NOW and then an unassuming person with special skills emerges from our citizenry and, by example, challenges long-held beliefs and practices. These are the prophets among us.
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One such prophet, Michael Mobbs, will be in Bathurst on Tuesday, February 18 at 5pm at The Greens on William to give a public lecture on his innovative home and community-based environmental ideas.
Michael will be encouraging us to make Bathurst a more liveable city.
RECENT ECO NEWS COLUMNS:
In 1996, Michael set out to renovate his Sydney terrace in Chippendale and to make it almost self-sufficient in terms of energy, water and waste disposal.
He and his family have achieved these goals - a journey that very few Australians had previously attempted.
He has demonstrated that most homeowners can do something similar in whole or part over a decade or so. In the process, adopters can significantly decrease many essential household bills.
In March 2015, he and his family of four disconnected their house from the mainstream electricity supply.
He has written two handbooks, Sustainable House and Sustainable Food. He is not preachy, but offers practical advice on living sustainably and comfortably in an urban environment.
Michael has been very willing to share his ideas with his local community and developed a plan to help Chippendale as a community to move towards being a more sustainable suburb, including adopting roadside gardens on verges and ways to catch local stormwater.
Michael also initiated Australia's first Cool Road trial in Sydney working with Sydney City Council and the NSW Government.
The adoption of this idea would significantly reduce summer temperatures in an urban area.
Michael has also researched the importance of urban street and household trees in moderating the impacts of climate change.
In that regard, he will challenge Bathurstians to plant many more street trees not only for their visual value but their ability to air-condition our city on hot days.
Michael leads by example rather than trying to put people down or discredit their current circumstances.
He has also been interviewed by Alan Jones, who heaped praise on him - not a bad effort for an urban greenie with a compassionate heart who disarms critics with action and results.
Please join Greening Bathurst next Tuesday at 5pm as we learn how together we can make Bathurst a More Liveable City. Entry fee will be $5 (pensioners $2 and students free).
