January 31, 2013

A ‘White Night’ For Melbourne – Joining Paris, Rome, Madrid..

The ‘Nuit Blanche’ concept originated in France.. “where every gallery, museum and bookshop is open until midnight or later and the whole city becomes one giant performance and carnival venue.” Wikipedia . Many cities around the world now host White […]
January 29, 2013

Lower Supermarket Prices Through Less Regulation In 2013?

To drive down supermarket prices we need more supermarkets, not more regulation says Tim Wilson, co-author of ‘Consumer-first supermarket reform’, available here. The Typical Australian Experience Tim says the typical Australian experience, in most suburbs, is: “Consumers are price sensitive […]
January 11, 2013

Arrange Local Pet Home Stay Online – By Post Code

There is now a website where petowners can find each other in their local area and organise reciprocal petsitting. I have just read about this in my local Leader paper, thought ‘Wow!’ and then wondered how it worked..never dreaming it […]
December 14, 2012

Trains NOT Toll Roads: Council Opposes State Government

Living in inner Melbourne as I now do, I support the concept of a rail link out to Doncaster and the eastern suburbs and NOT an East-West Toll Road/ freeway, which is now the State Government’s top transport priority! I […]
November 20, 2012

Social Enterprise And The ‘GOOD Gift’ Christmas Catalogue

This link http://my.socialenterprisefinder.com.au/ is for an on-line catalogue of Christmas gifts offered by Social Enterprises in Australia. These businesses make products/gifts that ‘give a stuff’. Social Enterprises Care About Society What is a social enterprise? It is a business that […]
November 6, 2012

Other Grey Nomads Travelling North?

Kim has emailed us in the search for some like-minded people who may like to travel north next year. She writes: “I am 64 years old, very fit and can look after myself in most situations. I have a caravan […]
July 4, 2012

Bjorn Lomborg On Rich Countries At Rio Getting It Wrong

Prior to the United Nations’ green summit in Rio de Janeiro Bjorn Lomborg said “Turn On the Lights — Please: Poverty Pollutes.” Bjorn is author of ‘The Skeptical Environmentalist‘ and directs the Copenhagen Consensus Centre Sustainability Easier To Sell Than […]
June 29, 2012

A New Game? Electricity Demand Down Nearly 10%

Today RenewEconomy writes about the energy market game-changer, falling demand – saying: “Developers and network operators can tear up their business plans. And so can some renewable hopefuls too – the era of solar PV and price-conscious consumers is here.” […]
June 20, 2011

Community Action To Waylay Rural Business Decline

A few months ago, in Casterton, a small township in western Victoria, a room of 100 people gave a local community co-op the go-ahead to waylay a possible decline of rural businesses and services by reinstating the local hardware store. […]
June 19, 2011

Mobile Numbers, Telemarketers, And ‘Do Not Call’ Register

A hoax email stating that mobile phone numbers are about to to be released to telemarketing companies and that consumers will be charged for telemarketing calls made to them, has been circulating for some time, without a validating link. A […]
June 19, 2011

Cheaper, More Humane ‘Alternatives To Detention’ Handbook

There is now a handbook for governments around the world demonstrating how alternatives to detention are cheaper and more humane than mandatory detention. This is the result of a two year research partnership between the International Detention Coalition and La […]
May 23, 2011

IQ² Australia: Intelligent Discussion – Reasoned Analysis

IQ² Australia aims, unlike Parliament, to provide a series of thought provoking debates on crucial issues. You can watch the live debates and also participate. All debates are broadcast after the event on ABC radio and television and they are […]