60 WAYS TO SAVE THE PLANET

Newcastle Herald

Saturday March 26, 2011

Helen Gregory

Environmental activism is not just about big change. You can collect rainwater, install solar power, insulate your home or buy a hybrid car. But every day, in every way, you can make a difference, right down to the coffee cup you choose, writes Helen Gregory. 1. Turn off lights when leaving the office or install motion-sensor lighting.2. Turn off printers, computers, monitors, microwaves and coffee machines at the power points at the end of the day.3. Take your own reusable coffee cup to the cafe for your morning brew.4. Convert your toilet to a dual-flush system.5. Stop the delivery of junk mail or catalogues. Instead, check specials online.6. Install energy saving (compact fluorescent) lightbulbs and devices, including timers.7. Turn your television and stereos off standby.8. Rethink bottled water. Instead, fill a reusable bottle with filtered tap water.9. Plan your meals to avoid wasting food.10. Take reusable bags when you go shopping.11. Buy local produce from markets.12. Recycle aluminium cans, glass and newspapers.13. Use a clothes line or indoor rack to dry clothes.14. Buy some of your clothing from second-hand shops.15. Stop paper bank statements and pay your bills online.16. Use rechargeable batteries.17. Walk, ride a bike, take public transport or car pool.18. Keep your car well serviced and tyres inflated to correct pressure.19. Use E10 petrol.20. Combine your errands into one car trip.21. Install water-saving nozzles on taps, including showers.22. Take shorter showers and avoid baths.23. Do not run the tap when brushing your teeth.24. Turn off your hot water system while on holidays.25. Adjust airconditioning with the seasons.26. Put on an extra jumper instead of turning on the heater.27. Use a fan instead of an airconditioner.28. Wash clothes in cold water.29. Use chemical-free dishwashing, washing and cleaning products.30. Buy in bulk and avoid excess packaging.31. Thaw frozen foods to save cooking time.32. Do not open the oven door when baking.33. Only preheat when absolutely necessary.34. Use the right size pot or pan and cook with the lid on to contain heat.35. Make large quantities of a recipe and freeze leftovers for later.36. Repair broken appliances instead of buying new ones.37. If ordering online, place a mass order with friends.38. Share magazines and books with friends.39.Offset your travel kilometres when buying an airline ticket.40. Use a dishwasher only when full.41. Don't rinse dishes before putting in dishwasher.42. Use matches instead of lighters.43. Clean up spills with cloths or sponges instead of paper towel.44. Turn off a second fridge.45. Leave space in the fridge for air to circulate.46. Defrost freezer regularly.47. Iron many items of clothing at once to avoid having to reheat the iron.48. Use a dry iron wherever possible and use residual heat for light or delicate items.49. Wash when the machine is full. Hand wash small things in a basin.50. Seal any gaps on doors and windows.51. Reduce pool pump operation during winter.52. Consider working from home, if you have to travel far.53. Plant native plants.54. When waiting for the hot water to come through the shower, collect the cold water in a bucket and use it to water the garden.55. Use bathwater in the garden.56. Water plants in the early morning or evening.57. Bury food scraps in the garden bed to feed the earth worms or build a compost heap.58. Wash the car on the grass with chemical-free car wash.59. Grow your own vegetables, herbs and spices.60. Plant trees to provide shade to the house.DID YOU KNOW?- Australians throw away a billion aluminium cans a year, enough to construct 200 jumbo jets.- An average household can use a quarter of its total energy on heating water.- About 30 per cent of the energy used to heat water in a storage system is wasted because of heat loss from the tank and pipes.- Washing clothes in cold water can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from washing by up to 80 per cent.- A water efficient shower head can save about 14,500 litres per home, per year.- The average amount of grey water produced per person each day is 84 litres.- Heating and cooling uses 40 per cent of the average Australian's home energy.- Heat gain through an unshaded window in summer can be 100 times greater than through the same area of insulated wall.- Money and energy can be saved by setting the airconditioner thermostat to 18-20 degrees in winter and 25-27 degrees in summer.- Cycling 10 kilometres each way to work can save you hundreds of dollars and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 1000 kilograms a year.- In Australia, road transport accounts for 12 per cent of Australia's carbon pollution.- In March 2009, 14 per cent of people took public transport and 6 per cent walked or cycled to work or full-time study.- The average passenger car travels 13,700 kilometres per year and emits 3.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide.- 62 per cent of people who usually travel to work or study travel less than 20 kilometres.- For every litre of petrol used in a motor vehicle, 2.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide are emitted from the exhaust.- At 110km/h a car uses up to 25 per cent more fuel than it would at 90km/h.Source: The Australian Government's Living Greener website.

© 2011 Newcastle Herald

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