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Top10 How much rubbish do you generate at your place? Do you think recycling is just too much hassle? Here are some simple ways you can make recycling a part of your everyday life. Feel free to contribute some of your own: 1. Bag it: take your own shopping bags to the supermarket OR return used plastic bags to the recycling bins found in most supermarkets 2. Shop smart: choose products with the least (or recycled) packaging 3. Bin Blitz: remove all caps or lids and rinse containers, then put them loosely in your recycle bin (not in plastic bags) 4. Nature’s way: compost your food scraps and papers for fabulous fertilizer 5. Trash or treasure? Don't throw everything out when you're cleaning up around the house. Have a garage sale or give it away – neighbours, charities, or recycling plants could find your old things valuable! 6. The flip side: reuse paper in your laser printer, and only print hard copies if you really need to 7. Don’t dump me! Check your garage and shed for hazardous waste, such as paint, fuel, chemicals. Most councils have hazardous waste disposal points or collection programs. Check your local paper, council website, or call them for info.
9. contribute 10. contribute Here’s a great Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle website you or your kids can have fun with: According to Brisbane City Council, the average Brisbane household uses around 700 litres of water every day. Most of this is used outdoors and for flushing toilets! Fresh water is not an endless resource. Here are ten top ways you can make a difference at home: 1. Clean sweep: sweep pathways and driveways, don’t hose them 2. Go native: Opt for native plants in the garden. They are adapted to Australia’s climate so are water efficient 3. Get Sun Smart: If you have to use sprinkler systems, use them in the early morning or evening so water doesn't evaporate in the heat of the day 4. Kill the drips: Fix leaking taps. A continuously dripping tap can waste up to 600 litres of water per day 5. Short shift: have shorter showers** 6. Opt for water efficiency: use water efficient plumbing fittings, dishwashers and washing machines 7. Lose the full flush! Install dual flush toilets and don’t just use the toilet to flush away tissues… 8. Caught and bowled: Most showers fill three quarters of a bucket of water before the hot water arrives – so catch the water in a bucket or bowl and use it on your plants!
10. contribute **Out of Africa Jenni made these observations about water efficiency in Africa: "I recently visited Namibia on the south west coast of Africa, where deserts stretch from the Botswana border right down to the Atlantic Ocean. While staying in the 'Save the Rhino' campsite on the dry Ugab River, we were treated to a unique shower system that made me ashamed of my water consumption back in Australia. Each morning, local women lit a fire under a large old petrol drum. A metal bucket was then filled and raised on a rope pulley in a woven grass enclosure. A shower nozzle beneath the bucket delivered plenty of warm water to clean myself, wash my hair and relax. As I showered, I was able to look up at the early morning sunshine or the brilliant night sky. They were the best (and most water efficient) showers I have ever had." 1. http://www.abc.net.au/science/news - Australia's No.1 website for daily local and international science news. Simple to use and read, the site has an easily accessible archive of science news stories going back three years. Fresh daily. 2. http://www.csiro.au/helix/ - A very cool site for the kid in all of us. Share it with your friends. 3. http://www.newscientist.com – "New Scientist gives me hope that there are people in the world who are researching and exploring – but also ethically questioning the impacts of science and technology on our planet." 4. http://www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/ - South Australia's Waterwatch website is an excellent site for kids with interactive fact sheets, activities and games like “water pollution bingo”, Silt City and the Food Chain Game. Wetland wanderings online. 5. http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/ - Dr Karl's homepage is as upbeat as he is. Be dazzled. 6. http://www.nature.com/nsu/ - a free daily popular science news webzine ranked No.1 by Google for Science News. Nature Science Update runs timely, accessible, entertaining and authoritative stories about important or arresting new science research findings, political and cultural developments. Keep informed. 7. http://www.control.com.au – This is the website for Australasian Science, Australia's only monthly science magazine for the general public. An important medium for science communicators. 8. http://www.britneyspears.ac/lasers.htm - Definitely out of left field, here's a bloke who combines his Britney obsession with some seriously cool science. Worth a look.
10. http://www.mja.com.au – Medical Journal of Australia publishes online at this site. It is the biggest internet resource for information on Australian medical practice and clinical research in this country, with between 3000 and 7000 visitors each day. Not sexy, but solid. ...ways you can reduce your ecofootprint Ecological footprinting is a measurement tool that allows communities, countries and individuals to assess their impact on the planet. You can measure your own ecological footprint at www.earthday.net/footprint Professor Bill Rees developed the concept of ecological footprinting to answer a basic but often overlooked question of human ecology: "How much of the Earth’s surface is needed to support you in the style to which you are accustomed?” The concept of ecofootprinting personalises environmental sustainability. It makes us aware of how our lifestyle in this consumer age can affect the environment far from where we live. Most importantly, it shows us that we can all make a difference. Here are some ways you can reduce your eco-footprint: 1. Save trees and energy: opt for electronic copies of annual reports, newsletters and other documents 2. Cycle, walk, car pool or use public transport to cut down on pollution and traffic congestion 3. Wash your car, boat or dog on the lawn, so detergents (and pesticides from flea treatment shampoos) don't get washed down the drain and into our waterways 4. Consider as many sustainable housing options as possible when you build a new home or renovate (check out www.yourhome.gov.au ) 5. Try to use as little plastic as possible, especially plastic that can't be recycled (Jan Tilden) 6. Install a rainwater tank (where local laws permit) and rely on it as much as possible for your water supply (JT) 7. Choose locally produced organic produce – this cuts down on transport costs and the use of chemicals in the natural environment (JT) 8. contribute 9. contribute 10. contribute 1. contribute
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