gas mining in the inner west, sydney

there have been reports in the paper recently that St Peters is going to be mined for gas

update 07/12/2010 *** : I attended the public meeting in Petersham last night - here are my notes ***

from what I've read online (newspaper articles) it seems that the St Peters gas drilling won't use fracking techniques - hydraulic fracturing (with the chemicals) but still, City of Sydney & Cr. Clover Moore allowed it to go through - correction 29/11/2010 Kristina Keneally's office approved the exploratory drilling via Clover Moore's tweet in reply to Sophie Loizou's question : @CloverMoore : @sofieloizou @cityofsydney has no role in approving or assessing exploration licenses. See my question in Parliament: http://bit.ly/httJL5

exploration starts early 2011 (according to this special report from Sun Herald).

if it isn't bad enough to be drilling in the city, the scary thing (I think) is that they *do* use fracking techniques when drilling in the country areas close to the dams in most states. this could have huge impact in contaminating our water supplies, which as we know are very precious (luckily we've had rain this year so many dams are full)

also I don't recall receiving any notices about this in leaflet drops - a city of sydney one arrived this week, I'll have another read to see if it's mentioned. if the greens hadn't asked for more info I'm not sure anyone would have known about this??

there's a film called Gasland showing at these cinemas which shows the practice of fracking in the USA. I'm going to see this on the weekend.

on the Greens website there's a couple of articles and a petition. I think people need to be made aware of what's happening. I know I'd like to know more of the details of what's involved & impacts etc.

Greens MP Cate Faehrmann has some info on the sydney (& nsw) gas drilling if you want to find out more http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cate-Faehrmann/125981310754146 - 'fracking' seems to be happening in other parts of Aus too - disturbingly close to our water supplies/dams. what's that song? "Australia, don't become America"

Saving our trees blog has a notice for a public town meeting to discuss this. there's also a facebook event page

Gas drilling in the Inner West – Public meeting
facebook event page

* Monday 6th December 2010
* 6pm
* Petersham Town Hall
* Speakers Cate Faerhmann MLC & Marrickville Mayor Fiona Byrne

some articles in the paper:

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Artefacts of Australian experimental music: Volume II

In 2007, Shame File Music released the landmark compilation CD Artefacts of Australian experimental music: 1930-1973, to critical acclaim. Praised variously as one of the first serious investigations into the sparse recorded history of experimental sound practice in Australia, and its historical importance is as palpable as the often exciting and exhilaratingly experimental sounds it contains, the compilation and its extensive liner notes opened Australia's (and the world's) ears to a vibrant history that most previously thought had never existed.

Heat for Huntz hip hop fundraiser

The Australian hip hop community is holding a fundraiser on ebay for Hunter SBX - organized by Len One & Bias B with records & cds donated from various hip hop DJs, MCs and groups. Please help raise money and get the word out. This is one of the reasons why I love the hip hop community - the guys really look out for each other.

If you've got some spare cash, please help raise money for Hunter SBX - one of the hip hop guys in Perth who's battling with cancer. The money raised goes to Hunter & his five year old son, Marley. Even if you don't want to keep the records/cds you buy or aren't into Aus hip hop, you could re-sell them later as they get crazy prices on ebay these days (do a search), and the money would really help them out.

http://shop.ebay.com.au/wordburner/m.html has the list of items - more info in the item descriptions (pls pass on to others who might be able to help) (organized by LenOne & BiasB)

list of all items on ebay store

more details is available in the item's descriptions :

HEAT 4 HUNTZ

Are you ready to witness the most amazing collection of local Hip Hop ever listed for auction?

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The mind from nowhere and other works on the Streaming Festival

If William S. Burroughs, Surrealism or Hannah Hoch ring a bell, these Dalibor Baric films are made for you: a selection of mind blowing - if not stirring - video trips with awkward wonders, magic and a fair share of insanity, all straight from the obscure world of Baric.

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geek speed dating

Call yourself a geek? Fancy some money to make some digital art, or help other people to discover their inner geek? If you answered yes, the Australia Council's Digital Culture Fund and Geek in Residence program may be just what you're looking for.

The Digital Culture Fund offers up to $40,000 for artists working with innovative technologies in a live context with a strong focus on audience engagement. The Geek in Residence program offers up to $25,000 towards a technically confident artist (or artistically confident technician) to work in an arts organization on a temporary subsidized placement.

To find out more you are invited to a series of special events taking place in major cities around Australia. You will have the chance to hear all about the work the Australia Council for the Arts is doing to support the digital era, find out more about these two funds, meet some of last year’s successful applicants and do some 'geek speed dating'.

Digital Culture Fund v2.0 - call for applications

Digital Culture Fund call announced

The Australia Council's Digital Culture initiative supports artistic projects exploring new concepts of liveness, connectivity and participation made possible with digital media.

Artists in the digital era are expanding possibilities for our engagement with the arts and culture through emerging technologies. In digital spaces artists transform live experience and participation for audiences and users. Through new ways of collaborating across technology, artists are building and sharing creative knowledge and culture across broader networks.

We encourage proposals for innovative digital culture projects with:

* artists and audiences co-creating new forms of live experience
* experimentation across platforms and to engage diverse communities with creative practice

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Dancecult "The Love Parade" edition - call for submissions

This is a general call for contributions to Dancecult: Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture. Entering a new era with a new and expanded editorial and production team, Dancecult is extending its deadline on submissions for its next edition.

New deadline - December 20, 2010.

As the issue is hosting a special section on The Love Parade, submissions on this theme will be welcome, in both From the Floor and Feature article categories.

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Help Keep New Matilda Alive

New Matilda is an online publication covering politics, social justice, environment and offering critical thought in the Australian media landscape. They closed their doors earlier in the year due to lack of financial support, but have recently started up again. This time they're hoping for some support by readers - crowdfunding to help them keep publishing. Visit the New Matilda call for support page or go straight to the fundbreak page & make a donation if you can, to show your support. Let's help keep independent publications on-air & keep the conversations going.

You even get a site badge like the one below to put on your own site (if you want to)

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Videoctober

Videoctober is a collection of experimental audiovisual art. The aim of the program is to give an accurate sample of contemporary videoculture while stressing the all-time significance and power of imagination.

With video's from

1. Sinan Bkbas
2. Theo Tagholm
3. Candas Sisman
4. Reza Dolatabadi
5. Dylan Blythin

Watch this program from 1 to 31 October on:
http://www.streamingfestival.com/program/videoctober.php

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The Headman & Sarawak Gone micro documentaries

The Headman (EN) - directed & produced by Andrew Garton
On the 23 October 2007 Kelesau Naan, the Headman of the Penan village, Long Kerong, left his wife at a rest area in the forest to check on his traps. He never returned. Two months later his remains were found scattered across the Segita River, deep in the Ulu Baram, Sarawak.

Presented by his son, Nick Kelesau, The Headman explores the events leading up to his disappearance. Kelesau Naan sought only to protect his people and their native customary right to the land they have lived in for centuries. His struggles may well had been his peril, but as Nick and his fellow Penan explain, his legacy endures.

Help engage media spread this story and raise awareness of the issues facing Sarawak - download the videos from http://www.engagemedia.org and add to your blog / website, or host a screening night of the films

Visit http://sarawakgone.cc for more details

you can watch all the Sarawak Gone documentaries at http://vimeo.com/channels/sarawak

Sarawak Gone is an open licensed micro-docs series raising awareness to the persistent decline of indigenous life and culture in Sarawak, Malaysia. The series is produced and directed by the Australian media artist and musician, Andrew Garton, agarton.org, in collaboration with Sarawak Access (SACCESS).

For more information about the series head out to http://www.sarawakgone.cc or read about the issues on Rengah Sarawak, http://www.rengah.c2o.org

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Trance Planet - video


Trance Planet is a short (about 40 minutes) no-budget sci-fi comedy feature originally shot in 1995 at the height of the underground psychedelic techno party scene in the sub tropical rainforest surrounding Byron Bay in Northern NSW, Australia . . . " the video has been digitized and re-edited to how the director originally intended:

"It was shot on Hi8 video and the story was partly written and largely improvised. I was aiming for something between Plan 9 From Outer Space and a psychedelic techno video. Mainly I wanted it to be fun for the viewer and for all of those great people who put in their energy, ideas, expertise and enthusiasm for free."

http://www.majik-i.com

Beyond Zero Emissions - Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan released


Beyond Zero Emissions was established in 2006 out of a concern that the stated climate change goals of other environmental organisations at the time contradicted the scientific literature. Policies these organisations were calling for if realised would see atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise, thereby causing devastation from global warming.

Luckily, this has now begun to change, with the grassroots climate action movement, made up of over 200 groups across Australia adopting a policy of 100% renewable energy for Australia by 2020, and recognising that the current science is explicit in saying that there is already to much carbon in the atmosphere. Some of the bigger environment groups are also moving in this direction.

From its inception, Beyond Zero Emissions' goal has been to help facilitate a timely transition to a zero carbon future where atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations are reduced to a safe threshold. The group focusses on both the research, education and promulgation of scientifically-based policy and technology solutions in order to realise this transition.

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Digital Culture Fund v2.0 - call for applications

Digital Culture Fund call announced

The Australia Council's Digital Culture Fund initiative supports artistic projects exploring liveness, connectivity and participation made possible with new digital platforms.

This is an exciting Australia Council initiative open to artists from all artforms, so please promote to your networks.

We encourage proposals for innovative digital culture projects with:

· Artists and audiences co-creating new forms of live experience

· Experimentation across platforms and to engage diverse communities with creative practice

· Inventive strategies for live collaboration, presentation and distribution of artwork.

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Public Lecture 2: Architects without Frontiers and Ozquest, David Anderson

Architects without Frontiers and Ozquest: Working in Nepal on community projects

This year OzQuest is running its fourth international program which will provide participants with the opportunity to design + assist in the construction of work in different Nepalese communities.

David Anderson will be presenting the week’s additional public lecture.

This will be held 6pm drinks for a 6:15pm start, Friday 13th August, level 5 Architecture studios Building 6, UTS City Campus

In this presentation, students will be inspired and see how they might have an opportunity to use their skills to participate in an expedition and be able to work alongside local tradesmen and Nepalese Architecture students to construct a facility for a small village in Nepal, be exposed to world heritage architecture and the people and culture of Nepal.

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Australasian Sound Recordings Association Conference

Australasian Sound Recordings Association Conference
http://www.asra.asn.au
1-3 September 2010, hosted by the State Library of Victoria

Outside the Circle sound culture beyond the mainstream

'Outside the Circle' will explore the development and growth of sound cultures that began life outside of commercial and mainstream circles. The conference aims to provide a forum for discussions concerning collections, recordings, research and technology based on alternative perspectives and paradigms. We hope to learn more about the individuals and groups working on the ‘outside’ as well as their unusual uses of recorded sound. How is material generated from these alternative sources collected, preserved and accessed? What impact might this have on curatorial policy?

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