Five houses tracking their energy use in Darlington

One of the houses tracking energy use There are five houses tracking daily energy use in Darlington. You can see which ones they are because they have signs on them facing the streets like the one above. This one has come fifth for the last day’s energy use.  See how the sign says it used 38% more energy use? May the low energy bills be with them – and thanks to you five houses, great to see, Michael  Read More

Sustainable linen

Bamboo sheets.  Mmmm. Just slept in new ones I bought this week.  $140 on special. Better to the touch than cotton, and, I’m told, warmer in winter and cooler in summer. And, of course, the bamboo uses far less water than cotton to grow, so it’s a material that, in the growing at least, causes less damage than does cotton growing. They cause no allergies, apparently. May the bamboo sheets be upon your bed, Michael  Read More

Costa calls me a ‘weed’

Costa calls me a 'weed' Costa explains what a 'weed' is Last Thursday I gave a talk at Ultimo Tafe and Costa (the gardener on SBS TV) gave one, too. Costa warned me that in his talk he was going to call me a name and I shouldn’t take offence at it and wait ’til he explained it. He called me a ‘weed’. Ahuh. He then said something like, “A weed is the first to establish in poor soil.  It puts down strong... Read More

Great road gardening last Friday – then comes the next day

Andres from Ecuador plants a tree: L to R: Xavier, Helen, Beth, Andres, Sarah, Harry, Michael Gardening today was sensational. There were ten of us a-road-gardening on Friday: Xavier (let’s put an “x” first for a change), Helen, Janet (who took this photo), Harry, Beth, Andres, Sarah (who comes all the way from Marrickville and is one hell of a quiet achiever). As Andres is returning home to Ecuador (well, he may get there via who... Read More

Emotions can cause physical illness, and restore health

Dr. Gabor Maté is the author of the book, “When the Body Says No: Understanding the Stress-Disease Connection” The Vancouver-based Dr. Gabor Maté argues that too many Western doctors seem to have forgotten what was once a commonplace assumption—that emotions are deeply implicated in both the development of illness and in the restoration of health. Based on medical studies and his own experience with chronically ill patients at the... Read More