How Would You Rate Your Greenness?

Self reflection is something we should all do often.  Otherwise, how would we be able to fully understand how far we have travelled on our sustainable living journey.

However, our sustainable living journey needs to have a reference, a spectrum or scale if you like, so that we can all gauge where we are on the journey.

This spectrum shown above is a good tool to help one understand where they personally are.

Personally, back in September 2006, I was firmly in the red area.  I was shocked into action from the red end of the spectrum through to the light green within the span of a few months, then finally over a longer time period to the dark green end.

Although I have experienced a real paradigm shift in behaviours, beliefs and personal reality, sometimes I loose that optimism which comes with green, and go to a much darker place.  Those who follow this blog regularly would have observed this in my writing from time to time.  It happens to us all I think, but then I snap out of it with some self reflection or meditation.

I believe that it isn't until we measure something objectively, that we can truly improve upon our performance.

Anyway, that is where I think I am on the scale, where do you think you are?  You don't have to share if you don't want to, but it would be great if people self reflect a little, and draw a line in the sand so to speak.  While you are at it, have a think about behaviours you could be doing better or start to move towards the greener end of the scale.

Join in, the waters fine.  The more the merrier, I say.  What would be really interesting would be if we did this again in six months time.  Who is up for the challenge?

A Day At The Museum

I have been working diligently on my Clay Oven eBook so I needed a break away from the screen.  Ben suggested that we visit the Museum, so off we went.

The Melbourne Museum is big.  So big, that we didn't get to see all of it in the time we had allocated.

Firstly, the dinosaur exhibit.

We read all the information and looked at all the bones.  The displays were very well made, with information about the era each dinosaur lived in, what they ate, and how they lived.  We must have spent the first hour just reading all the information.

My thoughts and comments to my daughter Megan were that the timelines of the dinosaur age are just unfathomable when compared to the human timeline.  We have been around for the blink of an eye, and managed to stuff up the environment in only a couple of hundred years.  The dinosaurs were around for hundreds of millions of years and didn't manage to stuff anything up.  Kudos to the dinosaurs!

We then looked at how old the earth was.  It was old, like 4.5 billion years old.  It surprised Ben, but I had already learnt this when I was his age!

From a globe of red hot magma, to a planet with water and continents supporting life.  An amazing transformation, and somewhere amongst it all was life.  Precious in all its forms.

Then into the mammal exhibition.  Walking into a room full of preserved animals made me feel very sad.  To think that many of these beasts are nearly extinct, because of our disregard for our actions, with no thought of the consequences.  A barrel of fun to take to the museum, aren't I?

I spent a lot of time here looking and looking, with moist eyes.  I didn't let the kids see though, as I didn't want to spoil their day out.

What did make me shed a tear was an exhibit at the entrance to this room.  It was the Human Population Growth Exhibit.  Here is a video of it.

It really made me think, because I have never seen it represented so graphically.  I stood there for a good ten minutes watching it over and over again.  Observe the years (AD) and the dots which represent a million people grow exponentially after 1900.  The good thing was that the exhibit had text below it that talked about overpopulation, resource depletion and climate change, and the impact upon the planet that we are causing.

You know, if someone from outer space was observing this, it would appear that we are a virus on the face of the earth, multiplying until we kill the host.  Quite shocking really, all driven by cheap energy and the surplus of food via the green revolution.  If we didn't have access to oil or coal, our growth may have slowly increased to a steady state.  We may have lived lighter on the planet (or not).

Anyway, I explained this to Ben, but I think it went over his head.

We wandered through the human body display for a while, then into the forest.  The forest was full of insects, tortoises, frogs, and I am sure many other animals.  This really cheered me up, and was most peaceful.

So what did I learn from my trip to the museum?  Well, I learnt that if we don't stop our system of economic growth soon, our civilization will be the one that alien archaeologists will be digging up in a few hundred thousand years (we may not be around any more), trying to figure out where we went wrong and how we were so short-sighted.  They would probably think that we were a monumentally stupid race, expanding and destroying until we, like a virus, killed our own habitat.

It makes me shudder.  Am I the only one who visits a museum and thinks like this during a visit? Sometimes I think all this truth and reality is doing my head in.

Cheese Tips on Little Green Cheese

Just for all you curd nerds out there, I have published a post over on my cheese blog, Little Green Cheese.

It is about maintaining a consistent temperature with your cheese (aka wine cooler) fridge.  The question came from a reader, Sandra who was having trouble with her own cheese fridge.

Pop on over and have a read of the post titled "Cheese Fridge Tips".

Gav

Berry Nice

There is nothing quite as delicious and satisfying as a bowl full of home grown berries, with a drizzle of fresh single cream!

Well, that is what Kim and I have been eating for the last few evenings as our dessert.

Our thornless Loganberries are fruiting abundantly.  This year has been the best harvest we have ever had.  I tried something different, and didn't cut the canes right back in winter, leaving about two feet of last years wood above the ground.  The results have been more than impressive.  Kim has been harvesting a punnet a day for the past week, with plenty more on the bush.

As for the strawberries, we have about 15 plants supplying us with about  a bowl of berries per day for the past week.  The smallest ones are the sweetest.  This has also been the best year for strawberries, as I moved them to the south side of the house, right outside Kim's office door.  She keeps them well watered, which has helped enormously.  We have had the plants netted for two weeks to stop the birds and our naughty dogs from eating them.  No problem with snails this year, as they are either elevated or off the ground on a wooden deck.  This has made a big difference to the quality and quantity of the fruit.

We still have blueberries that are just about to ripen in the next week or so, with one bush heavily laden with fruit.  We will probably harvest about three punnets in total off the two bushes.

The mulberry tree that is located in Cluckingham Palace, is growing very well.  All that natural fertilizer and moist soil is providing ideal  conditions for growth. We did have a heavy crop of mulberries, however I didn't net them in time, so the sparrows have eaten them all.  Next year I will know to cover them earlier.

So there you have it.  Berries galore, and simple to grow in a suburban garden, as long as they are protected from the local wildlife.

Once the berries are finished in a couple of weeks, the first lot of stone fruit will nearly be ready.  I really love all the home grown fruit at this time of year, especially that I know it is organically grown.

Have you had a large berry harvest this year?  Do you have any tips or tricks to share to ensure a bumper crop?

Gavin's New eBook Published

Today, I published my third eBook.  It has taken me nearly two months to write, edit, seek technical advice, design a book cover, and get it proof read.

I would like to thank Michael O'Connell and Phil Richardson for their technical expertise and advice.  It would have only been half of the book without their input.

A big kiss goes to my Mother-in-law, Pam, who diligently proof reads each of my publications.

Anyway, here is the blurb, and purchase details if you are interested in making a system that will server you well in the event of a grid failure or rolling blackout.

Priced at USD $3.99 in eBook format, or AUD $3.99 as a PDF.

Build Your Own Small Solar Power System
by Gavin Webber.

So what do you do when the power goes out? Do you fumble around in the dark looking for candles or a torch to light the way? Is it an inconvenience or a major disaster when you lose the mains?

Well, look no further.

This eBook is a how to guide, with comprehensive instructions that will enable you to benefit from my experience and research, and build your very own small solar power system even on a modest budget.

So discover how easy it is to make your own small solar power supply, driven by the greatest resource we have at our disposal. The Sun.

Available right now at Smashwords in multiple eBook formats, Amazon Kindle version,

or 

Available Direct as a PDF

Concerned Kittens

Who likes kittens?  Well, I have found some kittens that are particularly worried about what humans are doing to the climate.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

What do you think?  Too cute to be an effective message, or does it tug at the heart strings?

Docklands Community Garden

Community gardens are great places to learn how to grow fruit and vegetables from experienced amateurs who are willing to share their skills with newbie's   Well that is what I have heard, because unfortunately, I am not a member of such a group.

We do have the start of a community garden in our town of Melton, which is great and I totally support it, but I haven't gotten fully involved as yet as my spare time is scarcer than hens teeth.

I know lots of people who sing the praises of their regular visits to their local community garden.  They often tell me that it is a learning rich environment and a joy to work in on weekends.

So, to my surprise, I stumbled across a very small community garden a couple of days ago.  As I am still exploring my new work environment during my lunch hour, I had not discovered it before among the high-rise apartment blocks and office towers.  It was like finding a gold nugget in a pile of steaming horse poo!

Firstly there was a meeting place which also had an electric BBQ.  It looks like great for a rest after caring for the garden.

There are a few types of garden bed.  These few are made of recycled hardwood, probably from around the dock area.  On the rear wall there was some kind of vertical garden, but there were no plants in it.

This type of corrugated iron bed is becoming more popular, but I think they are quite expensive.  I don't know if I would place a fruit tree in the middle of it.  Any vegetables that you planted around it would suffer from lack of water.  Still, it is the thought that counts.

Then there were some pine beds, which I don't think were treated.  Lots of marigolds in them but not a lot of veg.

This corrugated iron bed had a small peach tree in it surrounded by mountains of nasturtiums.  It was a very colourful addition to the garden.  I particularly liked the wooden chairs, which were very comfortable.

Olives galore in these four raised beds.  I didn't notice any fruit, but they were healthy.  Maybe next season, as they looked quite young.

Then there was a citrus orchard down the roadside in large round raised beds.  There were no labels to distinguish what type of citrus they were, but I think they were lemons and limes if my trees a home are anything to go by.

In the centre there was this random space, which could have been used a little more effectively.  The seating is nice, but I would have tried to squeeze in a few more beds.

Here is an aerial view of the community garden, hidden away in the middle.  As you can see it is not very big, and lots of room for expansion on the western side.

Overall, I was very impressed that a modern development had considered one of the basic needs of the surrounding residents, which is the desire to grow food.  The garden was well cared for, and blended in with its locale.

I think I will call the number on the sign tomorrow and see if they need a hand during my lunch hour.  Now that would be something to look forward to during the work day.

Does anyone else have a local community garden that they visit or grow food in?  I would love to hear about your experiences.

Solar Spotting In Salt Lake City

No, I have not flown half way around the work to check out another impressive Solar PV installation.  That is what I have guys and girls for xD.  A regular reader, Andrew, alerted me to a massive solar installation that he just discovered on his travels.

Here is Andrew to tell his story;

"Hi Gavin,

I am currently attending the Supercomputing conference SC12, over in Salt Lake City Utah. This evening while walking out through the foyer, I spotted what I thought was a "You are here" type display with a slideshow scrolling and noticed what looked like solar panels, so I had to stop and have a look.

Indeed they were solar panels, 6000 of them on the roof of the convention centre.

I've attached a couple of photos for your interest, one of which has all the stats.

When we arrived and for the first 3 days, it snowed and snowed and was grey all day, so I imagine that weather is not uncommon, but even so, someone has decided that it is worthwhile sticking 6000 solar panels on the roof. 6000 is a big enough number that you could be reasonably sure it is an actual serious attempt to generate power, not a "greenwash" installation to try and score some political points.

Apparently it is one of the largest rooftop arrays in the US: http://www.bellaenergy.com/2012/05/bella-energy-completes-salt-alace-convention-center-solar-array/

I look forward to the day when such things aren't remarkable, but they still are to me at least.

Anyway, thought you may be interested in another out-of-the-ordinary installation.

Andrew"

Nice observation Andrew, and thanks for sharing.  

It is indeed an impressive investment, and pretty hard to chalk up as greenwash.  At 1.65 Megawatts peak, it is expected to produce 2.3 MWh in the first year.  Have a look at this video that shows the installation of the array.

It looks like some cared one heck of a lot to put up the capital to make this happen.  It puts my little array to shame, but I still love it!

If anyone else has stumbled cross impressive renewable energy systems in their travels, please feel free to send me through some information via email.  I will endeavour to research them further, and post them up every few week.

Lets show people that lots of folk are real serious about renewable energy around the world.

A Pleasant Surprise

Whilst flicking through Green Lifestyle Magazine (formally G Magazine) today in my local newsagent, I stumbled up this little snippet on page 16 of the December/January edition.

I was gob-smacked   It is not often that this humble blog gets a plug in a national green magazine (well not too often).

A big thank you to the team at Green Lifestyle mag for the free promotion.  I wondered why the page views were going up so quickly!

Drunken Cow Cheese - The Verdict

The Drunken Cow cheese has matured, so it is time for a taste test.

This cheese was made on the 3rd of August 2012 from 3.8% butterfat full cream milk.

De-waxing: Slight swelling of the wax.  There was a little moisture under the wax, with clear sweet liquid running out after the seal was broken.  It was not sour. I had to dry the outside of the cheese with paper towel.   The colour of the rind had faded slightly, but still very distinct.  When lightly pressed, liquid came out of the crack in the top of the round.  At this stage I was a bit worried.

Texture:  Easy to cut, and not flaky.  Very slight marbling from the wine, with clear sweet liquid within the cheese structure.  Layered lines throughout the cheese.  Cheese smooth and soft and very moist.

Taste:  I tried it by itself, and the flavour blew me away!  You could smell the sweet wine on the rind, and the cheese was smooth on the pallet.  A bit like Gouda, but finishes in the mouth with a sweet, slightly sugary after-taste.  The rind was sweeter but harder, and the centre was soft and smooth.

An absolutely delightful cheese, with an exciting flavour.  Unlike any other cheese I have tasted before.  The washed curds technique really tempered down the final acidity and sharpness.

Given the addition of 1.5 litres of sweet red wine to marinate this cheese in, it pushes the cost of this cheese up quite a bit, compared to a normal hard cheese.  However, it is well worth it as it really improves the final flavour.

I highly recommend the cheese for a moderately experienced home cheese maker.  As it matures in only three months, it is a relatively quick cheese to make, and well worth the wait.  This cheese will really impress your friends and family!

I will publish the recipe in the next post on my cheese blog.

[Cross posted on The Little Green Cheese]

Readers Mailbag - Suburban Block Size

How much land is enough to provide food for your family?  Do you really need acres of land?  Well it all depends on what your goals are.  Mine were simple.  I needed as much as I could manage with the time I have available.  No more, no less

Today's question comes from Tracey about that very subject.

Hi Gavin

Thanks for sharing your family’s adventure into semi self-sufficiency with everyone. I find your stories really inspiring.

I have looked on your site, and can’t find the info I'm looking for – although it’s probably in BIG letters under my nose.

How large is your block? Have you ever done a birds-eye plan of the garden? We have tried the rural acre block, but due to a bad back and missing family, we are going back to suburbia and since you seem to provide so much we are hoping ours can sustain our modified dream.

I appreciate that you are busy, so thanks for your time

Tracey & W

Well firstly Tracey, thanks for the email and sorry to hear about the bad back and you missing your family.  I know all about bad backs and the dampening effect it can have on plans.

So on to your question.  My suburban block is 779 m² (0.19 acre).  It was the average block size back in the 1970's when my home was built.  Not all is arable, as the pool takes up about a fifth of the land and the house another two fifths, leaving me the remaining two fifths to grow food and raise chooks.

I have posted a birds-eye plan of the garden before, but that was quite a few years ago.  I found an updated aerial view of my house and land (circa Oct 2012), and I have highlighted things that can be squeezed in to a small block of land such as ours.

Well, I believe that a picture is worth a thousand words, so here it is!

As you can see, you can fit an almighty swathe of things in a suburban block.  Hopefully you will be able to see the potential in which ever new home you choose.

Your dream can become a reality, even in suburbia.  Mine did!

Just Like Mama Used To Make

Great cheese making workshop today!

I taught a Mozzarella cheese course a group of people out at Roxburgh Park, to the north of Melbourne.  The venue was the  Homestead Community & Learning Centre which is a beautiful old building in the middle of the suburb.

There were 8 students, four at a time, in quite a small kitchen.  However we overcame all obstacles, and got an 8/8 strike rate for the cheese.  There were lots of people taking photos so I hope to get a few sent to me which I will post at a later date.  I was run off my feet, so unfortunately no pictures from me today.  Sorry about that.

The course was free for the students, and it was subsidised by the Hume City Council as part of Living Green Program which promotes a greener lifestyle to the local community all for free.  It is a great initiative, and one that I was proud to be a part of.  If you live in the area, check out the many workshops.

It was a real blend of cultures, and quite a few of the students told me how cheese makers in villages back in the old country used to make cheese for all villagers.  They only ever made one type of cheese in their village, so they were so surprised when they came to Australia and saw the many hundreds of cheeses available on the market.  There were so many great stories about the old way of making cheese.

Whilst I was teaching, Kim kept the other half of the class busy with information about courses and sustainable living on the veranda, and sold quite a few cheese making kits.

This was everyone's first time at Mozzarella, and all were pleased with the results.  I have been invited back in the new year, so am looking forward to meeting many more interesting people.

Thanks for having me, I really felt like part of the community!

My Garden Maintenance Routine

Everyone knows that most machinery cannot run very long with out regular maintenance, so why not take the time to maintain our gardens?  I find that to keep it fruitful and healthy, regular maintenance chores are a must.

Once a month, when the moon is a waning crescent, I get out into the garden for a spot of maintenance.  This maintenance is usually a half a day's work, but is a relaxing and rewarding part of my gardening routine.

It consists of tasks like observation, inspection, repairs, weed control, fertilizing, pruning, training vines, and composting. Yesterday was my maintenance day, so let me walk you through the tasks that I completed.

Chickens.

No garden would be complete with out chickens so they are the first part of the routine.  Upon feeding the chickens, I inspected their run for any attempts at escape or intrusion around the fence.  I found nothing, but noted that the ground was beginning to compact, so I dug the hard soil over with my garden fork.  If we owned a rooster, he would normally perform this task with his big strong talons, but in the absence of one, and according to the feathered girls, I am a suitable surrogate!  They enjoyed looking for worms in the large clods of soil and helped to break them up for me.

I then inspected the hen house roofs as we were expecting strong winds.  All good, so I then checked each hen for scaly leg mites, and treated one of them with olive oil.

If they need cleaning, then I keep the litter and distribute it around the garden as mulch or if too fresh, then into a compost bin to rot.

Weed Control.

During the inspection, I noticed cooch grass beginning to invade the garden bed that contained the Apricot and one of the 3 Olives.  So it was weeding time around the entire orchard which only took me an hour (it is a large area).  It was certainly made a lot easier after all the sheet mulching we finished before Sustainable House Day.  A bed that size would have normally taken an hour by itself, now only took me 10 minutes.

For me, weeding is time spent in reflection, with classical music playing in the background, mulling over the events of the previous month, and pondering any problems requiring solutions, and planning for the coming month.

Once completed, the weeds are thrown into the chicken run for demolition!

Composting.

This task is performed on a fortnightly basis, but it was time to rotate the compost, so I used my aerator device and stirred up the material in the normal black compost bins, and sprinkled a half handful of dolomite lime to sweeten it.  The large Aerobin was checked for decomposition  and I noticed that it was getting a bit putrid.  To rectify, I added some brown material (used sugar cane mulch) to absorb the excess moisture and act as an activator for the microbes.

Fertilise.

As I have many fruit trees in large pots, these plants need regular addition of nutrients that they would otherwise have absorbed via the soil.  I use a manure and weed tea that I have brewing in two large seal-able buckets.  I diluted this stench down with water to a ratio of 1:8 in a 9 litre watering can.  It is then applied to each tree, half a can per pot, and I find that this helps maintain plant health.

Tree Maintenance.

I inspected each of the 25 fruit trees for disease or fruit damage.  I observed that I should reap a large crop of olives from two of the three trees.  I also noticed a small amount of curly leaf fungus on the nectarine and yellow peach trees, and will have to spray them with Bluestone mixture (copper sulphate) before bud burst next year.  The curly leaf is not too bad so nothing needs to be done at this stage.

As the stone fruit all throughout the orchard are heavily laden with fruit, I made the decision to knock the all smaller fruit off the branches.  This will ensure that the tree focus more upon growth of the remaining fruit making them fat and flavoursome.  I also trimmed some branches that were overhanging pathways or looked dead or diseased.

Vines.

The new grape vines are growing strongly, and they needed to be trained up the posts of the arbour  I have been utilising thick jute ribbon for this purpose as it allows the vine to expand as it grows.  I also pruned off any side shoots to maximise upward growth.  I am hoping that they reach the top of the arbour by the end of the growing season in April.  I fertilised each vine with nutrient tea to promote healthy growth.

Relax.

After all this work it was nearly time to relax, but not quite yet.  Around late spring we like to partake in a cold beer after working in the garden, so to provide a continuous supply I had to brew another batch of Aztec Gold cerveza   It will be ready to bottle in a week or two, and only took 30 minutes to complete.

Then it was really time to relax, have a beer or two, and survey the surrounding landscape and feel proud of my handiwork.  Relaxation at the end of a long day's maintenance is an absolute necessity.  Otherwise, without this reward, you will probably not continue the maintenance routine month after month.

Not many people understand that gardens are also for pleasure as well as a bountiful harvest, so it really enhances the experience by taking the time to enjoy the simple pleasures of the setting sun over my green oasis.

Summary

Obviously there is more work in the spring/summer and less in the autumn/winter, so each months maintenance will vary with workload.  However, with a little forward planning you too will be able to keep your fruit, veggies, and livestock healthy and abundant.

There is nothing as rewarding as a job well done.

Almost Veggie Update - November

Ten months have past since we set our goal to reduce our meat intake by 80%.  We have consumed many hearty meals since then.

So what has it been like, I hear you ask?

Well, surprisingly, it has been not quite as difficult as we first thought.

Back at the beginning, Kim, Ben, and I were your traditional mainstream omnivores.  We had a portion of meat in our diet at least once a day, sometimes twice.

Once we decided that this reduction was a good idea for our health, the health of the planet and definitely the health of the animals we until then consumed regularly.  We began to look for meat substitutes.  This was to ensure that we could maintain the difference in our diet over the longer term.

Our initial concerns were places to source these alternatives, so along the way, we talked to friends who were vegetarians to find out how they ate.

One suggestion we took on board was that to use a dehydrated soy meal product that kind of looked like dried up beef mince.  You just soak it in warm water for a while, then drain and add to the dish you are preparing instead of mince.  Adding a good vegetable stock helped increase the flavour.

We have discovered many delicious meat substitutes on the market, including veggie bacon, veggie peperoni, and mycelium products made to look and taste like chicken, beef, and pork.  We definitely have rediscovered the full flavour of our home grown vegetables, and herbs.  We add garden grown herbs to just about every meal.

Home made Passata

Cooking with veg really reduces the preparation and cooking times of all meals.  Because the veg or substitute cooks so fast we find that we have so much more time to ourselves in the evening.  It doesn't take very long to whip up a Lentil burger with a salad, or to make a hearty winter veg soup with beans.

We decided early on that we would have a fortnightly meat allowance, which was a few pieces of free range breed bacon on alternate Sunday mornings or in Egg and Bacon pies.  However, as time past, I found a perfectly good veggie bacon substitute on the market that has the same sort of look and taste.

Stretching the bacon allowance in a pie

Kim and I are down to a few meat meals a month now, which in hindsight has been a great achievement.  Our goal was never one of complete meatlessness (vegans, please respect my lifestyle), and we did cook up a beef madras curry and a chicken korma for my daughter's 21st birthday dinner in mid October.  We used biodynamically grown meats to prepare this meal.  There was a fair bit left over, so as each guest departed, they left with a big container to keep them going over the next few days.

After eating that meal, I felt bloated and uncomfortable for the next couple of days, and thankfully we have not repeated that type of meal since.

My other meat vice is anchovies, which I put on my fortnightly home made pizza.  I bought a big jar at the start of the year, and we have still not finished it.  Talk about making food last.

Over the year we have found that eating mostly vegetarian meals has been quite easy, so much so that it is occasionally becoming difficult to remember the last time we actually ate meat.  As we discovered in October, we do not really miss these regular portions, and our bodies have adapted well.

As for missing our favourite dishes, this has not been an issue.  With the use of the meat substitutes our normal fare is still on the menu.  We still partake in dishes like cottage pie, lasagne, minestrone style soups, meatloaf (sans meat), and spaghetti bolognese to name a few.

Veggie Loaf

We have also been eating much more from the veggie patch.  I found that starting the meal preparation standing in the patch gets the ideas flowing.  I soon think of something to whip up for dinner even if it is a handful of herbs to add flavour to whatever I am planning.  Regular additions are spinach, rainbow chard, leeks, and spring onions.  Not to mention all the other veg that I grow when it is in abundance.  Eggs from the backyard flock are a staple protein for us.

All we had to do was change the way we thought about food.  I have recently had a medical check-up and my GP is very happy with my condition.  My blood pressure is getting back to normal (still on meds for it but reducing), and my LDL count is dropping.  My stomach issues have all but disappeared, except when I partake in a particularly spicy veggie curry (I am addicted to them).  On top of that, I feel fit as a fiddle, even with the odd back pain as I get older.

A big two leeks up for this lifestyle!

So there you have it.  A good result for all concerned, especially the animals I would have otherwise added to my plate.  Our environmental footprint has been reduced dramatically as well.

Who would have thought that we would still be eating this way ten months down the track?

Fix The Cause, Not The Effect!

Last night, Kim and I watched Star Trek - The Next Generation.  This TV series always brought to light topical issues of the day, and some still stand the test of time, even though it was produced in the 80's.  This particular episode was called True Q.

Anyway, back to the story.  This episode had a sub plot, which most episodes do, about a planet-Tagra IV-whose inhabitants had, over time, polluted their atmosphere which had caused environmental damage (aka climate change).

The Tagran's solution was to use many baristatic filters to scrub their atmosphere, rather than cleaning up their industrial waste polluting it (geo-engineering).

The problem that the crew of the Enterprise faced was to make repairs to the generators supporting some of these filters.  In the end these generators failed, putting the lives of the crew and the inhabitants in great peril.

So, in true Star Trek style, the problem was solved by the wave of an omnipotent being's hand (a member of the Q Continuum).

However, during the dialogue, one of the crew asked, "Why don't the Tagrans' simply fix the original problem and stop emitting the pollution?"  Deafening silence.....

Yes, why didn't they just fix the root cause?  What a novel idea!

Unfortunately we may be headed for the same fate unless the inhabitants of our planet, aka Human beings, do something to drastically reduce our own pollution problem, in the form of greenhouse gasses.

We have no such omnipotent saviour able to click their fingers to magically reduce our atmospheric and oceanic pollution.  Well none that I know of.

No matter how much wishful thinking we direct at the problem, it is just not going to happen this way dear readers.

Wishful thinking like saving our cities with higher sea walls, or adding iron filings to the oceans to increase algal blooms (which drawdown CO₂), or sowing the atmosphere with sulphates, which deflect some of the sun's rays away from Earth.  This type of thinking will not help us, and may cause unforeseen planet wide side effects.

Only direct action such as reducing fossil fuel usage to zero, drawing down billions of tonnes of CO₂ via reforestation, and restoring natural habitats like mangroves (to reduce storm surge effects), will address the contributing cause of global warming.

This contributing cause of elevated greenhouse gas emissions is not my friends, the true root cause of our problem.  The simple fact is that we, the human race, with our growing environmental footprint upon the surface of the planet is the true root cause.  Our growth-at-all-costs economy is slowly killing our planet.

Like the Tagrans in Star Trek, we seem to be unable to even discuss the problem like adults at a governmental or intergovernmental level, as the recent US Presidential elections have demonstrated quite clearly.  The subject of climate change seemed to be taboo, let alone discussion about our environmental footprint.

One glimmer of hope came during the acceptance speech last night, where Obama vowed to fight to ensure the nation "isn't threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet."  At least he mentioned it, I suppose, which is more than anyone did during the election campaign.

We as a race are nowhere close to winning the battle against anthropogenic global warming.  In fact, a recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, concluded;

"The global economy now needs to cut carbon intensity by 5.1% every year from now to 2050. Keeping to the 2°C carbon budget will require sustained and unprecedented reductions over four decades. Governments’ ambitions to limit warming to 2°C appear highly unrealistic."

This means that as governments fail to act decisively on their own, we need to be setting the example, spreading the skills to the masses, and continue to pressure people in power.  People like Obama and our own conservative representatives here in Australia, with pushback on every single bad decision that would only cause more pollution and suffering in the future.  

When they make a good decision, we congratulate them.  I know that we can do it, especially when folk like Bill McKibben from 350.org are leading the way.

Our 'business as usual' trajectory is not an option for the future, unless we want to end up like Tagra IV.  I don't want to end up desperately trying to geo-engineer our way out of this mess, do you?

Let's just fix the cause, and not the effect at this stage of the game!

Gav out!

Fun At ScienceWorks

"Cracking good job, Gromit!"

Well, that's what Ben and I thought when we saw these scenes at the Scienceworks Museum in Melbourne on Monday.

Ben and I visited this wonderful centre of learning as an excursion treat for home school, as I had the day off.

I believe that a world without knowledge of science is a world without knowledge of truth, and it is a lack of general scientific knowledge, and connection with the natural world which is the reason why most of us don't give a damn about things happening all around us, and pursue a shallow existence within the consumer kulture (I know its a long bow to draw, but there, I said it).

Anyway, I digress.  Gromit is very happy in this shot measuring his marrow.  His little garden looked perfect and so real.  In fact, I wish I had onions, carrots, and cauliflowers looking so good in my garden!

Other than the Wallace & Gromit exhibition, we visited all the normal displays like the Lightning room where they simulated lighting (of course), and the Planetarium.

In the Planetarium we learnt about the tilt of the Earths axis, and how it makes the seasons change. We also learnt about what is in the night sky right now.  We were shown that Mercury and Mars are in Scorpius in the west at sunset (in Melbourne), and whilst on the subject of Mars they showed us pictures and a movie about Curiosity lander that is now on the surface.  Maybe they will find out why Mars may have changed from having water a few billion years ago to that dry state it is in now.  It might even answer some questions about Earths own future.

We also learnt all about how light behaves, having a play with all sorts of light type experiments. 

There was even lots of information about how we are making climate change is happening, and some things to try and prevent it.  It was at a basic level, however I think it was pitched at kids.  I wish there was something pitched at the parents, calling on their sense of moral obligation.  Alas, no such display.

We also learnt about the origins of my favourite drinking vessel, the Keep Cup.  Hopefully you can read the poster also.  Millions of disposable cups saved from ending up in landfill.  I see so many of them now, that my coffee drinking method has become mainstream!

Other great displays were how our curbside recycling bin gets sorted into the separate components (tin cans, plastic bottles, paper etc.).  There were some cool hands on displays where you got to separate the waste yourself with magnets, blowers, and shakers.   

Anyway, as another treat I bought Ben two small kits to learn more about basic electronics.  The kits even have small solar panels!  

I remember having this type of kit bought for me when I was a kid, and I played with them for years learning all about simple radio circuits and the like.  I am looking forward to helping the lad do some experiments in the coming weeks.

We had a great day, and by the time we departed, our heads were swimming with so much information we would have put Einstein to shame!  However, I did remind Ben on the way home that just because science shows us that something is possible it doesn't mean we should pursue the outcome, and that we must use wisdom to do what is right with this new knowledge.  I believe he understood what I meant.

I will leave you with this thought for the day;

The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. ~ Isaac Asimov

Spring Vegetable Garden - November

"Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration."  ~Lou Erickson

What a massive long weekend I am coming to the end of!  Lots to write about, but today I will focus on the veggie patch.

First things first, I pulled up the garlic as most plants had died back.  It was a pitiful harvest.  Out of the 50 odd cloves that I planted, I harvested about 8 bulbs worth keeping.  All the rest were the size of my thumbnail.  I was disappointed to say the least, but really it was I that was at fault.  If I had have kept the black aphid infestation under control, then I would now have more than just the handful of garlic bulbs.  Live and learn.

Melbourne Cup Day (today) is traditionally the day that most Victorians plant their tomato seedlings.  This is because it is round about now that the soil is warm enough to encourage growth and the threat of frost has past.

I prepped the bed that the garlic had been growing in.  I dug it over, then tested the soil pH.  It was about 6.5 which is slightly acidic which is just right to tomatoes.  I then added lots of pelleted chook manure, a bit of compost, and watered that in.

To obtain a layer of mulch (sugar cane), I cleaned out the chicken house and spread about 9 bucket loads over all of the remaining bare garden beds with Ben's able assistance.  I checked the irrigation for coverage, made adjustments where necessary, and finally rammed the stakes in the ground.

I will be planting out the tomato seedlings tomorrow night, because I want the bed to rest for at least a day.  There are about 64 seedlings ready to go, with 7 different cultivars.  Mortgage lifter, Thai Pink Egg, Black Russian, Yellow Current, Elfie, Tigerella, and bush tomatoes.  I have so many seedlings that I plant two of each in the bed, and pot the rest up for swapping.

Then I planted some runner beans and three remaining pumpkin seedlings into the corn patch.  All of the corn seedlings survived the transplant and have grown stronger over the last week.

In this bed, I planted three celery bunches (probably more) which I will have to thin out once they get a bit bigger.  We also have lots of bush cucumbers in this bed as well as the winter crop of brown onions which are bulbing up.  The onions will be ready to harvest when the tops go brown.  I also popped a spare lebanese cucumber in a pot with a frame over it.

This bed now have two black zucchini plants, either side of the bed, far apart.  This will keep us, the neighbours, and all our friends in zucchinis for the season.  They are very prolific. 

Tomorrow I will plant out the eggplants and capsicum (bell pepper) into this bed as well.

Around to the pool area, where we have three pots of strawberries which are growing like crazy.  They are slowly ripening, and we have to pick them quickly before the birds and our dogs start to steal them.

The grape vines are are now about 60cm (2ft) tall.  They look so healthy, and I have been cutting off any side shoots as necessary.  This is to encourage them to grow as quickly and as tall as possible in their first season.  I will keep tying with jute as they grow up, and wrap them around the posts.

Speaking of posts, I oiled all of them on Sunday as this will probably be the last chance due to the vine growth.  Looks a bit like a resort, which is exactly where I like to spend my down time.  We don't go on holidays, and who would want to with a green paradise like this!

Around to the chicken side of the house, and the potatoes are doing very well.  I stopped mounding them about a month ago, and just make sure they are moist all the time.  I have had a little dig around and there are lots of tubers growing, so fingers crossed, it will be my biggest spud crop.

Lastly, the pumpkins.  All are growing well, but I had to replace two seedlings that were decimated by slugs.  Coffee grounds worked well after I sprinkled a handful around each plant.  We have Australian Butter, Butternut, Queensland Blue, and one Pennsylvania Crookneck.  Those cultivars should make for an interesting crop.

All in all, a relaxing day in the garden.  It was great to get my hands in the soil.

"There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling."  ~Mirabel Osler