experts’ tIps how to: solar panels + eco applIances
the nappies debate
green living made easy
Fresh
off the farm... meet australIa’s fooD growers
+ DIY vegetable DYes a journeY bY traIn garDen upcYclIng sIck home sYnDrome
issue 37 april/may 2012 Aus/NZ $8.95 # 37 • apr/may 12
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Carbon offset and Printed on reCyCled PaPer
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versus
Nappies:
cloth
vs
disposAble
Amongst the chaos and decisions involved with the arrival of a new bub, parents also face the environmental choice of which nappies to use; cloth or diposable. With a fast changing market we catch up on which nappy is best. words By Jo Isaac
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F
ive thousand dirty nappies! That’s the staggering number of changes parents face before the average Aussie ankle-biter leaves nappies behind at two-and-a-half years old, and why the environmental costs of nappies are worth worrying about.
With 95 percent of australian babies wearing disposables, visions of landfill nappy mountains have sent environmentally conscious parents to cloth. But landfill isn’t the only consideration, and with new eco-products on the market, we take a fresh look at which nappy is best – disposable or reusable.
Where do your nappies grow? Disposables often consist of a plastic outer layer, fastenings and an absorbent core with a protective top layer. plastic components come from non-renewable
associated with cotton irrigation for reusable nappies is 16-48 m3 (1 m3 = 1,000 L) during a child’s first two-anda-half years, while reduced runoff in forestry plantations racks up 31-62 m3. Disposable nappies use 3.1-6.3 GJ (gigajoules) of energy during their lifecycle, and pulp production accounts for 75 per cent of the total for non-renewable energy. Home laundered resuables are less energy hungry at 0.83-1.3 GJ, and use less non-renewable and total energy over their life cycle than any other system.
Wee, waste and water approximately 800 million disposable nappies end up in landfill in australia each year, and most of their mass is not biodegradable. The uQ researchers found disposable nappies produced more than 20 times the solid waste of home- or commercially-washed cloth.
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Approximately 800 million disposable nappies end up in landfill in Australia each year, and most of their mass is not biodegradable. sources, while the core is cellulose fibre pulp - commonly from pine plantations in australia. The core also includes a waterabsorbent polymer, sodium polyacrylate, which is not biodegradable. Most cloth for reusables comes from home-grown cotton, with nappies then manufactured in asia. However researchers at the university of Queensland (uQ) in 2009 found shipping cotton overseas incurs a small energy cost compared to other stages in the life cycle. Most reusables also require waterproof covers or pilchers, usually plastic pvC. Greener options include polyurethane laminated fabric (puL), which lasts longer than plastic and can be used for multiple children. eco-friendly nappy liners include bamboo flushable, reusable and compostable options. While cotton crops require irrigation, pine plantations are associated with reduced run-off and thus both options incur a water resource cost at this stage. The uQ study finds water depletion
While a child produces around 91 kg of faeces during their nappy wearing years, urine accounts for more than half of the solid waste generated by disposables. Flushing faeces down the toilet (which is recommended) reduces solid waste by 86 kg, but increases water consumption by 3.9 m3 over the life cycle. But disposables are becoming lighter; 2008 research by The environment agency in Britain found an average reduction of 13.5 per cent in weight in less than a decade. some partially biodegradable disposables are available, but none are fully biodegradable. some brands can be commercially (but not home) composted. Dr Kate O’Brien, lead author of the uQ study, also notes, “The main impact of disposables occurs during production, so i wouldn’t assume that compostables result in a substantial reduction in environmental burden.” The major eco-cost of reusables comes from laundering. While
commercial washing reduces water usage, transportation between users and the laundry increases energy costs considerably. eco-friendly home laundry practices can significantly reduce costs – using a front loader rather than a top loader for home-washing reduces water useage by more than half, from 68 to 23 m3.
Noxious nappies some disposables can contain a cocktail of chemicals you may wish to avoid, including chlorine, dioxins, dyes and tributyl tin, all of which have been linked to health concerns, along with sodium polyacrylate, associated with skin irritations and allergic reactions. a 2000 German study also linked disposables to undesirable temperature increases in testicles, though not in cloth nappies. However, this research is controversial and not yet substantiated.
The verdict The decision is tricky. The disposable racks up a shocking solid waste cost, but washing, drying and cotton production mean reusables aren’t blame free. The greatest benefit of reusables, and why they pip disposables to the ecopost, is they put consumers in control. By choosing organic cotton and ecofriendly pilchers and liners, cold washing in a front-loader, line drying and using products on multiple children, your environmental footprint shrinks. But if never-ending washing fills you with dread, line drying isn’t possible, or water resources are a concern, then all is not lost. Modern eco-friendly disposables are lighter, partially biodegradable under the right circumstances, and are free of the chemical nasties in more commercial brands. a number have the FsC sustainable forestry certification. Whatever your decision, it has to consider your precious bundle, you, your finances, and the environment; the most important outcome is raising a happy, healthy future environmentalist. For our pick of three of the best nappies, head to page 93.
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33
top tips
7 tips for GoInG Solar We love our sunburnt country, but many homeowners feel they lack the know-how to switch to solar. Here’s our top tips to make it all just that little bit easier.
Words by Melissa Freeburn and Caitlin Howlett
>> Improve your household efficiency first Before you begin researching the perfect solar system for your home, make your home as energy efficient as possible. Cutting your minimum household usage will mean a smaller and cheaper solar system that covers more of your power usage.
>> Suss out your home’s suitability For maximum power output, solar panels require an unshaded, north-facing roof. Don’t believe anyone who says that solar panels will produce plenty of power in full shade. in Australia, the right tilt is usually equivalent to the latitude of your location, plus or minus five degrees. Most houses have a roof pitch of 20–30 degrees, which is usually ideal. Although the number of sunlight hours and temperature varies by location and seasonal changes, full sunlight from 9am–3pm with an average ambient temperature of up to 25°C is recommended. Don’t fret if this doesn’t sound like your home, there are alternative installation options you can chat about with your installer.
Monocrystalline cells, while being the most expensive, are the most efficient. polycrystalline cells (the blue ones) have typically been the most popular for a good balance of performance and economy. But even if you have a large roof space, it’s important to maximise the power output of your space – that way you can easily add more panels at a later date. thin film cells are the least efficient, and can be applied as a layer to glass, plastic and roof tiles, but they can take up to double the surface area compared to crystalline cells. Because thin film cells cope better at higher temperatures they’re a good choice for very hot climates.
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april/may 2012
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>> Go for good panels
>> number crunch for efficiency With the average Australian household consuming about 18 kilowatt hours (kWh) per day, a 1.5 kW system would cover around 30 per cent of your usage and need about 12 square roof metres. Allow approximately 8 m² of roof area for each 1 kW of solar panels. Most solar panels are priced according to dollars per watt, which relates to its energy output; for example, a 200 watt panel will generate 200 watts of energy per hour. Remember that you get what you pay for with solar, so don’t choose panels based solely on cost. take into consideration the size (in watts), the physical size, the period of warranty (at least 25 years means it’ll last long enough to pay itself off and make a profit), and qualifications for a government rebate.
>> Suitable systems management Most home solar panel systems, particularly in urban and suburban areas, are grid connected. this system guarantees your energy needs will be met by supplying additional power from the grid when your solar cells are not generating enough power, including at night. Also important is choosing an efficient inverter (the device that converts the solar panels to electricity) to reduce the amount of time it takes for a system to pay itself back.
>> Choose an accredited installer the essential resource to help you choose an installer is the Clean Energy Council. Visit www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au for list of accredited installers and products, and a consumer guide, which includes a full list of questions to ask your installer. to be eligible for solar credits, your installer, panels and inverter must be accredited. ideally you should also look for an accredited company that’s been in the business for a while and has an established track record. previous customer’s experiences can be invaluable, and you can find these at www.ata.org.au/forums and www.forums.energymatters.com.au.
You’ve Got SomethInG CanadIanS would KIll for Called SunlIGht, and You have to looK hard In SYdneY or melbourne for a Solar panel anYwhere,” SaYS davId SuzuKI. “You Shouldn’t be heatInG anY water In SYdneY wIth eleCtrICItY. It Should all be heated bY SunlIGht. the faCt that auStralIa haS thIS InCredIble natural CapItal and IS not uSInG It IS abSolutelY ludICrouS.
>> Know your costs the Australian Alternative technology Association (AtA) estimates the average cost of a 1.5kW grid connected system is $4,000 to $5,000. However, government incentives have recently been reduced, which impacts how long it will take for your solar system to pay itself off. the AtA estimates a new solar system will now take between 5–20 years or more to pay for itself, depending on location, electricity usage, rebates and especially state feed-in tariffs. Visit your state government website for more information on rebates and tariffs that apply to you.
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35
interview
Fresh off the farm This year, 2012, is Year of the Farmer. A time to pay overdue recognition to our nation’s hardest workers. Our farmers overcome increasing adversities including climate, labour, urban sprawl, and long, hard hours, as they grow food and materials for our nation. We caught up with farmers and their families from six very different farms across Australia, all with one thing in common – they believe in the power of farming sustainably and with our future in mind.>>
IntervIews by Emma BowEn
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43
energy savers
Whitegoods
wisdom When it comes to buying an eco-friendly, energy efficient appliance, knowing your stuff and asking the right questions is the key. Words by Sue White
i
f there’s a shopping situation guaranteed to spiral potential buyers into a world of eco quandaries, it’s the purchase of household appliances. what’s best for the planet? How do you buy with both sustainability and performance in mind? and what should you be aware of to ensure you’re not being greenwashed? There’s no doubt that buying a new fridge, television, dishwasher or big ticket appliance impacts the planet as well as your wallet. appliances usually make up around 25 per cent of our household energy use, and produce 50 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions – just another reason to take such purchases seriously. so how do we know what’s the best buy? “if you don’t know what questions to ask in advance, you’re not going to get the required information in store. a salesperson
will want a sale, whether it’s the best appliance for your purposes or not,” warns Cameron whiteside, an energy assessor with Footprint energy assessors. while it’s important to have a realistic budget, don’t let specials sway you too far from your plan. “we often walk into a store with an idea of the quality brands and the quality features we’re looking for. Then we see something on special, and all we can see is the money,” says anne armansin, an energy efficiency advocate with origin. But only considering the dollar spend in store can be a short term gain. Cost of repairs, water and energy use should all factor into your appliance purchases. while websites like www.energyrating.com.au and consumer sites like www.choice.com.au certainly help, we’ve put together a guide on what to consider when buying appliances. >>
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51
Home
Creature Comforts Settle in for a cosy autumn weekend amongst soothing neutral surrounds.
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oPPosIte PaGe. Clockwise from top left: Barker & Stone alpaca wool throw, $175, www.barkerandstone.com.au; Bamileke headdress, $595, www.ecochic. com.au; Spotcheck tube shade and wood base, $260, www.clothfabric.com; Kylie Johnson ceramic quote tag, $12.95, www.biome.com.au; Driftwood leaf tray, $30, www.ecochic.com.au; Paperboat Press quote pencils, $16, www.paperboatpress.com; Emery 2.5-seater sofa, $3240, www.ecochic.com.au; My Bearded Pigeon organic cotton cushions set of 2, $90, www.mybeardedpigeon.com; The Sustainable Table book, $40, www.sustainabletable.org.au. tHIs PaGe. Clockwise from top left: Benjamin Hubert float light, from $495, www.greatdanefurniture.com; Armadillo & Co. dandelion rug, from $420, www.armadillo-co.com; Dharma Door book bag, from $25.95, www.biome.com.au; Hemp crocheted Bodhi bowl, $179, www.thefairtradestore.com.au; Barker & Stone pizza plat, $89.90, www.barkerandstone.com.au; Ecoya french pear metro jar, $39.95, www.ecoya.com.au; Miranda armless chair, $1240, www.ecochic.com.au.
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61
food
snackattack
Give the vego version of these traditionally meaty and fishy snacks a go!
Recipes and photos by Trudy SlaboSz @ Veggie num num
French Lentil Pastry Rolls with Preserved Lemon & Mint
T
“
he possibilities for vegetarian sausage rolls are kind of endless and I am a little excited by the idea of experimenting further. For fillings I plan on trying minced tofu or tempeh and of course homemade seitan sausage and with flavour profiles, anything from fresh or dried herbs to curry spices and beyond! You could use brown lentils in place of the puy if you prefer and to save time you could try tinned. The lentils mixed up with breadcrumbs, apple, preserved lemon and fresh herbs make a super tasty and healthy filling. This is quite a simple vegetarian sausage roll recipe perfect for entertaining; we served them up with a homemade mango chutney or try them with your favourite sauce or even the old classic tomato.”
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Makes
24
1 cup French (puy) lentils (or brown lentils) 3 cups vegetable broth or water 2 bay leaves 2 garlic cloves, peeled & smashed 1 large granny smith apple, cored and diced ½ preserved lemon 1 lemon, zest 2 tsp paprika 2 cups fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs (approx. 2 slices of bread) 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbs fresh chopped mint 1 tbs fresh chopped parsley 4 sheets of ready rolled puff pastry (thawed) 1 certified free-range egg (or 1 tbs cornflour/cornstarch) 2 tbs non-dairy or dairy milk cumin seeds and/or sesame seeds
Pre-heat the oven to 220°C. Rinse the lentils and add to a medium saucepan with the broth or water, bay leaves and garlic. Bring to a gentle simmer and continue to cook for 25 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and lentils tender. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Meanwhile process the diced apple and preserved lemon in a food processor or by hand until coarsely minced. Add to a large bowl with the lemon zest, paprika, breadcrumbs, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs. Once the lentils are cool combine well with the other ingredients, using your hands to mince it all together. Don’t be too worried if the filling doesn’t come together like sausage meat, it will hold together in the pastry. Whisk the egg or cornflour with the milk and set aside. Lay the four sheets of puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface and cut evenly in half. Arrange a strip of the lentil mixture down the middle of each sheet of pastry. Using a pastry brush, wash the egg/ cornflour mixture down one side of the lentil filling. Carefully fold one edge over to seal the sausage roll; seal the edges including the ends and using the back of a fork press down gently to mark the edges. Brush the top of each sausage roll with a little more of the prepared wash and scatter over the cumin and/or sesame seeds. Using a sharp knife carefully cut each sausage roll into six sections and arrange on a lightly greased baking tray. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes until pastry is golden and puffed. Remove from the oven and serve warm with your favourite sauce or chutney.
Soy & Szechuan Pepper Tofu with Wasabi Pea Puree
serves
4-6
T
his vegetarian dish is an obvious play on that beer time favourite snack, salt and pepper squid. I never tried the seafood version before I became a vegetarian but I love the idea of a salty and peppery crumb deep fried to delicious perfect crispness and served with a simple salad of crunchy greens and herbs. Tofu is the obvious substitute here for a vegetarian version as it deep fries perfectly and allows the soy and lemon to add flavour. I used store-bought rice crumbs which are egg, dairy and gluten free and add a lovely crunch to the tofu. These should be available in the health/gluten free section of your supermarket or at any good health food store. The Szechuan pepper really makes this vegetarian recipe something special with its beautiful aromatic flavour. Again you should be able to find Szechuan pepper in the spice section of your supermarket or at any Asian grocery store. We served these delicious little crispy strips of deep fried tofu with a sweet wasabi pea mash and a small crunchy side salad which are both super simple to prepare and adds a lovely contrast to the dish.
“
Soy & Szechuan Pepper Tofu 500g firm organic tofu 1 lemon, juice 2 tsp soy sauce 3 tsp Szechuan pepper corns, freshly ground ½ tsp white pepper ¼ tsp sea salt flakes ½ cup rice crumbs 1 tsp corn flour (cornstarch) rice bran or peanut oil for deep frying Wasabi Pea Puree 2½ cup peas (fresh or frozen) ½ cup water 1-1½ tsp wasabi (to taste) Salad Plate 2 cups baby Asian greens (or any small crisp lettuce leaves) 1 carrot, peeled and sliced into thin rounds 1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced into thin rounds 1 cup bean sprouts 1 cup fresh coriander (cilantro) roughly torn 1-2 red chillies, deseeded and thinly sliced ½ lemon, juice 2 tsp sesame oil
To prepare the tofu slice it into approximately 1 cm x 2 cm strips and toss with the lemon juice and soy sauce in a shallow bowl. Allow to sit while you prepare the remainder of the dish. Prepare the wasabi pea puree by adding the peas and water to a frying pan. Allow the peas to gently simmer over a low heat for five minutes until tender and bright green. Remove from the heat and using a fork or stick blender puree the peas until smooth adding the wasabi to taste. Set aside and keep warm. To make the salad plate toss all the ingredients together with the lemon juice and sesame oil, arrange on small separate plates per person or on one large plate for the centre of the table. Prepare the rice crumbs by combining well with the Szechuan pepper, white pepper and salt flakes. Remove the tofu from the lemon juice and soy (reserving this) and pat dry with absorbent paper. Combine the corn flour (cornstarch) with the reserved lemon juice and soy, whisking until smooth. In a medium sized deep saucepan heat at least 15 cm of oil over a medium heat until the surface begins to shimmer. To deep fry the tofu (working with one piece at a time) dunk it into the cornflour mixture and then into the rice crumbs, pressing and patting the crumbs to coat the tofu evenly. In small batches deep fry the crumbed tofu for one minute until it is crisp and golden, remove from the oil and drain on absorbent paper. Fry only a few pieces of the crumbed tofu at a time to avoid overcrowding the oil and to allow the tofu to cook quickly. Serve the crumbed tofu sprinkled with a little extra salt flakes and few cracks of pepper and wedges of lemon. Accompany with the wasabi pea puree and crunchy side salad for a completely delicious snack or light vegetarian meal.
for more of Trudy’s tasty vegetarian recipes, visit her at www.veggienumnum.com
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71
food
Jump
the gun
Kangaroo is often touted as the sustainable and ethical red meat, but recent debate has questioned if this is still true. G hops to the challenge to work out if roos are best served rarely. Words by Caitlin Howlett
I
n recent years, there’s been much buzz about the consumption of our national emblem, with kangaroo touted to have a lesser environmental impact compared to other red meats. Yet as time has worn on, other ethical issues surrounding this meat – including its long-term sustainability – have come to light, and are often carefully hopped around.
Organically green Kangaroos are wild animals that aren’t given antibiotics or drenches, so they’re chemical-free. Being native, they’re adapted to the Australian climate and their numbers bounce back quickly after periods of drought. Roos have soft-padded feet, and unlike non-native cows and sheep, they don’t compact the soil (which causes dryland salinity) with hard hooves. As an added bonus, kangaroos and wallabies emit virtually no methane. Compared to the rest of the commercial meat industry in Australia, it’s a greener red meat that’s also cheap, lean and healthy. They’re unlikely to ever be farmed, says John Kelly of the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia, “because they’re very easily stressed”.
Roo meat = dirty meat? “The regulation of the manufacture of kangaroo meat is difficult because carcasses are dressed [gutted] in the field and transported in un-refrigerated trucks for hours on end in the heat of summer nights,” says Dr Dror Ben-Ami, from
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THINKK, an academic organisation that critically reviews kangaroo management practices. On the other hand, Kelly says it’s one of the most regulated meats in Australia, and is hygenic; “In general they are both extremely healthy and have lower rates of infections which can be transmitted to humans than are commonly seen in the intensively farmed animals”. “There is a potential risk of toxoplasmosis, which only really affects pregnant women, the elderly or the very young. You certainly have been infected with toxoplasmosis many times if you eat rare lamb or unwashed vegetables. And it’s killed by exposure to 65°C for three minutes, so it doesn’t take much cooking to kill it.”
Animal welfare issues Research the production and slaughter of any meat and your findings will no doubt be brutal. But Dr Annemarie Jonson of Voiceless says kangaroo meat is a step beyond intolerable, being “the largest slaughter of land-based wildlife on the planet. The kangaroo industry is larger and
arguably more cruel than seal culling – and seal products are banned by the EU”. The kangaroo industry is regulated by a National Code of Practice to ensure that killings are conducted humanely. The code requires shooters are trained and licensed, and that any joeys found on shot females must be killed as soon as possible. Shooters are trained to aim for males, but around 30 per cent of animals shot are female, resulting in about 855,000 dependent joeys being killed as collateral damage every year. The RSPCA Australia states on its website concern about the fate of pouch young, suggesting that females should not be slaughtered until this matter is resolved.
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“While shooters are required by the codes to aim to shoot a kangaroo in the brain and therefore cause instantaneous death, non-fatal body shots are unavoidable and cause horrific and painful injuries,” says Jonson. Only head-shot kangaroos are accepted for processing due to the code of practice, so there’s no incentive for shooters to go after body-shot roos. As an unavoidable result of a code that’s meant to prevent cruelty, these roos are often left to die a slow and painful death.
Peak roo Kangaroo meat isn’t reliably stocked in supermarkets because environmental
forces, not the market, dictate how many can be caught. National parks authorities and state governments do an annual audit of kangaroo populations, and set quotas on the maximum number of kangaroos that can be taken out of the environment; between 10–18 per cent of the total populations. While some years can be more or less with population fluctuations, this take has averaged at 2.78 million kangaroos every year since 1997. “Kangaroos do have a lighter footprint on the environment but kangaroo meat is environmentally friendly only if it replaces traditional livestock,” says Ben-Ami. Kelly says; “there are a great number
more kangaroos now than there were prior to white settlement, when there was Aboriginal predation on kangaroos.” But the reality is that no one can conclusively know if kangaroo numbers have increased, or how many were eaten before the arrival of Europeans. Ben-Ami argues there’s only a limited number of free ranging roos that can be harvested sustainably. He calculates that if every Australian ate kangaroo once a week in keeping with the current quota takes, we’d need 130 million kangaroos. It would take 170 million kangaroos to replace all our sheep and cattle on a meat-equivalent basis, but there’s only an average of 30 million kangaroos in Australia.
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73
TRAVEL
All aboard The rambling journey from Sydney to Perth on the Indian Pacific train shows there’s much to be said for taking the slow road. Words by Sue White PHoTos by Sue White and GReAt SOutheRN RAiL
Standing on the platform of Central Railway station in Sydney, I cross my fingers that Ralph Waldo Emerson (and for that matter, Aerosmith) was right. If life really is about the journey, not the destination, the next 4352 km should be unforgettable. >>