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As you know recently our PET bottle manufacturer, ANT Packaging in Bangalow became the first plastics manufacturer in Australia to 100% off set its annual carbon emissions. What the good people there did was to offset their outputs by the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates from Greenpower approved generators and Carbon Offsets from projects accredited by the governments Greenhouse Friendly program. This is a way businesses - small-medium and large can undertake meaningful initiatives to manage their carbon emissions.
Now the Federal Australian Government has propsed its Carbon Trading scheme whereby companies with emissions can 'trade' their carbon production enabling them to continue to do business but at the same time find ways to reduce emssions by way of offsets and new technology.
Many folk I have come into contact with in recent weeks says ' So where do I fit in...where does my family fit ?' Good questions and I feel the government still has alot of explaining to do because the general feed back is one of 'Im confused' and 'I can only see prices going UP'. Yes 16% per cent prediction for starters on electricity. So the next question I have been asked is what can we do ? Well my approach infact our approach here at SeaFlower-Australia is to think micro and act micro and if we all take certain steps ourselves then the bigger picture will take care of its self. I feel that the governments, all state and federal, are only grappling with the socalled 'bigger-picture' and have forgotten that the greatest resource for helping the planet claim back its soverienty is the ordinary folk - like you and I.
Micro looks like:
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Investigate ways you can minimise the amount of energy you use domestically - say 10% for a start - turn off the TV at the wall along with all appliances not in use during the day. Electricity leakage occurs even when the appliacne isn't being used when the wall switch is on.Bending down to turn on the wall switch will also provide you with some exercise!!
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Look at a small 'cost-managable' solar panel hooked into your mains - good where you have more than 60% sunshine each month.No need to go to the 'big mother' just yet and over the next few years panel prices are predicted to come down as new sun harvesting technology comes on stream
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Install solar hot water panels with a mains switchover facility on the cloudy days - it works and provides a different feeling water when you take a shower
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Look at a small wind generation system hooked into your mains. This especialy good where there is an average ambient wind speed of 6knots or more per day over a 30 day period. But even so any KwH you can support makes a difference
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Minimise the purchase of products known to use vast amounts of energy to create - start with packaging materials such as aluminium cans. Not only will you gain some health benefits but cutting down on your consumption of sugar based drink products but less energy will be used to make the cans. One might ask what Coca Cola Amatil is doing about reducing their massive contribution to carbon emissions. Same goes for plastic bags but we are already on top of those
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Recycle-Recycle - currently our small household recycles a 270 litres green bin filled with paper, glass and tin every 2 weeks. Our weekly domestic rubbish weighs approximately 3kgs only- we dont need a large wheelie bin any longer
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Compost - Compost - all our organic -not inlcuding meat waste if we have any- goes into a small composting unit which we use to revitalise the vegetable garden
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Go Worms too - another interesting and exciting way to use organic waste - no meat waste or citrus. The liquid waste from the worms activity makes a potent 'tea' which can be mixed with a little compost and poured onto the garden and around vegetables - Fantastic!!
So you see there are many simple ways you can help in your own micro way right now. I say put aside the confusion about the bigger picture and be part of your local community's 100-monkey affect - 1-2-4-8-16 and so on. Then the micro becomes MACRO and the bigger picture becomes less confusing because you are already doing something proactive.
Finally BE AWARE and CONSCIOUS of you position on the planet - my goal is to leave no foot prints in the Cosmos but be PRESENT in EVERY MOMENT.
Ends>
The above piece is written by SeaFlower-Australia founder Scott Mathias is a committed ‘green futurist’ and proponent of an
aware and conscious consumer society.We have a Blog coming shortly so you can add your two bobs worth and you may contribute by commenting on what you do to make a difference by emailing
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Valuable link: http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/greenhousefriendly/index.html
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