Our allies at St Paul’s Beaconsfield publish this newsletter. Ecocare Commission got a mention!
Beacon Corner 9 July 2023 Fremantle, Trees and Climate Change
On July 1, 2023 a seminar was held at St Pauls titled Fremantle, Trees and Climate Change. Barry Healy, Environmental Activist and member of the Ecocare Commission gave the introduction and was the MC.
Jeremy Thomas, Senior Urban Forest Officer from the City of Fremantle gave a very interesting talk, informing the audience about the wide-ranging work he and his staff perform. He told us about the ongoing work in planting, maintaining verge trees and promoting tree canopy cover throughout Fremantle. Planting trees has to be done properly, making sure only roots but no trunk is buried. The emphasis was on planting healthy stock and then making sure the trees were cared for from first planting throughout their lives.
Peter Newman, Professor of Sustainability, Curtin University gave a presentation on the necessity of both trees and technology. A technology focus has to be used in conjunction and at the same time as a focus on trees, particularly on tree canopy cover. 
Improvements in technology, like solar, batteries and electric vehicles as well as trackless trams, will reduce our carbon emissions. Better sustainable housing as in the White Gum Valley, sustainable whole villages like the Ecovillage in Witchcliffe, will contribute to the community’s movement towards Net Zero. The model that Plico is using, where people pay a monthly charge for solar panels and batteries so that not only they will benefit but the grouped power can help iron out the grid is really promising. The Co-op that you join in Plico also provides support for any issue over the technology and how to share best practice in our homes ; it has a charitable support side for local communities and members of the Co-op facing hardship. St Pauls are considering this for their congregation. These steps make sense as renewable energy is now cheaper than fossil fuels and it’s a question of how we can help make a better transition for the whole Parish.
Technology can also apply to trees. Peter set out what the Power of Trees group were doing to make a closed canopy in Perth. It’s possible to generate carbon credits and nature credits from tree planting in cities using tree monitoring that can track the changes in temperature, water, growth and flowering so we can better manage the existing forests, in our region or in our cities. Our goal would be a complete tree canopy to cover over the whole metropolitan area which is becoming more difficult as many blocks are smaller with no room for trees. There are plans to link national parks across the Southwest so there is a continuous tree island across the south of our state. The project is called Gondwanalink
The IPCC published a recent report Climate Change and Land underlining the essential contributions that caring for trees and the land makes to our future.
A layman’s view UN climate change report: land clearing and farming contribute a third of the world’s greenhouse gases is from The Conversation. Peter has a paper covering much of this called Net Zero Practice in the Maelstrom
Keep in your diary:
Next meeting of The Beacon Sunday July 9 at 11am, after Mass and morning tea in the Meeting Room. Come along and be part of the solution!