Heard of e-day? No?
E-day gives you the chance to dump your electronic waste for free so it can be recycled and doesn’t end up in landfills. E-day 2008 was a massive success with 946 tonnes of e-waste collected around the country. 122 tonnes were collected in Wellington alone.
The next e-day is soon – on September 12th at Westpac Stadium – so start gathering your junk.
Check out the e-day website for all the info (you can even sign up to be a volunteer on the day), make sure you find out what you can and can’t take to be recycled.
On Saturday the 28th of March is Earth Hour. To take part in this global event, all you need to do is to switch off your lights at 8.30pm for an hour. Which is pretty easy! There is more about Wellington’s efforts for the day here.
(I initially said that it was this Saturday, which is wrong, although you could still turn your lights off for an hour if you wanted to.)
Read about Earth Hour here, or watch some of the Youtube clips below.
When I was a child my dad made me a treehouse. It was very basic; a sheet of plywood cut to fit between a fork in the trunk of the tree. It was a great place from where to pelt my brother with oranges, but not a place to stay when it rained. Unlike some of these treehouses, which “range from functional to fanciful, sustainable to strange and affordable to incredibly expensive.” I guess we can’t all start living in Wellington’s town belt – maybe now would be a good time to plant a native, so in several decades you could retire to the treetops?
On 5th June 2008 Wellington will be hosting the United Nations World Environment Day in an effort “to raise awareness and promote action on national environment issues.”
Wellington City Libraries has a wonderful collection of resources for readers who are passionate about saving the environment and reducing their carbon footprint, including a selection of books which focus on the environmental and ethical aspects of clothing trade:
For more information visit these blogs: Wellington City Libraries Eco News and Green is the New Black.
Get yourself down to Te Papa and tohora for free! No, tohora is not really a verb but the Maori word for whale. Wellington City Council is paying for residents of Wellington to see ‘Whale: Tohora’, an exciting cetacean exhibition at Te Papa. This one day offer is only available May 8, 10.00am – 9.00pm. You will need to prove that you live in Wellington, so dive into your wallets and make sure you have your library card handy (Of course you do! You use it all the time to access our amazing services) before heading out.
If you are (or you know someone who is) aged 15 – 17 (as at August this year), interested in science and/or the environment and are up for a free three-week trip to Japan in August read on.
The Japanese government is offering a chance to travel all expenses paid to Okinawa, Japan and study the natural environment of the place with 75 other young people from around the Asia-Pacific region. They’re looking for applications from anyone interested – Arigatou gozaimasu!
Visit here for the ‘further information’ document. Contact Tessa at the Global Education Centre for further info: 04 496 9510.
Passionate about saving the planet? You can make a difference! Why not take part in the Sir Peter Blake Youth Environment Forum 2008 and Earth Hour 2008?
How can my community reduce waste? This site provides information and interactive activities; try shrinking a landfill, for example.
More locally, however, is sustainability.govt.nz. Learn how to ‘reduce your impact on the environment and save money’. You can keep track of your own steps towards sustainability and you could win a centameter. You can also make a three-minute film and be in to win some very cool prizes!
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