United Voice

• "I try to make a difference by using less stuff" - Peter Tait, United Voice health member.
• Tips to save money and the planet
• Are you an ethical traveller?

"I try to make a difference by using less stuff" - Peter Tait, United Voice health member.

United Voice NT healthcare member Peter Tait has been a doctor for 27 years. Over the last few years he has taken steps to change his personal life to be more sustainable.

"The first thing to recognise is that each individual and family has only a small impact on climate change. Most carbon pollution comes from industry and business that supplies us with the goods we consume. That’s why I try to make a difference by using less stuff. I only buy what I need to use, to eat, to wear. And I use things until they wear out."

Peter also walks and rides his bike as much as he can, to use less petrol.

"When I walk or ride I also get some fresh air and exercise, and I get to run in to people. I’ve changed my light bulbs, put in a low-flow shower (and try for short showers), painted my roof white and had my air conditioner serviced. Because every little bit adds up.

"Of the rubbish I do make, I try to reuse and recycle what I can. This takes a bit of planning but once the system is set up it becomes habit and easy to do. Having chooks nearby or a worm farm helps too with the vege scraps, and I get a share of the fresh eggs. I also help out in a community garden.

"But really, the most important thing I do in my personal life is to belong to several environment groups. I am active in my local Climate Action Group. Only by keeping pressure on the government can we hope to get them to act in our interests to keep the climate as safe as we can.

"We don’t want Ms Gillard to lose her way and give in to the doubt-sowers and vested interests. It’s very important to tell the politicians we want real action right now – a trial carbon levy would be a good start. We need to get active in our communities to wake our parliamentarians up."

Tips to save money and the planet

• Get out of hot water. Your hot water system counts for as much as 50% of your electricity bill, so you can save money by using less hot water. Install a water efficient shower head, turn down the heat, wash your clothes on cold, and take shorter showers.
  
• Switch to compact fluorescent lights – they use 25% less energy and last much longer than the old incandescent globes. This will make a real difference, since lighting accounts for around 12% of a household’s domestic greenhouse gas emissions.
• Try to heat and cool your home efficiently. Only heat or cool the rooms you are using and seal doors and windows with draft stopping strips. Dress for the weather, and use natural ventilation whenever possible.
• Keep your fridge running efficiently and if you have a second fridge that is mostly empty, turn it off when not in use, or get rid of it.
  
• When buying new appliances, go for the most energy and water efficient. Learn more about energy ratings at www.energyrating.gov.au.
• For bigger investments, the Gillard Labor government have a wide range of rebates and incentives to save energy in your home. Renters are eligible too, so you can still do something even if you’re not a homeowner. There are a number of schemes such as solar hot water rebates, solar credits and free home sustainability assessments. But things change often so check www.environment.gov.au/rebates or www.acfonline.org.au for the latest info.
  
• You might get an extra helping hand from your state and local governments, so check them out too. WA, NSW and VIC offer additional rebates for solar hot water. NSW has an efficient washing machines rebate and a second fridge buyback scheme. VIC has a scheme to help low income earners buy efficient whitegoods. Many states offer rainwater tank rebates and solar feed-in tariffs.
  
• Travel green by walking, riding a bike or catching public transport. Avoid air travel if possible – a plane trip has many times the global warming effect of the same trip by bus, train or car.
• Sign-up for 100% accredited GreenPower. GreenPower is electicity from government accredited renewable sources like hydro and wind. For many households, GreenPower only costs a few dollars a week extra. If you do the basic energy-saving acts above, you might end up with smaller bills overall. Make sure your energy retailer’s GreenPower is fair dinkum at www.greenpower.gov.au
• You can make a huge difference to your carbon footprint, improve your health and save money by eating less meat and dairy. Even just reducing meat consumption by one meal per week cuts your greenhouse pollution by up to 300kg per year. Food miles also matter, so it’s a great idea to bring the field closer to your plate: eat locally-grown, seasonal food. Fresh food is also less energy intensive, cheaper and healthier.
• Reduce, reuse and recycle! Waste in landfill produces methane and other greenhouse gasses. So try to reduce your consumption, and recycle what you can. Recycling uses less energy than making new products and already supports 45,000 jobs – a number that is growing all the time. On average 50% of rubbish sent to landfill is food and garden waste, so it’s great to start a worm farm or compost in your yard.
• Check out more Green Home ideas from ACF at www.acfonline.org.au

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