Greenprint
From Greenlivingpedia, a wiki on green living, building and energy
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==Energy policy and government action== | ==Energy policy and government action== | ||
- | * Put a price on carbon and introduce carbon rationing | + | * Put a '''price on carbon''' and introduce carbon rationing |
* Introduce mandatory'''[[appliance energy efficiency standards]]''' | * Introduce mandatory'''[[appliance energy efficiency standards]]''' | ||
* Implement rigorous '''[[building greenhouse rating]]''' and apply them to domestic and business building construction and renovation. | * Implement rigorous '''[[building greenhouse rating]]''' and apply them to domestic and business building construction and renovation. | ||
- | * Provide more funding for rail transport and public transport rather than building more roads and freeways. | + | * Provide more funding for '''rail transport and public transport''' rather than building more roads and freeways. |
- | * Include measurement of carbon emissions in all major project decision making and planning. | + | * Include '''measurement of carbon emissions''' in all major project decision making and planning. |
- | * Transition government car fleets to low emission vehicles such as electric and/or hybrid vehicles. | + | * Transition '''government car fleets to low emission vehicles''' such as electric and/or hybrid vehicles. |
- | * Ban plastic shopping bags (or at least put a tax on them) | + | * '''Ban plastic shopping bags''' (or at least put a tax on them) |
+ | * Implement a '''[[feed in tariff]]''' which provides payment for clean energy of 5 times the retail rate (e.g. to those with solar panels that feed power into a grid). This has been very successful in Germany | ||
+ | * Introduce legislation to mandate new buildings to produce 20 per cent of their energy requirements. This encourages both energy efficienct design and installation of solar panels and/or wind power. This legislation has been successfully introduced in Germany. | ||
==Activism and politics== | ==Activism and politics== |
Revision as of 20:49, 15 March 2008
This is a Greenprint that identifies strategies, actions and approaches for moving us towards a sustainable future.
Contents |
Transport
- Drive a green car
- Catch a train rather then fly
- Build very fast trains to reduce reliance on air travel
- Ride a bicycle
- Use public transport
- Walk
House
- Build using a passive solar design
- Use or retrofit appropriate insulation
- Install double glazing or thermal glass
- Install low energy lighting
- Use blinds and/or sails for shading windows from the sun when it is hot
- Draughtproof your doors and windows
- Build using recycled products
- Use forest friendly timber
- Install solar power
- Buy accredited greenpower
- Check carbon emissions of various energy sources to inform decisions about which to use and which to avoid.
- Buy energy efficient appliances
- Buy a green computer
- Buy an energy efficient fridge
- Install a smart power meter
- Use solar hot water
- Capture rainwater in tanks and use it
- Use your greywater
- Use fans for cooling
- Use gas for cooking rather than electricity
- Recycle your waste
Dont:
- use an airconditioner or evaporative cooler
- use electricity for heating purposes
- build a house with bricks on the outside - put them on inside walls with insulated cladding on the outside - this is the best location for thermal mass
- put in a swimming pool
- use incandescent or quartz halogen lighting
Garden
- Create a low water garden
- Grow a permaculture garden with herbs, vegetables and fruit and nut trees
- Keep chickens
- Put scrap food on a compost heap, in a worm farm or a bokashi bucket
Dont:
- Grow a lawn that requires watering or regular mowing
- Grow plants that require a lot of watering
Energy policy and government action
- Put a price on carbon and introduce carbon rationing
- Introduce mandatoryappliance energy efficiency standards
- Implement rigorous building greenhouse rating and apply them to domestic and business building construction and renovation.
- Provide more funding for rail transport and public transport rather than building more roads and freeways.
- Include measurement of carbon emissions in all major project decision making and planning.
- Transition government car fleets to low emission vehicles such as electric and/or hybrid vehicles.
- Ban plastic shopping bags (or at least put a tax on them)
- Implement a feed in tariff which provides payment for clean energy of 5 times the retail rate (e.g. to those with solar panels that feed power into a grid). This has been very successful in Germany
- Introduce legislation to mandate new buildings to produce 20 per cent of their energy requirements. This encourages both energy efficienct design and installation of solar panels and/or wind power. This legislation has been successfully introduced in Germany.
Activism and politics
- Join a local climate change action group
- Write a letter to local, state and federal parliamentary members to communicate your views on sustainability and tackling climate change and ask them what they are doing about this
- Write a letter to the editor of your local, state and/or national newspapers
- Write your own blog articles to express your thoughts and observations on sustainable living. You also publish the letters you write to politicians and newspapers.
- Vote for candidates in elections who espouse green living and sustainable policies.
Environment
- Plant trees
- Protect all old growth forests and water catchments from logging
Food and diet
- Eat less meat, or even become vegeterian or vegan
- Buy organic food
- Use reusable shopping bags
- Buy locally grown food from shops and farmers markets
Don't:
- Buy or eat GM food
- Buy foods with excessive packaging
- Use plastic shopping bags
Investment and finance
- Put money and superannuation into ethical investments.
Dont:
- Invest in companies engaged in destruction of native forest or uranium mining
Recreation and travel
- Travel green and offset carbon emissions associated with travel.
- Choose green sports and recreation
General
- Make paper telephone directories optional. Provide households that request them with telephone/address book data on CD roms and cheap CD/LCD display units for households that request them. Allow households to opt out from all directory distribution - some may choose to just use the Internet.
See also
External links
- Manningham City Council - GreenPrint. A plan to ensure that the ecological processes on which life depends on are maintained, and the total quality of life we enjoy now and in the future can be enhanced.