References

ABC (2007) Water Saving Tips. Retrieved from: http://www.abc.net.au/water/stories/s1864974.htm

Attiwill, P. & Wilson, B. (2003). Ecology: An Australian Perspective. Oxford: OUP 

CERES Community Environment Park (2014) CERES. Retrieved from: http://www.ceres.org.au/Default.aspx?SiteSearchID=1782&ID=/Main/searchresults.html

City of Melbourne (2014) Household Recycling. Retrieved from: http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/ForResidents/WasteRecyclingandNoise/householdgarbage/Pages/recycling.aspx

Chadwick, M. (2013) What Does That Eco Button Do? Retrieved from: http://www.1010global.org/uk/2013/01/what-does-eco-button-do 

EPA Victoria (2014) Ecological Footprint Calculator. Retrieved from: http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/get-involved/measure-your-impact/ecological-footprint

Energy Saving Trust (2013) Laundry Tips. Retrieved from: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Take-action/Energy-saving-top-tips/Changing-your-habits-room-by-room/Laundry-tips

Forest Stewardship Council Australia (2014) About FSC. Retrieved from: http://au.fsc.org/about-fsc.175.htm

Green Choices (2010) Environmental Impacts. Retrieved from: http://www.greenchoices.org/green-living/cleaning/environmental-impacts

Hunter Water Australia (2014) Water Usage Calculator. Retrieved from: http://www.hunterwater.com.au/Save-Water/Water-Usage-Calculator.aspx#results

EDST107 Lecture Week 2

EDST107 Lecture Week 5

EDST107 Lecture Week 7 

EDST107 Lecture Week 9

Travel Smart Sunshine Coast (2012) Benefits of Carpooling. Retrieved from: http://www.travelsmartsunshinecoast.com.au/benefits-of-carpooling

UNESCO (2009). Review of contexts and structures for sustainable development 2009. Paris: UNESCO.

Reflection

Over the past 12 weeks I have seen some fantastic changes in the behaviour and attitude of our household. I was actually really surprised how much improvement I saw on the EPA Eco Footprint Calculator. Our main areas of improvement were recycling and water usage which I spoke about in weeks 4 and 6 of my blog. However, I have been using my car a lot more often, as it is much faster and more convenient when travelling long distances to see my partner. I try and carpool as much as possible which I spoke about in week 7. The most dramatic area of reduction according to the EPA Footprint was mobility which improved because I have been commuting a lot less frequently by train and staying in the local area more often. Our waste remained almost completely the same at around 3.5kg per day.

To support my current lifestyle it now takes 3.4 global hectares of the Earth’s productive area. This is comparatively very impressive to the Victorian average of 6.8 productive hectares.

Services 29% 
Since it has been getting colder we have been using the heating system quite a bit at night time when the house gets cold. Our services went up by 3% over the duration of the semester.

Food 26%
Food habits in the household have really not changed at all. As a household we do not consume much meat at all and try to avoid packaged goods when possible. We shop at the Footscray markets for organic fruit and vegetables as a mentioned in my blog post from week 6 on food. Our food area on the EPA eco footprint rose by 1%.

Shelter 23%
Our shelter percentage rose by 4% on the eco footprint. As I spoke about in my plan, our house is new and fairly economic. When I can financially support myself more I would love to switch to a green energy company and install solar panels (which my parents have in their home in Tasmania).

Mobility 12%
I have started driving quite a lot more and catch the train less as I travel long distances across the city every week and driving is far more time-efficient. I still try and carpool as much as possible on trips such as grocery shopping/op shopping (week 7). I do not completely understand why my mobility dropped from 24% to 12%, but I think it is because I have been commuting a lot less than I was at the start of the year, even if I do drive the car when I commute.

Goods 10%
We have been doing a lot more second hand op-shopping for any household essentials we might need (week 5). Our goods footprint rose by 1%.

Overall I am really pleased with the outcome of the challenge and feel really proud that I was able to make such considerable sustainable changes to my lifestyle. Hopefully this blog will be helpful for others to read and make some of the same changes in their own lifestyles.

Week 7

Carpooling

Showers: 23

Dishwasher cycles: 8 (on eco setting)

Washing machine: 6 (on eco setting, using cold water)

Lights on at night: approx. 15

Bins of rubbish: 6 (small bin)

Meat products bought: 2

Bins of recycling: 1/2 (large bin)

I try and carpool wherever possible, and whenever we go grocery shopping as a household we all make the trip together to save time and fuel. Carpooling means less cars on the road, which means less traffic congestion, less greenhouse gas emissions, less pollution, less consumption of resources, and less noise. (Travel Smart, 2012)
Here is a picture of us carpooling to the Footscray market yesterday to buy fresh, organically grown produce!

Week 6

Water Saving

Showers: 21

Dishwasher cycles: 5 (on eco setting)

Washing machine: 3 (on eco setting, using cold water)

Lights on at night: approx. 16

Bins of rubbish: 5 (small bin)

Meat products bought: 1

Bins of recycling: 1/2 (large bin)

This week we all cut down our shower time to around 6 minutes from an approximate 10. We also cut down our dishwasher and washing machine cycles by only starting the appliances when they were full. We used the Hunter Water Calculator online to determine how much water we use in every part of the house in the original plan and hopefully by week 12 will be able to see some pleasing results, especially in the bathroom areas.

Week 5

Second Hand Shopping

Showers: 21

Dishwasher cycles: 7 (on eco setting)

Washing machine: 3 (on eco setting, using cold water)

Lights on at night: approx. 18

Bins of rubbish: 6 (small bin)

Meat products bought: 3

Bins of recycling: 3/4 (large bin)

I have been shopping at second hand clothing stores for years and have encouraged my housemates to do the same. This week we had a huge shop for various household utensils and clothes at Savers store in Footscray and came back with many low-cost quality items.

Second hand shopping cuts down on manufacturing demands and keeps more items out of the landfill. Because a large amount of man-made goods are routinely thrown away, re-using gives a longer life to common household items another family could use. (True Activist, 2013)

CERES Visit

Yesterday I visited CERES Community Environment Park in East Brunswick. CERES’ aim is to promote and demonstrate working practices that focus on the reduction of organic and inorganic waste, consumption of fossil fuels, the use of town water and the improvement of biodiversity through green technology, and innovative design. The site embodies environmentally sustainable design principles which are working demonstrations, or experimental demonstrations, aiming to support cutting edge initiatives. Some of the demonstrations that fall under the category of experimental, are the electric vehicle conversion program, aquaponics, and biogas plant. These are all ongoing research projects which I have gone into more detail below.

The bike kitchen

Education Programs

CERES’ belief is that education lies at the heart of change and encourages and promotes awareness of sustainable measures through educational programs directed at both children and adults. CERES has become one of the biggest sustainability education providers in Victoria. School aged children can come on excursions around the site to learn about how they can live sustainably at home and what environmental problems we have to tackle now, and in the future. As a future educator, I think programs like these are incredibly important and educating children on the crucial importance of sustainable living while they are young is the only way that the required changes in our attitude and behaviour can be achieved.

Organic produce being grown

Reed bed water catchment

Aquaponics

At CERES an aquaponics system is part of a project that aims to integrate aquaponics into urban farming that will provide communities with sustainable means to grow cost-efficient, organic produce. Aquaponics works through a system of pipes that pump and circulate waste water from a freshwater fish tank to water-filled garden beds. The waste water is rich in nutrients from the fish waste so their is no need for fossil fuel based fertilisers. The aquaponics system at CERES is constructed of sustainably sourced, and recycled materials.   

 Mud brick oven (I built one just like this in primary school)

Book loan room (constructed from mud brick) 

Having lunch at the CERES cafe

The organic market

Solar Electric Vehicle Charge Station

The solar electric vehicle charge station is the third charge station in Australia of its kind. It was completed in 2012. The solar panels are angled to maximise the sun’s rays which turn into solar power. The station works through a ChargePoint which is compatible with all standard electric vehicles on the market today. It takes about 5 hours to fully charge from flat but costs a mere $3 to travel around 100km which seems tiny in comparison to the equivalent petrol price of $15-$17 which I would pay in my relatively economic car now. 

Solar panels and rainwater tank

Solar panels 

Buildings

Some of the buildings that I saw at CERES included:

The Learning Centre 

This building incorporates sustainable design features such as double glazed windows, and a double insulated ceiling. All timber in the building is Forest Stewardship Council certified, or recycled, and the paints used are low in toxic Volatile Organic Compounds which are extremely harmful to the environment. Water efficiency is managed through tank to toilet flushing, and waste water from the hand basins is fed back into toilet cisterns.

Van Raay Centre

The Van Raay Centre demonstrates some of the best sustainable practices through environmentally friendly design and construction. These include, sustainable transport due to its central location and accessibility to public transport and walking and cycling tracks, use of natural new building materials such as hemp and wood, recycling and reuse of materials, fantastic energy efficiency through working with environmental and energy consultants to meet greenhouse gas targets outlines for the buildings, passive solar design which maximises the sun’s warmth, light and ventilation and cuts out any need for cooling/heating systems. Efficient water usage is achieved through water efficient fittings and fixtures, grey water management systems, rainwater collection, landscape irrigation, and stormwater management through a reed bed retention and treatment system for the water run-off from the car park and general site. Lighting is limited as rooms and offices make use of natural light, and environmentally friendly landscape design makes use of passive heating and cooling principles as well as being sensitive to ecological and cultural features of the area.

Talking to the staff, in particular Sarah who worked at the reception desk was extremely inspiring. She was very helpful and gave me lots of information sheets which is where I sourced the information on CERES as well as exploring the site in person. I plan to go back to the organic market when it is open and buy some fresh produce and free range eggs for our household.

  

Me giving Hazel the free range laying chook a cuddle!

(All the information on CERES was retrieved from the website, and information brochures from the site).

Week 4

Recycling

Showers: 19

Dishwasher cycles: 7 (on eco setting)

Washing machine: 9 (on eco setting, using cold water)

Lights on at night: approx. 14

Bins of rubbish: 5 (small bin)

Meat products bought: 0

Bins of recycling: 1/2 (large bin)

This week I bought a recycling container to keep next to the inside bin which will make it easier to sort recyclables from landfill rubbish. We can then transfer the box into the big recycling bin outside. We have been through about 2 full boxes of recycling this week. Everyone is making a big effort to sort our rubbish into organic, recyclable and landfill.

You can put the following things in your recycling bin:

• paper and cardboard
• aluminium and steel cans
• empty aerosol cans
• all hard plastic containers
• glass bottles and jars
• milk and juice cartons
• pizza boxes
• aluminium foil and trays
• rigid household plastic items like kitchen storage containers and plastic toys
• steel pots and pans (no glass lids)

(City of Melbourne, Recycling, 2014)

The commercial waste sent to landfill from 2008-2009 in Victoria was 98,000 tonnes. This is almost half the total waste sent to landfill.
30-40% of this waste was recyclable and should not have gone to landfill.
10-20% of this waste was organic.
40-50% of this waste was low cost, high energy materials ideal for energy generation.
The remainder was not easily recoverable and goes into landfill. (EPA, 2014)

This is the recyclables box.

Week 3

Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products

Showers: 23

Dishwasher cycles: 6 (on eco setting)

Washing machine: 8 (on eco setting, using cold water)

Lights on at night: approx. 15

Bins of rubbish: 5 (small bin)

Meat products bought: 1

Bins of recycling: 1/2 (large bin)

Many cleaning products contain highly toxic chemicals. There are thousands of chemicals in common use, some of which have not been safely tested, though the effects of many are known. When we wash these chemicals down the drain they can pollute streams and rivers and may take a very long time to degrade into harmless products, and some may not break down at all but may persist in the environment. These may enter the food chain, eaten by aquatic animals, and maybe eventually by us. When consumed or absorbed through the skin, they can have harmful effects. (Green Choices, 2014)

This week the household has been cleaned top to bottom with bicarbonate soda aka baking soda! To clean bathroom and kitchen benches I sprinkled bicarb onto a wet cloth and used it in replacement of a cream cleaner. We also sprinkled bicarb onto the carpets upstairs then vacuumed it up which worked fantastically as replacement for powdered carpet cleaner. 

For more tips on how to clean with bicarb I found this website particularly helpful: Cleaning With Bicarb Soda http://www.athriftymrs.com/2011/08/cleaning-with-bicarbonate-of-soda.html

Week 2

Composting

Showers : 24

Dishwasher cycles: 9 (on eco setting)

Washing machine: 7 (on eco setting, using cold water)

Lights on at night: approx. 17

Bins of rubbish: 4 (small bin)

Meat products bought: 3

Bins of recycling: 1/3 (large bin)

This week I have focused on composting. We have a compost bin in our backyard which has rarely been used and so I have encouraged all my housemates to try and compost their coffee grounds, plant trimmings, and food scraps. We can then use the end product to fertilise our small backyard garden!
Plant trimmings and food scraps make up 1/6 of our waste that we put into the rubbish bin at home. Organic waste does not need to be thrown away, but can instead be put to good use in our back gardens. Composting converts leaves, gardening off-cuts and left overs into a mixture that can be used as a fertiliser and reduces the amount of water we need to sustain our gardens. (Environment Victoria, 2014) A great way to minimise your household’s organic waste is to make or buy a compost bin for your yard. 

Some things that are not compostable, are foods that contain dairy, meat or oils, pet excrement, diseased plants and weeds that have gone to seed.
To start, layer the inside of your compost bin with brown materials then alternate between greens and browns to add layers of carbon and nitrogen. These materials compost better when they are in smaller pieces so it is good to shred or chop up larger pieces. The pile must be kept moist so it is important to water the bin if it becomes too dry. During Summer you can water the pile once to twice a week when it is not raining. After about a week the pile will be ready for turning. The pile should be turned once a week to ensure that it is well-aired. This also controls any odours that may develop. (Minnesota Control Agency, 2010)

There are two different types of compostable materials. Greens and browns. Both these types of materials provide different and essential nutrients that help create a rich and quality compost.


Greens include fresh leaves, fruit and vegetables scraps, grass clippings, tea bags, coffee grounds and even human or animal hair. These produce nitrogen and are a source of protein for microbes that live inside your compost heap.
Browns include straw, wood chips, sawdust, shredded newspaper, dried grass and leaves, corn cobs and stalks, twigs and branches. These produce carbon and energy for the microbes. (Minnesota Control Agency, 2010)

This is our compost bin, full to the brim with organic waste!

Week 1

This Week

Showers : 21

Dishwasher cycles: 6 (on eco setting)

Washing machine: 8 (on eco setting, using cold water)

Lights on at night: approx. 14 (usually kitchen/loungeroom only - we have small inbuilt ceiling light fixtures)

Bins of rubbish: 5 (small bin)

Meat products bought: 2

Bins of recycling: 1/2 (large bin)

I have told my housemates about the Eco Challenge and they have all been enthusiastic to get on board and help me with my project. We all had less showers this week and reduced the amount of time spent per shower by a few minutes each. Everyone has been especially conscious of turning off the lights when not in the room (even for a few minutes). I am really pleased with everyone's attitude towards the challenge so far.

The Eco Setting

This week I have decided to start off my journal by exploring the 'eco setting'. On a lot of modern appliances there is the option of an eco setting and it is something that my housemates and I use when doing a dishwasher cycle and putting on a load of washing. However, I have never really known exactly how it made the cycle more eco-friendly. This is what I found:

On a washing machine the eco setting alters the water temperature. It usually runs a longer cycle at a lower temperature or heats the water to the same temperature as your regular wash but takes longer to do so. (Chadwick, 2012)

Is it worth it? The eco setting on a washing machine is not always the most energy efficient cycle.  Washing clothes at 30 degrees or under uses 40% less energy than washing at a higher temperature (Energy Saving Trust, 2014) so sometimes simply choosing a cold wash is more effective than using the eco button depending on your washing machine. Front loader washing machines are also more energy efficient in comparison to top loaders. Top loaders need enough water to cover all the clothes inside the drum whereas a front loader is set horizontally so no where near as much water is needed as water is distributed evenly as gravity pulls the clothes downward. A top loader can spin as fast as 1000rpm whereas a front loader reaches only 650rpm on an average cycle. (Chadwick, 2012)

The eco cycle on a dishwasher works much the same as a washing machine by heating the water more slowly over a longer period of time. By using an eco option you can reduce the washer’s energy consumption by 20%. (Chadwick, 2012) 

My findings from doing a little bit of research have concluded that we should continue using the eco setting on all our appliances. It is useful to know how and why energy is saved. In the future I would definitely buy a front-loader washing machine rather than our current old model top-loader.

My Favourite Places

Some photographs I have taken of some of the most beautiful places I have ever been, all set in the incredible pristine Tasmanian wilderness. These are the places I hope stay untouched forever.

The Plan

About me

I live in Newport, Victoria in a new house (built ten years ago) with three friends aged 19-21. I consider myself to be a fairly ecologically-minded person. I was brought up in an environmentally aware family and went to a primary school in the Tasmanian bush which was very outdoor-based. Sustainability and nature were major themes throughout the early years of my education. My family is completely vegetarian and so I have been a vegetarian for almost all of my life for ethical reasons. I try not to eat any animal products at all including dairy and eggs and buy fruit and vegetables from farmer's markets (which are plentiful in Hobart) but I have discovered a few around the area I live in, which source local farming produce. I buy almost all of my clothing and furniture from second-hand stores and rarely buy new magazines or books. I am especially passionate about the conservation of Tasmania’s old growth forests as I visited some of the major Tasmanian logging sites when I was younger, and it was a truly devastating and shocking experience.

If everyone lived like me we would need 2.2 Earths to provide enough resource. To support my current lifestyle it takes 4 global hectares of the Earth’s productive area. The average Victorian requires 6.8 productive hectares to support their lifestyle. However, there are only 1.8 productive hectares available per person. Victoria’s footprint is over three times higher than the global average of 2.2 productive hectares per person. (Victoria’s Ecological Footprint, 2008) This level of consumption is clearly unsustainable.

My eco footprint is divided into categories

Food 25%

I am already a vegetarian and barely eat animal products. I try to source local produce wherever possible. I would also like to encourage my housemates to buy less packaged and processed food and consume less meat (although they do not consume very much at present).

Shelter 19%

I have just moved into a brick home that is one of a few units that are free standing. It is a big house and has running water and electricity. Our electricity provider does not use green energy which is disappointing but through some research when we were decided on a provider we found that most green energy companies were much more expensive and therefore not an option for us. However, since the house was built in the last ten years it is relatively economical. It uses a new energy efficient evaporative cooling system. I am interested in finding out more about how energy efficient our light fittings are.

Mobility 24%

I live a bit out of the city but commute almost completely by public transport other than a weekly/fortnightly trip to the markets and shops to buy groceries with my housemates carpooling. I walk wherever I can.

Goods 9%

Our household buys all our furniture, white goods and clothing second-hand. We have only bought a new toaster and kettle and some other small necessities since moving into the house.

Services 25%

We use lighting and heating/cooling systems sparingly. There are lots more energy saving techniques we can use which are listed below and I will explore in detail over the course of the journal. I want to mainly focus on reducing appliance usage, and electricity and water consumption. I have not been able to collect starting information on our gas consumption (which would be very little anyway) as we have had problems connecting the account and have been not been receiving bills (or having to pay!) as a result.

I hope by the end of this journal to have created awareness within my household and wider group of friends about the everyday things we can do to reduce our ecological footprint.

Our household’s current consumption

Week 1 Consumption Rates According to Bills
Water in kilolitres (kl) (Over period: 18/02/14 - 31/03/14)	20.24kl. Average daily usage: 500 litres (125l of water)
Electricity in kilowatt-hours (kWh) (Over period: 11/02/14 - 19/03/14)	481.66kWh
Average waste in kilograms (kg) per day	3.4kg total (1.2kg organic) (2.2kg non-organic)
Gas	N/A - As explained above

Average no per week

Showers : 22

Dishwasher cycles: 8 (on eco setting)

Washing machine: 8 (on eco setting, using cold water)

Lights on at night: 12 (usually kitchen/loungeroom only - we have small inbuilt ceiling light fixtures)

Bins of rubbish: 4 (small bin)

Meat products bought: 1

Bins of recycling: 1/2 (large bin)

Sustainable measures already in place

Almost completely vegetarian household

Making sure lights are off in rooms that are unoccupied

Only using heating/cooling when necessary - dress appropriate to the weather instead

Using eco setting on appliances that have the option

Catching the train/tram to uni rather than driving

Carpooling to the shops/market once a week

Buying local produce from Footscray markets or Newport farmer’s market

Changes that can be made

Make sure taps never drip and there are no leaks (check water meter and record usage overnight)

Shorter showers (4mins at most)

Only turn on washing machine when full 

Turn off all appliances at the powerpoint when not in use

Buy less packaged food

Check whether food we buy is made/farmed in Australia

Make use of compost bin, then recycle on garden bed

Household plastic bag ban (there is a complete ban on plastic bags in shops in Tasmania which I think should be implemented Australia-wide)

Only turn on washing machine when full

Make sure everything recyclable is put in the right bin

Write shopping lists etc on the back of scrap paper

Ensure all wood products (toilet paper, writing paper) bear the Forest Stewardship Council symbol

Buy eco-friendly cleaning products or use bicarbonate soda

Double-sided printing

Estimated Water Usage

This is our estimated water consumption as a household calculated on the Hunter Water Usage Calculator online. (Hunter Water, 2014) As you can see, our water consumption goes mainly into the bathroom area. This is not a surprise as all of the household enjoys long hot showers. This is something we can definitely focus on improving. Having 4 minute showers instead of 10 minute ones will reduce our water usage drastically. The next area of concern is the laundry. We can reduce our water usage in this area by using the washing machine less frequently and only turning on a cycle when there is a full load. We only use cold water when we wash and use the ‘eco setting’.