GoogleBlog: Carbon neutrality by end of 2007. [via Phil]
Google are setting an excellent example so far:
Our plan to neutralize Google’s carbon footprint includes three basic strategies:
- reduce energy consumption by maximizing efficiency;
- invest in and use renewable energy sources; and
- purchase carbon offsets for the emissions that we can’t reduce directly.
To calculate our carbon footprint, we took into account emissions from purchased electricity, employee commuting, business travel, construction, and server manufacturing. In a partnership with the Environmental Resources Trust (ERT), we have independently verified this assessment, and will do so every year.
In order to meet our short-term goal of carbon neutrality, we have decided to purchase some carbon offsets. To be clear, we see carbon offsets not as a permanent solution but rather as a temporary tool which allows us to take full responsibility for our impact right away. … When considering an offset project, we carefully examine the project’s environmental integrity, its ability to be monitored and verified, and the impact that our investment will have in furthering that project’s goals. In other words, we want to make sure that our offset funding directly enables the project, and that the carbon savings of the project are real.
The post goes on to spruik some of the other things Google is doing to reduce their carbon footprint. It’s really great to see such a big company making an effort to go carbon neutral and doing it with the “Reduce, Renew, Offset” method we’re so fond of.
Live Earth is just 15 days away now. If you want to keep up with the latest goss about the concert over the next two weeks, check out the ‘unofficial’ Live Earth Blog [via Phil]
I was hoping to get along to the concert but it turns out my Mum is coming to visit that weekend, and I couldn’t twist her arm to come along 
Is anyone else going? I’d love to see some picks and hear about it from any Futuremakers that are going…
Get fit while reducing your emissions
If you live reasonably close to your workplace, riding a bike to work is a great way to get fit while also reducing your impact on the environment. It can even save you money.
Since I’ve started riding to work, I’ve collected a few tips that you may find useful to get started.
Read more…
The blinds in our new apartment have started to cause us grief - basically all bar one of the 6 blind rollers have stopped working. We’ve had a few people come around to provide quotes etc. and today we went to a little shop in Newtown and got some more information.
One of the questions I asked the salesperson was whether he had any environmentally friendly blind options. He wasn’t aware of any specifically, but he did note that the Evershade blind fabrics were PVC free (which is a good thing). They’re also made locally (in Marrickville, NSW) which is another plus.
(As an aside I’m not 100% sure on why PVC is bad for the environment - but I’m aware from previous research into materials that they should be avoided if possible.)
I went to the blind manufacturer’s website to find out a bit more about the environmental elements of their products and couldn’t really find much else about the environmental performance of their blind fabrics. I did find that they do use PVC in other products.
A little bit of “Google research” uncovered another Australian company Mermet [via Keetsa! blog]. These are listed on the Ecospecifier website - which rates and provides information on environmental performance of building products - but the profile page lists PVC as one of the materials. It seems that their place in the Ecospecifier directory is due to the benefits for heating etc. rather than the manufacturing process.
So I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the products above, or if they know of any environmentally friendly blinds? Either alternative fabrics, or technologies or approaches?
Our place has 5m high windows across 3 levels of blinds - so there’s a lot of area to cover (which also means that wood-based slat blinds aren’t suitable). We’re also not sure what to do with the existing blinds. Although the blinds themselves are in reasonable condition (not great, but certainly still workable) it seems that different manufacturers and retailers all use different fittings etc. so it doesn’t look like it’s possible just to re-use the material.
So if we have to replace rather than re-use we’re keen to work out ways of putting the old blinds to alternative uses - either through reverse garbage or some other recycling scheme. Any suggestions in that direction would be well received as well.
With a large proportion of Australia in a drought, and many major cities enforcing water restrictions, the plants in our garden are being tested on their water efficiency. Most of us have all heard of grey water, the water drained from baths, showers, washing machines, and sinks. Normally this water goes down the drain, but we all could be recycling this water on our gardens. It’s a simple concept and it’s really easy to start. There are three main ways to use grey water:
- Manual bucketing – This means washing dishes in a bucket or having a few buckets in the shower with you and using them to water the garden.
- Above ground systems – One of the easiest ways to use grey water is simple extending the hose from your washing machine into your garden. I’ve found moving the house around the garden every few weeks allows each spot to get a good soaking.
- Above or below ground systems – The systems are more sophisticated and also more expansive. Some governments give rebates on these systems so they are definitely worth a look. They will also be able to divert water from other areas of your house, which means an even lusher garden.
Grey water seems like a great solution to a water shortage but I’d be interested to hear other people’s experiences using grey water.
The idea of hunting through hundreds of items of clothes, to find that one item that you love instantly, seemed like a lot of work and not a lot of reward. After this weekend my view has completely changed. Vintage shopping, or hunting through pre-loved clothes, is extremely exciting.
The clothes you find are unique, beautiful and high quality. They have been worn so there is no “shrinking in the wash” syndrome or colors fading and best of all each item of clothing only costs a few dollars.
For those of you who would like someone else to do the searching for you, there are plenty of people who find the best vintage clothes and sell them in stores, ebay and weekend markets.
Not only do you save tons of money by buying vintage clothes, it’s also one way of recycling.
Be warned it can become a bit of an addiction!
Make blog posts about an art installation that uses over a thousand fluorescent bulbs that are powered from the ambient energy surrounding power lines.
It’s a pretty incredible sight.
On a more practical level, though, I’ve not seen a better visualisation of energy waste from centralised power generation (that is, mammoth power stations in far-away places shipping energy to cities). And no better case for shifting to a more decentralised, renewable energy future (i.e. solar panels and mini-wind generators on roof-tops etc.)
Over at Worldchanging, Eric de Place worked out that using a compressed chemical canister to clean his keyboard would have the equivalent greenhouse gas effect of burning through 378 litres of fuel in his car.
He then goes on to outline some alternatives. But it was his initial discovery that blew me away - I wonder how many other little things like that happen in our day-to-day? Makes you consider the label in a whole new way…
There has been so much excitement about Live Earth US and UK, and while the excitement is understandable with such great acts, I’ve always been waiting to hear the Australian line-up. Today the organizers announced the line-up for the Sydney show. The line-up includes bands such as Crowded House, Jack Johnson, Wolfmother, John Butler Trio, Missy Higgins, Eskimo Joe and a whole bunch more. Australians not only get to rock out to such great bands, but we get to be the first of the seven concerts around the world.
With the concert raising awareness about our climate and a great line-up, tickets are going to be sold out fast when they go on sale Friday, May 18.
Apple’s Steve Jobs posts a detailed article that highlights some of the things they are doing to reduce the environmental impact of their products.
As alluded to in the article’s opening paragraph, this no doubt is a response to Greenpeace’s Green My Apple campaign.
Greenpeace’s campaign site announces a “change in policy” from Apple - it seems to me that the “change in policy” is that Apple are disclosing what they are doing - their environmental policies haven’t changed, as far as I can tell anyway. The tone of Jobs’ statement is that they are already doing the things outlined or have had plans for the future for some time (though we don’t know for sure). Many of the points he mentions seem to have been occurring for some time already.
Just one note on the recycling point - the last time I checked (a few months ago), Apple Australia - which is a separate company to the parent US company - does not have a recycling or take-back program in place. Although they claimed some stores had a recycling program, the stores they mentioned did not confirm Apple’s claims.
In Jobs’ announcement, he states that Apple ” operate[s] recycling programs in countries where more than 82% of all Macs and iPods are sold” - but Australia doesn’t seem to be one of those countries.
Does anyone know if Apple Australia is planning on changing this? (or perhaps already has?)
Update: Treehugger asks another interesting question: given Apple’s market position as an innovator, Justin suggests “There are many other steps Apple could make to be an innovative green company. How about tree-free paper for all printed materials, moving over to 100% renewable power, or designing Apple stores and offices to be green buildings?”
