Washing Up!

We hand-wash our dishes rather than use a dishwasher for many reasons:

• Dishwashers are too destructive on vintage dishes and cutlery
• It's another machine to breakdown or need maintenance
• I don't like the chemicals in the dishwasher detergents

I have lots of arguments with people about how environmentally friendly dishwashers are.  I maintain the actual creation of a machine, the waste when they are disposed of and the harsh chemicals going into our water system all outweigh the fact that they often use less water than hand washing. 

tough Aussies

Our neighbours have their airconditioning on. It's very old and noisy, but that's not my issue. It's airconditioning at all. Ok, they have a baby and their house is small and has had the verandah closed in, as well as a whole heap of windows sealed off for unknown reasons. They have a deck and it's dark now - the temperature has dropped.

It has only been one day of heat and humidity. Why can't people live in the real world? I'm not saying no airconditioning ever - just that when it's killing the planet you live on, that maybe you should ration it for those really hot days or for people who really can't survive without it and until we wake up - for buildings that don't have windows. Not just people who are a bit hot, who have other alternatives as well. All the traditional ones - like going outside in the rain, eating frozen grapes and using water-pistols. It seriously irks me that that the society I live in pulls up the image of the 'tough Australian' at any excuse, but they can't even cope with one day in their own climate - in the shade even.