The live local website was launched on Tuesday night at Table for 20, in Surry Hills and was well attended by experts in sustainability, business leaders (including Lucy Turnbull) social media gurus and TV personalities including Guerilla Gardener, Mickie Quick.
live local is a website where users can upload their stories, pictures and videos of living locally. It is free to use and already people are sharing ideas and inspiration. Examples include experiments as simple as #93 ‘A smile doesn’t cost a thing’ to local economic restructure in #99 ‘creating my own money’.
The website was officially launched by businessman turned Peak Oil expert, Piers Dawson-Damer and Digital Eskimo’s Dave Gravina. Piers and Dave share concerns about the threat of Peak Oil and climate change but see ‘re-localisation’ i.e. re-connecting with our neighbours as a creative, positive, accessible and optimistic response to the problem.
Applying practical solutions to climate change, guests were encouraged to bike and walk to the event. Food at the table was sourced as locally as possible, with tomatoes coming from the restaurateur’s Father’s backyard 15 km away. The wines were from Vinifera and Lowe Family wines in Mudgee and beer brewed just around the corner at the Single Origin cafe and we were entertained with beautiful music by Simon and Melinda of The Falls.
Expert verge gardener and inventor of the ‘chippo dollar’ Michael Mobbs shared his ideas about growing food and some of the tactics he used to transform Myrtle Street in Chippendale to an edible urban oasis. Mickie Quick talked about his experiences of re-claiming local spaces as part of his involvement with the TV show Guerilla Gardeners.
The live local Challenge began yesterday with popular Twitterers Rebecca Varidel, Kate Carruthers, and Dave Gravina already signed up to attempt eat only locally sourced food, biking and walking where possible and getting to know their local businesses, neighbours and community better.
Already, challenger Rebecca’s followers have begun a lively debate about how difficult it is to live locally – and the advice from other Twitterers on how and where to source local food is fantastic. You can join in the live local Challenge, and let us know you’re doing it!
For more information, interview requests, or to get involved in any way at all, get in touch with Kate Bedwell.
