A major highlight of the Sustainable Living Festival is the Big Weekend, which is 9th – 11th of February, at Federation Square and Birrarung Marr.
One of the main attractions is the Exhibitors Market featuring a huge variety of sustainable lifestyle solutions across a range of sectors including energy, financial, food and beverages, car sharing, organic and fairtrade products, home and lifestyle products and services. Ethically-sourced clothing, sustainable building designs and gardening options will also be on show.
There will also be the Foodie Village and River Bank Bar which are alongside the Sun Stage, which is a solar powered stage. It will feature a range of Melbourne artists who are serious about protecting our planet. So you can sit back and relax by the Yarra while taking in the sounds of the Festival.
Tesla Tiny House is powered by 100% renewable energy and will be on display during the Festival. You can experience how solar can seamlessly integrate to power an entire home. Tesla’s goal with the tiny house is to demonstrate the effectiveness of renewable energy, and to get people to experience how solar can seamlessly integrate to power an entire home.
You can check these out each day, but there is a program packed full of interactive workshops, talks, demonstrations, art, film and live performance. And best of all, most of it is free.
The impacts of climate change continue to escalate around the world. Is it now possible to set our sights on reversing climate conditions back to those safe for human civilisation?
What role can carbon drawdown play in dealing with the climate challenge? Is it possible to cool the planet fast?
When it comes to the environment, this is the debate of all debates!
For over 50 years, Paul Hawken has dedicated his life to sustainability and changing the relationship between people and the environment. He will be presenting the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming.
Bob Brown draws on four decades of experience in the environmental movement to deliver one of his most important and timely addresses. Hear Bob speak about how can we build greater diversity in the movement to tackle the biggest environmental issues of our times.
Can the global fashion industry adopt sustainable practices at a meaningful rate in the wake of our current climate crisis? Sustainability is a big buzzword in the business of fashion right now. But what does that really mean for a $2.4 trillion global industry that is often deemed to be one of the most wasteful and polluting on the planet? Wardrobe Crisis author Clare Press leads a dynamic panel discussion on circularity, innovation and responsibility in the fashion industry with some Australian change-makers.
They’ve taken on the world with their eco innovations and designs, and now they return to the stage to share their insights and stories into the impact they’re having on people and the planet. What challenges have these RMIT graduates faced in getting their green designs and enterprises off the ground? This event is a must for budding eco entrepreneurs, innovative thinkers who like to keep up to date with the latest trends in green design.
Permaculture co-founder David Holmgren leads this feature festival forum exploring the transformative role of Australian suburbs to activate the cultural change, cooperative based action and practical solutions needed for rapid transition to a carbon-positive low energy world.
Frances Jones and David Pollock’s radical project to remove livestock from their historic property, in remote Western Australia, shocked their entire district. In just a decade since they began this remarkable regeneration project, hundreds of plants and animals returned to areas where they were never expected to thrive. This high profile interactive panel will explore the power of regeneration, soil carbon and transformative change.
Street Farm is the inspirational account of residents in the notorious Low Track in Vancouver, Canada, which is one of the worst urban slums in North America. They joined together to create an urban farm as a means of addressing the chronic social problems in their local community. It is a story of recovery, of land and food, of people, and of the power of urban and organic farming. Michael Ableman, shares this inspirational story while on a special tour of Australia.
Celebrating the experiences of four diverse Victorian Communities in living and sharing cooperatively. The opportunities and challenges of reducing our environmental impact will be explored, along with prioritising our health and wellbeing by sharing resources, places and spaces. Is this the future of suburban living?
Tim Silverwood is a passionate advocate for protecting our oceans and environment from human impacts. As a keen surfer Tim became alarmed at the increasing risks plastic pollution posed to our oceans and wildlife. Join Tim and take a dive into the solutions to waste in our waterways.
What if we could supply our energy needs cleanly, fairly, affordably, and cooperatively? Community owned energy projects, electricity cooperatives and public-ownership campaigns are already empowering many communities around the country and the world. Join this lively forum with international and local leaders who are helping to take the power back.
A self-sustained eco home made up of recycled materials rose from the ashes of Black Saturday. A vision to rebuild a home almost entirely made up of recycled materials including more than 1000 tyres, recovered glass panes, tin and timber, beer cans, glass and mud bricks that survived the fire. Hear from these Earth Builders who who have made history with the biggest undertaking of its kind in Australia.
We now know zero emissions is not enough to avoid a global climate catastrophe and instead we must return to safe levels of greenhouse gases as fast as humanly possible. So how can we drawdown carbon to reach a point in time when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere peak and begin to decline? One of the most important Festival events you see about how we can tackle global warming.
Tammy Logan combines her experience in conservation biology and community engagement to deliver a humble and honest approach to a plastic and waste free family life. Tammy wants to prove that living sustainably results in a more meaningful life and that as consumers, our buying power can be a strong force for positive change.
The hypercharged debate of energy storage in Australia is drawing out some bold and beautiful innovation. Get charged up with the latest and greatest on battery storage and renewables on the local, national and international front
‘In The Garden’ at the Sustainable Living Festival is an open display and speaker stage where you get your chance to meet and hear from leading permaculturalists and passionate environmentalists.
There are a range of talks over the weekend – connection to country, survival foods, bush herbs, propagation and cultivation. Learn of the latest trends and how you can grow and enjoy move of our indigenous culinary delights.
Duncan from Leaf Root and fruit will be back again, presenting on Edible Gardening in Small Spaces, Edible Forest Gardens and pest control.
RetroSuburbia – Costa Georgiadis (Gardening Australia) will be in-conversation with David Holmgren, the co-originator of permaculture who launching his book, RetroSuburbia. Books will be available for purchase and the author will be on hand for signings through out the day. You can find out more information about this event here
Megg Millar from Australasian Poultry Magazine will be talking poultry with Fleur from Book-A-Chook
There will also be talks on bees, compost, sustainable garden design, biochar, food security and more.
Join Costa and 250 growers and gleaners for this unique 4-course crowd farmed lunch on the banks of the Yarra River. In 2018 the Great Local Lunch is jumping on the waste stream and inviting guests to exchange their ways of redefining food, by not only growing, but also foraging and salvaging food waste
For your two tickets, register your summer harvest or share a story of how you are redefining food and waste.
Suitcase Rummage is a grass roots market designed to encourage members of the community to engage in ethical exchange.It is a social enterprise that began as a humble alternative to the community market scene, which where full of mass produced items and local makers struggled to compete.
It is a mini scaled market aimed at supporting Australia’s entry-level entrepreneurs and locally produced handmade, recycled and up-cycled products from a suitcase. So vote with your dollar, to create conscious consumer habits and start to think differently about products you produce and purchase.
If all this talk about sustainability makes you want to connect to nature but you’re not quite sure how in our urban environment, then check out the Rewilding and Bushcraft program, which is a new addition to the festival this year.
There will be talks, discussion, demonstrations and hands on workshops that will show you a range of traditional skills and will help you to develop a greater nature connection. Claire Dunn, the author of My Year Without Matches, will lead the way by showing you how you can find your inner wild.
In a time where separation between humans and nature has never been greater, reconnecting with the natural can provide a vital path to health and well-being.
There is just so much to do at this festival that you could easily spend the full 3 days there. But even if you can only give it one day, you’ll be sure to come away with some tips and strategies to live more sustainably this year.
