Despite much public pressure for a ban on duck shooting, the Victorian Labor government has called for another recreational duck shooting season for 2010 starting March 20. The Coalition Against Duck Shooting is calling for people to join their rescue team to help divert ducks away from shooters and rescue injured birds. To join the rescue team please sign up at CADS. Animal Liberation Youth coordinator Jack Styles has joined up with another young activist, Clementine, to organise their own protest against duck shooting at DUCK ARM-Y.

BAN DUCK SHOOTING - Family Friendly Protest When: 11.00am Sunday 14 March 2010 Where: Steps of Parliament House Spring St Melbourne

The Humanitarian Crisis Hub is excited to announce free workshops and evening sessions in human rights advocacy running throughout 2010. Workshops: A practical full day session lead by an expert facilitator. A chance to bring along your activism work and come away with new skills to improve your advocacy. Evening Sessions: A relaxed evening gathering consisting of a guest speaker, followed by question time, nibbles and informal group discussion. A chance to share your experiences and learn from others. All events are free of charge, but booking is essential. A $15 deposit is required to secure your place and will be refunded at the event. Please call (03) 9289 9226 or email info@crisishub.org.au for more information. Humanitarian Crisis Hub

Ever wished you could put your money where your heart is? Well now you can! The Kindness Bank is opening soon in Fitzroy, Melbourne and will provide the community with an ethically minded bank that we can all use and own. As a member of the Bendigo Community Bank Network, the Kindness Bank will give 80% of branch profits to animal, human and environmental causes globally. Philip Wollen OAM (founder of the Winsome Constance Kindness Trust) is providing the bank branch at 280-284 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, which is part of the world renowned Kindness House. To get involved and sign up for this exciting new community bank visit Kindness Bank

Friends of the Earth (FoE) has joined with other environmental organisations in condemning the announcement by Alcoa that it had reached an agreement to source its electricity from Loy Yang Power’s brown coal station for the next 26 years. “As the largest single consumer of brown-coal-fired electricity in the state, Alcoa knows that it is at extreme risk of losing its social license to operate unless it acts now to dramatically reduce it's greenhouse emissions” said FoE campaigns co-ordinator Cam Walker. “It has known of the imperative to shift from carbon intensive energy sources for years and, with the lease to its Anglesea operation coming up soon, had a huge opportunity to show leadership and drive innovation in renewable technology – and the creation of many new jobs - on the Surf Coast and elsewhere in Central and Western Victoria”. “Instead, it has turned its back on the energy sources of the 21st century, opting for the dirty energy path of the 19th century. It will be judged harshly by the community for this failure of vision.” FoE

Derwent Valley and Central Highlands residents have hit the polls early, voting ‘1’ for the protection of Tasmania’s old-growth forests by delivering more than 1200 signed postcards to Premier David Bartlett calling on him to end logging in the precious Upper Florentine Valley. Ellendale resident Lynda Blyth today stated: “We strongly encourage all Tasmanians to only vote for candidates who commit to not log the Upper Florentine.” The over thousand postcards was placed in a box marked with the words “Vote for the Florentine”, a symbolic gesture acknowledging the importance voters place on the protection of high conservation value forests. The conservationists, mostly middle-aged Derwent Valley and Central Highlands residents, are among the 22 people who were all arrested in the Upper Florentine forest on Mother’s Day this year. The arrests took place during a rally at which more than 200 people voiced their dissent against the destruction of the World Heritage quality values of the Upper Florentine forests. The Upper Florentine valley is virtually surrounded by Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and is largely untouched by industrial logging. The forest contains large areas of old growth forest that has been shown to be amongst the most carbon dense in the world, as well as caves containing evidence of Aboriginal occupation stretching back around 30 000 years. Huon