Making: Poppyseeds bagels. Yoghurt.
Dinner: Wholemeal penne pasta with a silverbeet and tomato sauce and salad.
Challenge/s: Warning: Whinge ahead! Feel free to skip this bit :-)
I am deeply frustrated by the limitations to living more sustainably placed on us by living in suburbia. My two biggest personal issues I suppose, are firstly, the need for a vastly improved public transport service, and secondly, the limited amount of space I have to grow my own produce means that I am (and will be for the foreseeable future, there's no way we could afford to move on one wage) mostly dependent upon my neighbourhood supermarket and the local Farmers Market, where, incidentally, much of the produce comes from a lot further afield than the "100 miles" touted by most US sites as qualifying as "local". Here in Newcastle, for example, there are produce stands from farmers in Wollongong , Coffs Harbour and the New England area, I don't know their exact distances from here, but road-travel time is between 4-5 hours to each area. A lot more "local" than Far North Queensland or Perth, to be sure, but what will happen to produce prices for this amount of travel when petrol hits $1.50 a litre by Christmas, let alone in 1 year, 2 years or 5 years time? If you live in a city like Sydney though, there are no farmers within 100 miles (160 kilometres) in most cases. It's not like in a rural town either where you might be able to barter tomatoes for eggs (or just buy eggs) from the lady down the road. We're stuck with what we can get! What is that going to mean for my family?
And public transport where I live in the western suburbs is woeful. For us to get rid of our second car (let alone the first car!) and rely on buses and/or trains (and of course, the nearest train station is 15 minutes away by car) for DH to get to work, would mean he essentially wouldn't see our kids on weekdays. He'd have to leave as they were getting up in the morning and get home at their bed time. What kind of a life is that? For both him and the kids? And that's if he left work on time (not a great career move when his contract specifically states he is required to work "hours as required" to complete his given projects). We've already passed up opportunities for huge salary increases because we weren't prepared to either move to Sydney (and have a massive mortgage hanging over our heads), or the responsibility of him having to work 100 hours or more per week.
What's the alternative? Sell up and move; back into town close to work or to the country? We couldn't begin to be able to afford to buy in town (nor frankly, anywhere much closer, on one wage) so we would have to rent. The average rent is around $30 more than we currently pay for our mortgage! And we would have no backyard, full stop. Maybe some herbs in pots. Granted, we could do away with at least one car, but I think I would go quite mental having to live practically on top of my neighbours. At least out here from my front door I can see this:
And this:
Look, trees! Grass! Open spaces not occupied by houses!
What about moving to the country? Cheaper living that's for sure. It would want to be because I doubt DH would be able to get a job, doing what he does now as a professional (which he thoroughly enjoys). But I suppose retraining and moving might have to be an option if things in the city get as bad as they could...
Seriously, if one more person says to me "Phew, I'm glad we bought our 1 acre/5 hectares/ sprawling property when we did!" I think I will scratch their eyes out.
Solution/s: Ah, how I wish I knew. Wouldn't a crystal ball be nice where I could gaze into the future and decide whether we should retrain now, or rip out every last ornamental plant and the lawn to make way to vegie beds, or perhaps just panic, jump ship and mortgage ourselves to the eyeballs on two incomes to move to a small acreage...
Transgressions: Water crackers wrapped in foil and cardboard, because I was too hot and bothered to make my own lavosh bread crackers.
Reading: My vegetarian and BBQ cookbooks, for Christmas lunch ideas.
Utilities for November: Gas 37.8MJ/day; Water 330L/day; Electricity 12.6 kWh/day; Garbage 10.4kg/this week (55% below the average); Recycling 3.0kg/this week (60% below average).
Contemplating: Sprouts as a substitute for my still-refusing-to-germinate lettuce.
12 comments:
My hands are tied in exactly those ways. It is incredibly frustrating as the only changes we can really make are the small things - not the big ticket items. I feel your pain!
You are in the perfect position to practice permaculture and simple living. There is a quote I see quite often in permaculture literature that sustainability is not about leaving the cities and going to the countryside, its about staying in the cities and making them more sustainable and thus at same time saving the bush from development etc. However like you I find it difficult at times to co-exist in the cities that are focused on materialism and unsustainability. BTW, when you mention foam boxes, that is not polystrene is it? I was reading recently on the ALS site that you shouldn't use these boxes for food production. oops, I don't mean to shock or scare you, just read it and found it an interesting bit of info I hadn't heard of.
Hi Gwyn, thanks :-) I should just suck it up and get on with it, but some days I just need to have a whinge!
Hi Bella, Most days I *do* feel like I am in the right place and that it's up to people like me to make our cities more sustainable... But at times - like today - I just get so frustrated that there is an election coming up and neither party could care less about improving our public transport systems, let alone trialling biodiesel buses for example. There are another two new housing subdivisions being built literally just down the road from me, with around 2000 lots in total. That's another 2000 families that will have to rely on their cars to get anywhere from here (there's no shops within walking distance), as it has been stated that there are no plans to improve the bus network - because it's "poorly patronised". Sigh.
Sorry, I'm whinging again ;-) Anyway, about polystyrene boxes leaching chemicals, yes I did read that on ALS but I haven't had a chance to look up any further information about it. Probably didn't want to really! I might move away from using them in future to be on the safe side I suppose, which is a pity because they are really very useful, and free.
Cheers, Julie
Julie, I think you are doing a fantastic job where you are and with what you have. I don't see a problem with turning your front yard into a productive garden as well, just choose what looks attractive and don't make it look like such a "formal" veggie garden. As we all know you can companion plant with your veggies to deter pests, so you can still have flowers in with the veggies!
Keep up the good work and keep venting, it's a healthy thing to do :)
I understand where you're coming from with your frustration on limitation of living sustainably in suburbia!
Hi Lis, thanks :-) I have thought about using the front yard, but the older boys that roam our neighbourhood would trash it and/or steal the vegies just for something to do :-(
Hi Ali, thanks :-)
You're doing pretty damn well, from what I've seen of your blog!
But have you seen this? It might inspire you! :-)
The website for the clip is http://www.pathtofreedom.com
In Australia (in Melbourne where I am, anyway, and I presume where you are too), the big issue isn't space but water. What I'd suggest is you start by putting in BIG rainwater tanks so you can become self-reliant in water, and a composting toilet so you have heaps of great compost for your garden. Then get planting according to permaculture principles. Do a course if you can - there are heaps of cheap permaculture courses around - just hunt online.
Don't say it cant be done until you try it! And good luck! But water is definitely the key.
Hi Daharja, isn't the Path to Freedom site wonderful? I've been reading it and watching their videos for almost 2 years now and the Dervaes never cease to amaze and inspire me :-) I'm not in Melbourne though, I'm in Newcastle. *Very* fortunately for us we don't have any water restrictions at all, although of course that doesn't mean I am squandering our resources, just that we are fortunate enough to still be getting regular rainfall, although that could stop tomorrow. Oh how I wish I could fit a HUGE tank into my backyard! Still, the 2500L tank we have is better than nothing. I've often considered a composting toilet too, but have absolutely no idea where we would put it, it certainly wouldn't fit in our bathroom. It's something that I'm working on - but then the $$$$ price tag on most units puts me off. Good luck with your move :-) Cheers, Julie
No water restrictions! That is my DREAM!
*sighs wildly*
I only jst came across the Path To Freedom, and am loving the site. The bummer is we're currently in the process of getting our home ready for sale, so I can't start anything here right now! But our next home...well! My mind and heart are bursting with ideas and hopes for a permaculture food forest, and I've friends trained in permaculture who I'm going to beg to help me establish it! I've got a fair idea where we're going, but won't say anything yet - you'll find out! :-)
What I *do* know is we're already planning our budget to be self-reliant in water, power, and to put in a composting loo. We're going to be doing a serious power down, and our aim is to grow as much of our own food as possible.
I posted some links to composting loos that will actually go on concrete slabs and can be fitted in a regular bathroom. Check them out in this blog post. They even look like a normal loo, and wouldn't scare off my mother! Hehe. But not cheap (about $3K fitted was the price I was quoted).
We're assuming our fitouts will cost about the cost of a new car in total (somewhere between $15K and $25K, depending on how many PV cells we go for). But as we're selling our car (2004 model) and won't be buying a new one, that will get us started.
The Path To Freedom is an inspiration. It makes me feel happy seeing what can be done. But every little step in the right direction is an inspiration to others - I try not to forget that :-)
Hi Daharja,
I love your enthusiasm :-D It's quite infectious, LOL, I'm really looking forward to hearing about your green adventures when you move!
:-)
Right now we're in the 'powerdown' phase of everything. Workmen coming tomorrow, painters next week, flooring guys a couple of weeks after that, and a tiling expert to finish off bits I can't do myself. Then we clean up, tidy up, and the house goes to market. If all goes we'll we'll be out before February :-) We're hoping to find someone very rich and silly who will give us at least $50K more than what the house's market value! Hehe.
It's actually a hard stage to be at, because it is a limbo stage. It's all quotes, quotes, quotes, and workmen everywhere, and selling stuff, and research on where we're moving, and learning permaculture, and learning sustainability, but having to do most of my learning by the book, because I can't practice it on a home that we're about to sell.
Next year the fun begins :-)
Hi Daharja,
Ergh, it's a horrible period of limbo between trying to sell and then buying, I remember it well (although we were building). I hope you sell as quickly as we did (2 days on the market) - sending you lots of positive vibes :-)
Cheers, Julie
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