best result for your dollar, energy efficient windows

Here is my rule of thumb for best result for your dollar, energy efficient windows, for the east coast nsw, hunter valley...

1. Windows to the north should be big, and MUST have a 500mm overhang directly over the WINDOW
they should just be regular glass, single glazing

2. windows to the south and east should be smaller/ less area of glass to wall ratio, and should be "viridian comfort plus" single glazing

3. Windows to the west should be bare minimum opening, if at all. they should also be "comfort plus". Any large windows to the west needed eg. for a bedroom, should have a screen ( eg lattice or battens), set away from the window about 1m or so, so the room does not feel not boarded up, but the screen will cast a shadow over the window when the sun hits the west.


 IMAGE OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S AVERY COONLEY PLAYHOUSE:
one of my favourite windows ever!

4. Double glazing is to keep a house warm in the cold. Not really necessary in this area if the house is well  designed. Yes argon filled double glazing is the best, but so expensive! Instead, spend you money on foil under the roof, R2.5 batts in the ceiling, and R1 with foil in the walls.

5. Still cold? then get into curtains with pelmets for the winter. Curtains are such an under-rated house fashion item... you can wash them and pack them away for summer, (or still use in summer to keep cool- however external blinds are better for this...) and you can change your curtain prints with your fashion tastes!

Non-Toxic Paint

Making your own paint with help from Earth Pigments.


Recently a mother-to-be asked me about what kind of paint she could use in her nursery to paint a baby's cot. I think that everyone, of all ages, should only have to be exposed to non-toxic paint.

Non- toxic paints are not only safe for when a child likes to suck, lick, chew(?) furniture, but also paints generally have substances in them known ans Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's), which release harmful fumes into the air. This is also known as "off gassing". You know that new car smell? Thats a toxic smell of VOC's and breathing them in is bad for you, causing respiratory problems and long term kidney problems. In Europe, most paints containing VOC's have been banned, as they are more advanced in health studies which show breathing in paint fumes (lasting for years after the paint has dried) have long lasting health issues. So of course you don't want a tiny baby exposed to the stuff.

So what to do? Lucky there are lots of good paints now available.
I personally like BioPaint, its one of the better priced non toxic paints (yes these non-toxic points can be more expensive but if you are just painting a cot its OK!) You can get non toxic paint in some eco type shops or on-line at somewhere like:
Colours by Nature
or
The Enviroshop
or
The EcoShop

Most big paint manufacturers also make low VOC paints, just look on the tin in the hardware store... but its what the paint is actually made from which adds to your thinking. The bio and natural paints are usually sourced from natural and not synthetic or chemical ingredients.

If its all to tricky... how about making your own paint! You can make traditional "Milk Paint"-
its just made of milk powder, lime, vinegar and some kind of coloring if you don't want white!
I made it once and it is great... but not smooth like a gloss paint... more textured like a light render. But at least you know what it is made of and its cheap!!!
there is a nice recipe at:
Earth Pigments

Good luck with your painting adventure!!
Jo

ZELFO Changes

Image from new Zelfo Website.

You may have been interested in the Zelfo product which I raved on about afew years ago, a kind of plant-based plastic. The people of Zelfo are very communicative which I see as a very positive aspect for a developing product! Anyway, I recently recieved the following email from them:
"

Hello Jo

We are the owners of the Trade marked and Patented material Zelfo - as mentioned in your blog article on Zelfo.

Firstly I would like to thank you for running this article and for giving Zelfo a presence on your website.

Zelfo Technology are now concentrating on streamlining the manufacturing aspect of Zelfo and our product emphasis is no longer as shown in your article. From both your and Zelfo Technologys' side I believe it is important that we issue information that is current as it is of no benefit to either side to confuse the market. Therefore as Zelfo Technology are not ready to issue any press text or to show the latest range of Zelfo products, can I please ask that for now you remove all existing materials from your site.

Naturally as and when we are ready to issue any material that is relevant to you we will inform you immediately .

For you information, the microsite http://www.zelfo-technology.com is now live.

Many thanks for your assistance with this matter.

r

Richard Hurding

Zelfo Technology

richard.hurding@zelfo-technology.com

http://www.zelfo-technology.com
"
So we shall wait and see what develops.
Good Luck Zelfo.

Lettuce growing on skyscrapers

No more need to grow plants the traditional, horizontal way! Now plants can grow miles high, vertically! Covering buildings in inspired greenery, with a new product from Atlantis (who make all sorts of great water recycling and harvesting modules) called Grow-Wall, you can easily have amazing "green" buildings. For tiny outdoor spaces like apartment balconies, this could be really great!

PS yes it has been a while since I posted. I think it is time to start again!

Flush your toilet with dirty water.

A previous post showed these toilets which you wash your hands in the basin , and that water is then used for the next toilet flush! How exciting they are now available in Australia through Caroma. Good on you Caroma, you HAVE been leading the way in Australia for reducing water use in the bathroom.

Have been quoted $500 aprox for a unit. More info here.

WEBSITE REVIEW: Good Wood Guide

Greenpeace have just launched their Good Wood Guide.
It is not quite finished, but will give you some ideas about where to start looking for sustainable timber. It's a really difficult project, as truly knowing if wood is good means knowing the entire process from the tree to the piece of timber. This was the idea behind FSC timber. However FSC timber producers are only just starting up in Australia, so generally any FSC timber you would be purchasing would be imported from overseas.
The Rainforest Information Centre's NSW Good Wood Guide was really awesome but sadly it is now out of date, and no funds to update it. However it has great background information to help you understand the real issues of purchasing sustainable timber.
My answer is to use secondhand wherever possible! Flooring, windows and doors especially are easy, and so much cheaper, if not free!!

TIPS: recycled paper

TREES: Worth the chop for a note?
I had a question about recycled paper from Leigh. He asked:
Our Institution has a contract with Xerox for our paper. We must be clear felling an acre a month around here. Can you recommend me THE most sustainable office paper on the market today? And then, the best that Xerox can do?
I had wondered about this a while ago and ended up starting a green paper co-op through the Wilderness Society Newcastle. We used the joint buying power of the wilderness society and Newcastle University to buy in bulk the paper we researched as the best. Buying in bulk made the paper available at a comparable rate to bleached virgin forest paper.
Our conclusion on the best paper was confirmed by the wonderful people at SCRAP.
I refer you to the scrap website for their catalogue
and also from the copy paper catalogue page, all the further information you need on choosing the best paper.
Our choice was Evolve office, 100% post-consumer recycled copy paper, may contain some pre-consumer content, oxygen bleached. Guaranteed for high volume copying, printing and double siding. Made in England.
Our only issue with this paper is that it is made in England, creating transport issues. However, it does claim to have Australian paper content. I was confused by this and asked Peter Carroll from SCRAP for clarification:
Moi:
A few people have been wondering about Australian v Imported paper.
From looking around it seems that Green Wrap (by Fuji Xerox) is the most forest
friendly from Australia.
but then somehow Evolve is connected to Australia? :
can you explain the SCRAP newsletter Term 1 2003 p6 "Questions for
consideration" which says:
"15200 tonnes of Australian copy paper consumed in the collection area
of the UK mill producing evolve"
This means to me UK imports Aust paper and re-uses as part of general
office paper re-use...how can they know that?
Obviously Evolve is the best paper, but we would like to encourage
australian production.. we would probably involve a little campagn
with this paper co-op and it would be nice to send letters to all the Aussie
companies we reject and a letter of congratulations to the one we choose!


Peter:
Hi Jo,

The Evolve evidence on UK usage of Australian paper is drawn from reputable
industry sources including the mill (Paperlinx) themselves. The assessment
that some of this paper (once used and recycled in the greater London area)
ends up in Evolve is somewhat more speculative and cannot be proven although
it is highly unlikely that none of it reaches the Evolve furnish. The
quantities cannot be proven but the fact that it is there is pretty certain.
It is good to know that we are providing the best info.

On the matter of research into Australian paper -
Dont be fooled by third party efforts like Fuji Xerox's Green Wrap. It has
barely any postconsumer content and is chlorine bleached at Shoalhaven.

As for writing letters to Australian companies - there is only one producer
so it should be a short letter writing campaign - better in my view to
concentrate on building your co-op so you have some strength through
purchasing.

We look forward to your business.

Regards
Peter
SCRAP (School Communities Recycling All Paper) Ltd
C/o Holsworthy High School Huon Cr, Holsworthy 2173
Ph: 02 9825 1062 Fax: 02 9825 6972 ABN 40 079 741 227

So my answer to your question is, Evolve Office is the best.
Xerox' best offer is "Green Wrap" although it is not as GREEN as it would like to seem.

PRODUCT: Zelfo

I have been informed by Zelfo Technology that the below information is no longer relevant. In a recent email to me, Richard Hurding let me know that
"

Hello Jo

We are the owners of the Trade marked and Patented material Zelfo - as mentioned in your blog article on Zelfo.

Firstly I would like to thank you for running this article and for giving Zelfo a presence on your website.

Zelfo Technology are now concentrating on streamlining the manufacturing aspect of Zelfo and our product emphasis is no longer as shown in your article. From both your and Zelfo Technologys' side I believe it is important that we issue information that is current as it is of no benefit to either side to confuse the market. Therefore as Zelfo Technology are not ready to issue any press text or to show the latest range of Zelfo products, can I please ask that for now you remove all existing materials from your site.

Naturally as and when we are ready to issue any material that is relevant to you we will inform you immediately .

For you information, the microsite www.zelfo-technology.com is now live.

Many thanks for your assistance with this matter.

r

Richard Hurding

Zelfo Technology

richard.hurding@zelfo-technology.com

http://www.zelfo-technology.com
"

Hopefully we will hear again from Zelfo in the future.

A kind of plastic made from plants! Here is what they say:

Zelfo is a solid wood-like and mouldable material made from natural fibres, recycled paper or other cellulose raw materials. Zelfo is a strong, light 'plastic from plants' produced by means of a sustainable process.

Sounds like a great alternative to plastic, and from the website's vibe I think they are sound in their environmental priciples.

Zelfo are the manufacturers of the materials, so if you have some amazing design for a chair or whatever they will mould it for you (more like mould 1000 for you...).I look forward to their upcoming products link.

Image: Peanut Chair by Fürst/Bartosch

TIP: Cool Christmas Pressies

Looking for great christmas gifts? I just found some good ones at the Wilderness Society shop, Newcastle. A company called urban boomerang make awesome bags out of recycled truck inner tubes, recycled billboards, and photo albums, cd holders and notebooks out of old number plates. Yo. And Ho Ho Ho.
The Wilderness Society On-line Shop
Urban Boomerang stuff not available on this site but there are some other good for the earth gifts here.

TIP: Raintap

This is a great idea! I'll think I'll get one!
I quote directly from the EcoShop site where you can buy one for $49:
"RAINTAP:
One millimetre of rain on the average roof generates 250 litres of water. Normally this runs off your property and is wasted. But by fitting a raintap to your gutter downpipe, you can divert that water to your water storage tank, lawn, trees, plants or pool to make maximum use of even light rainfalls. Suits all downpipes by using 90mm adapters (readily available).
Installation: Can be fitted by a home handyperson in about 10mins. You will need a hacksaw to cut your existing downpipe. Simply pull downpipe towards you and fit bell end of raintap to the top cut in the downpipe. Position raintap above the bottom cut of the downpipe and pull down until the bevelled end enters the bottom pipe."