Do you live in the City of Sydney?  Are you keen to make your home more energy-efficient? The University of Sydney has asked for our help to find households to take part in their unique energy conservation research project.

A team at Sydney Uni would like to explore whether people would live more sustainably if their energy consumption were on display. To investigate, they plan to install temporary chalk boards on the front of participating houses, and update the boards regularly with changes in household electricity use.

The study will take place over a four week period in the coming months and participants will receive a free wireless electricity monitor! Taking part could help you learn more about your household’s electricity use and help you make long-term savings. For more information email Silje Johansen.

August 3, 2010 by Carolyn Boyd,

As featured in Talking Property,Domain

The Age Newspaper

It can be desperate times if you are looking to rent something. Especially when vacancy rates are dipping under 2 per cent in some areas, such as Melbourne’s inner city and its outer reaches.

Even if you’re not too fussy, tight rental vacancy rates in many cities means the situation can be dire. So it’s not surprising that when we asked our readers what they had done to secure a rental property, more than one-quarter said they had offered more than the asking price, taking a punt that a landlord couldn’t resist some extra income.

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I was amused to come across this article supposedly about people who live  in cold houses  by  choice. I’m not sure how much of it was about choice or necessity for most of those interviewed, something I’m sure many people in rental properties can relate to, particularly those with poor heating facilities in their homes. No ones wants to sit in one room under a heater all day or be faced with a ridiculously large gas/electricity bill at the end of winter. So how to keep warm?

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Energy efficient light bulbs (otherwise known as compact fluorescent light bulbs or CFL’s ) contain a small amount of mercury which is a toxic metal and every product containing mercury should be handled with care.

Recycling is the best way to dispose of used CFLs.

In Victoria you should take them to your nearest Council Civic Centre for recycling. Or you can take fluorescent tubes to a Detox Your Home permanent drop-off facility,such as the  Darebin Resource Recovery Centre. It is free.

You can also take your fluorescent tubes to a Detox Your Home mobile collection.

NSW households should utilise the free household chemical “Cleanout” program managed by the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change. These are held regularly, and details are available on the www.cleanout.com.au website.

As a last resort, burnt-out or broken CFLs should be wrapped in newspaper and placed inside a plastic bag, firmly sealed, and then placed into your household rubbish.

You should NOT place CFLs in your kerbside recycling collection because they can break during transport and contaminate recyclable items.

Ways to make your fridge energy efficient from Colleen Quinn:

• Don’t keep your fridge too cold. A change of one degree can effect energy consumption by 5%. Freezers should operate at -15°C to -18°C while fresh food compartments should be held at around 3°C to 5°C.
• Clean the coils annually.
• Cover food and drink to avoid evaporation in the fridge, which can force the compressor to work harder.
• Keep your freezer filled. Frozen blocks of food keep freezer temperatures more stable.
• Don’t clutter the fridge top; it can hamper the compressor’s proper air circulation.
• Don’t put your refrigerator in direct sunlight or next to an oven or dishwasher.
• Check the door seals. They should be able to hold a piece of paper in place.
• Defrost the freezer regularly and avoid frost build-ups of more than a quarter-inch.

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The Festival raises awareness and provides tools for change by showcasing tangible solutions to the ecological and social challenges we face.

In 2009 the Festival at Federation Square attracted over 124,000 visits and engaged more than 450 community volunteers.

In its eleventh year, the Festival is getting even bigger!

The 2010 Festival will include 2 programs, the Main Event at Federation Square (19-21 February 2010) and the Local Events Program (6-21 February 2010). The new 2-week format will enable individuals and communities across Australia to host and promote their own sustainability event, extending the reach of the sustainability message even further.

The Main Event at Federation Square in the heart of Melbourne will continue to celebrate the very best examples of ecological and social sustainability. The event will fuse interactive workshops, talks, demonstrations, artworks, exhibits, films and live performances. In recognition of the climate situation, the Main Event will be inspired by the theme: Get Ready for the Safe Climate Decade!

Our pics (most relevant/interesting to Renters)

Top 10 Reasons to Grow Your Own

How Car Dependence is Turning the Suburban Dream into a Nightmare

Sustaining Fashion? An Open Forum Exploring The Darker Side Of Fashion

GM Free is the way to be

Living Zero Waste

Life Time Affordable Sustainable Housing

Consumer Power-Making the Change

Sharehood Communities

And of course… How to Live Sustainably in a Rental Property yep, we are presenting a talk. It’ll be lots of fun with pictures, samples and demonstrations of things you can make yourself, so please come along . You can also chat to us as part of the Sustainable Living Library

1. Stay home and celebrate
Seriously, I ‘ve always suspected that NYE is the night for people who don’t go out any other night of year.

As green planet suggests

if you stay home and host your own ring-in-the-new shindig, you’ll save transportation emissions—and, of course, money. You’ll also be able to better control the environmental impact of your night, from sending out email invitations to preventing the food and paper waste that comes from bars and restaurants.

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