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From green power to the power of the green vote, it seems the eco-conscious greenie has become the Next Big Thing

It’s 6.05pm on a Wednesday. You’ve been home all of 15 minutes; enough time to turn the hall light on, tap your PowerBook from sleeping to start, insert your phone into the charger, press high on the air con, set the oven to 180 degrees and flick on the TV. For most of us such actions have become a daily ritual, an offence we commit almost subconsciously. Sure, we’ve watched the Al Gore film, the Michael Moore film and even the Leonardo film and really, we are trying. Yet the fact is, parading an I’m-so-enviro-I-only-use-green-bags at the supermarket and calculating the cash we’d get from the government if we switched from petrol to gas, is about as beneficial for our eco-system as one monthly gym session is for our waistlines. If we really want to make an impact on the environment of tomorrow we need to start altering the way we live, today.
Luckily for us, these alterations are as simple as they are effective.

GO GREEN
Approximately 80 per cent of Australia’s electricity is created through burning coal, an act that grossly adds to the carbon emissions in the earth’s atmosphere. With 19 accredited Green Energy providers in Australia finding your own green power or renewable energy provider is simple. Google Green Energy providers in your area or contact your current energy provider and ask if they offer a green power service. Given that throughout July to September 2007 more than 55,000 customers signed up to green power in Australia, most companies have made adding a green tangent to their services a BIG priority. Ask around and get recommendations from friends, neighbours and family. When buying a new fridge or washing machine look for those with a four or five star energy rating and don’t go overboard on size. Buy something that suits your requirements. Given the climate in Australia there really should be no reason to use a dryer. Even in winter try and plan ahead allowing yourself two to three days to let clothing dry on indoor racks. Turn anything that is not being used off, including computers, DVD players, lights, stereos, alarm clocks and, if going on holiday, fridges. Plugging multiple appliances into one switchboard makes it easier to turn them all off by flicking just one switch.

TAKE A WALK
According to CarbonNeutral.com 17% of our greenhouse gas emissions are produced solely through motor vehicles. Hardly surprising when you think of all the single-passenger cars you see backed up on the freeway each morning. If you’re a driver set yourself a task to actively cut your weekly motor escapades by a third. Ask around at your work and see if there’s a possibility of carpooling, investigate public transport or make yourself a mixed tape on your iPod and listen to it while walking or riding to work. If you live far from friends try and make your catch up sessions in a central location, such as a city bar after work or a café that’s close to transport. Save the money you would have spent on parking meters and petrol and treat yourself to a decent dinner out with friends. When flying, try and offset the carbon emissions by adding a few extra dollars to the cost of your ticket – remember, one passenger flying between Sydney and Europe equals 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Imagine how many trees need to be planted to offset that.

APPRECIATE WATER
Given our drought-ridden land it’s crazy that many of us still carelessly waste huge quantities of water. Whether it’s a long shower or flushing a make-up tissue down the toilet the value of water is not always appreciated. Start by buying a cheap bucket and placing it in the shower. Place another container outside to catch rain. Use the water caught to wash pets, the car, water the garden, flush no.1s or mop the bathroom floor. Repair any dripping taps immediately and try, where possible, to install water-saving shower heads (which are usually the same price, if not cheaper, than normal shower heads). If a new homeowner or green-thumbed renter look at growing plants that are not heavily reliant on water to survive. Go LA style with cacti and other native flora. Try and time your shower to last one song only and, if you’re so inclined, look at the possibility of sharing a shower with your partner.

CUT BACK ON ANIMAL FOODS
While no one is suggesting we abandon the cattle and dairy farmers of Australia, facts show that energy used to produce dairy foods and red meat is almost eight times the energy used to produce grains, vegetables, fruit and bread. Cut down on red meat and look at adding more leafy vegetables into your diet, which will also help your health. Try and buy locally grown produce that hasn’t had to be carted long distances in trucks and planes or treated with chemicals.

RECYCLE
Try and broaden your mind when it comes to recycling. Go further than just separating the plastic from the paper and look at reusing certain items. Cut cereal boxes and use them to store magazines or journals. Use old tins as toothbrush/shaver or pencil holders. Fold large boxes and store them under your bed for the next time you’re moving. Stuff newspaper into your boots to help keep their shape. Before throwing out an old keyboard contact local designers and see if they’d like to use the keypad for any creations. Or pluck out the letters of a friend’s name and make them a one-off birthday card. Before throwing something out think about its other uses and who you know that could benefit from its presence.
Going green isn’t about changing everything in your life or about growing dreds, becoming vegan and ditching all your designer threads. Instead, it’s about making small changes that if executed by enough people, will make a huge impact on the world around us. So c’mon Ladies, dust off the vintage bicycle you bought last year (and haven’t used), set aside an hour to research green power suppliers, buy a $3 bucket for excess water and start doing more than just conversing about the problem.

GET CLICKING
www.greenhome.org.au
For all your household requirements (renters and owners).
www.greenelectricitywatch.org.au
A great site if researching green power providers.
www.carbonneutral.com.au
Good advice and ideas on how to cut back/offset carbon emissions.
www.naturalweddings.com.au
For those planning their special day and looking out for the environment.


So, you think you’re ready to make the few small changes necessary to change, and hopefully better, our future? We put five YEN Eco-Girls to the test…

MISSION: TO USE CANDLES INSTEAD OF ELECTRIC LIGHTS AT NIGHT
1. I won’t say this exercise was easy because it wasn’t and I proved this to myself by almost burning down the house when I kind of set a towel alight in the bathroom. After that initial upset though, I got through the experience. It was really challenging – the hardest part was forcing myself out of the habit of flicking the switch when walking into a room. It was an interesting realisation to discover how much I use lights for comfort rather than purpose. I was able to adapt to the absence of perfect sight and rely on my other senses. I did find reading by candlelight a bit taxing on the eyes with all the flickering; the urge to just turn on a light was hard to overcome.
KATE, BRUNSWICK EAST, VIC

2. Using candles instead of electric lights was a nice change. Who can say no to a romantic candle glow? Although I am skeptical of the emissions they also emit into the atmosphere, I’m certain that they are still an improvement to the electric lights in my pad. There was the occasional cheating with the glow of the laptop or mobile phone, and daylight saving means that the darkness comes a lot later. Next time I buy candles I’m going for a new kind, the Ecoya Soy and Palm Wax Candles, which are all natural and the eco alternative to paraffin candles.
FAUSTINA, SYDNEY, NSW

MISSION: TO USE A BICYCLE INSTEAD OF CATCHING A TAXI OR DRIVING
3. It’s a fun and healthy way to lighten your environmental footprint. I’m a big fan of incidental exercise since I’m pretty lazy. I never thought that running errands all day could be fun! The best thing was that I didn’t waste valuable shopping time looking for car parks. My shopping bags were heavy by the time I got home but it was a great adventure.
SARAH, FITZROY, VIC

4. One day I decided I would ride my bike to work (from Footscray to Abbotsford). It was a particularly hot day and the traffic was hectic. It took me over an hour to get there and I was quite unfit, so needless to say that was a momentous challenge for me. I did notice all the pollution as I was riding and it made me feel guilty that I had been contributing to it everyday because I was too lazy to take a train or ride my bike. Riding home was a lot easier, in fact it actually helped me unwind after a stressful day at work. I slept pretty well that night and I didn’t have to go to the gym.
LIEU, FOOTSCRAY, VIC

MISSION: TO USE SHOWER/SAVED RAIN WATER, WHEN POSSIBLE, TO FLUSH THE TOILET
5. Putting a bucket in the shower and not flushing the loo for a weekend sounded easy enough, but there were a few surprises. With six people in one house, it didn’t take all that long for the toilet to get slightly clogged. However, I compensated with using the water collected in the shower, it was quite surprising that I was able to collect more than half a bucket of water! The bucket in the shower is definitely staying and the loo business might stick around too.
YAN KOK, CLAYTON, VIC

Words: Fiona Killackey

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