Living greenly

One of the easiest things you can do to help the environment is to make your everyday life more eco-friendly. Mostly it’s just a matter of changing a few habits so that you can go greener. Here’s a few suggestions to get you started. You might also like to read the “home” and “garden” categories of blog posts for more ideas.

Home comforts

Water

• Learn how to reduce the amount of water you use. You can conserve a precious resource and save yourself money as well.
• Try a water-efficient showerhead. Good models are affordable, and have improved their water pressure since they were first introduced. Some Australian states offer a rebate on the cost of buying water-saving devices.
• Look into grey-water recycling, a way to re-use water from your bath or laundry on your garden. Greenplumbers.com.au can help you find someone to set up water-saving devices in your home. Gardening Australia has helpful tips on how to get started.

Electricity

• Make simple changes to save electricity around the house.
• Check if your home is properly insulated. This really cuts down the amount of heating or air-conditioning you need, and in turn the amount of electricity you have to pay for.
• Switch to a solar hot-water system to really reduce the amount of electricity you use. There are government rebates on the cost of installation.
• Green Power can provide you with power from renewable sources (such as wind, solar and hydro-power), through your local electricity supplier. All you need to do is fill in an application form, and you’ll be reducing our reliance on coal-fired power stations.
• If you’re already buying Green Power from your electricity company, why not go one better and generate your own? Solar panels and photovoltaic systems get rebates in some states, and if you generate enough electricity you can sell it back to your local supplier.

Other

• Reduce the amount of waste you put in the bin. Most of stuff we use ends up in landfill, even though it took so much energy to provide them for us. You’d be surprised how many things — computers, glasses, mobile phones, clothes, even corks — can be re-used or recycled in some way. For things that you just don’t need anymore but are in still in good condition, find a Freecycle network in your city, or donate them to your favourite charity.
• Try non-toxic pest-control methods to reduce the use of poisonous pesticides in your home.
• If you reckon you’re making some progress on these things, try taking the Green Home Challenge, the Energy Challenge, or go carbon neutral.

In the garden

• Get water-wise in the garden. Learn about hydro-zoning, choosing the right plants, and finding ways to be water-efficient. Local councils and nurseries can help you find information suited to your town.
• Learn about alternatives to pesticides and herbicides. There are many alternatives to spraying chemicals over your garden, which will end up washed into our water system.
• Set up a worm-farm or composter to make mulch or compost for your garden from your food scraps. It will improve your soil and reduce the amount of water needed, while re-using household scraps that would otherwise become landfill.

Getting out and about

• Try riding a bike to work or to the shops. There’s plenty of great gear available if you like, but all you really need to get started is a bike and a helmet. By riding more often you reduce the amount of pollution in our atmosphere, and the amount of money you have to spend on petrol.
• Walk the kids to school, or walk to the local shops when you only need to pick up a few small items. It’s cheaper and less polluting than driving, and helps you get a little exercise. Some communities have set up “walking buses”, where parents take turns walking a group of kids to school — see if anyone in your area would like to try this idea.
• Use public transport to get to work. Train and bus schedules can be found online, and there are prepaid tickets so you don’t have to fumble around with change for a ticket. At the same time as you’re reducing pollution, you’ll be able to read a book or listen to some music instead of stressing out in traffic.
• The Travelsmart website has information on all of these, and support for work and school groups.
• When you do drive, try fuel-efficient driving. A few little changes to the way you drive can cut down the amount you spend on petrol while reducing pollution at the same time.
• Greenfleet and Climate Friendly will offset the pollution caused by your car, with tree-planting or carbon-reduction projects. You can also buy gift vouchers for your friends and family.
• Consider an eco-holiday next time you’ve got annual leave. Stay in some of the most beautiful places in Australia to see what makes our country so special.