These are the some of the steps that you CAN take to reduce your personal global warming footprint. They may appear small, but when you share them with your friends and workmates you will, together, make a huge difference. The figures on the left are the approximate kilograms of greenhouse gasses saved per year for each action. Not only will these save tons of pollutants, but you will save also $3,000 a year, minimum!
Below this list we discuss how to get green energy, organisations to join and other actions.
5300
Shift to Green-Power. For answers to questions see below.
3800
Change from your SUV to a hybrid car. Visit the Green Vehicle Guide
2500
Install solar power, and sell your surplus back to the grid. To support rebates.
2000
Replace electric hot water heating with solar, even with electric booster.
1500
Switching off your computer when not in use, especially big ones.
1080
Recycling just half of your household waste
1000
Plant a native tree, long-term potential as it grows. Here is one way to do this.
900
Adjust you winter thermostat down by 2 degrees, and wear a singlet
860
Insulate your roof space and under the floor, minimum 100mm batts`
720
Carpooling for only 2 days a week
700
Walk your kids to school - healthy for both of you.
700
If you have more than one car, drive the one with the smaller engine.
700
Walk, bike and bus or train instead of car. Information at TravelSmart website
700
Use a fan or evaporative coolers in summer, not air conditioning
640
Use a clothesline instead of a dryer, savings less if it is a new dryer.
600
Double-glaze windows.
600
Weather-strip windows and doors to prevent air leaks
600
All machines to be high efficiency, check out the Energy Rating website
500
Wrap an insulation blanket around your water heater, adjust its temperature
500
Turn off the second drinks frig
400
Put fish tank pump on a timer. Experiment and test water result at pool shop
500
Using less hot water by taking 5 minute showers rather than ten minutes.
455
Reduce rubbish 25% (less packaging, reusables, not disposables, recycling)
450
Don’t use your dishwasher at all, wash up by hand.
450
Turn off appliances at the wall so they are not on ‘stand-by’. Check here.
350
Keep the air filter in your car clean – check monthly
300
Turn off 5 lights in hallways and rooms when you’re not in them.
400
Placing air conditioning unit out of the sun and in the shade
450
For ten CFL fluorescent globes instead of incandescent, see more here..
300
Wash clothes in warm or cold water, not hot
160
Regularly clean the air filter in your air conditioner
100
Run your dishwasher or washing machine only with a full load
10
Each appliance left on stand-by, especially TV
10+
Turn off or fix dripping taps - water costs money
8
Recycle a dozen aluminium cans. Alcoa etc use 20% of total Australian power
8
Turn off your mobile phone charger when it isn’t charging
8
Use a reusable bag every time you go shopping
6
Let hot food cool down before putting it into the fridge
3
Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth
These lifestyle decisions would save about 32 tonnes a year for each person.
If every Australian did these things we would (as a country) be
saving 640 million tons each year.
Get Green Energy:
Every one of us CAN actually do something to help stop global warming.
And it’s SO EASY. Here is a real-life account of how one person helped
Flick the Switch to Green – A Personal Account
Over 100,000 Australian households and businesses have already MADE A DIFFERENCE and chosen to switch to Green Energy sources, ie those sources which do not add to greenhouse gas emissions, such as wind, hydro, solar and biomass generated power. YOU CAN too. Here’s how to DO IT…
Check out the types of green energy available in your area.
Pick up the phone and call your Green Energy provider of choice. You can either switch immediately or arrange to receive a quote.
An example of HOW TO SWITCH TO GREEN ENERGY is given for Energy Australia.
Examples of HOW TO OBTAIN A QUOTE FOR GREEN ENERGY: click for Origin Energy and TruEnergy.
Some people have misconceptions: Click below for answers
Does Green power really come from a true green energy source?
Do we have to install solar cells on our roof to apply? - and other misconceptions.
Reduce Transport Emissions:
By choosing a greener vehicle, you can make a real difference.
The Federal government’s Green Vehicle Guide helps you by rating new vehicles based on greenhouse and air pollution emissions.
Can’t get a new car right away? Neutralise Your Carbon Emissions
Sign up with Greenfleet to have the equivalent number of trees planted for the CO2 you emit. Sign your business up, or get your employer to do so.
Change over to LPG that provides about 8% more energy than petrol (as well as lower cost). However, you will attain better fuel consumption only if the engine is optimized for LPG fuel. Reason: LPG has a lower density, intakes less air and thus there is a decrease of power. If all Australians swapped to a hybrid car it would save 76 million tons of CO2 pa.
If everyone keeps idling their cars for 10 minutes a day, it will cost 44,000 kg of carbon.
At the office:
See that lights are turned off when you go home, and ask cleaners to do the same, or install automatic switching to avoid lighting empty spaces for much of the night.
Turn off computers, photocopiers and printers at the wall at the end of the day.
Organisations to Join:
Here follows a list of groups that work across Australia:
Australian Conservation Foundation works towards a society which protects, sustains and restores the environment, and provides healthy air, land, water, and biological diversity; sustainable cities and industries; a nuclear-free Australia; and action to protect the global environment.
The Australian Rainforest Conservation Foundation was founded in 1982, as a national, non-government organisation with headquarters in Brisbane. Its goal, through research, lobbying, public education and grass-roots support, is to protect, repair and restore the rainforests of Australia and to maximise the protection of forest biodiversity.
Bush Heritage is a national, independent, non-profit organisation committed to preserving Australia's biodiversity by protecting the bush. It is Australia's most widely supported national organisation dedicated to protecting species and habitats through the creation of reserves on private land.
Climate Action Network Australia has the aim of globally tackling the planet’s most challenging environmental problems.
Critical Mass organises on the last Friday of every month, in hundreds of cities worldwide, cyclists, bladers and boarders for a rolling celebration of non-motorised transport
Conservation Volunteers Australia involves the community in conservation projects in urban, regional and remote Australia ranging from tree planting; seed collection; endangered species protection; weed control; flora and fauna surveys; walking trail construction; fencing and environmental monitoring.
Earthwatch Australia helps you to go to amazing places while helping scientists understand the effect our behaviour is having on the planet.
Ecosphere aims to provide an affordable, high quality design resource for small business and non-profit organisations. 10% of proceeds go to an environmental organisation of the customer's choice. Ecosphere also offer a substantial discount on website design for environmental organisations.
The Environment Portal provides access to online services and information provided by Australian, State and Local Governments. Information is organised by seven broad environmental themes - Atmosphere, Biodiversity, Coasts and Oceans, Environment Protection, Heritage, Inland Waters, and Land categories.
Environment Online is the initiative of some 20 major environmental advocacy organisations. They are known as the Mittagong Forum enabling communication and information for people with a passion for environmental conservation and sustainability.
Environment Defenders Office in each State and Territory are dedicated to protecting the environment in the public interest. They provide legal representation and advice, take an active role in environmental law reform and policy formulation, and offer a significant education program designed to facilitate public participation.
Environs Australia is the Local Government Environment Network that aims to advance, support and strengthen the participation of Australian Local Governments in the worldwide movement of councils towards local sustainability.
Friends of the Earth is a community-based activist organisation which works towards an ecologically sustainable and socially equitable society.
Global Energy Network works to bring a global strategy for energy production and to aid world peace and sustainable development.
Greenpeace campaigns for national environmental issues.
Native Forest Network is a global, autonomous collective of forest activists, indigenous peoples, conservation biologists, and non-governmental organizations. It functions on a consensus basis and is non-violent, non-hierarchical, and non-patriarchal.
The National River Health Program was established in 1993 to improve the management of Australia's rivers and floodplains for their long-term health and ecological sustainability.
The Wilderness Society is a national, community-based, environmental organisation whose mission is to protect, promote and secure the future of wilderness and other high conservation areas.
Woodchip Boycott is a campaign that relies on the consumer and investment power of ordinary people to take change to the "marketplace".
World Wide Fund for Nature Australia is working with communities, governments, individuals and businesses to conserve the biological diversity of Australia and the Oceania region.
No comments:
Post a Comment