Lifestyle » The Green Novice

How to do festivals sustainably

Jan 202011

Photo: Sophie Howarth

It is Summer in Australia. The mercury is soaring, cicadas are singing, BBQs are cranking and icecream stands are making a brisk trade.

Summer is also the season of festivals with promoters capitalising on clear skys to host large scale outdoor events. Next week, it is the massive Big Day Out touring festival’s turn as it makes a 2 day pit stop in Sydney exciting music lovers with fantastic music spread across 9 stages and 13 hrs/day. Along with 50,000 others, I’m looking forward to going and hopefully not getting too tired – old lady that I am

Festivals can be all about convenience (ie. disposable) and ultimately fun so sustainable practices are usually far from the mind when going. But here are some ideas of how you can have fun but also be considerate of the environment.

Buy a green ticket – In the case of Big Day Out for a teeny tiny additional cost you can offset your carbon via funding the planting of Eucalyptus trees.
Getting there – Go easy on carbon emissions and take public transport. Apart from the environment thanking you, it is a great way to soak up the pre-buzz of a festival and maybe have a chat to others about which bands are on their must-see list. For public transport timetables – http://www.131500.com.au/events/big-day-out-music-festival-2011
Dehydration – Last year, temperatures peaked at a blistering 42degrees celcius (thankfully I was in air-conditioned comfort having just given birth!). Next Thursday, predictions are for a balmy 30degrees – not as hot as last year but definitely still able to cause heat exhaustion. So make sure you take plenty of water – yes there will be water stations but I’m sure they’ll be busy. Ideally in a reusable ecobottle (there are plenty around so no excuse really – SIGG’s a good brand). But if it all proves too hard, grab some Fiji Water as they have adopted some positive sustainable practices and are actively trying to reduce their carbon footprint.
Toilet paper – thousands of people drinking lots of water (not to mention alcohol) = toilet paper running out early. Don’t find out the hard way. Take your own paper – and of course make it sure it is an eco-friendly brand – a reminder from an old post on things to look out for
Use the recycling stations available – don’t be lazy
If you haven’t yet bought tickets to a festival and are tossing up between a couple – have a look at their green credentials as your deciding vote. The Greener Festival Awards is a “non-for-profit company that assesses festivals for their environmentally friendly practices and provides information and education for those interested in upping their level of sustainability”. In 2010, Peats Ridge festival was the only Australian festival to receiving an “Outstanding” award with Falls, Southbound, Womadelaide and Island Vibe securing a “Commendation”.

I’m sure there are a great deal of other ways to be conscious so please comment and add to the list!

Go Green - lose weight

Environment, Food & Wine, Lifestyle

Jan 082011

Have you ever seen an obese eco-warrier? A gargantuan person living off the grid, who grows their own vegetables, rides their bike for commuting and makes decisions on food to eat based on carbon miles or organic principles?

Thought not.

Obesity tends to be associated with excess consumption, a sedentary lifestyle and lots of meat. Not many vegetarians I would wager are obese.

As most of us know, meat production has a significant environmental impact versus growing vegetables/beans. In fact the land used for production of vegetables or beans produces 10 x as much protein as land used for beef production. By foregoing one meat meal a week and switching to vegetarian will both aid your waistline and the environment.

Some great vegetarian recipes

Absolutely divine freezer burritos that I’ve made a few times now – by the lovely lady behind food blog Shutterbean
Algerian chilli beans – mmm – the author of blog Morsels & Musings has a whole section on her site devoted to vegetarian recipes and I plan to work my way through them all
Delicious palak paneer courtesy of where’s the beef site

And for those who don’t/can’t cook and live in Sydney, model Annalise Braakensiek runs a vegetarian catering business that cooks and delivers an organic, low fat, dairy, gluten and meat free meal once a week to Sydneysiders. I had the pleasure of seeing Annalise speak briefly at a recent GreenUp event and hear about her life growing up on a biodynamic farm and being a vegetarian from an early age. Her glowing good health is testiment to the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle.

3 days to Christmas

Birthdays, Lifestyle, Reuse / recycle

Dec 212010

Tick tock tick tock …

I have only 3 days remaining to procure Christmas presents. Once again I fear I’ve left it too late for stress free shopping. And of course, I’ve procrastinated on buying my 5 year old’s Santa gifts which now means, given that she’s on holidays, I’m going to have to find a time to sneak out of the house to go shopping. Any opportunity to avoid the gleaming mega malls open late night and instead buy something 2nd hand/vintage or handmade is fast becoming a pipe dream. I am going to hit the charity stores though to see if I can find some “dress up” type outfits / hats etc – wish me luck.

For other loved ones I’ve managed to stick fairly close to my “not buying new” mandate and thought I’d share my ideas with you – perhaps it will give those who are undertaking a similar challenge some inspiration. Loved ones please avert your eyes now as don’t want to ruin the surprise! I won’t reveal who’s getting what just in case you can’t resist peaking!

2nd hand book – looks new

Click Here to Read Extract

Horse necklace using recycled vinyl records

VLING Horse Shaped Necklace cut out of a recycled Brown vinyl record.

Butterfly necklace using recycled orange & black vinyl records

VLING Layered Butterfly Necklace made from recycled vinyl records.

2nd hand clamshell sandpit off Ebay

Clam Shell Pool & Sandpit

I guess something is better than nothing. And my hubby & I won’t be exchanging gifts this year so that’s less guilt about consumerism.

Feeling excited but shy ;)

Environment, Food & Wine, Lifestyle

Dec 072010

Tonight I’m going to a GreenUp event, by myself, to listen to a few speakers talk about how to enjoy the festive season with sustainable food. I’m feeling a little nervous as I won’t know a soul and I will be coming across people who have the credentials to claim a “green” mantle.

For those not aware, GreenUp events are a once a month event put on as an opportunity for people interested in organic/green/sustainable living and wanting to meet those on the same wavelength. Apparently not necessarily for professionals in the industry (which is a little off putting for newbies like me). If you’re interested in attending an event sign up on Facebook and the details will be sent to you. With more than 500 cities around the world hosting Green Drink events you’ll be sure to find something locally to you.

I’ll let you know how the event goes, if anyone talks to me (or conversely if I talk to anyone) and I’ll share the words of wisdom from the speakers.

Why can't I look stylish on my bike?

Lifestyle

Dec 022010

I wrote a post a couple of days ago about my ambitious plan to cycle to & from work each day when I return to work end of January. I’m not a very confident rider so it was with trepidation but determination as well that I looked at the challenge.

My earlier post solicited advice on the best way to approach things and I’m loving the great, detailed responses I received. Thanks guys! I will definitely be signing up for the confidence session that the council runs.

What I’m not loving though is how much more complicated & dangerous cycling to work seems to be versus my expectation. Also, I naively thought having a bike and helmet would pretty much suffice and I wouldn’t need to buy anything additional (something I’m not supposed to be doing anyway). To be honest it didn’t even occur to me that I’d need lights on my bike, buy lycra, wear high visibility vests, install mudguards and have wet weather gear!

I think all the seriousness & dangers associated with cycling can be a little off putting. And for women commuting, to be completely shallow, the image of rocking up to work (and doing the school/daycare drop off) wearing lycra shorts and high visibility vests is not particularly palatable. It comes as no surprise to me then when I read that only 0.7% of Sydney’s population cycle to work. By comparison, the famous cycling city of Amsterdam has 27% of its workers cycling each day. And Dutch commuters look so stylish and at ease (case in point below!). Of course I understand that they don’t have our hills, irate drivers and helmet regulations but what’s wrong with putting a little pretty in cycling

It seems that I’m not alone in this thought. There are countless websites, blogs and groups dedicated to proving that stylish and cycling are not mutually exclusive words. Following are a few that I have discovered:

cyclestyle.com.au – Online store with a focus on stylish accessories and clothing for cyclists. Sweet little messenger bag

La Pomme Bike Satchel

Ridingpretty.blogspot.com – This little lady injects a whole lotta fun into riding

bicycle helmet cover by ridingpretty.com

letsgorideabike.com – are two lovely ladies who want to show that life on a bike can be simple, stylish & fun. How gorgeous does she look!

And finally my new fav blog find – http://www.sydneycyclechic.org/ – I’ll definitely be checking out this blog on a regular basis.

Riding to work

Environment, Lifestyle

Nov 272010

I love riding my bike … cruising around the bay’s bike track which is predominantly flat and non taxing to those not accustomed to rigourous exercise. On hills (OK gentle downward slopes) I apply the brakes with a fierce grip determined to not lose control and ensure that I maintain a steady snail pace. Going up hills with an incline greater than 5 degrees invariably results in dismounting and walking the bike as I haven’t mastered the art of standing whilst pedalling.

So perhaps I have taken leave of my senses with a recent decision to ride to work when I return in late January. According to mapmyride.com the distance is 3.83km (2.38m) with a max elevation of 148ft so an easy ride for most riders but presents a challenge for my rudimentary skills. To add further difficulties to the decision is the absence of any female shower facilities at work (strangely there is only one shower that is accessed via the men’s toilets) and two children I will have to deliver to daycare and school.

But I really want to try and make it happen. It will keep the car off the road (saving $ and carbon emissions) and provide me with a simple way to get exercise into my daily routine. And I feel that I’m doing my bit to acknowledge Sydney City Council’s investment of $75 million in building a 200km bike path network (although the majority of my journey, whilst on designated bike paths, is part of an older track.)

I’d be interested to hear tips from other riders - will I need to shower? what do I do about clothes? how do I deal with helmet hair? how can I overcome my fear of letting go down hill? how in the world can I learn how to stand up pedalling? and what happens if it rains?!!!

School holidays time again

Baby & child, Lifestyle

Sep 302010

It is that time of year again. School holidays when little E & my relatively peaceful days are interrupted by the boundless energy of my 5 year old who incessantly chats and constantly queries me on “what can we do now”?

Not surprisingly my ability to write in my blog has been severely compromised! And curtailing my instinct to buy new things to entertain her are sorely tested.

Thankfully so far this week the weather gods have smiled upon us which opens up a whole heap of free outdoor activities – beach, playgrounds, painting outdoors and gardening. When it is raining, historically we have gone to a big shopping centre to wander about and yes, shop shop shop so fingers crossed for no rain!

Yesterday we headed off to Vaucluse House, a historical house surrounded by large gardens, for a “Kids in the Kitchen” session (part of a school holiday program). There my 5 year old learnt how to make Damper (a traditional Australian bread usually made in the coals of a campfire), churn butter and make old-fashioned lemonade. And of course had a merry feast at the conclusion. She was also given a tour of the recreated Kitchen Garden which gave her an understanding of how our ancestors used to have to live – growing their own fruit and vegetables, eating in season and definitely not wasting anything! For those interested, butter was actually very easy to make. Just take a small rubber ball, put in a glass jar with cream and shake vigorously for 10mins, strain and voila you have fresh butter!

Tomorrow we may pop down to Leichhardt Marketplace who will be hosting a “sustainability for kids” type expo. There are a series of workshops where the kids can learn the importance of being green in a fun relaxed atmosphere, using recycled and sustainable materials to make hats, accessories, lanterns, toys and more! If you’re a local with kids pop down and check it out!

And next week may check out the Sydney Children’s Festival at Carriageworks. There are so many great activities on, alot with a sustainable bent, that I’m struggling to choose what we should do – jewellery making with natural materials from the bush, scavenger hunt to find objects to make a sculpture, toy rescue involving turning old toys into garden beds and many more.

If you have kids what do you do with them in the holidays?

5 easy ideas to simplify your life

Lifestyle

Sep 112010

Yesterday I wrote a post about minimalism and promised that I would list out easy things you can do now to simplify your life. So here are 5 ideas to inspire you …

Sell or give away all your CDs or DVDs. With the technology available today, itunes and the like, there is really no need to buy CDs or have a collection of CDs piled high on a shelf somewhere. CDs and DVDs are made from materials including polycarbonate plastic, petroleum-based lacquer and paints, aluminum and other metals. These materials release chemicals that contribute to environmental and health problems as well as global warming, both when they are produced and when they are destroyed. By not buying CDs or DVDs you are making an positive environmental choice but also minimising the clutter in your home. To get your fix of music there are countless ways of access ranging from free downloads from sites like Limewire which uses peer-to-peer file sharing technology to purchasing from sites like itunes. A relatively new way to download music is also available through a site called Guvera which I’ve been a member of since its beta testing phase. Guvera uses a model whereby advertisers pay $ to the site (who provide a cut to the actual artists) to offer downloads to consumers. To download a track you do have to go onto an advertiser funded page but given that artists get paid and you get a free track I don’t have an issue with that.
Clear out your email inbox. I always get stressed if I have emails in my inbox (both at work or at home) as it indicates that I haven’t dealt with the situation as yet. Just like the old fashioned paper inbox if something is sitting there for more than a week you probably won’t ever get to it. So either throw it in the bin (delete in online speak) or move to an archive folder.
Streamline your makeup kit. Why?
1. Hygiene – you should never keep makeup longer than 24 months and with mascaras ideally toss after 3mths due to the risk of infection.
2. Time saver – reduces decision process when you only have one of each essential.
3. Less clutter = clear mind … This is what’s in my makeup kit – 1 mascara, 1 foundation, 2 brushes, 1 eyebrow pencil, 2 eyeshadows (one for night, one for day), 2 lipsticks & 1 blush. Honestly don’t think you need more than this. (Admittedly I don’t wear makeup that often – one or twice a week when working and once or twice a month when on maternity leave. )
Stick to a maximum of two perfumes / aftershaves. Hands up those who have a collection of opened perfume bottles degrading in the humidity and light in your bathroom? Perfumes do deteriorate - depending on the ingredients they usually last 3 years – considering the environmental cost to produce them you should try and keep your collection small (one of the world’s most expensive perfume Joy by Jean Patou has at least 10,600 flowers and 336 Bulgarian roses, tuberoses and jasmines go into the making of every ounce of Joy perfume).
Do a drawer audit once a day for a month. Going through the whole house and attempting to declutter in one hit is incredibly daunting and unrealistic for most people. So just spend 5 minutes once a day going through a drawer, cupboard and get rid of what no longer fits, you don’t like or haven’t touched for over a year. At the end of a month your house should be a minimalistic haven!

The problem with all of this is that if you live with two hoardaholics like I do it can seem that every de-clutter, simplify task you do is negated and pointless. However I shall keep persevering in the pursuit for serenity!

What about you? Any great tips to simplify your life?

A hoarder or a minimalist?

Lifestyle

Sep 092010

Are you a hoarder or a minimalist? Or somewhere in between?

The extremes of both aren’t particularly attractive and are associated with ostracism from society. There always seems to be a sad news story about a hoarder dying a lonely death surrounded by possessions. Check out this story about a US women who got found deceased by her husband under a pile of junk in her home four months after she’d gone missing (WTF – how incredibly sad but also disturbing). And on the other end of the scale, minimalism is so often linked to religious fanaticism and hardship – hermits living in caves communing with god or monks denying themselves everything but the basics for human survival.

But minimalism doesn’t need to be about denial or hardship. It can be simplicity …. and having a slightly lighter footprint on earth which is part of what I’m aiming for this year. Currently I’m not too bad on the minimalist front in terms of possessions – I’m definitely not a hoarder and tend to throw out, sell, give to charity anything that I think I no longer need. I tend to not be too sentimental about my objects (although there are a few favourites that I can’t part with!) At the moment I’m selling on Ebay two things:

Baby rocker & play mat that little E has grown out of – no point in storing this away as highly unlikely I’ll be having another baby
Vintage fine china Japanese tea cups & saucers – this was my great aunts and whilst beautiful has been languishing in the cupboard for 10 years. We don’t have a big house and I really don’t see the point of holding onto them. I have no great sentimentality attached to them and would prefer they go to someone who wants to display them or enjoy them more than I do

Of course I have a long way to go before I can call myself truly minimalist. I recently read an article about a guy in New York who sold all his worldly possessions, keeping just his laptop (he was a New Yorker after all), basic clothing and bedding. Not quite there yet!

There is a great website called Zen Habits which encourages readers to “smile, breathe & go slowly” and details a myriad of ways to live a more minimalist life. I encourage you to have a look and maybe purchase the new e-book they’re selling called The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life (there is a link on the site of my site to read more about the book or purchase)

Next post I will list some ways to be more minimalist and hopefully inspire some of you to adopt these ideas.

In the meantime enjoy the day!

From where I'd rather be

Lifestyle, Random Musings

Sep 072010

Here is a great Corona Extra beer commercial that played a couple of years ago that captures my mood at the moment – a desire to escape reality and just stare out out the ocean with loved ones. The music accompanying the commercial is so evocative – Run River by the hugely talented Jon Swift who is a cross between an astrophysicist & chilled surfie/musician. Really inspirational that he has followed & excelled at his passions in life.

Made me fantasise about my dream life ….

I would own & run the eco-resort on the island of Bougainville (where I spent the first 7 years of my life) – the resort would follow sustainable practices and offer guests opportunities to go scuba diving, trekking through the jungle, exploring World War II Japanese relics, beach combing, island hopping, volcano gazing and surfing. The eclectic mix of guests would keep us company and stimulating conversations would be had by all.
I would be able to jet back to Australia frequently to get a dose of culture, good coffee and catch up with loved ones
I would be able to afford travel overseas to soak up different cultures and the diversity of life.

Sounds great doesn’t it! Might have to win the lottery though. What’s your dream?

This is me around 5 years old on a beach in Bougainville completely at peace. What a life