Cooking with Gas

Good ol´ murphy. When things seem to be going swimmingly, I am thrown a curve ball. I need to replace a freestanding stove/oven, which will set me back a tad. But it's a minor set back as by choosing an eco-friendly stove/oven it will be both sustainable and cost effective in the long run. So do eco-ovens exist?

First thing’s first, gas or electric?

The obvious choice would be electric given that the average gas oven uses 1.5 kwh whereas an electric oven uses 1.2 kwh. BUT keep reading… it’s the supply of energy to an electric oven which is of concern. About 78% of electricity consumed in Australia is generated by burning coal. This supply process requires several energy conversions and transport of the energy from its source. At each stage energy is wasted. The result is that only about 20% of the energy produced by burning coal actually reaches the oven compared to 100% gas combustion energy.

The inefficiency of converting coal to electricity means that overall, gas is a much more energy-efficient way of powering ovens. Cooking with gas reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70% when compared with appliances using coal-generated electricity.

For extra efficiency, choose a fan-forced oven as it will further reduce your cooking time.

Bummer I’m not a Queenslander as if I were I could claim a $500 government rebate for installing gas appliances in an existing home. Oh well, you win some you lose some!

Note: Ideally, an electric oven that uses 100% GreenPower would be zenith but as a landlord I can’t insist on the tenant choosing GreenPower or can i?

Growing Gifts to brighten one's day

Life can be crazy crazy go go at times and when we want to say more than just thanks we never seem to have the time to do so. Luckily for me I came across Growing Gifts. A Melbourne based company founded on the notion that a thoughtful living gift will nurture the soul and remind one of cherished moments.

With a range of water wise succulents & feng shui plants to suit all budgets, I am sold on both the delivery option and their support for greening Australia by donating 5% of the sale price of their native tree gifts.

These are some of my favs;

Feng Shui Money Tree

Pink Quill

Lemon Tree

Baking not just good for the soul

A few weeks ago I headed to the Fair Trade Festival at Queen Vic market. It was there where I met the boys from Organic Times, suppliers of organic fair trade chocolate and organic food products. Although they had an abundance of products to tantalize even the most pickiest of taste buds, I opted just for their dark cooking chocolate as I wanted to test whether it was true that baking was good for the soul.

Organic flour, free range eggs, organic chocolate and all Australian local produce, I give you organic and fair wholesome chocolate macadamia nut cookies, made with green chic luv!

All Organic Times products are certified organic by NASAA (National Association of Sustainable Argiculure of Australia), an accredited certifying body. Organic Times also use only 100% certified organic chocolate that is grown and purchased through the “Hand-in-Hand” programme, named so, as it is only by working hand-in-hand with these co-operative farmers that they can help improve the quality of life in their communities.

Thrifty Thursday - part 2

So continuing on from Thrifty Thursday part 1, I give you the life of the Savers skirt. Short and sweet.

as a skirt


as a top

as a dress

aRtECYCLE - Incinerator Arts Complex

My friends are the best. Knowing of my green queen ambitions, they have been forwarding emails about aRtECYCLE, an exhibition inspired by themes of environmentalism and recycling. Held at the Incinerator Arts Complex in Moonee Ponds, I decided to pay a visit on this lovely Autumn's day. Here are a few of my favourites from the 30 sculptures displayed.

Blue Doughnuts - recycled air-conditioning ducting, steel ring, cotton fabric, cable ties, wire

It will be necessary to stir up a quarrel between them - bronze

Confluence - phone directories

String Drawings - wool and nylon twine
(that's Lisa, she's an eco chick too and no, she's not part of the art work but she does give it that sparkle!)

Neverending Story - recycled vintage books

Milky Lei - plastic milk cartons, nylon

Untitled - recycled video tape

Junk Mail - recycled corrugated iron and signage

Cafe Insieme The Walk CBD - high 5

Weak coffee... Is it the coffee bean or the barista???



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Thrifty Thursday - part 1

So we have Mondayitis, Tight ass Tuesday, Hump day Wednesday and TGI Fridays but what's Thursday? Can someone enlighten me?

On Thursday, I set myself the task of operation clean out. Although I'm gradually converting to a minimalist lifestyle, having experienced life on limited funds I've also come to live with the "it might come good on a rainy day" rationale. But things are back on track and it's time to de-clutter with the new attitude of "why let it sit there when someone else could get some use out of it. I'll deal with it when I need it".

So I loaded up the car and took a trip down to Savers on Sydney Road for the big drop off.

I´ve heard good things about Savers but have never taken the time to pop in for a geezer until now. And boy was I charmed. From the young chap offering his help to lug the stuff from my car, to being given a Savers rewards card for donating, to finding a new skirt. And to top it off, staff are quite hard working and pleasant. It´s a shame you don´t get this kind of dedication at high end stores.

I could have bought loads but the goal was to de-clutter and not accumulate. So I just ended up with this skirt but in my eyes it´s more than just a skirt. Stay tuned for part 2!

Items that I had to exercise self control over were a pair of bamboo thrones and an ivory dress which would make an amazing modern day vintage chic wedding dress... where art thou Green Romeo?!

From this... to this

Such a rewarding day and for this I shall now refer to Thursday

as Thrifty Thursday!

Art itself is an ecosystem

Climate change is putting unprecedented pressure on the artist’s sense of public responsibility but as Miranda Wright from The Centre of Sustainable Practice in the Arts mentions, “Sustainability in the art world is a growing area of exploration”.

While the meaningful nature of the arts in society puts it in a position to take a lead on climate action, whether it is the role of the artist to make art about climate leaves much to be desired. Inspiration cannot and should not just come from climate. For if art was simply reduced to being about climate then art loses its value.However, much hope exists for artists to maintain artistic excellence and innovation through the development of sustainable practices. If Art players view the arts realm as its own ecosystem where internal and external activities are all interdependent parts, it may heighten the integrity of the arts during a time when climate change is at the forefront. Sustainable practice in art should not just be seen as looking at one’s carbon footprint but be also seen as looking at how we can contextualize our cultural shift with what we show our audiences, whatever the art form. It should not just be the artists but also the curators, directors and art directors who can use their power to affect such change. Alison Tickell, founder of Julie’s Bicycle, a not-for-profit company helping the creative industries cut their greenhouse gas emissions and create a low carbon future, proposes that by changing the infrastructure so that it is environmentally sustainable, it creates an ecologically sound basis from which the artists do their work. Much of that work will have nothing to do with climate change; some of it might inspire millions to think in a new way about the planet.

Melbourne Fringe will this year kick start their commitment to making the annual Melbourne Fringe Festival as sustainable as possible. It is an initiative that will see Melbourne Fringe as being if not the first in the world, then the first in Australia to tackle climate change in the independent art scene.

As Melbourne Fringe’s Green Intern, I hope not to be seen as the Green Nazi, for I accept that artists don’t simply ”do” climate but since they own their art, maybe they will be inspired to take some responsibility for it?

No soap, No probs

It was my friend Lisa who first introduced me to Enjo but it was at my sister-in-law recent Enjo party that ignited the excitement again. While many will shun from the idea of party plan buying (admittedly, I included), Enjo is one party I will willingly attend but just not participate. Why would I want to clean someone elses house when I don't even want to clean my own??!

The whole concept of Enjo is to eliminate the use of chemicals during our cleaning process. It's good for us as we don't inhale any toxic chemicals and it's good for the environment as less residue is washed into drains and less plastic bottles are added to our landfill.

microfibre technology + water = clean

It's seriously as simple as that. And surprisingly it actually works.

So added to my growing Enjo collection is the face mitt. I actually use it on my body as I like that it's small, which makes it easy to travel with, unlike the enjo body glove I currently have hanging in my shower, which just never dries and traveling with it is just not an option.

* Cleans skin pores and exfoliates all skin types. Removes body oil, dead skin cells and makeup residue and stimulates blood circulation

Note: Although I accept the cleaning with water concept, I still use a little soap on my Enjo mitt, which is welcomed and won't destroy the mitt. So should I need a thorough clean, I just add a little of my Sukin foaming facial cleanser and the job is done. I like how I smell and I like how I feel!

Mr Tulk Vic State Library - high 5

Not so generous with the volume but better than nothing!



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goo goo over Gucci

Not that I would spend $4,055 on a piece of costume jewelery but if I so happen to be strolling down Fifth Avenue New York and was invited to select an item for keeps, I would go for something like this necklace from Gucci´s Bamboo collection.


The Bamboo collection came about in 1947 when Gucci craftmen had to muster all their powers of innovation to think their way around war-time shortages. The collection is now regarded as timeless and has found itself a place in design history.

eco fact: Bamboo is a perennial evergreen. It´s fast growing and is an easily renewable resource that is grown with little to no use of pesticides or herbicides.

Gucci Group & Sustainability

Gucci Group continues to retain their place as industry leader by being the first to team with Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design to develop the first Ph.D Scholarship in Sustainable Technology for future luxury. The group believes that cutting edge design, science and material innovation hold the key to developing new methods and processes that will assist in defining the future of craft and manufacturing, and help ensure the future for luxury brands that will take into account environmental concerns and climate change.

As to their current practices, the Gucci Group has change some of its own business practices permanently to include not using rain forest-destroying paper. This means the group’s many high-end fashion brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen will also have to switch over to recycled or FSC-certified paper products. By 2010 end, expect greener shopping bags, though byo reusable bags is still highly encouraged.

Green Chick is tickled pink!

It's been a good week. I am just luvin the comments ya'll been leaving on my postings but on top of that the little things friends and family have been doing have also put a smile on my face.

Thanks Chez of businesschic.com.au for thinking to invite me to Organics Wholefoods Food Inc movie night at Cinema Nova.

Dee, she's just fabulous for thinking of me when she saw her target socks had "think climate" on it's packaging! She's so gorgeous she actually sent me a picture!






I do love my mum! For someone who is so old school, she is slowly but surely catching on. You see my mother though she may carry a reusable bag, she also will accept plastic bags as "they make good garbage bags". So proud she was today to show me that she had gone for the biodegradable bag. Makes a good garbage bag and is good for the environment. High 5 mum! Now she can have her cake and eat it too!

Garbage Vortex

This is how the world could end up.
The scary thing is that it's already started...

(Great Pacific Garbage Patch)

Thank you and to clarify…

One of my besties stated one of the obvious, which I’m pretty sure is in your thoughts as well. “Isn’t flying a huge carbon emitter?” I’m not going to argue that it isn’t because it is. Although I hope to be green, I don’t expect to disregard everything around me. Reality is that it’s not possible to be 100% green, especially overnight given our current living ways. The greenest person would be the one who sits in a box and does nothing but eat a bit of grass, drink a bit water and wait for the inevitable, bye bye world. For if they were to read a book that would be bad as a tree would have been destroyed and carbon dioxide would have been emitted from the production of the book. So, I’m not saying we shouldn’t live without certain things, what I am saying is to live with less and/or live responsibly.

I believe diversity creates better people. Diversity does not just come from within but also from afar. I would love to be able to cycle to every destination in the world but again in reality and at this point of time, for me, it is not possible. So the most viable option available to me is to fly. Maybe buying carbon offset credits is seen as a cop-out but for this time being it I believe is my only option to get to Rwanda in the greenest way. Using CarbonPlanet’s carbon credits calculator, the below is the cost to offset the return flight.

Should I make it to Rwanda, I am happy to pay this $105 as by paying this cost I get to experience one of Africa’s most biologically diverse regions.

Rwanda is a country that faces many challenges ranging from overcoming poverty and developing sustainable energy resources to land degradation. Even with these challenges, Rwanda, the ‘land of a thousand hills’ continues to develop forward-looking strategies including the development of renewable energies including hydropower, solar power, biogas and methane gas for power generation.

At present, Rwanda is internationally-renowned for introducing a ban on plastic bags, nationwide environmental clean-up campaigns and the restoration of previously degraded natural rain forests as part of a chimpanzee conservation programme.

*****

Thank you all for your comments, please do keep them coming!
But what I do want to reiterate is that we might not be able to give up everything we love and that’s fine but we can find a way to compensate for it and live responsibly.

*if you wish to raise any questions to “spark debate” as like my bestie, please do as I welcome your comments as it helps me in the green process and I sincerely appreciate that.

The power of one creates a little bit of magic

If no one takes that small step outside the box, then what hope is there for a future. It only takes one person to do something to make it count. No action is ever too small nor insignificant, for if we were to believe that one action cannot change the world, then we would be saying that this person doesn´t count and that would be wrong.

As consumers, we should feel empowered as we are in control of our purchases. Our purchases don´t just give a snapshot of who we are but it also tell us how much responsibility we are willing to accept as a consumer. When we make a purchase, true we are saying we like the item but we are also saying that this is how much I care about how it was made. The more we care, the more we are exercising our power in changing the way goods are produced such that it supports the environment and the rights of workers who produce the goods. Simply said, consumers are change agents. And we all are consumers.

If the US spends $680 billion a year solely on online advertising, can you imagine how much is spent worldwide in the advertising and marketing industry? Advertising is used to influence, manipulate and draw attention away from the things we wish not to hear, making it difficult for us to make informed choices. And so I started my blog. Joining many others out there who with the same thinking have decided to tell anyone willing to listen that we are exercising our power and they too can do the same by knowing where and how they can make better purchase decisions. The story of stuff is a great short clip that puts everything into perspective.

When I started blogging I had 3 objectives. To green my life, to eliminate the misconception that being green is costly, and to get people thinking, whether it be friends or random people I cross paths with. If from my blog I manage to instigate change, then I have achieved my purpose. I don´t expect readers to do a full 360 on me, though that would be nice but I am also realistic. I also believe individual actions can´t be forced. Longevity of our actions occurs when we do something because we want to not because we have been forced to. I draw parallels to those of a smoker. Smokers who quits cold turkey generally seem to relapse because they focus all their attention to forcing themselves to stop smoking that they don´t embrace the benefits of a smoke free life.

As I continue my green journey, I hope not just for people to follow my journey but the hope that by reading even just one of my postings, it will get people thinking and talking, maybe not directly about the posting but of the bigger picture and of World Environment Day. I have much hope. Take the story of late December in Philadelphia where a couple started a chain reaction by paying double: for their own meal and for the tab of another table of diners at the restaurant. For the next five hours, dozens of patrons got into that same spirit and paid the favor forward. This just proves how powerful one small action can create such magic.

* For this submission, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) will donate $10 towards Gorilla Conservation projects in Rwanda.

Provisions Camberwell - high 5

Long extended lunch had @ Provision Food Store 250 Camberwell road Camberwell. Coffees were drank but in cafe cockery so no need for keepcup. But look it's a keepcup hang out place, so naturally we can assume it's keepcup friendly!



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I love my face

Actually more like I like my face but I do know I love Izakaya Den, a Japanese style pub hidden not just down below but to the left. Everything about Izakaya Den is chic. An informal meeting place dishing up plates that I salvatate just from the thought, matched with service that won’t go unnoticed. But it’s what I discover in the communal toilets is why I give them brownie points. 1 litre bottles of Sukin handwash, Australian made and Carbon Neutral certified. I am impressed. So impressed that I’m not ashamed to say I take note and google. Now I introduce to you the newest addition in my beauty regime, Sukin Facial Moisturizer. I like it but not love it for it does not contain SPF. As mentioned previously I am a minimalist, so I prefer having 1 bottle than 2 cluttering my beauty bench . While I continue my search for the “perfect” facial moisturizer that ticks all my boxes, I am more than fine with my Sukin loved face.

Carbon Neutral certified logo - established by the Carbon Reduction Institute, allows consumers to identify products that help protect the planet from global warming and assist them in making informed decisions about the environmental impact of their purchases.

Green Chick Greens Melbourne Fringe Visible City

Exciting news! Green Chick has been selected to "green" the keynote project of the 2010 Melbourne Fringe Festival.

The concept behind the project titled "Visible City" is to explore the different roles that artists play in imagining and helping to design 21st century cities in a live arts culture. The project will explore new mediums, engage communities and bring emerging and experienced artists together to create new work for immediate consumption by the general public.

Artists will live and work in a communal space called the ‘house’ for the duration of the 2010 Melbourne Fringe Festival (22 September – 10 October) where they will respond to a series of daily provocations and constraints set by Melbourne Fringe. Through collaborative live art practices, the artists will create works that is urgent, needed and connected to the present, which will educate and transform the experience of urban dwelling.

Green Chick's role? To ensure the project generates little impact on earth but makes a large impact in the live arts realm.

Destination 90s Green Edition

I am constantly amazed at my friend Cheryl. She is go go gadget go. Always on the move, always gracing the streets of Melbourne and always working whether it be with the rat race or as a social network fashionisita or food connoisseur or even as a budding film maker. Now added to her CV is tv presenter and stylist. Is there anything this girl can't do? (Haven't heard her sing yet, maybe that's a good thing?!)

Groovin the moo

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