Entries from September 2009 ↓

Has your household prepared a bushfire plan?

A safe property + many safe properties
= a safer area for fire fighters to defend
= more chance of homes (and people) surviving.

Continue reading →

Having a very good shower is one of life’s pleasures. So switching to an energy-saving shower is often met with skepticism.

From our experience, when doing home assessments, many Australians would rather put up with catastrophic climate change than put up with a second rate shower.

Well it doesn’t have to come to that. It’s all in the science of how water is delivered. With older shower heads most of the water never touches your body, just goes down the drain unused.

Amongst the confusing array of shower heads that are on the market we have picked one (pictured) that gives you a ‘bloody good shower’ whilst using less than half the energy of older technology. We have bulk ordered the one pictured (click here for details) and will be offering them to eligible homes as part of our climate project.

Believe it or not, this is for real. Traffic calming technique used in Canada. It really works.

A shocking and dangerous way to teach speeding motorists a lesson?

Continue reading →

Do you know how to make shoes? Can you build a house? How about grow food? Do you have a doctor and a dentist in your circle of friends?

Read more HERE.

(This American article is very relevant to the whole world – you and me included. What do readers think about including such ‘big picture’ articles in this website?)

Chris @195

Here’s a chance to meet neighbours and discuss how we make our homes more comfortable and sustainable.

Join us on Sunday October 18 for a house-to-house visit and a sociable Sunday chat. (Please visit between 10 am and 2 pm.)

Six families are opening their home to see what they’ve already done (and are intending to do) to reduce their home’s footprint. This is not a showing off event it is an authentic sharing of ideas.

You can download a summary of each home below:
Ridgeway home: 23 Bramble St
Waterworks Rd homes: 101, 134, 144, 187, 195

At 2 pm there will be a mini Home Energy Workshop at 195 Waterworks.

For more information please ring Carol Ph 6223 4653.

October 24 will see a huge global initiative to make people aware of 350 – the most important number on Earth. [350.org]

350 parts per million is the maximum amount of carbon in the atmosphere we must achieve to maintain our ecological balance on Earth. We are already at 390 parts per million.

With people all around the world participating in all sorts of different ways we can reach this target.

Local community member and national theatre director Neil Cameron is planning an arts event so we in Hobart can participate in this world-wide programme. You can join in by simply emailing here: hobart350project@gmail.com to register your name.

Click here to download the details.

Its that lovely time of year, so here are three delightful garden enterprises.

• Food in my backyard:
If you are new to gardening, or need help, Christine and Juliet from FIMBY run a neat little local (South Hobart) enterprise that is proving to be really popular. Have a look at their friendly website

• Tarremah Growers:
Catherine in Fern Tree advises that they have for sale a fabulous range of tomato seedlings, including those vanishing old tasty varieties. No website sorry, but you can download their tomato catalogue here and place an order.

• Woodbridge Fruit Trees:
Too late for fruit tree planting now, but do keep this one in mind. For close to 30 years this family group has been preserving old fruit tree varieties on dwarf stock suitable for home gardens. Great varieties and a big range of fruiting times. Take a look at their website and place your order before next Winter.