Some native stingless bee tips

Here are some tips for those wishing to keep native stingless bees.  Most of what follows is directly from an email sent to me by a proud new native bee owner, Lynda and I’m grateful for Lynda agreeing to publish this information. What to wear when splitting the hive: Don’t wear dark colours as they tend to attract an agressive response from the bees when splitting. ... Read More

Death by coconut

It’s dangerous out there. Particularly in the US. Twenty people there were killed by coconuts last year.  Read the figures below and shake. Death by Coconut (US Deaths per year) Causes Deaths Percentage Smoking 467,000 63% Obesity 216,000 29% Motor Vehicle 43,354 6% Falls 13,322 2% Drowning 3,842 0.5% Snakes 100 0.013% Other Stinging Bee Deaths 50 0.007% Skate... Read More

Food prices and weather extremes

The Sydney Morning Herald’s columnist, Paul Sheehan, has today written a column about food prices and weather extremes; see it here - www.smh.com… Speaking of gardening and food, there’s lots of rain forecast for the next few weeks so it’s a good time to be planting, mulching and composting, Michael  Read More

LED replacement lights for halogens

LumiSpot LS-DL04-7x1W Halogen downlights chew up energy and drive up your energy bill. An option for cutting your energy and electricity costs is to replace them with LED lights. For example, try the LED lights designed and sol by LumiSun, called, LumiSpot LS-DL04-7x1W. www.LumiSun.com… And the product brochure can be downloaded by taking the link at the top of this blog... Read More

Four green jobs going at Sydney Council

Sydney City Council is offering four green jobs. Sustainability Engagement Officer Waste Programs Coordinator Sustainability Marketing Officer Project Officer – Local Action Plans For more information: www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov…  Read More

Bike wind generator

Xavier and his bike wind generator Xavier rode his bike to garden in the roads today and showed me a wind generator he has on the handlebars of his bike. It stores energy and he plugs a USB into a socket in it and recharges his mobile.  He bought it from Todae in Glebe Point Road, Glebe. V cute engineering.  Read More

Floods, droughts and coal

For a discussion about the links, consequences and finance relating to coal, droughts and floods you may wish to have a look at my article in The Fifth Estate, here: www.thefifthestate.com… Time to turn off the coal, methinks, Michael  Read More

How to keep your compost from smelling

Compostworm instructions Seven compost bins in Peace Park, one for each day of the week A key tool we use to keep compost in our road compost bins from smelling is to turn it at least once a week with an augur. It’s called a ‘Compost Worm”.  The how-to-use for it is with this post. It’s a metal thing with a screw shaped end that we dig in and rotate around... Read More

Salt, lies and failed regulators

One of Australia’s best selling books is the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet. It’s an eye opener (and, hopefully, a mouth closer). It and heart specialists agree; salt is killing many Australians.  They die from the high blood pressure, strokes and heart-related illnesses it causes. Combine overweight – not much, just some fat around the tummy and you’re overweight;... Read More

My plan to secure Australia’s food

In a column (Bathurst Burr) I write for an online magazine called, The Fifth Estate, I’ve offered a plan to secure Australia’s food, and it’s here: www.thefifthestate.com… Enjoy; may we have action from all that we’ve got in government now and from ourselves, no new committees or agencies  . . . beginning now, Michael  Read More