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Tempo Hotting Up for the Ecoshow

Published: Tue 30 Sep 2008 11:13 AM
Tempo Hotting Up for the Ecoshow
The Ecoshow is shaping up to be a very popular event with bus loads will be arriving from as far afield as Kaitaia.
The Ecoshow creates it's own community. It is a juicy, colourful, multicultural event. People who come feel warm and part of something important. It is inclusive, fun, exciting and valuable all at the same time. It is a place where people make very important connections. Everyone who comes is a valuable participant weaving the event.
Thomas Everth from Coromandel will bring his recently converted Toyota Starlet to demonstrate do it yourself electric cars, whilst the University of Waikato will be bringing their high performance prototype electric car which they hope to test drive at the A1GP circuit.
In response to ever increasing food prices gardening experts will be running workshops on a variety of different ways of gardening to produce great back yard food harvests. The novel and productive upside down tomato growing system will be on display.
Tame Iti will be here to talk about the relationship between sovereignty and sustainable community on the anniversary of the infamous Police Terror Raids. Waiheke Island is mooting taking their governance back from the ARC in order to further develop their identity and community resilience.
Percy Tipene, of Te Waka Kai Ora, the Maori organics organisation in Northland will be sharing his expertise. Percy is growing a crop which he will press for bio-deisel.
David Blume, from Santa Cruz, USA will be there to tell us about how we can be independent of the oil companies by growing starch, sugar or cellulose crops for alcohol production. He says raupo (bulrushes), as a feed stock, is capable of efficiently fuelling cars. His first port of call in New Zealand will be the Far North District Council who can see the possibility of water quality issues being solved and the creation of employment. Next will be Environment Waikato, with the same concerns.
Neil Decker from Cal-Earth, California will be building a small emergency shelter on the domain using a technology called super-adobe/earth bag. This building methodology meets California’s strict earthquake building code. Structures from as little as $100/ square metre can be built.
The Transition Towns Network (a loose organisation of communities committed to making their own communities resilient in the face of rising food, oil, power prices, refinancing difficulties, and the threat of global recession – this network was established at Ecoshow 2007) will be gathering in Taupo at the Ecoshow. Members of the network will come from everywhere between Invercargil and Kaitaia.
Exciting new local exchange systems with printed “currency” are proliferating around the world and around New Zealand to fill the gap as the money supply shrinks due to recession. The latest to be launched is in the Wairarapa, with one planned for Waiheke Island that will allow local businesses to retire some of their overdrafts thereby keeping more money circulating in the local economy.
Teachers will get a special opportunity to engage in professional development seminars designed to assist them in bringing sustainability into the classroom.
The Ecoshow has a Trade and community expo, with access to some practical workshops included. Entry to this costs $6.00, accompanied children free.
The Eco-Forum, which includes all the speakers, seminars and costs $35/day – this includes presentations on interest free finance, eco-papakaianga, Transition Towns, alcohol production – see the extensive programme on the website.
The Eco-feast – wild, local and organic, a great opportunity to experience a different kind of celebration which includes the first birthday of Transition Towns and the anniversary of the Police Terror Raids – live music by Mingos and some well known jazz musos, Grant Bridgers and local pianist Alex Whiltshire, organic wine and beer at $50/head.
The full programme is on the Ecoshow website www.ecoshow.co.nz
ends

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