13 year old Severn Suzuki's speech to the UN Environmental Conference

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g8cmWZOX8Q

Water Efficiency Assessor (WEA)

If the terms BWEP, WEMP, WEA, QWC, Level 1,2,3,4,5 etc are all becoming confusing - don't stress because you are not alone.

As an accredited Water Efficiency Assessor we can help you sort out the words from what actions you need to take and help you secure funding to achieve this.

 

Recycled Office Paper Purchase Guide

Think about the items you bring into your home and office that are made from paper or cardboard.

Office paper, business cards, letterhead, tissues, toilet paper, cereal boxes, brochures, diaries, envelopes, telephone books, hand towels, newspapers, notepads, folders, magazines, receipts, calendars, books ........

The list is endless.

You've probably never thought about where all that paper comes from or have you?

According to Tasmania's Resource Development and Planning Commission, 50% of Australia's printing and writing paper and 57% of Australian newsprint is harvested from their native forests.

If you use a recycling service, you possibly think about where some of it goes. However, not all paper gets recycled. For example, toilet paper goes into our water stream. Tissues go to landfill.

We chuck out more than 4 million tonnes of paper each year and according to Visy less than half is even recycled. These figures probably don't even include toilet and tissue papers.

We take paper for granted. An enormous percentage of those products we buy don't contain recycled content. That means that massive volumes of new trees are felled to supply all these items. 

As consumers, both families and businesses we need to be smarter and take the time to find out what we are buying or collecting. For example:

• We've all taken a brochure and then gone home and thrown it away.
• We've all let our printers tell us they can't print our orders on recycled stock. Believe me, find one who can - they do exist.
• We've all bought bleached toilet paper that isn't made from recycled office paper. Do we need to use brand new trees for toilet use? Do we need it to be pure white and bleached?

It may not cost more. If it does, that small extra cost will buy us better health, attitude and peace of mind that we did the right thing.

Want to know more? See the fact sheet on recycled office paper and start to buy differently - please!

CSIRO develop air shower

  

As Australians become increasingly alert to the importance of using water wisely in the home, CSIRO researchers have found a way to use a third less water when you shower – by adding air.

The scientists have developed a simple 'air shower' device which, when fitted into existing showerheads, fills the water droplets with a tiny bubble of air. The result is the shower feels just as wet and just as strong as before, but now uses much less water.

The researchers, from CSIRO Manufacturing Materials Technology in Melbourne, say the device increases the volume of the shower stream while reducing the amount of water used by about 30 per cent.

Given the average Australian household uses about 200,000 litres of water a year, and showers account for nearly a third of this, the 'air shower' could help the average household save about 15,000-20,000 litres a year. If you extend this across the population, that is an annual saving of more than 45,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The Aerated Showerhead creates the sensation of having a full and steady stream of water even though the water is now more like a wet shell around a bubble of air.

While the general concept of using an aerated showerhead to save water is not new, the technology behind the CSIRO's device is novel.

"After almost two years of research and development, CSIRO is ready to take the aerated shower head technology to the commercialisation stage."Developed by a team led by Dr Jie Wu, the aeration device is a small nozzle that fits inside a standard showerhead. The nozzle uses a small Venturi tube – a tube for which the diameter varies, creating a difference in pressure and fluid speed. Air is sucked into the Venturi tube as a result of the partial vacuum created, causing air and water to mix, forming tiny bubbles within the water stream.

"The nozzle creates a vacuum that sucks in air and forces it into the water stream," Dr Wu says.

"We make the water droplets in the stream hollow and the bubbles expand the volume of the shower stream."

Small-scale experiments using the aeration device found that people detected no difference in water pressure, sensation, or overall perception of showering.

After almost two years of research and development, CSIRO is ready to take the aerated shower head technology to the commercialisation stage.

"We have very promising results on the aerated showerhead's water-saving potential. Now we are looking for commercialisation partners who will be involved in the development needed to turn the technology into a marketable device," Dr Wu says.

He expects the nozzle would cost less than $20 and could be installed by householders.

Ref: http://www.csiro.au

2004 Global Fossil Fuel Trends

 

 

Earth Trends and the International Energy Agency frequently releases data on world trends.

Here is the 2004 fossil fuel graph.

Note the USA and developing nation's reliance on oil and China's reliance on coal.

Green Pages Directory launched

 

www.greenpagesaustralia.com.au

The Green Pages Australia concept began when Katie Patrick, an Environmental Engineer, noticed a massive gap in the market for information sources about environmental companies. She noticed a dearth of market channels in which to promote environmental products and services to their respective target markets. Furthermore she saw opportunities for environmental businesses and organisations to further their promotion of ‘green’ as sophisticated, fashionable and culturally progressive.

See Solutions-in-Store under Sustainability Consultants in both Green Pages Business and Green Pages Lifestyle

Canadian Government to cut Greenhouse Gases in half by 2050

The Canadian Government have introduced a Clean Air Act that will begin regulating pollution levels from 2010 with the core aim of cutting GHG in half by 2050.

The bill sets out a regulatory timetable for industries that emit pollution or GHG emissions including the automboile, oil and gas industries,

Environment Minister, Rona Ambrose said "The days when industry voluntarily complies with set environmental standards are over."

"From now on we will have mandatory requirements and we will enforce those requirements," she said.

The Government will spend the next four years consulting with industry to develop short, medium and long term emission reduction targets.

Initial targets will be "intensity based" meaning that environmental emissions will be relative to the economic output of various industries and if production grows so will the overall amount of emissions and pollutants.

Capped emissions targets are not scheduled until at least 2020, despite criticism that intensity targets don't actively tackle climate change.

This claim is denied by the Government, who said they will fine any non conforming organisation. Funds collected from such fines will be placed in an environmental damage fund.

Global Warming Student Speakout - Top 50 Ideas

Google recently partnered with Global SchoolNet to invite teachers and students to use Google Docs & Spreadsheets collaborative software in a project to brainstorm strategies for combating global warming. Children of all ages from more than 80 schools around the world participated. Here are their top 50 ideas:

1. Include global warming/climate change in school curricula (as part of National Science Standards), so when the students are in charge they can make educated decisions.
2. Increase availability of low-interest Energy Efficient Mortgages to support homeowners who increase the energy efficiency of their homes.
3. Put light sensors in all office and school buildings so all lights go off when the rooms are empty.
4. Require that all products contributing to global warming be marked with a specific color (e.g., chemical pesticides could be marked with a red sticker for being extremely dangerous to the environment).
5. Use less paper; use the back of the paper to print on or write on; use recyled paper.
6. Plant more trees to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
7. Teach recycling techniques in classes and school-wide programs.
8. Make recycling mandatory in all public facilities, such as schools, parks and beaches.
9. Do public service announcements on TV featuring celebrities promoting carpooling, walking, riding bikes, using public transportation, conserving electricity and recycling.
10. Give grants and tax credits to companies that invest in alternative, sustainable, emission-free fuel technologies while ending such subsidies for fosssil fuel production.
11. The media should conduct interviews of legislators to help the public become aware of their ability and willingness to help solve the problem.
12. Replace incandescence light bulbs with fluorescence light bulbs.
13. Restrict the use of chemical fertilizer in agriculture.
14. Provide incentives and policies to encourage car makers to make more fuel efficient cars.
15. Protect wetlands and preserve more open space.
16. Provide tax incentives for regular recyclers and car poolers.
17. Use solar panels in the construction of new homes and office buildings.
18. Substitute local community transportation fleets with hybrid vehicles.
19. Require that car dealers hand out fact sheets that inform car buyers about the pollution levels of different cars.
20. Send scientists to talk about global warming in schools. They can bring hands-on activities so students feel more involved.
21. Unplug all electronics from the wall when they're not in use.
22. Have another Global Warming Student Speakout in one year - to see if any of these ideas have been implemented.
23. Raise mandatory emissions standards for cars and other vehicles sold in the US.
24. Use solar power in the day and use electricity at night when needed.
25. Give tax rebates for using solar power.
26. Congress should ratify the Kyoto Agreement.
27. Establish off-shore wind farms - saves land space and produces reliable power.
28. Levy higher taxes on companies that pollute the air.
29. Wait until you have a lot of clothes to wash before using the washing machine.
30. Provide tax incentives for companies that create Hybrid cars. That will reduce the need for oil.
31. Schools and businesses should be fined for not having recycling bins available to the people on their premises.
32. The media should tell us about what is really going on with global warming. We don't think that we have all the information we need.
33. At the end of the weather forecast, report "CO2 emissions levels today…" or comparative average temperatures (i.e., this year's temperature as it compares to the past several years).
34. Lead by example and convert 50% of government vehicles to environmentally friendly cars by the year 2020.
35. Place recycling bins throughout the city wherever there is a trash can.
36. Require companies to limit the amount of packaging an item can have and it must be recyclable.
37. Block bills that cause more damage to the environment.
38. Media could reduce advertising costs for alternative energy products to inform and increase sales in these areas.
39. Keep your tires fully inflated to improve gas mileage.
40. Replace old appliances with Energy Star appliances.
41. Promote awareness of local recycling centers.
42. Require college and high school students to take a global warming class.
43. Give tax reductions to public transportation users.
44. Protect our oceans - prevent plankton in the ocean from dying.
45. People running for elections should use email, radio and other media to campaign and stop using so many paper signs and flyers that use up our natural resources and then get left out and become pollution.
46. Reuse newspapers as wrapping paper for gifts.
47. Enforce laws about littering.
48. Use less electricity, turn off the TV, read books, walk, run, bike, surf, play tennis.
49. Business should require employees to telecommute several days a week.
50. Provide scientists appropriate resources to help them research the future of energy and the freedom to explore innovative ideas.

Sustainable ABCs

Anthropocentrism: The practice of viewing and interpreting everything in terms of human experience and values. There are, in fact different forms of anthropocentrism. In conventional economics and society it is referred to as 'human chauvism' because it is not only human centred but asserts the moral superiority of humans and affirms our power to dominate all else. (Refer Diesendorf & Hamilton 1997; Daly & Cobb 1990)

Biomimicry: (from 'bios' meaning life and 'mimesis' meaning to imitate) is a new science studying nature's best ideas to solve human problems. In theory; biomimicry is a great idea. The challenge for humans will be to resist the desire to control and conquer those from whom we learn nature's secrets. For more information visit www.biomimicry.net

Conserve: To manage and use wisely and carefully, preventing injury, decay and loss.

Development: The act of bringing out the capabilities to a more advanced state.

How we measure what is advanced is the question. Are we we considering a balanced and holistic approach to living for all species that encompasses economic, social and environmental considerations when we hand chunks of land to be so called 'developed' or are we reducing things to a less advanced state by concreting what was a natural habitat for many species, humans included?

Dow Jones Sustainability Index: Measures the financial performance of companies that are sustainably driven. Currently worldwide, the DJSI measures 56 companies from 14 countries that manage about A$7 billion of assets. See www.sustainability-index.com 

Ecocentricism: Is a view that everything natural, including processes, has value.

Free Riding: Obtaining benefits without paying a corresponding share of the costs of obtaining those benefits. This is often the case with our resources of water and minerals that are not sourced at their 'real' cost.

 

New Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines

The public consultation on GRI closed on 31^st March 2006. The result will be the third generation of GRI Guidelines, known as G3. For more information visit www.grig3.org/aboutg3.html