We start The Sustainable Hour no 303 on 4 March 2020 with Colin Mockett‘s world view. Today Colin explains that one good thing that has come out of the corona virus that is sweeping the world is that carbon emissions are actually decreasing in China. This leaves us to speculate that as this virus spreads and crosses borders, and as flights are cancelled and businesses are closed, will this reduction of carbon into our atmosphere actually become a global trend?

Colin is followed by a brief statement by Tesla’s entrepreneurial founder Elon Musk about the economic insanity of not transitioning to a clean renewable energy future right now.

Our studio guest is Malcolm Gardiner from Land & Water Resources Otway Catchments (LAWROC) Landcare group.

Malcolm is passionate about protecting the Otways. He reflects on the negative system-wide impacts of past land management practices on his beloved catchments and explains the importance of that area getting the protecting it needs by being declared a subterranean National Park.

We can all help with this by signing their petition supporting such a decision. This can be found at www.otwayrangessubterraneannationalpark.org.au

You will also hear Paul Sheldon from Transition Australia with his weekly round up of local, state and national sustainability events, and Mik makes a call for community mobilisation to protect the bike path in Malop Street that Council has decided to rip up.

Until next week: Be the difference.

→ Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher

Otway Ranges Subterranean National Park

“Since 2019 the Victorian State Government through Minister Lisa Neville has recognised the number of serious issues and declared that the Gellibrand Groundwater Management Area extractions be set at ZERO.

The Gerangamete Groundwater Management Area has been set at 238 ML/year allowing present outstanding farmers’ licences to continue. These licences will expire in 2025 and 2030. In effect a zero limit for the Gerangamete GMA has been recognised.

Unfortunately, this protection of the groundwaters can be overturned quite easily as has been done in the past. Otway Water Book 55 presents a very convincing case that the two Groundwater Management Areas of Gellibrand and Gerangamete should be afforded additional protection by turning them into a first in the world of its kind, a Subterranean National Park.

→ You can help by visiting www.