Hamilton already has many groups who are involved in activities contributing to energy efficiency, alternative transport options, raising awareness of permaculture and organic gardening, sustainable building, urban design and lots more.

Recent activity

While our group isn't officially up and running yet as a Transition Town, a TT display was put up at a Communities for Climate Protection - NZ forum that was held recently in Hamilton. The Transition Handbook was there for the local government attendees to have a look at.

First meeting

Our first meeting was held on Monday April 21st at 5.30 at the Environment Centre, 25 Ward St. We had a good turnout, did a short introduction, and showed an ABC documentary by Jeremy Leggett which is only 14 minutes long but gets the message across. People were really interested, and we already have two people from that meeting putting their hands up to lead/coordinate groups, one in edible gardening and landscapes and one in advocacy, with an emphasis on public transport. We also identified all the groups already established in the city whose aims are primarily around climate change and peak oil, as well as groups who will be good conduits into the wider community with whom we already have links. The group were keen to meet in the not too distant future, an email list has been circulated and dvds will be distributed to members of the group to show to friends and colleagues. It was a great start, accentuating the positives, meeting some new faces,and hopefully the beginning of a renaissance for Hamilton.

23rd April Forest and Bird showed "A Crude Awakening" at Victoria Theatre. It was fully subscribed and another showing is scheduled in the Environment Centre on the 7th May.

Contact

For more information call Katherine at the Environment Centre on 839 4452 or check out our website for a link to our email address www.envirocentre.org.nz

Resources

The Environment Centre holds the following resources which may be borrowed locally or watched in the centre: DVDs: End of Suburbia, An Inconvenient Truth, Peak Oil - Imposed by Nature, The Power of Community - How Cuba Survived Peak Oil, 4 Corners - ABC documentary on peak oil, The OIL Factor, A Crude Awakening , Crude Impact, Arithmetic, Population and Energy - Dr Albert Bartlett, Interesting Times Peak Oil meets Climate Change - Dr Peter Lloyd