Monthly Archives: July 2012

Monday Muse: Wangari Maathai

Posted in Environment, Issues by

Lately it seems like every time I sit in the lunchroom the conversation is the same: “What hope does the coming generation have when they only have people like X to look up to?”

‘X’ is of course whatever walking billboard is in the paper that day; be it Kim Kardashian, Lara Bingle or Justin Beiber.  And yes, the thought of my soon-to-arrive daughter being brainwashed into thinking vapidity is an asset is terrifying but hey, if you look under a rock you are going to find dirt. Past the Gatling assault of media trash there are SO many people that can inspire, steer and mould the current and future generations. So I have decided that every Monday I will celebrate these people on my blog and use them as a motivational tool; make my week count, make a difference in whatever I do.

It seems fitting then that the inaugural Monday Muse should be one of my favourite beings that has ever walked the earth…

Wangari Maathai (1940 – 2011)

The worlds light dimmed a bit on 25 September 2011 when Professor Wangari Maathai died of ovarian cancer. Thankfully this woman achieved so much in her 71 years that there will be an never-ending back catalogue to draw inspiration from. She has also left an incredible green legacy that will continue to grow and influence our direction as a planet without her present (well, physically present at least).

A Very Quick Biography

In 1966 Wangari was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree (studying Science), become Chair of the Department of Veterinary Anatomy (1976) as well as Associate Professor (1977). Wangari sat on the board of many organisations, was Chairman of National Council of Women of Kenya, regularly addressed the UN, represented Kenyan Parliament and was an Honorary Councillor of the World Future Council. On top of all that, in 2004 she was also the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for “her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace”.

“I am working to make sure we don’t only protect the environment, we also improve governance”

The Tree Lady and Her Green Belts

While Chairman of the National Council of Women of Kenya, Wangari indulged in an urge that many ignore –she fanned the tiny flicker of an idea. Her love of trees led to the introduction of a grassroots tree planting organisation; in 1977 the Green Belt Movement (GBM) was born. Since its formation, the GBM has been a enormously significant step for the empowerment of women in Kenya. Over 30,000 women have been trained in sustainable trades like forestry, food processing and bee-keeping and other trades that help earn income while preserving lands and resources. Perhaps Maathai should add “First Eco-Feminist” to her long list of achievements?

“The environment and the economy are really both two sides of the same coin. You cannot sustain the economy if you don’t take care of the environment because we know that the resources that we use whether it is oil, energy, land … all of these are the basis in which development happens. And development is what we say generates a good economy and puts money in our pockets. If we cannot sustain the environment, we can’t not sustain ourselves.” 

The GBM is a community based organisation that uses three main strategies to address conservation and tackle poverty; Tree Planting, Community Empowerment and Education and Advocacy.

Tree Planting

The GBM takes the Watershed Approach to tree planting. Rather than just haphazardly planting trees Wangari identified that there are five ‘water towers’ in Kenya that must be protected in order for the country to survive. These towers are protected when trees are planted in a belt formation which provide shade and windbreaks, facilitate soil conservation, improve the aesthetic beauty of the landscape and provide habitats for birds and small animals. Since 1977 when the GBM was formed over 40 million trees have been planted.

An example of one of her ‘belts’ is the protection of the Aberdare Mountain Range (one of the five water towers). The Tana River flows from the mountain range and powers a hydroelectric plant which generates more than half the country’s electricity as feeds the reservoirs of the cities capital, Nairobi. The water retention of this range has hugely suffered due to farming and harvesting. Therefore this is a site of major importance to the GBM and there are hundreds of nurseries that produce over 1.5 million native seedlings every season to combat this issue. Amazing huh?

If you want to read more about the fascinating Watershed approach then see this article.

Community Empowerment and Education

Knowledge is power. The GBM educates communities about the links between human activity and the health of the environment. The GBM then encourages these communities to come together, take action and stand up for their rights as well as providing practical learning about sustainable livelihoods.

“It is a bit sad that we have a government in this country that is actually overseeing the destruction of the forest…there comes a time when humanity is called upon to shift to a new level of consciousness… You raise your consciousness to a level where u feel that you must do the right thing. We see governments mistreating its citizens to the fullest… who is going to question when the law keeper breaks the law?”

Advocacy

The GBM advocates for environmental policy that ensures the protection of natural forests and community rights, especially communities living close to and in forest ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa and the Congo Basin Rainforest Ecosystem.

I love this call to action from Wangari prior to the G8/G20 Youth Summit in Toronto back in 2010.

Let Us Be Hummingbirds Together

As soon as I saw this video I immediately change the motif of my daughters’ room to incorporate hummingbirds. I cannot think of more beautiful and powerful message to send to children than this little parable. Actually, scrap that. This is important for everyone to hear!

“It is very important for young people not to be afraid of engaging in areas that are not common to the youth. Get involved in local activities, get involved in local initiatives, be involved in leadership positions because you can’t learn unless you are involved. And if you make mistakes that is alright too because we all make mistakes and we learn from those mistakes. You gain confidence from learning, failing and rising again.”

I hope that you are as inspired by this wonderful woman as I am. Every time I think of her I am reminded of what a massive difference one person and one little idea can make. She has also inspired me to not only indulge my thirst for knowledge but also speak up about those big, ‘untouchable’ issues and actually take action. I am right now looking into courses that will teach me how to effectively lobby for change. I am going to be a hummingbird.

Who are your biggest eco-inspirations? I’d love to hear in the comments…

Still Can’t Get Enough Of Her? Here Are Some Books…

  • The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach and the Experience  (for synopsis click here)
  • Unbowed: A Memoir (for synopsis click here)
  • The Challenge for Africa (for synopsis click here)
  • Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World (for synopsis click here)

There Are Even Children’s Books!

I can guarantee these books will be on heavy rotation when my little kidlet arrives;

  • Wangari’s Trees of Peace – A True Story from Africa (to buy click here)
  • Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya (to buy click here)
  • Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai (to buy, click here)

Taking Root

If you want to learn more about Wangari and the Green Belt Movement Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai is an award-winning documentary by Lisa Merton & Alan Dater. See the trailer below;

You can also buy it online here.

Wellness and the Perfect Green Smoothie

Posted in Food, Wellness by

It would appear that all Area Managers from my different life ‘zones’ have convened and decided on a very different strategy and direction for my body – and that direction is Wellness. Not just wellness but glorious, radiant, toe-tapping, skirt twirling, early rising, hair shining wellness.

It started when I fell pregnant. Suddenly I realised that I actually do have the willpower to eat well I just haven’t had the motivation; namely someone else’s health not just in my hands but in my belly, blood and brain. Then came the life changing event that has been the Plastic Free July challenge. As I mentioned in this previous post, during the challenge I realised that I had been taking my own health for granted and in turn disregarding the planets state by patronising too many supermarkets and too few organic farmers markets. It was time to get serious and by all accounts the first stepping stone towards this brand of vitality is to get familiar with Green Smoothies. But first I will explain why…

Staying Alkaline

For our bodies to function properly we need our internal environment to lean towards the alkaline side of the pH scale rather than the acidic. If our bodies are too acidic they become a breeding ground for loads of diseases including cancer. It also causes exhaustion, premature aging, muscle and joint pain and osteoporosis. To see a full list of ‘acidic’ symptoms see here.

Basically, if ‘Acidity’ was a nightclub within your body then the Who’s Who of unhealthy living would be invited – stress, lack of exercise, alcohol, drugs (both pharmaceutical and recreational) and lifeless, packaged food. To be Alkaline we need to focus on a diet of clean, organic, plant-based foods and live a lifestyle that encourages calm and tranquillity. But you don’t need a science degree to know what to eat! I found this really handy guide for making sure you consume foods that are on the right side of the scale.

If you want to find out what your pH level is then you can get the tests from any Chemist. Here my favourite wellness blogger (The Wellness Warrior, Jess Ainscough) explains how to pee for pH! She also has an amazing post about acidity in relation to cancer here. A must read!

Enter The Dragon(fruit)

What better way to start your day then, than with a huge glass of green to alkalise your body and protect you from illness? As The Wellness Warrior so rightly explains;

“These vegetables act as mini-transfusions for the blood, a health tonic for the brain and immune system and a cleanser of the kidneys”

Here are some additional benefits you will get from your glass of greens;

  • Green leafy vegetables are full of chlorophyll which (molecularly speaking) is very similar to human blood. So when you consume chlorophyll you almost trick your body into producing more haemoglobin which is full of oxygen and therefore great for our cells.
  • Smoothies are full of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, proteins, photo-chemicals and health bacteria which build muscles and help your digestion.
  • They taste yummy and are quicker to eat and digest than a massive bowl of spinach (unless you’re Popeye – his skills are mad).
  • A strange discovery that seems to be echoed by other devotees – the more green you have, the more green foods you crave.

Formula for the Perfect Smoothie

There is a simple formula you can follow to make the ultimately balanced smoothie which will maximise the health benefits you receive. This being said though – there is no limit to the amount of flavours and ‘breeds’ of smoothies. If you are more of a recipe inclined individual then I have provided links to some of my favourite recipes too (go straight to next heading, pass go, collect $200).

Recipes

Basic Green Smoothie from Wellness WA- This is a super simple but uber tasty smoothie!

Banana Kiwi and Mango from the amazing Vegan Sparkles- With the added awesome of Spinach!

Raw Cacao Smoothie from Vegan Yack Attack – Chocolate can be a breakfast food!

Wellness WA also has this amazing database with heeeeaps of recipes.

More Recipes – Sign up to The Wellness Warrior and you not only receive this amazing e-book chock-a-block of Green Smoothie Recipes but get updates straight to your email. Click here to sign up.

Happy Blending! I’d love to hear your favorite Green Smoothie Recipe in the comments…

The Pursuit of Happiness

Posted in Environment, Issues by

I feel very lucky to live in Australia. When you see the gut-wrenching images of innocent people caught up in daily massacres in Syria how can you feel anything but blessed?  These people but for the roll of some unknown spiritual dice could have been you or I. And here we are, with all this potential, and we are living a completely backwards existence. We have a society that is obsessed only with economic growth without any consideration to anything else. We are being led by people that are obsessed with booms and feel that the only way to move forward is the quest for more; more money, more resources, more power and more property. More, more, more of it… whatever ‘it’ is. It is a broken system that’s only measure of success is the bottom line. I didn’t realise my soul purpose in life was to generate money? Surely I have some other purpose as well?

This is why this week I am dreaming of Bhutan. I think our giant country (and some of our small-minded politicians) needs to take a leaf out of this tiny Himalayan nation’s book. So considering it is Friday (and everyone should be happy on Friday) I thought I would blog about Bhutan – a nation that recognises the importance of happiness and is leading by their very cheerful example. Everyone should know about Bhutan!

Photograph: Keren Su/Corbis

A Brief History of Happiness

The Kingdom of Bhutan (pop. 700k) is located at the eastern end of the Himalayas; bordered by China and India, near Nepal and Bangladesh. Back in 1972 the fourth Dragon King Jigme Singye Wangchuck was crowned after the death of his father – he was 16 years old at the time. Perhaps it could be attributed to a childish idealism but when the King announced his vision for the future development of his country he introduced a previously unheard of term: a GNH. Straying from the traditional GDP (Gross Domestic Point) the King instead adopted the Gross National Happiness. Rather than measuring the success of his country on affluence he came up with the ‘insane’ notion that public policy should be aligned with the wellbeing of the people. This flies in the face of our system which, in a roundabout way, suggests that the higher your salary the happier you are.

“We must always remember that as our country, in these changing times finds immense new challenges and opportunities, whatever work we do, whatever goals we have – and no matter how these may change in this changing world – ultimately without peace, security and happiness we have nothing. That is the essence of the philosophy of Gross National Happiness. Our most important goal is the peace and happiness of our people and the security and sovereignty of the nation.”

-King Jigme Singye Wangchuck’s speech

How Do You Measure Happiness?

The GNH focuses on four main pillars; sustainable economic development, preservation and promotion of Bhutan’s cultural values, the conservation of their unspoiled natural environment, and the establishment of good governance. What a breath of fresh air. Don’t you feel better just reading that? Those four pillars were further split into nine domains and thirty-three indicators of the GNH index (which I found here).

Spreading the Love

With Bhutan setting such a fabulous example the leaders of the world seem to be agreeing that there needs to be a giant shift in our economic paradigm. The United Nations (UN) even requested that Bhutan lead the high-level meeting (titled “Happiness and Well-being: Defining a New Economic Paradigm”) in front of thousands of representatives from religious organisations, governments, academia and civil society. The Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated;

“We need a new economic paradigm that recognizes the parity between the three pillars of sustainable development. Social, economic and environmental well-being are indivisible. Together they define gross global happiness”

At this meeting (2 April 2012), the UN implemented Resolution 65/309 and officially placed happiness on the global agenda. The United Nations also declared that March 20 will forever more by the International Day of Happiness officially recognising the pursuit of happiness as a fundamental human goal.

Photo by David Lazar

You Can’t Buy Happiness

It especially makes me think about the situation right now in James Price Point (in The Kimberley region of Western Australia).  A plan to build a $40 billion gas hub has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (they should possibly think about changing their name) up in a place of huge ecological and cultural significance. Worst part is, there are sensible, viable alternatives that mining companies are not exploring (see this amazing article to read about them). Now whether it would add some time onto the mega-project or reduce their gargantuan profits ever-so slightly I don’t know but this is where I start day-dreaming about Bhutan. Imagine if our government committed to focusing on a GNH instead of the holier than thou GDP? I just think so many controversial and seemingly impossible issues would be solved. What do you think? Feel free to leave comments on what you think would be different if our country focused on a more well-rounded political/economic approach.

I will leave you with this amazing song by Save The Kimberley activist John Butler. Happy Friday everyone!

Upcycled Flowers from Magazines

Posted in Eco Home, Environment, Issues by

We have all heard of Fair Trade chocolate and coffee – but did you ever stop to think about flowers?

Yep, those brightly cellophaned flowers that you buy as last minute presents are generally imported from countries like Zimbabwe, Colombia and Kenya and have often been produced through unethical working conditions and environmentally unsound practices. It makes me feel so bloody ungrateful when I catch myself grumbling about the office when these plantation workers are forced to work over 12 hours a day for less than a dollar, live in cramped and unsafe conditions and handle harsh chemicals without any protective gear. In Kenya right now the Ngiro River – a life sustaining river resource for farmers – is being drunk dry due to the booming cut-flower trade. That’s right, people are dying of thirst and farms do not have access to enough water to irrigate their crops just so wealthier nations can have a pretty floral arrangements on their breakfast tables. First-world greed epitomised.

I am going to write a proper article about this later because I find it jaw-dropping that it is not a more spoken-of issue. BUT! In the meantime I do love flowers and it made me wonder if there were any eco solutions out there. Of course there was! I stumbled across these stunning Rolled Roses by Jones Design Company (their tutorial here) and figured that I would give it a go using old magazines. They’ll be colourful, made from a ‘waste product’, won’t need to be watered and will never wilt. Here is how to do it.

Equipment

  • Old magazines, book pages or sheet music
  • Hot glue gun
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Florist wire or twigs (depends how you want to use them)

Method

1. Cut your pages into squares. Draw an irregular spiral in pencil.

2.Cut the outline of the circle out.

3.Cut along the spiral pencil line till you get a big wormy piece of paper

4. Starting at the outside start rolling your paper in a tight rosette. Whatever side of the paper you want as the petals should be on the inside of the roll. I rolled this flower the wrong way and the ‘petals’ ended up black rather than that beautiful blue. This takes a little while… so maybe whack on ‘Proud Mary’ by Tina Turner and sing while you roll.

5. As you can see in the bottom left square you will roll until there is only the circular centre of the flower left. Put a splodge of hot glue onto the circle and press the bottom of the rosette onto it. While the glue is drying you will need to have a bit of a play with it… let it unfurl, unscrew bits looser, twist bits tighter until you have the perfect looking rose.

5. It takes a bit of fiddling before you get a perfect looking little rose.

6. Marvel at your rose for a second before moving on to the next step.

7. Now it is time for the leaves. (1) Cut a simple leaf shape out. (2) Fold the base in half before (3) folding back onto itself. Then (4) dab a bit of hot glue within the folds and stick it in place.

8. The glue your leaves to the back of the rose. If you want a bouquet of roses then bend a hook in the end of your florists wire and glue on the wire in whatever arrangement you like.

Other Ideas

As the above rose was my first I kept practicing away. You end up very quick at it and the flowers look better each time. Of course if you are already crafty your flower probably looks perfect first go. Damn you talented people! My favorite ‘other’ application for my roses was using them to tszuj up gift wrapping. Sometimes people have told me off just for wrapping their presents in boring brown paper or (shock horror) newspaper and I figure that as long as I add one of these there can be no more complaining!!!

This wrap was made using an old paper bag, some left over natural twine and scrap magazines. I think it looks pretty spesh.

100% upcycled wrapping option

I also attempted a sustainable flower arrangement in my DIY Painted Vase post (see that here). While it looks a bit dinky in that photo, it is quite gorgeous at the entrance to our house.

If you give it a go let me know in comments… or if you have any handy tips on sustainable gift-wrapping. Or just to say hi! I get lonely sometimes. 

Plastic Free July: Week 1

Posted in Animals, Environment, Food, Issues, Life of Olive, Perth, Plastic-Free by

The Ehlers household has officially completed our first week plastic free (well… almost). It has been an eye-opening week and there have been revelations, personal doubts and – I won’t lie – some pregnant-lady tears. In my mind I have always been extremely conscientious in terms of my plastic consumption but it wasn’t until this challenge that I realised how much has been sneaking past the gates. But really, when the average person creates 726kg of plastic waste every year should I be so surprised?

Week 1 Summary

Since moving away from the very green suburb of Fremantle my households biggest failing has definitely been food shopping. Well… the coordination of it anyway. Probably 50% of the time, my husband and I find that after socialising, renovating, gardening, studying, cleaning, blogging and pure relaxation duties we have completely run out of time to do our weekly shop! Come Monday we found ourselves unprepared with one very anti-green, non-organic, highly packaged option: the supermarket.

Monday

On Monday the reality of our society’s plastic addiction hit me. Literally everything is wrapped in plastic! I tried to escape it in the fruit and vegetable section but even there it found me. Herbs, cauliflowers, berries – all wrapped in unnecessary plastic packaging. I grabbed some veggies and headed home knowing full well that we still had some plastic wrapped stock from the week before – by next week I am in trouble!

Tuesday

My gorgeous hubby had a win today. At first he was embarrassed about taking his own container to the butcher to get his meat supply but he soldiered on. The local butcher was more than happy to weigh the container, fill it with chicken and then deduct the weight from the end measurement. Not only was the guy really friendly but also took an interest in Plastic Free July. Who knows what type of mental seeds that may have planted?

Wednesday

Despair. As I mentioned in my last post about being positive this was the day that I… well… completely lost my shit. Looking down the end of each aisle all I could see were endless shelves of plastic. Trawling through them was even more disheartening. Even beautiful reusable glass jars were wrapped in plastic – why? It just breaks my heart. All I could think was that this is just one aisle, in one supermarket, in one suburb, in one state, in one very sparsely populated country on one globe. The true scale of this problem is terrifying. It was too much for this hormonal little lady to bear. I spoke to a shop assistant who told me Borax was being discontinued… I left in floods of tears. I gave up that night. My husband and I ended up at the pub where we shared a pizza made from ingredients which probably came wrapped in plastic. White flag is officially hoisted.

Every 15 seconds this amount of plastic garbage gets released into the sea. (From Out to Sea – The Plastic Garbage Project just opened in the Zurich Museum of Design / Switzerland)

Thursday

I was accosted by some co-workers today. I couldn’t buy some charity merchandise (wrapped in a plastic sleeve) and the lady could not understand why. She offered to remove the plastic and bin it and just give me the goods within. I explained that this was not the point and all of a sudden I was the anti-Christ – which is very bad when you work in the finance department of a religious organisation. I was accused of adding further stress to the poverty-stricken women of India, forcing Australians out of employment and being completely delusional. I tried to concentrate on all the people that have been so lovely and helpful on this short journey and also turned to my OOB Facebook friends for some boosting. We all decided that people who react so irrationally are doing so out of guilt, laziness and narrow-mindedness. And another bonus – it strengthened my resolve.

“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere”

~ Frank A. Clark.  

One thing that raised my spirits beyond belief was a surprise package (absolutely plastic free) from the Western Earth Carers, the very environmental warriors that created Plastic Free July. Not only was there a gorgeous PFJ badge – which I have decided to now wear every time I go to any shop – but also an autographed copy of Jude Blereau’s book Wholefood for Children as a thank you for my relentless Plastic Free blogging (see all Jude’s books here!). Thank you Earth Carers for yet again picking me up and inspiring me!

Friday

Life is looking up! I found some goats cheese in a glass jar from Meredith Dairy. A quick google showed me that their website had a section dedicated to their environmental philosophy (always a great sign) and provided stacks of information about the animal welfare and how they approach sustainable farming. Have a look here. It was slightly expensive ($11) but this represented the quality as well as the true embodied cost – we also found we savored it more. I managed to enjoy the hell out of one cube before my husband dropped the jar and smashed it on our kitchen tiles. He actually had to wrestle me while I tried to rinse the glass off and continue gorging. Glass is probably not good for a baby. It has not been a great week.

Weekend = Time for Action

It seems our big challenge is our diet. My husband is a gluten-intolerant omnivore (gluten free things seem to always come in plastic) and I am fiercely attempting to be vegetarian while pregnant (even though I am getting some unsolicited advice on the subject). I have read a few books and do not believe – for me – that I could healthily manage a vegan pregnancy. So with this in mind, the hardest items for us to go plastic free are; speciality flours, pasta, nuts, seeds, spices, herbs and berries.

Solution #1 – Pantry Store

So on Saturday with all my own containers in tow I wandered down to the Pantry Kitchen in Rockingham City. I asked the woman very nicely if she could weigh my containers prior to filling and then deduct the weight from the total. Unfortunately she said it would be ‘a bit of an effort’ and while she could do it she would rather not. Breathe. All fairness to her, at the very moment I approached her 20 other customers materialised from nowhere and so she may have felt some heat from the crowd. I didn’t need too much and I wasn’t buying anything like saffron or pine-nuts so I took the 20gram tax in my stride. For now.

But hear this lazy store-person (readers, please imagine that I am Liam Neeson in Taken) I don’t know who you are but I will return, I will bring my own containers and I will kill you – no! I mean FILL THEM. I will fill them!

Lady, you have been warned.

I will fill them.

Solution #2 – Farmers Market

On Sunday we braved Arctic conditions to visit the Peel Farmers Market. It was absolutely tiny but still very fruitful (and fruit full!). Here we found plastic free herbs, amazing homemade jams, lemon curd, organic sourdough loaves and lots of organic produce: leafy greens, capsicums, ginger and apples! Not only did we get some beautiful produce we also got to discover new things (Mustard greens – A party in my mouth!) and meet great new people who could tell me all about how and where the produce was grown.

I was a bit disappointed by one gentleman that had a stall at which everything was wrapped in plastic. While I would generally ignore this and move on there were some precious ruby’s catching my eye… STRAWBERRIES! I approached him and told him about my plastic free challenge and asked if he could give me the red jewels without the container and then (bonus) reuse it! He told me there was absolutely no point but said he would ‘probably’ reuse it. How’s that for a vote of confidence? He then started telling me that plastic was the way of the future before he started questioning if the car I came in was made of plastic. I attempted to explain single-use plastic to him but cut my losses and decided I didn’t want to give him any of my money’s anyway. I went back to Victor (from Victors Gourmet Delights) and tested out all his delicious sauces and preserves.

The Congruency Secret

A guest post by Rebecca Dettman on my favorite wellness blog (The Wellness Warrior) was incredibly timely this morning. It was called The Congruency Secret (see the whole article here) and it asks the very simple but ultimately puzzling question:

Do your behaviours match your intentions?

This week I realised that lately, mine haven’t. I hate the supermarket and this year vowed never to be in one – yet time (lack of) and convenience sucked me in and I found myself buying non-organic food and supporting a corporation that I despise. I have also proven that those ‘impossible to avoid’ plastics are possible to avoid. Before this challenge I was coasting along and letting very achievable goals slip past me rather than taking the bull by the horns and fighting harder for the environment.

So, this week I intend to make my own Rice milk and for the first time in my life attempt homemade pasta. I am living more creatively and learning new skills all the way. I have used the pain of my berry loss to kick my little procrastinating butt into action and we are finally getting the vegetable patch finished. My hubby and I are booking a week in August off work and are attacking our garden (I will blog about it of course). Then I will have miiiiillions of berries.

Lessons I Have Learnt

Taking into account that I must be proactive;

  • I will now order my food online from a local Organic business that delivers. If I am constantly running out of time to get to the shops then this is an easy solution that will avoid me missing out on my organic produce and giving my pennies to the supermarket.
  • I will book in a monthly trip to Fremantle to buy all of my ingredients in bulk… rather than buying bits here and there that last me a week at most.
  • I will strive to only support local business and inspiring individuals that really make a difference.

Any readers who are doing the Plastic Free July Challenge please let me know how you’ve been going in the comments! Any innovations, challenges, lovely reactions, not so lovely (I’m still looking at you Strawberry Man) or any make your own experiments. I would love to hear!

Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life…

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A close friend of mine is going through a really tough time at the moment due to an out-of-the-blue, awful family breakdown. Seeing her so despondent has been hard, especially when I really think about the situation and realise that is does indeed seem pretty hopeless.  Following a week of high octane-emotion it all culminated last night when I started blubbing because some poor, confused shelf stacker told me the store would no longer be stocking Borax. Sadly my pregnant belly is not showing properly enough to be able to blame my crazy emotional state and I had to scuttle out of the store mumbling something about ‘family feuding’ and ‘DIY cleaning products’. Not the most positive state of mind.

So as of this morning I needed to remind myself that good can come from seemingly hopeless situations. It actually didn’t take long before I stumbled upon a whole load of green innovations and kind acts. I came to the conclusion that nothing is ever hopeless and I should stick my chin back up in the air. I am in a much better mood now – with or without my local supply of Borax. Take a stroll with me…

Christchurch Eco-Rebuilds

2011 has not been the best for our Kiwi counterparts. Christchurch was hit by a devastating earthquake in February that resulted in 185 deaths which was followed by a large and damaging aftershock in June. The Cashel Mall was destroyed in the earthquake which eliminated a cultural hub for citizens trying to rebuild their lives. As a temporary solution to try and stimulate tourism to the city – Re:START was born. Old shipping containers were employed to create a provisional shopping mall and inject a bit of life back into the city. While I am not into the needless consumerism that shopping malls inherently support I do agree with creating a colourful, vibrant zone for people to meet – especially when it’s made from recycled materials! I think it looks absolutely stunning. Wouldn’t it be great if more developments were made with these low-impact, reused materials? I hope it has lifted the spirits of everyone in Christchurch who are going through such a difficult time.

Learn more about Re:START here.

The Tide Turns For Australian Marine Life

On the 14 June 2012 a historic announcement was made – Australian Environment Minister Tony Burke proclaimed the world’s largest network of marine sanctuaries. HALLELUJAH! After constant stories of destruction and  corporate greed triumphing over the worlds prized habitats (and the amazing creatures that live within them) finally the environment has won out. That is worth celebrating I think. Read all about it here at the Save Our Marine Life webpage.

Laboratory Chimps See Sunlight For First Time

I am yet to watch this without crying. Ten chimpanzees that had been used for medical testing by a pharmaceutical company have been filmed in Austria being released from captivity and seeing sunlight for the first time. They hug each other, scream, jump about and are completely joyous. Most of them were born into captivity (some were kidnapped as babies and flown to Europe) where they were injected with the HIV virus to test for cures. Medical Testing on chimpanzees was outlawed in 1997 however this was after these poor souls had been purchased. An intense legal battle followed and then rehabilitation which brings us to the release video which was filmed in 2011. This gives me hope for the millions of animals that are currently being tested on (read more about Animal Testing here). Get your hanky ready…

Enslaved Elephants Given New Life

It breaks my heart when I see holiday snaps on Facebook of people riding the elephants in Thailand, especially when you notice the blood running down their scalps from the ‘Elephant Hooks’. These Hooks are used by the Mahouts (owners of the elephants) to ‘guide’ and discipline the elephants which are forced to ferry tourists around for pittance. It is barbaric and hard not to direct the anger at those that are inflicted the pain to the poor elephants. The Mahouts are not doing it for their own enjoyment: elephant owners struggle to make a living and therefore move their elephants to the city to support their families. This is where the Surin Project shines. They not only provide a sanctuary for these amazing creatures but also subsidise the Mahouts who can live within the sanctuary while they are educated about kinder ways to provide sustainable economic revenue.

If interacting with the native animals is part of your holiday ‘must’ list then please make sure you investigate what sort of industry you are supporting before adding to the vicious cycle. You can get up close and personal with these personable pachyderms by visiting the Surin Sanctuary or go one better and volunteer there. I will steal words from Ellie’s testimonial – “You will never forget the sensation of an elephants’ trunk in your hand”. To find out more about volunteering at Surin see this link.

If you would like to learn more about the Surin Project see this link.

These Pictures – Nuff Said

Last week Buzzfeed went viral with their slideshow of 21 Pictures That Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity. They kinda did.

Two Norwegian men rescue a sheep drowning off the coastline…

A firefighter rescuing a cat…

A man gives his shoes to a homeless girl in Rio de Janeiro…

A villager rescues kittens from a flood in Cuttack City, India;

And My Old Favorite 

In terms of seeing the good instead of the bad I can never go past Alice Herz Sommer: an 108 year old Holocaust survivor who also happens to be the worlds most positive person.