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So, most of us have had a pet of some sort over the course of our lives – be it a delightful dog, fickle feline, cute as all get out guinea pigs, or gallons of goldfish mine were always a touch, well, suicidal, our pets bring us joy, love, laughter, and good times. But imagine owning over 500 pets that never need to be walked, are happy to eat your scraps, provide you with amazing fertiliser AND help reduce your greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint! Sound too good to be true? Well, welcome to the wonderful world of worm farms – top little carbon crusaders and garbage gobblers who just happen to be awesome and fairly low maintenance pets!

via Worms – They Make Great Pets « Sustainable Gardening Australia.

I recently returned from a vacation where I visited the African and South American continents. I had a fantastic time during my trip and experienced the amazing hospitality of the South African and Brazilian locals. I was treated like a King with endless kindness afforded to me, which made my trip so special.

However, one thing that became very apparent to me, was the difference between Australia and these two nations in environmental awareness and sustainable practices. I do understand that both South Africa and Brazil are developing countries and do not have the infrastructure that we do; but the disparity was startling. I will recount a few notable episodes:

In Sydney, I often see hybrids on the road – the Prius and hybrid Civic are commonplace. Where as when I noticed a Prius on the streets of Johannesburg and commented to my friend that there aren’t many on the road; he agreed and exclaimed no-one really drives hybrids. Now, I know you are thinking where would people get the money in a developing country to purchase a hybrid – however, there are a myriad of luxury vehicles on the roads there.

Another common theme in Africa was when I asked to not have a bag at supermarkets for my fruit, and was told emphatically that I had to have a plastic bag. When I explained and pleaded that I did not need a bag and that it was better for the environment; I was generally greeted by a dumbfounded assistant who again said they would not serve me without a bag, much to my dismay.

Recycling was another thing that I noticed is very different.  For me recycling, is just an everyday part of life and has become habit (although I will say we are still far behind countries like Germany). Whilst in South Africa and Brazil, I experienced two events that shocked me. In South Africa at a friends house, I finished a drink and politely asked where I should put the bottle for recycling; I was then told “we don’t recycle here – unfortunately we have bigger problems to tackle.” I was left a bit dumbfounded by this comment even though I understand the challenges a developing nation faces.

Similar to this in Brazil, I enquired of a friend if they had recycling in their house, and with a sullen face they replied “we don’t have recycling here, I want to recycle but I have to drive 40 minutes by car across Rio de Janeiro to a private depot just to recycle, and I don’t drive so this is impossible.”

After these experiences, I became much more grateful for the simple ‘luxuries’ we have here in Australia like being able to recycle. But it raised one question for me, what would I do if I lived in a country where it wasn’t so easy?

Let me know your thoughts and leave a comment,

Landon

Todae Eco Store

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Darwin is known for its warm weather, rich indigenous culture, national parks and laid-back lifestyle. But now it can add Australia’s top sustainability city score to its list of attractions. Conducted by the Australian Conservation Council, the Sustainable Cities Index ranked the comparative performance of Australia’s 20 largest cities against 15 sustainability indicators. But it also aims to encourage healthy competition, stimulate discussion and suggest new ways of thinking about our cities.

via Aware Newsletter – Who Has Been Crowned Australia’s Most Sustainable City? – Planet Ark.

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It’s a waste of money to buy an electric car in Australia, says Honda technology expert Thomas Brachmann.

As the senior engineer in the Honda’s European research and development facility, Brachmann is a fan of fuel cell vehicles like the Honda Clarity, but he doesn’t have much time for battery-electric cars like the Mitsubishi iMiEV and Nissan Leaf.

via Electric cars a waste of money | carsguide.com.au.

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Meet Solvay, the airplane that might make history as the first plane to fly overnight by solar power. The aircraft is expected to last 36 hours in flight. Perhaps this is hopeful thinking for the Swiss, considering their last test flight only launched the plane a meter in the air and a mere 350 meters forward.

Full article

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Each week the average Australian household generates up to 800 litres of washing and cleaning water. With many Australian cities and regional centres enduring drought conditions the opportunity to correctly recycle water used in cleaning and washing is vital, and when done correctly, it can be used for watering plants and gardens, flushing toilets, washing cars and much more.

However, users beware; not all greywater is created equal. If the washing or cleaning detergent you have used contains phosphates, petrochemicals or non-biodegradable materials it can do more harm than good. Why you ask?

* When it enter waterways phosphates feed blue-green algae resulting in algae blooms which contribute to weed and algal slime build up.

* Petrochemicals can cause allergic reactions and take a long time to break down

* They are made from non-renewable resources

Maximise the benefits of your greywater by choosing a washing powder such as Aware Eco Choice or Sensitive Skin to ensure the water you put back into your garden is as safe as possible. When looking for a greywater friendly detergent make sure it is plant based, able to break down quickly and made from renewable resources.

Using greywater needn’t be a chore either. It can be as simple as attaching a hose from the washing machine and into a catchment bucket for later use or for the more hi-tech consumer there are treatment systems available that collect water from the laundry or shower and treats it to a suitable level for indoor use.

Follow these greywater use tips to take a ‘green’ step in the right direction:

* It is law to ensure greywater does not run onto neighbouring properties or into stormwater drains

* Don’t use greywater on vegie patches or food plants you intend to eat raw

* Cool water from hot wash cycles before using on the garden

* It is best to discard water used to wash nappies to avoid spreading diseases including Giardia

via http: www.orangepower.com.au/messages/09dec2009/web.html

Light-emitting diodes LEDs really shine as an energy-efficient, long-lasting source of illumination in sensors, flashlights and video screens. For larger and more powerful LEDs to succeed in replacing incandescent and fluorescent bulbs in home and industrial lighting, however, they must be designed to better keep their cool.

via New Cooling Technology Uses Air “Bullets” to Shoot Down Overheated LEDs: Scientific American.

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In Europe diesel cars represent about 53% of the fleet and in Australia 6.5% and increasing. One could easily assume this is in part due to owners wishing to adopt “greener” motoring.  But diesels are not as green as they appear.  Only two diesel cars made it in the Australian Green Vehicle Guide top 100 cars, BMW E87 1 Series 120d and The Volkswagon Golf. The reason given for the lack of high rating diesels, their air pollution rating lets them down.

While diesel vehicles perform comparatively well on fuel consumption and produce lower levels of greenhouse emissions (CO2 being the main consideration), their contribution to air pollution (NOx and particulates) is generally higher than that of comparative petrol or LPG vehicles. Of most concern with their effect on air pollution are particulate matter and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions which can cause a range of adverse health effects. These emissions are generally higher in diesel vehicles compared to petrol or gas vehicles. For the sake of clarity, the term “greenhouse”  basically refers to the health of the planet whilst “air pollution” relates to more towards direct human health.

So emissions is a bit of a mixed bag for the diesel, whilst they do have the edge in terms of greenhouse benefits that is lost in higher air pollution.

So just maybe the real attraction to diesel cars is related to the hip pocket more than clean emmissions! Diesel engine fuel consumption is about 28% less than a petrol one all else being similar, but the fuel is about 5% more expensive at the pump. This means you can save about 20% on your fuel cost by owning a diesel.

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Meet Lee Kilsby, founder of greenleap. Be inspired by her story and find out how you can make a positive difference for the environment

via YouTube – Discover greenleap planet saving products.

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CANBERRA – An Australian town has banned bottled water, claiming to be the first in the country to revert to the tap for the sake of the environment and prompting the nation’s largest state government to stop buying bottled water.

via World Environment News – Australian Town, State Government Ban Bottled Water – Planet Ark.

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