We recently participated in Zero Carbon Moreland’s draught proofing initiative for residents of Moreland. We have done a lot of draught proofing ourselves but it’s always good to get an ‘expert’ eye cast over things. There were also I couple of things that we were unable to do without the necessary tools. We live in a single story terrace house which is over 100 years old. I’ve lived there about seven years and in that time have had no yearly property inspections. Any repairs are done extremely grudingly and only if the landlord considers them essential. Even the real estate agent calls him “a real tight ass”.

I made  an appointment for an installer to visit our home. The installer arrived promptly at the appointment time and I pointed out our front door as the area most in need of repair. We’ve tried blocking the top gap with wood but it makes it hard to open and close in summer when the wood swells. We constantly have a door snake against the bottom of the door otherwise dust and leaves can blow in!

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The annual Enviroweek is back again for 2010 and runs from 12th – 18th September.

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The Festival raises awareness and provides tools for change by showcasing tangible solutions to the ecological and social challenges we face.

In 2009 the Festival at Federation Square attracted over 124,000 visits and engaged more than 450 community volunteers.

In its eleventh year, the Festival is getting even bigger!

The 2010 Festival will include 2 programs, the Main Event at Federation Square (19-21 February 2010) and the Local Events Program (6-21 February 2010). The new 2-week format will enable individuals and communities across Australia to host and promote their own sustainability event, extending the reach of the sustainability message even further.

The Main Event at Federation Square in the heart of Melbourne will continue to celebrate the very best examples of ecological and social sustainability. The event will fuse interactive workshops, talks, demonstrations, artworks, exhibits, films and live performances. In recognition of the climate situation, the Main Event will be inspired by the theme: Get Ready for the Safe Climate Decade!

Our pics (most relevant/interesting to Renters)

Top 10 Reasons to Grow Your Own

How Car Dependence is Turning the Suburban Dream into a Nightmare

Sustaining Fashion? An Open Forum Exploring The Darker Side Of Fashion

GM Free is the way to be

Living Zero Waste

Life Time Affordable Sustainable Housing

Consumer Power-Making the Change

Sharehood Communities

And of course… How to Live Sustainably in a Rental Property yep, we are presenting a talk. It’ll be lots of fun with pictures, samples and demonstrations of things you can make yourself, so please come along . You can also chat to us as part of the Sustainable Living Library

1. Stay home and celebrate
Seriously, I ‘ve always suspected that NYE is the night for people who don’t go out any other night of year.

As green planet suggests

if you stay home and host your own ring-in-the-new shindig, you’ll save transportation emissions—and, of course, money. You’ll also be able to better control the environmental impact of your night, from sending out email invitations to preventing the food and paper waste that comes from bars and restaurants.

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I’ve decided to participate in Animal Liberation Victoria’s 30 Day Vegan Challenge. From November 1, I shall be animal product free for 30 days (and maybe more)!. That’s no cheese, no milk in my morning tea, no free range chicken…

A bit about why I’m doing this:

Reduce my carbon footprint

I doubt there’s many people out there who need convincing of the environmental impacts of meat consumption, but for an easy read this article is very informative.

Health

Like many Australians, I am overweight. Obese actually.That said, I don’t believe that veganisms is the path to all things thin (you can read my take on PETA’s “Lose the Blubber, Go Vegetarian” here).

I think cutting out some of the higher fat foods like cheese and meats is a good way towards good health in general, with the added advantage of assisting weight loss. I have a significantly under-active thyroid which I receive treatment for and anything which boosts my energy is a definite plus!

I also believe veganism is a great way to deliberately eat lots of fresh whole foods, without too much processing. Of course there are loads of heavily processed mock meats and the like with all kinds of number additives, but these aren’t really my thing. I’m intending to eat lots of wholegrains, pulses and fruit and veggies.

I like to know what I’m eating

I’ve read a few books on prion diseases such as CJD and I think it’s really scary how poorly the meat industry is regulated. I would like to eat food that not full of hormones, antibiotics the like.

Animal Cruelty

Goes without saying really.

I start on November 1st. I’ve been making lists of recipes and stocking the pantry. Every day or so I’ll be telling you how I’m going, what the challenges are, what I’m cooking and eating (recipes included)! Tomorrow I’ll show you some of the foods I’ll be eating ….