Greenprint

From Greenlivingpedia, a wiki on green living, building and energy

This is a Greenprint that identifies strategies, actions and approaches for moving us towards a sustainable future.

Contents 1 Transport 2 House 3 Garden 4 Energy policy and politics 5 Environment 6 Food and diet 7 Investment and finance 8 Recreation and travel 9 General 10 See also 11 External links

Transport

• Drive a green car
• Catch a train rather then fly
• Ride a bicycle
• Use public transport
• Walk

House

• Build using a passive solar design
• Install double glazing or thermal glass
• Use blinds and/or sails for shading windows from the sun when it is hot
• Draughtproof your doors and windows
• Build using recycled products
• Use forest friendly timber
• Install solar power
• Buy accredited greenpower
• Check carbon emissions of various energy sources to inform decisions about which to use and which to avoid.
• Buy energy efficient appliances
• Buy a green computer
• Buy an energy efficient fridge
• Install a smart power meter
• Use solar hot water
• Capture rainwater in tanks and use it
• Use your greywater
• Use fans for cooling
• Use gas for cooking rather than electricity
• Recycle your waste

Dont:

• use an airconditioner or evaporative cooler
• use electricity for heating purposes
• build a house with bricks on the outside - put them on inside walls with insulated cladding on the outside - this is the best location for thermal mass

Garden

• Create a low water garden
• Grow a permaculture garden with herbs, vegetables and fruit and nut trees
• Keep chickens
• Put scrap food on a compost heap, in a worm farm or a bokashi bucket

Dont:

• Grow a lawn that requires watering or regular mowing

Energy policy and politics

• Put a price on carbon
• Make energy efficiency labeling mandatory for all appliances
• Implement rigorous building greenhouse rating and apply them to domestic and business building construction and renovation.
• Join a local climate change action group
• Write a letter to local, state and federal parliamentary members to communicate your views on sustainability and tackling climate change and ask them what they are doing about this
• Write a letter to the editor of your local, state and/or national newspapers
• Write your own blog articles to express your thoughts and observations on sustainable living. You also publish the letters you write to politicians and newspapers.
• Vote for candidates in elections who espouse green living and sustainable policies.

Environment

• Plant trees
• Protect all old growth forests and water catchments from logging

Food and diet

• Eat less meat, or even become vegeterian or vegan
• Buy organic food
• Use reusable shopping bags
• Buy locally grown food from shops and farmers markets

Don't:

• Buy or eat GM food
• Buy foods with excessive packaging
• Use plastic shopping bags

Investment and finance

• Put money and superannuation into ethical investments.

Dont:

• Invest in companies engaged in destruction of native forest or uranium mining

Recreation and travel

• Travel green and offset carbon emissions associated with travel.
• Choose green sports and recreation

General

• Make paper telephone directories optional. Provide households that request them with telephone/address book data on CD roms and cheap CD/LCD display units for households that request them. Allow households to opt out from all directory distribution - some may choose to just use the Internet.

See also

• Energy saving tips

External links

• Manningham City Council - GreenPrint. A plan to ensure that the ecological processes on which life depends on are maintained, and the total quality of life we enjoy now and in the future can be enhanced.