2009 Goal Update

It is that time again to give everyone an update as to whether I met any of the goals I set out to achieve this year.  Here is a recap of the three goals I set myself and a description on whether I achieved or got sidetracked;

1. Our first goal is to find a substitute for our fortnightly take-away meal
2. Our second goal is to build a backyard oven
3. Our third goal is to join/start a local sustainable living group

Takeaway:  We managed to get into February with the first goal, which in hindsight was a good effort do to the extreme heat we were experiencing over summer.  The hottest day on record (48C) occurred on the 9th February, which is now known in Victoria as Black Saturday due to the massive bushfires that burnt out of control for many days, with a large loss of life and property.  My heart goes out to all of those who suffered during that dark period of the year.
Fires aside, it was bloody hot with 3 days in a row of 45C!  You couldn't cook in the kitchen because it felt like it was hotter in the room than in the oven.  So, we relented and got takeaway, and changed our goal to once a month instead, which has worked out fine for us.  During a month worth of home cooked meals, you occasionally need a break from the kitchen, and even though Kim and I take turns at cooking during the week, it gets a bit monotonous.  So we are very happy with this arrangement because it is still saving us swags of money.

Backyard Oven:  No movement whatsoever on this one.  I set a start date of April for this one, but unfortunately Kim got very ill and had to go into hospital for 20 days.  She was out of action for at least 4 months after her release until she was back on her feet again. It was a really emotionally charged time of the year for all of our family, and we just wanted to see her well again.  Wouldn't you believe that just as she was recovering, I had a back injury relapse in August and only just came good again in early November.  So, the year went by, and no backyard oven.  I will put it down as a project for the new year (again).

Melton Sustainable Living Group:  Well this goal was achieved well beyond my wildest dreams!  I managed to gather 5 concerned individuals to start the group, and the first meeting was held on the 28th March.  From there we incorporated as a non-profit community group on the 7th May where I was elected/nominated President of the group, and started up our own website.  This gave us access to community grants from our local council and we have spent the initial $2500 establishment grant on getting ourselves up and running.  We have held the following workshops and events;

• Energy Efficency in the home demonstration
  
• Organic gardening demonstration
• Visit to CERES Community Evironment Park
• Presentation by ecoMaster, Gisborne
  
• Presentation by myself titled "Saving money with Energy Efficiency"
• Presentation to the Caroline Springs Lions Club about Sustainable Living.
  
• A stand at the Environment Hub during the Djerrawarrah Festival to promote the group.

We have also appeared quite a few times in the local press many times now and have found this a good avenue to promote our activities and raise community awareness about the issues of climate change and peak oil.  Have a read of the articles below if you like;

• Report calls for change ahead of petrol price hike
• Michael's Garden features on Vasili's Garden
• Solar seekers shut out
• Power to the people as they take up offer
• Melton green group backs solar
• Green gospel spreads
• Duped! Permit Me to Make a Difference

The Melton Shire Council also gave us other support, for instance, 3 free community room hires so that we could hold "awareness meeting" to get the word out that we existed.  We have 15 keen members, a marquee, display boards for photos of sustainable living stuff and have an alliance with the Australian Conservation Foundation Greenhome program, and I will be attending Climate Champion training in February 2010.  All in all, a fantastic and well achieved goal for 2009, and one of the proudest moments in my life.  All thanks to Kim's support during the year, who kept me going when times were tough.

Other than the three main goals, we have achieved many, many things around our home, and strive to further live my life in a more sustainable way and lead by example.  Other highlights were lots of cheese making, a new chicken yard, a low pressure drip irrigation system for the veggie patch, a few new vegetable beds, fruit trees in the front yard which is now known as 'the orchard', made beer, and paid cash for my ex-lease Honda Civic Hybrid.

I am looking forward to a productive 2010, and sharing it all with you whether it is the good, the bad, or the ugly.  Warts and all!  Tomorrow, I will be posting my new goals for the new year, and leave 2009 feeling like I have really accomplished something good and meaningful.

You're Not Done Yet!

Thanks to the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, this message from the youth of today goes out to all our world leaders.   

You're not done yet.  And neither are we!

A powerful message. I don't feel alone anymore!

Some Days I Feel Like Ed

Some days I feel like Ed Begley Jr trying to combat the media bullshit that is reported everywhere. This man gave as good as he got!




I like Ed, and his TV show "Living with Ed".  Finally, someone who walks the green talk in show biz, and not a jump on the bandwagon type of person.  Sounds like my type of guy!  Hey Ed, want to be friends?

Christmas Cheer to One and All

Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year! T'is the season to be jolly.

Thanks to all my wonderful readers during the year during 2009, and here is to a fruitful and energetic 2010.

To finish off the year, as I will be a bit scarce between now and New Year, I will leave you all with the very personalised video that Kim put together for all of us.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Have a great, and relaxing week, but most of all, treasure the little things!  It is the little things that count and last the most after the excitement of big things quickly die away!

Gavin

Summer Solstice

Early this morning, the Summer Solstice passed us by here down under.  This marks the longest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere, and it is all the way down hill now until the Winter Solstice hits in June.  Our first sunflower is massive and beautiful with a few more to bloom in the next few weeks.  We also picked all of the ANZAC Peaches tonight, and they taste absolutely delicious.  I have never had a peach quite like it!

When people were more connected to the land and in tune with the Earth, it marked the beginning of the Summer season, but now for some reason, here in Australia we begin Summer on the 1st of December.  I realise that the equinox and the solstice were marked by pagan ceremonies, but I am unsure of their origin and why we changed the dates of the seasons. 

If anyone knows why, please leave a comment.  I am not up for a round of research on Google tonight.

Solstice blessings to you and yours.

Gav

Chicken Run Redesign

The weekend was a busy one!  The redesign of the chicken run continued in earnest with three main objectives in mind;

• Reclaim the garden bed in the run to plant a crop of chillies,
• Reclaim the path to the shed so I didn't have to sweep it every day, and so that I can brew some more beer, and
• Allow easy access to the nesting box without having to enter the run.

After two more days of hard work, all objectives have been achieved!  I built the picket gate on Saturday, and painted it, hung it, and finished the remaining fence on Sunday.  I even scrubbed the path clean and planted six chilli seedlings in the garden bed. 

Here are a few shots of my handy work;

 Before the final clean up.

A nice clean path to the shed.

 

A proud tradesman.

 

Nice gate!

 

Inside, looking out.  Happy hens.

Easy access to the nesting box.  No more stepping in chicken poo to get the eggs.

Chilli bushes, all in a row.  The old bush will finally get a chance to grow some leaves.

Kim was so proud of my work as am I with the end result.  The temporary gate and fence that has been in place for about 6 months has been removed and I even put a single paving stone at the end of the nesting box to avoid muddy feet after rain.  The hills hoist clothes line will stay put for now as we have no where to store it.  We have been hanging our washing under the carport for the last year, so decided that it would be a permanent arrangement and give up the backyard for the chooks.  All that remains to be done is to install low pressure drip irrigation to the garden bed and my work is complete.  Sounds like a job for my Christmas break!

It looks and feels like a petting zoo, which is just the affect I was after.  I want to show visitors how easy it is to care for backyard poultry and that it doesn't take a lot of space to keep 8 hens happy. Kim even suggested that we get four more.  Don't tempt me honey, be careful what you joke about!

Weak Outcome at COP15

The Copenhagen Accord, as the final document drawn up as a result of negotiations at COP15, is the most loosely worded, non-binding, waste of 2 years of negotiations that I have ever read!  It contains a bunch of face saving paragraphs that state the bleeding obvious, without any legally binding global GHG emissions reduction targets.  It is a licence for the developed nations to continue with business as usual and a death sentence for low lying countries and island nations.  Which country, besides the large emitting nations who brokered the deal, would actually sing the accord?

If this is the best that our world leaders can do, then it is time to seriously think about taking action ourselves by way of our only real voice.  That voice is who we vote for in the next national election in our respective countries.  After all, political will is a renewable resource!

We, the people of the world will be required to send our elected officials a message, loud and clear, that we will no longer stand for this empty rhetoric that usually flows from their mouths.  The fact that life as we know it will no longer exist with 2 degrees C of warming is obviously lost on some of these so called leaders, and that the economies of these countries are far more important than the future of life on Earth.  Maybe they think they can find another habitable planet to escape to and leave the rest of us behind to suffer the full effects of catastrophic climate change?  I really believe that the corporations and vested interests have taken over the reins of global power, and that the United Nations is not so united and is a farsical shell of an organisation especially now that we have failed to reach a fair, ambitious, and binding agreement.  I really expected better.

I feel gutted and betrayed as do many billions of others.  Just have a look below at the other blog commentary regarding the outcome at COP15.  They are just as disappointed and angry as I am.

Taurus Rising - Viva Chavez!
Hills and Plains Seed Savers - A Little Snippet of Wisdom for Copenhagen
Nevyn's Place - Copenhagen - Comedy or Tragedy?
Don Henry - Striking the right 'accord' in 2010
World Wildlife Fund - Copenhagen Accord: half-baked text and unclear substance

I resign to the fact that it will be the likes of you and I that turn this around in the next year or two.  With the 350.org campaign still in full flight, and the movement growing stronger day by day, it is now our only hope to averting the future that is documented in the 'Copenhagen Accord'. Recycled toilet paper has more value than this document!

So, what are you waiting for?  Lets get on with the job at hand and show the real power of the people!

Gavin

Know Thy Enemy

Knowledge is a powerful tool to have in your arsenal.  I have been doing some research about coal and various industry lobby groups that I often write about, who say one thing, but do another, in reference to climate change.  As you have probably read, the coal and mining industry have an active front of these type of organisations, that lobby our politicians into inaction regarding climate change.  One of these is the Queensland Resources Council, who are a not-for-profit peak industry association, as is the Australian Coal Association who quite blatantly are trying to push Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology down the public's throat as a solution to reducing carbon emissions. I am sorry fellows, I don't think you are quite right.

They are two of the driving forces behind the New Gen Coal campaign.  Maybe they simply believe that if we give coal a fancy new name, all the problems associated with it go away.  I suppose it is better than the American campaign of Clean Coal!

So to better help everyone understand just exactly what sort of propaganda machine these lobby groups have, I have included this link that demonstrates the potential technology of CCS.  Better to understand than to dismiss, I believe.



A Low Emission Energy Future from QRC on Vimeo.

All good in theory, however the captured CO2 is a ticking climate time-bomb if released back into the atmosphere.  Would you store this stuff under your town?  However, their deception gets even better.  Have a look at this video link titled "Copenhagen, ETS and CCS"  from the Australian Coal Association, who's delegates travelled to Copenhagen to continue their lobbying effort, which stars the ACA Executive Director, Ralph Hillman.  Herr Joseph Goebbels couldn't have done a better job at concocting this image.  Goebbels understood the principle that a lie, if audacious enough and repeated enough times, will be believed by the masses.  I realise that the comparison of Nazi Germany's Propaganda Minster and these lobby groups is a long bow to draw and I don't believe that these lobby groups are inherently evil as was the regime in WW2, but my goodness, they are certainly behaving like the bullies of those times by their activities in and around the halls of our parliament.  Especially during the lead up to the second vote on the CPRS, and Copenhagen.  Profits before the Planet is all they seem to care about, and certainly not the well-being of future generations.

CCS technology, whilst in its infancy, is a long, long way off from being "bolted on" to existing coal fired power plants.  We have years, not decades to act against climate change, and no amount of money will speed the development of CCS.  All technologies take time to develop as does this one.  However, we have the means of combating the emissions released by these heavy emitting power generation technologies right now.  That is to scale them back and at the same time increase the deployment of large scale renewable energy technologies, like Solar photovoltaic, Solar Thermal, Wind, Geothermal, and many others.

These renewable energy technologies, which are already fully developed and being installed throughout the globe, except in Australia, and are catering for the increasing energy needs of the human race.  Heck, this post was powered by renewable energy generated on the roof of my house!  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that by simply reducing the subsidies that our coal companies and coal power generators receive to exist competitively from our government, and then diverting them into large scale renewable energy projects we will keep up with energy demand and reduce emissions.  That methodology has certainly worked in countries like Germany, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and some US states like California. 

The renewable energy capacity in these countries are expanding rapidly, with government assistance.  Even China, although the largest emitter, are rapidly taking up renewables because they see the massive profit that can be made and are also feeling the pinch of a changing climate.  Most of their water supply comes from two rivers that are fed by melting glaciers in the Himalayas.  Once completely melted, China and many other Asian nations face a very dry future.

So why can't our government in Australia do the same?  Because they are shackled at the hip to these heavy polluting industries, and don't have the moral fibre or courage to act decisively or if they do, they are not showing us this courage by their actions.  Sure, we now have a renewable feed-in tariff in most states now after many many years of environmental lobbying, but this is just a start.  We simply cannot generate enough of the required power in this country by small scale renewables, even if we put a small wind turbine and a PV array on every roof in Australia.  Energy efficiency around the home and workplace would help reduce the load, but industry would use that power in an instant, and therefore it would only solve part of the issue.  Large scale renewable generation is the answer in my mind, not coal and certainly not nuclear which would take longer to develop and implement in this country than CCS would! 

Coal fired electricity will (unfortunately) be with us for a while longer, just like the video mentions, but I hope for its rapid demise by 2020.  Otherwise, I will see catastrophic climate change in my lifetime. 

A sobering thought indeed.

A Real Deal - An Open Letter to Prime Minister Rudd

Dear Prime Minister Rudd,

Thank you for personally visiting the COP15 negotiations at Copenhagen, however I ask you this one thing.

Please stop playing games, wake up and take a look at the consensus around you, and sign a real climate deal.  Can you not hear the citizens of your country calling out for strong action?  100,000 of us Walked Against Warming so that you would listen.  Can't you see the rest of the world bar a few other rich countries are not mucking around anymore.  Their citizens held a vigil on Friday night all around the world to make sure their leaders did the right thing.

For the sake of our future, and as a nation that can still provide for itself, and all those nations that will not be able to fend for themselves as climate change starts to kick in hard, sign a fair, ambitious and binding deal at Copenhagen.  The time for shallow promises is over.  The time for political games is over.  The time for positive action is now, or we will never have another chance to correct the wrongs of the past.

Sign up to a deal that will ensure that we return to 350 ppm CO2e or less, so that we can be leaders in the green economy and do our part towards avoiding catestrophic climate change.  I know you have the courage to do what is right and fair.

Yours faithfully,

Gavin, and millions of other concerned Australians

P.S  The concerned citizens of the world will leave a comment (please), so that you can get a real understanding of the concern that is out there.  While you are reading the comments, have a look at the rising movement from all corners of the globe. 

Christmas without Commercialism

I know I am stating the bleeding obvious, but when they start bringing out the Christmas decorations in department stores during the month of October, you really know that things have just gone too far.  The blatant commercialisation of the holiday season has been getting longer and longer each year.  It must be time to join Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping!

Whether you celebrate Christmas or some other religious holiday, things seem way too out of control for me, without any end in sight.  Last year we made our own Xmas crackers, which was great fun, but have chosen not to buy all that plastic crap that went inside them this year to just waste in an instant.  As you probably know, I am against consumerism for the sake of it, which I have labelled as Affluenza, so here are a few ideas that will help get you off the consumeristic treadmill.  Kim and I decided that we want things to last, and gifts that either help others who produced them to get a fair deal, or give to those who really need our generosity.   
Firstly, we chose only fair trade products for each other.  Yes, I know that there are an incredible amount of transport emissions because mainly these gifts come from overseas, but I wanted to support the fair trade movement and not some giant corporation.  We bought some of our gifts at New Internationalist Fair trade shop.  Not only do you get a great product that is built to last, you guarantee a fair price for produces which is not a handout, but also helps encourage self reliance.  We also bought some gifts at the Oxfam shop which is also sells fair trade goods.  So we bought minimal gifts with all proceeds going to people who most need our money.

Secondly, instead of going absolutely crazy with gifts you can give a gift to someone who really needs it.  World Vision has a campaign called Smiles, whereby you got to their site and buy a gift for someone else in need!  What a fantastic concept.  You can buy as little as water purifications tablets for $5 or water and sanitation for an entire community for $89,950!  From mozzie nets to chickens, ducks, pigs or goats, the gift ideas are massive.  So how does it work?  Do they pack a goat in a box and ship it overseas?  NO, that would be cruel.  Here is an extract from the World Vision Smiles site that explains it all;

How Smiles works

You may be wondering how we deliver your Smiles gifts to children and families in poor communities, particularly the furry and feathery ones!

No, we don’t try and put the gifts into boxes and ship them off overseas. Instead, each Smiles gift you buy represents the kind of activities we will carry out on your behalf.

So, if you buy a duck or a market garden starter pack, for example, your contribution will go towards our agriculture and environment work to help communities grow food for families and restore and improve their environments. Or if you buy a mosquito net or a toilet, you’ll be contributing to our work to help communities gain access to basic healthcare, water and sanitation.

You’ll also find gifts that represent our education and training projects, our work with Indigenous communities, our emergency relief work, and our programs to protect children from exploitation and abuse.

To find out more about which category a particular gift represents, click on the Your Gift Supports tab when looking at a specific gift.

You can watch a video about how Smiles works at this link.

So this year, think outside the box you live in, and consider some of these options to help those who, without your help, will probably go without the simplest of life's necessities, let alone a present this festive season. 


The choice is yours.  You can give socks and jocks to someone who has everything, or a present that really means the world to someone.  I reckon they are not only suitable for last minute gifts, but for corporate presents as well!  What a great Chris Kringle present to give a work colleague.

Seasons greetings to one and all, 

Gavin

Keeping it Green and Keen

My main post for the day is over at the Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op and is about how I keep motivated regarding my journey towards a sustainable lifestyle.

I thought it was time to share a bit of personal reflection, and share some of my learning that I have aquired along the way.  It is a bit of a brain dump on how I keep focused on the task at hand, i.e. the Greening of Gavin, so to speak.

Please drop by and join in the discussion.

Gavin

Walk Against Warming 2009 - Melbourne

As mentioned before, my family and I participated in the Walk Against Warming yesterday.  I have been trying to put the video together all day, and each time I pick a music track to go with it and upload it, YouTube blocks it due to copyright.  So, I have given up on the music all together and have just posted it as is without any music except the band that was playing on the day.  I hope you enjoy it all the same.






It was estimated that there were 40,000+ people at the walk this year, and I can believe that.  We were in the middle of the parade and I couldn't see the end either back or forwards, and I have never seen such a crowd in all my life.  We all had a great time, as you will see in the video.  If you want to read more about the day, have a look at the official Environment Victoria page.  I hope the message gets through to our delegates loud and clear at Copenhagen.  A bit more action and a lot less piss farting around please!

Power to the People.

Walk Against Warming - Reminder

Big day tomorrow.  My family, friends and I will be Walking against Warming here in Melbourne.  Why walk, I here you ask?  This is why!





The eyes of the world are upon us.  With all the scepticism about climate change funded by vested interests in the Australian media and from the Federal opposition party, the other delegates in Copenhagen are being sent mixed messages that could also stop the PM from acting decisively. 

Lets show the citizens, elected officials of Australia, and the world that you care about the effects of climate change and take this one and most important opportunity to have your say for for future generations.  They have no voice, so lets give them a chance to be heard through our actions.

Check here for a walk in your area.

Gavin

Unwarranted Personal Attack

Much to my surprise, my last post received a bit of attention by way of a personal attack on my character.  Here is the comment for all to see;

Anonymous 10 December 2009 11:35 AM 
 

Gavin, have you read any of the treaties? Or are you just another sheepish alarmist on the "CO2 is evil" bandwagon? I doubt you are being paid by anyone, so I conclude that you are just as brainwashed as the rest of the neo hippie zombies mindlessly cheerleading the biggest fraud ever perpetuated on human kind. It really is very sad. If you had read the documentation, you would realise the following:
• Only the west will pay and have to reduce emissions
• "Rich" western nations will pay anything up to 2% of their GDP as a carbon tax (Australias 2009 GDP was 1015 Billion dollars)
• This tax is to fund a massive global government beurocracy with something in the order of 700 new departments with more acronyms than you can poke a stick at.
• In addition there will be levies on greenhouse gas emissions
• Allowances to emit will be auctioned off. If you cant afford them, you cannot emit.
• A uniform global levy of $2 per tonne of CO2 for ALL fossil fuel emissions
• Levies on emissions from international aviation. This means every airfare except those going in and out of "poorer" nations
• a 2% share of "climate debt" to poorer nations
• A global levy on international monetary transactions (every transaction across international borders will attract a 2% tax)
• Penalties and unlimited fines for those who don't comply, which will be enforced by a global "Green" police force.

Can you afford all these taxes? I know I can't, and sure as hell my children will not be able to afford them either. And be aware that this is only the beginning of what theyre proposing.

I have some advice for you: Until you have read the treaties coming out of Copenhagen and understand the agenda of the corrupt and power hungry elites running this farce, then shut up.

Thank you Anonymous for your well researched comment.  Now, not being one to back down from my beliefs, I did a bit of research myself.  The comment was posted via an IP address that is owned and assigned to News Limited via their internet gateway in Sydney.  This is the very same News Limited that owns at least 70% of the media publications in this country.  Now not wanting to illegally dig any deeper into their network via whois, when I got home today, I did a bit of Googling to see if I could match any of the phrases used in the comment.

Well as sure as eggs are oval shaped, I found two journalists who write for the Herald Sun, who had writing styles matching the way the comment was written.  Then again, I could be wrong and it could just be a normal News Limited employee and I will not resort to slander.  So, due to the wonder of the internet, we find that the anonymous comment is now not so anonymous!  What would Rupert think of this, seeing he is fully behind the parent company's push to become carbon neutral by 2010. A very naughty employee indeed.

So here is my reply;

Dear Anon.  No, I am not paid by anyone, but you obviously are.  Your name calling is very impolite, as is your assumption that I have not read the proposed treaties.  I have read what detail is currently available and fully realise the ramifications of the proposal.  The western way of life has caused the issues we now face, so it should only be fitting that we pay for our mistakes.  I for one am very happy to pay these taxes, because the mere fact that a tax exists means that you actually consume something to get taxed upon.  This is quite contrary to the sustainable lifestyle I lead which is geared towards lowering consumption, therefore less tax, if you had have done your research.  I strive to consume less.

Neo hippy zombie?  I don't think so.  Free thinking realist, most definitely.  I have carefully considered both sides of the argument and even if the elevated change in climate we are experiencing is some how magically not caused by humans, then my behaviour of consuming less will actually leave some resources behind for future generations, who will reap the benefit either way.

So until you stop hiding from behind the thin veneer the anonymous tag gives you, I believe that the final word is mine.  So I kindly recommend that you get your head out of your arse, and shut up yourself!




So on that note, here is the next video in the COPtv series by GetUP! Australia.

Enjoy!

Gavin

Climategate Greenwash

There has been much debate about the so called Climategate theft of emails and documents from the University of East Anglia and to whether it was set up by vested interests with the stolen data being cherry picked for out of context information that would discredit climate change.  I certainly believe that the theft was a rouse to unsettle the COP15 delegates and make a stronger case, for the already weak climate change denier lobby.  I am also disgusted that this clown (insert Senator Steve Feilding's name), and his mate (insert Prof Ian Plimer) actually were given a passport and will be winging their way to the conference to join this merry band of circus performers.  Maybe the leader of the opposition can join them and make it a denier threesome!

Well in my mind, and my reality (the world that I observe around me), the climactic patterns throughout Australia have changed in my lifetime, and for the worse I may add.  Victoria is quickly becoming desert before my eyes, year by year, getting less rainfall on average each season, making life for those on the land near on impossible and unbeknown to the city folk, difficult for them.  The cities rely on the country for food and produce, who in turn rely on the city folk to buy its food and produce.  Everything is connected.




As I mentioned in my post "COP15 - A New Hope", the time for turf wars are over, and it is now time to act for the salvation of all remaining species on planet Earth.  After all, we are in the midst of the greatest mass extinction in the history of humanity.  Who knows, it may even eclipse the big 5 mass extinction events of all time.  Ok, a bit dramatic, but if we act now, we can prevent not only other species extinction, and maybe our own (I am exaggerating to prove a point)!

So, to keep it interesting, here are a few thoughtful blog posts from fellow bloggers covering some of the events at COP15:

Crunchy Chicken - Climategate - Should It Matter?

Cluttercut - Racism and Population Growth Copenhagen Climate Summit

Clusterfuck Nation - Climate, Oil, War, and Money


More news from COP15 as I review it each day and great blog links about the event and climate change news as I read it.

COPtv

GetUp! Australia are making a series of videos to keep us informed of what the Australian delegation is doing behind the scenes at the COP15 conference.  Here is the first episode.  You can find the original here.






Enjoy the show and lets look forward to a FAB outcome!

How Hard Is It...

.. to get a bi-directional electricity meter installed.  After two years and a some complaints, it all came to a head the other day.  Now that the feed-in tariff has been legislated, I am loosing money (not that it was my motivation to get the solar PV system installed two and a half years ago).

Just when I thought it was in the bag, yet another delay.  I rang up my energy retailer to get my meter changed out so that I could sign a feed-in agreement with them, but after a long and interesting conversation about why they would roll over all credits and not wipe them, I was told to call my installer because it is their responsibility to send them a Certificate of Electrical Safety and an Electrical Work Request.  I told them that I already had a Network Connection Agreement with my electricity distributor, and they said it would not be an issue.  They checked their records and they had no record of my installer asking for the meter to be swapped over!

So, I rang my installer, who was supposed to sort all of this out two and a half bloody years ago.  I managed to get hold of the original project manager after 3 calls and multiple messages.  I think it was when I told their call centre staff that I was going to hit them for lost earnings that the ball started rolling.  A day later, the project manager called and informed me that my energy retailer would not install a new meter because the Certificate of Electrical Safety and an Electrical Work Request were not current.  They were more than 12 months old.  No shit Sherlock!  It was about this time I put on my angry hat and began to instruct the PM to get his act together, get me another certificate and independent electrical inspection within the week for free, or I would take my case to consumer affairs and the media.  Apparently, this worked.  I have never seen so much action in such a short space of time.

My demand was on Tuesday, the safety certificate was issued on the Friday, and the independent inspection occurred on the Sunday!  Confirmation from my energy retailer that they had passed my request to the distributor was received on Monday!  It took only 6 days after coming down heavy to get as far as I did in the previous 27 months.  It is amazing where a bit of aggravation gets you.

Normally, I am a straight forward sort of guy who is quite patient, but expects decent customer service, especially when that service comes at a cost of $20500!  I had reached my own renewable energy tipping point and blew my stack in the nicest possible way of course.

Now all I have to do is wait until the 23rd of December which is 21 days stipulated by the distributor before my meter gets installed.  I have already tried to contact the solar specialist at the energy retailer who I talked to in the first instance, but she hasn't returned my calls.  What happened to good old customer service, especially now that I am loosing 60 cents per kWh that I export into the power grid?  It is not like I am not offering to pay the $300 odd for the meter and installation.  I don't feel jaded, I just wanted action.

I bet the shoe would be on the other foot and a lot quicker I might add if I had have owed any of them money, that is for sure!

Pumpkin Patch

The pumpkin and bean patch has been lapping up all the grey water we have been pumping on to it from the washing machine, and it's twice weekly watering from the irrigation system.  I have Scarlet Runner beans, Lazy Housewife runner beans, climbing cucumber, Queensland Blue, Butternut, Australian Butter, Pennsylvania Crook-neck, Golden Nugget, Japanese, a couple of random tomato plants and a rather tall Sunflower that the beans are climbing up!

Remember back to when I ripped off all of the white jasmine from the trellis on the east side of the yard.  This is what the area looked like in May this year.

 

After lots of greywater, a big bag of sheep manure and two wheel barrows of compost, this is what it looks like now;

From another angle;

The great thing about having the pink jasmine close by is that the bees are visiting it all day, just as the pumpkin flowers are beginning to develop.  The jasmine is also benefiting from all the greywater as you can see by the massive display of beautiful flowers.  Those massive pumpkin leaves are from the Qld Blue I planted.  It is taking over the yard as are these Australian Butter Pumpkins.

 

Quite a big leaf, and all very healthy I would say.  This has been my most successful year with pumpkins and squash.  The Golden Nugget already have pumpkins growing!

How is your pumpkin patch growing and what types are your favourites?

COP15 - A New Hope

Sounds a bit like a title for a Star Wars movie, but COP15 (short for the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) is now underway in Copenhagen.

As the sun rises over the capital city of Denmark today, the citizens of planet Earth await in anticipation to see if world leaders and their negotiators can seal a binding deal to reduce carbon emissions  to avert catestrophic climate change.

I can only hope that the negotiations go well and that a deal is formulated and eventually ratified.  I also hope that countries act for the benefit of all the people of the world and not just for vested interests that reside in their own patch of turf.  The time for turf wars are well past us.

With the effects of climate change becoming increasingly evident and visible here in Australia, and many other nations of the world, it would strike me that this United Nations conference is our last hope to actually take decisive action before the first major climate tipping points are reached.

Many politicians are playing down the outcome (our PM included), to lower the expectations of the general populous.  However there is a determined coalition of threatened nations that are determined to shake up the status quo of inaction.  These are the leaders of the low laying nations that will, and are being the first effected by rising sea levels as the ice caps continue to break-up and melt.

So, now that I have emphisised the importance of COP15, here are some sites where you can get up to date information about the events in Copenhagan as they unfold;

• WWF - COP15 site
• Green TV
• Australian Conservation Foundation
  

Also, don't expect major coverage of the event from the mainstream media over the next two weeks, because
a) They won't dedicate vaulable advertising space to report about it, and
b) Vested interests advertise on commercial networks who wouldn't like to upset their customers!
I believe that the ABC in Australia will present a balanced view, and from watching tonight's 7pm TV News, they will be doing their best with limited funding.

If you really want to be heard and speak for future generations as I do, you can track all the action via the links above, or better still, join my family and I, and many thousands concerned citizens of planet Earth at the Walk against Warming.  This once a year event is occurring this Saturday 12th December in major population centres across Australia.  I attended last years walk which you can read about at this post titled, "Walk Against Warming 2".  It is a safe and family oriented event and last year we had a ball in the process.  I would highly recommend that you all have a look in your calendars and attempt to make time for this one hour event that our politicians look, and take notice of.

See you there if you are attending the Melbourne walk.  I will be the one wearing the solar powered fan in his hat!

Gavin

A Huge Chick-Run Weekend

Huge, because that is the size of my muscles from all the hard work I did over the last two days.

This weekend was a re-org of the chicken run, so that we could fence off the path and get into the shed occasionally.  I want to reclaim the vegetable bed so that I can plant in it and lay an irrigation system to the bed as well.  I still have enough bits left over from the main veggie patch project (which is working exceptionally well I may say).  The garden on that side has never grown so fast!  Sure the rain helped, but the drip irrigation every few days from the tank and twice weekly from the mains as per our water restrictions have done wonders for the growth rate.  I think it will survive any scorchers we get this year.

Anyway, back to the chicken run.  I started by removing these three posts.

Yes, it is an old shot as you will see in a minute.  I thought last week, that what is the point of having these three posts up against the fence when the new fence is just a high.  So with my reuse hat on, I decided to dig them out and reuse them.  This is one I prepared earlier.

Notice all of the attention the hole has created with our fine feathered friends.  The ground is so rich in worms, they went absolutely crazy over all these tasty morsels.  The soil is so moist from all that rain we have had lately down to at least 60cm which was as deep as the posts were in the ground.  It took about 30 minutes to get these out and I though it would take much longer.  A bit of digging, a bit of rocking and out they came.  I knocked the quick set concrete block off of the bottom with the mattock without any problems (will have to think of a use for that concrete now).  The photo was taken by Kim, my trusty, yet padawan construction worker.  Her heart was really in it, but is still learning from the master jedi builder of all things green!  I love to see her so excited about helping out.

With all the posts on the other side of the enclosure, I started digging the post holes with my trusty auger that I have had since we moved into the place, 9 years ago. I measured a 90cm span between posts to ensure that it all looked even as there were still 3 posts still in the ground where I needed them.

Notice the feathers in the background.  This is Pippa, Poppy's sister.  I dug a pilot hole out of shot, and this is her digging in it for worms.

She was having a ball.  The soil and clay on this side of the chicken run was just as moist all the way down.  Great place to store water if you ask me!  Anyway, we got all three post holes dug.  It was time for a rest, and a quick trip to the hardware store for two bags of quickset concrete to set the posts.  As I am going to hang a picket gate off of one the posts I had to make sure that it was firmly in the ground.

With Kim as my height guide, I levelled the posts on the vertical, and then, after a quick measure between the posts, I started to pour the dry quickset into the first hole with post in the ground.  Kim had spirit level in hand to check if the posts were level on the horizontal all around whilst I poured in the water to set the mix.  It sets in about 15 minutes, but you can't bang any nails into the posts until the next day.  With the chickens looking confused, but happy from their worm feast it was time to call it a day having put all three posts in the ground and fixed down to 60cm with quickset.  We had friends coming over at 5pm, so I did a little bit of gardening for about an hour to kill the time.  Here is a worm feast picture;

---

Today, after a one hour session to the gym to build up the core muscles for the day ahead, I got stuck back into it at around 1030.  Now that we had all the posts where they were required, I started with the wire.  I chose to use 13mm chicken wire up to a height of 1.8 metres.  It seemed about right, and I know now from experience that they cannot fly that high.  Kim was still tired so she went back to bed for another hour, so I slogged it out in the blazing sun by myself.  Fencing is quite painful when there is only one of you, so I took it slow and steady.  After two hours of banging my thumb and pricking myself with the wire, this is what I achieved.  Wire all the way up, double span, and dug down about 5cm with about 5cm pointing toward the path so that the dogs, or heaven forbid, a fox tries to get in.  I pegged all bottom sections down with long tent pegs and will bury it all when I get the chance.

Here is a better shot of this part;

Do you like my sewing job?  I joined the two spans together with the wire that came wrapped around the bundle of chick wire.  It was just enough, but took me about 45 minutes to finish and my fingers were covered in zinc from the wire by the time I had finished.  The sweat was pouring off of my brow from under my wide brimmed hat by this time as the sun was at its zenith.  I finished this part at about 1330, and took a lunch break.  It took me a while to scrub the zinc off of my fingers, but I didn't want to ingest it with my sandwich.

 
When I dug the trench for the bottom of the wire, there was another worm feast for the hens, and one of them, Esther, was so close to the spade, that I nearly chopped her head off three times.  We nearly had roast chicken for dinner.  Here is a pic of some of the cheeky chickens.  Esther is the white one standing bottom right on the old lumps of concrete.

After lunch, I was getting real hot.  I had to figure out a quick way of letting the hens through to their favourite dust bath area behind the shed.  They have made it their weekend playground and quickly round up any insects and weeds, which works out as a win-win for all of us.  Here is what I came up with as an interim solution until Kim suggested a gate that swings outward and blocks off the path.  Now why didn't I think of that.  Maybe she will be a master jedi sooner than I think!

It is a bit like a trap door that has battens down the side of each post as a guide.  You can also see their behind the shed playground in this shot as well.  Here it is with the door in it.

It seems to keep them in and they are getting used to all the new wire.  With the last bit of chicken wire in place above the trap door and the left side of it, I called it a day at about 1500, as I didn't want to over heat. One dose of heat stroke is enough for this summer, thank-you very much.

Time for a beer and a movie to relax for the rest of the day.  Mind you, after the movie, I still spent another hour at 1800 watering all the pot plants and fertilising the fruit orchard out the front yard.  I must have ants in my pants, and find it hard to sit still until after sunset.  Why waste all that wonderful sunlight when you only get long days for half the year?  Pippa and Poppy sure don't!

Walk Against Warming

Community Announcement.  My family and I will be there, will you?

 

WALK AGAINST WARMING

12pm – 12/12/09 - State Library, Melbourne

This year, we’re sending a safe climate message to the world. Are you in?

 

This December, our world leaders are gathering to decide how much they’re prepared to do about climate change.

 

Join thousands of Victorian individuals and families concerned about climate change at this year’s Walk Against Warming, and help us form a massive human sign on Princes Bridge –  a sign so big they’ll get our safe climate message all the way over in Copenhagen.

 

The Walk Against Warming is Australia’s biggest day of community action on climate change.  Similar Walks will be happening across the country, and across the globe as communities everywhere come together to tell their leaders they want action for a safe climate. 

 

If you’ve ever replaced an old light globe with an energy efficient one, taken public transport instead of driving, switched to Green Power, or worried about the kind of world you’re going to leave to your kids, then the 2009 Walk Against Warming is for you!

 

So get your community, family, kids, friends and everyone else you know all together... and get them to Walk Against Warming on December 12! 

 

Help us make Melbourne's Walk Against Warming HUGE...

 

RSVP right now: www.waw.org.au    To get involved contact:  victoria@envict.org.au

 

Spread the word - please forward this link far and wide if you live in the Greater Melbourne area.

 

Raising Peak Oil Awareness (Kind of)

As I mentioned the other day, our town rated badly in a report produced by the Institute for Sensible Transport titled, "Oil Vulnerability in Melbourne - Research Project", which describes our plight when oil prices inevitable rise.  Being Mr Sustainable in our town, the local press were quick to contact me for a comment regarding the impact that this might have on our community and how we could prepare.

You can read the article called, "Report calls for change ahead of petrol price hike".  Any press about Peak Oil is good press as far as I am concerned, and can only awaken people to what lays ahead.

Well, of course they didn't print any of my thoughts about Peak Oil, just some figures that I rattled off regarding the cost of commuting by car vs train.  At least they painted the fuel economy of my Hybrid in a good light, but I believe that most people would realise that it is more economical to run a 1.3 litre, 4 cylinder Petrol/Electric Hybrid than a petrol guzzling 5 litre V8!  Well maybe not all, because I felt that I had to connect the dots when speaking to the reporter, so maybe the average punter would have the same issue of understanding.

Also, not one mention of why oil prices were going to rise.  Maybe it is all just a little bit scary to tell the average person on the street that the age of cheap oil is over, and that we are on the rock downhill slope of decline.  More motor vehicle transportation infrastructure will not solve the problem, especially new Free-ways, as the days of happy motoring have nearly finished.  We have no immediate replacement for oil as a transportation fuel that doesn't rely on more energy to produce it than it actually provides us.  that is the beauty (if you can call it that) of oil.  It was extremely cheap to extract, energy dense stuff, easy to transport and store.  There has never been an energy source quite like it in human history.

Anyway, it will come as a massive shock to most folks as this fiesta comes to a close.  This is why it is so urgent to curb carbon emissions because as soon as energy becomes a scarcity, we will not have the resources or capital to combat the effects of climate change.  Sure, we won't be burning as much oil, but with the current levels of CO2-e in the atmosphere we have probably locked in a couple of degrees of warming already.  Guess what the powers that be will attempt to replace oil with?  You guessed it, Coal, in a liquid form.  That is all we bloody need!

Crook Chook

There was a bit of drama at TGOG's suburban farm last night.  As I was travelling home on the train, Kim sent me an SMS that said, "Hi Honey the little black chicken is not good".  I called her back immediately and Kim told me that she found Poppy, the black/grey Pekin Bantam under the shaded area in the chicken run, panting, wings spread out and looking motionless.  I asked her to grab her and isolate Poppy from the others so they wouldn't pick on her.  Just as Kim went to pick her up, Ginger came flapping over and started to peck Poppy and dominate her.  Kim gave ginger a quick flick of the wrist and removed Poppy from the run.

I got home about 35 minutes later and found Kim with a tear in her eye, sitting on the concrete on the east side of the house giving Poppy water via a 1mm syringe.  The hen was taking small doses, but looked very listless, however she was still able to hold up her head.  She looked like she was in a lot of pain because she wasn't moving other than her head, and kept closing her eyes as she swallowed the water.  Poppy was also a very hot little chook which I noticed straight away when I picked her up to inspect her.

First I checked her crop for lumps of food or hardness.  There were a few that I had to break-up until all the food moved around freely.  Then I check her vent to make sure she wasn't egg bound.  This was a bit gross, but I had to insert the index finger to clear any blockages.  I ensured I was very gentle.  Not a nice job, but necessary.  Finding no blockage, she did a few really solid droppings once I removed my finger.

She was still not moving and very hot, so I took over from Kim and kept giving her water.  We were just putting the end of the syringe (no needle of course) up to her beak and pushed out a few drops of water at a time.  Poppy was still very thirsty and kept drinking even though that was all she could manage to do.  I had to rush off to a dental appointment so Kim took over again, giving her water when she wanted it.  We had her sat on a towel on our laps so that she was comfortable.

I returned home at about 7pm to find Kim and Poppy over on the deck, with Poppy walking around a little and exploring things.  Thank goodness we thought, as she started to perk up a bit.  About half an hour later she sat next to Kim again on the towel and went back into her sick mode.  Listless, not moving, hot to touch, so we gave her water again and massaged her crop and just stroked her to comfort her.  Kim was overheating herself by this time, so she went off for a swim, and I took over again.  I spent the next hour giving her water, petting and massaging her crop to loosen things up.  Then all of a sudden, her head went limp and hit the towel and all this stinky brown fluid came out of her nose and beak.  I thought that she was about to pop her clogs, but then she raised her head and opened her eyes a little and took some more water.  This was one tough little hen!

After another hour of TLC, it was getting dark, so we decided to isolate her for the night to keep her away from the other chickens just in case Poppy had something contagious.  We put some straw in the bottom of an esky (ice box) and put her in it with some wire mesh over the top with a small statue of a reclining Buddha on top to hold the mesh down.  No religious significance, just didn't want a cat to get her during the night.  She settled down, moved a little, but was still quite listless but breathing heavily, so we let fate take its course.

We both had a tear in our eyes as we said goodnight to the tough little hen, not expecting her to make it through the night.  I checked her before going to bed at 11pm and found her still alive and panting a little less.

We woke up at 5.50am and Kim asked me to check on Poppy, fearing the worst.  To my surprise she was still alive and had laid a paper thin egg and was eating the contents of it.  She was also standing, not panting and a lot cooler.  Fantastic news and I rushed back in to tell Kim, who was ecstatic, as was I.  Maybe the Buddha had helped after all!

We decided to keep her isolated from the rest of the flock by letting the other hens out the back of their house to the large run, then closed the front door of the house and put some feed and water in the caged area for Poppy.  She started to walk around, eat some feed and had a drink and looked like her old self again.  Kim let her back in with the other hens at around lunch time, with no ill effects. 

Both Kim and I a very pleased that all this TLC worked.  We don't know what caused the illness as it wasn't that hot a day, but are just glad that we didn't loose her.  Also a big well done to Kim who acted quickly and kept Poppy hydrated and pampered before I got home.  Chickens are great pets, but I loath it when they get sick.  I wish they could tell you where it hurt, but I don't suppose any of our local vets could have done a better job.

Good on ya Poppy.  Thanks for pulling through love, you are a beautiful, tenacious, little hen!

Seed Saving

Over at the Simple Green Frugal co-op I have posted an story about how I have continued to build up my expertise regarding saving seed in the vegetable garden.

The post is titled, "Saving Vegetable Seeds".  To the more experienced gardener it may not be your cup of tea, but I certainly enjoyed writing it, as I have had fun each season of seed collection.  For Father's day this year, my daughter Amy bought me 'The Seed Savers' Handbook' by Michel and Jude Fanton, founders of Australia's Seed Savers' Network.  It is a truly magnificent book if you want to learn all there is to know about saving your own vegetable seeds.  I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I hope you pop on over to the co-op and learn a little bit about collecting and saving your own seeds.

Gavin