ZeroCarbonNetwork

member comments

2006-10-13T03:38:00.000-07:00

Whilst we are waiting for the website to be up and running - this is perhaps the best way we can encourage member comments. If you would like to post a comment simply hit where it says 0 comments (or 6 comments - whatever the prevailing situation.) and you will be invited to post a comment.

Zero Carbon Network Research and membership

2006-10-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

The Zero Carbon Network University Consortium

A great deal of groundbreaking work in the area of zero carbon is being done in universities around the world. The network’s website will function as a portal through which university findings may be accessed.

ZeroCarbonNetwork Research

The objective is to enable the Zero Carbon Network to provide services for its members and at the same time generate an income to fund ongoing research into zero carbon technologies.
It is anticipated that once our membership reaches 500,000 there will be sufficient funds available to commence funding research projects. All research projects to be peer reviewed through the Zero Carbon Network University Consortium.
The research and development arm will be a key element in the network. It will not merely be confined to technology but will also look at wider social, political and economic implications of developing and promoting a zero carbon society.
The political resistance to reducing CO2 emissions is due to two factors – successful lobbying on the part of the mining and oil industries and secondly to the incapacity of politicians to imagine alternatives.
For example it is through a historical accident that we have developed huge centralised power plants. Had Faraday conducted his experiments before the introduction of steam engines we may well have developed a world with lots of small-scale electrical generators to power the various cottage industries. As it was by the time electrical power was harnessed we already had in place large factories demanding equally large power stations.
There is no reason to assume that this model of industrial organization is the most efficient model for the 21st century. There is no reason to assume that in order to share in the benefits of 21st century affluence the developed world needs to develop the same models of mass production that fuelled the developed world’s economic growth.
Technological Research
Large organizations will be approached with an invitation to fund the establishment of the Zero Carbon Network Research Institute.
Financial contributors to Research institute will have the first option on any ideas that are submitted by individual members. As people start thinking about a zero carbon world ideas about technological innovations will occur to them. In some instances these ideas will be capable of immediate implementation, in many instances the ideas will be the stimulus for new products and inventions.
As sponsors they will have the opportunity to get access to the Intellectual Property. This will not be unconditional access – they will have the opportunity to develop the idea and then use the idea under licence for a fee based on the amount that they have contributed.
For example: If the value of the sponsorship has been $500,000 then in negotiating the IP Licence the first $1,000,000 will be regarded as an equitable return on their investment. Hence they will not start paying any fees until they have enjoyed the benefit of a 100% return on their original sponsorship
Deferred Payment
Small to medium enterprises will also have ideas that they know will increase their profitability. The Zero Carbon Network Research Institutes can develop these ideas for them at no cost. Where they choose the deferred payment option the ZCN will either use its own resources to fund the research or negotiate with one of the larger members for research funding. The final product can then be purchased by the SME or use the idea under licence.
Membership Fees

Individual membership: Free
To become a member all that is needed in the first instance is to send an email to zerocarbonfuture@gmail.com The free members will receive regular email bulletins regarding network progress.
Financial individual members as with the individual membership in the first instance send an expression of interest to zerocarbonfuture@gmail.com. The membership fee for financial members is $50. Financial members will have the opportunity to help set the direction of the institute. As member benefits such as the energy co-operative, member discounts from our commercial members evolve they will have immediate access to those benefits.
Corporate
Not for profit Organizations $100
Businesses $200
The first objective will be to use the funds raised to create a website. Corporate members will not only have links to their organization/business on the website they will also be entitled to communicate directly to the membership.

www.ZeroCarbonNetwork.cc

2006-10-05T23:46:00.000-07:00

We have registered our domain name with the Cocos Islands. Their extension is cc standing in our case for Climate Change.
The Cocos Islands are part of Australia. Only a modest rise in sea levels will mean that the Cocos Islands will be no more - whilst not many Australians live there, it is still the case that we will be contributing to some 5000 or so people losing their homes and the land of their birth all because we were not prepared to adjust our lifestyles.

The website will be launched in 2007. Those corporate members who join before our membership reaches 500,000 will have a free corporate advertisement included in their membership. Once our target of 500,000 members is reached existing corporate members will continue to be able to advertise for a further five years at a discounted rate of 80% of the current corporate fee.

The website will be designed to generate an income. As we are a non profit making organization any income that we get will be used to offset the reasonable running costs of the network but more importantly used to fund our own Research and Development programme.

member benefits

2006-10-05T23:39:00.000-07:00

1. Carbon Trading – there are many programmes in place to enable people to get a financial benefit from carbon trading. As we are not for profit organization we are looking to establish a carbon-trading network where all the benefits from carbon trading flow to our members.
We have had a number of members attending forums in Europe where carbon trading is already established - we will be looking to their expertise to implement the best programme for Australian conditions.
2. Energy Co-operative– all of our members domestic and commercial will be able to join the energy co-operative whereby we purchase energy for you at the cheapest prices.
Some of our members are working in the energy sector, their knowledge and expertise will enable us to develop a co-op that reduces your carbon footprint and saves you money on what little energy you consume.
3. Zero Carbon Rating. Consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of supporting businesses that make their contributing to counteracting the impact of Climate Change. All corporations listed on our website will have a Zero Carbon rating.
For some time we have had a number of firms that provide ethical investment alternatives. We intend to move on from that to giving advice about the efforts that businesses are making in reducing their carbon footprint.
4. Target marketing – opportunities to promote your goods and services to all our members.
The Zero carbon Network Website will be established as a portal to a zero carbon future. All corporate members will have the opportunity to market their goods and services on the website.

personal options

2006-10-05T23:20:00.000-07:00

1. You may choose to reduce your own carbon footprint – the network can help by placing you in touch with the solutions that enable you to make the changes in your own life.
2. You may choose to do that and also be a change agent – this means contributing your ideas about the ways in which governments can legislate to ensure that zero carbon solutions are not disadvantaged in the market place. (Every time governments announce subsidies for the exploitation of fossil fuels they are effectively making it harder for zero carbon solutions to be economically attractive.)
3. You may choose to be a centre of influence. This will suit many not for profit organizations who can join and introduce their members to a zero carbon future. In turn the Network will promote the activities of your organization to all Zero Carbon Members.
4. You may be a business that is looking for more efficient ways to operate the Network can help to enable you to become a Zero Carbon Business and improve your bottom line.
5. You may operate a business or run an organization that has developed or sells zero carbon solutions.
These five options are not mutually exclusive. Once our interactive website has been established (our target is early 2007) you will be able to contribute internet links to sites which list strategies (eg the green peace site :
http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/issues/climate-change)
Equally we will be listing businesses that sell zero carbon solutions (eg http://www.greenstreets-sue.com.au and www.re-sa.com.au. )
Equally important are the ideas and suggestions that are generated by everyone who is concerned about climate change. these can be incorporated now simply by commenting on these posts.
Finally no matter how much individuals and businesses do there is a real need for governments to take responsibility to introduce legislation that will encourage zero carbon strategies.
For example energy efficient homes can make a signficant difference to Greenhouse emissions. But there is a substantial upfront cost to home owners. A tax rebate for owners reducing their carbon footprint is one way to encourage people to make that investment.
Governments will not change unless it is clear that there are signficant numbers of voters who are concerned about climate change. By creating a zero carbon network we are able to demonstrate to governments that this is a real and pressing concern.

Purpose of yet another Network

2006-10-05T02:40:00.000-07:00

The name "Zero Carbon Network" has been chosen with some care. It reflects a commitment to the promotion and development of technologies that enable us to reduce our carbon footprint but equally it reflects a recognition that there are an increasingly large number of business, organizations and individuals who have made the decision that the future of human kind depends on our ability to reduce our carbon footprint.
As with any network then we bring together people and organizations with diverse interests and enable them to share the insights that they have about reducing carbon emissions.
You only have to look at the people who came together at our first meeting to see the way this diversity has helped us.
The idea for the network came through an online collaboration between Helen Caldicott http://www.nuclearpolicy.org/ and John TÃ¶ns. Helen is a long standing campaigner against nuclear energy, John was looking for ways in which local government can be more responsive to the need to reduce carbon emissions. The next step was to contact people with a likely vested interest and hence Ekkehard GrossKreutz from Open Energy was approached http://openenergy.com.au/ he in turn approached a range of other people consumers, businesses people such as http://greenstreets-sue.com.au/and on line businesses http://ecovoice.com.au/ this group decided that it was worth their while to invest some time informalizinging the establishment of this network as an additional vehicle through which the dream of a zero carbon world could realized.

The Zero carbon Network

2006-10-04T03:33:00.000-07:00

The Zero Carbon Network is a coalition of consumers, businesses and non-profit organizations that are committed to waging war on climate change. Climate change is the single greatest threat facing the planet and the network is determined to ensure that consumers and governments are exposed to genuine solutions. The Network will actively promote strategies that provide incentives for businesses to use energy more efficiently.

The Network has been created because we recognize that although there is a lot that individual consumers and businesses can do to reduce their carbon footprint ultimately without effective Government intervention and appropriate regulation we are destined to continue to increase the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere.

We further believe that there is only one currency that politicians understand or fully appreciate: voters. Therefore our aim is to grow the network so that governments fully appreciate that the Australian voters from across the political spectrum believe that Climate Change is the biggest challenge facing Australia.