If you read my last post (here), you should know that slightly over a month ago I decided to experiment with a slightly unusual haircare routine - namely using bicarb soda and apple cider vinegar (ACV) to wash my hair instead of shampoo and conditioner.
And if you haven't read that post yet, you should probably read it first... It goes into the reasons, the mechanics, and links to the blogs I got the inspiration from.
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So, the verdict.
Well I'll go into more details in a moment, but the short answer is: It seems to work fine and I intend to keep it up. The new routine appears to work just as well as shampoo/conditioner for my hair (possibly better), and there aren't really any downsides. There are a few things that I'll mention below, but they're really not that significant. Which is good - I'm pleased it has worked out and that I can live more sustainably, save money and still have clean hair.
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First an update on my routine. I have adapted my formula and my routine a little since I started.
I found this livejournal community (http://no-poo.livejournal.com/) and this blog fairly early on and the main thing I got out of reading through them was that you have to find the routine that works for you. People are doing all sorts of no shampoo routines - I'll leave it up to you to read them and discover - and what works wonderfully for one person doesn't always work for everyone. In a way I'm glad that I had only read about the bicarb/ACV way before I started, otherwise I might have been overwhelmed by the possibilities.
My new routine
approx 1.5 tbsp bicarb soda in 600ml of warm water
approx 1.5 tbsp ACV in 600ml of warm water
I have re-purposed 2 old 600ml plastic pop-top water bottles for holding my "shampoo" and "conditioner" (hence why my recipe is for 600ml of water). The pop-tops aren't essential but I do find them very handy for getting the liquid where I want it to go when in the shower.
I wash my hair when I first get in the shower. This is so that I can leave the ACV solution in my hair for a couple of minutes (like conditioner) while I wash the rest of myself.
First I wash my hair with the bicarb and water solution. Or rather I'm diligent about getting it thoroughly into the roots and scalp and don't worry about the rest of my hair. If I'm not diligent about making sure I get into the roots and scalp, I (typically) end up missing the area at back near the nape of my neck which means it's still greasy and ick after washing. This is where the pop-top on the bottle is very useful because I can shove it into my hair and squirt the liquid where I want it to go. I use my other hand to comb through my hair while doing so, to spread it around and check that it's getting to everywhere. (The bicarb and water solution has a bit of a slippery feel to it, that's how I know I've got it through my hair). By the time I've got it everywhere in the scalp and roots, I've probably used about 1/3 of the bottle of liquid.
After I rinse out the bicarb solution, I put the ACV solution on my hair - roots, length, ends, everywhere. I end up using rather a lot of it (probably around 1/2- 2/3 of the 600ml bottle) but I do have long hair that's more than half way down my back. I'm sure if you had shorter hair you wouldn't go through as much.
I leave the ACV solution on my hair while I wash the rest of myself and then rinse it off as the last thing I do in the shower. I make sure I'm very thorough about rinsing it out, because on 2 occasions part of my hair smelt like ACV after it dried (but only part of my hair in each case). I assume that it must have been because of inadequate rinsing, because every other time I washed my hair it didn't smell like ACV. I've had other people smell my hair to check a couple of times and they've confirmed that it doesn't smell like ACV.
I wash my hair every 4-5 days (usually 4), which is slightly less often than before. When I used shampoo and conditioner I used to wash my hair around every 3-4 days.
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So is my hair in better condition now?
Well, it's kind of hard to tell. It's definitely not heaps better, but it's certainly not any worse than it was when I was using normal shampoo.
I think it's in somewhat better condition, although I could be misremembering what my hair was like before. But I have 2 things to bolster my belief that my hair is a bit better now:
1) I'm having to wash my hair slightly less often which means it's not getting greasy quite as quickly as before.
2) In my last post I referred to the condition of my hair as "pretty awful". If you asked me about the condition of my hair these days I'd say it's average. So unless my standards for judging the condition of my hair have moved, it's probably better than it was.
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Downsides
As far as I'm concerned there are no significant downsides. There are a few things that I'll mention here, but none of them are really significant.
- It's not really a travel friendly routine. I mean it'd be fine if I was only going away for a week but if I were to go backpacking for a couple of months (like I hope to at some point) it'd be quite a hassle. But that's not a problem at the moment anyway.
- I find the smell of ACV in the shower a bit weird. I still haven't got used it it. As mentioned above I've confirmed that you don't smell like ACV afterwards, but in the shower when I'm using it, I find it odd and slightly unpleasant. Apparently some people use essential oils or something to scent the ACV solution because they don't like the smell, but I can't be bothered - it's not a major issue and I can put up with it (obviously I don't find it that bad or I would bother to try adding essential oils). Some people use lemon juice diluted in water for the conditioner instead, I might try that at some point.
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So overall, as far as I am concerned, it works and I'm sticking to it.
In terms of saving money:
I'm not sure how much bicarb I've gone through because the bicarb gets used for other things as well. But I've used roughly 1/4 of a 750ml bottle of ACV, so it looks like this bottle of ACV will end up lasting me around 5 months in total. I don't remember how often I used to have to buy shampoo/conditioner but I'm sure it was at least every 3 months (possibly every 1-2 months).
Showing posts with label sustainability. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sustainability. Show all posts
Monday, 6 February 2012
Thursday, 29 December 2011
An experiment in alternative haircare - Day 1
As part of my desire to live a more sustainable lifestyle, I've decided to trial something I've heard about ages ago and just stumbled across again recently.
So what is this experiment you ask?
Simply no shampoo and no conditioner to wash my hair for a month. Instead I'll be using a solution of 1 tbsp bicarb soda to 1 cup of warm water followed by a rinse of 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of warm water.
Sounds a bit extreme, doesn't it? Very hippy-comune-ish, yes?
Well, I'll see. Plenty of people swear by it, not just for the environmental benefits but also because they've found that their hair is in much better condition since making the switch. I'm mainly doing it for the benefit to the environment, but if I happen to get better hair out of it, that'd be a nice bonus. And frankly my hair has been in pretty awful condition recently (using regular shampoo and conditioner) - either greasy or dry and frizzy - so it probably can't get much worse, right?
- The benefits -
1. No plastic
Instead of buying shampoo and conditioner in plastic containers, I'll be buying bi-carb soda (compostable cardboard box) and apple cider vinegar (glass bottle). If you didn't already know that glass can be recycled hundreds of times whereas plastic is typically downcycled once only, go watch the excellent movie Bag it!. Seriously go watch it, even if you do know that.
2. Less total packaging waste (in theory)
In theory the containers of bi-carb and vinegar should last me a lot longer than shampoo and conditioner normally does, which means less packaging bought in total.
I say "in theory" because I don't actually know how much I'll be going through (apparently you may need more than 1 cup for long hair, but you may not). Also I can't remember how often I used to have to buy shampoo and conditioner. Perhaps I'll ask mum how long it takes her to go through them for comparison purposes.
3. No chemicals being washed down the drain and into our waterways.
Shampoo and conditioner typically contain a lot of chemicals which are not particularly good for us or the environment (particularly SLS and SLFS - sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate - the ingredients that create the lather). Okay so they're probably not completely terrible for you and the environment, but still it'd be better to avoid them. For more information about what's so bad about shampoo go to this great post by Livejournal user babyslime.
4. Save money
A box of bicarb and a bottle of apple cider vinegar cost about half as much as a bottle of shampoo and conditioner. And as mentioned above should last me longer.
5. No chemicals on my body
See 3. I haven't noticed any sensitivity to the ingredients of shampoos and conditioners but still.
6. Better hair (supposedly)
I've only just started so I can't comment on this one but heaps of people say their hair is better after switching. I'll let you know.
Apparently you (and your hair) don't end up smelling like vinegar either.
- Day 1 -
I washed with the bicarb and water solution today. Didn't rinse with the vinegar solution, because we didn't go to the shop until after I'd washed my hair. My hair was particularly manky/greasy before washing because I hadn't washed it for longer than usual, and I'd rinsed in water only yesterday - as per the recommendation to give your hair a little break between regular shampoo and this routine.
So far I can report that the top front part of my hair seems to be at least as good as washing with regular shampoo and conditioner. The bottom half of my hair feels a bit greasy still, and the back (around the nape of my neck) feels very greasy. I don't know if I didn't distribute the solution through my hair very well, or if this just part of the adaption process.
Apparently some people's hair takes a few weeks to adapt, others notice an improvement straight away.
I plan to continue this for a month and see how it goes. I intend to report back regularly, but I often intend to write more in my blog than I normally do. But if it does work for me, you can bet I'll be telling people about it somehow...
For more infomation on the why and how of going shampoo free, these are the two main websites I got my information from: (they're also linked in the text above)
http://myplasticfreelife.com/2008/06/no-more-poo/
http://babyslime.livejournal.com/174054.html
So what is this experiment you ask?
Simply no shampoo and no conditioner to wash my hair for a month. Instead I'll be using a solution of 1 tbsp bicarb soda to 1 cup of warm water followed by a rinse of 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of warm water.
Sounds a bit extreme, doesn't it? Very hippy-comune-ish, yes?
Well, I'll see. Plenty of people swear by it, not just for the environmental benefits but also because they've found that their hair is in much better condition since making the switch. I'm mainly doing it for the benefit to the environment, but if I happen to get better hair out of it, that'd be a nice bonus. And frankly my hair has been in pretty awful condition recently (using regular shampoo and conditioner) - either greasy or dry and frizzy - so it probably can't get much worse, right?
- The benefits -
1. No plastic
Instead of buying shampoo and conditioner in plastic containers, I'll be buying bi-carb soda (compostable cardboard box) and apple cider vinegar (glass bottle). If you didn't already know that glass can be recycled hundreds of times whereas plastic is typically downcycled once only, go watch the excellent movie Bag it!. Seriously go watch it, even if you do know that.
2. Less total packaging waste (in theory)
In theory the containers of bi-carb and vinegar should last me a lot longer than shampoo and conditioner normally does, which means less packaging bought in total.
I say "in theory" because I don't actually know how much I'll be going through (apparently you may need more than 1 cup for long hair, but you may not). Also I can't remember how often I used to have to buy shampoo and conditioner. Perhaps I'll ask mum how long it takes her to go through them for comparison purposes.
3. No chemicals being washed down the drain and into our waterways.
Shampoo and conditioner typically contain a lot of chemicals which are not particularly good for us or the environment (particularly SLS and SLFS - sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate - the ingredients that create the lather). Okay so they're probably not completely terrible for you and the environment, but still it'd be better to avoid them. For more information about what's so bad about shampoo go to this great post by Livejournal user babyslime.
4. Save money
A box of bicarb and a bottle of apple cider vinegar cost about half as much as a bottle of shampoo and conditioner. And as mentioned above should last me longer.
5. No chemicals on my body
See 3. I haven't noticed any sensitivity to the ingredients of shampoos and conditioners but still.
6. Better hair (supposedly)
I've only just started so I can't comment on this one but heaps of people say their hair is better after switching. I'll let you know.
Apparently you (and your hair) don't end up smelling like vinegar either.
- Day 1 -
I washed with the bicarb and water solution today. Didn't rinse with the vinegar solution, because we didn't go to the shop until after I'd washed my hair. My hair was particularly manky/greasy before washing because I hadn't washed it for longer than usual, and I'd rinsed in water only yesterday - as per the recommendation to give your hair a little break between regular shampoo and this routine.
So far I can report that the top front part of my hair seems to be at least as good as washing with regular shampoo and conditioner. The bottom half of my hair feels a bit greasy still, and the back (around the nape of my neck) feels very greasy. I don't know if I didn't distribute the solution through my hair very well, or if this just part of the adaption process.
Apparently some people's hair takes a few weeks to adapt, others notice an improvement straight away.
I plan to continue this for a month and see how it goes. I intend to report back regularly, but I often intend to write more in my blog than I normally do. But if it does work for me, you can bet I'll be telling people about it somehow...
For more infomation on the why and how of going shampoo free, these are the two main websites I got my information from: (they're also linked in the text above)
http://myplasticfreelife.com/2008/06/no-more-poo/
http://babyslime.livejournal.com/174054.html
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Bag it!
So as per usual I haven't updated in ages. And I haven't done any of the many blog posts I intended to write about either. Oh well...
Today I just wanted to write a short post about the documentary I saw last night.
Did you know that in some parts of our oceans there is 40x more plastic than plankton(aka food)?
That's just one fascinating (and scary fact) that I learnt from the movie "Bag it! Is your life too plastic?". It was an excellent documentary. I think everyone (and I mean everyone!) should see this movie. It takes a serious issue, addresses it in a way that is both very compelling but also light-hearted and accessible to a general audience. It will change the way you think about plastic (in a good way).
So yes, highly recommended. Check it out.
In fact I'm so impressed with it I plan to order my own copy - so if you want to see it, let me know - I may be organising screenings.
Today I just wanted to write a short post about the documentary I saw last night.
Did you know that in some parts of our oceans there is 40x more plastic than plankton(aka food)?
That's just one fascinating (and scary fact) that I learnt from the movie "Bag it! Is your life too plastic?". It was an excellent documentary. I think everyone (and I mean everyone!) should see this movie. It takes a serious issue, addresses it in a way that is both very compelling but also light-hearted and accessible to a general audience. It will change the way you think about plastic (in a good way).
So yes, highly recommended. Check it out.
In fact I'm so impressed with it I plan to order my own copy - so if you want to see it, let me know - I may be organising screenings.
Saturday, 17 May 2008
A trip to the tip
I am so tired. It's been a long day, and it certainly doesn't help that I've been burning the candle at both ends recently. I need to develop a good habit of going to bed early rather than staying up until I can't keep my eyes open any longer. But I always say that and never do...
Today, as part of the Earth Carers Training course, I went on a trip to the tip. Or to put it more eloquently, we did a tour of the Tamala Park landfill site and the Balcatta recycling station. Then we had lunch at the Stirling Civic Gardens, which is a rehabilitated landfill site. Not that I would have known, if they hadn't told us.
This was a rather more enjoyable experience than I expected. The stuff we learned at each site was both useful and interesting if a bit sobering at times. I will certainly be thinking twice not only before throwing anything in the bin, but also before buying things. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
I think part of what makes this Earth Carers experience great, is hanging out with a group of like-minded people. Everyone else is also concerned about the current state of the planet, but not just that, they are proactive in doing something about it. It's great to be able to discuss and brainstorm ideas about everything from council recycling systems to community gardens, to biodegrable plastic bags, and green power.
______________
This month, May, is Mobile Muster month with the slogan "old phones, more trees". From the 2nd May to the 5th June for every mobile recycled through the mobile muster campaign, Landcare Australia will plant a native tree. So if you've got an old mobile laying around don't sent to landfill, drop it off at an official drop off point and congratulate yourself on planting a tree for the environment without having to do any of the hard work. Click here and enter your post code to find your nearest drop off point or go down to Australia Post and pick up a free recycling satchel.
_____________
At the first training session we had (on tuesday night) they showed us a video called "The Story of Stuff'". This is a brilliant little animated movie that takes a look at the dark underside of our production and consumption patterns. It was really good - informative while still being entertaining - and I encourage everyone to watch it. In fact, no, I don't just encourage you to watch it, instead I'd like to ask you on behalf of everyone who wants to create a more sustainable future, please take 20mins to watch this short film and recommend it to your friends.
You can download it for free at:
www.storyofstuff.com
It's a simple little thing, and you may think that they're over-simplifying the issues or that you already know this stuff, but watch it anyway. If nothing else, I'm sure you'll find parts of it entertaining. I've drawn the following comments off the website because I agree with them:
The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.
____________
After we got back from the tour of the tip, I discovered that our meeting point for the bus trip was right next to West Leederville community garden. Naturally a number of my fellow "tourists" were involved with the community garden so I went in to have a bit of a look around. It seemed pretty cool so I'm thinking about getting involved.
Today, as part of the Earth Carers Training course, I went on a trip to the tip. Or to put it more eloquently, we did a tour of the Tamala Park landfill site and the Balcatta recycling station. Then we had lunch at the Stirling Civic Gardens, which is a rehabilitated landfill site. Not that I would have known, if they hadn't told us.
This was a rather more enjoyable experience than I expected. The stuff we learned at each site was both useful and interesting if a bit sobering at times. I will certainly be thinking twice not only before throwing anything in the bin, but also before buying things. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
I think part of what makes this Earth Carers experience great, is hanging out with a group of like-minded people. Everyone else is also concerned about the current state of the planet, but not just that, they are proactive in doing something about it. It's great to be able to discuss and brainstorm ideas about everything from council recycling systems to community gardens, to biodegrable plastic bags, and green power.
______________
This month, May, is Mobile Muster month with the slogan "old phones, more trees". From the 2nd May to the 5th June for every mobile recycled through the mobile muster campaign, Landcare Australia will plant a native tree. So if you've got an old mobile laying around don't sent to landfill, drop it off at an official drop off point and congratulate yourself on planting a tree for the environment without having to do any of the hard work. Click here and enter your post code to find your nearest drop off point or go down to Australia Post and pick up a free recycling satchel.
_____________
At the first training session we had (on tuesday night) they showed us a video called "The Story of Stuff'". This is a brilliant little animated movie that takes a look at the dark underside of our production and consumption patterns. It was really good - informative while still being entertaining - and I encourage everyone to watch it. In fact, no, I don't just encourage you to watch it, instead I'd like to ask you on behalf of everyone who wants to create a more sustainable future, please take 20mins to watch this short film and recommend it to your friends.
You can download it for free at:
www.storyofstuff.com
It's a simple little thing, and you may think that they're over-simplifying the issues or that you already know this stuff, but watch it anyway. If nothing else, I'm sure you'll find parts of it entertaining. I've drawn the following comments off the website because I agree with them:
The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.
____________
After we got back from the tour of the tip, I discovered that our meeting point for the bus trip was right next to West Leederville community garden. Naturally a number of my fellow "tourists" were involved with the community garden so I went in to have a bit of a look around. It seemed pretty cool so I'm thinking about getting involved.
Sunday, 4 May 2008
World Food Crisis
I just signed an Avaaz petition to G8, UN and EU leaders regarding the world food crisis.
If you'd like to sign the petition too, here is the link:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/9.php
Before I followed that link and watched several of the videos on the Avaaz site, I had no idea that the crisis situation was so severe. I watched two videos, the one that comes up immediately when you follow the link, which has Sierra Leone's foreign minister, Zainab Bangura, who explains that 90% of the people in her country cannot afford the price of a bag of rice. A bag of rice!
Then I watched the second video which was a 10min interview with Raj Patel, the author of Stuffed and Starved - the hidden battle for the world food system. This interview was interesting yet scary (because of the issues we're facing) at the same time. I've decided to chase up his book after listening to him.
I encourage you to inform yourself on this issue, and sign Avaaz's petition if you support their position.
About Avaaz: (taken from their website)
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.
I support them because I think what they do is important and I believe they get results. Across the world, international decisions are often shaped by political agendas or unaccountable corporations rather than human rights, or sustainability considerations. Avaaz aims to close the gap between the world we have, and the world most people everywhere want, by being the "voice" of the people in the ear of global leaders. So when I agree with what Avaaz is campaigning for, I add my voice to theirs by signing their petition and telling others about it.
You can read more about Avaaz here
-------
And just for the record in case anyone's wondering, they don't spam you with emails, if you join their mailing list. I get roughly one or two per week from them about their campaigns.
If you'd like to sign the petition too, here is the link:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/9.php
Before I followed that link and watched several of the videos on the Avaaz site, I had no idea that the crisis situation was so severe. I watched two videos, the one that comes up immediately when you follow the link, which has Sierra Leone's foreign minister, Zainab Bangura, who explains that 90% of the people in her country cannot afford the price of a bag of rice. A bag of rice!
Then I watched the second video which was a 10min interview with Raj Patel, the author of Stuffed and Starved - the hidden battle for the world food system. This interview was interesting yet scary (because of the issues we're facing) at the same time. I've decided to chase up his book after listening to him.
I encourage you to inform yourself on this issue, and sign Avaaz's petition if you support their position.
About Avaaz: (taken from their website)
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.
I support them because I think what they do is important and I believe they get results. Across the world, international decisions are often shaped by political agendas or unaccountable corporations rather than human rights, or sustainability considerations. Avaaz aims to close the gap between the world we have, and the world most people everywhere want, by being the "voice" of the people in the ear of global leaders. So when I agree with what Avaaz is campaigning for, I add my voice to theirs by signing their petition and telling others about it.
You can read more about Avaaz here
-------
And just for the record in case anyone's wondering, they don't spam you with emails, if you join their mailing list. I get roughly one or two per week from them about their campaigns.
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Earth Carers
Last night I went to a meeting about becoming an Earth Carer. Earth Carers are a not-for-profit community group that help to raise awareness of how people can help the environment by reducing, reusing and recycling waste. Earth Carers teach people about composting/recycling options via the media or stalls at events including Gardening Week and the Perth Royal Show.
One statistic that I read somewhere in their info last night was that the equivalent of Subiaco Oval filled to 1.5 times the height of the goal posts with wastegoes to landfill at Tamala Park each year. And that's just the from the residents in Cambridge, Stirling, Perth, Joondalup, Vincent and Victoria Park. Where the other Perth residents' waste goes, I don't know.
I put my name down to do their free Earth Carers training course which is starts on the 13th May.
Josh Byrne from Gardening Australia was at the meeting as a special guest speaker. I don't watch Gardening Australia but it was actually really interesting hearing him speak. Most of the examples he used were taken from his place in South Freo - his worm farm in an old bathtub, his chicken tractor, the greywater system for watering the garden, and the rainwater tank under the decking. Clearly he walks the talk, practices what he preaches, etc
One example that particularly stuck in my mind is that a 3,500 litre rainwater tank if used to flush the toilet and running the washing machine all through the wet months, can save around 40,000 litres of water each year. This is slightly different to conventional thinking which says get a rainwater tank to water the garden with . But as Josh pointed out, getting a rainwater tank for this purpose means it's full/overflowing in winter when you don't need it, and rapidly runs out in summer when you do. By using the rainwater tank, at the time of year when it's frequently being refilled, it's like putting water in the bank for the summer (by using less in winter and allowing our dams to fill up more). Interesting. Apparently it's also quite easy to install a mains backed-up system like he's got and what with water conservation being such a hot topic at the moment, you can even get a government rebate for it.
----------
5 out of the 8 library applications I put in, have called me regarding an interview. This is good although the last three I've had to turn down as I'm starting my new job on Mon. Yay!
It's an average of 30hrs a week - Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri and every second Sat morning. I'm looking forward to it. I met about half the people who work there the day before yesterday and they all seem really nice.
One statistic that I read somewhere in their info last night was that the equivalent of Subiaco Oval filled to 1.5 times the height of the goal posts with wastegoes to landfill at Tamala Park each year. And that's just the from the residents in Cambridge, Stirling, Perth, Joondalup, Vincent and Victoria Park. Where the other Perth residents' waste goes, I don't know.
I put my name down to do their free Earth Carers training course which is starts on the 13th May.
Josh Byrne from Gardening Australia was at the meeting as a special guest speaker. I don't watch Gardening Australia but it was actually really interesting hearing him speak. Most of the examples he used were taken from his place in South Freo - his worm farm in an old bathtub, his chicken tractor, the greywater system for watering the garden, and the rainwater tank under the decking. Clearly he walks the talk, practices what he preaches, etc
One example that particularly stuck in my mind is that a 3,500 litre rainwater tank if used to flush the toilet and running the washing machine all through the wet months, can save around 40,000 litres of water each year. This is slightly different to conventional thinking which says get a rainwater tank to water the garden with . But as Josh pointed out, getting a rainwater tank for this purpose means it's full/overflowing in winter when you don't need it, and rapidly runs out in summer when you do. By using the rainwater tank, at the time of year when it's frequently being refilled, it's like putting water in the bank for the summer (by using less in winter and allowing our dams to fill up more). Interesting. Apparently it's also quite easy to install a mains backed-up system like he's got and what with water conservation being such a hot topic at the moment, you can even get a government rebate for it.
----------
5 out of the 8 library applications I put in, have called me regarding an interview. This is good although the last three I've had to turn down as I'm starting my new job on Mon. Yay!
It's an average of 30hrs a week - Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri and every second Sat morning. I'm looking forward to it. I met about half the people who work there the day before yesterday and they all seem really nice.
Saturday, 19 April 2008
Good planets are hard to find
One of the things that I think is really important is sustainability. In all areas of life - we cannot go on as we have been going, that much is clear. An often quoted statistic is that if everyone on Earth lived the same way as Americans (or Australians), we would need something like 3 (or 5) extra habitable planets to support all of us. I forget the exact number given - but I'll look it up and update it. In the lack of any handy life-supporting planets around (other than this one we live on), the only option is to reduce our impact on the world.
Where to start? I get discouraged sometimes - that with so much to be done - how can I, just one person, make a difference. But such thinking can only hinder my ability to help so I try to get over it quickly when it happens. Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Gandhi - how much poorer would this world be, if they had thought that one person wouldn't be able to make a difference?
I think what is needed most is an attitude shift. A pretty major one, to be honest. This culture we live in encourages wastefulness. I'm starting to see the start of a shift. There is more and more information in the media about sustainability, climate change, local food options, etc than ever before. Mainstream media is catching on, no longer are these topics only written about in Nova or Living Now style publications. It's encouraging, but will it be enough? Only time will tell...
I have to log off now but in future posts I'll get down to some of the specifics - exposing my lifestyle for scrutiny on how green (or un-green) it is and profiling green local businesses that I want to encourage support for. Ultimately I'd like to set a website - specific to green options in Perth. There's lots of great information out there but I haven't (yet) seen anything like what I want to do.
Where to start? I get discouraged sometimes - that with so much to be done - how can I, just one person, make a difference. But such thinking can only hinder my ability to help so I try to get over it quickly when it happens. Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Gandhi - how much poorer would this world be, if they had thought that one person wouldn't be able to make a difference?
I think what is needed most is an attitude shift. A pretty major one, to be honest. This culture we live in encourages wastefulness. I'm starting to see the start of a shift. There is more and more information in the media about sustainability, climate change, local food options, etc than ever before. Mainstream media is catching on, no longer are these topics only written about in Nova or Living Now style publications. It's encouraging, but will it be enough? Only time will tell...
I have to log off now but in future posts I'll get down to some of the specifics - exposing my lifestyle for scrutiny on how green (or un-green) it is and profiling green local businesses that I want to encourage support for. Ultimately I'd like to set a website - specific to green options in Perth. There's lots of great information out there but I haven't (yet) seen anything like what I want to do.
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