The Hot Box

Submitted by Aurora Christialis on

When it comes to energy efficient hacks, the humble hot box is as simple as it gets. The hot box is exactly what it sounds like, and is how you can cook quite a lot of your food after being initially heated on the stove for a short time. But why bother? Australian households are responsible for around 20% of our country’s greenhouse gas emissions – quite significant. And while we desperately need big industry and government to lead the way in slashing emissions, we can still do our bit in our own context as well. Including in your kitchen.…

Benefits of Purging

Submitted by Aurora Christialis on

Permaculture Womens Guild

Did you know that the primary definition of purging — before involving your bowels or getting rid of stuff — is this: a : to clear of guilt b : to free from moral or ceremonial defilement (Merriam-Webster) I’m often not very good at self-care. The one thing I am good at, though, is purging. The fact that I move my family from continent to continent every three or so years helps reduce our clutter frequently to two suitcases each. Even in between, I need purging. That is my self-care. Let’s have a look at purging and what it means for us as beings. It doesn’t…

The Right Question

Submitted by Aurora Christialis on

Permaculture Womens Guild

For most of my career as advisor for Results Based Monitoring (RBM) I supported government and NGO teams in changing their perspective and approach to the way projects are planned, implemented and monitored. The most important shift was moving from asking “Why” to asking “What for”. Over the years and decades thousands of projects have been implemented around the world in reaction to an undesired situation. Wells were drilled, schools and hospitals built, roads constructed, “because there were none.” (Yes, I’m simplifying.). Little thought was given to the people these projects were supposed to serve, until the day governments and…

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