Environmental tips for 2010

Ideas on how you can help the environment in 2010

Around your home –

• Turn off any lights or appliances in your house you don’t need on. This includes the play station and wii consoles.
  • Have shorter showers (three to four minutes) or have baths.
  • Recycle as much as you can. Really think about something before throwing it out. Swap clothes, games, DVD’s and books with friends and family.
  • Don’t hold the fridge door open for long periods of time. Decide what you want before opening the fridge doors. Limit one fridge per household.
  • Change the household power to green power through appropriate energy suppliers.
  • Don’t use plastic bags or plastic bottles. Take cloth bags shopping and use aluminium bottles.
  • Install a water tank.
  • Install solar hot water and/or solar panels.
  • Install insulation.
  • In winter put an extra jumper on or use extra blankets instead of using the heater.
  • Only buy food you will use. Buy local produce. Buy organic.
  • When buying new appliances buy ones with five star energy ratings.

In your garden –

• Make a worm farm and put all your scraps in it.
  • Plant some natives in the garden, they need less water and attract beautiful native birds.
  • Start a vegetable garden so you can produce your own fresh products.

School and work –

• Get your school involved in environmental projects.
  • Plant some trees.
  • For school projects try to use old boxes, containers, paper, cardboard etc
  • Use recycled paper.
  • Participate in phone and video conferencing instead of travelling to meetings.
  • Encourage recycling by setting up a process that everyone can participate in.
  • Turn off all computers and lights when you go home (except for security lights).
  • Ride, walk, catch the bus or train to school or work. You can even car pool with other families and work colleagues.

Other tips –

• Adopt an animal.
  • Watch environmental documentaries with your family and friends. Read books and other material about the environment and share what you have learnt with others.
  • Visit a museum to learn about the environment.
  • Go on a family picnic to a national park to learn about the local environment or to see a wind farm, or a dam.
  • Talk to a politician about local issues.
  • For gifts buy experiences such as movies, scuba diving and charities that help those in developing countries.
  • Get involved in local groups helping the environment.

If we all make small changes then together we will all make a big difference.

Remember ‘Habits made today will help life tomorrow’.