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Michael Mobbs' Sustainable House

Home
My House
My journey
Electricity
Water
Wastewater
The Kitchen
Products & Services
Low bills living
Services
Book a talk
Off-grid projects
Off-grid fact sheets
Tours
General Public Tours
Model of my house at the Powerhouse Museum
Blog
About
Contact me
Media
Leaky drains and kerbside gardens
Food
21 June 2019
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
2 April 2019
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
6 February 2019
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
Michael Mobbs
20 May 2025

Trial proves Compostable Alt cups DO compost

Michael Mobbs
20 May 2025
Trial proves Compostable Alt cups DO compost

After six weeks the Compostalle Alt take away cups were composted

Tagged: compost, Climate action, Coolseaats, Recycling

Comment
Michael Mobbs
24 April 2025

A window of hope

Michael Mobbs
24 April 2025
A window of hope

Seven days from planting seeds to plants - Autumn in Sydney, Australia

Tagged: Solutions, Garden design, Climate action, Planting

Comment
Michael Mobbs
6 April 2025

Compostable coffee cups trial

Michael Mobbs
6 April 2025
Compostable coffee cups trial

“Imagine a world where you could put your coffee cup in your home composter and help to continue to grow soil for your garden and create a more sustainable planet and way of life?”

Lucy Bamford describes the trial she and fellow interns are running.

Tagged: Compost Recycling Soil coolseat, compost, Solutions

Comment
Michael Mobbs
24 March 2025

Melbourne City Council Compost Trial Underway

Michael Mobbs
24 March 2025
Melbourne City Council Compost Trial Underway

Melbourne City Council Compost Trial Underway: A Partnership with Michael Mobbs, Coolseats and Zoe Wang - called, Worms at Work

Tagged: Compost Recycling Soil coolseat, compost, Soil, Garden design

1 Comment
Michael Mobbs
3 March 2025

Rat Proofing My Gardening

Michael Mobbs
3 March 2025
Rat Proofing My Gardening

Maclaine, an intern with Sustainable House, is trialling how to deter rats from compost

Tagged: Compost, Solutions

1 Comment
Michael Mobbs
1 March 2025

Notre Dame universities kill communities

Michael Mobbs
1 March 2025
Notre Dame universities kill communities

Its about money and privilege. Notre Dame universities buy land and buildings using tax-free, rates free-privileges to out-compete, out-bid private developers. In the properties they create rivers of tax-free religious-based education.

Tagged: Garbage

1 Comment
Michael Mobbs
17 February 2025

Lucy composting her food waste in the street

Michael Mobbs
17 February 2025
Lucy composting her food waste in the street

Lucy puts her food waste into a coolseat on the footpath in Chippendale, NSW, Australia

Tagged: Food waste, Coolseaats, Streetgarden

3 Comments
Michael Mobbs
15 February 2025

More and more and more

Michael Mobbs
15 February 2025
More and more and more

“This is truly a radical and very necessary new history of energy. A rich, unnerving, funny and utterly compelling account, it destabilizes our understanding again and again.” David Edgerton, author of The Shock of the Old

Tagged: Energy, Green energy, Climate action

3 Comments
Michael Mobbs
12 February 2025

I cannot wash, flush or throw away my carbon pollution

Michael Mobbs
12 February 2025
I cannot wash, flush or throw away my carbon pollution

Interning in Sydney, Australia, my hands and life are full of . . . water, compost, food waste . . . learning by doing and having fun at the same time - my story, by Lucy Bamford

Tagged: Rain, Rainwater, compost, Climate

4 Comments
Michael Mobbs
3 December 2024

How to cool a street

Michael Mobbs
3 December 2024
How to cool a street

Councils, residents can easily, cheaply, simply cool a street - here’s how

Tagged: Cooling, Water, Rainwater, Rate rebate, Stormwater

2 Comments
Michael Mobbs
27 November 2024

Love letters to worms

Michael Mobbs
27 November 2024
Love letters to worms

I wrote a love letter to worms in a coolseat . . . Lauren Ryan’s letter . . .

Tagged: Truth, compost

Comment
Michael Mobbs
27 November 2024

Finding my stolen focus

Michael Mobbs
27 November 2024
Finding my stolen focus

“When I walk around the city of Sydney what do I notice? Is it tall buildings, cars rushing by, people, people talking?“

Tagged: Energy, Solutions, Community, Village life

Comment
Michael Mobbs
21 November 2024

Is The Coolseat Price Right for You?

Michael Mobbs
21 November 2024
Is The Coolseat Price Right for You?

“As I continue my studies in sustainable product business management through my internship with Michael Mobbs, helping him launch Coolseats to the market, I've learned how challenging it can be to find the perfect price for a product. “ Lauren Ryan’s story . . .

Tagged: coolseats, Food waste, compost, Efficiency, Energy, Green energy

Comment
Michael Mobbs
12 November 2024

Harvesting compost juice

Michael Mobbs
12 November 2024
Harvesting compost juice

Drink in this blog by Lauren Ryan showing how to harvest compost juice

Tagged: Compost Recycling Soil coolseat, compost, Food waste, Food

Comment
Michael Mobbs
10 November 2024

How much garbage in Chippendale, Australia?

Michael Mobbs
10 November 2024
How much garbage in Chippendale, Australia?

When Elizabeth Barret Browning asked in the opening lines of her sonnet, “How do I love thee?” she answered, “Let me count the ways”.

Tagged: Garbage, Incentives, Climate action, Recycling, Food, Food waste, Efficiency

Comment
Michael Mobbs
30 October 2024

What's wrong when I talk about Earth's environment?

Michael Mobbs
30 October 2024
What's wrong when I talk about Earth's environment?

Lauren in Sydney, Australia

Tagged: Energy, Efficiency, Global warming, Planting

1 Comment
Michael Mobbs
12 September 2024

Comparing Compost Bin Designs

Michael Mobbs
12 September 2024
Comparing Compost Bin Designs

"As outsiders getting introduced to the world of composting it has been interesting to work with different forms of composting bins. We have noticed some are easier to work with than others and wanted to share our comparisons."

Tagged: compost, Garden design, Streetgarden

Comment
Michael Mobbs
6 September 2024

Coolseats and Upsoil Collective win $90k Melbourne Council project prize

Michael Mobbs
6 September 2024
Coolseats and Upsoil Collective win $90k Melbourne Council project prize

Coolseats and Upsoil Collective have won the Melbourne City Council $90k project prize - watch the 4 minute pitch here

Tagged: Coolseaats, Compost Recycling Soil coolseat, Climate action, Cooling, Comp

2 Comments
Michael Mobbs
20 August 2024

Monitoring compost to get real-time data

Michael Mobbs
20 August 2024
Monitoring compost to get real-time data

"The transition from the very warm, tropical weather in Hawai’i to the winter here in Sydney has been a jarring experience, to say the least. However, I have only been here for about a month and can tell you I rightfully made a great decision coming to Sydney."

Tagged: Data, Climate action, compost, Community

2 Comments
Michael Mobbs
7 August 2024

Countdown to Melbourne pitch night

Michael Mobbs
7 August 2024
Countdown to Melbourne pitch night

Public voting opens at 7 pm Thursday 15 August 2024 for three finalists in Melbourne City Council’s Fishermans Bend Challenge - anyone in or outside the pitch room may vote just by clicking the pitch images

Tagged: Coolseaats, Compost Recycling Soil coolseat, Climate action, Recycling

Comment
Older Posts
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Use this site to find and follow off-grid projects

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  • Michael Mobbs
    RT @jo_noCSG: One point >>> never take a gas co CEO’s word for anything - everything mentioned here needs a good ol’ fact check… https://t.co/43efbaqdoK
    18 May 2023, 6:26 pm
  • Michael Mobbs
    RT @openpoliticsAU: The new Member for Aston @MaryDoyleMP has disclosed her interests. The main ones are a house, mortgage and Camry.… https://t.co/QlS7nzCQlz
    18 May 2023, 6:25 pm
  • Michael Mobbs
    RT @FreeDanDuggan: This photo was taken on the morning that NSW #PoliticalPrisoner #FreeDanDuggan was suddenly #kidnapped at #Orange o… https://t.co/JqEbc4Yv8O
    18 May 2023, 6:25 pm

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Sustainable House, 58 Myrtle St, Chippendale, NSW, 2008, Australia

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