Living Green Festival: What’s your carbon footprint?

Posted on 9 October, 2014

Forget the doom and gloom about climate change for one day, and make living with a lighter footprint fun, cool and delicious!

That’s exactly what Canberra’s Living Green Festival will aim to do when it kicks off again this Sunday at the Albert Hall. Now in its fourth year, the Festival will be back again showcasing fun, easy and practical ways to tread lightly on the planet.

All aspects of sustainable living will be covered in one full day of over 80 exhibits and stalls with keynote speaker Professor Stuart White, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology, Sydney headlining the festival.

“We’re really focussing on the link between climate change and our diets this year,’ says Event Manager, Jess Ferry.

“Professor White will be talking about the sustainability implications of food production and diet choices at a global level, including prospects for the future. And to demonstrate how delicious “low carbon” cuisine can be, we’ll have no fewer than 15 food stalls showcasing an extraordinary range of plant-based foods.”

Curries from Malaysia, good ol’ Aussie pies, mouthwatering cupcakes and ice-cream made especially for the Festival will tantalise your tastebuds and open your mind to ‘green’ food.

With all the talk at the moment about the fate of the renewable energy target, the Festival will also be promoting energy efficient alternatives for everyday living.

“We’re very pleased once again to be supported by Armada, Canberra’s local energy efficiency and solar company,” says Jess.

“It’s important to focus on the benefits of renewable energy, and practical energy efficient solutions for our homes, now more than ever.”

The sixty-five plus market stalls will offer innovative approaches to living sustainably and compassionately and feature an impressive display of the latest electric vehicles, from retro-fitted cars and new Nissan leafs to motorbikes, push bikes and even go-karts.

The festival will even show how your ‘four-legged best friends’ can reduce their carbon paw prints too.

“We really are encouraging people of all ages to come along to this year’s festival as there will be something for EVERYONE, including the family dog!” says Jess excitedly.

“One of the new features of the festival this year will be a dog cafe, with “low carbon” food for both humans and their canine friends!”

Jess adds that there will be more free activities for kids this Sunday including an 8-metre high rock-climbing wall, performances by children’s entertainers, story-telling, chess tournaments, and yoga. Activities for adults will include free workshops, yoga classes, food demos, and a series of talks including how to make seitan, rescue a wild animal or write a children’s story.

For those who just want to lay back and chill there’ll be an eclectic line-up of local and interstate performers, including Canberra’s very own hip-hop sensations Coda Conduct and local folk group The Burley Griffin, plus Sydney’s MC Pony and Bathurst’s 10th Man.

‘So once again the Living Green Festival will be a day of fun in a kinder shade of green for the planet, humans and other animals,’ says Jess.

The essentials

What: Living Green Festival

Where: Albert Hall, Canberra

When: Sunday 12 October 2014, 10am-4pm

Entry: FREE

Web: www.lgf.org.au and Facebook