EarthChat

Here Comes the Sun S25 Ep39

Did you know that renewables produced more electricity than coal across the world in the first half of 2025? What a huge shift in a short amount of time. More change is to come, with projects like this photo, of an orchard in Switzerland (does the sun even shine there?) where panels produce 300MWh per year in electricity. What a harvest!The good news is that Australia is a world leader in solar electricity, just think about all those roof panels saving homeowners household bills. If you have an EV and home battery, you are also getting cheap or free car travel. What's there not to like! As someone has written, "Burning fossil fuels is like burning old sunshine; now we can utilise the sun in real-time"This week on EarthChat we talk to Mark Lyons, Clonbinane local and solar expert. Here is what Mark says about himself,"I grew up down stream from Myrtleford and helped dad a lot while he was building various bits of equipment for the farm. This gave me a good mechanical understanding of things. I left school as soon as I was able and worked in a timber mill in Myrtleford before moving to Melbourne to study photography. That was my work for about 20 years and ran a photographic business in Northcote for about ten years."Towards the end of that I did a diploma in renewable energies. It became apparent I would need to pay an electrician to do much of the work I was planning. That was when I started an apprenticeship as an electrician which I completed in my forties. So for about 20 years now I have run my own electric contracting business as well as project managing large megawatt size solar installations for a company."Some time in my thirties I found a guitar that was being thrown out so I took it home and learned to play it, eventually writing my own songs and forming a fairly heavy rock band that played in pubs around Melbourne for about 5 years."I love making things like trailers, electric motorbikes, quad bikes and a small ride on mower I use as a small tractor. We left Melbourne 6 1/2 years ago for Clonbinane and have never looked back. During my late 20s I lived overseas for a couple of years where I met and married Mary. 33 years married now. We have a daughter, Hazel who is 30 now and is a nurse."
Mark and Tim will be chatting about how to make the most of wonderful opportunities renewables can offer. How can we better use the power of the sun? How do we apply for government subsidies around batteries and energy efficient appliances for everyone?

Treaty in Victoria S25 Ep38

 
Legislation for Australia's first Treaty between the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria and the Victorian Government has just been introduced in the Victorian Parliament. An historic moment built on over 200 years of First Nations' advocacy.
North East Representative of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, Levi Power, returns to EarthChat to chat with Ruth and Phil about this latest exciting Treaty news.
The journey to a Statewide Treaty for Victoria, led by First Peoples, is going to benefit everyone living in this State. And, it is going to take all of us to make Treaty a reality.
 
 
By working together we will naturally build a better future for everyone in Victoria. Treaty will therefore bring us together and will unify Victoria because we share the same values about freedom, care, family, community and equity….
The Yoorrook Justice Commission began a profound process of healing through Truth-telling thereby creating the first public record of our true history, an opportunity to understand history since colonization, and to see why Treaty is needed. This truth telling and history gathering in Victoria has enabled a ‘turning toward’ the truth of the past allowing us to start building a better and unified future together. Treaty is therefore not about division. On the contrary. Treaty is a pathway to acknowledging the past and making real practical change to achieve better outcomes for First Peoples in Victoria and close the ‘gap(s)’ once and for all. This can only benefit everyone living here in this State.
Treaty won’t change any ownership laws - what’s yours today is yours tomorrow. First Peoples won’t become part of the Victorian Government either, just simply have their say in the decisions that affect Aboriginal communities.
Next week the Treaty bill will be debated by the Parties in Parliament, when they resume sitting between October 14 - 16. To receive Treaty information and updates about how you can help, go to: https://fpav.good.do/victoriansupporttreaty/email-your-mp/
 
 
You can read the full Statewide Treaty text here.
 
Here’s what else you can do to support Treaty:
Explore the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria’s website, including information on the Statewide Treaty, the Assembly, FAQs, information for allies, and a video series here. 
You can find out more about the Treaty Authority via their website. They also have a Information Guide for Local Government.
The Yoorrook Justice Commission website is a key resource for all who live in Victoria.
Read and engage with the recommendations for your sector
Read the Official Public Record – Truth Be Told
Explore Yoorrook’s Video Library
 
 
 

Box trees and rural conservation successes S25 Ep37

Join Peter Lockyer, Vanessa Malandrin and Janice Mentiplay-Smith in a great discussion around the value of old trees, hollows and understory -  each part of a local ecosystem which has a valuable contribution to the whole.  The strength of this Web of Life is the sum of the parts - the more diverse, the greater the health.Hear from Vanessa, Facilitator at South-West Goulburn Landcare Network about local Landcare initiatives and from Janice, Project Officer  for GBCMA (Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority) and the role the Authority plays in supporting biodiversity. Read more about the local Landcare network here and the GBCMA here.

Why caring for our oceans is so important S25 Ep36

This week, listen in to Jill Grant exploring the importance of our oceans and chatting about some great organisations that are working to protect this amazing global resource and habitat.Oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface and they provide a vital regulator of global climate and weather through their currents that transfer heat from the Equator to the Poles and dictate rainfall and wind systems with vital impacts on food production, water supplies and habitation. They also directly supply food, fibres, recreation, transport and medicines, all of which bring societal benefits.Coastal wetlands cover less than 1% of the earth’s surface yet they store 50% of seabed carbon – more than 2-4 times that of forests on a per area basis. They can help reduce climate change impacts by storing carbon from the atmosphere in “carbon sinks” This so called “Blue Carbon” is identified as a major contributor to efforts to reduce overall emissions and subsequent increases in global temperatures – the impacts of which are becoming more intense and more frequent. If Australia is to meet its recently promised targets of a 62-70 percent reduction below 2005 levels within the next 10 years then action must be accelerated and well placed. It seems that ocean conservation, litter reduction and water quality improvements are just some of the specific efforts to increase carbon storage potential on our extensive coastline. Want more information?
Port Phillip Eco-Centre www.ecocentre.comThis not for profit, community managed environment group located in St Kilda has been operating since 1999 and now has almost 5000 volunteers, 120 partners, links with 145 schools and over 15000 program participants.Australian Marine Conservation Foundation (AMCS) https://www.marineconservation.org.auEstablished in 1965 and dedicated to healthy seas and protection of ocean wildlife . As an independent group of scientists, educators and advocates they work on the big issues related to protection of ocean ecosystems and marine reserves.  Their research and education programs have been invaluable in raising awareness of ocean issues and the integral role that ocean health plays in Climate Change mitigation and adaptation.Tangaroa Blue Foundation https://tangaroblue.orgA not-for-profit organisation that works to stop the flow of litter into the ocean.  They created the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) to help groups who run beach clean-up events to document what they were funding in a consistent way. This network of data sources has provided a powerful record for decision making that has led to source reduction plans and allowed monitoring of efforts and interventions to prevent litter entering the marine environment in the first place. Since 2004 over 2000 tonnes of marine debris have been collected in Australia alone.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) https://www.noaa.govNOAA experts provide data and tools to understand, prepare for and adapt to our changing climate and through their Ocean Service programs are helping to explore and document the health and species diversity of oceans. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT Climate Portal) Why is the Ocean so important for Climate Change? https://climate.mit.ed/ask-mit/why-oceans-so-important-climate-changeAustralian Climate Services https://www.acs.gov.auAustralian Climate Change Authority www.climatechangeauthority.gov.au2035 Emissions Reduction Targets Advice released (18 September 2025)Department of Climate Change www.dcceew.gov.au, Coastal Blue Carbon ecosystems, 15 September 2025Voice of the Sea – song, book and animation www.https://johnwilliamson.com.au
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)  https://wwf.org.au/what-we-do/oceans/Greenpeace  https://www.greenpeace.org.au/our-work/oceans/

Four million birds and counting S25 Ep35

This week on Earth Chat our guest is Sean Dooley from Birdlife Australia. Sean has been involved with Birdlife Australia for many years and is an expert on our local birds and ways to accurately identify them. Sean and Marie will be discussing Birdlife Australia's impressively large citizen science project, their annual Aussie bird count which has just been launched. This year's count will be from 20th to 26th October.Last year 57,000 participants counted a total of 4,117,293 birds in a week. Go to https://birdlife.org.au/ to download information and register now for the count. The birdlife app registers your location and count. It has details of birds and their calls which is helpful in identifying birds.Sean has written for TV comedies including Spicks and Specks. His first published book was 2005's The Big Twitch, an account of his attempt to break the Australian record for the number of birds seen in Australia in a single year. He has written for The Guardian, the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. He is the editor of Australian Birdlife magazine.

What might the circular economy look like? S25 Ep34

This week's guest is the amazing Sally Quinn, who for over 20 years has been on the cutting edge of social enterprises in the circular economy. Sally is the CEO and Co-founder of Green Collect, a pioneering social enterprise in sustainability and inclusive employment and training practices. Over 20 years she has led the enterprise as a provider of resource recovery services through innovation and best practice in the circular economy.Sally has taken the enterprise through the phases of start-up, growth and scale, enabling deep impact by delivering services to a wide base of clients across Melbourne. At the heart of her work is a dedication to creating meaningful and supportive work for people facing barriers to employment, such as homelessness, disability and refugee experiences. As Chair of SENVIC, the peak body for social enterprise in Victoria, Sally works across industries to help create a fair and inclusive society through the ‘business for good’ movement.Sally joins Tim Budge on EarthChat to talk about Green Collect, its growth over 20 years and its impact on sustainability, reduction of landfill and other social benefits. We will also be finding out a bit more about what makes her tick and the importance of the circular economy in our modern and wasteful society. There is lots to listen to and think about.

Celebrating Nagambie’s Grey Box Grassy woodlands…under a shadow S25 Ep33

Nagambie locals and Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority are celebrating 30 years of revegetation work with local native grey box trees grassy woodlands (trees and understory) on Friday. Classified as an endangered environmental community in 2010, Grey Box and derived Grassy Woodlands are iconic. This is our vegetation backyard in the Goulburn Valley. They have enjoyed 30 years of ecological restoration, and deserve some celebration.Celebrate! Friday Sept 12th, Somewhere Café on the Nagambie Lake, 9.30 to 12.But here’s the catch. At the same time, the Elloura Estate in Nagambie, on Vickers Road and reaching North to the lake edge, are again wanting to remove a healthy stand of aged mature Grey Box trees. The irony is breathtaking. Ellouramarkets itself as an exceptional masterplanned community…offering stunning water or park views. It takes so long to grow a stand of Grey Box trees and associated grassy woodlands(and a park view), but a housing estate wants to bulldoze a healthy cluster of this woodland. …Trees that are a focus for the estate (in a creative mindset) and offer shelter in hot weather and a changing climate. Exceptional planning?The 51 trees campaign saved these trees less than a decade ago, and now they return to the firing line.Donna Winter-Irving is an active Nagambie resident and neighbour to the development. Donna joins EarthChat to chat about the forthcoming Grey Box and Grassy Woodland event, and share her concerns about the threatened healthy cluster of mature Grey Box trees on the Elloura Estate.Lend us your ears for an hour - sizzle like a sausage. 

Dr Karl gets excited about our ability to address climate change S25 Ep32

Renewable Avenel Energy is hosting a half day expo on 22/8 “Take the heat out of climate change with home-based solutions & renewable energy“. The informative and entertaining Dr Karl Kruszelnicki headlines an impressive line-up of guest speakers.This Tuesday, Dr Karl joins EarthChat. Peter Lockyer captured Dr Karl in a recorded interview during the week, and this will be shared with John Hyland and Jim Billings from Renewable Avenel Energy  in the EarthChat studio. Dr Karl is all positive energy: a long-time advocate of recognising the science behind climate change, and making changes to a low carbon economy sooner. “We have the technology, we just need the political will” to get to net zero by 2050. Insurance companies recognise a climate change urgency, but waivering leadership is letting many of us down.The Home Energy Expo has many features of interest to all- trade displays, service providers, government agencies and the veritable sausage sizzle.  John and Jim will explain all. More details about the expo are here. EarthChat. Lend us your ears for an hour - sizzle like a sausage.   

Making the fashion industry more sustainable S25 Ep31

The fashion industry has been revealed as a major source of waste especially those fabrics which contain a high proportion of synthetic and plastic compounds which take a very long time to degrade and leave a toxic legacy, often far from where they are manufactured or purchased.So called “Fast Fashion” is placing a huge burden on waste streams and the natural environment and while consumer behaviour needs significant education and changes there are excellent collaborations happening between designers and scientists to minimise impacts at all stages of the fashion life cycle.We have two guests on EarthChat for this topic. Firstly, Dr Christopher Hurren, Associate Professor in Fibre Science and Technology and a lead researcher with the Institute for Frontier Materials both based at Deakin University. He specialises in the development of new fabrics and the repurposing and recycling of textiles from a wide range of sources to conserve resources at both manufacture and end of life.Our second guest is Peter Allen, Executive Officer from the Refuture Foundation and partner with SRU Consulting.  Peter is an expert in reducing waste across a range of consumer products and packaging. His work with State governments and private industry has given him an excellent understanding of consumption, use, disposal and recycling patterns. Peter is going to discuss his recent travels to Ghana, Dubai and Copenhagen and the innovations he observed there.Listen in and learn about the true cost of our obsession with "fashion" and what can be done to reverse the tide.SOME LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATIONDeakin University Research Hub for Future Fibres–From Lab to Label TM https://futurefibreshub.com.au connects industry partners with advanced fibre research to solve real world problems.  Their focus is on sustainability, circular economics and extraordinary functionality.Institute for Frontier Materials https://ifm.deakin.edu.au, links world class materials science research to address challenges in energy, mining, defence, health, transport, textiles and manufacturingSamsara Eco https://www.samsaraeco.com– Infinite plastics and nylon recycling using enzymes to breakdown plastics and textiles into their original building blocks, allowing them to be manufactured into new products  - Eco nylon 6.6, Eco polyester, Eco PET.Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) www.rmit.edu.au – Shaping the future of fashion. RMIT Regnerative Futures Institute.Uluu - Materials that Revive Our World www.uluu.com.au Making biodegradable and biocompatible, lightweight, durable, climate positive fabrics.  These fabrics are the reducing ecological footprint of products and packaging by replacing plastic with materials that are beneficial for the world by being reusable, recyclable and compostable. Uluu uses farmed seaweed which is a totally renewable feedstock that can be make alternatives to plastic from fossil fuels, significantly reducing carbon emissions and providing sustainable jobs.Michell 1870 https://michellwool.com Australia oldest and largest exporter of Australian wool.  One of their major products is Eqwools https://eqwools.com – uses cheaper, shorter fibres with new production technology to maintain shrink-proof, machine washable wool, suitable for a wide variety of durable and recyclable fabrics that breakdown faster at end of life and can be used as a mix with cotton to make the fabric stronger and more comfortable to wear in all seasons.UNEP Global Plastics Treaty www.globalplasticstreaty.com – update on what the Treaty proposes and why it matters.Refuture Foundation Https://refuturefoundation.org Unlocking environmental and social benefits of the global second-hand clothing trade.Australian Fashion Council  https://ausfashioncouncil.com is the peak body for the Australian fashion and textile industry and they are supporters of Thread Together, a not for profit organisation which provides unsold new clothing to people in need while protecting the environment and saving clothing from landfill.Seamless Australia (www.seamless.com) supported by leading Australian brands (including Country Road, Rip Curl, David Jones, RM Williams, Sussan Group and Big W) and other members such as designers, recyclers and technology suppliers are addressing clothing waste by transforming the way we choose, enjoy and recycle clothing in Australia. 1.4 billion new garments were sold in Australia last year and 53 items is the average number of new garments, every Australian bought last year.  Most alarmingly 222,000 tonnes of clothing ended up in Australian landfill last year. The Council also supports the National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme www.acehub.org.au 

Tracks and Trails in Mitchell Shire S25 Ep30

This week, we discuss the proposal to develop tracks and trails throughout Mitchell Shire. We chat about the possibilities of developing links  within the shire and also with neighbouring shires. We will look at the health benefits of walking and cycling in the environment. We will also examine the need to protect our natural treasures.The planned growth in the population in the Shire means that we need to plan for our future now. Estates being developed now should include provision for safe walking and cycling to schools and public transport as well  as local health and shopping access.Special guests Pauline Duff and Tim Budge from the Mitchell Alliance for Tracks and Trails (MATT) join Marie Gerrard on EarthChat as they discuss a dream to make the most of our rural environment in a sustainable way. Want to know more? Check out MATT's Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16iW7BKJQs/