Zero Emissions Solutions teamed up with Take 3 for the Sea, Mosman Council and environment conservation community groups for the Balmoral Seaside Scavenge in September. Take 3 is known all over Australia for its educational programs that teach people about the problem of plastic pollution and inspire them to take action to protect the ocean.
The event showcased local waste-wise and environmentally conscious initiatives while entertaining with music, face painting and art, and nourishing us with pedal-powered smoothies! We were delighted to participate in this fun, family-friendly day to share information about how to reduce emissions and protect our beautiful local environment.
We had a great lineup of Electric Vehicles – Tesla and Hyundai – along with their enthusiastic owners who could talk till the cows come home to anyone who wanted to know about EVs. There was a lot of interest from young and old, the curious and the skeptical.
If bicycles are more your thing Lug+Carrie had a selection of eBikes available to try out. Whether it’s for your daily commute or getting the kids to school, these eBikes make cycling a breeze and are designed to carry your kids or your shopping or your laptop.
With sunshine and blue skies, Balmoral Beach was at its beautiful best. A great day made possible with our brilliant team of volunteers.
Thank you to our largest volunteer crew ever: Louise, Michael, Fay, Tony, Narween, Jenni Chris, Gill, Alan, Adrienne, Milo, Leesa, Leon, Kate, Ann-Charlott, Ursula, Daryl, with Marieken organising us, plus Neroli from Lug+Carrie doing Tern e-cargo bike test rides!
We’re glad you asked.
Subscribing to our newsletter is a great way to be involved. Sharing it with your friends and joining us on social media helps even more as we’re build a community of like-minded locals passionate about sustainability and low carbon living.
Looking for something more, something meaningful and fun? We would love you join our volunteer team! ZESN Volunteers working group has grant funding to expand our impact and we’ve launched Our Big Switch to help 100 local homes, businesses and schools make low carbon switches. Anyone interested can contact Ursula, Fay or Narween.
Electric car and Electric bike owners and displays
If you are delighted by your EV, or you are enjoying your electric bike, come and show it off at one of our regular EV show-and-tells. We hold these at least once a quarter at the Mosman Markets, and are looking at larger events. Contact Ursula, Alan or Chris and we can tell you all about it.
Zero Emissions Transport team at the Mosman MarketZero Emissions Transport: Kona, E-Bike, Tesla
Zero Emissions Info Stall market team
Our friendly volunteer team is at Mosman Markets four times this year, and plans to new areas. Would you be interested in doing a stall on the Northern Beaches or North Shore? We provide equipment, signs, training and back-up. Contact Louise or Marieken for more details.
Social media – Facebook, Twitter, Insta & LinkedIn!
Between them, Ursula and Marieken do most of Zero’s social media. It’s a great way to build community, but it takes time! If you love twitter, are nifty on instagram, or want to launch the Zero Emissions Solutions Tiktok account, we want to hear from you. Contact Marieken to find out more.
Council Reps
Working with our local councils can be a rewarding and have real impact. We have representatives working with Mosman, Northern Beaches and North Sydney but would welcome people who want to get involved with councils including Willoughby and Lane Cove. Contact Ursula to find out more.
Presentations and Events
We’ve presented over 70 free information sessions on rooftop solar, renewable energy, EVs and more. Over the last three years, thousands of households have come to our presentations. We welcome people getting involved, either in organising presentations and events, or on centre stage! Contact Ann-Charlott or Ursula to find out more.
Schools Network
Last year Jenni Hagland, working with ZESN and Mosman Council. brought all eight schools in Mosman together to form the Zero Emissions Schools Network! The program continues this year, with plans to hold an Expo and awards ceremony later in the year. There’s lots to do, and huge amounts of enthusiasm. Join the team or find out more by contacting Jenni.
Zero Emissions Schools Network Mosman: Mosman Public
Collaborations and new ZESN programs are welcome!
We have successful co-branded collaborations with SolarPro, Diamond Energy, The Good Car Company and Mosman Council. We’re happy to discuss further collaborations!
Do you have big ideas? Are you wanting to make a difference? We’d love to help YOU. If you have an idea for an action or an initiative in the Northern Beaches or North Shore, we can help, whether it’s sharing information or contacts, acting as a sounding board, or even supporting you to develop a new program under the Zero Emissions Solutions brand umbrella. Let’s talk!
This is where it all began: Zero Emissions Info Days at the monthly Mosman Market on the Village Green. Back in October 2020 we put up our marquee, signs and posters and gave out free zero emissions information. We had a wonderful day talking to people about saving money and sustainability and made lots of new friends.
Since then, we’ve held ten info days at markets, learning as we go, introducing new ways to interact including our Sun Pledge board, and our transport group volunteers bringing E-cars and E-bikes. We’ve had help along the way from Mosman Council, Energy Electric Bikes, Eat My Dust E-scooters and our wonderful volunteer community.
We’ve had great feedback and we’d like to help provide our free info to more areas. Would you like to help us expand to other markets on the North Shore and Northern Beaches? We’d love to hear from you!
We have opportunities for a team leader in each local LGA, and volunteers to come along wherever it suits them best. We provide the marquee, Tshirts, signs and information guides. No experience required: we can bring you up to speed with what has become well-oiled machine. You just need a passion for sustainability and a willingness to engage with like-minded people.
If you’re interested in joining in with one of our most rewarding volunteer activities we’d love to have you. Please contact Marieken, Louise or Ursula or fill out our volunteer form.
Zero Emissions Transport team at the Mosman Market
Our youngest volunteer, Theo, demonstrates how to measure household energy consumption.
Zero Emissions Transport: E-Scooter
Zero Emissions Transport: Kona, E-Bike, Tesla
Jenni Hagland
Chris and Graeme all kitted out
Kate shows off the variable speed pool pump
After a nutty first six months of the year for Zero Emissions Solutions the idea was to slow things down a little in July and August.
Hmm. About that… Here’s how the diary ended up looking.
July 20: Solar My House Webinar, with David Veal of Solarpro (recording here)
July 19: Mosman Council delivers our Sustainable Living Guide to 30,000 households
August 3: Mosman Council Climate Action Community Committee
August 4: Zero Emissions Schools Network – Mosman, hosted by Beauty Point Public School
August 5: Solar My House Webinar, with Ruth Irwin of Mosman Council (recording here)
August 17: Ann-Charlott spoke with Nigel Howard and Joeline Hackman of War on Waste Northern Beaches, discussing what local residents can do to reduce emissions (recording here)
Representatives from Zero Emissions Solutions also attended seminars and meetings with (in no particular order) Vote Earth Now, Infinite Australia, AEVA, Groundswell, BZE Renewable Industrial Precincts, the Climate Council, 350.org, 1millionwomen and C4C. In particular, we recommend Professor Lesley Hughes briefing on the IPCC report, in conjunction with Australian Parents For Climate.
We worked with Arnies Recon to launch free EWaste Community Collection days for the Northern Beaches including Avalon 2 Sept, Dee Why 9 Sept, Manly 13 Sept, Mosman 16 Sept.
Finally, we continue to work with Clean Energy for Eternity on a major project to create an urban renewable energy zone – watch this space!
So you’re interested in volunteering? In doing something meaningful and fun? In working with dynamic and inspiring people?
We’d love to have you.
Zero Emissions Solutions is an all-volunteer run community organisation working in Mosman and the Northern Beaches LGAs. We’re all about practical ways to take action on climate: things we can do that will have a real impact. No-one is going to solve the climate crisis on their own. Working together for zero emissions has to be the way forward.
Where to start?
Choose from a range of activities to match your skills and/or interests.
Solar My House is Zero Emissions Solutions flagship program. We’ve run over 30 events since 2019, reaching more than 300 households, creating guides, videos and case studies, and attending forums, local expos and online events. We’re always looking for people who are passionate about rooftop solar to get involved with organising events and taking this exciting program forward. You don’t need special skills, just enthusiasm for making a difference. If you can help, please contact Ann Charlott.
Zero Emissions Homes working group meets regularly and creates resources to save energy and emissions at home. They produce Council/LGA specific Sustainable Living Guides, the first was the Mosman Sustainable Living Guide provided to Mosman LGA’s 30,000 residents in mid 2021. They promote switching and supporting renewable energy to approx. halve household emissions. They also look at sustainable solutions including new house design, renovations, appliances, pools and policy. If you are interested in ecosmart retrofits, building trends and energy savings, please email Ursula on electric@zeroemissionssolutions.org
Out and about
The Zero Emissions Markets team launched our first market stall at Mosman in October last year. Since then, they’ve held 7 events. In 2022, their sights are set on exploring markets in the Northern Beaches. It’s a fun opportunity to meet like-minded volunteers and to have meaningful conversations with the local community. No experience required, just a big smile and an hour or two of your time! If you’re interested, please contact Lesley.
Our youngest volunteer, Theo, demonstrates how to measure household energy consumption.Mosman Markets group: Louise, Lesley, Fay
Zero Emissions Schools is run by Jenni Hagland and Liz Migliorini. They are responsible for the guides on our Schools page and they convene the Zero Emissions Schools Network (Mosman). If you’re involved in education, or if you’ve got school age children and want to get your school involved in sustainability, they would be keen to hear from you. Lots to do, from researching resources to project managing events. Please email Jenni on schools@zeroemissionssolutions.org
Worksheets to download Zero Emissions Schools Network Mosman: Mosman Public
Zoom zoom
Zero Emissions Transport is run by Ursula and the Zero Emissions Transport working group. They’ve put together great resources and guides to help electrify your transport on our Electric Vehicles and Electric Bikes pages. They’ve reached over 250 households with Zero Emissions Transport info sessions, and held 7 E-Transport Markets show and tells with electric cars, bikes, scooters and motorcycles. They’ve investigated second hand EVs, hosted a test-drive day, compiled a report on Councils installing chargers, and are creating case studies on many EVs. If you have an EV or are interested in EVs, and would like to be involved, please email Ursula on electric@zeroemissionssolutions.org
Zero Emissions Transport: E-ScooterGood storage space!
And finally…
If you’re good with words, pictures, sounds, and any other form of story-telling, Harriet wants your help. She puts together the newsletter, website, this blog, marketing materials, and tries to keep up with social media. If you’re an introvert who wants to save the world, or a wordpress genius, if you’re an instagram maven or a budding film maker, a demon proof reader or someone who just likes a yarn, just say hello to Harriet on hello@zeroemissionssolutions.org
We look forward to hearing from you!
All around the world people are taking the day off to demand climate justice for everyone.
Here in Sydney, we’ll be supporting our plucky students in person and on line.
Here are some suggestions on how you can help:
Sign the pledge: Pledge that you, your group, business or organisation will stand with school strikers to oppose public funds being wasted on dirty gas & instead call on the Federal Government to #FundOurFutureNotGas by
Resourcing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions that guarantee land rights and care for Country.
Funding the creation of secure jobs that fast track solutions to the climate crisis and help communities recover.
Funding projects that transition our economy and communities to 100% renewable energy by 2030, through expanded public ownership.
Join a march: Find your nearest strike and let us know let us know if you’d like to join the ZESN group – we’ll be confirming details / meeting place once Covid-19 protocols are confirmed. (NB Sadly, at the moment it looks like outdoor gatherings will not go ahead before October 18.)
Put up a sign: put up an eye-catching sign in a street facing window or in your front yard. Students love to see the support!
Show the world we want climate justice for everyone.
Take a bird’s eye view of Brookvale and help us with an exciting new project.
Brookvale is home to the largest commercial area within the Northern Beaches and it’s also a powerhouse for renewable energy. Large and small, owner operated or rented, retail, service and light industrial; businesses of all shapes and sizes are taking advantage of low interest rates and high returns to go green and boost their bottom line at the same time.
We all know about regional solar farms but can it be done in a city? This article suggests yes. Who knows, maybe we can build a solar farm right here on the Northern Beaches!
Brookvale currently has nearly 7000 solar panels covering around 5% of suitable roof spaces. The Northern Beaches Council’s 2030 target of covering 50% of suitable roof space would see Brookvale become a virtual power station, producing 20MWp. That’s equivalent to the Royalla Solar Farm, Australia’s biggest solar farm, which can generate clean energy equivalent to the consumption of around 4,500 homes in the area.
How do we know this? Because Zero volunteer Chris Lee has spent hours counting them.
Now he’s onto the next phase of the study. It can all be done from your computer, so if you can navigate a spreadsheet and use Six Maps, we would love your help. You can do as much or as little as you like. Just get in touch with Chris and he will send you instructions on how to take a bird’s eye view.
Love your work. Do something meaningful. Boost your wellbeing.
It’s no secret that having a sense of purpose is one of the best ways to enhance your overall wellbeing* and, if you have the time and the energy, volunteering can contribute greatly. But what to do, and where to start?
Inspired by NBC’s environmental awards last month, we’re listing some local volunteer jobs which you might LOVE. (Spoiler alert – some of them would really help us!)
Beach clean ups. Look at all that rubbish. So rubbish. So satisfying.
Strata Data. Put your research skills to work and help us put together a series of case studies on strata buildings in the area which have installed solar panels onsite. Full support provided, contact us here. A bit of detective work may be needed!
Save our local wildlife. Train up to become a WIRES volunteer rescuer and learn about the care of native animals such as koalas, possums, snakes and bats.
Photography and videography – if you are a student film-maker or building a show reel, we need your help making short documentary videos and taking fabulous images.
Get into the garden. Mosman Community Gardeners are growing yummy things. This is volunteering with edible outcomes!
The lights are on at Pioneer Clubhouse Balgowlah! And what a great photo of the ZESN volunteer team including advisors: L-R: Linda Robertson, Chris Lee, Susie Morgan, Tina Jackson, Anna Josephson, Ursula Hogben, Kirsty Gold, Ann-Charlott Paduch, Harriet Cunningham and Lesley Treleaven, and a shout out to Dof Dickinson who couldn’t be here.
Our first Sunny and Share rooftop solar installation is a 13.3kW system for Pioneer Clubhouse, a mental health not-for-profit organisation in Balgowlah. This was funded by our events, Community Giving Fund and private donations, and was launched at a lunch party.
In spite of the cold and rainy day, there was a great crowd who enjoyed yummy food, a raffle, a sale of artwork and freshly potted succulents, speeches, a cake, fairy lights, music and dancing. How lovely to see so many friends and supporters including the Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan, Deputy Mayor Candy Bingham, CEO of One Door Mental Health Kathi Boorman, and Bronwen Regan chief of staff for Federal MP for Warringah Zali Steggall OAM.
Sunflower on a rainy dayOur MC, RexGorgeous succulents for saleSpeeches……and a good giggle posing for photos
Thank you to the many people who made this possible! First, the hardworking Zero Emissions Solutions volunteer team and volunteer advisory board who brainstormed, dreamed, come up with ideas, and held many public and private events. Thank you everyone who came to our events and installed solar and switched to a renewable energy company through us, generating thank you contributions to our Community Giving Fund used to install this solar system. Thank you to Zali Steggall MP, Mayor Michael Regan, and the Northern Beaches Council for your support. Thank you also to Pioneer Clubhouse for embracing the idea and inviting us over, to Solarpro and Diamond Energy for their financial support. Thank you also to our event hosts, our customers, our supporters, and to our generous donors including Mosman IGA and many individuals! Finally, thank you to Julie Gianessini for her beautiful photos which give you just a taste of the fun we had.
The last six months have been our busiest so far. This is a quick run down of just some of the things we’ve been up to.
19 May: Kirsty & Anna from ZESN’s Advisory Group and Ursula attended the breakfast panel with Matt Kean MP, NSW Minister for Energy and Environment and Chris Bowen MP, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy: Climate risks and opportunities ahead. NSW has announced the ‘Energy Infrastructure Roadmap’ for renewable energy and recently announced EV initiatives.
19 May: Second Zero Emissions Schools Network Mosman event, hosted by Mosman Public School, chaired by ZESN, supported by Mosman Council.
21 May: Ann-Charlott, Ursula and local climate group friends joined the School Strike for Climate in Sydney, and tens of thousands of Australians joined in capital cities and towns across Australia, to support a net zero emissions target for Australia.
26 May: Tina from ZESN’s Advisory Group and Ursula supported the North Sydney Conversations launch event: The Climate Crisis: Hard Truths and Reasons for Hope, with author Sarah Wilson, Prof Lesley Hughes, climate scientist and MC Dan Illic. Recording here: https://northsydneyconversations.com.au/2021/04/21/truthsandhope/
1 June: The fourth Mosman Council Climate Action Community Consultative Committee Meeting met to discuss Council’s draft Climate Action Plan – Resilience and Adaptation Strategy, with Mayor Corrigan, Cr Sherlock, Mosman Council team, and community members including Ursula from ZESN. The plan will be presented to Council in July 2021, then released for public consultation.
1 June: Ursula hosted a Climate for Change Conversation with facilitator C4C Carly Robertson leading on effective communications and positive climate action. ZESN volunteers discussed volunteer events and training, with training experts Fay Redmond and Narween Otto helping organise the next events. All welcome to join the Volunteer Events and Training working group.
3 June: Solar My House LIVE in Avalon, in collaboration with Our Blue Dot, hosted by Felix Williamson with Solarpro’s David Veal as our handy solar expert. A sell out, with people turned away at the door.
5 June: Mosman Markets: Lesley, Louise, Fay and the team ran the regular stall at Mosman Markets
5 June: Northern Beaches Simplifying Solar Expo: Ann-Charlott, Harriet and Chris manned a stall at NBC’s first Simplifying Solar Expo. 350 attendees came to sessions on solar and renewable energy, and then came by to chat with us and a range of businesses and organisations involved in sustainability, including SunSpot, the Australian Energy Foundation and the University of NSW School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering.
10 June: The launch of a new rooftop solar system at Pioneer Clubhouse, Balgowlah, attended by 30 guests including Michael Regan, Candy Bingham and Zali Steggall’s chief of staff.
If you’d like to work with us, or if you’d like us to visit your workplace or community group to talk about our activities, please get in touch. And if you’d like to be part of this vibrant community, come on in!
