to work with the WWEC committee and the Bushcare Forum to transform the WWEC grounds into an educational native plant garden featuring native plants indigenous to the peninsula sandplain, as a teaching resource for PEG, Bushcare and local schools.

The door is certainly open to other projects - if we feel we have the resources and if someone is prepared to “drive” a project. Three possible projects are a drive to get people to install solar PV panels, a “bike group” and a larger “eco-fair” on the peninsula (possibly at a school?).

Also, it’s worth noting that we aim to work as closely as possible with Central Coast LETS, which is an excellent way to put many localisation principles into practice.

I am compiling ideas for talks and films for 2009. Feel free to send me suggestions. My initial list is…

February – we can get cut-price solar PV if we can get 30 people to sign up for it
March - Solar hot water – Joachim Muller
April - Transition Towns
May - Meet the Greens – if they’ll come!
June – film (Baraka or Koyannisquatski?)
July – Community Supported Agriculture – Lisa Edwards, short film
August – Film?
September - Energy-efficient homes (Pete Meloy?)

Next Food Network meeting

marksmann — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:38:10 +0000

The next Food Network meeting will be held on Tuesday 9th December at 7pm. Please contact Zainem or Cara for more details.

December 2: Film: Peak Oil in Australia

marksmann — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:33:07 +0000

For our next meeting on Tuesday 2 December we’re showing Australia Pumping Empty, a new film exploring the implications for peak oil in Australia. Starts 7.30pm.

The PEG monthly committee meeting is beforehand, at 6.30pm

No No Dig

marksmann — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 06:26:39 +0000

Please note the No Dig Gardening workshop on 22 November is cancelled. But we’d still love to see you at the Lions Park picnic on 16 November.

16 November: PEG Picnic in the Park

marksmann — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 06:31:33 +0000

Come along to our next picnic on Sunday 16 November in Lions Park, Brick Wharf Road, 11.30am-2.30pm. Bring food, drink if you wish. A great chance to meet and chat to other local “eco-minded” people. The park is a nice, child-friendly spot.

Warah Trig bushwalk report

marksmann — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:40:57 +0000

An enthusiastic group joined Mark Snell and the Peninsula Environment Group (PEG) bushwalk at Warah Trig, near Patonga, to see a fantastic display of Australian flora at its very best! Mark patiently pointed out the different species by their Botanical names and common names (repeating them more than once!) while the group eagerly marked off the species in flower on Mark’s flora surveys. Over 40 flowering species were identified! (there are around 60 in total in the area). There may have been more, but the group agreed to a detour from our wildflower sighting for a whale sighting – a spectacular view from the John Doyle lookout!

Some of the highlights of the day can be been seen here. For a larger display of wildflower plants visit Mark Snell’s Warah Trig website.

This walk was organised by the Peninsula Environment Group (PEG) in conjunction with the Brisbane Water Outdoor Club (BWOC). Special thanks to Mark Snell for his plant and wildflower expertise and to Jim for his keen species spotting!

Oil, gas, coal

marksmann — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:59:23 +0000

This week’s Express Advocate reports on plans to explore for oil and natural gas off the Central Coast, exposing our shorelines and marine environment to the risk of devestation from any accident or oil-spill.

The Advocate also reported a week or so back on allegations that some of the constant stream of tankers carting coal away from Newcastle have been damaging offshore reefs with their anchors.

Not the mention the contribution to global warming of these fossil fuels, which could one day see the peninsula disappear under the ocean.

Join our food network

marksmann — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:36:40 +0000

We have the opportunity to join in a food-buying co-operative. If you’d like to buy a wide range of organic food (such as rice, muesli, flour, pulses, dried fruit, nuts, etc) at wholesale prices, please contact Zainem Ibrahim.