Words from the WIse

Put that Green thumb to good use!

Do you know where your ‘fresh’ fruit and vegies come from? Chances are it has travelled a long way to get to your plate, so aside from a question mark around the term fresh, you have to worry about the unsustainability of transporting food. I have already discussed one solution, checking out your local farmers market, but how about turning your hand at growing your own food?

I have to admit, I have not got a green thumb, and I will be moving within the next 6 – 8 months (fingers crossed), so I need to start small. I have decided to start with herbs! Herbs are very expensive for what they are, and I never use the whole portion before they go off, so it’s a lot of wastage that I can reduce. Plus I love cooking and lots of flavour, so when I have them, I put herbs in pretty much everything!

Herbs require less soil than a lot of other edible plants (along with lettuce and strawberries) so are ideal for those with little space and/or a need to move their garden in a few months! Perfect also for apartment living! The best part is, there is an endless possibility for creative recycling to create your herb garden, old pallets, and old wheelbarrow. I plan on rescuing a few old pots and giving them a makeover before planting my brand new herb garden!   And if the herbs survive being under my care, I’ll start studying up for the perfect veggie patch.

 

Reconsider the way you use your car

 

Personal transport accounts for a significant portion of carbon emissions. Cars release pollutants and gases into the atmosphere, polluting the air and contributing to climate change. As well as this, the fuel we are using is a finite resource, not to mention the environmental damage that comes with extracting oil (and, the catastrophic impact of a potential spill).

 

Fuel consumption increases when the engine is cold, so avoiding short trips is a simple measure to help reduce your emissions (and save some money). This can be done by planning you errands to make one car trip instead of multiple, walking or cycling to shops, work etc. (which of course has added health and summer body benefits), or car pooling!

 

Car pooling is my favourite method. You know that beer ad about how to turn a father in law into a mate? Well, car pooling is my method of turning a work colleague into the best mate ever! Several years ago, I worked with a great girl called Jayde. We got along really well and after discovering we lived close to each other, decided to car pool to save money on parking. What followed was the funnest work experience of my life, we spent every car ride laughing and joking, had many amazing moments and what developed was one of the greatest friendships ever. Our car pooling ended when she moved all the way to sunny Queensland, but the bond that formed spending that time together has been unbreakable, and I’m proud to call her one of my closest friends. She gets married next year, and I’ll be beside her in my bridesmaid dress! See? Car pooling is the greatest!

 

When considering the environmental impacts of car use, the obvious solution is to use your car less, which I admit is hard to do, where this is not possible, you could consider offsetting your carbon emissions.  Check out my post about that here: Consider offsettign your carbon emissions

 

National Recycling Week Inspiration

Recycle your Nespresso capsules

A couple of weeks ago I came home and found a brand new Nespresso coffee machine on the kitchen bench, courtesy of my little brother! 

Now I have been making use of this machine, serving up delicious coffees for myself and my families, and thoroughly enjoying the frothy deliciousness of these coffees - and today, they taste even better, as I just discovered that Nespresso has a capsule recycling program!

Nespresso has tried to establish itself as a 'green' brand, and greenie (and hottie!) George Clooney is on the  Nespresso Sustainability Board (I'm actually impressed they even have a sustainability board) who aims to improve farmer welfare and environmental sustainability. 

Now to you, fellow Nespressians, or whatever we are called, recycling is easy! Just place your coffee capsules in the Recycling Canister, on sale from Nespresso for $29.00, or the empty cake mix box found for free in my recycling bin, take them to your local Nespresso boutique (where you go to buy new capsules anyway) and dispose of them at the collection point. Smile, feel green, buy new coffee, and go home and treat yourself. 

While you are enjoying your coffee, those recycled pods are being separated  the coffee grounds are used as fertiliser, and the aluminium is melted down and recycled - even used in some Nespresso machines. 

Pretty neat and pretty easy!

Nespresso has developed a video that shows the process of recycling pods here: http://www.nespresso.com/ecolaboration/au/en/article/2/2910/introducing-nespresso-s-capsule-recycling-program-in-australia.html

Coffee time!

Nude Food Week

Warning - Kind long back story

So Wednesday is Hungry Wednesday as I am at work all day and then back to back uni classes from 4:30 - 8:30, so usually I go home and have dinner late and whinge a lot.  Today I decided I wanted Goodberries straight after uni, so I ducked home in my lunch break (bad for using my car for a short trip) for a couple of things, and made myself a sandwich to eat at uni. Un-sustainably - I wrapped it in cling wrap, and because i cut the cling wrap off too short, it was wrapped in two pieces and jammed it in my bag as I ran out the door. 

Anyway, I got to uni and it was presentation day (not for me, thank goodness - mine was last week) and a lady in my class spoke about the sustainability practices at the early childhood centre and spoke about 'Nude Food Week' - which is an initiative to encourage kids to pack their lunches without packaging - drink bottles, lunch box, reusable containers, etc. I thought about my far too cling wrapped sandwich and felt guilty. Here I am trying to be more sustainable - and completely forgot about cling wrap! Oops!

So - it's Nude Food Week which will lead to Nude Food Life - because this blog is about a change of lifestyle! I already have reusable bags and containers and an awesome basket for markets and heaps of bottles so I have absolutely no excuses! It;s not just lunch packaging - supermarkets are full of packaging, bags for your apples, bags for your mandarins, then bags for your shopping - too much and it stops now!!!!

Ps. Sorry for the boring picture - I made the mistake of typing Nude Food into google images and very quickly changed my search to 'Lunchbox'. That's karma getting me back for using too much cling wrap!

Stop Wasting Paper

I recently posted about not wasting staples, instead of the planned post on not wasting paper. 

However, I then got thinking about all the little ways we could reduce our paper usage, so I thought I would share some simple small ideas for reducing paper wastage

Stop getting paper statements - Most banks now offer electronic statements, usually through online banking. I switched to electronic statements awhile ago, and with all the separate accounts and interest free cards I have, I reckon I would have saved a couple trees already. I also called my superannuation funds and made the switch to electronic mailings, which generally means I also get my statement early (Wooo!)

My insurance company sends me a letter every time I call them, so I have started requesting that they do not send me a letter, which they are more than happy to oblige. My new plan is to start calling all the companies that send me mail and see if they can take me off their mailing list as well, I have received about 10 offers for personal loans in the last month!

Stop Using Post it Notes - It's not possible to get rid of all mail, so put the envelopes to good use, use the backs or shopping lists and notes. If throwing out paper at work, use the back (if you were naughty and forgot to print double sided) of unclassified materials as scrap paper, cut the bottom off half pages for the same purpose, or use email!

Invest in a No Junk Mail sign - Unless you are a avid collector of junk mail. I used to love the cheap pizza vouchers, but you can generally subscribe online for e vouchers, so junk mail is now unneccessary! Plus, I am trying very hard to save money and not buy things I don't need (for budget and sustainability reasons), so it helps not receiving temptation in the post.

Get creative with your wrapping paper - Wrapping paper is expensive! and if you are like me, you will generally buy more than you need, especially at Christmas time. If you have kids this is super easy, kids always bring home heaps of 'art', and most people don't have walls big enough to display it all - using their artwork as gift wrap is an excellent personal touch! Otherwise newspaper (particularly for birthdays and special occasions - if possible, use the paper from the special date and it looks like thoughtful recycling, or pick the section that fits, cooking section for chefs and baking lovers, sports section for sports nuts etc.), posters, etc. My nana used to be the best at carefully peeling off wrapping paper from her gifts so it was kept nice for her to wrap other gifts! My best wrapping idea (and planned Christmas wrap) - is to purchase some re useable carry bags - its a gift bag and a present in one! and hopefully encourages minimising plastic bag use!

Do you really need that much paper towel? - Paper towel is everywhere and it is wasteful - in my office there are no teatowels, so everybody uses paper towels to do their drying! Argh! I wash mine and leave it on the side of the sink to dry - and invested in kids bowls and cutlery so it would stop going missing! Public restrooms are also bad for it, and I'll bet most people take way more than they need. On this topic, I am definitely going to speak to my work about greening our office - starting with tea towels!

If you have other ideas - please share below !

Gandhi - So Wise

Consider Adoption ...

Meet Slinky,  a 2 year old boy whose life has been saved today by my friend, Mel. Both of them were winners today. 

In the last 6 weeks, two of my friends have adopted new additions to their families from the local RSPCA.. Now I am not in a position to add any other pets to my brood of animals, however I got on the RSPCA website and my heart nearly broke looking at the adorable animals without homes. and it wasn't just cats and dogs, there were birds, fish and even a little ferret called Banana!
So you pay a small price for the animal, and it comes de sexed, vaccinated and with a clean bill of health! The money goes straight back into the RSPCA to continue the good work they are doing, and you give a good home to someone who needs it. Plus, you aren't supporting some terrible puppy farm!

I am definitely an animal person and would be lost and lonely without my dogs and kitty (none of whom are rescue animals, I do admit). If you are in the market for a brand new friend, why not check out the local RSPCA or animal shelter?

Plant a Tree

Trees are amazing! 

Trees feed through a process called photosynthesis. They take in carbon dioxide from the air, they use the light from the sun to process the chemicals, taking the carbon to feed themselves and releasing oxygen into the air. Oxygen is, of course, what humans and animals breathe!

Anyone following the environment would know that one of the issues we are currently facing is greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activity. Now, I'm no scientist, but if trees naturally process carbon dioxide into oxygen, it stands to reason that planting more trees has to help!!!

Trees, in addition to the essential benefit of helping us survive, have many many benefits. Planted properly they can cool your home by providing shade, trees increase the market value of your property, and researchers have even proven that they help reduce crime rates! So - get planting!!!

While you are tree planting, why not make it a fruit tree? 

Nothing better than picking a apple off a tree, or a plum, a pear, an orange. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! Fruits even better when you grow it yourself, and it doesn't need to travel across the world to get to your plate! That's a lot of energy and emissions being saved!

Now, of course, food is a benefit in itself, but if your fruit tree grows too much fruit, you can share it with neighbour! That's a great way to increase the community spirit, and if you are lucky enough to have a number that makes a mean cherry pie, I'd consider that a double win!

Put Down that Stapler!!!!!

Crazy stat alert! If every officer worker in Australia saved one staple per day, that would be 88.3 tonnes of steel saved a year... 

I am careful to print double sided, or avoid printing if I can read on the screen, because pretty much everyone should have the message by now that you shouldn't waste paper. When I print though, I defaulted my settings to put a staple in my prints that are more than a page (Lazy, i know). Most of the time i could do without that staple, with just a reusable paperclip, or not stapling at all! I guess staples are so small and common, it's easy not to think about where they come from or how many we would use.

I googled how much elephants weigh, and it seems it's an average of 7 tonnes... so if every officer worker saved one staple a year, that would be the weight of12.6 (or 12 and a baby) elephants worth of steel saved each year!      WOW!

I can assure you that with my new found knowledge I have updated my printing settings and got those old paperclips out of my office drawer!

Grow a moustache

So for us ladies, growing a moustache is far from easy (thank goodness!) For men, it is super easier, all they need to do is reduce their shaving commitment and this supports men's health!

I am, of course, talking about Movember - the annual in support of men's health, where men basically spend a month growing a moustache, comparing moustaches, collecting donations, raising awareness for men's health issues, celebrating the end of Movember and shaving off their epic moustaches at the end!

You can sign up for Movember here: http://au.movember.com/?home or jump on and check out some pages, make a donation and get in the Mo Growing Spirit.

It really is a great cause, not only the raising money part, but it gets our men talking about their health, both physical and mental. Plus, I have come to realise that the Mo Bro's are a real community, the Mo Bro's I know all manage to find a bunch of new people to talk to - the Mo is a great ice breaker, everyone can see who is doing it and get involved.

More on the Campaign here:

Campaign Strategy & Goals:
We will get men to grow moustaches and the community to support them by creating an innovative, fun and engaging annual Movember campaign that results in:
• Funds for men's health program investment
• Conversations about men's health that lead to:
- Greater awareness and understanding of the health risks men face
- Men taking action to remain well
- When men are sick they know what to do and take action

Program Goals:
Living with and Beyond Cancer
Men living with prostate or testicular cancer have the care needed to be physically and mentally well.

Staying Mentally Healthy, Living with and Beyond Mental Illness
• Men are mentally healthy and take action to remain well
• When men experience mental illness they take action early
• Men are not treated differently when they experience a mental illness

Men's Health Research
We will fund innovative research that builds powerful, collaborative teams that accelerate:
• Improved clinical tests and treatments for prostate and testicular cancer
• Improved physical and mental health outcomes for men            

Some Inspiration from The Lorax

Check out your local farmers market

Continuing in my quest towards buying local/handmade jams etc. (http://easywaystochangetheworld.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/buy-local-or-homemade.html) I woke up early(ish) on Saturday morning and headed out to the local farmers market with my mum! 

I had talked up the homemade lemon butter I had bought, and as we planned a BBQ that day, it was the perfect chance to check it out, and it was well worth the effort. 

It was really great, the produce was beautiful and fresh, and for the fussiest eater in the world, everything I bought tasted great. Not too expensive either, considering the 24 eggs I got for less than $10 - and they were paddock fresh eggs so I feel even less guilty about eating them. I spent more than I planned on jams, relishes, interesting bread (beetroot and feta - yum!) fresh flowers, and of course, fruit and veg. 

The best part wasn't the taste, or price, but the experience. The farmers markets have very strict rules about where produce comes from, so the money I am spending is helping to support the local economy and the local community, without supporting the oligopoly that exists in the Australian food market. Best of all, it's a really good reminder about where food comes from, the earth, tended by hard working farmers before it gets to my plate!

I'm definitely a farmers market convert!

Pink Ribbon Day

Today is Pink Ribbon Day  - which got me thinking about all the little things that can be done in support of charities like these. I am a big supporter of all things related to cancer research, having lost my wonderful Dad to cancer when I was a kid, and I am always on the look out for ways I can do more.

Now, most of you would have seen the products on sale for Pink Ribbon Day, the requests for donations, the amazing range of pink products from water to corn, and the numerous fun runs and breakfasts in support of Pink Ribbon Day, but one idea I found particularly innovative is Register4.

Register4 is a way to connect researchers to participants, helping to get research off the ground quicker. Registration is easy and doesn't lock you into participation. Researchers will send out emails to Register4 participants inviting them to take part in research, and letting you know who they are looking for. Register4 says it better than I ever could, so I have taken the below information directly from their website:

Why Register4 needs you

Researchers speak often of how long it can take to find the right people to participate in their work - it can sometimes take years. When looking for large groups of women to participate in research projects, the cost to recruit and identify suitable participants can run high. Register4 aims to help cut those costs right down, so that medical research funding can be used more effectively. The more people who join Register4, the fewer delays and the faster researchers can get to work.

For more information, and to register, please click here: https://www.register4.org.au/

If you are interested in making a donation in support of Pink Ribbon Day, how about help a local family to raise funds in memory of their mum? Donations can be made here: http://act.cancercouncilfundraising.org.au/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=668453 , with donations going straight to the Cancer Council Pink Campaign!

Don't Pour Milk Down the Sink

Some time ago, I went to Taronga Zoo and was told not to pour milk down the sink. It was at a seal show, so I took the Zoo's word for it, and have tried to convince my friends that it's a rule ever since!

 I always thought it wouldn't be an issue, however I have since discovered that it actually causes a lot of problems! I do feel terrible, I am not the biggest fan of milk (unless it is in milkshake form), so I used to pour the leftover from my cereal in the sink. Bad!!!!

Apparently, milk has a high Biochemical Oxygen Demand, which measures the amount of oxygen consumed when milk is broken down by bacteria. This means that putting milk down the drain depletes the oxygen in the water, which upsets the biological communities, and results to damage to the ecosystem, including fish. In the case of milk, it takes the oxygen of 1,600 gallons of water to break down the milk. Milk also contains phosphorus, which promotes the growth of algae, which can also upset the balance of the ecosystem, due to the excess oxygen consumed by water vegetation. All that for pouring milk down the drain! 

The best solution is to not waste milk, keep your eye on the used by date, and for me, don't pour too much milk on my morning cereal! If milk does sour, it's best to seal it up and chuck it in the garbage bin!

Consider Offsetting your Carbon Emissions

With a very good friend of mine living in Queensland and a love of seeing my beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs play live, I tend to rack up a few flights each year. Even though airfares can get very expensive, I always carbon offset my flights! Generally, I fly Qantas or Virgin, who both offer the option of flying carbon neutral. This means that the emissions for your seat are calculated and an equivalent amount of carbon offset credits are purchased.  

What I didn't realise until recently, is that you can carbon offset your everyday drive, your wedding, your home and even your average carbon emissions a year! This is a great way to reduce your footprint! For more information about calculating the carbon emissions and dollar value of offsetting, see the Carbon Offset Calculator at: https://secure.noco2.com.au/?cid=8&ccd=9ea7fe5d-dbd1-41a3-a559-5ab76b60bc6b

For more information about Virgin Australia's Carbon Offset program, click here: https://www.virginaustralia.com/cs/groups/internetcontent/@wc/documents/webcontent/~edisp/carbon-offset-prog-factsheet.pdf 

Be Fearless

Don't be a Litter Bug

So, I know this post is a little bit of stating the obvious, and I wasn't going to post it - until I read the National Litter Index, produced by Keep Australia Beautiful.

The Index shows that in 2011/12, an average of 58 items of litter were found per 1,000m2 in Australia. The most common item of litter was cigarette butts, and the largest volume item was plastics! I live in the ACT and the index also showed that in a year our items per 1,000m2 went from 45 to 58!

Litter just makes me so angry! When I was volunteering, I ended up picking 20-30 cigarette butts out of a nice little garden that hard working volunteers had spent their time making, and it's so unnecessary, if there are no bins around, keep a plastic bag in your car or hand bag, hold onto it, or put it in your pocket! and for smokers? Try carrying around a small tin that you can put your cigarette butts in, an old eclipse mint tin looks perfect!

The effects of litter are terrible, not only do we risking making our beautiful country a dump, but litter gets eaten by wildlife, causes pollutants to get into soils, and also travels through waterways, ending up in our oceans and killing our marine life. We are lucky enough to live on this beautiful planet, we need to start treating it right.

So, if you litter: Stop! Simple as that!

For more information, check out the National Litter Index at: http://kab.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/8837-KAB-NLI-Report-2011-12-Final.pdf

Some Tuesday Inspiration from Edward Everett Hale

Volunteer

Volunteering makes a big difference to the community and has many benefits, to the organisation you are helping and to yourself!

It isn't always easy, but the benefits make it worthwhile and there are opportunities to suit everyone. 

Recently, I volunteered for a day of tree planting with Conservation Volunteers Australia. I spent a whole day working my butt off, mulching and pushing wheel barrows of soil back and forth. At the end of the day, I had connected with a bunch of amazing people, learnt some practical skills, spent a whole day outdoors soaking up the vitamin D (something I don't tend to find the time for these days) and I knew that I had made a difference. 

Volunteeering is a great way to get valuable experience in a new industry, an excellent way to connect to the community and meet new people and good way to build the karma bank!

Opportunities for Volunteering: 

http://govolunteer.com.au/Opportunity/Type/6/student-volunteering

http://www.conservationvolunteers.com.au/

http://www.redcross.org.au/volunteering.aspx

Smile and say hello

It always makes my day when a stranger says hello to me, but it doesn't happen very often, or didn't, until I started saying it first. 

Community and connection are such important things and I have been making sure I wave to my neighbours, say hello to people when I walk past them on the street. 

I firmly believe that sometimes all it takes is a smile to make someone's day a little bit brighter!

Stop using throwaway coffee cups

Did you know that 500 billion disposable cups are produced globally each year?

These cups are generally made from paper that has been treated and coated in plastic, so commonly end up in landfill!

Paper, of course, comes from trees. The planet goes through 300 billion tonnes of paper each year, with 98 tonnes of resources being used to produce 1 tonne of paper. Worst of all? 71% of paper comes from diminishing forests - and diminishing forests means a loss of animal habitats for a start!

So with that impact, why would anyone use paper cups for coffee?

I switched to using the KeepCup, which let's you design your own colour scheme (perfect for personalising gifts!) a couple of years back and haven't looked back. The KeepCup claims that "compared to a disposable paper cup (including coffee) sees a: 36-47% reduction in global warming carbon emissions, 64-85% reduction in water use, 91-92% reduction in landfill waste annually." That's massive!

The best part is often cafes give a 50c discount on coffee if you bring a reusable cup, so you quickly make your money back (especially if you, like me, drink upwards of one cup a day).

All information above has been taken directly from KeepCup website - www.keepcup.com although reusable cups are easy to find anywhere!

Sign a petition - or start your own!

It only takes a minute or two, but signing a petition and adding your name to a cause you really care about is a great way to take action. 

There are petitions to cover heaps of things, so pick something you care about and get involved. I use https://www.change.org/en-AU it's an online resource that allows anyone to create a petition, and there is a link to view some success stories. You can browse petitions to find some that interest you, and if you cannot find one - make your own! 

It's amazing to see how such a small action can make a big difference!

 I recently assisted my friend in starting a petition and campaigning against the closure of a respite centre that her sister uses regularly. In support of this petition, I sent letters to the Minister, and the campaign made local radio. While we didn't get the result we wanted, we managed to get the centre to remain open for an extra month, we secured a meeting with the Minister and families involved (something that could not be arranged until the issue began to get attention, as the Minister was reluctant to meet), and best of all, the families who were impacted felt supported and cared about by the community. In response to the campaign, strangers offered to help and support the cause, something that means a lot to people who are feeling failed by the system. 

You can check out our petition here: https://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/minister-for-disability-services-canberra-joy-burch-reconsider-the-closure-of-the-north-side-adult-respite-centre-elouera

Buy local or homemade

I found this image on facebook today and it's awesome!! Such a neat idea which will make a big difference. 

Personally, I find that heaps of people in my life are difficult to buy for, but now with a local or handmade directive, it will be easier and funner! Plus, my gifts will make a difference to local people, reduce the energy consumption of transporting goods, and handmade things are generally much better, less preservatives and chemicals in the food etc.

Funnily enough, I went to uni and found a nice old lady selling homemade preserves. I bought a marmalade, which she proudly told me she created the recipe for,'Cornelia's Choice with cumquats, oranges and lemon and i bought a lemon butter, which was a real treat - I scoffed a fair bit on toast for dinner! 

She proudly advised me there was no chemicals or preserves (as confirmed by the wax seal) and I could see she was proud of her recipes and produce.I left happy, and with instructions on where I could find her to stock up again! I thought to myself, if I only bought jams, and preserves, from local buyers, in the future, that will make a small but important difference. I benefit from a much better tasting jam, and the local sellers will make money and keep being able to make their produce. 

I will extend my local shopping, but if I start by banning myself from supermarket jams and preserves, I'll force myself to venture further in my grocery hunt :)

Small Things make a Difference

I believe strongly that every single person has the power to change the world, even a small action has the power to make a big difference. 

Imagine if every single person did one thing to make a difference, even if that is reaching out to a neighbour and making there day just a little bit brighter!

The purpose of this blog is to document simple things that people can do that will make the world a better place. I am on a personal mission to actively seek out positive changes I can make, and with my limited time and resources, it won't always be big, but I will certainly be practising what I preach.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead