Low Impact

Moving from a townhouse into a house

We’re about to start a new journey in lowering our environmental impact. In the next few days we begin the process of moving from a townhouse into a new freestanding house. The challenge will be to see just how much we can lower the environmental footprint of the house, and the inhabitants living in it!

The house has good and bad environmental aspects. The medium size back yard faces about 30 degrees east of north, so there are reasonable prospects for… Continue reading

Working with fossil fuels can expose people to health risks

I received an email today from the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center today. They are a health resource providing information on the hazards of abestos, especially mesothelioma – a particular nasty form of cancer, primarily caused by exposure to asbestos fibres.

Australians would be well aware of the dangers of asbestos, thanks in part to… Continue reading

The 100 Mile Diet is an enjoyable and educational read

The concept of being a “locavore”, or of trying to eat only what is produced locally is now pretty well known. Eating local produce greatly reduces your environmental impact due to the reduced transport, packaging and refrigeration required. This is particularly relevant in Australia where any food that has been flown or shipped from overseas is likely to have traveled literally thousands of kilometres. Green factors aside, it can also have you eating fresher, tastier, healthier food as well as reconnecting with what is produced in your corner of the world.

This book is about the Canadian couple, Alisa Smith and JB MacKinnon, who almost single-handedly… Continue reading