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I’m always a better me when I travel. Maybe that’s why I can never stay in one place for too long. And maybe that’s why I fall in love overseas.

       I saw him first. I walked in and he looked at me with a welcoming smile but his eyes were sad and he was tired. I won’t forget that. I’m not sure what he was thinking that day – he looked lost. Lost in thought, as if in his own world. He didn’t hide it from me. After all, I wasn’t anyone to him - just another customer. But we spoke, and for a long time. And he seemed so genuinely interested in talking to me. Though he had no idea how lonely I was that day. And he’ll never know why. But with his sad, tired eyes he looked for a pen and with his beautiful smile he handed me his email. It still amazes me though – he was so genuinely interested.

We spent 8 hours together the first time. He showed me around, we talked and drank and walked and laughed. And like only a handful of others before him, the silence was comfortable. He took me to a rooftop and we kissed and it was a beautiful summers night. And his eyes had changed. Not so sad anymore. There was a quiet confidence between us. We were strangers that trusted each other. It’s funny how that happens.

 I saw him only a couple more times. And then with sadness I left, 12,500kms away.

I don’t know what it was. At home he was still on my mind. And I still wanted to talk to him. There was an ease with him that I hadn’t had with anyone for a long time. An ease that relaxed me and excited me all at the same time. And it comforts me to think that he felt the same.

I’ve been home for 3 months. 99 days to be exact. And I’ve spoken to him every day. He’s who I turn to when I’m happy, and sad and excited, and nervous. And even for no reason at all. He’s the biggest motivator I have and I feel like nothing is too far fetched with him. Even my stupid, extravagant ideas.

But … it’s like a door that’s too old and never quite shuts right. And no matter how hard you try and close it, it creeps open and let’s in what you were trying to forget. I’m not sure I am ready for these feelings again. And I’m not sure how I let it happen but it’s happening and I can’t stop it.

It’s like a concoction of love, and desire and sweet, spine-tingling excitement. I don’t quite remember when these feelings came but, my feelings for him morphed into something and something I’ve felt - and lost - only once before. He excites me. Not only him but his ideas and his goals. He is what I’ve wanted for a long time. But he’s not here and it's hard.

It’s like a spider crawling over my skin. You don’t want to shake it off in fear that you’ll lose it. I have this aching for him that makes me close my eyes as if to block out the feeling. But I can’t get him off my mind. He’s made me think.

I’m travelling to see him and I'll be with him in just over a month. I feel like a child waiting for Christmas. I'm scared and nervous and excited. I'm not sure what the future holds with this international love but, whatever it is, I'm better for knowing him.     

         It's like I said, I’m always a better me when I travel. Maybe that’s why I can never stay in one place for too long. And maybe that’s why I fall in found a love overseas.

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Energy Poverty - The Cuban Experience

By Jessica Lawandi

The exploitation of our natural energy resources, such as coal and oil, has left the modern world facing a previously unseen threat – an ‘energy crisis’. Regardless of resource availability becoming continuously scarce, demand for energy has not decreased. It is where consumption outweighs production that a crisis like this occurs. “As energy prices soar, scholars often discuss the economic and environmental repercussions of hitting “peak oil” (King, 2012). With serious potential of this occurring, energy security and social equity in access to energy sources has become a concerning trend, especially within developing countries. As such, the term ‘energy poverty’ has been introduced. To tackle this, the development and implementation of strict, governmental policy has been used. According to Cao (2002), the key objective behind the process of developing policy is to create a "balance [between] equity and efficiency [to] eventually achieve an overall … target”. In looking at Cuba, a country that faced peak oil during ‘The Special Period in Time of Peace’, I will briefly introduce the concept of energy poverty and peak oil relating it to the cause of the Cuban energy crisis, making specific reference to the U.S embargo and the collapse of the USSR. In thoroughly discussing the policies and strategies, I will focus on the transition of agricultural practices used to reduce energy consumption and thus, aiming to bring the Cubans out of their crisis. Throughout all, I aim to show the valuable sustainability lessons the world can learn from the Cuban experience.

With such a short history, the concept of energy poverty has not yet developed a consistent definition. However, scholars have attempted to address the typical criteria that qualify a person as living in energy poverty. Energy poverty or fuel poverty refers to the reduced health and well-being as a result of using dirty energy fuels, having minimal energy consumption due to factors such as cost or availability or spending an excessive amount of time collecting fuels to meet basic needs. With such an impact on human life, the Worldwatch Institute (2012) has branded it a “global challenge for the future”. Interestingly however, individuals do not need to be living in typically poverty stricken areas to find themselves in energy poverty. A study from the UK has shown that with rising energy cost, more and more households in the Western world are struggling to pay their bills. This will ultimately leave millions of people with limited access to electricity and thus in energy poverty (Hughes, 2012). Just one of the contributing factors to energy poverty is that of ‘peak oil’. Peak oil is the point in time at which maximum petroleum extraction is reached. Following this, the rate of production is expected to enter a terminal decline. Whilst Cuba did not technically reach maximum petroleum extraction, they reached peak oil due to USSR petroleum exports being severely restricted (King, 2012).   

  In the case of Cuba, extensive efforts were used to overcome the energy famine following the sudden collapse of the USSR in 1989. For much of its’ history, Cuba had been reliant on the Soviet Union for upwards of 85% of exports, both in trade and support (Park, 2010) with “a near total reliance on its’ energy source - 98% of [all] oil and three-fourths of…total energy needs” (Horowitz, 1988). In 1958, following the Cuban revolution and the election of President Fidel Castro, the U.S. developed an embargo, restricting imports and exports of aid and family income support from Cubans living in America. This was arguably due to Americas distrust in Soviet connections. However, in 1989, when the USSR collapsed, so did the Cuban economy (Garfield & Santana, 1997). “Soviet bloc exports to Cuba declined by about 70% from 1989 to 1993, the GNP [(gross national product)] declined by 35%, and the value of imports from all sources declined from $8billion to $1.7bilion” (Garfield & Santana, 1997). Whilst the collapse rocked the Cuban economy and the Cuban people, the U.S never lifted their trading restrictions. The restrictions on imports and exports not only left the Cuban’s in dire energy poverty but ultimately resulted an economic crisis due to an extensive loss of income. “The situation [was] made worse by the absence of clearly defined energy policy and the lack of institutional capacities and human resources” (Europa, 2006). The Cuban people ultimately needed to develop “…adequate legislative, regulatory and financial framework” (Europa, 2006) to bring themselves out of the crisis. Structural changes were made in the overall economy, such as modifications to transportation and agricultural policies, “…and the implementation of energy conservation and efficiency programmes became a  [necessity] to adjust to the disruption of oil imports experienced during this time” (Pérez et. al, 2005) as well as to provide for a sustainable energy future.

  As energy is one of the most crucial resources of the modern world, just a small reduction of energy supply has an enormous change in everyday life. The sudden loss of Cuba’s oil importation meant the Cubans were no longer able to use technologies and techniques that they had become ever so reliant on. The problems that Cuba experienced as a result of the Soviet collapse pointed to an “underlying tension” that stemmed from the limitations typical to the model of agricultural development that was adopted by Cuba's socialist government in the early 1960s (Enríquez, 2000). This model is referred to by many as “The Classical Model of Development” (Horowitz, 1988; Enríquez, 2000; King, 2012). The adoption of this model played a significant role in creating the need for the modifications currently underway in Cuban agriculture. Several of the central components of the classical model of development are “its heightened external dependence, its emphasis on …large scale approaches to production and a resultant acceleration in rural-urban migration” (Enríquez, 2000). To comply, previous policy administered agricultural responsibility to state owned farms as the “politically and technologically appropriate strategy” (Enríquez, 2000). In submission to the “green revolution” of the 1960’s, President Castro embraced the westernized faming practices of “irrigation, mechanization and “up-to-date” technologies” (Horowitz, 1988). Fumigation and fertilization on a vast scale were achieved via use of old, Soviet airplanes. However, even with advancing technologies, there was a continuing strong dependence on food imports to feed the population (Enríquez, 2000). Following the collapse of the USSR, Cuba was “forced to adopt agricultural sustainability practices and invest in domestic energy sources (both renewable and non-renewable)” (King, 2012). President Castro’s decision to move “toward a more self-sufficient, sustainable agricultural system” resulted in a transition from the classical model of development to the alternative model of agriculture.  

  The transitional period of the early 1990’s saw a major cut in Cuba’s staple imports and a decrease in “caloric intake …due to an 80 percent drop in the availability of chemical pesticides and a 50 percent drop in petroleum for agriculture” (Rosset & Benjamin, 1994, p. 80, as cited in King, 2012). From 1989 to 1993, Cuba went from one of the best-nourished nations in Latin America to falling only behind Bolivia and Haiti as the most malnourished (Zunes, 1994, p. 19, as cited in King, 2012). With ongoing hardship on the horizon, economic independence was still in sight for Castro. At the 5th Congress of the National System of Agriculture and Forestry Technicians, he laid out the goals for which he branded ‘The Special Period in Peace Time’. The goals to achieve “economic independence included making food the number one priority, producing food without feedstock or fertilizers and converting farming into an honored and respected profession” (Rosset & Benjamin, 1994, p. 33 as cited in King, 2012). Together with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Organic Farming Association developed a program to recover traditional farming practices for the Cuban people. These included “taking maximum advantage of the land, human resources, community participation, organic fertilizers, crop rotation, biological pest controls, biological cycles and seasonality of crops, natural energy sources (hydro, wind, solar, biomass…) and animal traction” (Rossett 1997, p. 164, as cited in King, 2012). While machinery required petroleum (which the Cuban’s no longer had much of), the new form of agriculture depended more on human and animal labor. Machines were replaced by citizens and tractors replaced by oxen. While the process took more time, it was found to be more efficient economically, sustainably and resource-intensively. Techniques such as recycling and composting were also introduced and taught to the people. By 1995, food shortages as a result of the fall of the USSR had been overcome. Throughout this time, many of the people who had lost their jobs in the Cuban “de-industrialization” (King, 2012) were moving back to rural areas to work on farms. The need for manual, human labour increased productivity within the country.

  Whilst many positives came from these policy shifts, Cuba “is perhaps more internationally praised for encouraging organic urban gardens throughout [its’] cities” (Koont, 2009). Transportation for people in urban areas was extremely limited and as such, they could not travel to rural areas to buy cheap food from the country food markets. As a result, they opted to transforming abandoned lots of land into community gardens and utilizing balcony spaces. In doing so, the Cubans grew many non-staple food items such as citrus fruits, herbs, bananas and avocado (Buchmann 2009, pp. 712-713 as cited in King, 2012). Organic farming practices in both the urban and rural setting, sparked by the quick political intervention greatly contributed to the economic turn around.    

The need for Cuba to adopt an alternative method of agriculture was heightened at the end of 1980’s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Cuba, nearly completely reliant on the Soviet trade for their energy and food resources found themselves in an enormous economic and energy crisis. Whilst the immediate restructuring of the traditional agricultural system was done out of necessity rather than environmental concern, huge environmental, economic and social benefits arose. With limited access to oil, cheap rural food production was somewhat unavailable to urban residence. To counter this, urban gardens became the norm within Cuba. The transition to the alternative method of agriculture saw the removal of energy-intensive chemical pesticides and machinery. Instead, they were replaced with sustainable methods such as biological pesticides and human and animal labour. The need for the transition however, “demonstrates [just how] fragile our global food systems [are because they] are almost completely dependent on fossil-fuel inputs and energy-intensive global transportation” (King, 2012).

  References –

Cao, J (2002), ‘Reconciling Human Development and Climate Protection: Perspectives from Developing Countries on Post-2012 International Climate Change Policy’, Harvard University; The Harvard Project, http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/18685/reconciling_human_development_and_climate_protection.html

Enríquez, L. J (2000), ‘Cuba's New Agricultural Revolution: The Transformation of Food Crop Production in Contemporary Cuba’, Development Report No. 14, Department of Sociology, University of California,  http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/271  

  Europa (2006), ‘Energy cooperation with the developing countries’, http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/development/sectoral_development_policies/r12008_en.htm

Garfield, R. Dr. PhD & Santana, S. (1997), ‘The Impact of the Economic Crisis and the U.S. embargo on Health in Cuba’, American journal on Public Health, January 1997, http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.87.1.15

Hughes, K. (2012), ‘Thirty million set to be in ‘fuel poverty’, The Independent,  http://www.independent.co.uk/money/spend-save/thirty-million-set-to-be-in-fuel-poverty-7831890.html

  Horowitz, I. L. (1988), ‘Cuban Communism: Sixth Edition’,  http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=hx2_y7Vu-PUC&oi=fnd&pg=PA217&dq=oil+exports+to+cuba&ots=lBZesbzvbi&sig=ZhrKxjveOt5pW5Rj28ijYRyLWCc#v=onepage&q=oil%20exports%20to%20cuba&f=false

  King, M. D (2012), ‘Cuban Sustainability: The Effects of Economic Isolation on Agriculture and Energy’, Department of Political Science and Environmental Studies, Lehigh University, http://wpsa.research.pdx.edu/meet/2012/kingmdawn.pdf

  Koont, S. (2009), ‘The Urban Agriculture of Havana’, Monthly Review, 60(8): pp. 44-64

  Park, H (2010), ‘Cuba’s Response to Energy Crisis’, Centre for Energy and Environmental Policy, University of Delaware, http://udel.edu/~hunpark/papers/Cuba_s%20Response%20to%20Energy%20Crisis.pdf

  Pérez, D, López, I. & Berdellans, I. (2005), ‘Evaluation of energy policy in Cuba using ISED’, Natural Resources Forum, Volume 29, Issue 4, pages 298–307, November 2005, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1477-8947.2005.00142.x/pdf

  Rosset, P & Media Benjamin (1994), ‘The Greening of the Revolution: Cuba’s Experiment with Organic Agriculture’, Melbourne: Ocean Press

  Rosset, P. (1997), ‘The Greening of Cuba: In Helen Collinson (ed), Environmental Conflicts and Initiatives in Latin America: A Reader’, Buffalo, New York: Black Rose Books: pp. 158-168.

  Worldwatch Institute (2012), ‘Energy poverty remains a global challenge for the future’, http://www.worldwatch.org/energy-poverty-remains-global-challenge-future-1

  Zunes, S (1995), ‘Signs of the Times’, In Context, Spring: pp. 19-27

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Eating Eco-Friendly on a Budget!

By Jessica Lawandi

Whilst many understand the need to protect the environment and its process, the push to eat more ecologically friendly produce can be somewhat overwhelming. For many, the cost involved is seemingly more than they can afford. However, reducing your eco-footprint may not be as hard or as expensive as you think. Follow this quick guide to choosing and consuming healthy sustainable, organic and seasonal foods on a budget!

  Eat your fruits and veggies!

 Fruits and vegetables grown on commercial farming land are usually sprayedwith chemical pesticides in order to stop fruit fly and other insects eating away at the produce. Due to the soft skin of these particular foods, the pesticides often seep in and contaminate the flesh, leaving a pesticide residue. Whilst this information can be scary, the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables far outweighs any risk associated with pesticide exposure. So eat your fruits and veggies!

Acting as a guide to the purchases of clean produce, the EWG developed a ‘Dirty Dozen’ list, outlining the 12 most important fruits and vegetables to buy organically in order to avoid the consumption of pesticide residue. In choosing from this list, you can lower your pesticide intake dramatically!

Free up some money

For many Australian’s, the argument against purchasing organically grown foods is that it’s too expensive. However, studies have shown that Australian household expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages is 17% of our income, with 37% of our income being spent on discretionary items such as alcohol, tobacco, clothing, recreation, household furnishings and personal care (find more on this in our organic sceptics page). This argument can be therefore put down to the value that people place on purchasing good, healthy food compared to lifestyle activities.

Small modifications to lifestyle choices can easily and effectively save your household some money.

  Food choices

Instead of buying foods loaded with sugar, colouring and preservatives such as soft drinks and fruit juices, processed foods, lollies and chocolates, fill your shopping trolley up with whole and organic foods such as unprocessed meats, seasonal fruits and veg and whole grains.

Growing your own food

Having your own veggie or herb garden can be a great way to cut costs. Not only will this save money, but it will also help you and your family become seasonal eaters.

Reducing food waste

Tonnes of domestic and commercial food waste end up in landfill every year. The decomposition of these scraps releases methane gas into the atmosphere, a harmful gas to humans and the environment. However, as stated by Foodwise, research from the NSW Government has shown that the average NSW household bins about $1,036 worth of food per annum. As a result, here are a few ways in which we can reduce food waste in the home;

  Composting – Compost bins or worm gardens can turn food scraps into quality soil for your garden or veggie gardens.

 Is it waste? Plenty of great recipes have been created out of food scrap and leftovers. Instead of throwing it out, create something with it!

  Meat free days

Reducing the consumption of meat is one of the most effective ways to cut costs in the grocery bill as well as reduce the impact on the environment.

Finding the good stuff

For many people, convenience is a large contributing factor to purchasing organic foods. Large food corporations like Coles and Safeway (Woolworths) generally charge more for their organic produce to cover their business and travel overheads whilst independent, local food suppliers generally have the same organic foods at a higher cost. However the cheapest, freshest produce is found at accredited farmers markets.

Another means of buying organic are the organic box services such as Organic Empire. These companies deliver fresh, healthy and organic food straight to your door.  

The Local Harvest website is dedicated to helping you find good food that’s close to you.  

  Case Study – Seeing the comparisons 

With a shopping list that consisted of fruits and veg, yoghurt, 1L milk, chicken drumsticks, 1kg rice, 500g penne pasta, Vegemite, eggs, fruit juice and pasta sauce, we went shopping. To show cost comparisons of organic and commercial produce, we used the organic wholefoods online shopping website and the local, Aussie farmers direct website. To note, organic wholefoods is an ethical retailing supermarket based in Melbourne’s Brunswick and Fitzroy.

Using our shopping list, this is what we found.

  Aussie Farmers Direct, Online shopping tool; http://www.aussiefarmers.com.au/products/

Wholefoods Organic Supermarket, Online Shopping tool; http://www.wholefoods.com.au/contents/en-us/d807.html

  When comparing local supermarket cost prices with that of local, organic produce, we can see a significant cost difference of $29.09. However, following some of the tips suggested above, such as meat free days, this can free up some money to afford organic, seasonal and sustainable produce.

Whilst we understand that convenience supermarket chains like Coles and Woolworths do not comply with sustainable food mileage, they still offer organic produce at a lower price. Using the Coles online website, this is what we found.

Evidently, substituting organic produce where you can increases the weekly grocery bill by $8.31. However, for roughly the price of 2 cups of coffee, you and your family can eat well, organically and environmentally friendly.  

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There you go. 

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"...Cause it can get ugly before it gets beautiful"

Chris Brown "Don't Judge Me"

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Pieces of a Broken Heart

Pieces of a broken heart

By Jessica Lawandi 

Pieces of a broken heart,

Are floating through your veins.

The one you loved is gone –

And he no longer knows your name.

  With a heavy heart and tear-pricked eyes,

Now only darkness hears your cries,

And feelings - you’re aching -

Your spirits breaking,

Into a million heart-shaped pieces,

Floating through your veins.

  “But no, you’re strong” – you hear your mind say,

“You wake up smiling and you’ll be okay”.

Up and out, and the sun shines strong –

You haven’t been happy in far too long.

  But pieces and pieces, these heart-shaped knives,  

Play sweet havoc with your happiness and in your mind,

You hear them scream, “no, you love him but he does not”,

And your stomach turns and ties in knots.

  “Be happy, be happy”,

It’s so hard to do,

When your heart bleeds, oh through and through.

But then you stop – you breathe – you’ll be okay,

You’re going to be strong, if just for today.

  You walk tall with your head held high,

And you try so hard just not to cry,

And you walk, and you walk, and you walk some more,

And your eyes, not once drop to the floor.

And then you see him, he sees you,

Your heart skips a beat

And these heart-shaped pieces drop down to your feet

And back up again, at the speed of sound,

“Oh what’s this feeling that I have found?”

  Butterflies, and butterflies,

Butterflies galore.

And then your eyes – only then – drop to the floor.

And you muster an almost forgotten smile,

“Oh I haven’t felt this for a little while”.

  You look up, and he’s looking at you,

And his half-moon smile goes right through,

Your heart beats fast and at long last, he says –

“Hi, how are you?”.

  You bite your lip and he chuckles a bit,

He extends his hand and he asks you to sit,

His beautiful skin and big, round lips,

And the things you would do just for a kiss.

  He starts off saying, “my name is Mark”,

And oh my God, I think there’s a spark,

And suddenly happiness shines right through,

And you, yes you, are smiling too.  

  With happiness and laughter, and exchanging of names,

These pieces of a broken heart floating through your veins,

Slowly but surely gather together,

And you feel so light, as light as a feather.

  With time, and trust you can love again,

Now that your broken heart is on the mend,

Forgive the past but don’t forget,

And hurt, and sadness needn’t equal regret.

  Learn, and live, and love some more,

And walk on, don’t dwell, just learn to soar.

Heavy hearts and tear-pricked eyes,

And crying and crying, wanting to hide,

Don’t get you happiness or newfound friends,

Or even the chance to love again.

[wanndij]

10 ways to 'green' your life - made SIMPLE!

My first blog - in collaboration with Melbourne's Sustainable Table;

As the world becomes increasingly aware of the realities of climate change, more and more people realise the benefits of living a “green life” – benefits that are both environmental and economical. “Green” living is the concept of living life in such a way that appreciates a growing global population, limited natural resources and a decaying natural environment.   

  By following Sustainable Table’s 10-step guide to green living, you can cut costs within your home as well as significantly reduce the environmental impact your choices determine.

      1. Say no to plastic bags

  The plastic bag is essentially a long chain of polymers, formed using petroleum. According to Clean Up Australia, 8.7 plastic checkout bags contain enough embodied petroleum energy to drive a car 1 kilometre.1 

As a well documented fact, plastic bags are not biodegradable and can last 500 years, often living in our oceans and parkland. In Australia alone, 3.92 billion plastic bags were used in 2011.2 To significantly reduce your impact on the environment, green bags, old plastic bags or any bags you have lying around the house can be taken grocery shopping to avoid the need for new plastic bags.   

  2. Invest in energy-saving power boards

  Appliances in the home that operate on stand-by (like the television, microwave and DVD player) continue to consume energy even when turned off, unless they are turned off at the power point.

  Energy consumption from stand-by appliances can account for a large percentage of your energy bill as well as produce a significant amount of emissions.

  Turn these appliances off at the power point when you’re not using them, or at the very least invest in energy-saving power boards, as these can safely limit or control the amount of energy flowing into these appliances. 

3. Catch public transport, ride or walk

  Road transport contributes almost 15% of total greenhouse gas emissions in Australia and cars contribute more than 50% of this. Buses however, are less than 2%.3  By leaving the car at home and walking, riding or catching public transport instead, not only can you improve your health and reduce the costs associated with running a car, but you can significantly lower your environmental footprint and greenhouse gas contribution.

4. Line dry your clothes

  The dryer is one of the biggest energy guzzlers in the average home. In contrast, line drying even half of your clothes can reduce your household carbon emissions by 328 kg yearly.4 It also helps your clothes last longer, because they don’t go through an aggressive heating and spinning process. 

5. Reduce bottled beverage consumption

  Like plastic bags, plastic bottles are a large environmental issue worldwide. In 2009-10, Australia alone produced 582.9 million litres of bottled water.5

  In reality however, it would be much, much more, since these estimates are for bottled water alone and don’t take into account other beverages like fruit juice, iced tea and soft drinks. If we assume all of this water was produced in litre bottles, then that means 582.9 million bottles of water was produced. Statistics show that Australians recycle only 36% of PET plastic drink bottles. Following this assumption, this means that in 2009-10, 373 million plastic bottles ended up in landfill.6

Investing in stainless steel drink bottles or reusing glass bottles will significantly reduce the number of plastic bottles you use yearly, ultimately reducing the number of bottles ending up in landfill.  

6. Compost compost compost

  Every year Australian’s throw away an estimated 3 million tonnes or $7.8 billion worth of food.7 Whilst some food wastage is unavoidable, compost bins/heaps and worm gardens are a useful way to utilise this waste to create quality soil for your garden at home. Even if you don’t have a garden, composting is an important step in reducing your eco-footprint. Offer your compost to neighbours, local businesses or cafés with gardens.

  Composting is important because when food scraps decompose in oxygen-starved environments, such as landfill, they produce dangerous levels of a greenhouse gas called methane. Compost bins help to stop this from occurring.

  Methane gas is an odourless, colourless, flammable gas that is emitted not only through the oxygen-starved decomposition of food, but by farting cattle and many other natural processes. Even in small quantities, methane gas has been linked to global warming. After carbon dioxide, methane is the second most important greenhouse gas. Methane's warming effect is 21 times greater than that of carbon dioxide; however, it stays in the atmosphere for a significantly shorter period of time.8

7. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (and sing it!)

  Over the last 20 years, Australia has increased its recycling total – we now, as a nation, recycle 60% of our solid waste. However, the amount of landfill has not decreased. This has to do with societies’ consumption levels – we consume too much!9 

There are a lot of myths associated with recycling but it’s time to Sort The Fact From The Fiction. Recycling and reusing is an important part of living green. By limiting your consumption, that is, limiting how much new stuff you buy, you ultimately cut costs as well as reducing your contribution to landfill. You may also reach a state of Zen.  

8. If you have to use the car…

  Keeping a close eye on tire pressure can minimize the number of pollutants cars emit into our atmosphere. Tires that are not properly filled are “less round” and require more energy to move - this can use 10% more petrol than tires that are pumped and “round”. The ill-proper inflation of tires accounts for millions of litres of wasted petrol and avoidable emissions.10 Optimal tire pressure depends on the size of your car and the type of tire. Contact your mechanic to find out what is suitable for you.

9. Review your heating and cooling

  Heating appliances are the household’s largest consumer of energy.  Chewing through huge amounts of power and creating grossly high emissions - heating was responsible for 58% of Victoria’s household energy use in 2007.11 The following recommendations from Origin Energy 12 will help to reduce household energy bills as well as reduce the emissions produced through heating.

  *Keep the home well insulated – limiting airflow will help keep the home at a stable, consistent temperature, meaning heating is not needed. The two more important areas to insulate are the ceiling and flooring. 

* Dress appropriately and use blankets before firing up the heater. 

* Close curtains or cover large glass areas (you can lose up to 16% of heat transfer through glass).

* Keep thermostat temperatures moderate (manufacturers recommend settings of 24°C in summer and 20°C in winter).

  10. Choose to receive online bills rather than paper-based

  One very simple way of reducing your environmental footprint is by choosing to receive bills online. This will drastically save paper whilst allowing you to keep a safe, online database of your expenses. 

  See, it’s the little things that count!

  Simple, daily changes to your lifestyle can drastically improve your environmental impact as well as save your pocket. Utilising what you already have, maintaining household appliances and switching to a ‘green’ way of life will help you save the natural environment for future generations. You may also find yourself feeling lighter, healthier, happier and calmer. 

  ENDNOTES

  1.& 2.Clean Up Australia (2011), What is the problem? Plastic Bags!, http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/Campaigns/plastic-bag-facts.html

  2.Clean Up Australia (2011), What is the problem? Plastic Bags!, http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/Campaigns/plastic-bag-facts.html 

  3.BIC (2011), The Role of Public Transport in a Clean Energy Future, http://www.climatechange.gov.au/government/submissions/clean-energy-legislative-package/~/media/government/submissions/cel/public/CEL-Submission-BusIndustryConfederation-20110822-PDF.pdf 

  4. DOW (2011), The ECO IQ Challenge, http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:Og5UBGZN4nQJ:www.dow.com/iyc/pdfs/eco-iq/eco-iq-english-emea.pdf+&hl=en&gl=au&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShlU0y5GCDv5Za2NSvk4a0dTeSrYGeMOZOub4NEVsYS3SLEGDXfDlK67wNOQtWvB5TQFPdPKpPGcwp3XprgeuSc2nRABA1U2LK_3_4iLrg_6rUX-G5uRQMI-OASiVG1LXPgLNvz&sig=AHIEtbQAVORktPbFAJNXeau7cwSnFdfmPw 

  5. & 6. Ocean Crusaders, Plastic Statistics – Plastic Ain’t so Fantastic, http://oceancrusaders.org/plastic-crusades/plastic-statistics/ 

  7. Planet Ark, Reducing Food Waste and Recycling Food Scraps, http://recyclingweek.planetark.org/documents/doc-464-food-scraps-factsheet-2012.pdf 

  8. eHOW (2012), Environmental Effects of Methane, http://www.ehow.com/info_8504462_environmental-effects-methane.html 

  9. Environment Victoria, Recycling and Landfill, http://environmentvictoria.org.au/content/recycling-and-landfill 

Planet Ark, Sort the fact from the fiction, http://recyclingweek.planetark.org/documents/doc-78-nrw-recyclingmythsreport.pdf

  10. West, L.(2012), Keeping tires inflated could help save the planet, and your life, Environmental Issues, http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/tire_pressure.htm

  11. Environment Victoria, The Energy you use at home, http://environmentvictoria.org.au/content/energy-home 

  12. Origin Energy (2012), Heating and Cooling, http://www.originenergy.com.au/2673/Heating-and-cooling

[wanndij]

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