Lila’s Mother’s day tips

 Events, Sustainable Gifts  Comments Off on Lila’s Mother’s day tips
Apr 292016
 

Hi everyone,

It’s Mother’s day next Sunday.  If you observe Mother’s Day, here’s some ideas to give it a bit of a green theme.

  • If you decide on flowers as a gift, choose locally grown or flowers that regenerate such as roses, tulip and lilies or even buy a flowering plant that will keep for heaps longer
  • For green thumbed Mums, packets of seeds and/or bulbs make great gifts or if outdoor space is limited how about an indoor herb garden or mushroom growing kit
  • If giving beauty products is a preference, avoid synthetic and chemically based and choose items with organic and natural ingredients
  • Candles are a popular gift choice, greener choices include those made from beeswax or soy and contain essential oils
  • Jewellery is another popular gift. You can opt for something pre-loved, from a socially responsible jeweller or items made from fair trade silver, glass or recycled materials
  • For book loving Mums, check out the many second hand book stores or op shops where you’ll find a great selection in perfect condition or consider supporting Earth Hour by purchasing their Planet to Plate: The Earth Hour Cookbook.
  • Make up your own goodies basket. You can pick up a cane basket at the op shop and then go to the local organic market to pick up some of her favourite treats
  • If clothing is on the list, look for organic cotton, bamboo or hemp items
  • Opt for a service instead of a gift such as a massage voucher or movie tickets
  • Consider a sponsorship or a donation to your favourite charity e.g. Oxfam Unwrapped, World Vision, Greenfleet, Habitat for Humanity
  • Grab a green gift certificate from the many online eco-stores available on the Internet
  • Homemade gifts are a good choice or offer to spend an afternoon doing something that your Mum chooses to do or even a disliked chore like cleaning out the cupboards
  • Make your own Mother’s Day card and include a favourite  photo of you and your Mum or write a poem/special note of thanks
  • Instead of going out to a restaurant, organise a picnic lunch. Pack a basket of goodies and find a nice spot to enjoy good food, company and nature
  • Serve local and/or organic food at your Mother’s day lunch and avoid disposable cups, plates etc

The best gift can also be simply hugs and kisses and spending quality time with your Mum and making her feel special and appreciated.

Source: Green living tips, Think green gifts this Mother’s Day, http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/green-mothers-day-gifts.html, Alive.com/au, Autumn 2011

Enjoy Mother’s Day and help to make it a green day too.

Many thanks

Lila

Resource Management Specialist,

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 Posted by at 11:07 am

Visit the Tankulator: ATA’S online rainwater calculator website

 ATA, Resources, Sustainable Tools  Comments Off on Visit the Tankulator: ATA’S online rainwater calculator website
Jul 182012
 

Visit the Tankulator: ATA’S online rainwater calculator website

With the price of water expected to increase by more than 50 per cent in the next four years and climate change creating uncertain rainfall patterns, rainwater tanks are a necessity for most Australian homes.

The Tankulator is a free interactive online calculator that helps people plan for a new rainwater tank or improve the performance of existing tanks.

It calculates how much rainwater can be harvested from a roof anywhere in Australia over one, three or five years based on rainfall figures from the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station, the roof type and size, and flushing and overflow capabilities.

The Tankulator has been developed by the Alternative Technology Association (ATA), a not-for-profit organisation promoting water saving and household renewable energy, with support from the Victorian Government Sustainability Fund, managed by Sustainability Victoria, and the City of Whitehorse.

Ian Porter, the ATA’s chief executive, said the innovative new tool would help people save money on water bills.

“While government rebates and environmental concern has meant a rapid growth in the number of rainwater tanks in recent years, there are still thousands of homes across Australia without them,” Mr Porter said.

“The Tankulator gives people an in-depth understanding of how much water they will harvest and the choices they need to make to get the most out of their tanks.”

The Tankulator’s interactive page gives a summary of water usage, the amount of days the household tank is empty or overflowing and presents suggestions to the user. There is a tank level graph and another graph displaying available rainwater against selected uses.

The website includes pages on material types, tank positioning, filtering and other information to help people choose and plan for rainwater tanks.

Website: tankulator.ata.org.au

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 Posted by at 6:17 pm

UPCOMING SUSTAINABILITY COURSES… Eastern Suburbs

 Events, Resources  Comments Off on UPCOMING SUSTAINABILITY COURSES… Eastern Suburbs
Jun 192012
 

Live better with less energy and more comfort

– two Wednesday afternoon sessions – Randwick Council.

Make your home more comfortable in both winter and summer while reducing your energy use and your spending on energy.

You will be able to borrow the ‘Save Power Kit’ from Randwick Libraries to help.

DATE : Wed 1, 8 August 2012

TIME: 1pm to 3pm

WHERE :
First session: Vonnie Young Auditorium at the Bowen Library, 669-673 Anzac Parade, Maroubra NSW 2035

Second session: Barrett House, 6 Barrett Place, Randwick

Bookings essential: Visit City East Community College for bookings http://www.cityeastcc.com.au/course/lessemc

———————-

Organic Gardening – runs over 5 Saturday afternoons – Randwick Council

 

This could be your great growing adventure of the year…growing in the organic garden, that is.

DATE :  5 sessions, Saturday’s 11,18, 25 August, 1 September 2012

TIME: 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm

WHERE : Randwick Community Centre, 27 Munda Street, Randwick (turn off Bundock Street into Hendy Avenue then right into Marida Street).

Bookings essential: Visit City East Community College for bookings http://www.cityeastcc.com.au

———————-

Participatory Skills for Sustainable Futures

– runs over 5 Saturday afternoons – Randwick Council

Learn those valuable participatory facilitation skills that will enable you to engage people in the growing conversation around our common future.

Particularly useful for those ‘Hub volunteers’ interested in developing the idea of once a month ‘Friday night at the Movies’ nights that will be starting in Spring.

DATE :  5 sessions, Saturday’s 11,18, 25 August, 1, 8 September 2012

TIME: 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm

WHERE : Randwick Community Centre, 27 Munda Street, Randwick (turn off Bundock Street into Hendy Avenue then right into Marida Street).

Bookings essential: Visit City East Community College for bookings http://www.cityeastcc.com.au/course/partsf/

———————-

Collaborative consumption  – runs over 2 Wednesday mornings

The do-it-yourself economy,  sharing, bartering, trading, renting and swapping to reduce personal cost and lower environmental impact.

DATE: 2 x Wednesday 5, 12 September 2012

TIME: 9.30am – 12.30pm

WHERE: Barrett House, 6 Barrett Place Randwick

Bookings essential: Visit City East Community College for bookings http://www.cityeastcc.com.au/course/lessemc

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 Posted by at 11:32 am

Personal Sustainability

 Activism, Resources, Social Sustainability  Comments Off on Personal Sustainability
Jun 092012
 
What Happened to Downtime? The Extinction of Deep Thinking & Sacred Space
http://the99percent.com/articles/6947/what-happened-to-downtime-the-extinct…

Interruption-free space is sacred. Yet, in the digital era we live in, we are losing hold of the few sacred spaces that remain untouched by email, the internet, people, and other forms of distraction. Our cars now have mobile phone integration and a thousand satellite radio stations.

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 Posted by at 1:04 pm

Speed date a sustainable designer, registrations for sydney open

 ATA, Events, Resources  Comments Off on Speed date a sustainable designer, registrations for sydney open
Jun 052012
 

 

Sydney

 

When: Saturday 23rd June 2012
Time: 1-3pm
Where: Customs House Library, Circular Quay, Sydney

Sponsored by the City of Sydney
The City of Sydney’s Green Villages program is about coming together as a community and creating a more sustainable city. Read our green tips and latest news, take part in a community garden, apply for a grant, foster our local biodiversity or attend one of our free sustainability workshops. Join us and live, learn and act more sustainably for a greater, greener Sydney. Sign up to the Green Village News and get a monthly dose of great green ideas delivered fresh to your inbox.
www.greenvillages.com.au

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 Posted by at 6:10 pm

Today is World Environment Day – for more details…

 News, Resources  Comments Off on Today is World Environment Day – for more details…
Jun 052012
 

  •  

    Gisele Bündchen, Winner of 2011 WED Challenge Fulfills WED Promise at Green Nation Fest
    This week, Rio de Janeiro is playing host to a number of influential heads of state, multinational corporations as well as media agencies in a festival that aims to solidify global efforts and spearhead policies targeted towards environmental conservation.
    Read more »
    Source: www.unep.org
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 Posted by at 2:11 pm

Join the ATA’s free webinar – How it works: building a sustainable house to suit your site

 ATA, Events, Resources  Comments Off on Join the ATA’s free webinar – How it works: building a sustainable house to suit your site
May 312012
 

Visit Original Post

P1050914cropWhen: Friday 15 June 2012

Time: 11am

In conjunction with bankmecu, the Alternative Technology Association (ATA) presents a series of free online presentations to share practical knowledge about energy efficiency, sustainable building and water conservation at home. Webinars are broadcast live for view over your web browser, and will be available for playback on demand afterwards.

The fifth webinar in the series will be held on Friday 15 June, and will focus on the importance of site orientation, location and climate in designing an energy-efficient, sustainable house. It will introduce the sustainable design elements incorporated in an owner-built home on Sydney’s northern beaches, looking in particular at how the site’s location and challenges (including slope, proximity to the sea, and limited solar access) influenced the design.

The webinar will feature a presentation by designer Dick Clarke of Envirotecture, and a conversation with homeowners Barbara Stack and Rodney Reece on their design priorities and what it’s like to live in the finished house. The webinar will finish with a Q&A session.

Click here to register for free for the webinar.

 

If you’re not able to join in live, remember that the webinar will be recorded and you will be able to view it via the ATA website from a couple of days afterwards.

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 Posted by at 4:15 pm

Loss of biodiversity impacts on people and communities too, say psychologists

 Activism, Climate Action, News, Psychological, Reports, Resources  Comments Off on Loss of biodiversity impacts on people and communities too, say psychologists
May 292012
 

Loss of biodiversity impacts on people and communities too, say psychologists

Environmental degradation and the accompanying loss of biodiversity have an impact on human health and well-being and only a holistic approach will assist both people and natural environments to adapt to that change, according to a recent Australian Psychological Society (APS) submission to the Government.

Read the Media Release here

The Australian Psychological Society has lots of interesting material available on their website.

Of particulate interest in Sustainability is dealing with the impacts on Children and people in the sometime divisive subject of Climate change.

See also Talking with children and adolescents about the environment.

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 Posted by at 12:23 am