Consumption Atlas
The Australian Conservation Foundation has a new tool on their website: the Consumption Atlas (Flash). It has the greenhouse gas emissions, water use and environmental footprint for each suburb in Australia. Why not see how your suburb compares to the rest of Australia by typing in your postcode?
The ACF’s report Consuming Australia (pdf) has the details of the study used to create the Consumption Atlas. It shows how they worked out the amounts for each area, the main things households consume and the major trends in Australia. It also shows what people can do about their own consumption, and what the government can do to make environmentally-conscious shopping easier for everyone.
What you can do to lower the eco-impact of what you buy:
(for more detail, see page 16 of the report)
- Buy fewer things, enjoy life more - when you need to relax, try a massage or a trip to the beach instead of retail therapy.
- Share more - it saves space as well as money. Try libraries, car share, or renting instead of buying DVDs.
- Buy smart - choose recycled materials, efficient appliances and quality products that will last you a long time.
- Cut waste - don’t buy clothes you won’t wear, or food you’ll end up throwing out a week later.
What the government can do to help us:
(page 18 of the report)
- Introduce product labelling to make it easier for customers to know which products are better
- Set efficiency standards for products that everyone uses
- Help households become more water and energy efficient
- Set a price on pollution and update our prices for water and waste
- Educate the community on how to make environmentally-helpful choices
- Invest in public transport, renewable energy, and other sustainable technologies.