consumerism - a dud sell

"Normal" in our world is to buy stuff, the latest this and the newest that - and it's respectable to be working our lives away to pay it. I've long felt a slave to this system and find it difficult to fight. But I still get caught up in buying things, having things; and having to work - as much as I hate it.

And what's more, it's not real, it's not even necessary.  We've been sold a dud. Our society has been deliberately engineered - literally - to a consumer culture. To see that we have been sold this helps me challenge this 'conventional wisdom' but living this challenge is not easy. 

Two useful articles are
1.  Anti-Consumerism is the new democracy
A choice not to consume is far more than an environmental choice to reduce resource use. It is a political statement about the structure and function of our society.


The choice about the placement of our dollars is a different kind of democracy - like a vote, it sends a message to those that contribute to our economy. A choice of one company over another communicates - through a lengthy supply chain - your preferences as a consumer. Whether your preferences are based primarily on price, animal testing, environment-friendly packaging, or simply because it came in a nice colour, the message is transmitted.


2. The Gospel of Consumption
Charles Kettering, director of General Motors Research, to write a 1929 magazine article called “Keep the Consumer Dissatisfied.” He wasn’t suggesting that manufacturers produce shoddy products. Along with many of his corporate cohorts, he was defining a strategic shift for American industry—from fulfilling basic human needs to creating new ones.


In a 1927 interview with the magazine Nation’s Business, Secretary of Labor James J. Davis provided some numbers to illustrate a problem that the New York Times called “need saturation.” Davis noted that “the textile mills of this country can produce all the cloth needed in six months’ operation each year” and that 14 percent of the American shoe factories could produce a year’s supply of footwear. The magazine went on to suggest, “It may be that the world’s needs ultimately will be produced by three days’ work a week.”

Filming

The film crew there for interviews.

Solar panels on the apartment building

Yesterday was the big day. Since about May last year I've been working on a project to have energy efficient measures installed on our apartment building. Doing this through an owners corporation is a different kettle of fish because the project has to meet the approval of 60 owners. Yesterday, it all came together. More of the background story is to come.

Floods, Cyclones and Solar Panels

It's hard to not think of climate change with all the weather events we've had here.  Of course, no single event can be attributed to climate change.  It's the frequency and intensity of the events that's the indicator.  We've had floods in Queensland for years, almost everyone's heard the references to the 1974 floods.  This year the floods stretched from Rockhampton to Brisbane - a stretch of approx 800km.  The flash flood in Toowoomba is unthinkable because it sits on a tableland- mountain range- with no creeks or rivers at all. The town sits in a crater of an old volcano and all the water came from the sky only.

Then there's cyclone Yasi, a category 5 cyclone. Australians are an understated lot.  One fellow described the night saying, "Yeah..... it was a bit windy...." People who'd experienced serious cyclones before described it as being like nothing else they'd ever known.

I'm happy to be starting to do something practical with climate change.  I've recently been involved on a project to retro-fit energy efficient measures in our ageing apartment complex.  The LEDs are installed and the solar panels are being put into place next week.  The project is being documented by our local paper and film crew that the local council have organised, our story seems to be of particular interest.  I will publish details over the coming week, and when I can share the video footage.

Peak Oil

 Excerpts from a recent Radio National interview
Flow Rate
the fact is that we cannot pull out as much from an oil field that many people think is possible to do. I used to compare it with money; if you have $1 million in your bank account and you only can use $60,000 each year, are you a millionaire then or not? Because that is the fact, you can only pull out something like 6% of the oil per year, and that is a flow rate problem, as we discussed.

Production rates
They say that up until 2030 we should find something like 114 billion barrels of new oil in new oil fields. These oil fields should give a rate of production that is 19 million barrels per day. In comparison with the North Sea, that was the latest region we found, they had a maximum of six million barrels per day at the peak in the production rate. So what they're saying in principle is that we should find three new regions of the size of the North Sea now and put it into production immediately. And we see that there is a decline in the discovery rate instead of an increase, so the numbers don't come together.

Peak Oil occcured in 2008: Macquarie Bank here in Australia just a year or so ago, one of their analysts said they couldn't see oil production going up past 2008 or 2009

The high oil price we had in 2008 was, according to my opinion, the thing that triggered the downscale of the economy....

Because it all started in the United States, you know. There you don't have any taxes on gasoline and so on, so suddenly people get a twice as expensive oil bill to come into work and so on, and they couldn't afford to pay for their houses, and they have a system where you just can leave the house and say, okay, I'm just leaving, and the bank has to take care of it, and the bank had made some kind of stupid systems that everything was just falling apart, you know. But the trigger was the oil price.
Jonica Newby: You actually believe hitting peak oil triggered off the global financial crisis?
Kjell Aleklett: Yes, and the exact month for peak oil was in July 2008.

2011. 7 billion people

Free: Workshop on Installing a Rainwater Tank

TANK TALK

Date/Time:      Wednesday 2 February, 6.30pm - 8.00pm

Venue:             34 Devonshire Street

Bookings:        9777 1000

This workshop will introduce both the practical and regulatory issues associated with installing a rainwater tank as well as government rebates, health considerations, greywater reuse and sizing to ensure maximum benefit.

Fwd: EarthBag Building Workshop: MILKWOOD FARM 27/2-5/3

Just a note that we're running an EarthBag Building workshop at Milkwood Farm (Near Mudgee) over 6 days at the end of Feb, and we're trying to make sure we get the word out about this opportunity to learn a fabulous natural building technique!

EarthBag Building Workshop: Milkwood Farm: 27 Feb - 5 Mar 2011

6 days of hands-on learning in EarthBag building. Learn the secrets of this versatile natural building technique and leave knowing how to build beautiful, natural and super-versatile earthbag structures with a small footprint and basic, easily accessible materials for very little cost.

For this workshop we welcome acclaimed Earthbag building facilitators Neil and Stella of Guiding Star Creations to Milkwood Farm to lead us all through the steps of how to build an earthbag dome building! The building will be about 2.5m wide and about 3m tall and suitable for a wide range of uses from guest room through to root cellar
This workshop covers how to test your soil, build foundations, all the steps of the earthbag technique, forming window and door openings, natural plastering, and options for adapting domes to dry or wet climates. You will leave the workshop all set to apply your knowledge elsewhere and build your very own earthbag dome!
Workshop details and bookings: http://milkwoodpermaculture.com.au/courses/details/45-milkwood-autumn-earthbag
More info on Earthbag as a natural building technique and heaps more pics and links here:  http://milkwood.net/2011/01/17/earthbag-building-workshop-at-milkwood-farm
And a flyer attached for good measure...
Please feel free to spread the word - we'd really appreciate it -

Many thanks and all the best!

Kirsten Bradley

Milkwood Permaculture
--------------------------------
Web: http://Milkwood.net
Courses: http://MilkwoodPermaculture.com.au
Facebook: http://Facebook.com/MilkwoodFarm

Upcoming: Next 5 events:

- Permaculture Design Certificate: Milkwood Farm: Feb 2011
- Natural Beekeeping: Sydney: Feb 2011
- EarthBag Building: Milkwood Farm: Feb/Mar 2011
- Intro to Permaculture: Sydney: Mar 2011
- Natural Beekeeping: Milkwood Farm: Mar 2011

The truth about electricity prices

The media is awash with stories about electricity prices and how it is that solar panels such as ours are contributing to it.
There is a projected cost of $42 billion in investment of network infrastructure such as poles and wires which accounts for approximately 80%-90% of the increased prices that are being experienced in NSW (62% for QLD).  This investment is required due to growing population and increased demand for power.
A national renewable energy target of 20% will account for an approximate 4% increase of bills (equivalent to about $0.8 per week). Putting a price on pollution also will contribute to some increases. However, the infrastructure costs are the major causes of price increases.
Investment in renewable energy is one of the solutions for a cleaner future. The cost of the feed in tariff is reflected in just a few percent of the 10% which is the retail component of our electricity increases. Production of PV electricity is expected to reach the same price as retail electricity in the next 5-10 years which is why governments around the world are investing in schemes similar to ours. As PV system prices continue to decrease, they will become even more affordable for people on low incomes to purchase.
 Australians have one of the world's highest standards of living and our carbon outputs reflect this, so the incentive we have to reduce our power bills will require some adaptation on our part.

The true cost of photovoltaics
Electricity Prices - the facts

Solar Powered Clothes Dryer

There's an old joke about an ad in the paper offering a solar powered clothes dryer for $5. Amazed at the price, people sent off their five dollars and eagerly anticipated their new dryer. What they received was a length of clothes line - the original clothes dryer (plagiarised from Mooselt Musings)
Apartment buildings all over the world have been battling for the simple priviledge of being able to hang out their clothes (see articles below). From the 1st Sept 2010, the Strata Schemes Management Regulation 2010 in NSW features a new by-law for the hanging of washing from owners' balconies.  Owners of existing Strata schemes (ie us!) must pass a resolution to adopt this by-law. Judge announces new climate-friendly strata initiatives Dept Fair Trading, 1 Sept 2010
Most apartments have outdoor drying areas.  Going up and down the steps can be a little inconvenient - but really no more so than living in a two storey house - and if you're looking to increase your daily activity it really adds to your 10,000 daily steps!

Movement is an Opportunity Not an Inconvenience

90. Hanging Clothes to Dry.—To some it might seem that the laundry work is practically done when clothes are ready to be hung on the line; but the next step has some very important features, the oversight of which might make necessary the rewashing of articles.
One of the chief virtues of proper drying of clothes is the effect that sun and air have on them. When clothes are hung on the line quite wet, almost dripping in fact, the combined action of sun and air is one of the best bleaches known. It is because of this that white clothes should be hung, when possible, out-of-doors, and that colored clothes should be hung in the shade or indoors.
91. To save time in the sorting of articles for ironing, hang all garments of a kind together. Then, to have the clothes dry in the best possible condition, keep in mind the following general directions:
Be sure that the clothes-line and pins are perfectly clean.
Shake things out well and turn outer garments, if they have not already been turned, wrong side out.
Hang large pieces, such as sheets and table-cloths, on a straight thread of the material, one-fourth or one-half of each over the line, and fasten with four or five clothes-pins. Sheets may be doubled crosswise, so that the upper and lower hems meet, and pinned to the line by the hems, to minimize the danger of hems being torn by the wind.
Fold flat pieces as they are taken off the line, as then they will be easier to iron.
92. Authorities differ as to the proper method of hanging dresses and blouses on the clothes-line. If there is plenty of room, garments may be hung lengthwise; that is, held to the line by clothes-pins at the shoulder, the waist line, and the hem. A garment will dry more quickly, however, if hung by the hem, and, if the position on the line is changed at least once, there will not be much danger of stretching. Circular skirts, or flared effects, will sag if this is done, but most wash frocks are cut on comparatively straight lines so this need not be considered.
Very sheer dresses may be placed over a hanger that has first been wound and padded with a strip of clean old muslin or Turkish toweling. The hanger may be hung over the line and held fast by a clothes-pin. If possible, always dry delicate materials in the shade, but if no shade is available, hang the garment inside where there is a free circulation of air.
inspiration for this blog courtesy of www.beforeourtime.com; text from Vintage Sewing
washing
News and Information
Change in wind as balconies air dirty laundry  SMH, 17 July 2010
Judge announces new climate-friendly strata initiatives Dept Fair Trading, 1 Sept 2010

"To Fight Global Warming Some Hang a Clothesline" NYTimes, April 2, 2007
"Hanging out for a clean fight" The Age, May 10 2008

David Suzuki

I saw David Suzuki at the Opera House last night.  I'd seen him once before when he published "The Sacred Balance".  Seeing him talk is inspirational because he is able to describe climate change in common sense terms. It makes me want to change how I'm living now. It's hard. Our normal life is what seems to be the sensible thing to do and it's a bit frightening to step out to do something different.  It doesn't matter what really, or that I feel quite inequipped. But I do feel the need to try.

David Suzuki's explanation of exponentional growth

It's all about making a choice

Eating out today for lunch, we were at a fish and chip place. Not the best spot for someone who's allergic to wheat, because everything was battered. But, making sure I ate the salad first and removing the batter proved how simple a choice can be. But making that choice when there's something I really love is a different story.

fixing things

The washing machine's broken. We're lucky that my husband is good at fixing things, he pulls all the pieces apart and checks how each piece looks. I usually can't face that stuff, it seems way over my head and I know nothing about the pieces. But watching my husband makes me realise that for the most part, things are just logical although you still need to learn what pieces do. As it turns out, on this occassion, the electrical board doesn't work and the cost of replacing it begins to approximate the replacement cost of the machine itself, without knowing whether something else will crash soon after. But the lesson on fixing things is that it's not that hard. Patience is needed for problem solving and investigation, and there will always be stuff to learn - but it's a skill well worth developing.

the convenience addiction 1.

The way I go about my life is driven solely by expediency: what's the most amount of stuff I can get through in the least amount of time? - Because I have more stuff to do next. This causes me permanent anxiety. Instead of convenience, allowing a little more time will help me get organised, enjoy my current activity and breathe!

Minutae

The detail I hoped to never grow up enough to experience. But this is my reality if I am seriously persuing a sustainable lifestyle. Knowing the plumbing layout provides insight into greywater possibilities; deciding whether to install gas for hot water, I have to think about pipes; to maintain my bicycle I have to learn to make fine adjustments with an allen key; and to make progress with my community garden, it will help me to learn about strata rules. Changing the world, relies on changing our lifestyle, which means changing my attitude about tiny things which I have always hated. But, it's the most important thing I can do.

Permaculture

There's a lot to learn before I can get the community garden happening, it's very daunting.  I was refered to a permaculture group Permaculture North to assist with developing the garden.  Attending the meeting was really interesting, lots of people interested in the same thing and a particularly interesting guest speaker, Nicholas who has started: http://permaculture.tv/ website. Lots to learn and I love the principles. But, I just want to get started!!
 
  http://permaculture.org.au/what-is-permaculture/

Screen time

I have been babysitting my nieces and nephews and am astounded at the amount of screen time they engage in: almost every minute is on computer or tv. This means that they spend most of their time passively and reflexively responding to a program rather than playing and creating. It certainly makes me appreciate my own childhood in treehouses and outside, and so I resolve to have my own time screen minimal.

Barefoot cycling

I feel like a child, what pleasure! The best I have done recently is change my bike from a road bike (because it didn't fit me properly and was unsafe), to a ladies comfort bike. It's cheaper, doesn't need special shoes or special clothes, so it has become a practical mode of transport. The barefoot part is just an added pleasure when I'm in quiet areas.

Stains

I've always been quite rough and tumble and so have never worried about how dirty I get, no matter what I'm doing. On top of that I am no domestic goddess, i have had no time or patience for housekeeping. The practice of looking after things so they last means I need to consume less, so doing laundry is no longer a mundane practice. Stain removal means that clothes and carpet last longer, and napkins and handkerchiefs can replace paper versions. The most valuable prinicple is that every stain has a solvent - for example detergent 'cuts through grease' as the ads tell us. So far I have learnt that facial soap and cold water, rubbed in with a toothbrush removes protein stains and is the first step. Meat, gravy, milk, blood - in fact most food related stains respond to this. Then, I put it into the wash with a commercial powder, because detergent removes the next level of stains which are oil and fat based. There is much more to learn, and the books by Shannon Lush and Jennifer Fleming are fantastic, because most of their cleaning solutions are simple and environmentally friendly.

Community gardens

I'm advocating to have a small unobtrusive herb plot in a common area. A small request which one would achieve in their own yard within days. So it's frustrating to submit plans and jump through hoops. Then I've realised: as much as I don't like it, politics is integral to making change. If I want to live differently without dropping out of city life, I'd best start working through it.