Michael Mobbs
Cucumber farming in the street

Story by two US interns, Michael Miniotas and Will Brandt, who are growing cucumbers in a Sydney street.

Cucumber farming in the street
Michael Mobbs
Make a more natural nature strip

Here’s a simple, low cost , low tech design which keeps rain water where it falls to make a self-watering nature strip.

Let’s put nature into the ‘nature’ strips of our cities. It’s easy.

Make a more natural nature strip
Michael Mobbs
23 years off grid for water in the centre of ...

What does the data tell us about living off-grid for water in the heart of Sydney?

Analysis of water quantity by an American intern in Sydney, Jillian Meehan.

23 years off grid for water in the centre of Sydney - what the data says
Michael Mobbs
Aircon for on and off-grid houses

Here’s how to have aircon and be on or offgrid for electricity. Cool!

Aircon for on and off-grid houses

30 years off grid in the city

30 years off grid in the city

In 1996, three decades ago this year, I disconnected my city house from town water, town sewer, town stormwater and installed solar panels.

Perhaps the first in a city. But being ‘first’ had nothing to do with it, except that made it harder to get approvals, get my sketches turned into drawings (designers, architects, engineers wanted nothing to do with it). I did it for two reasons; one, in a child-like way because everyone said, “You can’t do that”, so I appreciate the spur to action they gave me. And, because I was tired of my inner voice saying you’re polluting the ocean, harbour and air and knew that only by taking action could I free myself from that lack of integrity in myself.

The streets we call home

The streets we call home

“Streets, we live on them, we walk on them, but how do they help us understand a city?  They’re often seen as just a path, but streets tell us so much more than that.“

Kiersten Engstrom, intern with Sustainable House, compares the streets of Chippendale, Sydney, Australia where she is interning with the streets of her home town University and city, Pittsburgh, US.

Emergency Water for Wildlife

Emergency Water for Wildlife

“Heatwaves and drought are threatening the survival of wildlife at Broken Hill's Imperial Lakes Nature Park. Water is disappearing fast as summer temperatures soar. Very soon, the lakes will be dry, and animals that depend on this critical water will perish. The purchase of water is desperately needed now to save the wildlife.“

Simon Molesworth, Broken Hill Landcare

Inspirational Sydney City Council Gardening Policy

Inspirational Sydney City Council Gardening Policy

“All of this has been possible because of Sydney City Council’s gardening policy, which allows residents to garden on the footpath without going through a long approval process. It’s a practical policy that gives people, like us, the freedom to improve their streets and use small public spaces for growing sustainable food and plants.“

Straw house

Straw house

“Outback Australia can sometimes be a difficult place to call home – it’s far from city services, it’s scorching hot in summer months, and can wear down spirits when droughts take hold. It is also a challenging place to create a home when tradies are few and far between and suppliers don’t ship that far inland.“ Anika Molesworth