REDUCING YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

We can all help to reduce our impact on the environment; forget nuclear power, wind power, clean coal, carbon trading and the rest. These technologies may all play a role in reducing global carbon emissions, but there's a host of simpler everyday ways we can all help to minimise the effects of climate charge.

ENERGY

It's estimated that worldwide, buildings account for about forty per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. Yet approximately a third of energy used in buildings is simply wasted through inefficiencies, such as poor insulation or excess lighting.

That's a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions, all of which, is being pumped into the atmosphere for no good reason. However, this worrying statistic also means we can make a real contribution to tackling climate change just by being smarter about the way we use energy.

Once you start thinking about it, it's easy to come up with hundreds of ways to save energy; many as simple as flicking a switch. And not only will it help prevent climate change, but being energy-smart will also save you money on your electricity and gas bills.

Facts

Australians have the highest rate of greenhouse gas emission per person in the world.
Each year the average Australian household generates 14 tonnes of greenhouse gases.
95 per cent of Australia's electricity comes from burning fossil fuels.

Tips

Have Enviren install FREE ceiling insulation, slashing your heating and cooling costs while reducing greenhouse emissions. Click here for a FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTE
Fit compact flourescent lightbulbs - they pay for themselves in a year, last up to 10 times longer than conventional bulbs, and save more than 66 per cent in lighting costs during their lifetime.
Fit draft excluders to drafty windows and doors.
Shut doors so you only heat or cool the rooms you are using.
Turn off appliances at the wall when you're not using them - standby uses five per cent of household energy.
Check our handy tips for purchasing appliances
In winter, turn down heating and put on a jumper instead.
Install solar hot water - it will give you cost free and carbon-free hot water, and pay for itself in only a few years.

RECYCLING

Among other things, rubbish decomposing in landfill produces methane, a greenhouse gas more harmful than carbon dioxide. Recycling helps keep waste out of landfill, but also helps tackle climate change in a more inadvertent way, as it takes less energy to recycle something than it does to make the same item from raw materials.

Thankfully, Australians are already amongst the world's best recyclers. However, we do produce more waste than almost any other nation on earth. You can reduce waste going to landfill by approx. three-quarters simply by composting, using your recycling bin, and avoiding plastic bags and overpackaged items when shopping.

Another easy way to reduce waste is simply to buy fewer newly manufactured products; as making new products requires energy and natural resources. Instead, make things last by buying second-hand from op shops and garage sales, borrowing from libraries, looking for building materials at salvage yards and so on. All of these tips will also save you money, so it's a win-win proposition.

Facts

Each year the average Australian household creates 1.3 tonnes of landfill waste.
Recycling of household waste in Australia rose from 20 per cent in 1993 to 46 per cent in 2006.
Australians produce more rubbish per person than any nation except the US.
Up to 40 per cent of household waste can be composted, including food scraps, garden cuttings, paper and card.
Half of household waste by volume is packaging.
Australians throw away more than $5 billion worth of food a year.

Tips

Compost food scraps to turn them into fertiliser for your garden, instead of sending them to landfill.
Use your recycling bin.
Visit www.recyclingnearyou.com.au - a great site that tells you how and where to recycle just about anything.
Remember the "paperless office"? Don't print from your computer unless it's really necessary.
Drink tap water - large amounts of energy goes into making, packaging, and transporting bottled water and soft drinks. Buy a re-usable water bottle or flask, and get a home water filter if you're worried about water quality.

WATER

Australians live on the world's driest continent, and climate change could make it even drier. Yet, we continue to use more water per person than almost any nation on earth.

Saving water reduces greenhouse gas emissions, as a large part of the cost of water is the energy used to pump it. It's easy to use less water!! Simple things such as fixing leaks, not letting the tap run while you're cleaning your teeth, and putting the plug in rather than rinsing dishes under a running tap, all significantly reduce the amount of water we needlessly waste.

Water-saving showerheads and aerating tap filters are very affordable, and will quickly pay for themselves by reducing the amount of hot water you use. While a rainwater tank can provide tens of thousands of litres of extra water a year.

Nearly half of the water Australian householders use goes on their gardens, so this is an area where you can make a huge difference. For instance, by using native Australian plants and drought-resistant varieties of turf, you can create a garden that thrives with little to no watering.

Facts

Each year the average Australian household uses 230,000 litres of water.
Sydney has twice as much rain as London each year.
Homes and gardens account for about 12 per cent of water used in Australia.

Tips

Fit a water-saving showerhead - from around $20. it can more than halve the amount of hot water you use.
Fit water-saving tap filters, and use the plug, when you wash your hands or rinse the dishes.
Use a small bucket or container to catch the initial cold water from your shower or taps, then use it on your plants.
Make your garden water-wise by mulching (which reduces evaporation) and planting native plants and drought-resistant lawns.
Wait until your dishwasher and washing machines are full before running them.

LIFESTYLE

In today's 'world-in-motion' everything seems to involve motortransport; from driving the kids to sports to shopping or getting to work. Australia's sprawling suburban layout and patchy public transport network, can make it hard to do without a car entirely. But one of the best things you can do to fight climate change is to use it less.

Every kilometre you don't drive means less carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere, so look for ways to replace car journeys with alternative forms of transport such as walking, cycling, car-pooling, trains or buses.

When you do drive, "fuel-efficient driving" - reducing cruising speeds, shutting windows and removing roof-racks to improve aerodynamics, keeping tyres correctly inflated, and having your car regularly serviced - can reduce fuel consumption by up to a third.

And if you are buying a new car, consider a smaller, more fuel-efficient one.

Flying is another major source of global greenhouse gas emissions. Before you book your next long-haul holiday, consider local holiday options - and think about teleconferencing by computer instead of flying to inter-state/international business meetings.

Facts

The average Australian car travels 15,000km per year, emitting around four tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
There are around 11 million cars and trucks in Australia. They consume around 26 billion litres of fuel every year.
Road traffic accounts for 16 per cent of Australia's greenhouse gases.

Tips

Don't drive to work - take the train, catch a bus, walk, cycle, or carpool with a colleague or neighbour.
Holiday closer to home - Australia has some of the world's best restaurants, resorts, beaches and natural scenery.
Combine local errands in one trip. Car engines are least efficient while warming up and in urban traffic. So short trips are relatively, more polluting.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from freight transport by buying local food and products.
Plant a tree in your garden to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.