Week 52 – What a year!

Wow what a year!

At the beginning of 2014 I started this blog with the intention to post an action a week! It was a big undertaking and one that I thought I could achieve. As it turns out I was wrong! I managed 20 weeks but in the end couldn’t find the time to continue, or perhaps I may have subconsciously decided that my time was better spend elsewhere….  Either way it seems that I have fallen into the category of yet another failed new years resolution, setting out with the best of attentions with all the vigor and energy in the world, but somehow losing interest and enthusiasm somewhere along the line.

Well I’m happy to report that the opposite is the case. I actually managed to maintain my energy and commitment, I just stopped blogging about it. 2014 has been a massive year of change for my wife Nat & me.

Was it sustainable? Well the answer is both Yes & No.

Week 20 – Unlikely Activist

I missed last week’s blog because I was so busy trying to create social change!

Yep, I’ve been busy standing up for what I believe in!

So many people are all talk, so quick to complain, but never willing to actually do something about it. It so important to protest and get active within your community when you’re not happy with something. We actually have a lot of power to hold our politicians and local government to account.

Week 18 – Permablitz!!! & Permaculture Geelong

What better way to celebrate International Permaculture Day than to do a Permablitz!!!

What in the world is a Permablitz you ask??… well it’s when a group of “Permies” otherwise known as Permaculture enthusiasts descend on someone’s yard and blitz it getting the equivalent of one month’s solid work done in a matter of hours.

Participating in a permablitz is a great way to learn new skills, meet new people and have a heap of fun at the same time!

Week 17 – National Divestment Day

March 3^rd is National Divestment Day!

But what exactly is divestment?

According to Wikipedia divestment is the reduction of some kind of asset for financial, ethical, or political objectives. Divestment is the opposite of an investment.

 

Why should you divest?

Week 16 – Earth Day

This Tuesday the 22nd of April 2014 is Earth Day!

Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment. This year Earth Day focuses on the need for renewable energy in our cities and towns, the ‘Green Cities’ campaign will mobilize a global movement to accelerate this transition.

Now that sounds exciting!

I’m going to celebrate Earth Day by going to the Renew Geelong Picnic.

It’s going to be a great event with so much to see and do! It starts with a CO2 walk/ride, using GPS to paint CO2 across the streets of Geelong and then cross it out as a group of walkers cut through the middle. Followed by the picnic with lots of activities, music, talks and exhibits.

It should be a great day! I can’t think of any better way to raise awareness for climate change and call for a new era of green cities.

Links

Renew Geelong Picnic

Earth Day

Week 15 – Community

A true sense of community is one of inclusion, common purpose, and safety. I had never truly experienced this sense of community until late last year when I joined a community group.

In our society we are schooled in fear from early childhood. The news paints a picture of a horrifying world at our doorstep. So we lock our doors and rarely even speak to our neighbours. We disconnect from the people around us. It’s not that we don’t care about them, we are just scared.

Week 14 – Bottled Insanity

I think the best way to start this week’s blog is to watch this great ad ‘It doesn’t make sense to buy bottled water’.

So clever! It nicely sets the scene for some crazy facts about bottled water:

Week 13 – Green Power

Our first month of GreenPower saved 300kg of carbon emissions and helped us reduce our electricity usage down to 6kWh a day! All for a small price tag of $20cents a day.

So what is Green Power?

GreenPower is a government accreditation program that enables your energy provider to purchase renewable energy on your behalf. Basically when you have Green Power your electricity retailer will purchase the amount of electricity that you use from an accredited source of renewable energy.

Week 12 – Earth Hour – Lights Out for the Reef

On Saturday 29 March the people of 152 nations and 7000 cities will turn off their lights for one hour to prove the world can unite to tackle climate change.

Week 11 – Start a Worm Farm

Starting a worm farm is a simple action you can take towards sustainability and its heaps of fun!!
You can use your kitchen scraps to feed worms, produce incredible worm compost for the garden and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.