Friends of SIS

is a distinguished academic and Chair of Sustainable Technology at Melbourne University, chief executive technologist for Ausmelt Ltd (Melbourne) and an engineer with extensive experience in the global metallurgical and recycling industries, especially in Europe.

He recently wrote to Malcolm Turnbull outlining a vision for green metals production, urging for Australia to take ownership of its mineral and energy resources and for innovation in energy infrastructure (renewable) and manufacturing. Professor Reuter argues that the metallurgical and mining industries might be incentivized to lower their ecological footprint by harnessing renewable energy for their processes and to maintain and create a sustainable long term manufacturing industry by value-adding to future products (e.g. transport) instead of simply exporting minerals. Here the focus should be especially on light metals such as aluminium and magnesium (and titanium) for light-weighting low carbon footprint transport applications (e.g. Holden and others); but also on silicon, one of the bases for solar cells to start creating an industry that will help supply the future Australian and Global eco-cities with renewable energy.

At a local level, Prof Reuter is adamant that we should re-examine packaging in order to reduce waste to landfill, suggesting that consumers could successfully pressure retailers to adopt sustainable practices. “Supermarkets own the packaging they supply with products. The consumer ought to have the right to return all packaging (e.g. trays, (pizza) boxes, plastic wrappings, old batteries, etc) to the store to deposit in designated bins” he says. I agree- such a move would quickly transform the packaging industry.

is a co-initiator of the Inner South Transition Towns group in Melbourne. Through the Transition Town movement Andrew aims to inspire people within their local communities to further transform their thinking, beliefs and actions to enable a sustainable future on this planet, in which life is celebrated and connectedness is the norm.

Andrew lectures in psychology at Deakin University, focusing on the psychology of behaviour change at a community level, with particular regard to climate change. He is also working with the Sustainable Living Foundation, the St. Kilda Eco Centre and The Future Canvas group to accelerate the transformation of Melbourne as a Transition City. In his spare time, Andrew is completing a PhD in Psychological Medicine at Monash University.

Two goals underpin Architect ’s Matthew Bird design agenda – to build architectural projects that are visionary and to innovatively combine environmental, social and economic sustainability issues. Producing sustainable buildings that holistically integrate sustaining ‘life’ solutions, consequently delivering value-based projects that adapt to shifting environmental and social conditions.

Matt practices from his Armadale, Melbourne based studio and current and ongoing projects include various small-scale residential schemes, larger multi-residential schemes, numerous speculative large scale proposals and select art based interior and set design installation projects. Matt also lectures and leads design based studio programs at RMIT and Monash Universities. Concurrently, he is also a part time PhD Architecture candidate within Professor Leon van Schaik’s practice-based programme (by invitation candidature at RMIT University).

Further information can be found at www.studiobird.com.au

I founded SIS in 2008, around the same time I became passionately interested in Australia’s response to global warming. My consultancy work has been in renewable energy, energy efficiency and more recently sustainable urban planning. I have been a resident of Stonnington most of my life and my non-profit work includes giving free home sustainability advice and energy audits to local residents, schools and small businesses.

Brenda has had a life-long interest in and passion for the environment and a more sustainable lifestyle and after retiring 2 years ago, has one year left to complete a Master in Sustainable Practice at RMIT.

Her aim over the next 10 years is to improve sustainability in her community (South Yarra and City of Stonnington) by helping not-for profit, small and medium business and the general community better understand what is meant by living in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way.

She has a particular interest in what can be done by the community to improve food security and social connectedness through community gardens and hopes to work with the Council and community to establish new community gardens.

established Cassette, his rapidly growing design and printing company in 2000 with the environment in mind. He is proud to be at the forefront of adopting green technology and green printing and all of Cassette’s services are entirely carbon neutral. NoCO2 Certification means that the company has completely removed its climate change impacts.

came to renewable energy via fusion energy and astrophysics. Dr Payne works in the department of physics at Melbourne University, chairs the Direct-Use sub-committee of the Australian Geothermal Energy Group and is a scientific director of EnergyCore, a geothermal energy company operating in Australia. EnergyCore holds the only Australian licence for EarthLinked direct geoexchange technology, which involves circulating refrigerant through 30-metre copper loops and allowing the Earth to evaporate it in winter & condense it in summer. The technology can be used in the home for heating, air-conditioning and hot water. I have visited one of the installations at a home in Stonnington- this is an amazing technology!

EnergyCore was a finalist at this years Banksia Environmental Awards in Melbourne.

has devised his own formula for living sustainably. Its called R2O, standing for Reduce, Renewables and Offset.

Andrew has a website www.r2ochallenge.com and on it you can trace his journey toward sustainability and download check-sheets for Reducing, Renewing and Off setting.

The best part of this easy to follow formula is that it is staged with some actions just to get you going and more challenging ones to move on to.

is managing editor ofEcos, regarded as one of Australia ́s most authoritative magazines on sustainability and published since 1974 by the CSIRO.

A marine scientist by background, James has had a broad international experience in sustainability. Prior to Ecos he worked for the prestigious research journal Nature, with lowland gorillas in West Africa and in Asia on post-tsunami reconstruction initiatives. James is also a non-executive director of Good Environmental Choice Australia and hosts The Climate Change Report on 94.15FM.

Amy joined SIS because she is passionate about sustainability and believes that local community groups like SIS are a fantastic way to help increase public awareness about environmental issues.

Amy recently completed a Bachelor of Commerce/Arts, majoring in environmental studies and economics. She is currently working for the Department of Sustainability and Environment as an economics research assistant. She also runs Limelight Energy – an energy efficiency company which conducts free installations of energy efficient light bulbs, shower heads and standby power controllers into households. Visit Limelight Energy for more information.

Graham Ross is an Property Investment Asset Manager with a private Commercial property owner and developer with assets in all the east coast capitals.

He was educated in Edinburgh, Scotland and has been resident in Melbourne since 1996. He has a Degree in Land Economy and HND in Construction Management and is a member of both the API(Australian Property Institute ) and RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors).

Graham worked in the Property Investment Department of a large UK fund for 6 years before moving to Australia to work in the Asset Management Department of CB Richard Ellis where he was a Director. After 12 years with the agency he moved to his current employer in 2007.

He has been an active member of the Sustainability Committee of the Property Council of Australia since 2002.

He is passionate about the environment and knows first hand how easy it is to make a big difference, having just done a sustainable refurbishment of his family home and cycles to work in the CBD every day.