I've finally (sob, sniffle) completed my Living Smart course - I'm going to miss the great conversations and the intense learning (and the amazing lunches :3)! I've made a lot of positive changes in my lifestyle thanks to the course, but I've still got a way to go yet!

A friend at work pointed out that Todae, an Australian eco products website, has a special going for Bokashi bins at the moment. So last night I purchased the two-bin pack.

Bokashi Bins are an indoor, no-smell solution for composting - great for renters like myself. Having two bins is a good option because it extends the amount of time the beneficial microorganisms have to break down the organic matter before it gets put on the garden. Breaking down organic matter in this way is important - organic matter left to decay in landfill actually produces a heck of a lot of methane.

I am planning to grow my own vegetables, so I'll be using the Bokashi juice on those. Just need to purchase the initial compost mixtures and seeds to plant - I already have two foam esky containers ready to take them! (A good raised garden option for renters.)

Another good way to reduce the methane emissions I am responsible for is to reduce the amount of meat I consume, particularly red meat. I've been doing this for frugality reasons lately anyway. However, I find whenever I cut meat out of my diet I gain weight. I imagine it might be that I eat more rice and bread in the absence of meat. I don't seem to be able to keep weight off when my diet contains wheat and rice. When I cut those foods from my diet in 2007, I lost 10kg in 5 months! Scary how much difference it made. I probably just need to learn more low-carb, meat-free, nutritious recipes...