Melbourne Greendrinks!

MELBOURNE GREENDRINKS!

Sustainability Drinks Melbourne is one of three similar events that is listed on the greendrinks.org website, and is held on the first Wednesday of every month at Tjanabi at Federation Square in the heart of Melbourne.

Organizer Dean Steele-Bennett started this event 18 months ago with 5 mates over a beer. They were lamenting the lack of a fun, informal, open forum for like-minded individuals concerned and involved with Sustainability issues to meet - as real people, instead of job titles or organizations - and collaborate on solutions...and thus was born Sustainability Drinks Melbourne! Six months later, a guest at their event told them the story of Greendrinks, and a new challenge was born.

Steele-Bennett selected Tjanabi as the venue for his event specifically because of their focus on "supporting practices that sustain the environment". The owner, Carolyn Briggs, is a Senior Elder and Spokesperson of the Boonerwrung people - the indigenous peoples of Melbourne. Tjanabi's menu features such traditional ingredients as kangaroo, emu, crocodile, wild boar and seafood. These foods are combined with some of the best quality regional and seasonal produce from the Gippsland region.

The event is marketed exclusively by word-of-mouth, and RSVPs are required, as Sustainability Drinks Melbourne regularly attracts 200+ people, and has to turn away 50-100 people each month due to the restaurant's capacity.

The organizers read about New York Greendrinks' record-largest GD event, with over 800 attendees, and began plans to set a new record for the largest Greendrinks' event in the world. This came to fruition on February 15th 2008, as part of Melbourne's annual Sustainable Living Festival. Sustainability Drinks collaborated with the organizers of EnviroDrinks and the O2Australia network, when a massive Greendrinks event was held in Federation Square with over 2,000 people in attendance!

This month's Guest Speaker was Marcus Godinho, founder of Fare Share, a non-profit organization whose goal this year is to deliver 1,000,000 free meals to the homeless and hungry population of Melbourne. Marcus was named to Melbourne's 100 most influential people by local newspaper The Age last year.

Fare Share turns good food that is otherwise destined for the dumpster into restaurant-quality meals for charitable organizations since the year 2000.

Over 1,500 volunteers are supported by only 5 paid staff, which includes two professional chefs. Local companies of all sizes utilize the volunteer program as a team building exercise, and do their part to contribute to their communities. The companies often realize additional benefits by reporting on their teams' participation in their annual Social Responsibility Reports.

We had a great night out with the organizing team and fellow attendees, continuing the conversation with new friends at a bar across the road at the conclusion of the event. A number of people walking up and introducing themselves to me throughout the night - everyone was warm, friendly, and interested in what the other had to say - there was an excited energy of innovation in the air, like we were all participating in something special. What a great environment for collaboration!

Later on, Daniel tells me that the typically diverse crowd that night included venture capitalists, documentary film-makers, governmental policy-makers, private consultants, students, job-seekers, entrepreneurs, and even an eco-friendly brewmaster. Stay tuned for an interview with the Organizer of Sustainability Drinks Melbourne, Dean Steele-Bennett!

For more information on how to support Fare Share, visit their website or contact Marcus at:
T: +61 3 9428 0044
M: +61 416 180 802
E: marcus.godinho@fareshare.net.au

For more information on Sustainability Drinks Melbourne, visit their website or contact Dean at:
T: +61 3 9614 6511
M: +61 424 507 446
E: dsb@executiveshaper.com

MORE PICS

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Green Roof To Feed Homeless in Honolulu

BEFORE -

stay tuned for the "AFTER" pics!!

I was very lucky to be invited to be a "fly on the wall" in IHS' Rooftop Aquaponics Garden planning meeting this morning!

As part ot their new "greening" initiative, IHS has made the decision to install a Green Roof on their facilty in an effort to increase their facility's food security and decrease their energy costs. Planning and fund development for a photovoltaic solar electric system is underway.

Because a large percentage of the food served at IHS is donated by the Food Bank, fresh vegetables are rarely available, and nutritional standards sometimes fall below federal USDA guidelines.

The proposed Rooftop Aquaponics Garden will create a sustainable food source, and provide guests with a more nutritional diet, work skills training, and opportunities to contribute to the shelter community operations.

Recirculation aquaculture and hydroponics are combined to grow fish and plants in one integrated ecosystem. The fish waste provides nutrients for the growing plants, and the plants act as a natural filter for the water the fish live in.

The most exciting thing about this project is that it is a solution born out of a pro-active response to the shortage of resources that the economic downturn has brought upon us all.

By taking the time to think and come up with innovative ideas, IHS has solved their initial challenges: 1) how can we continue to provide a secure foodsource and nutritional diet to our guests? 2) how can we improve our efficiency in order to reduce energy costs? AND, look at all the other benefits their GreenRoof solution brings:

• extend life of their roof system
• mitigate stormwater
• reduce sound transmission
  
• improve the building's value and asthetics
• create a potential additional income source
• contribute to reducing Honolulu's urban core heat island impact
• have health benefits
• help reduce air pollution
• increase the bio-sphere of Honolulu's urban landscape
• reduce stress for users

....to name a few.

Sustainability has become a buzz word in recent times, and it can be easy to think of "sustainability" simply as "environmentalism", or "eco-friendly". However, sustainability encompasses so much more than "going green".....

Put the word "sustainable" in front of any of the following words, and you cast a renewed focus onto another aspect of the sustainability movement: capitalism, charitable work, entrepreneurship, environment, education, economy, philosophy, philantrhopy, social responsibility, social ventures, even....wait for it....spirituality.

IHS' Rooftop Aquaponics Garden is a great example of how sustainabilty best practices, are really great practices for any organization or business.

Sustainabilty in Business = Innovation in Business = Flourishing Business.

Thinking pro-actively and looking at ways we can be smarter in the way we use the resources allocated to us is the smart thing to do. It is the right thing to do.

To find out more about how to support or donate to the project, contact Kate Bepko, PR and Volunteer Manager at 808-447-2811.

ABOUT IHS: IHS is Oahu's only 24-hour emergency walk-in shelter for men, women and families with children who are homeless. They currently provide 3 hot meals every day, an average of 650 meals a day - 365 days per year. This tremendous effort is possible through the support of the community and volunteers. IHS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.