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| May 2001 |
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Getting home savings A programme that aims to help householders achieve resource efficiency and money savings is being trailed in the Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board area. The programme requires households to work together "on actions for the environment at home and record their impact." The programme presents responsible choices to households through everyday decisions and shows how to achieve the savings. It is envisaged that participants then use their experience to motivate others. The issue at stake is how to reduce the use of domestic resources and pollution without damaging the quality of life. For example, New Zealand uses coal and wood fuels to heat living spaces (inefficiently and dirtily) and electric power is used inefficiently to power incandescent light bulbs. Growing demand for fresh water is associated with high-flow toilet systems, garden watering and undetected leaking pipes. Also wasteful are commuting, school journeys and shopping trips that use large quantities of fossil fuels at a cost to both the urban quality of life and the global climate. Many goods and foods are imported when there may be less environmentally damaging alternatives available. "Domestic resource consumption is not headed in a sustainable direction," says Rhys Taylor, an environmental consultant. Encouraging change requires both information and the motivation to act immediately. So the Community Board is taking steps to do just that. The trial could lead to a programme that can be adopted nationally. |
