I was amused to watch a recent Masterchef episode recently where contestants were given a mystery box of vegetarian ingredients including lentils. Contestants failed to exert themselves beyond the traditional Dhal and Lentil soup. Don’t get me wrong, Dhal is a cheap easy, tasty dish to prepare but hardly a challenge!
We’ve mentioned the Australian Federal government’s home sustainability assessments program regularly in the past on our website, in our workshops and at events. Whilst the program has changed since July 1st and is no longer offering loans towards any recommended improvements, the assessments are still available, still free and we heartily recommend them as a useful insight into your home’s energy efficiency.
Whilst we maintain a list of assessors we recommend in particular areas and don’t necessarily recommend any particular assessor over another, Green Return have started an associates program that means groups who refer assessments to them get a small commission, so not only do you get a free assessment, but you get help fund groups like Green Renters.
So, what do you need to do?
Simple, head to greenreturn.com.au/book-now and enter ‘GRS‘ into the referral code box when you book your assessment, and that’s it.
Thanks! Enjoy your assessment, it’s very enlightening…
I was amused to come across this article supposedly about people who live in cold houses by choice. I’m not sure how much of it was about choice or necessity for most of those interviewed, something I’m sure many people in rental properties can relate to, particularly those with poor heating facilities in their homes. No ones wants to sit in one room under a heater all day or be faced with a ridiculously large gas/electricity bill at the end of winter. So how to keep warm?
If you’re a City of Melbourne or City of Yarra resident and would like some help bringing your home up to environmental standards, potentially getting lightglobes and showerheads replaced, insulation advice and more then you’re in luck.
The two councils have accessed funding from the State Government’s Energy Saver scheme and in the case of the City of Melbourne, several other sources, and coordinated organisations in their areas to carry out assessments and installations for little or no cost.
If you live in the City of Melbourne, visit here to find out more.
If you live in the City of Yarra, visit here for more information.
TODAY’S teenager is wired up. TVs, DVDs, Xboxes and PlayStations, Wiis and mobile phones, iPods and Kindles, laptops, printers, cameras and hair straighteners are all considered as essential as oxygen. And there’s the typical teenage behaviour: opening the fridge door every 10 minutes, habitually leaving lights on, countless hours of TV. Which raises the question: just how much does living with a teenager cost? Karen and Steve Hulse have three teenagers: university student Andrew, 19; VCE student Danielle, 17; and Emily, 13. Each quarter they get a $1300 electricity bill – $5200 a year.
It’s hard waste collection time in many suburban areas and I thought these photographs may inspire you as you engage in your trawl of suburban streets. They are from the Learning from project, by German designers Nora Korn and Christoph Köhler who collected 50 piles of rubbish over a three month period and repurposed it into new products.
You many recall the recent screening of the SBS documentary on not for profit enterprise Lentil as Anything which we discussed here. It a great social enterprise which helps many migrants and disadvantaged people learn new skills, as well as offering amazing vegetarian food under a ‘pay as you feel’ model meaning many disadvantaged people are able to eat for the day. I was dismayed to read in the newspaper today that it is at risk of eviction.
