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ARTICLES (summary)Driving ProgressThe technology is here to plug our cars into our homes and charge them up for that next trip off to work or out shopping. It is even possible with the right solar equipment, foresight and home, to use your own roof based solar panels to also charge your car. Sun PowerI know of some great designs and technology becoming available regarding solar homes. I look forward in the future to showing overseas visitors, who are amazed at how little we use this free and available energy source that we can live more cleverly. Nuclear Energy - Powerful Management or ReactivityIt causes me great concern that we contemplate this, if I can use a pun, ‘reactivity approach’, before we have taken the proactive path of maximising gentler and renewable options such as solar. Read more about Nuclear Energy - Powerful Management or Reactivity Green PowerCompetition for our business is likely to intensify. This is timely as discussions about climate change and the reduction of green house gases also heat up. As consumers and voters we have power of our own to ensure we get the safest and most effective option. Climate Change Around the HomeThe good news about climate change is that it is reversible if we incorporate some positive changes to the every day things that we do... Clean CleaningDo you ever get a headache after cleaning the shower? Does anyone in your family suffer from sneezes or snuffles after the house has been cleaned? Chemical residues don't just disappear. They stay on the floors and dishes we wash and they get into our water system. Toilet TalkAnother great benefit of waterless toilets is that you can also reduce your garbage bin waste by putting all your kitchen vegetable matter into the mix just like your garden compost. Avoid non compostable items such as plastics, chemicals and metals. The Value of TreesWe often blame trees for those odd occasions when we feel they threaten our secure, concrete world yet forget to thank them for the many good and often free things they offer to us. Here's just a few…. Free Hot WaterIf replacing your hot water system, please consider that solar systems are a good way to get a free source of 75-80% of hot water. The great news is that besides heating your water for free you can also save about 30 per cent off your normal electricity bill. The Air that we BreatheThe quality of our indoor air is paramount to the quality of our health. Raising the Standards on Sustainable DesignThe Queensland State Government recently released a set of new housing standards to take effect 1 March 2006. Seeing Through Your WindowsPutting the 'right' windows, with the 'right' glass in the 'right' place, with the 'right' frame' and minimising infiltration are important considerations. Our Living HomesCareful selection of the right building materials and their combined use can impact on our health, budget, comfort and improve our home's thermal performance. Keeping Out the ColdAs the outside air temperature cools and the days grow shorter we begin to notice changes in our bodies and our homes. Introduction to Sustainable LivingIt is about putting thought into our homes. Making them fit to their local area. Making them liveable and healthy through all seasons and all stages of our family's life. It is about minimising our impact on each other, on the area around us and on the environment. The Value of WaterWater is a lot like money. We can get more use and value from it Understanding WaterWater shortages in Australia are nothing new, it's just taking us over 200 years of living here to understand it That Other WaterWhat goes in must go out. This is so very true of water as it travels its roller coaster journey to and from our homes. Our Homes in the Sub TropicsIt often surprises me why so many of us choose to live in the 'sub tropics' when we struggle with heat and humidity. Building SustainablyIncorporating sustainable design elements to provide social, environmental and economic benefits to these traditional processes can sometimes be challenging but not impossible |