Our home and garden can be a healthy Eden of self-sufficiency or a bottomless pit of resource-consuming ecological inefficiency. So how do we manage our ecological footprint & set it on a sustainable path?
House and Home Actions
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Assess your homes sustainabilityLike many of us, and with |
Buy renewable electricityEvery time you use electricity in your home greenhouse gases are belched out on your behalf. So buy the clean stuff! |
Cultivate energy saving habitsEnergy saving habits are easy to learn. By changing your daily habits, you can save resources and money and reduce your contribution |
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Cultivate water saving habitsWater saving habits are those easy-to-learn daily behaviours that can save us thousands of litres (and dollars) during the course of our lives. |
DIY environmental checklistTime to grab the clipboard and run the environmental ruler over your home. Identify the low hanging fruit and big bang actions that will quickly and easily reduce your homes impact on the environment. |
Embrace energy efficiencyEnergy conservation can save resources and money through the adoption of efficient technology and behaviours. |
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Generate your own electricityThe sun hitting your roof can power your home. It's just a question of gadgets. |
Harvest and use your rainwaterInstall a rainwater tank to collect and store rain hitting your roof and use it to water your garden, wash your clothes or fill your toilet. |
Install efficient appliances and fixturesWhen investing in large household appliances and fixtures, use the government's Energy and Water Ratings (stars) to guide you to the most efficient products to save money. |
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Install solar hot waterSunlight converts cold water into hot water. No gases are emitted and no one gets hurt. Life is rarely this simple! |
Insulate, shade and weather proof your houseJust insulating, shading & weatherproofing your house can save you up to 45 % on your current energy bills while increasing the comfort and value of your home. |
Make your renovations greenRenovations are the ideal opportunity to make your house more efficient and sustainable. Try these tips & feel good about your home. |
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Reduce your stormwater pollutionBy managing your domestic stormwater, you can reduce polluting the waterways we love to swim in, fish and simply enjoy. |
Reuse your greywaterReusing greywater to water lawns and gardens could save up to 50,000 litres of drinking water per home each year. |
Use water efficientlyWater conservation on the driest continent on the planet is essential, logical and too long in coming. There are lots of easy things we can all do! |
ENVIRONMENT
The urban spread of our houses and gardens, and the power, water and materials required for them to provide us with a comfortable living space account for a significant proportion of our ecological footprint. Managed effectively, this integral part of our lives can be a vehicle for the conservation, generation and collection of energy, water and natural resources. It can also supply us with much of the food we need.
WELLBEING
Our homes are our sanctuaries where we bring our dearest, raise our children and spend over half our lives. Tapping the potential of the house and garden to rejuvenate, inspire and soothe us, as well as protecting and sheltering us, is one of the creative missions of any householder's life.
