Over 100 signatures and 19 cities have signed up . . .

? @sustaintheplan Luke has tweeted that over 100 people from over 19 cities around Earth have signed the petition to make the Plan for a sustainable suburb. That’s in the  first week before we’ve widely publicised the petition and the new web site. Great to know, for example, that people in Copenhagen love the Plan and want it made – it applies to any city on Earth – if we can get it made here in Sydney anyone anywhere may use that example to more easily... Read More

The Sustainable Communities Plan is on the web

Sydney City Council asked me to make a plan to make the whole suburb of Chippendale sustainable. It’s not just a plan for this suburb; it can be used to make any suburb sustainable – it’s free and you’re welcome to put it to work where you are. Now the Plan can be read on mobiles, kindles and is very easy to search, use and tweet.  Get it here: theplan.sustainablehouse.com… Enjoy. You can see some of the folks who support the Plan. Please sign the... Read More

ABC TV Landline on food security this Sunday

The ABC TV Landline story on food security, that some of us in Chippendale were involved in, is being re-run on ABC 1 this Sunday at noon.   There was some great feedback on this piece last year, so hopefully the repeat will generate a similar response.   Thanks again to Chippo folk and the others in the programme for helping bring this complicated issue to life.   Enjoy, M  Read More

Urban farming on Radio National

On ABC Radio National on Wednesday 4 April at 2 to 230 pm there’ll be a panel discussion of urban farming.   There’ll be three panelists: Indira Naidoo, Will Smart and moi.   The Panel starts each show and runs for about 25 minutes all up.   abc.net…   Should be fun.   Let’s know if you listen in and find it handy, M  Read More

Eating fish caught sustainably

I recommend a new phone App that keeps you up to date with fish that are, and are not, caught sustainably.   Called, Australia’s Sustainable Seafood Guide, it’s very helpful in a restaurant or cafe or fish shop if you’re unsure what to buy.   It lists the fish and marine critters sold here and can list them in order of sustainability if you wish.   I haven’t bought Orange Roughy and other obviously threatened species for years but now, sadly,... Read More

Ride on bike lunch – stall at Everleigh Markets

Alexandra and Joanne from Youth Food Movement - + their stall at Everleigh Markets The Youth Food folk had their stall at Everleigh Markets last Saturday. Visit them any Saturday between now and 15 October to find out about their ride plan – it’s to promote local, healthy food and will start at the markets, include a tour of Sydney’s Sustainable House and the road gardens of Chippendale. Check it out here, too:   www.yfmsydney.wordpress.com…   I’ll... Read More

Youth food cyclists coming to Chippo

On Saturday 15 October the Youth Food Movement cyclists will have a bicycle ride on lunch.  They’ll have a tour of the house here and then of the road gardens. Jessica Mobbs will give the cyclists two short tours of the house, one from 1130 to 1200, the second from 1210 to 1240. The cyclists will pause in Peace Park and make smoothies with a bike. Paul and Bob will show the cyclists the road gardens, including the vertical garden in Pine Street. The cyclists are running... Read More

Of black sapote, bandicoots and the North Head Nursery

John, Black Sapote (donated by Antoinette), Antoinette, Paul This Friday we planted two Black Sapote – Bernicker  -  given as a gift to our road gardens by Antoinette and purchased by her from Daley’s Fruit Nursery; their web page says of this fruit tree: Black Sapote – Bernicker This Chocolate Pudding fruit variety has proved very popular in Australia. The near spherical fruit is medium to large with only 1 or 2 seeds. Superb eating quality and prolific producer. Not... Read More

Dystopian but terrific writing

One of the people I read each week is James Kunstler.  Firstly, because of the writing, and secondly, because his ideas and ‘take’ on things is so interesting. Dystopean, yes.  Boring, no. His books have a more measured and very well researched richness to them. There’s a link on his blog (www.kunstler.com…) to a recent article in Orion Magazine, Back to the Future A road map for tomorrow’s cities and you can read it, here: www.orionmagazine.org… And... Read More

Loving a man’s spirit

Now, if I love a man’s spirit, it is at least Wendell Berry’s, poet and farmer. If you love words, ideas and guts this is your man. Anyway, try this on your heart: it’s Wendell this week reading at  George Washington Uni, Washington DC: click away and open up your heart, me hearties: brtom.typepad.com… M  Read More