Fynbos Music Festival

There's an awesum music festival happening on the 23rd & 24th Jan 2010 in aid of raising legal funds for the Swartland Forums fight against the Malmesbury Aviation Estate.

• STEVE NEWMAN
• GUY BUTTERY
• ROB VAN VUUREN (mc)
• DEREK GRIPPER
• KARNAMRITA DASI (international act)
• ERROL DYERS
• HILTON SCHILDER
• ALL IN ONE
• SANGAM
• Koitrans
• The Frown Family Karavan
• aMani
• Take Two
• Miss Texas 1977
• African Mbira Band
• Off The Record

Drumming in the forest, fire dancing, Riebeek steel drum performance, food and craft stalls, mountain views and walks!

Join the Fynbos Music Festival fan page on Facebook for more info or go to www.swartlandforum.yolasite.com



The Swartland Forums are campaigning against the development of an aviation estate that could and would have huge effects on the natural environment on the surrounding area.

"There are direct implications of the proposed aircraft estate not only for neighbours of the proposed estate, such as nearby farms, the Paardeberg mountains, but also for all of those in Malmesbury, Abbotsdale, Tierfonteinon, Chatsworth, Kalbaskraal and Riverlands. It also affects areas further into the region which are within easy distance of a flying jaunt, like Riebeeksrivier, the Riebeek Valley and Wellington. The developers are talking about 120 movements (120 airplanes, gyrocopters, helicopters and microlites) perhaps more per day, especially over weekends. This would mean that there would be a plane up in the air every 5 minutes, every Saturday and every Sunday from sunrise to sunset. "

Help spread the word!
And make sure you don't miss out on this great local event!!



Photographs from the Fynbos Music Festival Facebook page & the Swartland Forum website.
Illustration of an owl playing the flute by Janet Botes.

Viva for veggies

Read this! (yes, click on "read this") here's an excerpt:

The scientists have spoken, and the politicians are getting edgy. Vegetarian campaigning charity Viva received a leaked email from an official at the Environment Agency showing that the Government is trying to work out how to get us to eat less meat. "The potential benefits of a vegan diet in terms of climate impact could be very significant," it said, adding that eating less meat is one of the "key environmental behaviour changes" needed to save the planet.

It's about the importance of a vegan lifestyle to reverse global warming. No, I won't try and convert you, and I'm not telling you that you HAVE to become vegan (I'm still learning to cope with being a vegetarian, really missing fish and sushi, so nevermind cutting out milk, chocolate and cheese which I absolute LOVE). I'm just saying that the more people change to a vegan lifestyle or at least reduces their dietary focus on meats and animal products, the better it will be for our environment, and the sooner we are really starting to make a change. Even small change is good, because a lot of drops into a bucket makes it full. If you can't live on veggies and raw food alone, or feel really unable to eliminate meat from your diet, then try just reducing your intake of red meat, fish, poultry, milk, eggs and cheese and you'll be surprised at how good you will feel! The article also gives these pointers:

How to be a caring carnivore

* Elect to eat one or two organic, locally produced cuts of meat a week rather than eating cheap processed meat every day

* Roast a chicken and live off it for a week, making stock from the bones and eating the leftovers avoiding wastage

* Investigate meat alternatives such as tofu (pictured left), tempeh, textured vegetable protein and Quorn

* Buy organic milk, or try soya (pictured right), almond, oat, hazelnut or quinoa milk instead

* Chicken and pork are more carbon-efficient and produces less methane than beef

* Be aware of other good sources of protein. These include pulses, beans, nuts, seeds and, of course, soya beans

* Many kinds of bread and even some vegetarian products contain unnecessary milk products like whey, buttermilk or lactose, or eggs. Check the packaging and avoid buying non-organic dairy by avoiding these products

TALENT EXCHANGE MARKET

If you're in Cape Town on Saturday, 7 November, go to the Cape Quarter Launch in Foreshore (because I'll be there exhibiting my art and drawing in public) or go here:

Talent Exchange Market & Craft in the Park

Where? Oude Molen Eco Village, Alexandra Road, Pinelands (opposite the Pinelands Railway station, next to Vincent Palotti)
When: Saturday 7th November - 9:00 - 14:00

If you're part of the CES network already, there will be a mix of Talent and Rand traders/buyers. This is an eco village, so there'll be home-made and recycled goods, and also limited space for therapists. There will be stalls, boot sales and the use of the village facilities. If you're a trader and want more information contact John or Helen on 021 447 9165 or 082 744 2504 or e-mail: john@oudemolen.org.

• come and meet other Talent exchange members
• come and spend your Talents
• come and earn some Talents by selling your goods or services
• mostly, come and have some fun

FUTURE EVENTS on 28th November

• OBZ Talent market - contact Jane jaliyaa@yahoo.com
• Hout Bay Green Faire - contact Danielle danielle@envirochild.org

Organized by the Cape Town Talent Exchange

Email: ctte@ces.org.za
Web: www.ces.org.za

350 participation

by Janet Botes

The 350 day of participation, coordinated by Communitree in Palmer Road, Muizenberg, was a huge success and an incredible event of note in the Western Cape.

Have a look at www.350.org to find out all about the 350 series of world-wide activism for our environment!! It's huge, it's happening and it's relevant. Oh, and it's also awesome, hip and cool.

So part of my contribution to the day of participation in Palmer road was the following:



An artistic, visual or participatory action or performance where two volunteers - Megan Collins and Mira Matthew - and voluntary participants were involved in creating an outline of leaves and glass pebbles (to keep the leaves from blowing away) around Mira's silhouette of her body.

Hike around Lion's Head

Heard about Adin van Ryneveld yet? He is aiming to tap into the abundance that should actually be available to all of us if you manifest it for yourself, by not spending money! Any money that he makes will go to charity, and he is relying on energy and/or talent exchanges for his day to day living expenses.



Anyways, more about him at another stage, when I'll be doing a full review about what he's doing for Cape Town Live.



For my photography walk up Lion's Head only Adin and Amy Levin pitched up (ok, fine, I ONLY 'advertised' it on Facebook). But it was AMAZING and really inspiring. Adin and Amy is really inspiring people with great outlooks on life that just makes you want to listen and talk to and with them forever.



We ended up not going to the top of Lion's Head, but rather around it, and we saw AMAZING views of the harbour, Sea Point and the beautiful Atlantic ocean. Not even to mention all the beautiful flowers and indigenous plantlife!!! Really looking forward to the next hike. And you're MORE than welcome to join! Watch this space for the place and date.