Advice I've heard a number of times in regards to drinking bottled water is that switching brands every couple of months is a good idea. Apparently the chemical and mineral content of bottled water varies between bottlers, and the water source, so drinking a variety of products is helpful in balancing these naturally occurring "additives" out. It seems additives of a different kind have been found in some brands of ... Read full entry

I'm sure we could all do more to reduce water uasge, whether we be an individual or a corporation, but news that troubled coffee chain Starbucks leaves a tap running all day in all its stores must make anyone trying to conserve water gasp in bewilderment. Starbucks leaves a tap running all day in each of its 23 Australian stores. It's called a "dipper well" and is in the ... Read full entry

A washing that uses just one cup of water per cycle has been invented by a professor at the University of Leeds. Into the mix, along with regular washing detergent, are 20kg of plastic chips that "pound" clothes clean. Professor Stephen Burkinshaw, who invented the machine - which uses one cup of water each cycle - said: "The performance of the Xeros process in cleaning clothes has been quite ... Read full entry

Lots of water "is little benefit" Drinking several litres of water each day has, contrary to what we've been led to believe in recent years, been found to play no significant part in improving health. That doesn't necessarily mean you should reduce your consumption however. A scientific review by the University of Pennsylvania said some people, such as athletes, may need to drink a lot. But they found little evidence that ... Read full entry

Passport control were dozing down at Double Bay the other day, so I managed to slip through the cordons, have a look around, and also grab some photos! Also known as Double Pay given the area's affluence, it must be home to a fair proportion of Sydney's leisure boats and yachts. Affluence indeed. Anyway check ... Read full entry

In the last few weeks this part of Australia has been inundated with storms and rain, which, for a change, has fallen near the water storage dams. This hasn't always been the case, and previous heavy rains have missed the catchment areas. Where the dams were previously at less than 40 per cent capacity, they are now up to ... Read full entry