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WHAT'S NEW?
The Latest Environmental Technology Update!!!If you've been past Earthwise Community over the last few weeks you may have noticed the site has become a hive of a construction activity, with the installation of the two 1.5 kw solar panel systems and the delivery and installation of our lovely BIG water tank - just in time for the rain! Solar Panels  The HIT Solar Panels  The thin film Solar Panels The solar panel system is essentially two 1.5kw systems. One is Monocrystaline panels, the other thin-film panels. The idea is to demonstrate the differences between the two types of panels, to help you decide on a system that suits you best! Water Tank
Our 38,572L rainwater tank is now installed. This is the beginning of what will be a water saving system. In summer water from our tank will feed into the reticulation system, while in winter the tank water will be used to flush our toilets!  Preparing the base for the Water Tank.  The installed Tank.
Heat Pump
A heat pump hot water service has been installed. The heat pump acts in a similar way to a fridge or air conditioning unit, except instead of cooling it heats our hot water. The unit uses less energy than a traditional electric hot water system and does not even run continuously.  The Heat Pump installation.
Insulation
Window insulation has been installed in the form of "Clear Comfort Intelligent Insulation". This is where a layer of plastic wrap looking material is fitted to the interior of the window to make a pocked of air that aids cooling and heating by reducing heat transfer through the windows. It acts in a similar way to double glazing, but doesn't cost as much. Power Usage
Three Power Mate units have been purchased to lend out to people. The Power Mate can be used to find out how much electricity appliances use. I have been testing one at home plugging it into everything I can think of to see how much power I am using. It can display things like hourly, yearly and per cycle information for appliances! A great tool for working out how to reduce your electricity consumption. Information
Feel free to come down and have a look. Fliers with information on the technology will be made available soon through the op-shop and the Earthwise Education officer (Lucy) is usually around on Fridays if you'd like to come down and have a chat about any of the technologies that have gone in. Also if you have an environmental/ community group perhaps Earthwise is the place to meet, we have a function room available for hire and can organise to run a tour of the Earthwise site as part of your meeting/ workshop/ event! Future plans include external signs explaining the technology, opens days and workshops. Keep an eye on this website for future events and activities at Earthwise! If you would like to know more about future installations please contact the Education Officer Lucy Simnett at education.earthwise@y7mail.com | ||||||||
Doggy-Do Wormfarm
The latest worm farm addition at Earthwise has been a 'Doggy Do' worm farm where any passing dog's poo can be placed for recycling by resident worms in the bin under the banana trees. The worm farm is a cut down rubbish bin with the upper section being sunk into the ground and the dog droppings dropped through the lid. The worms are in the base and eat the poo mixed with paper which then fertilises the banana tree, where the farm is placed. A bucket with the bottom cut out and lid will serve the same purpose. If you try this at home or want to replenish supplies at Earthwise please don't put in poo from recently wormed dogs as it will kill the compost worms. | ||||||||
"Best Environmental and Most Open Space"
Earthwise has been included as a finalist, as has City Farm and West Leederville Community Garden, in this year's Best Environmental and most open space' The program will be aired on Sunday 18th October at 5.30pm and will be decided by votes. We are not really into competitions but appreciate the opportunity for exposure of our practices and ideas. | ||||||||
Winter Planting:
Gardening Australia
Remember You can recycle your used plant pots at Bunnings stores... maybe other stores as well. (if you know of any, let us know too.) | ||||||||
What's Happening RecycleWise?
"The new $80 million Resource Recovery Facility in Neerabup, one of Perth's northern suburbs, is now operating, accepting up to 100,000 tonnes of household waste annually and converting about 40,000 tonnes of it into market-quality compost."
Earthwise collect all the coffee grounds from a well known cafe in Subiaco and compost/feed to worms. We also collect all food scraps from Day Care Centre next door for composting and on Fridays vege scraps from local supermarket for same purpose. We try to collect organics from venues close enough to pick up by walking.
We collect small batteries for recycling and spent fluoro tubes and long life globes for recycling. These can be left at the op shop on Thursday and Friday. So bring yours along too!
by LINDSAY McPHEE
Nestled in the heart of bustling
Subiaco is a little piece of paradise
that gives visitors some company, a
bit of escapism, cheap groceries and
a good feed.
Operating from its Bagot Road
premises in the surrounds of a
quaint pink church since 1996,
Earthwise Community is a
come-as-you-may assortment of
rambling food-producing gardens,
an op-shop, a food centre selling
cheap staples, a kitchen and
community hall.
Its visitors are from all walks of
life, though many are vulnerable
people on welfare and disability
allowances or have had issues with
drugs or mental illness.
Peg Davies, who by all accounts is
Earthwise's co-ordinator, although
she refuses any formal title, calls it a
melting pot where everyone is
welcome. "Traditionally, Subiaco
was a working class suburb but now
it's quite flash, so it's good to have
something with a human touch in
it," she said.
"The idea is to mix people rather
than feeling like we are a ghetto of a
particular kind of people."
On Thursdays, volunteers dish up
a low-cost buffet meal for anyone
who cares to join them and then
open the food centre for budget
shopping. Visitors can help out or
work in the garden, sometimes in
exchange for goods or fruit and
vegetables.
Additions such as the
solar-powered fountain and pizza
oven have been made as grants and
donations allow and the
community's ethos of re-use and
recycle is obvious from its abundant
composters and worm farms.
Madeleine Williams has been
coming to the centre for about a
decade and helps run the op-shop
several times a week. She says
Earthwise is her "other family".
Steve Ross visits Earthwise every
Thursday for lunch and on Fridays
takes on the role of handyman.
"Anything that's busted or needs
repairing, I do that," he said. "There
is a sense of community here."
It is hard to calculate how many
people pass through Earthwise each
week, between the shop, garden and
monthly music nights in the hall, as
well as Subiaco locals who drop in
for a chat or a cup of tea.
It relies on donations and leasing
the hall to community groups but
there is never a sense of desperation,
only community. "That's the whole
idea, just being here with other
people," Ms Davies said.
From : earth911.com
"For every one garbage can of waste you put out on the curb, 70
garbage cans of waste were made upstream to make the junk
in that one garbage can you put out on the curb."
From the "The Story of Stuff" - (see our website links) |
