Thinking Green - Our Homes & Beyond

There are a lot of environmentally friendly, or green issues, relating to products used in around the family home, or in our lives further afield.  Here are some things to think about to help you make 'green' decisions and changes!

Cleaning

There are a lot of issues relating to environmentally friendly cleaning around the house, here are a few to consider:
 

Do you know all of the ingredients in your cleaners ? What is the active ingredient in your cleaner ? Does your cleaner cause breathing, eye or skin irritation ? Is your cleaner made from natural ingredients ? What does toxic mean ? Is your cleaner considered a poison ? What are environmentally friendly cleaning products ?

Energy

Energy bills are a concern for any household, therefore the incentive to go for green energy must include a reduction in cost at some point. Not just in green energy or more sustainable energy but in energy usage.

Here are some considerations in relation to reducing energy use as well as using green energy: 

Why do you see more and more solar cells on household roofs ? Is solar power cheaper for my household ? How much does solar power costs to install ? Is solar power affordable ? What is wind power ? Can I power my house with a wind generator ? Is solar power effective ? Can I make money back with solar power ? How much are solar batteries ? Are compact fluorescent lights cheaper to run ? Why can we no longer buy household filament globes in Australia ? How much power is used when a machine is on standby ? What is the household cost of all the items that are on standby for a year ? What energy using devices in your house are on all-the-time ? What are energy star ratings ? How could you more efficiently use a fridge, an oven, a pool ? What situations involve the use of a number of electronic devices at once (video games / dvd ) ? What is the most economical way to run a reverse cycle air conditioner ? What is the most energy efficient way to heat your house, and cool your house ? Does insulation make my home more energy efficient ? What is the energy star rating system ? Can I monitor my electricity use with a meter ? How do roller shutters reduce energy use ? Can heavy curtains reduce my energy use ? Can carpet reduce my heating costs ? Can roof air vents (whirlybirds) reduce my home energy costs ? How do skylights reduce my lighting energy costs ? What are the best practices for an energy efficient home ?

Food

There's a number of green issues that we can take a look at in regards to food. Here are a few to get you started:

What are the most energy efficient ways to heat food ? What are the most energy efficient ways to keep food cold ? Is it better to buy from a supermarket or a fruit and veg store ? How far has your food you buy travelled (what are food miles) ? Are there environmental animal issues with certain foods ? Is is more energy efficient for the family to all eat together ? Do you sit in front of the TV when you eat ? Is your food wrapped in plastic wrap or in a plastic container ? What do the recycle numbers on plastic containers mean ? How do microwave ovens effect your food ? What do your pets eat (if you have any) ? How much rubbish is created by food packaging, bones, other waste ? What are the advantages of being vegan or vegetarian ? Are hormones or antibiotics absorbed through your food ? How much food does not get used and wasted ? Do you compost organic materials ? What is your weekly household food bill ? Do you grow any of your own food ?

Water

Water is the lifeblood of pretty much all living creatures. Water seems abundant, but is clean fresh water available everywhere and to everyone? How do we maintain clean water, and how do we reduce our water usage?

How much water does your household use ? What is the cost of your household water usage ? What are the 3 primary water uses in your house ? Do you recycle any water ? What is grey water ? Can I use grey water at my house ? How much does it cost to set up a grey water system ? How can I save water when showering or bathing ? How can I save water with my pool ? Is water from plastic bottles safe to drink ? How far has your bottled water travelled ? What are low flow water saving devices ? What products are grey water safe ? What type of garden is most water efficient ? Does maintaining a lawn use a lot of water ? What is the most efficient way to water lawn or plants ? How can I harvest rain water ? How much is a rain water tank ? What size rain water tank do I need ? Could I have a dam on my property ? When is the best time to water lawn or plants ? What is the most water efficient way to wash my car ? What are the best dual flush toilet systems ? What are the different solar hot water systems ?

Garden

Having a garden is common to most homes. What are some of the issues we might take into consideration to make these gardens areas more eco friendly or sustainable?

Is lawn the best use of an area ? What is drought resistant lawn ? Do trees need a lot of water ? Are flowers a good use of water ? Does effective use of shade save water ? Can I plant plants in a way that is more efficient ? Can I grow my own food ? What fruit trees should I grow ? What vegetables should I grow ? What is a food forest ? What are the best plants for my region ? What are worm farms ? What is garden mulch ? What are the best drip irrigation systems ? Can I use solar lighting outdoors ?

Technology

Technology can play a part in sometimes making our lives easier. They also play a big part in our energy use.

What can we consider in making our use of technology more environmentally friendly?

How many gadgets do you use everyday ? How many gadgets do you own ? Is a mobile phone really necessary ? How many of your devices contain plastic ? How many of your devices seem outdated after only a year or two ? Are your devices using earth resources that are depleting (touchscreens) ? How many devices require power to operate ? How many devices are on standby ? How many TV's do you have in your house ? Is my fridge and freezer energy efficient ? Does microwaving save more energy than a stove? How many computers are operational in your house, how many devices attached ? Can I print on recycled paper ? Can I use a dimmer switch ? Can a timer save me energy? Should I use electric of gas heating ? Are LCD TV's more energy efficient than CRT TV's ?

Clothing

Your families clothing can also take on environmental friendly considerations. Here are just a few things to consider:

Can I put more clothes on instead of turning on the heating ? Is my clothing made of animal products ? Is my clothing going to last a long time ? Does my clothing contain leather ? What are some of the reasons leather might be a concern ? Can I wash my clothing in cold water ? What is the best way to dry my clothes ? What happens to the water after I clean my clothes ? What is the active ingredient in clothes washing products ? What is environmentally friendly stain removal ? Is it better to buy locally made clothes ? Could I make some of my own clothes ?

Waste

Household waste is always a growing concern with more and more rubbish being generated every day, week, month, year. This of course has a huge environmental impact as it has to be dumped somewhere.
Here are some things to consider in relation to household waste:

How much rubbish does my household put in the bin each week ? Where does that rubbish go ? Do I have a recycling bin ? What goes in the recycling bin ? What contains more, the recycling bin or the waste bin ? What do they do at recycling plants ? Are some plastic drinking bottles toxic when re-used ? If you had to keep all of your own rubbish on your own property, would you create less ? What is the 'Great Pacific Garbage Patch' ? How long does it take for plastics to break down ?

Travel

Does travel effect the environment? Are there greener ways to travel? Of course, let's ask ourselves some questions about the effects of travel:

On average how many people travel in your car ? What is the shortest distance you will travel by car ? Can cars run on energy other than oil based fuels ? What is peak oil ? Does transporting food from another country add to the cost ? How much carbon emission is jet plane responsible for ? Which is more green, electric trains or diesel ? What are food miles ? What is a hybrid car ? What is an electric car ? How efficient is an electric car ? How much do hybrid cars cost ? How much do electric cars cost ? Does your city or region support bike tracks and lanes ? How might we travel in the future when oil becomes to expensive ?

Business

Many of the ways business can go green are the same ways household can go green, however here are some issues to think about relating to business:

Can my business be green and profitable ? Does my business generate excessive amounts of carbon ? What are carbon trading schemes ? Does your business use excessive amounts of energy (power, oil) ? How can I offset my flight ? Is the business generating excessive amounts of waste ? Is my business sustainable into the future ? How does my business effect the environment ? What can a business do to enhance the environment ? Does your business support environmental projects ? How can your business use recycled paper ? Can your business use solar power ? How can your business reduce its lighting ? Can my business use electric vehicles ? What is my businesses carbon footprint ?

Sustainable & Resilient Communities

DESIGNING FOR THE FUTURE

In working to minimise the multifaceted problems facing the world as we move ahead in the 21st Century- such as climate change, pollution, Peak Oil... and in fact Peak Everything- there is a lot that can be done at community level. This article is aimed at opening up ideas and discussions and stimulating questions that hopefully will lead to a better understanding of what the options are and and to help you discover the areas in which you would like to get involved. 

Community is going to play an enormous role in future resilience and the sooner we begin to re-establish a deeper connection to our community, and work together with our neighbours, the better off we will be.

So... what kinds of communities are we seeing evolve, what issues are they tackling and how can we all play a part in creating our future?

TRANSITION TOWNS

The Transition Town movement, which began as a concept developed by Rob Hopkins and his students in Kinsale Ireland and then further expanded and put into action in Rob Hopkin's current hometown of Totnes UK, is now underway in many countries of the world, with many more communities in the early stages of involvement.

Transition towns work to a plan to take their community from high impact, high fossil fuel dependency to ways of operating which have less impact and are not so dependant on high usage of fossil fuels.

Is your town/area/suburb a "Transition Town"? If so, find out ways that you can get involved.

If not, who might you talk to within your community about the possibility of it becoming a Transition Town? How might you be able to drum up community enthusiasm and participation for becoming a Transition Town? What might the transition and energy descent plan look like for your area? What considerations are important for your community?

ECO VILLAGES AND INTENTIONAL COMMUNITIES

These are purpose built, or established, communities which implement environmentally friendly practices, materials and lifestyles as a major focus of the whole community. The members work closely as a team to make the community work. Intentional communities may also have a specific focus which the members share, such as maybe creative pursuits, natural therapies or maybe spiritual beliefs.


LOCALISATION

Localisation is a big part of the Transition Town plan, and important for any community. It is not practical to continue relying on things to be brought in from great distances, not sensible for people to live far away from their jobs, shops, services and family. It makes much more sense for things to be concentrated within your local community, preferably within walking or biking distance.

What products and services do you utilise in your local community? What could you access locally that you usually source from further afield? What do you have to leave your community to obtain?

An interesting exercise is to trace the path of your food- and other items if you wish- from where it is produced to your home. Where does it originate? How does it travel to your location... and how far is this? What other resources might be used it getting it from "there to here"... such as maybe refrigeration?

Can you find ways to change your eating and other consumption habits, to use food etc which can be sourced closer to your home?

Can you find local farmers or growers whom you could buy from direct? What about neighbours with backyard chickens or veggie gardens- do they have excess for sale, or maybe a swap?

Approach your local supermarket or other shop about getting in more locally grown and produced food.

What about setting up a barter or other exchange system for your local community? They might be especially useful for skill-sharing projects.

IMPORTANT COMMUNITY CONSIDERATIONS

Every community has certain requirements- some are much the same from community to community, while some are more specific to an individual community.

What kind of needs does your community have and how could they be provided more locally, and using "greener" means? How can your community become prepared for these changing times?

Some of the things you might consider are:

Health and wellness care specific to your communities needs? Elder care? Food- what could be made or grown locally? Community Gardens? CSA's, swaps and markets? Encourage households to grow food? Council land that could be utilised for food growing? Fruiting street trees? Preserving and storing food? Localised employment possibilities to save on commute time? Making use of local people for things such as garden maintenance, cleaning, childcare etc. Transport- does your community need to campaign for better public transport? A community bus? Car pools and car shares? Transport for elderly members? Water- How about rain harvesting? Households encouraged to have rain water tanks? Water saving plans for public parks and sporting facilities etc. Waste- can better use be made of storm water or grey water? Can a lower impact sewage treatment/disposal system be implemented? Energy- generation of solar and wind power on public buildings? Households encourages to have solar panels? Housing- "green" requirements for new houses? Retrofitting encouragement for existing homes? Use of vegetation to help control climate? Workshops and classes held on all kinds of relevant topics, such as permaculture, organic gardening, retrofitting houses, reskilling etc. Emergency preparedness- emergency plans for potential disasters for your area? Advice on emergency supplies for households in case of extended power outage or interruption to food supply? Plans for community security and safety in the event of a disaster or other occurrence?

Do some research into what skills and knowledge your local community members possess. There may be untapped, or under-utilised talents right at your doorstep!

What is missing?? Can you recruit people to your area to fill those gaps?


COMMUNITY BASED PROJECTS

Great savings in all kinds of ways can be made when communities work together on joint projects, or share resources. This is also a wonderful tool in building community spirit.

Here are some community projects which have been successful in many areas- maybe you will be able to implement some of them in your community:

Tool Libraries- a collection of tools and equipment, usually both donated and bought from borrowing or membership fees, available for loan or hire to members. This could also be done on an unofficial basis, by neighbours sharing what they have, rather than everyone owning a lawnmower, for instance. Neighbours may also decide to go in together on a group owned item. Of course, some general rules need to be agreed to between the parties, to make things as conflict free as possible. Toy Libraries- similar principle to above. Allows parents to borrow new toys for their children to enjoy, especially as children outgrow certain interests, or would just like a change. Many book libraries also have toy libraries. Community Garden- Either run on a plot per household basis, or everyone works in together on whole garden and divides up the harvest. Once again, clear guidelines are needed. Community produce swaps and markets. Trash and treasure type swaps/markets. Local currency- a currency which is only usable locally, at the places which have agreed to honour it. This has worked successfully in several locations, but is certainly something which needs proper research before implementation. The LETS scheme is a variation on this kind of system.

RE-SKILLING

To thrive in coming times, communities are going to require a resurgence of older skills, which are now much rarer and, in some cases, almost lost. Many things which we now rely on machines to do will need to be done, once again, by hand or by machines which don't require fossil fuels.

Skills which may be worth learning, brushing up on or locating people who know them:

Sewing and knitting Gardening- organically, or permaculture, especially with regard to food plants Preserving and storing food Home cooking from scratch Medicinal herbs and bush foods/medicinal plants General first aid Woodworking, basket weaving Using hand tools Repairs, knife sharpening, wood chopping Building and retrofitting Blacksmithing

Choose one, or more, and start learning!


HONOURING ELDERS AND INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE

One of the great resources we should be turning to, and honoring, are our elderly people who have lived through times using the skills and principles we are needing to re-learn. Before it's too late, take the time to talk with older relatives and friends, or see if you can visit an aged facility, and really listen to what these people can tell you about thrift and making do and using less and ways to do things that don't require fancy machines or plastic galore. They won't be around forever, and when they go, their skills, knowledge and wisdom may go with them... unless we keep it alive.

Our indigenous people, especially the older people, also have so much to offer in understanding our relationship with the land and how we can better work in harmony with it. They also have knowledge of bush foods and medicinal plants, which are ideally suited to our specific climates, and may be useful in times of need.


COMMUNITY SPIRIT AND ENGAGEMENT

As much as possible, try to engage as many members of the community as possible in discussions and decisions about how your community might proceed, and allow people, where possible, to get to work on those areas for which they have enthusiasm. When people feel "ownership" of ideas... feel that they have a say and can act on their own ideas... things that they feel strongly about and have a passion for, they quickly build momentum and can achieve great things!

Community building events such as pot luck dinners, BBQ's, community produced entertainment, working bees, workshops etc help people to feel more a part of their community and more willing to take part in things more enthusiastically.

It is important to create connection, to re-create the village mind, and celebrate all that each person has to offer. All the skills, ingenuity and creativity that come together to make something truly wonderful happen. Together, we can achieve much more than the sum total of our individuals, we can become resilient and meet the future and what may come with a joy and positivity... knowing that we are not alone.

Sustainable Food for the Future

Food that helps everyone & everything!

One of the most important issues facing the world is creating sustainable food systems for the changing future. We will no longer be able to rely heavily on fossil fuel abundance to grow, transport and store our food, in the way we have been used to.

That doesn't mean we need to starve however. It means we need to get moving on putting in place other options and implement the changes necessary.


GROWING YOUR OWN FOOD

Never underestimate the power of what you can achieve as an individual. Growing at least some of your own food gives you and your family security and resilience, in times of food supply interruption and provides you with healthy, fresh produce. And if everyone grew food, and swapped excesses with friends and neighbours, the whole community would become more self sufficient.

Get started now, while the need is less urgent, so that if the time arises that you need that food, you have ironed out the bugs and can grow successfully.

Growing food is also a wonderful activity for children to be a part of. It provides exercise, sunshine, a bond with the earth, an understanding of cycles and seasons and uplifts your mood. It also makes some special family times and memories... not to mention the delight a child will experience eating the first ripe tomato of the season, or snapping open fresh peas, straight from the plant!


HOME PRODUCE AND COOKING

Learning, and teaching your children, how to cook wholesome, home made meals from scratch, using wholefoods and produce straight from your garden, is a great skill that will set a healthy pattern for their lives. Experiment... cook over a fire, use a wood oven, try a solar oven. Who knows when these skills may be needed.

If you eat butter and cheeses, Why not learn to make your own? What about your own bread... and don't cheat and use the bread machine. Make your own stocks, your own croutons, your own yummy cookies. See how many things that you usually buy pre-made that you can make yourselves.


STORING AND PRESERVING FOODS

Learning how to properly store different foods- from dry goods to fruits and vegetables- will save a lot of wastage and you will be able to make use of a lot more of your abundant crops or bulk purchases for a longer time period. Keeping out pests is an important aspect, as is correct temperature and humidity. Setting up a good pantry or root cellar record list is a great idea, as well as a rotational schedule to make sure you use the oldest items before the newly added ones.

If you have an excess of harvest, why not try learning how to preserve it for later use? The more ways of preservation you can put into practise, the greater variety of preserved food you will be able to produce.

Try some of these:

• Freezing- a common way of preserving, but works better when you actually know what you are doing and follow some simple principles.
• Drying- you can buy special food dryers, or make your own sun dryer.
• Smoking, salting, glacé.
• Making jam- used to be very common, but less so in the age of convenience.
• Bottling/preserving and pickling

HEALTHY DIETS FOR YOU... AND THE PLANET!

Animal products have the greatest environmental impact, in a host of ways, and therefore are not environmentally friendly at all. Many would say they are not good for your health either. Cutting down, or eliminating, meat and other animal products, is a great way of helping cut down greenhouse gases and the massive destruction to the environment brought about especially by factory farming, along with mass clearing land for grazing animals and growing livestock feed..

So, what are healthy diets? The closer you eat to how a food comes naturally (in most cases) the healthier that food should be. So, wholefoods, not processed. If it has an ingredient list... it's probably not very healthy (with certain exceptions of course.)

Vegan, or if you don't feel you can go that far, vegetarian. If you feel you can't give up meat, eggs or dairy make sure it is truly free range organic- not full of chemicals, toxins, hormones and antibiotics.

Eat lots of fresh, organic raw fruits and vegetables. Straight from the plant if you grow your own! You don't want to be eating something that has sat in storage for months, been artificially ripened with gas, or travelled hundreds or thousands of kilometres by the time it reaches you. How many vibrant nutrients do you think it still has after all that?


PROBLEMS WITH CURRENT FOOD PRODUCTION SYSTEM

Unfortunately, much of our current agriculture and food production is geared towards making as much money, for as little expenditure as possible- with seemingly little consideration for the "product" (animals or plants) or the humans that end up eating them.

Some problems are:

• Production of enormous amounts of greenhouse gases, and other pollutant, along the entire chain of production.
• Toxic chemicals, hormones, antibiotics etc ending up in both plant and animal foods.
• Deforestation and land degradation to grow/graze.
• Oceans being over fished, polluted, fish ingest mercury and other toxins.
• Huge amounts of fossil fuel used for transport of food over long distances.
• Huge monopolies taking over, and having ultimate control of, certain industries.
• Government subsidies for certain industries.
• Health impact studies sponsored by the industry the studies are testing.
• Processed foods being stripped of nutrients and dietary value.
• People becoming ill, obese and dying as a result of their poor diets.
• Workers rights ignored, and abuse rife, in certain industries.
• Immense suffering and hardship by the animals raised in factory farms.

COMMUNITY FOOD PRODUCTION

Within a community, much of its food can be produced locally, by individuals or small organic growers. Localisation is going to become increasingly important. Apart from individuals growing their own food, there are other options to obtain good healthy produce.

Community gardens are a wonderful way to get the community motivated, and is important for those who may not have their own land for gardening, such as those living in flats or retirement villages. They also provide social interaction, exercise and sunshine to those who take part.

Share gardens is another option, where people with garden space to spare partner with those willing to do a lot of the work. This is particularly relevant for older people who may have larger gardens, but find a lot of gardening too difficult. They may partner with younger people living in nearby apartments, who have no garden areas they can use.

CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture) is another great idea, as is approaching local farmers yourself to see if you can buy produce direct... or even have the fun of pick-your-own!

Working together, at a local level, we can create food resilience in our community and ensure the availability of enough food and a healthy diet for all.

The Advantages Of Good Garden Mulch

MULCH FOR YOUR GARDEN - NATURE'S BLANKET 

Mulch is a very important component of a healthy garden, and particular important in our harsh Australian climate, especially in times of drought and summer months.

Mulch has numerous benefits to your garden

• Helps retain moisture, prevents evaporation.

• Stops soil from blowing, or washing, away.

• Organic mulch adds necessary soil components as it decomposes.

• Cuts down weeds, by blocking light needed for weed seeds to germinate- this also applies to seeds you wish to plant, so don't mulch heavily until plant seeds have well and truly sprouted.

• Weeds also pull up out of soft mulch much more easily than soil, especially if it becomes compacted.

• Keeps soil temperature more consistent- insulates against cold and heat.

• Helps lessen soil borne fungal diseases reaching plants.

• Keeps garden beds looking neater and natural.
  
  
  
  Garden Mulching Tips

• Weed area first.

• Don't mulch too close to tree trunks or plant stems, or they may rot.

• Don't mulch heavily where you have planted seeds or tiny seedlings.

Types of garden mulches:

Organic Mulches

Made of natural, organic materials, organic mulches add nutrients to the soil as they decompose.


COMPOST - Compost is like food for the soil! Making your own compost is a great use for vegetable and garden scraps.

It can also be covered with another form of mulch for a more attractive appearance, if desired.

LAWN CLIPPINGS - These can be added to the compost making process, or used as mulch as is. High in nitrogen, so great for veggie patches. Allow to dry first and don't apply to thickly. Don't use lawn clippings which have been sprayed with any type of poison, and be careful not to include any runners from running grasses, or these will often take root and grow in your garden.

LEAVES - Once again, these can be pre-composted, or used as mulch as is. Partially decomposed or crumpled leaves are best, as they don't blow away as easily or mat. Pine needles can be used for the right kind of plants. some gardeners find that they help discourage slugs, as the little creatures don't find crawling over the spiky needles pleasant- makes sense!

SAWDUST - Older sawdust is best for garden mulch. If plants show signs of nitrogen lack, add a nitrogen rich fertilisers.

WOOD CHIPS - Very attractive mulch. Once again, aged chips are better, to safeguard from toxins and fungal contamination.

BARK - Another eye pleasing and long lasting mulch. Eucalyptus and pine bark are commonly used.

STRAW/PEA STRAW- Probably best used as mulch in veggie gardens and similar planting situations. Adds good nutrients to the soil as it decomposes rather quickly.

TOPSOIL - Good topsoil sold at garden centres etc can be an excellent addition, as it contains lots of organic matter which helps insulate, retain moisture, and provide nutrients as it decomposes- everything you want in a mulch. However, make sure that you are buying good quality topsoil!

MANURE - Dry, well rotted manure is a good addition. If it is at the right stage, smell should not be a problem. You can add it to your compost or use as is. Cover with another more attractive mulch if the sight does not appeal.

NEWSPAPER - Sheets or shredded newspaper (uncoloured ink), which is, of course, made from wood, can be very useful in the garden, especially under other more attractive mulch. Great for cutting down weed growth. Ideal for veggie gardens too.

Inorganic Mulches (man-made)

Made from man-made materials, these work well at their mulching job, are long lasting (sometimes almost forever), but do not add anything useful to the soil.

RECYCLED RUBBER - Made from 100% recycled rubber, this is safe long-lasting and natural-looking. Rubber mulch helps retain moisture, controls weeds, moderates soil temperature. Available in various natural shades, to imitate the appearance of bark. Doesn't blow away easily, and works efficiently so a lesser depth is needed.

PLASTIC SHEET - warms the soil, which accelerates plant growth. Stops water escaping and weeds from growing. As it is waterproof, irrigation needs to be done from underneath. Can overheat roots, or retain too much moisture, so caution is required. Plastic is well suited for use in vegetable gardens.

SCORIA/STONES/GRAVEL - Neat, but less natural appearance. Good mulch for a specific landscaping style. Very long lasting mulch. Be careful that pieces don't get into your lawn, or they can be a danger in lawn mowing. Offers a neat appearance but may not blend with every landscape design. They offer some weed control.

WEED MAT - Good for controlling weed growth. Allows moisture and air to reach plant roots. Can be covered with bark or scoria etc for appearance.


LIVING SOILS - The Key to abundant plant growth!