Every day we shape our planet's future when we make small life decisions - what we buy, what we eat, how we travel. The future of the planet is in our hands; the future is man-made. And we are all "Futuremakers". If we choose to live sustainably, we can assure a future for all living things. And we can have some fun doing it too!
This site, created by WWF-Australia, is a place where you can share ideas with other Futuremakers so that we can live more sustainably. We hope the tips and stories here will be useful for you. (More about this site)
What can I do?
To browse the ideas on this site by category or difficulty, click on the icons below.
Its amazing how great you feel when you choose to make an effort & help to protect earth.
This week my husband & I made a decision to concentrate on less electricity, so we have been having lots of candles lit around the home, which has proven to be romantic, creates a great ambience and leaves a beautiful scented aroma from the candles we bought - ha.
Lights left on at home when you don’t need them is wasted energy & adds up especially on your bill. Remember when you head out to turn them off, & choose energy saving bulbs.
After taking the footprint calculator it has been constantly playing on my mind the impact that my everyday life has. Part of the cause is the amount of travelling I do being based in Italy and also having Australia as my home. Can they make safe flying fuel that doesn’t harm the earth??? Hmm I’m working on that strategy.
Since last week, we have started dividing up our rubbish as well.
We now use three bags; general rubbish, recycling plastics and glass. Yes it adds more space but who cares when you are putting them in the right bins.
We are making a difference slowly. When you set challenges and you achieve them it makes you really aware of what we are trying to achieve, preserving the earth for as long as we can!
There are many hints & helpful ways of finding out more about how to help the environment & Earth Hour, simply jump on the following website earthhour.org and have fun. Until next time, stay fresh & energized the right way.
I was nervous and excited to take the footprint calculator test, after all, I recycle, I walk & ride a lot, so I thought I would be pleased. It takes around 15minutes if you do the detail version of it, (which I highly suggest all to do). It was so much fun and it covered everything from your car fuel, to electricity in the house & what foods you eat. It made me think so much of the worlds resources as I was taking it, even before the results came out.
My score revealed that 3.9 planet earths are needed for me to provide enough resource, that was huge shock, as it was to my husband as well. I re did the test again to make sure I had not made an error and the same score came back. CRUNCH. I felt in disbelief but also challenged to know as of this moment I can start making a difference.
My first test will be to eat less poultry, I love chicken & turkey and eat it nearly everyday, its lean in fat & great protein, but I can also get that from avocados, seeds, nuts and fruit.
I’m also going to have my family & friends take the test, its a good way to measure up against and all work together.
Are you cutting down your carbon emissions? How are you doing it? If you want to be featured on the blog here, drop us a line with a story or a link to your Youtube video (it doesn’t have to be fancy, use your webcam!).
Also, if you’re on Twitter you can add us here: @wwf_australia and @earthhour. Tag your posts with #earthhour so we can see what you’re up to! You can also tag your Flickr photos with ‘earthhour’ or ‘WWF’ and they’ll show up here too.
Keen to take action on climate change, but worried about being tagged ‘carborexic’? Well there’s a few things you can do! For starters, check out the Climate Change Action page here. We’ve set up the page so you can email Senator Steve Fielding, Senator Nick Xenophon, Minister for Climate Change and Water Senator Penny Wong, Greg Hunt MP, Andrew Robb MP, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Treasurer Wayne Swan and Leader of the Opposition Malcolm Turnbull in only a few minutes! Let our leaders know how you feel about international climate change.
Secondly, check out the list of ways you can lower your emissions here.
Lastly, tell your friends! Leading by example is one of the most effective ways to convince others. There’s plenty you can do without having to visit your family doctor!
Remember the heady days of BMX bandits? Many people are looking cool again with new BMX bikes, but did you consider how cool a bike could be for your health, bank balance AND well being?
WWF’s forests expert Jana, has put together a few tips on reducing the impact of paper use on the environment.
Think before you print! Can you read that document on the screen and circulate it by email, instead of printing out several copies?
Collect all waste paper for recycling.
Use papers made from post-consumer waste recycled fibre. Where virgin fibre is used look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo, to ensure your paper comes from a well-managed forest.
Tips and Tools
Never tick the box on a form saying you would like to receive more information.
Stick a “no junk mail” sign on your letterbox and write to people who send you junk mail asking to be removed from their database.
Use scraps of paper for notes instead of post-its.
Re-use envelopes by using address labels.
Archive information electronically.
Print double sided
Use the blank sides of unneeded single-sided copies for printing drafts.
Use outdated letterhead for in-house memos.
Designate a printer for draft printing and use only used paper in its paper tray.
Set up office systems to pass reports/magazines/newspapers around to multiple readers, rather than ordering and producing multiple copies.
Keep paper for recycling separate from other paper supplies.
Use thinner paper.
The thickness of paper we use makes a big difference both in terms of cost as well as the amount of paper used. You can find the reference to the thickness of paper on the package, mostly ranging from 60gsm or g/m2 (grams per square metre) to 100gsm.
Heavier weight sheets use more fibre, cost more per sheet and cost more to post. Most printers work well with 70gsm and 80gsm. Using thinner paper most often does not change the performance and can save money too.
Paper with a basis weight of
60gsm uses and costs 20% more than 50gsm;
70gsm uses and costs 15% more than 60gsm;
80gsm uses and costs 12% more than 70gsm;
100gsm uses and costs 20% more than 80gsm
Lets all do our part and buy paper with the least amount of impact on the environment!
Future generations face hunger, thirst, disease and disaster if we carry on trashing the environment. Sounds like a stark warning, from WWF, as the world celebrates World Environment Day.
I’ve taken it upon myself today, to research what kind of future we all have in a world were environmental issues are in the news everywhere.
Food, clean water, medicines and protection from natural hazards are important ingredients in maintaining our security and quality of life. But, if we want to continue living the way we do then the species, natural habitats and ecosystems that support them need to be protected.
I think this message hit me hardest upon reading WWF’s report 2010 and Beyond: Rising to the Biodiversity Challenge. While reading a report may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it explains how we all will be affected in our changing world.
But, lets not forget that today is a day to celebrate the environment. So, whether your in an office looking out the window, taking a walk, or sitting on a park bench. Take a moment from your day and appreciate the environment that’s around us.
Inspired in part by Earth Hour 2007, Kim decided to take the next steps and start “greening” her lifestyle. She shares her thoughts at ActNow.
Her conclusion:
I’m really proud that I started this, not just for implementing it and hopefully saving money, but to actually realise how much I could impact the environment by just keeping and keep to my lifestyle. It’s quite astounding. The funny thing is that The changes aren’t that big and don’t impose on my everyday living. If everyone changed one behaviour, imagine what we could achieve. I really believe that little actions make big results.
Danielle over at Greenfoot outlines the Sustainable Sydney 2030 consultation process that’s currently underway. If you live in Sydney and want to have a say in how it progresses towards sustainability, this seems like a great opportunity to do so…
www.elkawhalan.com
