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 ….

I found these cheap gardening tips in the Simple Savings Newsletter for September. It provides lots of tips on living cheaply and sustainably rather than consumer driven.

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Further to Chris’ article on living in small spaces, I came across the website of David Michael Bruno and his 100 Thing Challenge. In November 2008, David pledged to live for one year with only 100 personal items. All other items had to be thrown away/donated/gifted. If he buys one thing he has to remove another.

I’m an extremely poor de-clutterer like most crafters, so I am somewhat aghast at such a concept but also secretly envious. Crafting (mostly) with a recycled/upcycled ethos means I am constantly sourcing materials from charity shops, other crafters, haberdashery… So I challenged myself last year to craft for a month without buying any materials to add my craft. It was actually quite hard in some respects. In some ways I realised how I had been preferencing the urge to shop over the urge to create. Consumerism seems so much safer than creativity. No risk or making a mistake or being judged for your efforts. I had in the past surrounded myself with vintage and recycled goods as a testament to my aesthetic.

That said, we are moving house soon, so I find myself in a position of having to declutter. It’s another challenge! Argh!

I enjoyed follow the series on the Ready Made blog about going a week without various environmental harms (they’ve done plastic previously and this week attention was turned to processed foods.

The writer, Amy Palanjian plans a week without “anything that is made in a factory/comes in packaging” with some interesting results. Her account provides lovely photographs of each meal served, recipes and a interesting commentary on the experience. I was particularly interested in the issue of time as Palanjian spends a lot of time making initial meals (lessened with the use of leftovers on later days), with a considered response to a right wing newspaper article equating the lack of ‘women in the kitchen’ to women at work.

Palanjian also does quite a bit of detective work, even managing to find several sources of unprocessed chocolate! She also reveals several health benefits she has experienced as a consequence of the new way of eating. She also comments it also turned out to be a week of me deciding to recommit to supporting my local sustainable growers and saving money by cooking everything myself. Inspiration for anyone’s kitchen…

Our first post about some of the inspiring things we found whilst overseas, not in any particular order…

We came across the Bristol Folk House whilst pottering about Bristol with a couple of friends, it was hidden down a small alley but opened up to large courtyard with delicious smells wafting on the breeze.

Aside from yummy organic, vegetarian and vegan dishes the ‘centre’ holds concerts, readings, an excellent array of courses and acts as a hub of information and resources for anyone involved or interested in environmental activities…

So, if you’re ever in the South West of England, drop by, I recommend the vegetarian tapas

www.bristolfolkhouse.co.uk

How many of these do you do? List via Pink of Perfection

It’s an interesting issue. Planet Green had a post about managing a relationship with someone with different environmental standards than you.  But what if it’s your housemate?

Rental accomodation is scarce in many areas right now and finding a rental property in a desired area can mean making compromises. Ideally starting your own lease means you can pick and choose the environmental attributes of your desired housemates.

Here’s some suggestions to make it work:

1. Absolutes vs Compromises

What are your absolutes? Recycled toilet paper only? No meat? Organic veggies? These should be decided on very early, preferrably before agreeing to move in  or getting someone in.

Make a list of what you are looking for, bearing in mind that no one is you and won’t have the exact same standards necessarily. People have a very different idea of environmental consciousness, human rights, feminism etc etc.  Your housemate/s may also have a different income to you or different time constraints.

Possible questions:

1. What’s your definition of clean?
2. What cleaning products do you use?
3. Veggie/vegan or not? (including visitors)
4. Flusher or mellow yellow?
5. Are you interesting in bulk buying everyday items?
6. What kinds of things do you like to cook?

2. Mine vs Communal

Shared food and shopping can be great until your housemate replaces your $7 organic chocolate with Nestle.  Work out what’s shared and what’s yours.

3. Make it fun!

People have different levels of environmental interest. Most people don’t respond to lectures or statistics (especially in their own home). There are ways to engage people that are fun and can lead to all sorts of life changes.

• Go to a Green film festival together.
• Join a food co-op,
• Get an organic veggie box delivered
• Make your own jam and scones
• Go to the Ceres markets each saturday morning.

• Invite friends around for a backyard clean up and veggie planting session  and worm farm building.
• Have dinner parties where everyone brings a course or their favourite vegetable to share.
• Have a house dinner once a week and enjoy each other’s company.

4. Make things make sense.

People will generally do things because they are convenient, habitual or make sense to them.  I’ve had housemates who liked to leave lights and heating on all night. They liked having a ‘cosy house’. Putting patchwork quilts around the living room meant keeping warm without constant heating in the evenings.

Putting the recyclables in the normal bin may stop if the recycle bin is easier to access.  Jugs of water with mint from the gardenin the fridge and a new coffee pot may reduce the constant purchasing of two litre bottle of Coca-Cola. It’s about changing the behaviour by making incentives to change.

Ultimately, communal living has a lot of advantages. Companionship, friendship, saving money, security, all sorts of things really. It can be worked at and enjoyed despite the challenges!