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Low Carbon Kāpiti Blog

Building a model ‘low carbon’ community from Lego®: your ideas wanted!

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Back in 2013, I was sitting at my desk at Kāpiti Coast District Council wrestling with this problem – how do I show the difference between LED streetlights and the old-style orange sodium streetlights in the middle of a sports field on a sunny day? The field and day in question was the upcoming 2014 Sustainable Home and Garden Show. Naturally, I would have to put the lights in a black-out marquee – but then what would entice people come in? And what would the lights be illuminating anyway? As I often did, I turned to my right and discussed this problem with my workmate and friend Ben. A consummate ‘ideas-man’, Ben uttered the fateful words “what about a Lego Town?”

That was the eureka moment and everything flowed from there – working with local Lego fans and other contributors, we created a model sustainable settlement and then the following year we did another, a bigger one modelled directly on plans for the future Paraparaumu town centre. You can read all about the details in a conference paper on the topic here, or in a presentation here. We pioneered an award-winning public engagement method that made potentially dry subject material exciting and interesting to a wide range of people. However, the lack of a focal point at Kāpiti Coast District Council for further projects (the last Sustainable Home and Garden Show was in 2015) meant ‘Lego Town’ didn’t come back in 2016 or 2017.

The Lego Town Centre display at the Sustainable Home and Garden Show 2015.

 

 

 

 

[Read more…] about Building a model ‘low carbon’ community from Lego®: your ideas wanted!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Help us build a Lego® Low Carbon Kāpiti!

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Help us build a Lego® Low Carbon Kāpiti!

Visit our Lets build it page!

Filed Under: Campaigns, Lego

Join the Climate Consensus Coalition presentation to Parliament Wednesday 16 August

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From: Dugald MacTavish <dugald@es.co.nz>
Date: 10 August 2017 at 22:27
Subject: Join the Climate Consensus Coalition presentation to Parliament Wednesday 16 August

Hi all – Great news! After all the political convulsions in the Beehive, we finally have confirmation today that GLOBE-NZ will host the Climate Consensus Coalition Aoteraroa (CCCA) for a presentation of the Statement and Action plan we have developed.

GLOBE-NZ (which has reps from all the Parties) has invited All MPs, All Ministers, All EA/Secretaries. The Theatrette holds up to 120 so effectively the bigger the show of support we can muster the better. The presentation will be fronted by Wise Response with the support of a great line up of NGO representatives.

So this is to encourage you and/or as many others in your group to attend who are within striking distance! A larger group will reinforce the fact that we have huge support through the website. The CCCA statement is also very consistent with the recommendations from the PCE on climate action. Meeting details are as follows:

Time: Wed 16 August at 12.30 – 2.00pm (please be there in good time)
Place: Theatrette, Beehive, Executive Wing, Parliamentary Buildings, Wellington
Programme:

  • Introduction by GLOBE-NZ.
  • Outline the rationale for, and genesis of, the CCCA and the Consensus Statement, and role of Wise Response Society Inc.
  • Explain the key elements in the Consensus Statement and Action Plan
  • Explain the nature and scale of support and overview of other climate initiatives
  • Selected NGO representatives to clarify relationship with CCCA Statement
  • Questions and discussion
  • Summing up by Geoffrey Palmer
  • Closure by GLOBE-NZ.

NB: Note that we need to submit the names of all persons intending to go to the meeting on Monday morning for Parliamentary Security. Essentially if you are not on the that list then you will not be able to get in.

All persons intending to support this event must provide names by 11am Monday 14 August.

Please email Dugald MacTavish  dugald@es.co.nz with your name and contact details.

Apologies for late notice but this has been beyond our control.

This is our chance to make this a really powerful statement for Climate Change action. Please spread the word.

Filed Under: Climate Change

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