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Courses at Northey Street City Farm
I’ve just received the list of courses at Northey Street City Farm in Brisbane for the rest of the year. Two bits of good news: First, they are offering some of their Permaculture Design Course...
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Abbott and Co. trying to buck global trends on renewable energy adoption
The world as a whole has already exceeded Australia’s Renewable Energy Target of 20% of the country’s electricity coming from renewable energy by 2020. The rest of the world is ahead of us and...
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Spring maintenance in the vege garden
Lots of action in the vege patch over the last few days. Part of the trellis-side bed in the Second Hugelkultur Shadehouse Today was pretty typical. Realised first thing this morning that I finally...
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It must be Spring
Native bee (Tetragonula carbonaria) on a Radish flower. Note the full pollen sacks on its hind legs. These radishes have taken ages to actually get to the flowering stage (with bulbs now the size of...
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Turning the compost heap for the first time
Back in late August I described the process of putting together an 18-day compost heap. That heap was made on August 26. When I measured the temperature on August 30 it was just over 50 degC. I...
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Economic growth in a finite world – the stupidest oxymoron you could imagine
I’ve just finished reading Enough is Enough: Building a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources, so I’m pretty ‘primed’ in terms of statements urging “economic growth” as the solution to the...
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A DIY Compost Thermometer for under $30
I’ve just “upgraded” my compost thermometer. Previously it consisted of a digital cable-probe thermometer taped to a length of reinforcing rod. Simple, effective, and awkward to use, and risking...
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Nicole Foss in Laidley, talking about threats and options
Went to the talk by Nicole Foss (the person behind The AutomaticEarth website) in Laidley on Saturday afternoon on the threats to Australia from the combination of excessive personal debt,...
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Growing Dragon Fruit from cuttings and looking after your growing plant
This post is a work-in-progress compilation of material on growing this delicious and low maintenance fruit. I will edit it from time to time as I come across more/better material. [Sunday night Oct...
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Sustainability and resilience is also about your pension
You probably didn’t expect to see a post on pension funds in this blog, but if you think about it we all want to be able to get through our “third age” without having to think too much about where the...
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Wind power is cheapest energy, EU analysis finds
A new report prepared for the European Commission shows that onshore wind is cheaper than coal, gas or nuclear energy when the costs of ‘external’ factors like air quality, human toxicity and climate...
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Tips on bushfire preparedness
There’s a new post at the Helidon Hills Smokespotters website summarising some tips coming out of newly published research from some major wildfires in the western United States and from Ignite Change,...
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A great information resource
In the process of researching for a post I’m planning on companion planting I came across a great information resource at the website of the University of Tennessee, Institute of Agriculture website....
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Gasfields in the Lockyer Valley? – Lockyer Valley Farmers Forum
Queensland’s Lockyer Valley, which contains a significant proportion of Australia’s vegetable crop capacity, is located within 100 kilometers of Brisbane. Known as Brisbane’s salad bowl and host to...
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Is there no end to the pasture grass assault on the Australian environment?
One of the things that really depresses me when I think seriously about the mangement of our 33 hectares of native bushland is the problem of pasture grasses gone feral. Green Panic is the major...
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The Coal Seam Gas Meeting in Grantham on Sunday 9 Nov.
We went to the Lock the Gate / LVRC /LVRC Ratepayers meeting on coal seam gas at Grantham yesterday. A very well organised event, with a large turnout from the community and some very good speakers...
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Coal Seam Gas and the Gatton Star Poll on Mining in the LVR
WOW! This is the score at 9.30pm on 13 November. Three days ago, when I wrote the last post and pointed readers to the poll the ‘No’ vote was 84%. Well done people. If you know of anyone who might...
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Stranded Government = Stranded Assets
Two of the articles in this morning’s edition of The Conversation fit rather well together. The first, by Kerry Brown, Executive Director, China Studies Centre at University of Sydney, is entitled...
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Studies on health and environmental concerns related to hydraulic fracturing
My apologies for the gap in posting. I’ve been flat out on a number of fronts, from going to Sydney to catch up with two Lao friends who were at the Parks Congress, searching for data to support a...
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A different approach to renewable energy generation
An investor-owned power utility in the northwestern USA state of Idaho (population 1.6 million – South East Queensland has 3.3 million) could add 461 megawatts of solar-generating capacity to its...
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