Your Chance to Express Yourself

In this the final issue of abc carbon express for the year, we not only review Copenhagen and what’s past, we ask you the reader for your honest feedback in our first ever reader survey. Please click on the link – http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QZK9JKH  – and get the chance to win one of three books (“The ABC of Carbon”, of course) on offer.

Ken Hickson sets out his highlights for the year past and his hope for the next decade, but first he asks all abc carbon express readers to give their feedback on this weekly newsletter and what they would like to see in the future. Go to the survey – http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QZK9JKH

Highlights of 2009 through the eyes of abc carbon express:

Profiles

We featured movers and shakers in the world of climate change at home and abroad, some very familiar to our readers no doubt and others lesser known mortals, even though just as important. Denmark’s Climate Change Minister Connie Hedgegaard took her place, along with the new US Energy Secretary Stephen Chu. We profiled an amazing young African William Kamkwamba with his innovative wind power inventions and Charles Darwin’s great, great grandson Chris Darwin. Australians making their mark included Anne-Maree Huxley, Michael Ottaviano and Dr Heinz Schandl. We also made a point of occasionally profiling a subject other than a human! Therefore CPRS and GECO left into prominence.

Articles

As you would expect we drew articles and ideas from sources far and wide, both the established daily news media, as well as NGOs (like WWF), online newsletters, and direct from companies and organisations. We have tried to be as comprehensive and as current as possible, but admittedly we have shown some favouritism. Those who have supported us – like Carnegie and ZeroGen – get covered, but we also welcome news and announcements from small companies and large if they have something significant to report. We have not ignored community organisations we recognise as doing great things – like Sustainable Jamboree – or individuals who have a valuable point of view, like Bjorn Lomborg or Tim Flannery. While the majority of our reports favour Australia, but do try to give every issue an international flavour as well.

Events

We not only reported on important events around the nation, we attended them. In the past12 months such events visited have included the Moss/Sustainability Challenge workshop in Sydney, Carbon Trading Expo in Melbourne, Greenfest in Brisbane, the Earth Building Conference in Victoria, Climate Change & Business in Melbourne, Going Green Expo in Brisbane, Carbon Market Expo on the Gold Coast, and the Electric Vehicle Conference in Brisbane. We meet lots of wonderful people at these events, who in turn inspire us and equip us with more material and ideas for the newsletter. Keep inviting us to attend and we’ll be there if at all possible. We haven’t ventured overseas in the past year – though we have virtually though the newsletter – but we hope to take flight in coming months.

ABC Carbon 50

We decided to launch this novel list, to coincide with World Environment Day, of the 50 most influential people in Australia who are committed to the environment, the planet and for the future of life on earth. We compiled the list from nominations received. Cate Blanchett came out on top – a popular choice. All who made it were (still are) advocates for climate change awareness and action at home and abroad, as well as campaigners for sustainability, clean energy and energy efficiency. Some were very well known. Some were new discoveries. We’ll be doing another ABC Carbon 50 for 2010. Nominations are welcome.

Book launch

Our own big event of the year was the launch of “The ABC of Carbon”, a book that was two years in the making. Launches were held in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in August. We have written about it and talked about it in Express, as well as on radio, Tv, online and in papers. We don’t hesitate to blatantly promote the book through the newsletter, because we believe it has some important messages. We also started the weekly e-newsletter to supplement the book. To provide regular updates. The book has been purchased by many companies and organisations, it is selling through bookstores around the country as well as online. See the special offer through www.sustainableinsight.com.au

Media is the Message

While we see Express as a medium in its own right, we both draw on material from other media and we provide story ideas and content for other media, online and print. Many journalists around the country and overseas have tapped into our content, as we have used theirs. We have also written regular articles for the likes of Eco Voice and Be the Change. We have appeared on Sky News Eco Report three times. We get invited to attend events – even Government meetings – as “media” and take that responsibility seriously. We also make every attempt to get our point of view out to the mainstream media as much as we can by writing letters to the editor and articles. We will continue to do that.

Next issue

We will take a little break, but be back with the first issue of Express for a new decade in the first week of January 2010. We hope to get plenty of feedback from our first reader survey and hope it helps determine which day of the week you would prefer to receive the newsletter. In the meantime compliments of the season where-ever you are. Have a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for a fruitful and profitable 2010.

Ken Hickson