Sustainable in Suburbia

A new report by respected consultants McKinsey & Company has found Australia could reduce emissions to 30 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, and it would cost Australian families less than $1 a day. ACF’s executive director Don Henry said “the Australian public should be assured emission reductions of at least 30 per cent by 2020 – the sort of cuts science is saying we need – are achievable and affordable”.The Federal Government has not set a target for 2020 yet and is waiting for advice from the Garnaut Review. The review will be similar to the UK Stern review in 2006, but will focus on Australia. It will weigh up the costs of climate change impacts if we don’t reduce emissions versus the costs and benefits of reducing emissions to avoid dangerous climate change.The 2002-03 drought cost Australia $A10 billion. The total cost of a 30 per cent cut in emissions by 2020 would be less than a third of this. However, if we fail to reduce emissions, the CSIRO says Australia will experience drought 20 per cent more often by 2030 than we do now.Don Henry said the McKinsey report confirmed that these emission cuts are achievable and affordable… and they are in Australia’s national interest.The report also found Australia could reduce its emissions by 60 per cent by 2030 – a full 20 years ahead of the Federal Government’s commitment of a 60 per cent cut by 2050. What’s more, these targets can be achieved without having to resort to expensive, dangerous nuclear power.The report did not consider the emission reductions that can be achieved by a big shift towards public transport, or lifestyle changes. Don Henry said “this makes the report conservative and suggests we could reduce emissions even further than 30 per cent – something we’ll need to do in order to give the Great Barrier reef a fighting chance of survival”.Every Australian can make a submission to the Garnaut review and call for strong greenhouse pollution targets for 2020.You have until 11 April to let Professor Garnaut know you support a healthy environment for future generations.

ACF - Take action on Garnaut!

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Tags: ACF

Those of you who know me know that I have been quietly partaking in the 90% Reduction Project. Meaning reducing emissions to below 90% of the average American or Aussie.

And Garnaut very recently suggested that this was what needed to be done by 2050. And that’s coming from an economist. You can read all about it here: http://www.garnautreview.org.au/domino/Web_Notes/Garnaut/garnautweb.nsf

I’ve done some of the bigger behavioural changes and my figures are pretty good as a whole.

But I’ve still got a way to go to stop giving the planet grief.

So the next few posts will look at where I’m at with the 90% reduction.

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Grandma’s Ugly Favourite dishcloth, originally uploaded by GeoWombats.

I forgot to photograph this back in January when I was trying this out. I couldn’t find the right gauge cotton back then so had to settle for this rather ugly cotton. Believe me, this was the best out of a really bad bunch of colours. No wonder it was on the clearance table. And it’s all scrunched up because its been in the nappy bag as an emergency wipe up cloth.