I meant to comment on the electricity challenge idea. A little
planning would make it easier - and it's not cheating. Can you imagine
living without power for a long time and not being prepared? Candles or
a lantern would do for light - be extra vigilant with naked flames
though. Make sure you have a good book to read or a pen and pad to
write something inspiring. Try your hand at Haiku maybe? Board games by
candle light may also work. There is always cards or for a family try
Charades - no props required.

For a fridge, a solid esky with a couple of blocks of ice. Not bags as
they melt too fast. Delivering blocks of ice to households was once a
thriving business. There are plenty of examples of cool boxes which had
a water reservoir on top and cloth sides where water would evaporate
and keep things cool. Cool enough for perishables to last a day or two.
Plenty of salad ingredients - lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes - available
from the garden or markets, and if they are closer to room temperature
they will likely have more flavour. The vinegar and olive oil dressing
doesn't even need refrigeration! Fresh fruit for dessert. Then there is
the barbeque. Now I would consider a gas barbie to be practically a gas
stove. Which is too easy for the challenge! Try a trenched camp fire
with a cast iron camp oven - use the ash on your garden afterwards or
use the ash to make soap! Make damper or corn muffins, stews, one pot
meals. There are heaps of options. Ever made custard from scratch?
Baked brandied pears (in the camp oven) with hot custard. Yum!

But if you can't cut out electricity completely then a great idea is
to figure out how much power you use a day and see if you can drop
that by 20% or more - budget a family treat for half of what you save,
whether it be a Christmas treat or extra pocket money. Short showers
may reduce the amount of hot water needed to be heated. Or in the
summer a cold shower can get you awake and ready for the day ahead.

Just some ideas. I am sure there are plenty more.

Dean

I've really enjoyed reading your posts shine_on! I am yet to watch The end of suburbia but feel that the impact may be a big one for me. And I believe that my understanding will increase dramatically as I am still learning lots about all of this. I also feel that I need to start attending lots of the up-coming meetings as well so as to gain the bigger picture. Knowledge creates awareness which I feel that SustainaBundy is doing and will continue to do so if we are able to take the time to participate. I think that there is a definite disconnection in society today, not just in the big cities but alas here also. I remember when I was growing up where all of the street knew each other closely, shared produce, parents supported each other and remembered each other at Christmas time. There was definitely a different feel then. Sometimes I think that we are all just zooming around on our own path in our own little worlds not really seeing or connecting with others around us so I'm really excited about the changes that SB may bring! I've begun sharing much more with others which in turn has given me much in return personally. And it has kind of given me permission to live the way that I would like to live and wanted to live for a long time now.

I would really love to join you on "your electricity challenge" but would have to say that for us here I'd probably just turn every non essential item off such as TV,music,computer, all inside cooking appliances, use no hot water etc for 24 hrs as I can hear my household of six here roaring "no" already lol! You've already got my mind running thinking about how to tackle this one and how I can convince "the teens and older ones to co-operate.....

Leah