List: '15 ways to Practice Water Conservation at Home'

Today’s ‘List Friday’. Water. It’s a precious commodity [1]. I’m familiar with the concept of ‘carbon footprint’. But less so ‘water footprint’ [2]. A nation’s water footprint’s the water quantity needed to produce its goods and services. As the map shows, Australia has a middle ranked per capita national water footprint [3]. But we’re our planet’s driest inhabited continent [4]. And one that’ll get drier due to climate change. So we can’t rest on our laurels. Making usable water by desalination’s horrendously expensive [5], and thus impractical. So we must conserve water. Water conservation’s a process that must be managed at national, state, community, household and personal levels. This week’s list focuses on household and personal water conservation. Titled ‘15 ways to Practice Water Conservation at Home’ it stems from planetgreen in early September [6]. The ‘15 Ways’ are divided into kitchen, bathroom, laundry and outdoors. They’re simple and commonsense. I’m already a water conservationist. Because all the usable water here’s rainwater collected from rooves and stored in tanks, I don’t pay any water tax/rate to a government authority. So my motivation to conserve water’s anxiety about the tanks running dry. As I’m off the water grid, I doubt my usage is counted in the national water footprint. But I do my best anyway. Those on the water grid can save money by conserving water – as well as reducing the national water footprint.

List: '9 Essential Clothing Repair Skills'

Today’s ‘List Friday’. In late 2009 I wrote that I’m a physician and not a surgeon because I’m an introvert and not an extrovert [1]. Another reason’s that I’m not fantastically dextrous. I’m not ham-fisted, mind you. (How could a Jewish boy be ham-fisted.) But I’m no dab hand with a needle. At least I can sew on a button – neatly and tightly, as the photograph shows. Today’s list, from planetgreen, is titled ‘9 Essential Clothing Repair Skills – Make Your Clothes Last Longer!’ [2] I, being a parsimonious fellow, am all for repairing things to make them last longer. Clothes included. Clothes especially. But my skills are sadly lacking. Of the ‘9 Essential Clothing Repair Skills’, I possess only two: as I’ve told and shown you, I know ‘How to Sew a Button’ (skill number 1). And I know how to ‘Line-Dry Clothing’ (skill number 9). So my skills neatly bookend the 9-item list. I don’t know why I’ve never learnt the other seven skills. I suppose it’s a male/female thing: males cause the rips and holes and frays, and women repair them. How absurd. I’m 120% sure darling Kate has all nine skills. For her they’re a doddle. She can probably use them blindfolded. While I’d like to learn the seven skills I lack, I can’t see it happening any time soon. I’ve got other skills to learn. Ho hum. And by the way, I love the photographs that punctuate the planetgreen list.

List: '10 Great Blogs About Growing Food'

Today’s ‘List Friday’. I’ve never been much of a delegator. When something needs doing, and I can do it myself, I prefer to do it myself. Then at least I know it’s done well. Or if not, where the weaknesses and pitfalls lie. Segueing right along from yesterday’s Farmdoc’s Blog post, if you delegate the production of the food you eat, you don’t know under what conditions it’s grown or made, and what’s in it (and what’s not). Score one (or many more) for the agrobusiness bullies. Conversely, if you grow your own food you know just about everything about it. Self-sufficiency [1] in food is a continuum – ranging from 0% to 100%. Here in Mole Creek Sweetheart Vivienne and I aren’t anywhere near 100%. But wherever you are on the continuum, every step – however tiny – towards 100% helps. By rewarding you with healthier food and the satisfaction of producing it. By rewarding our planet. And by thwarting the agrobusiness bullies. If you wish to travel the path to 100% food self-sufficiency – and in many senses the journey’s more important and enjoyable than the destination – there’s no shortage of information and advice out there to help you. Today’s list, from planetgreen and titled '10 Great Blogs About Growing Food’ [2], is not a bad place to start. Or to use as a waystation if you’re already on the road. Whichever, I wish you happy and healthy travelling.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. Nutrition Diva wrote that mineral water’s good for you [1]. Next time I go to Daylesford I’ll take my cup.

2. speaking of water, treehugger wrote cash-strapped US cities are slashing spending on bottled water [2]. They say it’s for fiscal and environmental reasons. I don’t care what they say – but I care what they do.

3. JAMA published a paper concluding that for chronic low back pain and lumbar spine arthritis, oral glucosamine’s no better than placebo [3]. But i’s good for knee arthritis.

4. planetgreen published the results of a global survey on child development and play. 90% of children said they’d rather play with parents and friends than watch TV or use the internet. [4] Ho hum.

5. the journal Neurology published a 17-year study revealing older people with depression have a 50% increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s [5]. Interesting.

6. young round-the-world sailor Jessica Watson announced the imminent release of a CD of 20 songs that she listened to during her voyage [6a]. I’ll bet none are those in my musical blog post tribute to her [6b].

7. treehugger published a piece about a Cannondale bike that doubles as a shopping trolley [7]. How beautiful.

8. as I wrote two days ago, Artist as Family’s food forest’s really took shape [8]. Over 100 people have said they’re attending the Plant-in Day today. Wow! Go, team!

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. my Canadian cyberfriend Chrows25 [1a] sent me a link to a site showing the size of the Gulf oil spill [1b]. Scary. Very scary.

2. with superb timing, the Rocky Mountain Institute launched Reinventing Fire – its plan for a secure and climate-safe energy system [2a]. Watch the video here [2b].

3. further to item 3 in last week’s compendium, Yahoo stopped using its iPhone weather app to make a political statement [3]. Good on you for sticking to your knitting, Yahoo.

4. planetgreen wrote of a Wafu – a Sydney Japanese restaurant offering a 30% discount to customers who eat all the food they order [4a]. Wafu has other interesting policies too [4b].

5. in central Australia a 17 km bike path was opened; and it’s made entirely of discarded printer cartridges [5]. How wonderful.

6. Grammar Girl explained the whys and wherefores of ellipses [6]. Well…okay then.

7. Jono remembered the Anzacs [7]. No comment can do it justice.

8. Daylesford Organics closed its farmgate shop until the Spring [8]. What a spectacular opening season it was, guys.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

Lists: ‘15 Reasons to Eat Organic Food’ & 10 tips for optimum vegetable storage’

Today’s ‘List Friday’. After pitifully pathetic lists on the past two Fridays [1, 2], I promised you, dear readers, a much less soporific list today. And I’m a man who stands by his promises. Sometimes at least.

The book I read last week, about men’s health, was big on diet and eating habits [3]. And this week I’m on to a book about Gi [glycaemic index] foods and food preparation [4]. So health, food, cooking, and eating are on my mind right now. Front and centre.

To atone for the last two lists, today I’m offering you two: the first is planetgreen’s ‘15 Reasons to Eat Organic Food’ [5]. And what a broad list it is – embracing nutritional, safety social, environmental and biodiversity factors. Given all this, buying and eating organic food’s a no-brainer. Nutrition Diva agrees [6]. But if you’re a doubter, at least invoke the precautionary principle [7].

Today’s second list, courtesy of darling Emily’s heads-up, is also food-related. But not limited to organic food. It’s thestonesoup’s ‘10 tips for optimum vegetable storage’ [8]. Of these 10, the main one is ‘Don’t refrigerate your tomatoes’.

P.S. Thanks to darling Kate and Brendon for today’s photograph – of Daylesford Organics’ prize winning heirloom beetroot [9].

farmdoc's blog post number 642

Today’s ‘List Friday’. For an introduction to today’s list I can do no better than cut and paste the preamble on Planetgreen’s web page about the list:

‘Live a comfortable life, not a wasteful one. Do not spend to impress others. Do not live life trying to fool yourself into thinking wealth is measured in material objects. Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you. Always live well below your means.’

The list is ‘18 Tips for Living Within Your Means’. You can see all 18 tips here. There are some pretty good reasons why you should live within your means: Abundant research convincingly shows that once your basic needs are met, owning more and more doesn’t make you happier and happier. Also, living beyond your means reduces your savings or puts you in debt; and in either case the scenario will have more downside than upside for you. Also, living beyond your means is a likely indicator that you’re using more of our planet’s resources that you need to; which is unsustainable. How many of the 18 tips apply to you right now? (I score 11.) I'm aiming to increase my score by two. What about you? If you do likewise, I reckon it’ll improve your life.