Green School Days

Next week school goes back and this reminded me of some sustainable schools I read about last year. I’m a librarian doing research on teenagers’ reading habits so I read School Library Journal. The September 2007 issue had an article on sustainably designed schools Going Green: Eco-friendly Schools by Debra Lau Whelan.

In late 2005, the New York City Council created a set of sustainable standards for public construction projects, making New York the first and largest school district to have green school design, construction, and operation guidelines required by law. [1]

The schools Whelan writes about are all in the US and have some or all of:

• wind and solar power generation
• geothermal heating and cooling systems
• irrigation ponds
• constructed wetlands that recycle water
• natural lighting
• exterior solar shading made from reclaimed timber
• paints and furnishings made from low-volatile organic compounds
• vegetable/kitchen gardens and composting
• eco-friendly technology such as energy efficient flat-screen monitors [1].

Saving seeds

This summer I’m going to make sure I collect seed from all the vegetables I grow so I can do it all again next year. I’ve just got to remember to save them from the vegetables I eat in their entirety, like tomatoes and beans. I’ve always collected seed from marigolds, sunflowers, parsley and basil for subsequent seasons (the originals came from my dad’s garden). These plants also self-seed, along with lettuce and “compost tomatoes” which pop up all over my garden (including where I don’t want them).

Toasting Breakfast

I used to eat toasted muesli* from the shop. I don’t like sultanas and the one I bought had sultanas. I would pour it into a jar, but as I was pouring I’d pick out the sultanas and put them in the compost. Luckily for my sanity, I realised this was a waste of time and money.

After finding a recipe posted by a commenter to Green as a Thistle, I thought I’d try it and I’m never going back! Kim Moir’s recipe was:

2 tbsp veg oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups large flake oats
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Heat the veg oil, honey and vanilla until liquidified. Add nuts and oats. Bake in 350 oven, for 20 minutes, stirring for every five minutes. The stirring point is really important, otherwise, you’ll end up with squirrel food. It burns pretty easily.
Let cool, add cranberries and raisins. Of course, you can change the nuts and fruit to your liking.

Ockham's Razor and Slime

A while ago I came across the transcript of Robyn Williams’ 2005 interview with Dr Geoffrey Chia. Robyn Williams presents a science program Ockham’s Razor on ABC’s Radio National in Australia. When I was a kid my dad listened to this and I got to know the term Ockham’s Razor. Throughout my childhood I never knew what it meant (I doubt there’s many children that do, perhaps Einstein when he was a little one). It was only a couple of years ago that I came to a vague understanding of what it meant, thanks to a friend who I’d always thought was pretty brainless – good thing I kept that opinion to myself. It was when I decided to call this blog Ockham’s Razor that I found out its exact meaning. It must have been the radio show that led to my liking of the words Ockham’s Razor. And I still don’t know why it’s a razor and not Ockham’s Idea/Theory/etc.

Enough of reminiscing. Dr Geoffrey Chia talked about renewable fuels that are greenhouse gas neutral. The first part of the interview is Science versus Pseudoscience, Truth versus Lies and the second part is There’s no fuel like an old fuel.

Not more advice on how to Green my Life!

I used to have no knowledge of current affairs, but Michael moved in and turned my world upside down. He sabotaged my innocent little tv (that only ever knew DVDs) with a coat-hanger aerial (we don’t waste money on materialistic goods, we make our own!). Now I get sucked into the almighty box every night. I still have a book open in my lap, but those stupid soapies buzz at my ear. The other night some evil “news” program informed me of

the new study [that] shows rainwater tanks are a cost-effective solution to the urban water problems plaguing Melbourne, Sydney and South-East Queensland.

I guess its not always drivel about who shot who today. I looked at the ACF website to read the report prepared by economists Marsden Jacobs Associates for the Australian Conservation Foundation, Environment Victoria and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW. I knew it wasn’t really relevant to WA because we have a dryer climate than the eastern states of Australia, but I still wanted to find out more. But I found something even better! – the Western Australia GreenHome Guide. I considered printing it out, but luckily noticed the 63 pages before I pressed the print button (it was going to be double sided, but I decided to save one tree). There are also guides for three other Australian states, with more to follow, and guides to water and energy saving renovations, at the moment only for NSW.

I’ve been an ACF member for years, but I never got around to going online and signing up for their GreenHome challenge. Maybe one day I will.

I skimmed bits of the WA guide and lots of the suggestions I already do, but I’m sure to find things I didn’t know about or more likely – things that I haven’t yet done because I’m too lazy. The main thing I have to do is have SHORTER SHOWERS! This is a big thing for me because I think I’m genetically programmed to stand under a stream of hot water for a very long time. Will power may not be enough. I think the only way I could overcome this problem is to go on a game show which involves the person taking the shortest shower winning a million dollars. I’m still trying to decide whether it would be on after 9:30pm (sans clothes) or not.

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Addendum on govt cronyism

Serendipity rears her pretty head again. I don’t take in much mass media and so I’m a bit slow when it comes to current affairs (most of its just the same old stories. Don’t they get bored?). Get up sent me this email on Thursday:

The last thing most Australians want is to follow our American allies down the path to Big Money democracy, where too often wealthy special interests and cashed up lobbyists decide what’s best for everyone else. Problem is, that’s increasingly what we’re up against, and nowhere is this more obvious – or dangerous – than Canberra’s approach to climate change.
Last week, the Prime Minister [Little Johnny Howard] made headlines for admitting he launched his national nuclear inquiry with knowledge that a major Liberal party donor was setting up his own private nuclear company…
Despite all the hot air coming out from Canberra about lobbyists, cronyism and cracking down on big money interests, influence inside the people’s house is increasingly up for sale.

Businessman Ron Walker and John Howard were recently talking about

Walker’s plans to register the business Australian Nuclear Energy…Howard says there is nothing unusual about speaking to a businessman.

In another news story about this, Australia’s Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull said,

Labor’s [the opposition party] opposition to nuclear energy casts doubt over its commitment to addressing the impact of climate change. You cannot run a modern economy on wind farms and solar panels. It’s a pity that you can’t, but you can’t.

I weep for our environment with such clueless politicians running around.

Read about the inquiry of the prime ministerial taskforce reviewing nuclear energy and uranium mining and processing in Australia. Before the inquiry, Ziggy Switkowski was on the board of Australia’s nuclear advisory and research organisation, ANSTO, since the beginning of 2006. When first appointed to the head of the taskforce, he denied this was in conflict with his position on the board. He said,

I am on this, or will chair this review panel, and do not do so as a representative of a particular organisation.

He subsequently stepped aside from the board of ANSTO.

Ah, the joys of democracy. Long live anarchy!

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