Save Your Change and Change Your Community ...

A Year of Positive Action: Week Fifteen

Save your change and change the world… okay, maybe you won’t save the world but you could sure help your community! If you set aside your loose change each week through the end of the year you will be surprised at how much you accumulate! Then, if you donate this to an organization doing good in your neighborhood you can really make a difference…and you won’t even feel a pinch in your wallet!

Thanks Positivity Nation for this fabulous idea!  If everyone contributed just a little, imagine the fabulous resources our community could build ....

Volunteer Mataura

I need a logo for Volunteer Mataura ... a new volunteer jobs board launching in May both online and offline.

The website will look something like this:

If you'd like to volunteer to design a fab logo get in touch!

How to Build a Culture of Community Involvement

One of the biggest issues in many small (and not so small) communities is that of getting volunteers for community organisations and events.  Often it seems to be the same small group of people doing everything.

Below are a few suggestions to encourage more volunteers to come forward.  None of this will result in stampedes of volunteers overnight, but if we think long term about building a community with a culture of active community involvement, they may help.

• Set up service awards presented by Council/Community Board/local government - monthly/annually/as appropriate
• Volunteer "jobs" board in the library and also in the Messenger
  * Make sure that listings say skills required, that training is offered, what skills volunteers will gain etc etc
• Volunteer "jobs" expo
• Partner with significant employers in the area to have staff community volunteering recognised in some way
• Partner with Government agencies/Social Services to have community service/volunteering encouraged
  
• Put a monthly volunteer interview/profile in local newsletters/newspapers (+ sponsored award?)
  * Why do you volunteer?
  * How did you get involved?
  * What do you get out of it?
  * What skills have you gained?
  * What skills did you need?
  * How much time does it take?
  Interview as diverse range of people as possible - ie not the usual suspects. Eg The bowls club secretary, Lions club treasurer, a volunteer fire fighter, someone from the Marae Committee, a PTA member, the Rugby club Pres ..

How do you encourage Volunteering in your community?

Lignite Costs the Earth

Interesting to see that while there is some discussion nationally about Solid Energy's plans down here in Southland, there is still nothing in local media ...

Lignite Costs The Earth
MEDIA RELEASE | Coal Action Network
Thursday 9th December 2010 | For Immediate Use

The Coal Action Network today praised the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) for exposing the high environmental cost of Solid Energy’s plans to exploit South Island lignite reserves in her new report ‘Lignite and climate change: The high cost of low grade coal.’

“For too long, Solid Energy has used greenwash, contradictory statements and snazzy promotional videos to obscure the reality of what they are planning to do in Southland,” said Coal Action Network spokesperson Frances Mountier. “In her report, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has clearly shown how digging up and using South Island lignite would incur a prohibitively high environmental cost.”

“The reality is stark,” continued Ms Mountier. “Solid Energy has managed to lay its paws on 1.5 billion tonnes of lignite reserves.  The PCE’s report states that there are over 6 billion tonnes of economically recoverable lignite deposits in Southland and Otago.[i]  If Solid Energy, L&M and the other companies exploit all 6 billion tonnes, they will be responsible for releasing 8.89 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere.”[ii]

“It’s not true that New Zealand is too small to make a difference on climate change. We can let these companies go ahead with their plans, and bring the world closer to the tipping point of runaway climate change, or we can stop them in their tracks, and make a major contribution to the stability of the world’s climate.

“We need to keep the coal in the hole,” Ms Mountier concluded. “We need to send the message that the mining companies must abandon their plans to mine and burn Southland lignite.”