I Choose Hope, Joy and Positivity

Positivity, hope and joy always trumps negatively, as tools for influencing change.

In regards to environmental matters, the negative “sky is falling” strategy, often achieves the exact opposite to what is wanted.  Instead of motivating people to change, people’s ears become closed and eyes shut.

In comparison; inspire people, make them ‘feel good’, make them laugh and give them believable and achievable hope – then people will listen, learn and more likely change.

Last night I was reading our Little One a bed time story, that was borrowed from the Library.

It depicts a young boy’s love of the only tree left in his city.  One day the tree was removed.  The boy’s pain and loss turned into hope, when he found a clipping of the tree.  He planted the clipping in the basket of his tricycle – so it could be close to him wherever he rode in the city.

On the last page of the book is a beautiful illustration – showing people being inspired by not negativity but by the boy’s hope and joy.

Look closely and ‘feel’…

'Last Tree in the City' book by Peter Carnavas. Thankyou Peter for such a wonderful children's story - a story and message for all of us!

Unsustainable Distraction

From an early age, many have learnt to fear silence.  At the very least we are uncomfortable with stillness.

Lurking in the quietness are our regrets, pain and big questions regarding meaning and purpose.

Very quickly we learnt to avoid moments of stillness, quietness and especially silence.  Instead of self reflection to heal and advance, we use distraction to ‘cope’.

Majority of the world are living a life of distraction.  Ever moving, ever busy, ever buying, ever using, ever consuming – ever distracting themselves from important truths and lessons that can only be found being still, quiet and silent.

This perhaps is the reason many environmentally minded souls I have met, are also deeply spiritual, self reflecting and self aware.  In the pursuit of caring about their environmental impact, distraction is reduced – giving the opportunity to finally answer those questions and face those demons. 

Humanity’s hunger and need for distraction is not sustainable – for individuals, humanity or our environment.

Humbled that Australia’s Prominent Sustainability Blogger, Interviewed Me

Last night Gavin from the ‘Greening of Gavin’ interviewed me for his blog cast – episode 111.

Gavin is Australia’s most prominent sustainability blogger and in my humble opinion, an Australian National treasure – with his years of dedication to not only living a sustainable life but educating others how they can too.

Gavin also interviewed me back in 2011, way back at episode 14.

At the end of last night’s interview I thought it would be fun to take a screen shot of my mobile phone screen (to accompany this post). Hmmmm I should of taken others – not my best look.

As soon as Gavin uploads the blog cast to his website, I’ll add the link here, so you can listen in.

Thankyou Gav!

Do You Think Climate Change Influences Property Purchases?

Almost twenty years ago, I inspected a property for sale on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.  It was beautifully located right on the water – at sea level.

The real estate agent rang me afterwards to follow up.  “It’s a lovely home but I would be worried about climate change and rising sea levels”, was my response.  Today you may consider that a reasonable concern but twenty years ago, it probably was ‘out there’ and hence the agent unashamedly laughed at my feedback.

Not so long ago I had the opportunity to revisit that same property.  I stood and stared at the back yard which now has approximately five metres less garden than twenty years ago – it has simply eroded away.  I wonder if that real estate agent still laughs at climate change concerns from potential buyers?

This got me thinking to our home purchase almost two years ago.  Eventhough the house was located kilometers from the ocean, we still had a list of ‘must have’ features that were motivated by climate change and our desire to live more sustainably.

* Large north facing roof line for solar PV
* Ample north facing garden space for growing vegetables
* Area for below and above ground, rain water tanks
* A large undercover clothes drying area

Though not on the original list, having mature fruit and nut trees would also be on our list today.

I sense there are many other people today, who’s home must have feature list, has changed over the last twenty years.  Or am I still the strange ‘out there’ minority, that real estate agents laugh at?

I’m really interested to hear from real estate agents on this one – have you noticed any change to buyer’s needs due to climate change or the environment?

Our large undercover clothes drying area - enough space for four large washing loads.

A special thankyou, shout out to my Mum, who yesterday extended our undercover clothes drying area. Now the space dries even more clothes! Brilliant with all this rain we have had!

Visiting Family – We Needed to Buy an Enviro Aero Bed

There is a point in time when you realise ‘I might not have enough beds’ for visiting family.  That point for me was a week before family were due to arrive.

Here is an insight into my ‘sustainable’ thought process when I realised we needed to acquire another bed:

1)  Can I burrow a bed from a friend?
No ➡

2)   Can I purchase a bed, second hand from Gumtree, Ebay or a second hand store?
No ➡

3)  What can I purchase new that would be best for the environment and sustainability?

With this bed needing situation, we proceeded to number 3) – needing to buy something new, when I failed to borrow a bed from others or source one second hand.

I jumped on Google to search ‘environmental air beds’ and discovered The Green Mom Review blog.  Don’t you love sustainable Mummy bloggers!

Anyway I purchased ‘the original Pakmat AeroBed’ because it’s PVC and phthalate free, hence making it more environmentally friendly (and non toxic).  I liked that it came with a manual hand pump and that reviews were favourable to it’s comfort level.

When you have to buy brand new, think of your money as a vote – voting for the best sustainable, kinder and environmentally friendly option available.

Sustainable and Balanced Blogging – part 2

I'm supporting @greeningofgavin via @Patreon – I believe it is important this sustainable Aussie keeps blogging http://t.co/GpoRIYn1KI

— Sarhn (@Sarhn) March 14, 2015

On Saturday night, I tweeted about my commitment to support prominent Aussie sustainable blogger Gavin Webber from Greening of Gavin.

Last week Gav and I had a long conversation on the phone (yes cyber bloggers chatting in person with each other – crazy I know).  I first wrote about my thoughts from our conversation in my ‘Sustainable and Balanced Blogging part 1′ post.

It was Gav’s post asking for help and support that motivated me to pick up the phone. Gav and I have been blogging about sustainability since 2008 however Gav has posted almost every day while I only fortnightly or monthly (until this year when I have started posting daily).

Gav’s seven years of daily blog posts, web casts and videos, has built into a massive library of valuable content on living sustainably. However all this content is also a cost for Gav each month in hosting fees etc – coming out of his pocket as he wants to keep is content free to inspire and support others to change.

However Gav realises finally that blogging about sustainability also must be sustainable.

Gav chooses to limit Google Ads on his site (otherwise he gets Ads for alcohol and gambling which he felt strongly was against his blog intentions).

After investigating and thinking deeply on many options, Gav decided the way to keep blogging was to ask for help – to ask for patrons (from $1 a month).

Personally I felt it would be a huge loss for Australia (and all the world) if Gavin stopped blogging or even post less content.  That’s way I have become a Greening of Gavin patron.

Thanks for all you do Gav!!

What I have achieved so far on my green journey!

Here is a list of practical things I have been able to achieve so far on my ‘green journey’.

 

·                     Now ‘air ratting’ my worm farm so it doesn’t become a mini methane producing landfill. 

Read ‘Are Worm Farms any better than Landfill’.

 

·                     Recycling all my tissues using the worm farm.

Read ‘Winter cold & flu’s produces tissue waste’.

 

·                     Have come up with a system for recycling our dog poo waste.

Read ‘Why is dog poo so interesting?’

 

·                     Planted trees on National Tree Planting Day at Sydney Park (27.7.08).

Read ‘The Day of National Tree Day’.

 

·                     Learnt that the livestock industry is creating more methane greenhouse gas than any other industry.  Thus I have decided to cut back to on eating meat.  Instead of meat every night we have it ever 2^nd night.  Also from now on the meat I buy from the grocery store will be cruelty free.

Read ‘A Pig Feeling’.

 

·                     Learnt that living in the Sydney City Local Council means I don’t have to remove staples from paper or those plastic windows from envelopes before recycling.

Read ‘Do I need to remove staples & plastic windows from envelopes’?

 

·                     Currently learning about Australian Carbon Credit Schemes.  In the process of offsetting all my carbon emissions (will update you when I have done this).

Read ‘Australian Carbon Credit Schemes’.

 

·                     Had my very first no waste week!

Read ‘Zero Waste Goals’.

 

·                     Using a bokashi bin and a worm farm together to reduce our kitchen organic waste.  Now only bones are thrown into the rubbish bin – everything else is recycled.

Post still to be written

 

·                     Sarhn McArthur Photography is now using 100% post-consumer recycled copy paper.

Read ‘Why I will NOT BE buying Reflex 100% Recycled Paper!’