To avert the worst effects of global warming we must make changes to our habits and lifestyle. Little things when done by millions of people can make a big difference. While some carbon emissions are unavoidable many can be significantly reduced with a minimum of effort and cost.
Awareness, calculation and reduction of our carbon emissions is the first step we can take in tackling climate change. Carbon Offsetting should occur only after reducing our carbon emissions first. Coolplanet has compiled a list of things we can all do to reduce our contribution to climate change because it's not difficult to do our bit and help stop global warming.
Make your next car fuel-efficient. As the price of petrol continues to increase, you’ll be glad you did. Have a look for the best models at www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au
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Use bio diesel or an ethanol blend in your car.
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Ride a bike, walk, car pool or use public transport instead of taking the car out.
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Avoid accelerating (or braking) sharply as this uses fuel more quickly.
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Keep your tyres properly inflated, it can save up to 5% on your petrol bill.
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Remove roof racks and heavy items from boot when not in use.
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Conserve your air conditioning use and get it checked regularly for leaks.
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Limit air travel and have holidays locally.
Water
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Install solar hot water.
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Make sure your hot water heater isn't set too high, it doesn't need to be hotter than 60C.
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Use half flush on your toilet as much as possible or install a water saving device in your cistern.
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Install a rain water tank.
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Use a water saving shower head and have shorter showers.
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Fix any leaking taps.
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Do full loads in the dishwasher and washing machine. Use short and cold water cycles when possible.
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Only boil as much water as you need.
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Water plants in the early evening so less water evaporates.
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Choose plants that don't need a lot of watering, native plants are better suited to our environment.
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Less lawn, more plants.
House
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Use Renewable Energy! About a third of Australian carbon emissions come from electricity use but if you choose renewable energy for your household, you won't be generating any greenhouse gas from your electricity.
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Replace normal light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs, they use up to 75% less energy and last up to 7 times longer.
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Insulate your house to reduce air conditioning and heating use, insulation can be fitted to existing houses with great effect.
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Switch off appliances when not in use, standby mode still uses power. A TV set that's used for 3 hours a day and in standby mode for the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.
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Turn lights off when you leave the room.
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Use the clothes line instead of the dryer.
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Recycle, recycle and recycle.
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When buying new goods buy ones with a high energy efficiency rating.
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When designing and building a house do it intelligently, it will save money and energy every year. Check out www.yourhome.gov.au
Personal
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Tell your elected leaders you care about climate change.
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Reduce the amount you consume. Keep your life simple.
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Buy paper, wood and wooden products that have been sustainably forested - deforestation accounts for about 20% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
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Fix any broken furniture instead of buying new stuff.
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Refuse junk mail.
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Get bills and bank statements sent electronically.
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Tell your friends to get busy on climate change too.
Food
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Buy organic foods as much as possible. Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farming.
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Microwaves and gas burners use up to half the power of an electric stove top.
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Don't keep the fridge too cold, it should be 3 - 5 degrees.
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Shop at farmer's markets.
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Buy products with recyclable packaging.
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Eat less meat. Methane is 21 times more destructive than carbon dioxide and cattle are one of the greatest methane emitters. A tonne of beef uses about 20 times the energy than a tonne of rice. Better still become vegetarian or vegan.
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Buy fresh foods instead of frozen stuff. Frozen food uses up to 10 times more energy to produce.
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Say no to plastic bags and over packaged items. Reuse any plastic bags you do have.
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Grow your own food.
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Compost. Around 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions is caused by methane generated by decomposing biodegradable waste.
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Buy unprocessed and unrefined food, it's better for you and the planet.
Office
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Switch off computers, photocopiers and other equipment when not in use.
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Switch to a laptop instead of using a desktop computer and cut three-quarters off your electrical use.
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Lower the brightness on LCD screens to save power.
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Recycle all office paper.
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Buy ethically made and recyclable products.
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Educate employees on ways to conserve power. Print out this checklist and hand it out.
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Buy Australian and support other local businesses when possible.
Look at the other sections for more ways for your business to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions
Coolplanet .:. awareness and action on global warming
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