Greening NifwlSeirff

Going green in October - reducing emotional consumption

2009-10-16T11:40:00.001+11:00

It has been a tough several months for me, and my old habit of spending when in pain and depressed has started to reappear, and this time it could have a double impact as I have been purchasing (and eating) poor foods. This blog post is a reminder to myself (or rather me telling myself off!), of the other good habits and activities I can do, and avoid shopping.

Go for a walk, take my camera - I love photography, and live near a state forest, full of wildlife, ferns and walking tracks. Exercise helps relieve stress, and in the long term, reduces pain for me (in the short term, it increases pain). Also, I can use my stockpile of exercise DVDs when the weather is nasty.
Get out in the garden, take cuttings and plant them. I have soil, compost, healthy plants, a stockpile of seeds, as well as a bunch of larger plants that need to be pruned. I also have newspaper (weed matting) and straw, so I can look after and improve my garden without purchasing anything new. Gardening is also exercise... hurts in the short term, but there are long term benefits - fitness, flexibility, reduced pain, and fruits/vegetables from a happy garden.
Pre-cook and freeze meals and snacks. I can make my own cookies, knowing what goes into them, I can make them healthier, or make small batches. To use up what I have bought, I can bulk-cook meals and freeze them, making it easier to choose something for dinner. I have a bunch of veggies that I can make into soups, and have salad greens waiting to be eaten. I should use what I have more often, reducing the number of times I 'have' to go to the shops, and ensuring I don't eat junk. This is something I must focus on at the moment as this is my weakest area.
Craft and sew more. I have a huge stockpile of quilting fabric, cross stitching floss and pattens, sewing stuff and clothes waiting for repair. As I have lost a lot of weight recently, I also have a bunch of clothes that I could alter to fit. I should make this my mantra - use what I have. I don't need to buy more clothes.
Play more. I have a bunch of games, including several fitness games. Games reduce stress, and although the fitness games may hurt in the short term, they will do good things long term. I also have access to a massive pile of board games, and always want to play more, but never seem to get around to it. I'm sure my cats would also appreciate me playing more with them!
Read and study more. I have always been a book worm, and have a pile of unread books. Instead of adding more to that pile, I will read what I have. I also have piles of more difficult Japanese books and magazines, which I may be able to start to read if I used the Japanese text books that are gathering dust on the shelves. I am within easy walking distance of three libraries, and the online catalog allows me to put a hold on any book in a much larger library network. I am using the libraries much more often at the moment, which has reduced the urge to shop for books.
Sleep more. Being a night owl is difficult, even when not working. Staying up till very late does not work well with appointments. Sleep is so important for pain control, health and depression. I never seem to get enough. If I got more sleep, I would feel better in myself, and the urge to shop would be less.
Write to friends more often. I have fallen out of touch with many of my friends. I have a stockpile of lettersets, and a few pre-paid envelopes and stamps, so it would be easy to write a letter to catch up. Or I could send an email, and attach some photos (seeing as all my photos are electronic!) I don't need to buy anything for this!

Enough blogging, I shall go and actually do some of these things, and find my way out of my funk, without spending!

Going green in September - downshifting

2009-09-14T22:27:00.001+10:00

Recently I've had both the good and bad fortune to stop work. It's bad in that there is less money coming into the household, so I need to focus on reducing costs, reusing and repairing items. But there are many good (and green) aspects:

I can walk to many more places - as I now have the extra time, I can use the car less, which saves petrol, increases my fitness, and gets me out into the sunshine (I'm vitamin D deficient). I recently completed a 20km walk from the city to home!
Spend time in the garden and grow my own food - unfortunately, I start my non-working stint by house-sitting, but once I get home, I will get stuck into the garden and put in loads of vegetables for the spring growing season. All from seeds that I already have.
Cook from scratch - although cooking from scratch takes more time, it is more rewarding, makes me a better cook and costs less. My meals are more healthful as I am using less packaged foods with 'numbered' ingredients.
Repair my clothes - many of my clothes are wearing very thin, instead of throwing them away and buying new ones, I can spend the time repairing my existing clothes. Both my partner and I have lost weight, so there are a number of clothes that can be 'cut down', providing I have the time to do so. Not working will give me the time (and hopefully the energy) to repair our wardrobes.
Focus on my health - decreasing medications, trips to the doctors and specialists and the number of tests I have to undergo to treat numerous chronic illnesses is the main reason I have stopped working. I am using this non-work time to focus on regaining a lot of the health, energy and motivation I have lost while spending my few spoons on my career. To add an incentive, I will be participating in a 50km walk in November!
Use the library - I now have the time to read and increase my knowledge, so the library (and the internet) is beckoning to be used as a resource. When walking, I can listen to educational podcasts and ebooks on various topics, as well as free music provided by various podcasts.
Declutter - I will be selling or giving away many of my less-loved possessions, partly to help on the financial front, but mainly to reduce the clutter around home, and simplify my life. Often I have found that these possessions will be loved by others more than I currently love them, so it's time they moved on.
Finish what I started - I have so many craft projects that are part-way through, now that I have some extra time and energy (after completing my studies), I will be able to spend some on completing some (all!) of my unfinished craft projects.

Ceasing work was my choice, and it wasn't an easy one. In the last few years, my health has taken a back seat, difficult with many worsening and difficult to treat chronic pain conditions. Although I am mainly focused on improving my health and completing my studies, not working will have a positive impact on the environment in many non-obvious ways. I have been given a chance to slow down and simplify my life, to focus on looking after my health and my family, and in the process, to improve my impact on the environment.

Each month I am posting a 'Going green' tip for a year long electronic swap.

Going green in August - more digital tips

2009-08-14T21:04:00.004+10:00

I am still very taken with my various electronic gadgets, and finding that they replace a lot of traditionally use once and throw-away resources.

Notes - I have notes on my phone, laptop, and web in various formats, including digital sticky notes. I rarely write things I want to remember on paper any more. Although paper is recyclable, reducing such waste is a win.
Apps - yes, I'm another iPhone convert. I have a shopping list app (don't have to jot down shopping lists on paper any more, and can share the lists with my partner), goal/food/budget/fitness and health trackers - essentially eliminating a journal. My calendar is synchronised with Google so I can access it from anywhere, and I have Japanese flash card apps (so I don't have to cart huge sets of kanji and vocabulary flash cards around). I record when the car is filled with petrol in a shared Zenbe list (although that one is a fairly low feature app). Even the TV guide and weather information is readily available. I display emergency medical info on my phone's background picture and an emergency phone number, so I don't even have to purchase a bracelet / necklace or carry a diary. 'Eco' apps have been slowly gathering momentum.
Music - I am finding that I am buying music through iTunes that I already own, because it takes less shelf space to store. As I'll be moving overseas next year, reducing the amount of stuff I have to store is a good thing. I then sell the physical CD, and recoup a tiny fraction of the costs, and the CDs go on to other people who will appreciate them.
Movies and TV series - we used to collect loads of DVDs (and still do, to a lesser extent), but we've started downloading 'rental' movies, and buying TV series (by download). I am not quite used to this just yet, but I can see myself doing this more and more as the variety increases in online stores. I only wish there were more regional releases from around the world available in Australia - it's a little too America-centric at the moment.
Podcasts - I listen to a huge range of podcasts online - they are almost always free. Saves me money, resources and entertains me! I'm not a big audiobook fan, as I like hearing my own internal voices reading dialog, but I know a number of people who love them.
Maps - Google maps on my phone and computer has replaced the street directory. If we are going into the bush though, we take along a really old street directory, just in case there isn't phone coverage.
News - I don't read magazines or newspapers anymore, unless the content is viewable online. I now read news from around the world - not typically available in print, where I live.
E-books - awesome when they are in PDF format - I have an excellent PDF reader that allows me to bookmark and annotate all PDF files (Skim for Mac). I will be purchasing a couple of mobile Lonely Planet travel guides when I travel next year (more apps), and not have to purchase and lug around the physical books!
Recipes - there are a huge number of recipe archive websites, some with extensive ratings - the best test of any recipe! These days, I rarely purchase recipe books, because usually, only a few recipes from the book are repeat-worthy.
Patterns - there are a huge number of free craft pattern sites available, I don't purchase patterns or tutorial books now, but just following instructions I found online. One of my favourite costuming sites is an amazing resource, especially for detailed LoTR costuming!
Printed references - as I often document bits and pieces of software, or pull documents together from multiple sources, having more than one monitor has been wonderful - I don't need to print copies of documents to refer to - I can display them as I am writing. I'm also fairly comfortable with editing digitally, saving me a lot of printing! However, when I do have to print something, I usually print double sided, two pages per page.

I catch myself wondering fairly often these days - what else could go digital, freeing up resources and clutter?

Each month I am posting a 'Going green' tip for a year long electronic swap.

Going green in July - some gardening ideas

2009-07-06T13:43:00.003+10:00

Compost or use a worm farm instead of throwing organic waste into the rubbish bins and landfill.
Offer to rake your neighbours' leaves, and add these to your garden beds or compost - excellent mulch.
Collect fallen bark and tree fern fronds and use these as mulch to protect moisture in the soil.
Clean out your gutters and add the soil, leaf and branch litter to the compost pile.
Create home-made potting and seed raising mixtures by mixing sand and heat-treated garden soil with a little compost and coir.
Create newspaper, toilet roll, egg carton, or cardboard seedling pots - reduces transplant shock. Cut the bottom of the 'pots' open for root growth.
Create soil blocks for starting seeds, using a home-made soil blocker.
Recycle normal containers for growing seedlings.
Instead of placing thick prunings or logs from cut-down trees out for rubbish collection, use them to edge garden beds, or as a pot stand.
Use newspaper and unwaxed cardboard as weed matting or under a no-dig garden.
Sew, tack or tie together small bags out of fabric that lets some light and air through, but not moisture or birds. Perhaps pantyhose? Use these little bags to collect seeds to start next season's veggie garden.
Reuse broken broom handles (or other cleaning equipment), as garden stakes.
Look for free garden supplies on freecycle. Many freecycle groups have a 'chat' group that encourages plant or seed swaps.
Grow comfrey, lucerne or smart clover as a green manure crop, to reduce or eliminate adding fertiliser and large amounts of compost to the soil.
Use lawn trimmings on the garden, or in the compost, rather than giving them to the local council in a green rubbish collection.
Collect cuttings from plants around the neighbourhood (best to ask for permission first). Take a lot of cuttings and the strong plants will survive. Perhaps ask schools or libraries for their permission to take cuttings from plants on their grounds - the plants are usually very hardy!
Set up a produce/plant/seed swap with friends / family. Each gardener has his specialties and weak points - swap the produce/plants/seeds that you are good at growing, for ones that you struggle with.
If you don't have garden space, offer to maintain a friend's or family member's garden, perhaps swap for tutoring, house cleaning, sewing, cooking, or other services?
Spend time actively maintaining your garden - free exercise. Rope in exercise buddies for extra help and company in the garden.
Reclaim your lawn - turn it into a food garden (unless you need it for your family or pets).
Grow flowering shrubs of various types to encourage small to medium sized birds - they eat garden pests.
Use left over or flat beer to drown happy snails (in a special snail drowning container with a lid), or sugar water with yeast. This only works for small areas though.
Make a bug spray using garlic and chilli in water. Add a few drops of pyrethrum oil or soap.
Preserve surplus produce so it is not wasted - make it your specialty!
- freeze it
- dry it (in an oven or a dehydrator)
- cook it! (many cooked dishes freeze well)
- make home made fruit jams and cordials
- eat it!
Buy local ripe produce in bulk (or at reduced prices), and preserve it.
Buy good quality gardening tools - they may cost more initially, but they (normally) last much longer.

Each month I am posting a 'Going green' tip for a year long electronic swap.

Going Green in June - Chronic illness

2009-06-15T20:26:00.001+10:00

nifwlseirff on flickr

One of the main problems with chronic pain or illness is the lack of energy. It saps you of motivation, enthusiasm, and more often than not, easier, less green options are more appealing. It takes energy to make changes, to maintain a garden, to cook from scratch, to sew and clean, to walk to places, etc. Usually, money is prioritised to medicines and treatments, leaving less to spend on local organic foods (that are typically quite expensive).

As a chronic pain sufferer, dealing with multiple, complicated illnesses¹, my green journey is slower and more gradual. Many times I have been a little less eco-conscious in one area, to enable me to work on another area. For example, Melbourne has very low water levels, but I will take an extra long hot shower to reduce pain levels enough so I can apply mulch to the garden. The Spoon Theory is an excellent description of the challenges that the chronically ill face every day.

Going greener while chronically ill is a complex balancing act. Work and studies can also greatly tip this balance, especially when there are massive deadlines that require a lot of overtime and energy to meet. Usually, energy is prioritised into work, family, friends, self, hobbies and then any other projects. Physical work (like gardening), is often one of the first casualties. Sometimes, medications can also decimate energy levels and the immune system².

I find it useful to focus on some of the smaller changes when the pain flares, and deal with the bigger projects when the energy is there. Unfortunately, this means the bigger projects keep getting put off as I'm one of those who prioritise work first - which currently takes all my energy and more - going into rather a bad spoon deficit at the moment.

Use a compost bin - the tub in the kitchen doesn't get emptied each day (lots of steps - steep block), and sometimes when it's full, a small amount of organic scraps do go into the normal rubbish.
Collect rinse/shower water to use on potted plants - I take out the jug/bucket when I am capable of lifting it. When it's full, some water does go down the drain.
Use eco-friendly cleaners - sometimes I am not able to make my own, so I spend (quite a bit) extra to buy eco-friendly products from the supermarket (Ecover, Seventh Generation, Earth Choice are my typical brands). A bonus is that these products are usually low irritant, something that is important for many chronic illness patients.
Repair/re-purpose clothes - I have a growing pile of clothes that are awaiting repair, or re-purposing as quilts, rugs or rags. As my hands are one of the worst hit by my health conditions, sewing and crafting are often put off, typing for work is higher priority. But, I don't throw out clothing made of fabrics that I can re-use elsewhere.
Wear (good quality) clothing out - I purposefully choose not to follow the fashions, and instead buy good quality clothing. It's winter now, and I have previously invested in good quality merino layers, a hat and some scarves, and a good, warm coat - excellent for cold weather to maintain little warmth - necessary to manage one of my illnesses. It means I don't need to have the heater on as high. Merino wears extremely well, which means I need to do fewer loads in the washing machine.
Cook in small-but-bulk-quantities - but only on days when I have enough energy, and it usually takes me a few days to recover. But I have a freezer stocked with dinners and lunches that I can reheat as necessary. Therefore, I rely less on take away, and produce less waste (dishes are frozen in reusable glass or plastic containers).

I believe that every little bit counts - a bit is more than nothing at all! Small changes add up over time!

_{1 - Some of my chronic and severe medical conditions: adenomyosis, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, costochondritis, Raynaud's syndrome, Moreton's neuromas, migraines, sciatica, bruxism, kidney disease, chronic sinusitis, and more.
2 - I am currently on a nasty anti-cancer medication to hopefully shrink the large (but benign) adenomyoma growth, which has a host of awful side effects, further denting my greening plans. Most of my illnesses are nerve or inflammation related, but due to the kidney disease, it is not safe for me to have anti-inflammatory medication.}

Each month I am posting a 'Going green' tip for a year long electronic swap.

Going Green in May - Useful resources

2009-05-09T23:17:00.003+10:00

nifwlseirff on flickr

Personally, I find my energy increasing as the colder weather sets in. Autumn is typically the time for me to take stock, plan, declutter, clean and refocus on my goals. Unfortunately, this year has thrown a few additional hurdles my way, and my energy is rather low.

When sorting through a huge list of bookmarks, I pulled out this small collection of links that you may find useful!

Gardening and sustainability

Australia specific, but containing many fact sheets, Gardening Australia is a useful site, with an active community forum.
Backyard poultry aims to keep alive the art (and enjoyment) of your own chooks to provide fresh eggs and help around the garden.
Linda Cockburn's blog details their family's journey in sustainability, previously based in Queensland, but now building a sustainable home in Tasmania: Living the good life
Self-sufficientish recognises that it is unlikely anyone is ever 100% self-sufficient. The forum on the site is very active.
Along with gardening information, recipes and book talk, author Jackie French keeps everyone updated on the local wombat population. Planting-times are Australia specific, but can be adapted to other climates.

Simplifying and anti-consumerism

Updated 2-3 times a month, Finding Simplicity writes about retreating from consumerism.
Zen Habits is a great resource for simplifying and greening your life, covering productivity, motivation, health and more.
Think Simple Now has thoughtful articles about simplicity, productivity, breaking habits and chasing your dreams. Not quite a green blog, but may be useful in helping you implement your eco-changes.
Also writing about gardening and cooking, Choosing Voluntary Simplicity has a bundle of useful posts.

Information, activism and multi-author blogs

The United Nations Environment Programme collaborates with governments, communities and companies to publish information packs on a wide range of environmental topics.
Covering design, blunders, activism and much more, Tree Hugger is a high volume, multi-authored blog.
Eco-Chick is another multi-author blog with a feminine touch.
Although this blog has more of an activism slant, Green-blog also covers green design, and current events.
EcoGeek covers innovations and products aimed at saving the planet's resources.
The Sierra Club and World Wildlife Fund both have resources to help you be greener.
Learning for sustainability has a variety of resources that could be used when proposing changes at work, or for designing school curriculum about sustainability.
Frugality and sustainability typically go hand in hand, Wise Bread has a huge amount of information on frugality.

Each month I am posting a 'Going green' tip for a year long electronic swap.

Going green in April - Go electronic

2009-04-12T12:48:00.005+10:00

nifwlseirff on flickr

Several years ago, offices were proclaiming that they would become paperless, but very few paperless offices really exist, let alone homes. Also, I know electronic devices use electricity (which would be much better if it came from renewable resources, but this is also currently rare). But, you can often save money, save space, save resources and time by going electronic where possible.

If you need to keep a photocopy of a form for your records, scan it instead (most scanners can create a multi-page PDF document, and most modern multi-function photocopiers can email the PDF file to you.) Try not to print documents to paper, use the tracking tools in word processing software (or even just different colours) to mark documents for editing. Store documents online with a version number (even using a date in the filename), rather than keeping a physical printout of each version, keep multiple electronic versions. There are PDF readers available that allow you to annotate PDF documents, such as Skim (Mac) or Xournal (Linux), useful for those who prefer to scribble notes all over their documents. Graphics tablets are becoming more common and less expensive, and there are even pens that allow you to record what you write in ink!

Use an online street directory like the most popular Google Maps. Many modern phones have map functionality, and some even have GPS capabilities. Use online phone and business directories (Yellowpages) and cancel delivery of the printed ones. Although it is a good idea to note down important numbers on paper just in case you lose electricity and/or phone coverage.

Most mobile phones have a calendar function, and can store notes. The newer phones have even more bells and whistles, replacing paper based diaries and notebooks. Usually, phones come with software that can synchronise this information with other programs on your computer.

Read e-books instead of purchasing the latest paperback, that you are unlikely to re-read. You can purchase these from many online websites. High school and university textbooks are much more searchable in electronic format - you aren't limited to the book's table of contents and index. Depending on the electronic book's format, you may be able to make annotations like in PDF files as described above. There are e-book readers for many mobile phones, and fantastic advances are being made in 'digital' paper devices like the Kindle by Amazon.com (unfortunately not available in Australia yet).

Email can contain much more information than physical letters. Photos, pictures, documents, animations, audio files, video files, etc. can decorate or be attached to emails. Online email providers typically give you a lot of space to store and archive your email. You can use these to keep an up to date backup of email that you also download to your computer.

Looking past the obvious paper based alternatives, movies can now be rented, bought and stored electronically from some websites. Some require devices like a TiVo, AppleTV, or subscriptions like Foxtel in Australia, or software like iTunes. TV shows, movies, audiobooks, podcasts, phone applications, and more can be bought through iTunes. There are so many different music websites selling music, audiobooks and e-books that you can download, either as MP3s or in proprietary formats. There are also many free alternatives. For example, Project Gutenberg for e-books and audiobooks, Librivox for audiobooks, Podsafe audio (royalty free music that you can use when making your own podcasts), and a world of free, informative, self-help and music podcasts. I've even found free sheet music available online in PDF format.

Electronic alternatives may save you some money, they will definitely save resources, and they usually require less storage space! You still have to clean the dust from your computer, but you'll have fewer shelves of books, maps, boxes of records, CDs, and DVDs to clean. It is important to take regular backups of your electronic data, and store the backups somewhere safe, especially in case of fire or other disaster!

Each month I am posting a 'Going green' tip for a year long electronic swap.

100 ways to live green

2009-04-06T13:08:00.029+10:00

Use low flow shower heads.
Collect water from the shower, kitchen, bathroom and laundry to use on the garden (not on vegetables).
Grow your own food, even if it is just herbs on a windowsill.
Choose products with less packaging.
Buy organic food.
Join a food co-op (if one exists in your area).
Buy food from local growers.
Reuse paper that is printed on one side.
Reuse news paper, shredded in compost or as wrapping paper.
Mulch your garden to save water and keep plants happier.
Make your own compost - great fertiliser for the garden.
Recycle everything that your council allows.
Instead of photocopying documents you want to keep a copy of, scan them and store them electronically.
Keep in touch with friends and family using email and Skype, reduce the number of letters and packages that you post.
Cook more healthy, whole food, less take-away and junk food - this reduces packaging that must be recycled or stored in landfill and is healthier for you.
Use aerators on normal taps.
Use a digital camera - saves on printing photos and storing them.
Exercise at home - you'll save both on gym costs and transport.
Use outings that incorporate exercise to entertain the kids - take them cycling instead of to the movies.
Rent and borrow books and movies - use the library, AppleTV, and video rental shops instead of adding to your collection
Share magazines, newspapers, books, DVD and games with friends - reduce boredom, and reduce the amount that people buy.
Get past wanting to collect things - it will save you money, you don't have to store everything, and it makes cleaning easier
Shop at secondhand shops for clothes, books, homewares - many of these are run by charity, so you are also giving back to the community.
Reduce the amount you use the car, batch your errands into one trip to save on fuel and time.
Ride or walk to work.
Use public transport to get to work, go to friend's houses and shop.
Arrange to work by telecommuting - working at home one or two days a week saves on commuting costs, saves time and saves wear and tear on clothes. You are usually more productive too!
Time shift your work, avoid the packed peak hour. This works on both public transport and to reduce congestion on the roads if you must drive.
Give gift cards or electronic vouchers for online stores - saves on unwanted presents and useless trinkets.
Re-gift or donate unwanted items, including electronic gadgets.
Give gifts of homemade food or services.
Or give sustainable or green gifts - fruit trees, herb seedlings, green cleaning products, LED light bulbs, etc.
Use and reuse fabric as wrapping paper. How to wrap parcels in fabric
Cut and colour your friend's and family's hair - you can even cut and colour your own hair. You save the transport costs, and have better control over your own hair colour.
Cook in bulk - batch cooking may require a good block of time, but you'll have easy to heat home made meals sitting in the freezer. Using an already warm oven saves on the extra heating time if you cooked dishes separately.
Keep your freezer full - it freezes food more efficiently when it is full.
Use up left overs - you'll have to shop less often and generate less waste.
Instead of eating at restaurants, have friends over for a home cooked meal, games or movies, and a great chat.
Make your own coffee and take it to work in a reusable stainless steel thermos mug.
Keep the thermostat on your heater a little cooler in winter and wear more layered clothing.
Buy good quality clothes, shoes and bags - they don't need to be replaced as often.
Make draft stoppers for your doors by stuffing a cylinder of fabric with worn out socks, and unrepairable clothes.
Use fabric, knitted or crocheted dish cloths instead of disposable ones.
Repair your clothes, shoes, belts and bags.
Use worn out clothes to make rags, or use them in crafts like patchwork quilts, bags or rag rugs.
Use home made cleaning products - safer for the environment, your health and your savings.
Include the less used parts of vegetables and foods in your cooking - beetroot leaves added to a salad, celery leaves to stock, save chicken bones to make your own stock.
Buy 'green' products when they are available, but only when you need to buy those items.
Don't buy things that you don't need!
Use recycled paper and toilet paper.
Use a smaller car - you'll save on fuel and it's easier to park.
Reduce the amount that you consume - stop collecting needless things, use up the items you have already!
Use the internet to find recipes, and swap favourite recipes with friends and family, instead of buying cookbooks.
Read e-books (electronic books) - there are many available for free from Project Gutenberg, and you save paper, printing and distribution costs.
Subscribe to podcasts and buy music electronically instead of buying physical CDs. Many podcasts provide free music!
Find support, self-help and personal development podcasts - it may save you buying or borrowing a few books, and you can listen to them while you commute on public transport.
Use the services available in your local area, and go to them by walking or cycling, instead of travelling by car.
Install solar hot water.
Install solar panels.
Make sure your insulation is sufficient, add more if not. Don't forget to insulate the floor, roof and walls.
Ensure the seals around your windows and doors are working well, especially in winter.
Keep the thermostat of the air-conditioner a little higher in summer.
Reduce or eliminate various body and facial products, and makeup that you use. Most makeup and body products contain unhealthy ingredients, and come with a lot of packaging that ends up in landfill.
Take home-made lunches and left overs for work - avoid the take away lunches, they usually use a lot of packaging. You'll eat healthier, and use up those left overs, reducing the amount of waste you produce.
Drink water instead of soft drink - you'll save your teeth, waist, savings and reduce waste.
Use freecycle to find second-hand items - it's both cheap and reduces the amount that goes to landfill.
Dispose of batteries, paints, oil and other chemicals responsibly - many local councils offer recycling and disposal to prevent these things from polluting the land around rubbish tips.
Donate old computers and parts to companies that give those computers to needy community groups.
Take the time to relax at home, meditate, exercise and look after the garden - you'll save on therapy and health costs, as well as reduce the amount of travel needed for you to be out and about.
If repainting, use non-toxic 'green' paints.
Use second hand timber for building, if possible, especially in the garden.
Use sustainable building materials (wood products from sustainable managed plantations, etc.)
Reuse office supplies like folders, manilla folders, plastic pockets, etc. Recover old folders instead of buying new ones if children want a change.
Use newspapers and non-waxed cardboard boxes to act as a weed mat under mulch.
Use scraps, things you have around the home, and be creative in your crafting.
Install a water tank, collect rain water to use on your garden.
Spend time playing and talking with your children, rather than buying their approval with gifts of toys and games.
Switch to green electricity - from wind or solar farms rather than coal fired plants.
Use a 'green' bank account - donate part of your savings to green companies, research and product development.
Stop smoking - it's a source of pollution, causes poor health (not just in you!), and creates a lot of waste.
Reuse containers for cutting or seedling pots, just poke holes in the bottom of plastic containers or egg cartons.
Use gravel instead of concrete for paths, or use flat rocks - reduces water run-off, allowing water to reach the soil.
Plant your garden thickly with local indigenous plants - provide a healthy habitat for local wildlife.
Take cuttings of plants, to grow more plants - saves you buying more pots from the nursery! Save seeds from vegetables and fruits. Share cuttings and seeds around your neighbourhood, family and friends.
Prune your shrubs, bushes and trees - it will make them healthier and provide a more bushy habitat for wildlife.
Use a human-powered push mower - saves on fuel or electricity and provides you with exercise.
Use free software that you can download, such as Open Office which can read Microsoft documents, and many other formats. Saves on packaging and supports community based software development.
By in bulk, and reuse your own containers if possible, to save on packaging.
Reuse your own glasses frames when you need new prescription glasses or sunglasses. Buy good quality frames that last.
Turn appliances and electronic equipment off at the wall where possible - many appliances on stand by still use a significant amount of power.
Remove power (charging) packs from power points - these always use power, irregardless of whether they are charging a device or not.
Use LED light bulbs, or flourescent globes. But only purchase these to replace incandescent globes that have blown.
Try to go as long as possible without buying food or drinks at take-away places, make it a game.
Reuse boxes, paper, etc. as toys for your pets, rather than buying expensive toys made from plastic and nylon.
Pass on unwanted things to other people who will appreciate them, try not to throw things into landfill (trinkets, books, dvds, clothes, toys, appliances, etc.)
Print double sided, or even better two pages per page and double sided.
Or go one better, and try to avoid printing where possible!
Turn off the lights at work when windows provide enough light, and when everyone leaves for the evening. If you have to work late, consider using a desk lamp if you work in a shared office environment.
Ensure computers and monitors are turned off at night.
Use open source or online software, saves on packaging waste, is usually free, and does not need to be transported to shops. Try Google documents or OpenOffice to replace Microsoft Office software. Google documents is especially neat because it allows multiple people to share documents and edit them at the same time).
Especially for swappers -reuse postage satchels, by cutting them open carefully, putting a blank page or sticker over the address area, and then resealing with tape.

Photos: nifwlseirff on flickr

This list was compiled for the 100 ways to live green swap on swap-bot.com.

Comment moderation

2009-03-09T19:01:00.000+11:00

I resisted for a long time, but I have had to turn on comment moderation for all posts. Recently I have had several spam comments from 'eco' companies and other sales people trying to sell stuff in their comments, even though I use the captcha words to discourage such people.

Going green in March - Consume less

2009-03-08T20:05:00.007+11:00

nifwlseirff on flickr

The recent horrific bushfires in Victoria have illustrated to me, again, that I do not need all the "stuff" I have. I don't need to consume anywhere near as much as I do. The important things to me are my partner, cats and my computer (data).

On Monday 23 February, all the fire sirens in the area started blaring, helicopters and planes circled overhead, because there was a new bushfire about 2km away in the local bird reserve. I was at home with my cats, and no car. Luckily my partner was able to drive home from the city, in time for the wind change, which sent the fire towards us and blanketed us in smoke. I had previously grabbed some clothes, cat food, my camera and my computer. We packed the cats into the boxes, packed the car, and left without waiting for the door knock from the police, (we were in the evacuation zone announced on the local fire website). I was surprise to find that I wasn't overly worried about the stuff I had left behind, obviously I wasn't that attached! If that was the case, why did I buy it in the first place?

Of course, we could replace most of the audio visual and music equipment, games and kitchen appliances, as we do have good insurance. But I'm not sure I would 'collect' anything again. I would miss my cross-stitches and other handmade crafts, which at the moment mostly haven't been framed.

The response to the Victorian bushfire appeal has been astounding, so many people have given surplus stuff to survivors who have lost everything. Most of the extra stuff most likely won't be missed by previous owners.

Books can be borrowed from the library, found using Bookcrossing, swapped via Bookmooch, and many of the classics are available as e-books and audiobooks. Renting videos via our AppleTV, or buying them in iTunes is convenient - I don't have to worry about returning anything on time, finding space on our shelves or dusting it regularly! I don't really need such a large collection of stationery, so will focus on using it, writing to friends more often, and using it instead of birthday cards. All my music is already digital, I don't have any urge to buy CDs. Computer games can be bought second hand, and then resold. I don't need so many clothes, and I don't have many shoes (I hate impractical shoes and bags). You can participate in electronic swaps, swapping ideas, experiences and photos, using less postage and buying fewer presents. For birthdays or other celebratory events, you can reduce the number of physical presents and instead give your time, go on outings, find or cook yummy food, and provide other experiences.

nifwlseirff on flickr

Buying less means you are generating less waste from the packaging. You can apply this to food as well. Using predominantly whole foods, and buying staples in bulk results in much less waste than using prepackaged portions, wrapped in several layers of plastic and cardboard. Of course, fresh foods contribute to your compost pile. The story of stuff is an interesting and enlightening video about how current consumption is affecting the world (people, countries and the environment).

Consuming less means you need less space to store your stuff, moving house is easier, it's easier to clean, you produce less rubbish, you won't lose as much in a disaster, and you will likely save some money! I find it's easier to breathe and feel less weighed down by stuff. I will be passing on some of my current stuff to other people who will appreciate it more, perhaps I may even make a little money by selling the stuff that I don't want that has some value. I will endeavour to bring even fewer new purchases into my house, and look forward to having less to move next time.

Each month I am posting a 'Going green' tip for a year long electronic swap.

Going green in February - Composting

2009-02-14T12:22:00.005+11:00

nifwlseirff on flickr

Composting is an excellent way to reduce the amount of rubbish that is sent to landfill, reduce the amount of methane that is produced as the waste rots in landfill instead of composting, and create something useful that can be used in your garden to enrich the soil saving you money normally spent on fertiliser and mulch. There are many types of composting systems and worm farms, some of which can be used even if you don't have much of a garden.

Compost is made by combining green plant material - grass clippings, vegetable and fruit waste, tea leaves and coffee grounds, and brown plant material - that is dry and dead such as leaves, straw, shredded newspaper, shredded cardboard and twigs. Meat and oil should not be added to a compost pile as it usually attracts vermin, goes rancid, and some of the bacteria may be harmful if residual amounts on vegetables are consumed. Compost piles need warmth and air for the microbes to break down the waste. However, it's best not to let it get too hot, as this will kill useful worms and may pose a fire risk! Manure and sawdust can be added to compost as more 'brown' compost matter, but it should be balanced by green material. Layer green and brown materials evenly, mixing and turning regularly to aerate the mixture.

Compost can be made in a pile (cheapest), or in bin. An open compost file may attract vermin, so most gardeners prefer some kind of bin. Piles need to be turned regularly to allow the air to circulate, and to mix the material together. Some moisture is required by the microbes to flourish. If compost is very dry, add a little water. If it is too wet, the material in the compost will compress too much, and stop air flow - add some straw or dry leaves.

Compost piles or bins should be sited relatively close to the kitchen for convenience, and out of full sun so the compost doesn't bake. An open compost pile should be covered by a tarpaulin, this helps to retain heat and prevent excess moisture from rain. Plastic compost bins, available from nurseries and hardware stores are convenient, and help to retain heat. The compost still needs to be turned regularly for aeration and to mix the contents evenly. Depending on how much waste is generated, some like to have two or three compost piles or bins - one bin they add to, one is full and composting, and one is ready to be used.

Some of the plastic bins are flat-packed, making them easier to transport when moving houses. Others are quite large. Tumble composters require daily rotation to aerate the compost. A New Zealand company has created a flat-pack vertical three-bin system. I have just started using this one (pictured), because I move relatively often and only have a small car. Many people opt to make their own bin.

A bokashi bin is a small, airtight container, great for people in apartments with small courtyards. Each time a layer of shredded food material is added, a special fermented grain mix should be sprinkled over the top. A liquid compost is produced, and can be diluted with water as a compost tea. When the container is full and fermented, bury the waste in the ground or in a large pot where it will finish breaking down into the soil. Personally, I was not able to get the bokashi bin to work, but many people swear by it.

A worm farm is another option for those with a small courtyard. These can be either purchased or made using stackable plastic tubs with holes in their bases. Worm casings are wonderful fertilisers, and worm 'juice' is fantastic as another compost tea. Add kitchen scraps layer by layer, and cover the worms with damp carpet, hessian or newspaper. As the worms travel through each layer, they leave their casings behind. Citrus is poisonous to worms, and they need to be kept out of the sun so they don't bake.

Each month I am posting a 'Going green' tip for a year long electronic swap.

Saving (some) water

2009-01-24T15:48:00.001+11:00

nifwlseirff on flickr

One more step to reducing 'waste' and saving money, I finally found a good water saving showerhead, restricting the water flow to 9L per minute - Nutra by Dorf. Luckily, even though this particular version is on a fixed arm, the showerhead is located high enough for me (just). I have seen a similar version using a rail/hand-held system, but haven't seen a 'high-low' arm version, which taller people most likely will require.

Of the various water saving showerheads I have tried, this one is the most pleasant. It doesn't feel like you are saving water - coverage and water speed are both good, heat control is adequate, although this might be affected by the recent change in washers to a domed version (easier to turn on/off). I don't use the 5 different functions very often, and haven't found any showerhead that excels in a 'massage' spray - this one is no better or worse than others I have tried. Turning between the functions is smooth - it doesn't feel like the showerhead is going to snap off, a common problem with other brands, especially plastic showerheads.

The only other problem I found with the Nutra, is that because it does restrict the water flow significantly, I'm not collecting as much grey water for my garden!

Going green in January

2009-01-08T18:47:00.000+11:00

I am in an electronic swap (via swap-bot), where we post a monthly tip to help the environment. As this normally helps people's bank balances, and stress levels, I thought I'd also post my tips here.

Switch to natural cleaning products

Your health, your bank balance and the environment will thank you when you switch to using natural and home made cleaning products. Most people these days use a different chemical concoction for almost every cleaning task. By changing to a few simple home made cleaners, you can eliminate these chemicals from your shopping cart and your lungs! Of course, a little extra elbow grease is required, but we all need to keep active, so add cleaning to your weekly exercise routine! :-)

Items that might be on your shopping list

White vinegar
Bicarbonate of soda (Baking soda)
Salt
Lemons
Eucalyptus oil
Lavender oil
Lemon oil
Tea Tree oil
Microfibre cloths
Reusable cotton kitchen cloths instead of throw-away sponges.

14 natural cleaning recipes/tips

Surface cleaner - 1 part Vinegar in 3 parts water, or you can add a little liquid soap.
Window cleaner - Vinegar and water, or methylated spirits and water make excellent indoor and outdoor window and mirror cleaning solutions. You can also use newspaper instead of a cloth. Or use a reusable microfibre cloth!
Toilet cleaner - Use undiluted vinegar and scrub the bowl.
Cleaning paste for the kitchen and bathroom - Use a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water, stand for 10-20 minutes then scrub.
Cleaning copper - use a salt and vinegar paste, or a paste of salt and lemon juice.
Dishwasher rinse agent - fill the rinse aid dispenser with white or brown vinegar.
Remove deposits in coffee and tea pots - use vinegar in water to rinse through a tea or coffee pot.
Odors in the fridge - keep an open box of bicarbonate of soda in the fridge.
Fabric softener - use white vinegar instead to remove any soap residue. You can add a few drops of tea tree, eucaplyptus or lavender oil for a subtle fragrance or extra antibacterial power.
Mildew/grout cleaner - spray on vinegar and let sit for a while before scrubbing off. Or use a paste of vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, leave for 30 minutes then rinse.
Drain cleaner - 1 part each bicarbonate of soda, vinegar and salt. Put the salt and soda into the drain and pour over the vinegar. Flush with water 2-3 hours later.
Floor cleaner - Use vinegar in water with a few drops of eucalyptus, lemon or lavender oils.
Weed killer - Spray vinegar directly onto weeds.
Reusable kitchen cloths - just throw them into the washing machine regularly!

Each month I am posting a 'Going green' tip for a year long electronic swap.

The story of stuff

2008-11-02T12:46:00.002+11:00

The story of stuff by Annie Leonard is an excellent video project, showing how materialism is affecting the wold in many more ways than most people would ever think about. It's great to show kids (and everyone else), who apply pressure to continually buy new 'things'. Maybe it will help you to reduce your urge to consume, one that is fueled by insidious advertising.

Affluenza, by Clive Hamilton and Richard Denniss

2008-10-14T17:20:00.001+11:00

Affluenza: When Too Much is Never Enoughby Clive Hamilton and Richard Denniss

I recently have had several large goals to save for, but had not been getting close to them, so I read this to nudge myself in the right direction. An extremely interesting read, although much of the information presented in this book I had read elsewhere on free finance and frugal blogs. It has renewed my enthusiasm for owning less, ignoring 'wants', saving more, and using what I already have (or getting rid of it). The figures are quite out of date now (2006 edition), and very Australia-specific, but the tips and anecdotes are interesting and useful.

There is an updated edition, released on September 2nd 2008, and an earlier edition, released in 2005. I'd really love to read a chapter in a future edition discussing the current economic 'crisis', possible reasons why it happened, and how people could avoid it in future or get through the current one. Perhaps the economic climate will spur another revision soon.

Clean Sweep, by Alison Haynes

2008-10-07T16:50:00.002+11:00

Clean Sweepby Alison Haynes I have read a bunch of 'simplify your life', 'green your home' and 'time organisation' books prior to this on, so this held very little information that I hadn't already read somewhere else, even though the subtitle is: The Ultimate Guide to Decluttering, Detoxing and Destressing Your Home. It was written in a no-nonsense fashion, but grouped the tips and tricks very differently to how I would have categorised them. Subsequently the book felt quite disorganised, and in some places I felt it could have had a lot more depth (almost as if the writer got tired of researching and writing some areas). My mother enjoyed the book a lot, she had not read any of this type of book before, and will be using many of the cleaning recipes to help her save some money, and reduce the allergens around her home. There is a revision to the book being released in 2009, and it seems to be released as both the 'Ultimate Guide' and simply Clean Sweep. Perhaps the areas that I felt were a little glossed over in the previous version will be a little more in depth in the new release.

Overgrown

2008-09-09T10:11:00.002+10:00

nifwlseirff on flickr

There are so many things I need to do in the garden, now that spring is here. My usual plan of attack is to do it all at once, and wear myself out. After a full day of extreme gardening, I tend not to want to look at the garden for weeks afterwards. So, this time, I will be doing small bits, here and there, to prevent garden burn out.

The nasturtiums, or rather one nasturtium plant, has taken over one of the garden beds, and is trying to pull my citrus trees down as well. Most of the strawberries didn't survive the winter, but I had one potted that should go in the ground soon. Treeferns need pruning - now that spring is here, they should finish being dormant and put out some new fronds. The old fronds were terribly burnt by a late summer heat wave.

I'm debating whether to resurrect the bottom garden bed - although it's in the sunniest part of the back yard (which is not very sunny), plants just don't seem to want to grow in it. I'm out of eucimulch (eucalyptus mulch) for the front beds, so I can't expand the mulched sections. I will trim a few things back, and see if I can find another few natives to fill in the gaps.

Lots of things to do.....

Cockatoos on a diet

2008-09-02T21:27:00.002+10:00

nifwlseirff on flickr

The local council (Yarra Ranges) have asked residents to stop feeding cockatoos as they are increasingly destroying many (wooden) properties and trees. The Leader Newspaper noted that council was petitioned to institute a ban on feeding, or start culling the destructive birds, but at the moment, the council only recommends not feeding the wildlife.

Unfortunately, the silly birds have a good memory, and do not take kindly to the lack of food. Luckily we have put an extra layer of wood on the horizontal railings, and the flocks are gradually visiting less often.

New beginnings

2008-07-22T09:39:00.004+10:00

I finally bit the bullet and have accepted a new part time position. This will hopefully give me more time to restart my garden and continue studying. Although working full time provided more money, I found that I was spending too much as an outlet for stress, and could not enjoy the little spare time I had. Each day, I would leave early for work, arrive home late, and then crash, exhausted from workplace stress. Cleaning and cooking were sporadically done, but the poor garden was completely neglected. It took a while, but now I have decided to 'downshift', to make my life simpler and hopefully healthier! There are a heap of garden tasks that should be done before the start of spring, so new plants have the best start: remove debris and dead plants, mow, prune (yes I know it's rather late), re-mulch, start seeds. Because it is so cold (and usually wet), it's nigh impossible to force myself to work outside, so I think I'll start with the seeds. I hope my cat leaves the seedling tray alone this time!

Parched

2008-03-10T18:45:00.002+11:00

nifwlseirff on flickr

The garden is parched at the moment. I try not to use any tap water, partly because Melbourne has water restrictions, and partly because I don't like getting up earlier to water during the approved times. Work has been incredibly busy, so the washing is piling up, and the pots have priority on the water collected in the shower. The rest of the garden is starting to droop.

Most of the potted plants are surviving, albeit with a lot of grumbling. Some are a little sunburnt. I'll be glad when we get to real-autumnal weather, after this latest heat wave finished. I'm sick of mid-high 30s (Celcius).

I live in an area of Melbourne with a high proportion of deciduous trees. Despite the heat, the willows, birches and a few other varieties are starting to turn yellow. Autumn is my favourite time of year, although I haven't properly gardened through an autumn before.

The potatoes that had been burnt at the start of summer and ravaged by snails and slugs have decided to sprout again. From what little I know of potatoes, I don't think this is the correct time of year. But I'm happy to take what I can get. They will need more mulching soon.

Perhaps I'll get a load of two of washing done, and water some of the thirsty garden beds.

Creating a new no-dig garden bed.

2007-12-16T20:40:00.000+11:00

To separate the pumpkins, zucchini and melons from the rest of the garden, I built a new garden bed in the back yard. In previous years, these vegetables took over my garden, completely smothering the other plants. Of course, this is a no-dig garden, and was established on weedy grass with an underlying clay base. Let's see how the veggies perform.

We were flooded a few weeks back - 20cm of water sat in our garage for about 3 hours. Plenty of time for our supply of packing boxes to soak the water and become useless. Using the unwaxed boxes and those with as little printing as possible, I covered the ground in several layers, and then added some newspaper as a weed mat.

A few bags of compost and manure, layered with lucerne and straw completed the garden bed.

I'd love to edge it, to keep the weeds and the lawn out, but am rather strapped for funds at the moment. Pumpkin, and melon seedlings were the first to go in, making space in my seed raising tray for zucchini and cucumber seeds.

Living in the outskirts

2007-12-15T20:39:00.001+11:00

nifwlseirff on flickr

Living in the outer suburbs of the city, wildlife is more commonly seen. There is a greater variety of birds, insects and even monotremes! An echidna decided to wander through the garden and up the driveway about a week ago. I have never seen an echidna in the 'wild' before.

My partner made sure it didn't want to cross the road - it just wanted to get through the fence into the neighbour's yard with the tall trees. Because there was no gap large enough for it to dig through, it walked up the long driveway, turned the corner and started heading back down the hill. I would guess that the tall trees harbour lots of ant nests. I've discovered randomly dug holes in my garden and paths since this visitor - I wonder if he's still around?

This is an example where full 'floor-to-ceiling' wooden fences may not be the best idea for the native wildlife. I'm beginning to prefer 'green' fences, made of useful (or even decorative) trees.

My approach to weeds

2007-11-18T22:30:00.001+11:00

nifwlseirff on flickr

I hate weeding, especially by hand. I typically try to hoe them down, and then mulch over them. It allows the nutrients in the weeds to break down in the soil, and I don't have to weed as much by hand. In my current house, the garden beds are full of hard-to-get-rid-of weeds, one of which is this one. I don't know if it's a buttercup, but it definitely is a difficult to remove.

I ran out of newspaper, so I haven't finished the left side fully yet - hopefully next week, the newspaper fairies at work will visit. I will need to get some more mulch for the left side, and the new bed I have planned for the backyard (I don't want pumpkins and zucchini in the front courtyard).

Seeds have also been planted today... although it was hot, muggy and full of insects, it has been productive.

National Recycling Week

2007-11-14T12:52:00.000+11:00

This week is Planet Ark's National Recycling Week in Australia (12 - 18 November). Many local councils are now accepting more types of plastics for recycling. I need to focus on recycling organic waste more regularly, although it's more difficult when renting. I have a bokashi bucket, but I miss my compost bins (they are just too difficult to transport when moving house). Some of my friends have worm farms... something for me to look into, perhaps.

Front garden mulched

2007-11-14T00:22:00.001+11:00

nifwlseirff on flickr

It's amazing how much newspaper and mulch a garden can go through! I finished mulching one side of the garden around the parking space the other day, using two green grocery bags of newspaper to suppress weeds, and 6 bags of euci-mulch, an inexpensive but good quality native mulch. Luckily it was drenched by a downpour next day, so I didn't need to water it in. The plants certainly enjoy being mulched!

I'm still working on the courtyard 'veggie' garden, with about a quarter left to newspaper and mulch. The nursery recommended I use sugar cane mulch, as they were out of pea straw, but it doesn't seem to go as far. However, it does seem to break down more thoroughly, and you don't get pea shoots from the left over seeds. A few more weeks and this should be finished, and ready to plant in.