July 9, 2011

Green Power as an indicator

posted by Margaret, SA

Listening to the popular media, one could be forgiven for thinking that Australians in general don't care much about climate change and are not willing to do anything that costs them money. Wrong!

According to the recently released Green Power audit for 2009, in that year there were over 900,000 Green Power customers (we don't have more recent figures yet). That's over 900,000 people who are willing to pay more for their electricity for the sake of our climate!

Surely Green Power customer figures are just the tip of the iceberg - most safe-climate actions that householders take, like switching off lights, growing their own vegies, and minimizing car use, are simply not visible to the wider public. In addition, there are the thousands who have installed solar panels and/or solar hot water.

I think we can safely assume that the number of people taking safe-climate actions is much, much higher than 900,000.

Website coming soon!


Fruit and veg swaps

posted by Margaret, SA

I notice fruit and veg swaps are popping up all over the place. I think they're wonderful, but so far there are none near me, and I've not yet managed to find time to start one myself. In the meantime, I figure that, as long as someone eats our spare produce rather than them buying the equivalent commercially-grown food (thus avoiding food miles, packaging, etc.), our spare produce is saving carbon emissions regardless of who eats it!

We just give away anything spare to whoever we happen to see - most visitors get something to take home, and my daughter's sports coaches and other athletes' parents get a share too simply because I can give it to them without anyone making a special trip. In fact, I think I might have "sown a seed". One person I give spare produce to used to say, "Why grow tomatoes? Just when they are ready to pick, there is a glut and they are cheap to buy anyway". After a couple of years of eating our tasty home-grown produce, the other day he confessed somewhat sheepishly that he is now growing some vegies himself.