What kind of sewage system?

Comes this question from yesterday’s tour: HI Michael Thanks for the tour yesterday, was great to see your systems in action! I have a quick question about the sewerage which I forgot to ask: What do you think about composting toilets v. your system for an innner city context such as yours? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks Cheers Sarah   My answer: Great question; thank you. A composting toilet was not an option on my small inner city terrace site because: it... Read More

Free in Freo

Flew with the dawning sun as it raced the plane from Sydney to Perth yesterday.  A beautiful, thing, flying across high up like that; first flight I’ve just completely enjoyed – ever.  Don’t know why.  But has to be mixed up with the way I’m travelling lighter and lighter these days n nights.   Anyway, to Fremantle where the rest of the day was a succession of delights. Studio room at The Painted Fish   I reckoned I’d died and gone to... Read More

Live in my sustainable house

lounge and dining room Would you like to live in Sydney’s Sustainable House? Get your water and energy from the sun and the rain? Well, you can. Would you like to rent my room for six months while I’m overseas? It’s the main bedroom, sunlit, two french doors, furnished. Pay no water or electricity bills.  Gas bills do need to be paid; about $70 a quarter.  Rent is $250 a week, payable fortnightly.  My 21 year old son is here and a friend, Karlie, rents the... Read More

Jess gives her first tour of Sydney’s Sustainable House

Two tour people + moi + glasses of rainwater Lamp, history wall – twice is not enough         Last Saturday 7 July Jess Miller gave her first tour of Sydney’s Sustainable House.  We had a lot of fun, shared some useful stories and, as usual, the energy and laughter were high on the agenda. Larger copies of the photos are on the website of the photographer, Peter Pakulski, here:  picasaweb.google.com… Peter and cat on tour                   Lounge... Read More

Sustainability education courses in Australia

A question popped in my email some time ago but I lost track of it until reminded today: “Hi Michael Hope this email finds you well. In late 2010 I visited your house – thanks again for opening your doors. Since then I’ve read your book and am very interested to know whether there are any tertiary / TAFE courses (or otherwise) which focus on sustainable house design. I understand that architectural degrees do, to an extent. A permaculture course (PDC) I recently... Read More

Cool windows in summer, warm windows in winter

This question popped up in my mailbox this week: Dear Mr Mobbs, I heard your interview on ABC702 this week and you mentioned a glazing film which can be applied to glass to make it more insulated. Can you please tell me what product it is? So far, I have found a film made by Enerlogic and distributed in Australia by MEP films which claims to reduced heat loss through the glass by 90%. Unfortunately, this film has a slight golden tint to it which I would rather not have. Regards C   Here’s... Read More

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

Great new vid about how to make Chippo Plan real for us all

Mikey Leung tells stories on video.  He’s just made a beaut vid about our plan to make Chippo sustainable and the people who love it so much they’ve spent hours and hours putting it on a new web page for anyone to use to make the place where they live and work sustainable, too: youtu.be/SHkMh8wwlXY…   Thank you, Mikey – you’re terrific and so’s your vid. Join with us to make the Plan happen and watch the vid and go to the link there .... Read More

Drinking rainwater and staying alive

Spring on the way, and spring in us if we choose it Fellow water imbibers: I’ve been asked this lengthy, well-informed and valuable question: ‘Michael, I’m planning a new house with two 20,000L rainwater tanks, possibly of stainless steel, and I’m trying to decide what roof and gutter and downpipe materials to use.  I’ve read the reports of Mirela Magyar’s studies on metal contaminants in rain water tanks in Melbourne, and I’m reading... Read More

Third Chinese delegation visit to discuss sustainable house and Chippo Plan

#gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */ The delegation leader hands me a lovely medallion in thanks A delegate buys a signed copy of Sustainable... Read More