Ecoshow – What’s Happening

Ecoshow – What’s Happening

Ecoshow 2005: Showcasing a more satisfying lifestyle

Sustainability and sustainable development are the latest 'cool' political and business buzzwords; important enough for the government to put together a plan to achieve it. Replacing old fashioned and somewhat loaded, and to some people, 'scary' words such as stewardship or permaculture, the issues behind these words, however, are the same and have been around for a long time in one way or another.

Reasons for its popularity is perhaps the fact that it is dawning on many in our comparatively abundant society that our natural resources are not going to last forever and that in our rush to produce ever more and faster we are wasting too much.

The presence of pesticides and heavy metals in food and everyday materials is causing increasing concern. The number of allergies and other health problems caused by aspects of our environment and lifestyles are on the increase and affect more and more people.

Sustainable living could very well be the lifestyle of the future as it helps people to live cleaner, healthier, cheaper and most of all: happier. Sustainability has many definitions but the most straightforward is: living and working in such a way that we have enough for ourselves, and there is plenty left over for others on the planet and future generations. It has a long term view and creates respect for diverse communities. It is about 'looking after' other people, the environment, our water, our air.

More and people are discovering that you can take your destiny and your health into your own hands by choosing products that are safer, grown and manufactured with a minimum or no use of harmful ingredients.

At this year's Eco Show you can find many products and services that take these principles seriously, from garden plants, to bread to hair care products and cars using renewable fuels or using fossil fuels(petrol or diesel) very efficiently.

Come on have a look.

Sustainable Building on show at Ecoshow

Use of natural and renewable materials feature big in sustainable building. When building a house treatment methods of timber or contents of a paint can be a big issue, especially if toxic materials are used to make it more durable, easier to put on or to prevent nature’s nasties chewing at it. This year’s Ecoshow brings together many organizations and manufacturers, trades people who are concerned about these issues and have chosen to produce or use safer materials. There will be architects,. And other building professionals, who can help you choose the healthier building options, reduce electricity use through proper insulation, use of sun-light to create warmth.

Come to the Ecoshow and find out more.

Vehicle emissions test free at Ecoshow

If the recent Auckland Regional Council Campaign about smokey cars has got you worried about your car or about the air you breathe when you are on the street, bring your vehicle to the Ecoshow on Saturday and Sunday and have its emissions tested by Waitakere City’s testing station. Emissions are measured by sticking a pipe up the exhaust while the car is running. Readings are taken and with the help of an emissions standard developed in Europe you will be told whether it was healthy or toxic. Testing goes on during the day from 9am to 4pm.

Third Ecoday takes place during Ecoshow

Five thousand locals attended last year’s Ecoday and while this Waitakere City event is taking place for the third time this year it is now part of a much bigger Ecoshow, which is being held for the second year running. The Ecoday section of the Ecoshow will take place on Sunday only and entry to that part of the show will be free.

Clean Streams, reforestation, recycling and cleaner production will feature prominently at the Ecoday, organised by Waitakere City Council staff, which takes place all day on Sunday 6th March. A myriad of activities takes place during Ecoday from road safety for children, weaving demonstrations to civil defence, examples of sustainable living, courses and a small exhibition of Trash to Fashion garments.

Ecoday is a celebration of what it means to be an ecocity and it supports eco-friendly groups in their activities.

The city’s Sustainable Living Centre will hold workshops about worm composting, rainwater harvesting, how to retrofit a house and will promote its sustainable households programme, which will begin a few weeks later.

A very special feature of the Ecoday is the possibility of taking part in tours to a number of sustainable homes and housing developments a round Waitakere City.

Ecoshow 2005 – Participants Bios

Dr Morgan Williams was appointed Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment in1997. Now in his second five year term, Morgan's focus continues to be on environmental sustainability as a critical factor in assuring New Zealand's future well-being

Rhys Taylor is a contract researcher for Landcare Research Ltd at Lincoln, currently working on behaviour change for sustainability and future scenarios. He is also national coordinator of the Sustainable Households Programme (led by Marlborough District Council)

Warren Snow has worked in the area of community economic development for 20

years. He co-founded CBEC (Community Business and Environment Centre) in

Kaitaia in 1988 and later helped establish Auckland City's kerbside recycling scheme. He managed TheTindall Foundation, New Zealand's largest philanthropic organisation, for

five years and, in 1987, co-founded Zero Waste New Zealand Trust

Ralph Sims is a Director of the Centre for Energy Research and member of the Board of the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA)

His interest in renewable and sustainable energy systems has resulted in valuable research and publications and an increasing demand for his consultancy services

Graeme Seymour was appointed Managing Director of Honda New

Zealand in May 2002, the first non-Japanese in this role. This was a reflection of the success of the company's strategies and the confidence that Honda Motor Co.

has in its future

Dennis Scott is an Auckland based landscape architect whose career has spanned 30 years. Using principles of catchment management, his work, combining landscape architecture and permaculture design focuses on private and public sector planning, design and management projects in rural and coastal landscapes.

Jim Salinger is a Principal Scientist in Climate with NIWA's National Climate Centre (NCC). He has been researching New Zealand and South Pacific climates for 25 years, and is a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on climate Change

John Peet is a chemical engineer whose main focus in recent years has been sustainable development. He is author of a book on Energy and the Ecological Economics of Sustainability and papers on systems, sustainability and the ethical requirements of stakeholder involvement.

Philip Mirkin is an internationally renowned authority on hybrid adobe

having developed the material and building system over a five year period.

The author of "The Hybrid Adobe Handbook" he has been brought to

New Zealand to develop a sustainable eco-village on 300 acres

Geoff Lawton Permaculture consultant, designer & teacher, is the managing director of The Permaculture Research Institute, a registered charity and global networking centre for Permaculture projects.. In 1996 he was accredited with the Permaculture Community Services Award by the Permaculture movement for his extensive work in Australia and around the world

Michael Lawley runs a company, EcoInnovation, which specializes in cost effective renewable energy solutions. His talk will cover the applications of Smart Drive motors in making wind and hydro products and the future direction of small scale renewable energy systems. If interested in generating your own energy this talk would be of interest to you.

Betsy Kettle Established an urban permaculture home in Pakuranga and ran open days for 5 years demonstrating building with bamboo, urban chooks, bees, storm water management, an edible landscape, worm composting, hot composting and sheet-mulching

David Johnston has six years experience in the practical application of EM Technology to organic growing systems. He participated in the International Nature Farming Conference, Christchurch in 2002, and the International Nature Farming Workshop, Saraburi, Thailand in April 2004

Geoff Henderson has been involved in wind power engineering for twenty years, During that time he invented the torque limiting gearbox (TLG) system. In 1994 he received the Communications Award from the Institution of Professional Engineers (IPENZ) for his contribution to the engineering profession as a proponent of wind power. He is past-chairman of the Canterbury Branch of IPENZ.

Helen Dew, a founding member of ‘Living Economies’, has participated at and contributed to National and International conferences on community currency systems for 13 years. In 2004 she received a national Orangi Kaupapa Trust award for community service

Terry Creighton is an economist with ten year’s experience in Central Banking, both in New Zealand and the UK. He has worked for the past 6 years for Prometheus, promoting and developing ethical finance in New Zealand

Klaus Bosselmann is a prolific writer and leading authority on legal and ethical frameworks for sustainability and has developed a clear vision for the sustainable development of Aotearoa New Zealand

Mirjana Arlov trained as a chemical engineer and subsequently spent 17 years on environmental protection in the European chemical and pharmaceutical industry. For the last six years she has been using Light and Colour Therapy to enhance the health and well-being of humans and animals.

John Aiken has been working unseasoned wood with traditional hand tools for over 15 years. He has demonstrated these old crafts at a wide variety of events and has run numerous workshops both for adults and school groups in the UK and more latterly in New Zealand.