December 2011
1 post
1 tag
September 2011
1 post
August 2011
3 posts
Solar Approaches Grid Parity Fast →
There are some great charts and stats here from as recently as 2010.
This year, the U.S. industry may install 2 gigawatts of solar. The last nuclear power plant to come online in the U.S., Watts Bar 1, has a capacity of 1.1 gigawatts — but that took 23 years to complete, not two years.
July 2011
6 posts
4 tags
2 tags
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June 2011
1 post
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Djanbung Gardens Open Day 2011
Toni Talks about Weeds Julian Exploring the Inner Landscape Jenny gets into gourds Jenny weaves some magic for the crowd
April 2011
3 posts
2 tags
My Backup System
My Backup System I have invested some time and money in a peace of mind data backup system recently. Losing all your stuff is a bit of a rite of passage for anyone that uses computers. Which is everyone. The Nature of the Universe is that things are breaking down. Unless you are consciously putting energy into your backups, sure as the Sun, one day you will lose your digital work. With that...
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Hut Med is Happening
I finally cleaned up hut med, and it is beautiful! Sitting up here in a comfy chair on my land, looking over the McKellar Ranges, my house, my garden and my trees. I feel so blessed. There is still work to do on it, the door needs securing with two long pieces of ply. There are several holes in the fly wire. But on the whole it is awesome and comfortable. We moved the big comfy chair (the...
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A change in the seasons
The loquets are flowering, we have never beaten the birds to the fruit. Maybe this year? Bath Frog has moved back in after an extended and unexplained absence from the faucet. See the full gallery on Posterous Other friends of the house are back too, looking for a place to stay for the winter but still catch the sunny days. See the full gallery on Posterous
December 2010
8 posts
1 tag
Clean up as you go
This is a new principle that I have been working on and is grounded in the three permaculture ethics. Care of People Emotionally cleaning up as you go. This means dealing with the stuff that comes up when relating to others in the moment, not leaving it for later when it has gone stale or festered. Emotional Energy is powerful. It can make people uncomfortable, but it is there to make our lives...
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The swollen northern rivers
We’ve recorded about 200 mm of rain in 3 days. When it eased a bit we took a drive around some of the rivers crossings. Our first stop was the luminous heart community on Oxbow Rd. On the way a stream was emerging from the paddock. This is where a tributary to hanging rock creek crosses the road. It’s comforting to know we have a home on both sides of the water. Next we went...
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Charity: Water's fine taste in mandatory annual...
This Charity: Water doc is the only financial report that I have ever enjoyed reading, I am actually looking forward to seeing what they produce for this financial year. That’s the power of good design. I’ve already donated.Check it out, it’s beautiful. Download 2009 Annual Report
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Lion's Tail harvested from the Nimbin community...
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Rampant tropical overgrowth
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Homestead Tour Updated
The Homestead Tour has just been updated for 2010. If it has been a while since you’ve taken it, have another look! Click the Door to begin.
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He sleeps in the faucet
He’s been there for a month but we still get a surprise when we first turn the tap on in the morning and he crawls out.
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A birthday cake
To live for vegan raw chocolate cake Centre 300ml rice milk 1 teaspoon of agar 500 g soft tofu cap of vanilla 200g of dark chocolate Fruit Base 200g choc biscuits (subst ground nuts, seeds, grains etc) 75 ml macadamia oil Method: Centre: Warm the milk and dissolve the agar. Add the tofu and stick blend smooth. Melt dark chocolate through. Add vanilla and a pinch of salt to taste. Base: Crush...
November 2010
5 posts
1 tag
Twins!
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Other places cicadas like to shed
If you stand still for long enough
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Working away on the NImbin Food Security Project
I’m retro-actively cleaning up the project management and making sure that all the expenses and activities are accounted for. It’s not the most exciting part of the job but it is a great way to reflect on what we have done so that I can clearly present it to others.
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A Naked Lady in the garden!
I love this time of year, these gals come out in the most unexpected places.
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The Harvest Basket
Real organic food, no labels, certification or packaging. It’s a trust system & the custodians of this garden trust me. I record how much food I get from the garden. I only pick what I need. That is only what I can eat before the food dies. Eating fresh means harvesting more often, I like that, harvesting is my favourite part of gardening. The more often you’re in the garden the...
October 2010
1 post
September 2010
11 posts
1 tag
Building the Deck Roof
The Need for a Roof. We tried to do without a roof over the deck for three years. The first year we had nothing. There are some great advantages to having an open air deck such as lying on your back and looking up at the stars. They aren’t worth the fact that every time it rains everything gets wet and around this part of the world, it rains a lot. Sometimes all day for a month or more. The...
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Building a Deck
Our deck was built in two parts. First the floor and sub-structure and later the roof. We did this because we needed the floor space quickly and couldn’t really comprehend how we were going to cover it initially. Our building skills definitely expanded during this project. We were also quite naive on how important it is to keep timber out of the subtropical weather and thought we might get away...
Mud Girls Natural Building Collective : Welcome! →
Nanna Technology →
World Giving Index launches →
Australia and New Zealand topped the “World Giving Index”
World Giving Index Country % of population who have given money % of population who have given time % of population who have helped a stranger Wellbeing score out of 101 Australia 70% 38% 64% 7.3
Earth’s Most Stunning Natural Fractal Patterns |... →
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Tools For Meetings
I created a set a cards to help the facilitator of a large meeting conduct it in an orderly way. It also helps cut through a little bit of the idle off topic chatter that can quickly derail a meeting. I first heard about speaking cards from the Co-housing Handbook by Chris & Kelly ScottHanson and then later it was introduced in a scenario at the Sustainable Settlements and Eco-villages course...
“You are welcome to move to coastal China if environmental regulations are...”
– Aston Martin’s Cygnet Microcar Headed to America | Autopia | Wired.com
August 2010
15 posts
Organics bins get go-ahead | Northern Rivers News... →
This should be an option in every local council. 50% of the waste in the rubbish bin is compostable. Separate at the source.
Cannabis relieves chronic pain | Northern Rivers... →
Good to see some news from the other side of the issue in a mainstream paper.
Otago man makes plastic fantastic | Otago Daily... →
Good Idea, I expect to see a lot more of this waste stream diversion in the coming years as raw materials become more scarce and energy costs increase.
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Toilet Planning
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Open Day Planning Process
Djanbung Gardens has an open day annually on the second Saturday in June. Planning starts several months beforehand & the inaugural meeting and workshop was held on the 19th of April. Shortly before the session began, Robyn Francis and I sketched out a rough timeline and the key areas to cover: Project Open Day Planning Process Time Activity Required Materials & Space ...
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Swag Hut Plans
Here is a brief design I dreamed of over night and made in a couple of hours the next morning. It is based on heavy duty galvanised star pickets & designed to be able to built by one person in a couple of days or a couple of people in one. It is intended to be semi-permanent, non movable by easily dismantled. It may serve as a bed and kitchen space while building a larger house, or secure...
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Building Evaluation
Building Evaluation. Building has been a great challenge for me. It is a series of challenges. It’s an activity that manages to fill my entire consciousness, it is all consuming even entering my dreams. The creative process of bringing some new space into the world. The logical and logistical challenges of co-ordinating equipment, materials, labour. It tests every ethic and principle. There is...
Spliced Studios →
John Cullen’s beautiful website and worthy projects.
Keeping solar panels free from dust › News in... →
Although the stated 40% reduction may be exaggerated, I am shocked each year by how much dirt and grime comes off my solar panels each year when I wash them. I usually do it in winter when we need all the power we can get and the difference really matters.
Food Posters From the Past are Recipes for the... →
A slideshow of classic food conservation and home gardening propaganda posters from WW2.
Inkling - Interactive textbooks for iPad. →
I love the concept of digital textbooks. This seems like a promising implementation.
Brazil: Model Recycling Nation - Planet Green →
This article states that Brazil recycles 96.5% of it’s aluminum cans, an impressive figure. In an integral world we would take what works in this situation and see if we can apply and adapt it to other regions.
Farmer grows and mills own rice | Northern Rivers... →
We eat his rice, it’s great.