Every day we shape our planet's future when we make small life decisions - what we buy, what we eat, how we travel. The future of the planet is in our hands; the future is man-made. And we are all "Futuremakers". If we choose to live sustainably, we can assure a future for all living things. And we can have some fun doing it too!
This site, created by WWF-Australia, is a place where you can share ideas with other Futuremakers so that we can live more sustainably. We hope the tips and stories here will be useful for you. (More about this site)
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WWF was the global green partner for the Live Earth series of concerts and was astounded by the number of supporters who attended the Sydney event.
Despite the huge international turnout, there was ongoing media debate following the concert questioning whether Live Earth fulfilled its mission to create an international movement to combat climate change.
Like WWF’s Earth Hour campaign (which was recently launched for 2008 - more on that soon!), Live Earth was a success in that it got people thinking about climate change, inspiring them to make simple changes on a daily basis to reduce their emissions.
If you live in Sydney you may want to check out the Live Green festival which is happening at Victoria Park, Camperdown on 25 August.
The blurb for the event says:
Green city living made easy…. Showcasing information and practical ways to lead a more sustainable lifestyle in an urban environment.
With green shopping, talks & seminars, and music. Celeb chef Kylie Kwong is getting behind the festival as well - no doubt lending her skills to the cooking activities that are listed on the event site.
The event is just down the road from where I live so I’m hoping to catch it. Drop a comment if you’re heading along - mebbe we can arrange a Futuremakers meetup or sumtin?
I’ve been riding to work for a few weeks now and I’m loving it. I’ve had to catch the bus a couple of times for various reasons and it takes longer and is a lot less fun. I’ve worked out a route (using Bike-it Sydney (which I mentioned previously) and I’m used to the traffic now.
A sure fire sign that I’m hooked: it was raining on Friday morning and I still chose to ride rather than catch the bus. But I digress…
One of the things that I worked out I needed to do fairly early on was to get a rack and bag for the bike. My backpack was too small to carry a change of clothes plus lunch and other stuff. Plus it wasn’t waterproof and because it’s on my back makes it just a little bit hotter than if I’m not wearing it (i.e. I get more sweaty).
Anyway - to cut the story short, I went into Cheeky Transport to see what options were available. They had a few different styles ranging in price and utility. I ended up grabbing a Ron D Swan pannier like this one (mine’s blue which handily matches my bike colour).
I liked it ‘coz it was simple, waterproof and big enough for all the stuff I need to take to work. But it was the fact it’s made from reclaimed materials - that is using materials that would otherwise end up in being chucked out as waste - that won me over.
The canvas and PVC are salvaged offcuts from awning and banner factories (new PVC is out of the question as it is toxic to make). The smaller hooks are hand bent out of stainless steel bike spokes from dead wheels. Webbing and corflute backing board are new polypropylene for which, although being a plastic of lesser evil, Ron is researching alternatives.
Very cool. The bags are manufactured in Melbourne by Cathy (apart from some parts which are outsourced locally) - meaning lower transport emissions - and apparently they’re sweatshop free. I used the bag on my rainy ride on Friday and it worked a treat - I definitely recommend them.
I also picked up a leg band for when I need to do a quick ride and I can’t change out of my work pants.
As a new rider, it can be quite daunting taking to the road to commute in traffic. Especially if you live or travel through the city (like I do).
One of the tips I’ve received about riding in Sydney is to grab a copy of Bike-it Sydney. It’s a collection of maps with suggested/recommended bike routes specially marked to make it easier to avoid main roads when riding.
I picked up a copy from the bike shop when I bought my bike. It’s been pouring rain in Sydney the past few days, so I’ve had a chance to plan out a few routes using the map and it looks pretty good. Of course, the first ride on any given route is likely to take a bit of time working things out. But having the book has already been valuable for me just planning and working out where I can ride (once the sun pops out again!).
I’m not sure if there is a similar booklets for other areas/cities - any Futuremakers out there that know of some?
Another good resource, I’m told (though I’ve not had the chance to thoroughly review yet) is Bikely. It’s a Google Maps “mashup”, that, in the words of the site:
… Bikely helps cyclists share knowledge of good bicycle routes.
It can be quite tricky traversing a car dominated city by bicycle, particularly when you need to travel an unknown route to a new destination.
But the chances are, someone has cycled that way before you. Bikely makes it easy for him or her to show you the best way.
Interesting concept - I did a search for “Newtown Australia” (where I live) and got a bunch of results.
Has anyone used Bikely more heavily? Got any tips to share?
Share the places near you that are helping the environment
Do you know a place doing something good for the environment - perhaps a local park, organic grocer, eco-friendly cafe, or local recycling depo - then why not tag it as a “CoolSpot” and let others know about it.
If you live in Sydney, you might have heard about Earth Hour. The basic gist is this: at 7:30pm on 31 March 2007, Sydney will turn its lights off for one hour.
In addition to turning off your lights on the night, why not celebrate at an Earth Hour event?
We forget sometimes that trees don’t just spontaneously grow in the city, people have to plant them. So why not you!? Plant a tree every week in your home or in the park and you’ll leave a legacy of CO2 absorbing beauty.
