It’s Not Easy Being Green in Technology
April 1, 2008 | 5 Comments
It may not be easy to be green in the current digital world but it’s not impossible either!
When it comes to passion there are 2 things that really strike to the core of who I am - technology and sustainability. Now you might think that in the digital age where computers, phones and other devices are chewing up more and more energy, and being thrown away as soon as a new one comes along, that renewal ideas aren’t compatible with technology. Well I’m here to offer you a few ideas that might just start you down a different path.
Evidence That Change is Afoot
CeBIT Australia is Australasia’s leading Information & Communications Technology (ICT) event each year and this year they are introducing a Clean Tech Expo at the 2008 exhibition in Sydney. As the attention of users, governments and the technology suppliers themselves turn to ways of increasing the sustainability of ICT products this expo will be an interesting event.
Green Technology Expo at CeBIT Australia 2008 provides a specialist showcase of product and service innovations aimed squarely at the Green market. From new energy efficient hardware, to software monitoring systems, to communications and collaboration solutions, the Green Technology Expo at CeBIT Australia 2008 aims to provide a platform for companies to display environment-friendly innovation.
Products
Recharge from the sun
Solio is a portable, renewable power source that draws energy from sunlight, storing it in an internal battery and using it to charge virtually all mobile electronic devices, including any that can connect to a computer via a USB cable (mobile Phones, iPods / MP3 players, PDA, Game Players & Digital Cameras).
It works by absorbing power from the Sun (or a wall socket if it’s cloudy) and stors the energy in the internal battery. It is also best friend in a girl’s handbag as it saves you carrying around multiple chargers for all of your gadgets. One hour of sun gives you enough juice to play your iPod for about an hour. The Solio takes between 8 - 10 hours to charge. When fully charged it can store enough power to charge a typical mobile phone at least two times.
More details from www.todae.com.au
Light Up Via Some Elbow Grease
Not really technology but still a battery buster …the Dynamo Flashlight and Charger uses muscle power from manually cracking the handle and stores it in an inbuilt rechargeable battery. There is no batteries or bulbs required for the life of the torch. Just turn the crank for one minute and get up to 60 minutes of light!
Matched with different connectors, it can be used to charge correspondent mobile phones. 3 min cranking can offer 2-8 min talk time, or 20-50 min stand-by time.
More details from www.todae.com.au
Water Powered Calculator
Unscrew the “antenna” and fill with ordinary tap water, wait a few minutes and the calculator will become usable. The calculator only needs topping up on average once a month, and offers a full range of functions.
It works by simulating a basic battery concept where two electrodes consisting of specially formulated alloys, one positive the other negative, are immersed in water. As soon as water comes in contact with both electrodes an electrochemical reaction takes place resulting in the production of electrical energy. To maintain a constant supply of energy simply refill as the water evaporates.
More details at www.biome.com.au
Services
Green Hosting
Many businesses are looking at finding ways in which they can become more conscious of the resources they consume and those of their suppliers. One of those input sources for most small business is their website and email hosting provider. The Calm Space uses the green hosting offered by Dreamhost. What are your service providers doing to get green?
Resources & Ideas
As Karen posted in The Happening Space recently, last weekend was Earth Hour. Last year it was something that Sydneysiders did but this year all around the world and participated in Earth Hour. Personally I made it into Earth Evening and turned off all the non-essential electric items all night (it was time for a nice candle lit BBQ). What commitment did you make to Earth Hour?
The Electronic Product Environmental Asset Tool can help you discover the most environmentally sound desktop, laptop and monitor
http://epeat.net
You can also check how your current computer performs, using power management tool like LocalCooling for Windows or monitor your CO2 output on an Apple OSX machine using SusiClimate. Both of these tools are free.
Waste Not Want Not
There are an estimated 9.2 million computers in use around Australia. It is expected that this year a further 2.1 million computers will enter the market, while 3 million will reach the end of their life and either be dumped or just gather dust. This amounts to thousands of tonnes of ‘e-waste’ made up of obsolete computers along with broken monitors, used toner and ink cartridges, modems, printers and a range of other peripherals and consumables. Here are a few options for recycling in Australia (if you are elsewhere in the world there is bound to be options nearby).
- If you are looking for ways to recycle your technology use the Recycling Near You Website
- Use the Mobile Muster or Aussie Recycling Program for your unwanted mobile phone
- If your phone is still in working order and you just did an upgrade consider donating your phone to a local charity, women’s shelter or community group (just make sure you wipe all your data off it first).
- When it comes to general waste look at using a service like Reverse Garabage here in Sydney.
[image by Extra Ketchup]
So there you have it … ways of combining digital and sustainable. It’s not easy but it’s definitely not impossible either. So it’s over to you now, what are you going to do to make your technology more sustainable?
7 ways to spice up your writing
April 1, 2008 | 6 Comments
The relationship you have with your writing is just like any other relationship.
Sometimes you need a bit of TLC to freshen things up, keep things sweet or bring the flames of passion back to life.
Here are 7 things you can do to spice up the relationship with your words:
1. Try something new: experiment a bit, try out a different style, some new content, different outlets, a completely new genre. Even small changes can make a difference – try varying the usual length of your sentences and see what happens…
2. Add some heart: sometimes we feel like we’re just writing the same old same old, repeating and recycling other people’s words – or our own. Imagine dipping deep into your heart when you’re starting to write. What words would you bring out?
3. Use all your senses: get stuck into the detail of your experience and write it with all your senses. It’ll get you away from what you think to what you really feel: the taste of an experience, the shivers it sends down the skin on your arm, the music it plays in your heart
4. Take a risk: what is it that you’ve always wanted to write, but haven’t found the words, the courage or the heart to write – until now?
5. Indulge yourself: if you’re tired of writing to please others take some time to write just for you. Get a new journal. Start a private blog. Let your words drip with self-indulgence. Write just whatever you want.
6. Pay attention to the little things: focus on the detail of the place, the person, the emotion you’re writing and you’ll bring it back to life, for you and your reader. Look deep into the heart of the flower picture here – what do you see, imagine, feel? Tell me about the tiniest point of details, that smudge of yellow pollen, the memory of its stain on your finger tips. Write yourself into the detail and lose yourself in the heart of the experience.
7. Remember why it matters: forget your words, your craft, your style. Focus on what you’re writing, why you’re writing, who you’re writing for. Let yourself fall into the emotion you’re trying to evoke, in your reader or in your self: belief, hope, courage, laughter, love. Let the feeling run through your veins. Revel in it. And then, and only then, pick up your pen and write.
photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alesun1/Expressed with Passion
April 1, 2008 | 1 Comment
When expression is infused with passion it is so much easier to take in knowledge, be engrossingly entertained and intrepidly inspired – even if the subject matter holds no interest to you or at first, even the presenter! Think Nigella Lawson, Steve Irwin, Karl Kruszelnicki and Suze Orman.
I offer a selection of their books below that I feel in one way or another would stimulate your passion!
Feast - Nigella Lawson
A feast for the eyes and the senses and now available in a handsome paperback edition, FEAST is a must for every kitchen. In the style and 
tradition of Nigella’s classic HOW TO EAT, it applies those same ‘Pleasures and Principles of Good Food’ to celebrations from feast days to everyday happiness.
Essentially about families and food, about public holidays and private passions, about how to celebrate the small pleasures as well as the big occasions, it includes everything from Christmas, Thanksgiving , Hanukkah and Eid, to Passover and Easter; from Meatless Feasts to Midnight Feasts, from weddings to funerals, from kitchen feasts to kids’ favourites, from Partytime to the ultimate Chocolate Cake Hall of Fame.
Heartwarming, passionate, informed, refreshingly uncomplicated and full of ideas, FEAST is destined to become a classic like HOW TO EAT. Written with the same enjoyment, sensuality and practical awareness, and packed with over 300 recipes and more than 200 photos, FEAST proclaims Nigella’s love of life and great food to celebrate it with.
My Steve - Terry Irwin
Few people have touched the world as Steve Irwin did. My Steve is a deeply personal and moving tribute to a man adored by millions of people who never met him – and cherished by those who did.
In a deeply personal and moving tribute, Steve’s widow Terri celebrates his life, their work, and their close and loving family.
Please Explain - Dr Karl
Please Explain is the latest in Dr Karl’s mega–selling science series – which includes the bestsellers Great Mythconceptions, Bum Breath, Botox and Bubbles and Q and A with Dr K.
Australia’s favourite scientist answers more curly questions on Life, The Universe and Everything. No–one conveys the excitement and wonder of science quite like Dr Karl, and this, his twenty–sixth book, takes us on another thoroughly entertaining exploration of the world around us. If you like your science fun and unpredictable, don’t miss this new addition to the Dr Karl library.
The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom - Suze Orman
From the nuts and bolts of managing money to the deep psychological and even spiritual meaning it has in our lives, this personal-finance book shows everyone, even complete novices, how to take control of their money.
Suze Orman is a certified financial planner, a retirement specialist, and a registered investment advisor. Orman begins with the insight that managing money is far more than a matter of picking the right investments or getting out of credit card debt. To get control of our finances, we must first get control of the feelings about money that arise from our earliest experiences with it.
Next comes Orman’s clear, easy-to-follow advice about the practical importance of understanding and using investments, retirement plans, insurance, and credit. Finally, Orman reveals why true financial freedom lies not in amassing wealth, but in realizing that we are worth far more than our money.
Spiritual Passion
April 1, 2008 | 3 Comments
‘Spiritual’ and ‘Passion’ – on the surface this seems an anathema. For me, Spiritual implies a peaceful place, the serenity of knowing and accepting. Passion conjures up visions of extravagant gestures, vehemently spoken words, an unwillingness to accept the views of others as valid.
Passion is “a very strong emotion, intense sexual love, an outburst of very strong emotion, an intense enthusiasm for something” according to the Oxford English Dictionary. On deeper reflection though, this all seems a narrow definition of passion. Perhaps passion doesn’t need to imply ‘fire and brimstone’? I’m not talking about the ‘Passion of Christ’ or religious suffering here either.
The strong emotion could of course be love, hate, rage, etc. In any case it smacks of a lack of self control, of emotions, thoughts and knowings not being in balance. While there is nothing wrong with intense feelings for someone or something, if you are walking on the Spiritual path, the manifestation of those emotions will probably be less forceful, more accepting – as if they don’t actually need to be shouted out.
There are some very spiritual beings on this earth who have managed to transcend all such extremes and practise loving detachment instead. On the other hand, a total lack of passion about anything seems sad to me.
I have strong feelings for God, my partner and my family but in very different ways! So the outward signs of those passions manifest in totally different, and (I hope) appropriate ways.
Up to each of us I guess to get our balance right, to decide where we sit with passion – feel it, allow it, or transcend it.
Love, peace and wisdom
Help! My Passion Tank’s Run Out of Juice
April 1, 2008 | 7 Comments
That got your attention didn’t it?
I thought it might catch your eye, especially under the Relationship Space heading.
So you’re wondering what I mean by a passion tank?
Is your mind wondering if we’re talking about some faintly kinky bedroom practices? Are we thinking about the batteries in the hand-held electric equipment running out?
Absolutely not!
A passion tank is all about the simple things in life.
You know the tank’s getting low when you’re running out of enthusiasm, out of energy, out of joy for things you normally love and which excite your life ie your passions.
How often do you run out of energy and motivation for:
- Dealing with the kids?
- Bracing your self for one more rejection from a customer?
- Opening the cupboard to find something that is bound to be somewhere OTHER than where it’s meant to be?
- Reading that self-help book that you know will be good for you?
- Scrubbing that sink till it sparkles?
- Seeing the in-laws?
- Clearing the clutter on the desk so you can pay those bills or send that letter?
- Inviting friends over for a meal and all the mess and dishes that go with it?
- Making love to the man of your dreams when sleeping seems much more attractive than his cute bum right now?
I needed only take one look at The Calm Space theme of Passion for the month to know that I simply could NOT write about passion with any authenticity right now. Why?
I’m out of Juice!
Because, you see, I’ve run out of juice.
For those of you who are regular readers of mine on Take A Bite or Apple Tart, you’ll have noticed I’ve been oddly quiet! For me, that’s VERY odd.
I can’t seem to summon the energy for anything much, especially if it requires me to be the initiator. So my drawers are cluttered and overflowing, my pantry is a pigsty, my blog is neglected, and my business is suffering from marketing-deprivation.
And as for poor SweetP, he wonders if he’ll ever see his old sparkly Pink Apple back! And he’s also wondering how come every time he breathes he seems to be in trouble!
So, if you’re familiar with this state of affairs and are currently a juiceless fellow traveller, then let’s explore this together.
Of course you may not be in this place at all. Your Passion Tank might be just fine –RIGHT NOW. But I guarantee you, this advice will be worth remembering, because we all have slumps like this at some time. It’s just a matter of individual degree.
Some Tips for Juiceless Passion Tanks
Return the focus to you
Back in the February Relationship Space, we started exploring the relationship with “your self” and how we nurture self?
… How often do you trust your intuition to lead you to a decision that’s “right for NOW”?
… How are you treating you? Kindly or Harshly? Judgmentally or Compassionately?
… What ONE SIMPLE thing could you do right NOW, as you sit reading this, to improve that most important of your life’s relationships – the one with yourself?
Energy Drainers
Another thing we can do to rejuvenate our juices is to identify our drainers!
The things that drain our energy are the things that we’re tolerating, knowing in some unconscious part of our self that continuing with “putting up with it” is conflicting with our values.
So look around your house, relationships, workplace, and life choices and make a list of things you’re putting up with.
Sharing some examples in the Comments below would certainly help others identify their Drainers, so go ahead and drop us a line or two.
Tell Someone Who Cares
No I don’t mean “here’s 40 cents - call someone who cares” – definitely not! (Don’t you just want to smack people when they say that line?)
I mean tell someone about your slump in passion juice.
Sharing it with someone who’s supportive and would be prepared to share the load a little will certainly make a difference. It will help you realise you’re not weird, just going through one of life’s normal highs and lows. It also might get you someone who’s prepared to give you a mental or physical “leg-up” and you’ll find yourself back on that horse very soon!
(In fact, my wise niece has just given me a pep talk on this very subject.)
So has the “physician” been heeding her own advice? You bet she has! And I’ve already taken my first steps, and have a few more planned.
What about you? What tip might help re-juice your passion tank?
What quiet first step are you going to take to top up the passion in your tank?
Honour Your Passion
April 1, 2008 | 4 Comments
Recently I met a man who told me of his latest passion. He collects photos of doorknobs and knockers. How unusual! He spoke with such passion and obvious joy, telling me of his travels around the world and the knobs and knockers he’d seen and photographed, it was infectious. Together we imagined the stories and history behind these everyday items. They did indeed tell a story of culture and class, wealth and poverty, war and peace. By the end of our conversation I was completely drawn in. I will never again look at these simple objects in the same way. I urged him to share his passion with the world by producing a book. I hope he follows through. Any collection accumulated with passion deserves a place of honour.
Sadly, I see many collections which have not been honoured. From photos to power tools, books to bootees, stamps to shoes. My belief is, if it’s worth keeping, it’s worth honouring.
Think about the collections you have at home. Are they being honoured? Who are you collecting for? Yourself? A loved one? Future generations? Society? Are you passionate about your collection? Are you willing to give it the love it deserves?
Sometimes this means paring down a collection until only the best examples remain. This will showcase your collection by allowing enough time and space to display, preserve or use the items as they deserve. Honouring your collection means storing the objects well. Perhaps you could consider handing them on to the next generation or a museum, to be shared, or for safe keeping. Honouring your precious collection means creating a safe environment for it. Dust and damp are the enemies of all collections. A lack of passion is likewise detrimental. If you are no longer passionate about your collection, it may be time to move on and make room for new passions.
Your Breathing Space for April
April 1, 2008 | 3 Comments
“The biggest thing [Frida] brought into my life was this peacefulness.
I still get passionate about things, but my passion is not so scattered and it’s not needy.
It’s a lot more powerful because it comes with this groundedness and peacefulness.
That it’s about the process, not about the results.”
- Salma Hayek
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What are you Passionate about?
April 1, 2008 | 2 Comments
Welcome to our April edition. It’s hard to believe Easter is over for another year, isn’t it? We had a lovely long weekend, filled with family birthdays and lots of gardening. In April there are a few less family birthdays than there were in March - but since one of them is my youngest son turning 10 I’m guessing we’re still in for a busy month (especially when you add in school holidays).
Here at The Calm Space, we’re all passionate about what we do. I can even say we’re all passionate women - since we are yet to welcome our first male contributor to our pages (but will be, in the very near future!)
So it stands to reason that as passionate women, we’ve got a lot of passion to share around. And that is exactly what we’re doing this month. Sharing the passion…
We don’t expect you to read our magazine in one sitting. In fact, you’d probably be on overload if you did. The Calm Space is designed for you to dip into, any time you’re in need of a break, some inspiration, or a dose of passion. We’re here all month, and most of our Spaces update at the start of each month. So you’ve plenty of time to come back and read at your leisure, leave a comment and get involved in the conversation. Don’t forget to bookmark, or subscribe by RSS or email, so you can easily pop on over when you have a few minutes.
Grab a cuppa, and enjoy the wonderful, passionate content we have for you this month! We’re so glad you’re here.
Káren x
P.S. This month, we’re inviting all our readers to join us by sharing what you’re passionate about. Check out The Challenge Space for more details - we’d love to have your contribution.
Would you describe yourself as passionate?
Would those who love you?
You may be surprised!
To have passion, to have a dream, to have a purpose in life. And there are three components to that purpose, one is to find out who you really are, to discover God, the second is to serve other human beings, because we are here to do that and the third is to express your unique talents and when you are expressing your unique talents you lose track of time.
~ Deepak Chopra
The Need for Passion
People say that calm, joy and peace are what they get most from this online magazine, and from me. And that is great - because that’s the aim (we didn’t call it The Calm Space for nothing:)
But that calm and peaceful nature doesn’t preclude passion. Far from it.
Passion is what gets me out of bed each morning.
Our passion for life is what gives life its colour. It turns a grey day into a technicolour dreamcoat…
Being passionate about your life, and what you do every day, can make all the difference to your satisfaction, fulfillment and happiness. Let’s look at a few ways passion can help you throw off those covers and start your day well…
What gets you out of bed every day?
Do you jump out of bed, gleeful and eager for what the day has in store for you? Would you like to do that every day?
Whilst a good night’s sleep is obviously a prerequisite, it isn’t only about feeling tired versus refreshed. It’s about how we perceive what is going to happen today.
When you’re passionate about the work you do, about the contribution you make to the lives of others, your need for sleep drops dramatically.
When you’re newly in love, life takes on a wonderful glow and getting up each day is effortless.
When exercise or meditation is the way you start your day - getting out of bed just happens.
When you have a loving relationship with your spouse, children, family and good friends, your life is filled with colour, movement and light.
If where you live is a place you love, it’s that much easier to get up right in the morning.
If you live without fear, and always have something to be thankful for - this certainly helps to toss the doona back and jump out of bed.
Passion is energy. It is what energises us and powers our days. It is necessary fuel for a healthy mind just as good food, clean water and exercise are vital for the health of our body. We think of the heart when we think of being passionate, but it takes our head and heart, our body and soul to drive our passions.
When our lust for life wanes, things lose their lustre - the shine of life pales and all blends to grey. Working is a chore, rather than a pleasure. Time drags.
What turns you on?
Are you one of those lucky people that loves what you do? You cannot wait to get up and get into your ‘work’ each day, because you’re energised and invigorated by what you do? That’s passion.
When I spend time with my girlfriends, I come away brim full of new ideas, motivated to get in and get something done. They fire me up! Do you have friends like that? That’s passion.
When you lose track of time, lost in the pleasure of doing something you love. That’s passion.
Have you watched a young child lately? See how they spring out of bed each morning, eager to learn and grow and experience all the wonders of life (much to our horror at 5am!) - notice how they get out of bed with a smile on their face? That’s passion.
Do you think about the love of your life when you’re not with him? Do you really feel alive every moment you spend together? That’s passion.
Flat Battery?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could plug ourselves in and recharge our batteries like we recharge our mobile phones?
Or attach a little solar panel to the top of our heads and fill up with fire and passion as we take a walk in the sunshine…
It isn’t quite that easy, but as our innate nature is to be fully charged and springing out of bed just like those little children (definitely not like teenagers), there is hope for us all.
Grab a notebook or open up a new file on your computer. Write a heading that tantalises you. Something like What turns me on, or What gets me out of bed in the morning… or even Passionate Plug-ins (ok, maybe not that last one…) It can be as corny or risky as you like - you’re the only one who is going to see it.
Now, make a list of what recharges you. They can be little, petty things - like having a clean desk. They can be huge, like working to solve world hunger. And there will be all the things in between.
A long, steamy bubble bath. Pruning the rose bushes. Walking along the seashore. Baking a delicious batch of banana and butterscotch muffins. Visiting an art gallery or antique store. Playing Beethoven or Queen or AC/DC - loud. Shopping for new shoes. Learning italian. Playing fetch with the dog. Hiking the Kokoda Trail. A night in with a good book. A night out with the girls. A good movie. Tango. Sailing around the world. Writing glorious words to inspire, heal or amuse. Entertaining good friends. A nice pen and a beautiful notebook. Gratitude. Lust. Fingerpainting. Reading to your children or someone else’s. Love.
Hold onto your list, add to it often.
Use it as a resource when your batteries feel a little low.
Top up regularly and you need never go flat.
What’s keeping your batteries full? Come share with us! This month, we’re sharing our passions, secret or otherwise. What is it that really fires you up? Pop on over to The Challenge Space to find out how you can get involved!
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Current Articles
- Stay Tuned to Your Eco Behaviour
- Listening to the melody of life
- Your Breathing Space for August
- Tune In and Turn On … Online
- Relationship Rescue the Low Tech Way
- Sound Space - Brendan Maclean
- Tuning in to our planet and ourselves
- Spiritual Tuning In
- What Is Your Stuff Telling You?
- Are You Tuned In To The Power Of Your Own Words?
- This month we’re tuning in…
Areas of Interest
- Breathing Space
- Challenge Space
- Digital Space
- Happening Space
- Money Space
- Music Space
- Organising Space
- Reading Space
- Relationship Space
- Serenity Space
- Spa Space
- Spiritual Space
- Sustainability Space
- The Space
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