"This Sustainable House" is a project that is now in it's second incarnation. It was originally a simple project to convert a fairly ordinary 1980's style brick veneer home to an environmentally sustainable oasis that provides most of the needs for it's occupants. However it has now become a 15 acre, cold climate oasis which will further develop the original concepts to include right livelihood.The basic recurring theme across the two locations was/is to develop a demonstration site for what can be done, and to encourage change. With the current crisis with regards global warming never has the following Chinese Proverb ever been truer;
"Many a false step was made by standing still"
This Sustainable House is a first step... a step onto a path leading to a brighter future for our children, the environment, the world.
One of the stated goals of the This Sustainable House project is to create a home which is comfortable and comforting, but which has the least negative impact on it's environment. This will be achieved by combining a number of newer technologies (such as Photovoltaic Cells) with older 'nana'-technologies and natural systems. The other stated goal of the project is to share this 'vision' with others, and to encourage others to adopt similar systems. In "open source" style, the hope is that others will be able to improve upon the work done on this project, and will then share their improvements in turn. To facilitate this communication this website will be developed to provide as much information and statistics as possible about the demonstration site. An un-moderated community forum will also be developed to encourage discussion between interested parties.A further dimension of the project, is to develop systems that encourage 'right livelihood' or sustainable methods of making a living. With that in mind, the current project will become a test environment for a number of small scale businesses.
Principles
This Sustainable House is being designed and built on a number of practical and philosophical principles, but the predominant influence is Permaculture. Permaculture is a portmanteau permanent agriculture though it can also be thought of as permanent culture. The basic premise is that the truly ethical decision is to adopt a responsibility for ourselves, and our environments. With this in mind an individual can become a 'designer', creating an environment that supports ourselves (and the environment) using design principles which mimic nature. It is a very simple theory which can be implemented in as simple, or complex, a manner as the individual wants.
A Change of Scene
For those of
you who didn't know, "This Sustainable House" has been on the market
for the last couple of months as I have made a decision to move away from the
Central Coast to the ACT. This was a difficult decision, as there was still so
much I wanted to achieve here, but ultimately the right decision for
myself.
Well the
'original' TSH has now been sold, and I have moved the entire enterprise to a
wonderful property located near Bungendore, NSW. The property is 15 glorious
acres of partly cleared bushland with a lovely house and retreat facilities.
The plan is to further develop the site over the next 12-18 mths into a
sustainable small farm demonstration site. As such, you will begin to see a few
changes...
For example,
there will be an overhaul of the site to incorporate planned opportunities such
as WWOOFing (Willing Workers on Organic Farms), Permaculture &
Sustainability Courses, and general retreat options. There will also be a
development of a comprehensive CSA section (Community Supported Agriculture)
which was always planned at TSH but wasn't fully realised.
There will
also be a comprehensive weather archiving function developed, which will allow
individuals to track the weather at TSH, and view historical patterns as they
become available.
So keep an
eye on this site for these exciting new changes, and for ways that you too can
get involved in these wonderful community opportunities.
Shane
Greening the Septic System
A guiding principle of permaculture, my preferred
gardening method, is to avoid waste wherever possible. Of course the definition
of 'waste' may be a point of contention, but in this instance we are defining
waste as any unused outputs of the system. For example, the absorption trench
receives the excess from the septic tank, which in turn takes the waste water
from the toilet/showers/kitchen in the house (see diagram below). If this water
wasn't used then it would fit the definition of waste, however there is a way
we can use it...
HOME is an ode to the planet's beauty and its delicate
harmony. Through the landscapes of 54 countries captured from above, Yann
Arthus-Bertrand takes us on an unique journey all around the planet, to
contemplate it and to understand it. But HOME is more than a documentary with a
message, it is a magnificent movie in its own right. Every breathtaking shot
shows the Earth - our Earth - as we have never seen it before. Every image
shows the Earth's treasures we are destroying and all the wonders we can still preserve.
"From the sky, there's less need for explanations". Our vision
becomes more immediate, intuitive and emotional. HOME has an impact on anyone
who sees it. It awakens in us the awareness that is needed to change the way we
see the world.
This is, quite possibly, one of the most powerful documentaries ever created... it is essential viewing for every human being.
Clay pot irrigation isn’t a new concept; in fact it has been
described in a number of ancient Chinese writings going back over 2000 years.
It is however a terrific ‘nana-technology’ that can be used to great effect in
a sustainable garden.
The basic principle of clay pot irrigation is that an
unglazed clay/terracotta vessel is partially buried in the ground, and this is
then filled with water. The water travels through the clay walls of the pot,
and the water is then drawn out into the soil. Normally a bung/rock is used to
close the opening of the pot to prevent animals such as mosquitoes breeding in
the standing water.
