Dig out your pics for a backyard blitz

The local 783 ABC radio’s garden competition has joined forces with the DesertSMART challenge, giving us 4 categories. Garden for Wildlife has also offered lots of support for the Wildlife Garden category. The ABC category is “Alice’s most needy garden”.

By being part of the Gardens Challenge, you'll have the opportunity to access $1000 to make your garden an example of best practice, DesertSmart irrigation. We're looking for a variety of gardens and households passionate about water conservation. Want to find out more? Email Claire: gardens@dkacoolmob.org
Download the application form from the Desert Knowledge Australia COOLmob website. Application forms are due Friday, September 12th. Successful gardens will be announced at the Sustainability Fair on September 20th.

Tips for Energy Smart Offices

A 250 Watt desktop computer, used eight hours a day, generates over nearly half a tonne of greenhouse gases each year. Check your computer, photocopier, printer and fax machine have the Energy Star® power management feature enabled. By enabling Energy Star, the computer goes into a "sleep" mode when not in use, reportedly reducing emissions up to 75% (must be an underused computer!) which would save $76.00 per computer each year.

Energy inefficient appliances add heat to the office and increase cooling costs.

Monitor screen savers do not save energy. Turning off the monitor does.

The life of monitors and disk drives is extended by turning them off when not needed

Portable computers use less energy than desktop models and generally ink jet printers use far less energy per page than laser models.

Use desk lamps or standard lamps where most light is needed, so less lighting is required for the entire room.

Don't over cool: 1°C difference in temperature between indoors and outdoors adds 10% to your bill and increases greenhouse gas emissions by the same amount.

For more tips see : http://www.energysmart.com.au/wes/DisplayPage.asp?PageID=34

This inforamtion came from the Desert Knoweldge Australia COOLMob newletter Stay COOL, published on line each month. It is a great resource! To find out more about DKA COOLMob, to join or for a home energy or water audit, contact Kat on 8952 0299

Solar Oven Bake-off

The solar oven bake-off will take place on Sunday November 18th in the Todd Mall.

The challenge is to cook a dish entirely on the day using only solar power as your heating source.

Baking begins at 11am and a panel of 3 esteemed judges will choose the winners at 4pm.

To create the winning masterpiece bring along your own solar oven, ingredients and imaginative recipies.

Entry is free for DKACOOLmob members and $5 for all other entrants.

Get your entry froms from the COOLmob website or contact Kat Taylor on 08 8952 0299

If you don't have your own solar oven yet The solar cooking archive may give you some tips on how to make your own.

Re-Thinking Waste Launch at the Bowerbird Tip Shop

Where better to launch the re-thinking waste initiative than at the Bowerbird Tip Shop.

Yamba, Wurgle and students from OLSH were at the Bowerbird on Tuesday to look at many alternatives for waste, from landfill to works of art.

Lucy Sneddon of the Arid Lands Environment Centre launched the program with a talk on the choices we have with regard to what to do with our waste. Also there supporting the program were Michelle Walker of the Waterwise Schools program, Kat Taylor from CoolMob and Heidi Groffen from Land for Wildlife.

Many thanks to the staff of the Bowerbird for allowing us to use their inspiring venue.

The re-thinking waste in schools pilot program will run for a year and will culminate in a celebration of artisic performance and waste workshops at the Araluen in August 2008. A workshop for teachers will be held on 30th November at the Desert Park. Teachers interested in being involved are invited to contact Emma.Bliss@nt.gov.au.