Change a light bulb and
see what you can save
An energy saving light bulb might not seem cheap but over its lifetime it could save up to 75% of electricity consumption and a lot more besides. Like the planet for example.
Reference – ‘Change the world for ten bucks’
An energy saving light bulb might not seem cheap but over its lifetime it could save up to 75% of electricity consumption and a lot more besides.
Like the planet for example.
Reference – ‘Change the world for ten bucks’
Encouraging frogs to your garden
Encouraging frogs to your garden
Ponds provide frog-friendly environments in the garden, but often the steep and slippery sides of ponds are difficult for young frogs to climb. Plant heavily textured ground covers ie: Myoporum parvifolium, around the perimeter of your ponds and they will create little amphibian ladders so the young frogs can enter and exit the water with ease.
Warren Sheather, Yarrowyck, NSW
Warren Sheather, Yarrowyck, NSW
Get cosy
Get cosy
Home heating and cooling is responsible for 11 per cent of household greenhouse gas emissions. As much as 35 per cent of heat loss from a house is through an uninsulated ceiling, with a further 15 to 25 per cent through the walls and 10 to 20 per cent through the floor. Insulation material made from jute, glass wool or recycled papere can keep a home cosy and comfortable all year round, minimising the need for heaters in winter and air-conditioners in summer.
Reference – ‘True Green’
Keeping nails clean when gardening
Reference – ‘True Green’
Keeping nails clean when gardening
Even wearing gardening gloves won’t stop your fingernails from becoming ingrained with dirt. Before you go into the garden, scratch your nails through a cake of soap. This prevents a build-up of soil and washes out easily with the aid of a nail brush.
Jan Johnson, Emerald, Vic
Help fill a hole in our oxygen supply
Help fill a hole in our oxygen supply
Plants are amazing things, they take in stuff we don’t like (carbon dioxide) and pump out stuff we do (oxygen). But we get rid of these amazing things astonishingly quickly. We are losing 2000 trees a minute in rainforests around the world.
Planting a tree or native bush will not only help redress the balance, it will also encourage native wildlife back to the area. Each tree will provide oxygen for 2 people for the rest of their lives.
Reference – ‘Change the world for ten bucks’
Reference – ‘Change the world for ten bucks’
Buy second hand
Buy second hand
Apart from food, clothes shopping has the highest environmental impact of all consumer activities, with about 150,000 litres of water used in the production and transport of the new clothes bought by the average Australian household each year. Resist artificially created fashion cycles and step out in your won recycled style. Rather than buying a new pair of jeans that have undergone an industrial process to give them that worn look, just buy a re-worn pair. The garments you can find in vintage clothing shops are often better than new items and cost a fraction of the price.
Reference – ‘True Green’
Reference – ‘True Green’
Water news
When planting, always line the hole with several sheets of newspaper (not the colour supplements). Then fill the hole with water, allow it to drain and plant and backfill with soil that has been improved with old manure. The whole thing receives a good soaking while the plant is young and getting established. It saves a lot of water.
Elizabeth Bradfield, Rosebank, NSW
What Koalas never tell you!
Eucalyptus Oil is a useful addition to your household store cupboard.
It is an effective disinfectant and deodorizer.
Is useful in removing some stubborn stains, can act as an insect repellent and even attacks rust.
Make sure your confetti doesn’t
hang around
If you throw plastic confetti at the happy couple on their wedding day it will still be around in a landfill site when they celebrate their silver wedding anniversary. Choose a biodegradable alternative: rice, recycled paper, rosebuds or dried bougainvillea petals.
Get Composting
Compost bins are easy to get hold of at garden centres, but even better, make your own from old tyres, scrap timber, bricks or wire mesh. By building your own bin you can recycle materials, which might otherwise find their way to land fill.
Use a Fly Swat
Houseflies are a nuisance and a health hazard. But resorting to chemical sprays doesn’t solve the problem in the long run. Flies often come down the chimney in summer, so block your chimneys with cardboard, ensure your windows have fly wire so you can open them in summer to catch the breezes, cover food and secure domestic waste. If you can’t get rid of one annoying critter – use a fly swat.
Don’t wrap it!
An attractive and original alternative to wrapping presents is using gift bags. You can make your own from recycled paper or card to suit any individual and customize them easily. Better still, bought or handmade gift bags can be reused again and again, without the need for wrapping paper, sticky tape or string. It’s much less hassle than wrapping gifts.
Turn the Iron off
Irons stay hot after they’ve been switched off, and so it will still be hot enough o iron the last item very well. Although this might seem a very small thing, it gets us into the habit of making small energy-saving actions that, collectively, can make a much bigger difference.
Say NO to aerosols!
CFCs are no longer allowed to damage our environment, but hydrocarbon propellants such as isobutane still do. Used in aerosols, they contribute to air pollution and are thought responsible for respiratory diseases. Say no to aerosols and use pump dispensers or roll-on alternatives instead.
Steam and Save
If you’re boiling pasta or rice, and you want to steam some vegetables, remove the saucepan lid, place your vegetables in a colander on top of the saucepan, and put the saucepan lid back over the vegetables. This works just like a steamer, but saves plugging in an extra electric gadget.
Stock your Stockpot
Water used for cooking vegetables makes great stock for soups and sauces. If you’re not planning to cook again soon, you can still use these nutrients and avoid wasting that water by pouring it into plants rather than down the drain.
Lower the Flow
Install low flow aerating fittings to your shower and taps. These ingenious devices reduce water flow by up to 50%, but because they sprinkle in fine jets or mix air bubbles into the water, you feel like you are getting just as wet.
Can you use your water twice?
‘Grey’ water, water that has been used in sinks, baths, showers or washing machine – can be used again to flush toilets or to water the garden if it contains only biodegradable soaps. There are numerous ‘Grey’ water systems on the market. Ask the question, there is a solution for you.
The average bath uses 80litres of water, the average shower about 40litres. Save baths for those special occasions and try to keep your showering time to under 5 minutes. An egg-timer suction-capped onto the shower wall is a fun way to ‘race the clock’ while showering and save litres at the same time.
Home and Dry
While in action tumble dryers use more energy than any other household appliance. If you have one, try to use it only as a last resort. Nature provides us with free access to the sun and the wind, both excellent for drying our wash.
That’s a Wrap
Use recycled wrapping paper to wrap gifts for your loved ones. Buy gift wrap and tags made from recycled paper, and use ribbon or string rather than sticky tape so the paper can be refolded and used again.
Recycle last years’ Christmas cards by cutting around the images and using them as gift tags. You’ll have fun AND save our forests. Don’t forget to recycle the off cuts.
Bright Lights
Make sure you are getting the full benefits of the energy going into your lights by wiping dust off light fittings and bulbs every few months. (make sure the bulbs are cool first)
Put your kettle on the back burner
Fill a thermos flask with water left over when you boil the kettle and use that for your next cup of tea or coffee rather than boiling the kettle every time.
Recycling just one bottle saves enough energy to power a television for 90 minutes. Think about that next time you’re tempted to throw one in the bin