Ideas That Inspire
- Happy Earth
- Sustainable Paradise blooms in Port Kembla
- Shellharbour's Eco Home
- The Earth Charter
- Transition Towns
- UNESCO’s Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future
- Reading List
- Book List
- Your Suggestion
Happy Earth
A young couple in the Illawarra are carving out a pathway to suburban sustainability and are willing to share their roadmap with the community. Alison Mellor and Richard Walter purchased a weatherboard cottage with a large garden, typical of the post-war 1950’s period. Passionate about sustainable living, they took up the challenge to see how far it could be achieved in the suburbs of Wollongong. Their plan was to retrofit the house and to develop a food forest, making their lifestyle as sustainable as possible and to achieve this whilst both working fulltime and with limited capital.
- Learn more about Alison and Richard’s journey
here www.happyearth.com.au
Sustainable paradise blooms in Port Kembla
Tucked away in the southern suburbs of Wollongong, Sue McGregor (a participant of the Super Challenge) and Dan Deighton have created a remarkable and inspiring example of sustainable living. Their flourishing garden has won many awards, and was recently selected to participate in the 2010 Australian Open Garden Scheme.
Sue and Dan have retrofitted their home and garden based on permaculture principles. "We have placed vegetation in order to cool the house; there are several vegetable and fruit gardens and chickens producing eggs. We harvest rainwater and have reused or recycled many items in the garden and around the house, including its construction. We propagate our own plants and have constructed wildlife habitats throughout. The house also features passive solar aspects."
Passionate about empowering others in the community to create food gardens and enhance native bushland, Sue and Dan also do amazing work with local Bushcare projects and the Port Kembla Laneway Community Garden [News Article, PDF 421kB].
Shellharbour's Eco Home
Scott and Karen Rowe are leading the way in sustainable building design with their new family home in Blackbutt. Their home is jam packed with eco design, ideas and technology, and will be the first home in Shellharbour City that is self-sufficient for water and waste water needs in a residential zoning. In constructing their home, they have produced a fraction of the waste a standard housing construction project does, and utilised many recycled and sustainable materials - quite an achievement!
The Rowes aim to demonstrate simple and high tech solutions to our energy and water crisis. As well as incorporating technology such as a solar power system and Nov Clearwater treatment system, they have built the house using passive solar design principles, and will have a large veggie patch, aquaponics system, chickens and an orchard providing much of the family's food.
To lean more about Scott and Karen's Eco Home, visit www.ecohomeshellharbour.com.
News article by the Illawarra Mercury from 29/11/08 [PDF, 397kB].
The Earth Charter
The Earth Charter www.earthcharter.org is a declaration of fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society for the 21st century. Created by global civil society, endorsed by thousands of organisations and institutions, the Charter is not only a call to action, but a motivating force inspiring change the world over.
Transition Towns
www.transitionculture.org
www.transitionsydney.org
www.seac.net.au
This is beautiful – and you’re about to hear a lot more about it. Communities all over the world are getting together to plan their own response to climate change and a future without oil. It’s all about ‘energy descent futures’ – oh yes, it’ll make you think!
UNESCO’s Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future
www.unesco.org/education/tlsf
Do you need facts and figures? Are you a teacher? Would you like to take a short course in sustainability? This is for you…work through the modules for an amazing journey through the history – and future – of sustainability on Earth.
Reading List
Australia has been a pioneer of sustainable living for decades, and there are some very good publications which celebrate and share the achievements of those in pursuit of the ‘good life’.
These are some of the magazines which inspire us, many of which are available at your local library:
- Renew (www.ata.org.au/publications/renew) is published by the Alternative Technology Association (http://www.ata.org.au/about-us ), one of the leading sustainable technology organisations in the world. The magazine is a wonderful source of accurate information, as is the ATA website
- Published by the ABC, Organic Gardener Magazine (www.abc.net.au/gardening/features/organic_gardener.htm) is essential reading for all keen gardeners. Even if you’ve never picked up a trowel in your life, this magazine will inspire you to have a go at growing something beautiful, delicious – or both!
- Earth Garden (www.earthgarden.com.au ) has been celebrating ‘alternative lifestyles’ for nearly 40 years. An amazing treasure trove of DIY projects, traditional crafts, and special publications awaits you!
Your Suggestion
Got an Idea that Inspires? Drop us a line at mail@sustainableillawarra.com.au or use our feedback form