1000 Flowers for the Planet at Tacit Contemporary Art

1000 Flowers for the Planet at Tacit Contemporary Art

1000 Flowers for the Planet - celebrating 200 flowers

Today I celebrate the posting of 200 Flowers for the Planet - I'm one fifth of the way through the project. Today is also the opening night of my graduate exhibition. I have been studying the Diploma of Textile Art these past two and a half years, we finished classes last Friday and now we host our grad exhibition. This art piece is 50 x 50 cm hand painted silk and the flower is #63 Ban Canned Hunting.

Hopefully all the followers of 1000 Flowers for the Planet will celebrate with me and pass the word along that we need to care for our planet for ourselves and our descendants. Together we can make it better.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #200 Support Wildlife Rehabilitators

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #200 Support Wildlife Rehabilitators

With thanks to ‘allaboutwildlife.com’ for today’s Flower inspiration. Source: http://www.allaboutwildlife.com/ten-ways-to-help-wildlife

“Most states license specially trained volunteers to serve as wildlife “rehabilitators”—people who care for injured, sick or orphaned wildlife. Wildlife rehabilitation requires special knowledge, and you should never undertake to care for a wild bird or animal yourself unless you have that training. Instead, if you find a creature that needs help, you should first take steps to make sure that bird or animal is temporarily safe and secure, and then contact someone who is a wildlife rehabilitator. Your state fish and game department probably has a list of people who can help.”

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #199 Choose Your Bird Feeder Carefully

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #199 Choose Your Bird Feeder Carefully

With thanks to ‘allaboutwildlife.com’ for today’s Flower inspiration. 

Source: http://www.allaboutwildlife.com/ten-ways-to-help-wildlife

 “It’s perfectly OK to feed wild birds. However, not all commercial bird feeds are created equal, and not all of them contain the right kinds of nutrition for many wild birds. It’s good to do a little research into the nutritional needs of the wild birds in your area, and to select a food mixture that will be of most benefit to the species you’re hoping to attract.

In addition, be aware that a backyard feeder tends to attract more birds than would naturally concentrate in an area. If you then stop feeding for any reason, the birds may suffer because there isn’t enough natural food in the area to satisfy all of them. So, if you start feeding, you need to keep feeding, at least until spring arrives and natural food is more plentiful. If you go away on vacation, make sure a friend or neighbor stops by to fill the feeders.”

1000 Flowers for the Planet - # 198 Avoid Bug Zappers

1000 Flowers for the Planet - # 198 Avoid Bug Zappers

I'm letting someone else's voice be heard today. Check out their website for fantastic information on how we can improve the planet. Source: http://www.allaboutwildlife.com/ten-ways-to-help-wildlife

“… avoid using “bug lights” or “bug zappers” to kill mosquitoes and other biting insects outdoors. While these devices use light to attract insects, mosquitoes, blackflies and other blood-seeking pests are not attracted to light; they are instead attracted to heat and carbon dioxide. The result is that bug zappers end up killing thousands of harmless insects—ones that otherwise could have served as food for birds, bats and fish—while doing nothing at all to curb mosquitoes and biting flies.”

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #197 Speak Up

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #197 Speak Up

When you know something is not right, speak up! Have a voice! It is becoming an all too familiar scenario these days to avoid speaking up for fear of being assaulted, whether verbally or physically. We need to learn to speak up about the things that matter, from ensuring the elderly are treated respectfully in public, to preventing war and demanding peace – the issues that affect us all, and those that affect one person in our vicinity. It’s all important stuff.

If you see an old person being abused on public transport, don’t sit there and pretend it isn’t happening – speak up, stop the abuse. If you see someone dumping rubbish in the park, speak up and tell them that’s not acceptable or call the authorities. If you know someone is wrong, speak up. Discuss your point, present a good argument and join forces with like-minded people who are prepared to see justice served and the right thing done.

Let’s ensure we do the right thing by others, and by our planet. Speak up.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #196 Follow Your Road Rules

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #196 Follow Your Road Rules

There’s no point knowing your road rules (Flower #195) if you don’t follow them. For this Flower I need only reiterate what I said before, that poor, anarchical, inconsiderate driving causes accidents, some minor, others serious enough to cause death. Know your country’s road rules, and have the gumption to follow them. This will reduce accidents which lead to human health issues, and vehicles and vehicle parts being sent to landfill, which is a waste of resources all round. The planet could use a little more common sense from all of us.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #195 Know Your Road Rules

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #195 Know Your Road Rules

I cannot vouch for how people drive their vehicles in other countries, nor can I comment on how they drive in most of my own country. Coming from personal experience I can say that Sydney drivers are better than Melbourne drivers, here in Australia. The drivers in my home town are disgraceful. One can rarely sit behind the wheel and leave the driveway without putting one’s life at risk because some idiot has decided to create his/her own rules. Anarchy has no place on the roads. It is not negotiable to make up your own set of rules whilst most other people are working on a different set. People need to know their road rules and stick by them. This is the only way the system can work properly.

How does this help the planet? Poor, anarchical, inconsiderate driving causes accidents, some minor, others serious enough to cause death. There is a human cost in the form of hospital stays, medical investigations and long term health issues which become a drain on the health system and the public purse. There is also the cost in finite resources as vehicles are damaged and need repair, often involving replacement parts. Major accidents create landfill as vehicles are unable to be repaired and are subsequently crushed or put into car graveyards. This is a waste of metals, fuel, glass, foam, and many more resources that are often not recycled. A great deal of this waste could be avoided, in every country in the world, if people simply knew their road rules.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #194 Use Rechargeable Batteries

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #194 Use Rechargeable Batteries

The first choice should be to avoid items that need to be powered by batteries. When you throw batteries into landfill they leach toxic chemicals into the environment. So if you need to use a battery powered item, consider its suitability for rechargeable batteries, which are a bit more expensive as an initial outlay, but due to their multiple use, will be more cost effective over the life of the battery. At the end of your rechargeable batteries’ life it’s important to recycle them and avoid putting them into landfill. Remember, though, that this is only a ‘reduce’ solution, with better options often available.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #193 Install a Low-Flow Shower Head

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #193 Install a Low-Flow Shower Head

Water saving devices are always a good way to help protect one of our most important resources. A standard shower head will use up to 22 litres of water in an 8 minute shower. How many of us stay under the relaxing flow for much longer than that? A low-flow shower head will use a third or even up to a quarter of the amount of water as the standard version. This equates to thousands of litres per person, every year that can be saved. Imagine the financial savings as well.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #192 Put a Brick in the Cistern

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #192 Put a Brick in the Cistern

Sometimes you just can’t afford to replace household items and it’s not always an easy job when they require full-on installation, so if you can’t change your toilet to a dual- or low-flush system (Flower #191), put a brick in the cistern. The water only fills within the cistern to a predetermined level. A brick is a good size to place within the cistern to reduce the amount of water that can be contained, thereby reducing the total litres being used for each flush. The overall savings will be noticeable in reduced water use and costs, and you will be saving the planet’s most precious resource.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #191 Install Dual- or Low-Flush Toilets

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #191 Install Dual- or Low-Flush Toilets

According to information provided by my local council, a full toilet flush can use up to 15 litres of water, whereas a half flush uses less than 6 litres. Most of the time we only need to use a half flush, which would save 60% of water usage if the full flush was always used. This is a substantial difference. Water is our most valuable resource and needs to be used wisely. Install either a dual-flush system and always use the half-flush when you can, or install a low-flush toilet for a similar result. Water savings will also reduce your expenses, put less pressure on dams that support cities and decrease the pressure on our environment to provide us with water supplies.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #190 Have a Seasonal Diet

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #190 Have a Seasonal Diet

This beautiful earth produces everything we need in a timely fashion. This is called the ‘seasons’ and they exist for very good reason. The food we eat grows according to the seasons and provides the right types of foods for each time of the year. Autumn provides foods to warm us a little, such as carrot, sweet potato, onions and garlic. In winter we really want warming so the earth provides us with potato, carrot, onions, nuts, and eggs. With the arrival of spring we can look forward to new growth in the form of lettuce, spinach and parsley. In summer we can focus on cooling foods like strawberries, apple, broccoli, squash and plums.

With today’s modern transportation methods and freezing abilities we are able to access most foods all year round, but only because they have been frozen and stored. These foods do not come to us fresh from the vegie patch, the bush or the vine. That is the price we pay. But if we look at this more closely, we could be paying other prices for our modern convenience and self-spoiling habits. We have robbed ourselves of the joy of eating food in season, fresh from the source, and for a limited time. When we limit our access to something, we make that thing more precious, a genuine treat to be anticipated. Food can become a thing to be looked forward to, something that marks the passing of time like a birthday celebration, something that is savoured in the moment.

Along with all the personal joy a seasonal diet could provide us, the benefits to the planet would include the reduction of food miles, less in transport expenses, less fuel usage, reduced carbon emissions – a healthier planet. Healthy people too.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #189 Support Local Farms

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #189 Support Local Farms

Certainly in Australia farmers are doing it very tough for a multitude of reasons. Perhaps they are doing it tough in other countries too. What better way to help them than by supporting them. Many farmers are selling direct now, either through local markets, road-side stalls or farm shops. We can support them by purchasing their produce whenever possible. By putting our dollar in the hands of local farmers we support our fellow man/woman by allowing them to make a living, creating better relationships between producers and end-users, keeping our cash within the local community, instilling a sense of purpose and value in those that produce the food we eat and promoting dignity and pride within farmers and their families.

When supporting local farms we are able to build relationships within our community, we know exactly where our food is coming from and we reduce food miles. The planet benefits from all of this because it creates happier, healthier people, uses less fuel in transporting goods, uses less packaging which reduces landfill, and ensures that those who actually care for the land remain on it to continue looking after it the way only they know how.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #188 Eat Organic Food

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #188 Eat Organic Food

The first thing you will notice about organic food is the taste. It will fascinate your taste buds! Everything will be a new experience. Fresh, natural, organic foods are wonderful to eat because they have so much more flavour and they are incredibly healthy for you too. Organic foods are grown without the use of chemicals in the form of pesticides and fertilizers. Nor are they produced using industrial solvents, additives or irradiation. Organic foods are grown naturally, using methods our ancestors practiced for millennia – before chemicals became the norm.

The benefits of eating organic food are twofold. Firstly, you are partaking of healthy, natural foods that are good for your body. Secondly, you protect the planet because the farming methods used promote ecological balance, recycle resources – through composting for example – and encourage biodiversity. With no chemicals being put into the soil, your food grows chemical-free. Furthermore, there is no run-off whereby the chemicals are washed through the soil into water systems and on into oceans where they cause damage to marine and bird life, or into dams which is the source of water for human consumption.

We deserve the best food we can have. We deserve healthy food, not full of chemicals. By increasing demand for organically grown produce we can put pressure on farmers to keep our food wholesome, put pressure on corporations to stop interfering with the food supply, and lead healthier lives. Healthier people need less medical attention, which saves governments a lot of money. I know this is a simplified way of looking at it, but hey ... do you want to eat chemicals or good, healthy food?

100 Flowers for the Planet - #187 Double-Glaze Your Windows

100 Flowers for the Planet - #187 Double-Glaze Your Windows

To double glaze your windows means to have two sheets of glass in the one window frame. The panes are separated by a spacer to allow air or gas to be trapped between them, thus creating a thermal barrier, resulting in an interior that is cooler in summer and warmer in winter as heat penetration from the outside and loss from the inside are dramatically reduced. For those living in inner city areas, near railway lines or freeways, an added benefit is noise reduction. Double glazing will keep out the sound of barking dogs, loud neighbours, traffic and those early morning lawn mowers.

Not only will double glazing benefit you and your family in terms of comfort, it can save you money with reduced heating and cooling expenses. This, in turn, benefits the planet by decreasing the use of energy, perhaps in the form of fossil fuels or uranium – non-renewable resources – and decreases carbon emissions. Double glazing your windows is good for your house ... and your home – the planet.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #186 Demand Sustainable Architecture

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #186 Demand Sustainable Architecture

With population constantly on the increase, building new homes is a commonplace activity in my area. What is difficult to watch is the slap-dash way in which homes are being built, with the obvious focus being on price and profits rather than sustainable architecture and healthy living environments. Every time a building is planned it is an opportunity for using our ‘smarts’ – we have a lot of knowledge and skills available to us to be able to build the right type of buildings, in the right way, using the right materials and providing the best living conditions, now. So why aren’t we doing this? Why are all these buildings being thrown together without any consideration of the environment?

Architecture can and should consider the environment in which it will sit. Orientation of a building can be designed to make use of the sun for natural, passive light and heat as well as for best positioning of solar panels. The materials used in construction can be sustainable if we choose those that are easily grown, such as wood, bamboo or straw bales. Recycled materials make another good option. Wool insulation is sustainable. Roofing can be designed for efficient water catchment to improve sustainable living. Having some land available for growing food contributes to sustainable living.

Sustainability is about ensuring we manage our resources in a way that ensures we do not inhibit opportunities for future generations. Sustainable architecture is a major opportunity for us to do this.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #185 Volunteer

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #185 Volunteer

We all belong to communities – school, work, social, hobby or people with needs. Many groups are in need, not only of money, but time and effort. Volunteering creates a win/win situation. The group you assist through your efforts benefits from what you bring to it: physical work, emotional contribution, skills, knowledge, experience. You also gain a lot by making new friends, improving social skills, improving your self-worth and confidence, combating depression, keeping physically active, gaining career experience, learning job skills, having fun, learning something new, improving your local community and a gaining sense of achievement. There is a lot to be said for volunteering. Pick something dear to your heart and join in. Find the time to give to others and the joy you give out will be returned ten-fold.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #184 Fix Leaking Taps

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #184 Fix Leaking Taps

Leaking taps can be one of the most annoying things that can occur at home, driving you crazy with the drip, drip, drip. They are also a waste of the most valuable resource we have – our water. 99% of the world’s water is salt water or located in ice caps and glaciers. We only have access to 1% so we have to make every drop count. A dripping tap can waste up to 20,000 litres of water in one year. Ensure you fix a leaking tap as soon as it occurs and you will not only save our valuable resource but money as well.

1000 Flowers for the Planet #183 Avoid Frozen Foods

1000 Flowers for the Planet #183 Avoid Frozen Foods

There have been many debates over the quality of frozen vegetables versus fresh vegetables, but I’m not approaching this Flower from that perspective. If you want to lead a plastic-free life, or reduce the amount of plastic you bring into the home and almost immediately transfer to landfill, then you need to avoid frozen foods. Frozen foods are packaged in soft or hard plastic, or highly waxed cardboard, and most of this is put straight into the rubbish bin at home to be thrown ‘away’ – remember that place that doesn’t exist in some people’s minds? ‘Away’ is actually called landfill and it could do with a lot less packaging tossed into it. If you avoid frozen foods all together, you will find yourself eating more healthy foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, home made desserts, fresh seafood or (heaven forbid!) home cooked meals. Your diet will probably improve, as will your bank balance. What a nice way to do something good for yourself and the planet.