Making sense of sustainability

While recycling and organic foods, sustainable housing, and more recently hybrid cars are nothing new to us, there is a lot of talk about sustainability, climate change, environmental impact and reducing our carbon footprint. What is being done to build a sustainable future for us all?

Al Gore sure brought the issues associated with climate to the forefront with the release of An Inconvenient Truth.

London is making changes, South Africa and Queensland has announced plans to curb omission levels is also stepping up to the plate when it comes to the environment and project planning.

It seems like the government is taking care of the big picture for Australia, but is there anything we can do to help? The Queensland Government has developed some suggestions to assist us all in making simple lifestyle changes to reduce our own personal carbon footprint.

I personally am taking the Low Carbon Diet, which involves my commitment to;

• wash my clothes in cold water, saving 1.5kg of additional green house gases normally produced from each warm water wash
• replacing all incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights
• using green reusable grocery bags for my shopping
• encouraging others to also live climate smart

What changes are you prepared to make?

'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.' Margaret Mead

By Nikki Bailey, Consultant