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Climate friendly living at home
Where do we stand
Everyone can help to reduce the impact of climate change and many of these actions also make good financial sense.
Most electricity in Australia comes from burning coal, gas or oil, which produces millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases every year. These gases build up in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming.
Australian households generate around one-fifth of Australia's greenhouse gases.
But it's not all doom and gloom — an average household can reduce carbon emissions and save hundreds of dollars each year. (Each tonne of greenhouse gas avoided saves you around $300).
Installing a water-efficient shower head, composting and recycling in the Watson-Sutherland household.
Great changes in the Great Lakes
The Watson-Sutherland household is attempting to reduce its carbon emissions with a number of simple initiatives.
They live in an older style home and recently installed insulation which means they use less energy for heating and cooling and this of course saves them money in the long run.
A small bucket for food scraps is kept below the kitchen sink and then emptied in the large black compost bin in the garden. After several months the rich matter is collected from the bottom of the bin and used to make compost for their vegetable garden. In the vegetable garden they use basic companion planting principles (see the section on Climate Friendly Gardening for more information) to avoid the use of chemical sprays.
A water efficient shower head in the bathroom and a water-saving tap in the kitchen both help to save water.
As far as the laundry goes there is no clothes dryer so the only option is to use the sun and wind to dry their clothes.
Over to you
You can make a difference — just by making simple everyday changes around the home such as:
- Install energy-efficient lighting such as compact florescent bulbs, and turn off lights when you leave a room.
- Switch off appliances at the power point instead of leaving them on stand-by. Over the whole year, some microwave ovens generate more greenhouse gas running the digital clock than cooking food. Washing machines and dryers also feature in the top 10 list of standby power guzzlers.
- Wash clothes in cold water and avoid using a clothes dryer — let air and sunlight dry them wherever possible.
Now let's take a closer look at some other ways you can make the change.
Solar hot water
If there's one thing Australia has an abundance of, it's sunshine. Solar energy is powerful and free, so why not harness it for your advantage? Installing a solar water heater could be the single most effective way you can reduce your energy bills. The State government also offers a rebate to assist with the initial cost of the system.
Solar power
For the really committed, solar panels can be used to convert sunlight into electricity to power your home. Solar power systems can be connected to the electricity grid, so you can draw electricity from the grid when not enough power is being generated by the solar panels. When the sun is shining, the excess power produced by your solar power system can also be sold back to your electricity retailer. The State government even offers a rebate to assist with the initial costs. Check with Great Lakes Council for approval.
Keeping Cool
There are plenty of ways to keep cool in the home without contributing to climate change:
- Keep your fridge around 3 to 4 degrees Celsius and freezers at -15 to -18 degrees Celsius. Setting it 1 degree lower than necessary releases 50 kilograms more greenhouse gas each year.
- Ensure door seals are clean and the door closes properly — if ice builds up rapidly the door is not sealing. The seals may need fixing or replacing.
- A third of Australian homes have at least two fridges, many of which are old and inefficient, so if you have a second fridge switch it off except when it's really needed.
Above: Solar panel; window shades; AAA rated shower head; compact fluorescent lamp.
Some Like It Hot
Showers are the biggest user of hot water in most homes, so why not start taking shorter showers today. Then consider installing a three star rated water-efficient showerhead and save more than half a tonne of greenhouse gas each year if you have an electric hot water service. They will also save many dollars in hot water bills.
Other measures to consider include:
- Avoid using small amounts of hot water if cold water will do. Each time you turn on the hot water tap, a litre or more of cold water that had been heated but has cooled in the pipes runs down the sink before hot water is delivered.
- Avoid rinsing dishes under running hot water: it uses far more hot water than putting the plug in and using some water in the sink — and often the job can be done by scraping or rinsing with cold water.
- If you're going away for more than a few days, switch off your hot water systems.
- Fix dripping taps for hot water and save up to 100 kilograms of greenhouse gas each year for each tap.
Cooking
When in the kitchen you may like to consider that microwaves use up to 70 per cent less energy than a standard oven, while small, efficient appliances like pressure cookers and electric frypans use only half the energy used by standard ovens.
Meanwhile, fan-forced ovens generate up to 35 per cent less greenhouse gas than conventional ovens and more items can be cooked at the same time, as heat is more evenly distributed around the oven.
By putting lids on pots, simmering gently instead of boiling vigorously, or using a pressure cooker you can save half the greenhouse gas generated during cooking. Each litre of water evaporated generates up to a kilogram of greenhouse gas.
Use pots and pans with flat bases that match the size of the element.
Go green and compost
On average, 40 per cent of rubbish sent to landfill is food, garden or wood waste — referred to as ‘green waste’.
But you can reduce this by composting food waste. Every tonne of organic waste diverted from landfill saves nearly a third of a tonne of greenhouse gas emissions.
The easiest way to deal with food waste is to set up a compost system or a worm farm — even if you live in a unit you can set up a small worm farm on a balcony.
Find out more
Websites
To find out more about solar power and how to obtain financial assistance from the Australian Government visit:
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/rebate or call 1300 361 967
www.greenhouse.gov.au/renewable/pv
www.greenpower.gov.au
Choosing efficient appliances is very important when attempting to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions but if you don't want to spend time researching the best energy efficient products visit the following websites:
www.energyrating.gov.au/tesaw-main.html#how
— Top Energy Saving Awards
www.energyrating.gov.au
www.energyallstars.gov.au
www.waterrating.gov.au
— ratings for water efficient products
www.rippleproducts.com
— company selling shower timers and related products
www.easybeinggreen.net
— Australian company helping individuals, businesses and
communities cut CO2 emissions
Contacts
Great Lakes Council can provide community, schools and businesses with
information and educational resources on climate change and how to live
and work more sustainably.
www.greatlakes.nsw.gov.au,
02 6591 7222
Guides
The home guide Cool It features ways to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gases. It can be obtained by phoning the Department of the Environment and Heritage Infoline on 1300 130 606.
Books
Greeniology by Tanya Ha
Climate Change begins at Home by Dave Ray
True Green: 100 everyday ways you can contribute to a healthier
planet by Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin
Next: The Workplace Guide