Small Steps - Disposing of Garden Poisons

Spurred into action by reading Silent Spring and having a very inquisitive toddler on the loose, I decided it was time to get together and dispose of all the bottles of garden chemicals that have been lurking in the garage for who-knows-how-long (certainly longer than DH and I have been together...) These chemicals are not the sort of things I want to be using in my garden, and honestly I don't see why anyone needs to be using poisons in their garden. Seems like overkill to me.

Unfortunately you can't just dump this stuff in your wheelie bin and forget about it. In landfill the poisons would leech out of their containers and contaminate soil and groundwater (just like what happens when you spray them in your garden!). In Brisbane the council runs designated "collection days" at local tips. Our next one is not until December 5th. So I have gathered the offending items into a box with a big label on it reminding me of the collection date, and placed it somewhere that I definitely won't miss seeing it. I do not want to miss that date!

Contact your council to find out how garden poisons are to be disposed of in your area.

And if you haven't read Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, it will frighten the heck out of you. Certainly makes me more committed than ever to purchasing organically grown produce.

Small Steps - Locally Grown Garlic

Garlic is one thing we use a lot of but unfortunately don't get much of in our CSA boxes at the moment. I used to just pick up a bulb or two at the supermarket to make up the shortfall. Unfortunately at nearly all supermarkets and fruit and vegie shops around here, the only garlic you'll find is imported. Though it was obvious that the imported stuff looked a lot different to what we get in our vegie boxes, what I didn't realise was that all garlic imported into Australia is fumigated with Methyl Bromide. This is not something I want to be ingesting while eating something that is supposed to be good for the health!

Now the only garlic I'll buy is the Aussie grown stuff, which I get at the Chandler Markets. It is a lot more expensive than the imported stuff, but you don't need a lot (I paid $1 per bulb for those above). And just look how beautiful it is :)

Small Steps - Grey Water Hose

Finally reconnected the grey water hose! We were using it all the time in the height of the 2007 drought but packed it away while the house was being renovated. Now it's back! Carrying waste water from the washing machine to the herb garden out the front. I wash all our clothes in Lux soap flakes plus Eco Store brand Oxygen Whitener for the nappies, so I'm fairly confident it's safe for the garden. And the herb garden sure could use the extra water.

Time and effort = about 10 minutes.

Why hadn't I done this sooner?

HOME Film

This morning I watched a really inspiring film on You Tube (trailer only above). Well, the first 1hr and 20 minutes of it was really inspiring. So I recommend just watching that. Then press stop and go away and consume less and do all you possibly can to halt the dramatic devastation we as a species are wreaking on the planet.

The last 10 minutes are supposed to be inspiring and hopeful, and for the most part they are. But the part about the wind farms and the solar panels, to me that was just a giant cop out.

While I agree that the only true surplus that we can harness is energy from the sun, where are the resources going to come from to build all these acres of solar panels if we have already used up the majority of the earth's mineral deposits?

Less people and a heck of a lot less consumption is the only solution I can see.

Here's the link to the full film.

Sisters on the Planet

Our local Transition Towns branch ran a screening of Oxfam's Sisters on the Planet: Women Fight Against Climate Change short films. Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend, however these films are freely available on the net. So pop along here and check them out! Each film is fairly short, about 8 minutes or so.

Some of the stories are really inspiring and it is good to get a little bit of a reminder of why it's important to continue working hard to reduce my environmental impact. Sometimes, being surrounded by such a consumer culture, it can be easy to forget what's really important.

Below is the film from the Australian woman, but there are five short films in total if you follow the link above.

Hobbity House

Oh this house, I love it so much!!

Image from http://www.simondale.net/house/index.htm

Wooden Bowls

As part of my plan to live a more natural lifestyle, I have been seeking alternatives to plastic goods whenever I need to make a purchase. One of the things I am always on the lookout for is wooden bowls and plates for the baby. I have learnt the hard way that he is not to be trusted with our every day porcelain plates!

It's probably not surprising, but reasonable quality wooden crockery is not that easy to come across. I found the little bowl at Ikea a couple of months ago, and was thrilled today to happen upon the little wooden platter at Target. I'm thinking it's going to be perfect for baby's sandwiches and dinner.

The thing about wooden bowls and plates is that you can't just chuck them in the dishwasher. You need to give them a little hand wash after each meal. Which is perfect, because that way you need only one!

Sustainable Living Talks

It must be getting warmer, my coriander seeds sprouted! Dreaming of spring salsas, guacamole and noodle stir fries.

Also, over the next three months Brisbane City Council is running a series of Sustainable Living talks throughout its library network. Topics include:
Backyard organics
Producing food on your balcony
Solar Cooking
Keeping Chickens in your Backyard
and plenty more.

I am really keen on the last two but have yet to call and reserve my place, hope I'm not too late...

Here's a link to the full program of talks.

How to Store Leftovers Without Plastic Wrap

When I only need to store left-overs for a couple of hours or overnight, this is the perfect way to do it without using plastic wrap or even having to get out a storage container! And if the leftovers are in a bowl, just do the inverse and put the plate over the top, then pop the lot in the fridge.

When it comes to keeping plastic out of landfill, every tiny saving helps.

Make Your Own Cloth Produce Bags

Last month, when I got my very first ever sewing machine, the first thing I sewed was a couple of cloth produce bags. I use these little beauties whenever I get fruit and veg, rather than using plastic tear-off produce bags. Since having them, I think I've saved about 20 of those little plastic baggies from going into landfill. Imagine the impact over a life time! (And see how comfy my lemons look nestled in their cloth baggie).

I didn't use a pattern, just made up a basic draw string bag. Used some 8 ply cotton as the "string". The fabric for the bags was a sheet I bought at a thrift store for $3. Thrift store sheets are bargain fabric finds!

Betz White has a tutorial on her blog showing how to make a shoe bag, which is essentially the same thing, if you need a little inspiration.

They are so handy, I just need to make a few more... some smaller ones would be good too, as my current ones are about 25x40cm.

Don't be shy about using them either! The feedback I have got from cashiers has been overwhelmingly positive. I'm not sure how much the bags weigh, but I'm sure it only adds a couple of cents to my purchase, and I think it's well worth spending a few extra cents to keep a bit of plastic out of landfill. (Some cashiers do offer to take the fruit out of the bag for weighing, but I never bother).