global warming & climate change

simple things can make a huge difference

Global warming is caused mainly from greenhouse gases we generate each day - from our factories, our offices, our cars, our homes. Whenever we use electricity, we're creating carbon dioxide that finds its way into our precious atmosphere and contributes to climate change.

Most of us have seen or heard about Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth", and some people may be familiar with the findings of the Stern Report which prompted the UK government to respond to the very real effects of global warming on our planet. How much the world may change over the next 25 years or so is certainly a political hot potato for some governments, but clearly we can no longer ignore all the signs that climate change is happening.

The longer we delay action, the more it will cost us - not just in dollars and cents, but in significant environmental, social and cultural damage. We must give the planet the benefit of the doubt that serious climate changes are occurring, and act now to help reverse the trends.

Everyone of us can do something to save the planet - we don't need to wait for governments to wake up and decide to act (although if they did wake up, we'd all be forever thankful).

Here are just a few things that are easy to do and can make a big difference:

In the home

• Switch off electrical appliances rather than leave them on stand-by
• Turn off lights when you leave the room
• Use Green Power electricity from renewable sources like wind & solar rather than coal
• Use appliances with high energy-efficient ratings
• Dry washing on a clothes line or clothes horse rather than an electrical dryer
• Get a rainwater tank
• Consider purchasing an annual carbon emission offset package

At work

• Turn off computers and monitors at the end of each day
• Try the stairs instead of the elevator (you'll be healthier for it too)
• Print on double-sided paper
• Use refillable ink cartridges for printers and copiers
• Consider getting an environmental audit of your business to find ways to reduce carbon emissions

Travelling around

• Walk to the local store rather than drive your car
• Buy a bike and use it
• Consider purchasing an annual carbon emission offset package when you book a flight or use your car

Want to wake governments up?

• Write letters to your local State and Federal MPs
• Write letters to your local council
• Join a good environmental group and make your voice heard

For more helpful hints and ways to make your life carbon-neutral, visit these websites:

• Easy Being Green
• Australian Conservation Foundation
• Greenhouse Friendly