bourbon-biscuit

I guess all of us have massive long haul footprints and some of us make that journey more often than we'd like (bloody family marrying and so on), but I was determined when we moved over here from NZ (where we were very skint indeed) to be a bit more environmentally conscious. Now, I'm *never* going to be someone who shuns washing, goes without a car, stops using loo paper (honestly, some do- washable wipes ) etc but I have made a few commitments and I've been pleasantly surprised by a few things here in Australia. I only buy eco soaps, shampoo, cleaners and washing liquids, recycled loo roll etc. These are actually cheaper here in Oz than main brands and are top quality!!! You can also buy them from Coles, Woolworths etc so no traipsing to a health store in the middle of nowhere. We use a lovely shampoo and conditioner that are easily as nice for my hair as pantene was and they cost $3.80 a bottle- and even the bottle is made form plants. They are called organic something or other, on the bottom shelf and do a 'normal', 'for coloured hair' etc range. The clothes washing liquid and fabric softener is so cheap!

We're also trying really hard to adapt to one car and we've chosen to forgo getting a beast-like 4WD, given most our driving is within the city. We live in a smaller house in a beach suburb (which I rent from my mother), which was an eco choice on her part that we're benefiting from as the compromise is a smaller house but it's cool and we've used the air con just one day. I always line dry or use racks- can't see the point in a tumble dryer, just can't get my head around it given we're in a very hot climate.

I'd like to remember to take the cloth shopping bags with me when I shop and get a garden composter as although the waste is sorted into recycling and rubbish, I reckon half of our rubbish could be composted. I use a front loader machine with low water consumption but when it's hot I do shower twice a day and don't intend to stop doing that, although it's not a power shower.

Does the fragility of the eco-system of Australia concern you? Do we have a responsibility as migrants to lessen our footprint on Australia?

spartacus

Its been requested on another thread for posters to keep their posts brief and to the point . . . alas I fear I'm digressing.

Yes.

bourbon-biscuit

But also, are you serious? On what basis can such a request be made??? Surely if you don't like the look of a post over 2 paragraphs, you can just not read it! Where is that thread- I'd love to have a read?

spartacus

I fear I've already used up my quota of allowed letters on thi . .

jayr

I have one car (had 2 in UK) and only a 2 litre engine, not some giant V8.

Use public transport to get to work; used to drive 100miles a day for work.

Use very little water and well below the target for SE QLD.

Have just transferred to green abgs instead of plastic shopping bags.

Continue to use CRT TV instead of plasma which consumes about 17x more power.

Use low water/high efficiency washing machine.

Recycle at least half our waste (didn't do any of that in UK)

I do fly a lot though, probably about 30 return domestic trips pa; didn't do that in UK.

asprilla

We try to save water and electricity where we can, and we try not to waste things where possible.

Apart from that, I do not go out of my way to help the environment.

The idea of individuals "doing their bit" for the environment is really admirable but unfortunately I think it is no different from the scene at the end of "Finding Nemo". Do you remember the one, where the tuna are all being swept up in the net, and Nemo and his dad swim around telling the tuna "swim down, swim down"....in the end, the net breaks, the fishermen lose their catch and all the tuna swim free because they worked together. Its a really nice idea, but it is fiction.

bourbon-biscuit

I'm struggling a little with the analogy! The tuna were being swept up in the net- so who's doing the sweeping? In the analogy it's an unrelated third party but the environmental problems are of our own making. I think your argument is a bit like saying there's no point clearing up my dog's turd because there are turds everywhere. I'm not about to go all environmental doom and gloom, but I've decided to being more mindful of my family and I's impact and effectively clear up a little more after us. What's fictitious about that?

Grayling

Why?

The natives don't seem to bother

desperatehousewife

ABCDiamond

20% of my electric is from wind power.
Our hot water will be by heat pump method, from very soon.

We have 2 cars, 3.0lt and 2.0lt, but don't drive much (7,400km and 12,000 kms respectively) I just had to check out of curiosity...

Our lawn is green, very green...

carlap

Not sure where you get this figure from. Some snippets from
http://www.realestate.com.au/renovat...energy-use.htm

CRT TV at a glance:
68cm = 120W
86cm = 200W

LCD TV at a glance:
66cm uses 50W
76cm uses 200W

Plus newer TVs have energy saving options, ours uses 1W on standby, older devices use much more (unless you switch off of course)

Also I was surprised when swithching to a laptop. This uses 35W when connected to mains. My year old PC used 350W. Newer PCs recommended 500W plus power supplies

I think the OP had some useful points. Oz is environmentally in a very precarious position, yet they have the option to use natural energy. Solar power is only catching on because of grants, its always windy. Hardly any insulation in the houses (for hot and cold temps). She'll be alright seems to be the very real and naive attitude

asprilla

No, I think everyone should clean up after their dogs, and I think we should all try not to waste resources.

I just think that people are a bit misguided if they believe that "we can all get together and reverse the destruction, if we all do our own bit for the environment". People like to think that they can work as one so that, like the fish in finding nemo, they can make a change.

But the reality is very different. If I suddenly start using washable wipes, this will have practically zero impact...a bit like a single ant trying to stop a locomotive. Why should I inconvenience myself? Why should I pay extra for organic products? As far as I am concerned neither will help the environment in the slightest.

Only the governments across the world can do anything about saving our environment.

hoofie2002

Plasma tellies are very hungry power users which is the type the original poster mentioned. LCD's use much less power, mainly for the backlight.

I'd challenge your 35W laptop quote - my tiny HP netbook is rated at 70W and my company uses very low power pc controllers with no screen, disk etc. that still use some 20W. Many PC's do have a 500W supply but you'd be hard pushed to use all of that up unless you had lots of disk drives etc.

desperatehousewife

We're a family of 7, out of interest is it possible for us to have a "green" car or do I have an excuse for a big 4x4?

Lindsay x

bourbon-biscuit

I agree with you that switching to washable wipes won't save the environment; none of the changes I've adopted will save the environment

But that's not the point. I'm 'clearing up' after myself, just as I do after my dog. Why should you inconvenience yourself? Well, why shouldn't you? I can't save the first 100m of my local beach from being over run with dog turd but I'll still clean up after my dog.

I'm not going to wait for the governments of the world to tell me to do the right thing before I start to do it, lol!