Author Archives

Writer & blogger on environmental & social sustainability issues. It'll take a lot more than ten easy steps to save the planet, so let's start today.

• #PsychoLegalBalance – International Women’s Day 2019

  By Pip Marks on March 7, 2019 • ( 3 )

  

  We should be striving for balance in all aspects of our work and home life. When working with victims of domestic & gender violence, this might involve thinking more about the psychological trauma suffered by clients – as shown by organisations like Jananeethi in southern India

• The sanitation gap in developed countries – International Women’s Day 2017

  By Pip Marks on March 8, 2017 • ( 2 )

  

  Last December, I discovered how easily even women managers can ignore the most basic needs of female workers. This revelation came to light at a seminar about ‘Women in the Environmental Profession’ run by the Environment Institute of Australia and… Read More ›

• David Hockney’s digital drawings: To do, not to do, or to undo

  By Pip Marks on December 28, 2016 • ( 4 )

  

  I often wish I had an ‘undo’ button in real life, not just on my computer.  This feeling generally hits me after moving heavy furniture – when it looked better beforehand – or when I’ve been a bit too vicious… Read More ›

• All I wanted for Christmas was some concrete & a few rocks

  By Pip Marks on December 21, 2016 • ( 9 )

  

  A pile of concrete greeted me on my return after a recent holiday.  When I saw my neighbour a few days later, he asked, “Are you happy with the concrete?” What he really meant was, “Were you serious when you… Read More ›

• Should the tampon tax be abolished?

  By Pip Marks on October 13, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  Originally posted on Sustainability soapbox:
  Apologies for an extended period of radio silence. I’ve been writing a novel and short stories that use storytelling to educate readers about environmental and social issues, such as homelessness and menstruation. (Does every blogger…

• Is Pokémon Go giving us a glimpse of a healthier happier future? 

  By Pip Marks on August 4, 2016 • ( 12 )

  

  A few weeks ago, the world divided into two groups: People addicted to chasing small fictional creatures around cities Luddites (like me) wondering what all the fuss is about. Whichever group you belong to, there’s no denying the incredible success… Read More ›

• Should the tampon tax be abolished?

  By Pip Marks on July 27, 2016 • ( 4 )

  

  Apologies for an extended period of radio silence. I’ve been writing a novel and short stories that use storytelling to educate readers about environmental and social issues, such as homelessness and menstruation. (Does every blogger aspire to being a published… Read More ›

• How do you deal with relentless global bad news?

  By Pip Marks on July 21, 2016 • ( 7 )

  

  A couple of years ago, I published a post about the horror movie marathon in which we’re all taking part (here). I hadn’t thought about that post for ages, until I read an article this week entitled ‘How to stay happy when the sky is… Read More ›

• Do you take good menstrual hygiene for granted?

  By Pip Marks on May 28, 2016 • ( 2 )

  

  Lots of great articles have been published for Menstrual Hygiene Day (28 May) to raise awareness of the challenges faced by many women in managing their periods around the world. I was particularly impressed by a story reported by Kimberly Gillan. Would… Read More ›

• A different type of space that can change your life (Rites of Passage Part 1)

  By Pip Marks on March 18, 2016 • ( 2 )

  

  I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few decades studying how we design, experience and use spaces. This includes completing a Planning & Design degree that covered everything from contemporary and ancient buildings and gardens to whole suburbs, cities,… Read More ›

• Some of the best things in life are free (Be tempted by salinity & nuclear power art)

  By Pip Marks on February 23, 2016 • ( 3 )

  

  I never cease to be amazed by the range of high quality exhibitions, talks and other events on offer in Canberra. Not bad for a big country town (that just happens to also be a national capital). In particular, there are… Read More ›

• Writers come out of the romance closet for Valentine’s Day

  By Pip Marks on February 19, 2016 • ( 5 )

  

  Last Saturday, I attended a screening of a film about romance writing called ‘Love between the covers’ at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre. (You can watch the trailer and learn more about the film – here.) Beforehand, we had the opportunity to ask some published Canberra… Read More ›

• Serendipity (Part 2) – What role can serendipity play in enhancing environmental and social sustainability?

  By Pip Marks on February 12, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  Anyone can find a few clues, but not everyone can solve a crime Recognising an opportunity or uncovering a new piece of information is only the first step in the journey. You also need to appreciate its significance and be willing… Read More ›

• Serendipity (Part 1) – Why are some people luckier than others?

  By Pip Marks on February 7, 2016 • ( 2 )

  

  Are you a lucky person? Do ideas and opportunities just seem to jump into your lap? Or do things like that only happen to other people? Sometimes it’s worth taking a chance When Carmel won a free trip for two… Read More ›

• Celebrate, respect, remember & sing out loud

  By Pip Marks on January 26, 2016 • ( 5 )

  

  It’s Australia Day again (or Straya Day as we say in the local dialect), sparking the inevitable debates about whether this is a day of celebration or shame. We’re also being encouraged to participate in familiar discussions about our national anthem, our flag,… Read More ›

• How hungry would you have to be?

  By Pip Marks on January 20, 2016 • ( 4 )

  

  I’ve been trying my hand at fiction lately and am very excited about winning the YWCA Canberra Frugal Feast Writing Prize. You can read my short story about eating and farming insects at the ACT Writers Centre Blog (here – http://actwritersblog.com/2016/01/11/how-hungry/).* The content… Read More ›

• Not simply ‘community art’ – Glimpse the world through the eyes of artists with disabilities & experience of mental illness

  By Pip Marks on October 26, 2015 • ( 6 )

  

  I was lucky enough to see the 2015 Connected Art Exhibition in Melbourne last week. It’s finished now but I’ve prepared a short post so more people get to appreciate its creativity and the artists’ insightful comments about their images. (They were on display in the… Read More ›

• Superficial – Don’t judge these Italian cakes by their looks

  By Pip Marks on August 27, 2015 • ( 7 )

  

  The sign in this food store near the Campo De’ Fiori in Rome reads ‘Ugly but good’. I regret not tasting one of these cakes while I was there. It’s great that some suppliers are now taking a similar approach with odd-shaped… Read More ›

• Superstition – Eye spy something creepy in Noto, Sicily

  By Pip Marks on August 26, 2015 • ( 4 )

  

  Is this a talisman to ward off the ‘evil eye’ or is it the Freemason symbol that reminds us that God sees all? Is there a connection between the two? I can’t wait to read Veronica Di Grigoli’s latest book, How to Protect Yourself… Read More ›

• Superlatives – Does this ‘Organum Maximum’ in Sicily live up to its name?

  By Pip Marks on August 25, 2015 • ( 7 )

  

  This photo/story challenge seemed like a good opportunity to find out the story behind the name of the organ in the Duomo di San Giorgio at Ragusa Ibla, Sicily. (Inspector Montalbano fans would probably recognise the Duomo as it regularly features in episodes… Read More ›

• Super Pippo to the rescue – Make the most of your superpowers

  By Pip Marks on August 24, 2015 • ( 4 )

  

  I couldn’t resist taking a photo of Goofy sitting in a Palermo shop window. Italians call this adorable but frustrating Disney character ‘Pippo’. In addition to sharing similar names, I have a real soft spot for Pippo as he is perennially distracted and disaster-prone – but somehow everything… Read More ›

• Supercibo – Superfood Italian-style

  By Pip Marks on August 23, 2015 • ( 3 )

  

  I have no idea if this cafe in Trastevere, Rome sells healthy ‘superfood’ or unhealthy ‘fastfood’ as it was closed. I suspect the latter given the speed at which Superman appears to be shovelling down this mountain of (lentil?) burgers. ************* This is… Read More ›

• Rags to rhinestones – Dolly Parton’s anti-bullying coat & free books for children

  By Pip Marks on July 31, 2015 • ( 12 )

  

  Has anyone ever made fun of you? Or have you watched someone being bullied and did nothing to help? Perhaps you were the one laughing at a person who was ‘different’? If your answer is yes, then you’re not alone…. Read More ›

• Will nature survive long enough to reach its full potential?

  By Pip Marks on June 13, 2015 • ( 6 )

  

  I recently visited the Ian Potter Museum of Art at the University of Melbourne and was prompted to look beyond the impact of climate change on humans and to consider the plight of nature itself. On the top floor was the Nature/Revelation exhibition that forms part of the… Read More ›

• Why we still need to stop & draw the roses

  By Pip Marks on May 20, 2015 • ( 5 )

  

  I recently discovered a fantastic new app called ‘Waterlogue’ that can turn photos into really good watercolour paintings. It’s a bargain for only a couple of dollars!* (Here’s a picture using Waterlogue that I prepared earlier of my neighbour’s dog and her favourite… Read More ›

• Strine (Part 4) – Aussie racism, the economy & picking up wogs

  By Pip Marks on April 13, 2015 • ( 8 )

  

  I’ve been feeling quite ashamed of being an Australian lately – especially when I watch documentaries by Simon Reeves and other TV presenters that discuss our country’s past and present treatment of indigenous Australians and refugees. For a country that prides itself on… Read More ›

• Using warm drinks to break the ice

  By Pip Marks on April 5, 2015 • ( 6 )

  

  Most of us are aware that drinking alcohol helps to encourage interaction between strangers, but did you know that any beverage that makes you feel ‘warm’ inside can have a similar effect? This is because we generally equate ‘warmth’ with emotions like affection, love and comfort. As… Read More ›

• Eco-friendly, but not necessarily budget-friendly, business cards

  By Pip Marks on March 20, 2015 • ( 10 )

  

  I just ordered new business cards with my name, twitter ‘handle’ and website address as I often want to give these to people without the rest of my contact details. I chose a company that advertises ‘budget-friendly’ cards – but had to… Read More ›

• Explore the Elements: Thomas Cook Photography Competition

  By Pip Marks on March 15, 2015 • ( 5 )

  

  Thomas Cook is running a photography competition. The rules are simple: post four photographs, each one representing the four elements of earth, air, fire and water. Click here for Competition Details. My blogger nominations are listed below – but hurry as the… Read More ›

• Wartime austerity – a time when recycling was not optional

  By Pip Marks on March 4, 2015 • ( 8 )

  

  I’ve just finished reading about Australia, Singapore and the Malay Peninsula during the Second World War in a novel called ‘To Love a Sunburnt Country’.(1) The story provided a fascinating insight into life at the time and how Australians responded when war… Read More ›

• It will take power & passion to save the planet

  By Pip Marks on February 25, 2015 • ( 4 )

  

  Yesterday I attended the Krebs Lecture 2015 at the University of Canberra given by Peter Garrett AM on the environment, climate change and ‘five simple steps we can take to save the hand that feeds us – our planet’.* Garrett’s credentials include former… Read More ›

• Is it April Fools’ Year?

  By Pip Marks on February 21, 2015 • ( 2 )

  

  A few times this week I have found myself checking that the date wasn’t April 1. ************ The first was when it was reported that Australia is considering scaling back or postponing the national census that has been conducted every… Read More ›

• The Great Aussie Dialect (Part 3) – Does it matter if we talk Strine?

  By Pip Marks on February 18, 2015 • ( 2 )

  

  Among other things, this series of posts aimed to back up the claim that our contemporary Australian dialect, Strine, is one of the world’s most advanced English dialects. (This is Part 3. Parts 1 and 2 are here & here.) It also set out to demonstrate… Read More ›

• The Great Aussie Dialect – History & humour in action (Part 2)

  By Pip Marks on January 26, 2015 • ( 3 )

  

  Note: This is Part 2 of my post about the contemporary Australian dialect (‘Strine’) – one of the world’s most advanced English dialects! Make sure you read Part 1 first – here. The long & short of it To make up for adding extra… Read More ›

• The Great Aussie Dialect – humour & history in action (Part 1)

  By Pip Marks on January 25, 2015 • ( 9 )

  

  I recently stumbled upon an interesting site (www.convictcreations.com) claiming that the contemporary Australian dialect (‘Strine’) is “one of the world’s most advanced English dialects.” The author went on to explain that speakers of Strine can understand kiwis (New Zealanders), poms (Brits), yanks (Americans – no matter which… Read More ›

• Is IKEA sustainable or evil? No ikea!

  By Pip Marks on January 14, 2015 • ( 5 )

  

  The holidays are great for relaxing with the sort of books that you don’t normally read. One of my choices this Christmas was ‘Horrorstör‘ by Grady Hendrix. The novel opens with a stench of zombies (‘the barely living dead’) that are… Read More ›

• New Year reflections on time, life & the universe

  By Pip Marks on December 29, 2014 • ( 4 )

  

  I’ve just been reading that the chances of the universe (and the planet that we call home) having been formed by a massive number of very specific random events are so slight that even die-hard atheists are questioning their (lack of) belief…. Read More ›

• Did Santa just drive down my street on the back of a ute?

  By Pip Marks on December 25, 2014 • ( 2 )

  

  Originally posted on Sustainability soapbox:
  A good friend of mine, Brendo, donates his time each December to spread Christmas cheer and glad tidings across the region. He bolts an armchair and two dining room chairs to the tray of a…

• We supersize other things, so why not snow domes?

  By Pip Marks on December 19, 2014 • ( 2 )

  

  ☆ If what goes up, must come down – does it then follow that what gets smaller, must become bigger again? (like mobile phones) And what grows large, must eventually shrink? (like this huge inflatable Christmas snow dome when it is unplugged)… Read More ›

• Can chopsticks help to solve global obesity?

  By Pip Marks on December 15, 2014 • ( 7 )

  

  The other day I ordered ‘Fuh’ in a vietnamese restaurant. As delicious as it was, I struggled to eat this broth (full of beef slices, noodles, bean shoots and thai basil) with only a spoon and a pair of chopsticks. It suddenly… Read More ›

• Our planet is not a magic pudding

  By Pip Marks on December 3, 2014 • ( 13 )

  

  ‘The Magic Pudding’ is a classic Australian children’s book that was written and illustrated by Norman Lindsay – supposedly as an alternative to stories about fairies. It was first published in 1918 and tells the story of the Noble Society of Pudding… Read More ›

• Press here for coffee?

  By Pip Marks on December 1, 2014 • ( 5 )

  

  Same tram stop sign that played the Messiah a few weeks ago (here). I keep pressing the sign and hoping for a coffee…

• How did you find people before phone books & social media?

  By Pip Marks on November 30, 2014 • ( 6 )

  

  In Victoria (Australia), you probably would have used a Sands & McDougall Directory to find people in the days before telephone directories & the Internet. These impressive publications were compiled annually between 1857 and 1974 and listed the occupants at every business and residence,… Read More ›

• If you want to stand out or confuse insects, wear Gaultier stripes

  By Pip Marks on November 18, 2014 • ( 3 )

  

  A major theme running through the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition in Melbourne is horizontal blue and white stripes. They are everywhere – on the walls, on the clothes, and in the video clips of catwalks. And in this painted photograph by… Read More ›

• Slavery, human trafficking & exploitation in Australia today (Not sweet at all – Part 2)

  By Pip Marks on November 16, 2014 • ( 4 )

  

  In my last post (here), I discussed the trafficking and exploitation of South Sea Islanders (‘sugar slaves’) in northern Australia and the discrimination that these workers and their families faced until only a few decades ago. Unfortunately, practices such as slavery and human trafficking… Read More ›

• Not sweet at all – Australia’s sugar slaves (Part 1)

  By Pip Marks on November 13, 2014 • ( 6 )

  

  Many Australians are unaware of the key role that ‘sugar slaves’ played in establishing the Australian sugar industry that is now worth around $1.5 – $2.5 billion to our country’s economy. Throughout the last half of the 19th Century, South Sea Islanders (so-called ‘kanakas’) cleared the bush and… Read More ›

• Behold! Music at a tram stop!

  By Pip Marks on November 11, 2014 • ( 3 )

  

  The same tram stop that I wrote about a few weeks ago (here) is now home to a new installation – an interactive ad promoting performances of the Messiah next month. While you wait for your tram, you press the button in the centre… Read More ›

• Don’t throw out your scrabble set! (Locative literature Part 2)

  By Pip Marks on November 2, 2014 • ( 7 )

  

  This is a special post dedicated to the author of ‘Hoarder Comes Clean‘ blog. Sandy (self-professed hoarder) is currently in the process of clearing out her cupboards and basement and will now blame me if she can’t bear to get rid of any scrabble board… Read More ›

• Decadent desserts, chocolate treats & goal setting

  By Pip Marks on November 2, 2014 • ( 4 )

  

  While dining at a restaurant the other day, I was initially delighted when a large portion of tiramisù was placed before me. However, I soon realised that this rich dessert was likely to test my commitment to avoiding and minimising waste. Should I… Read More ›

• Surveys are for the birds. Hey, look! A sheepdog!

  By Pip Marks on October 23, 2014 • ( 0 )

  

  This post starts out with a ‘citizen’ backyard bird survey and ends with me deciding that a kelpie or other sheepdog is the Australian ADHD equivalent to a squirrel. Confused? You should be… but the connection is actually very straightforward…. Read More ›