Sustainable Waterfront Property in the Australian Bush
July 14, 2010 by simonturner
Filed under Australia's Challenge, Eco Projects, Features
For sale in Macmasters Beach in New South Wales, Australia is a magnificent environmentally-sustainable waterfront property, which is set upon 40.97 acres of lush paddocks, serene palm groves, and native vegetation.
Designed by architect Francis Fong, the brief was to provide a luxurious and modern home for those inside, whilst ensuring the sense of being in the Australian bush. At all times you’ll feel the clever balance between the privacy of a home and the freedom of the outdoors.
The house has been designed to ensure that no matter which room you are enjoying, you can appreciate the setting, the bush and water views, the sounds and the sea breeze.
Importantly, it’s sustainable credentials are outstanding:
The property operates “off the grid” for total independence. Powered by cost efficient solar electricity that further enhances the property’s sustainable credentials, there is also a back-up diesel generator that automatically starts when necessary.
The water supply is equally sustainable: you can enjoy the rainwater from the small pod roof, take a tranquil moment to pump rainwater to the supply tank on top of the hill, or utilise the connection to town water (although this will very rarely be required).
For the summer, there is ample electricity to run air-conditioning should you choose, however, the house design entices even the faintest of breezes thus naturally maintaining the temperature and ambiance of the home. There are also 42000 litres of water beneath the house dedicated to the sprinkler system, which act as a moderating thermal mass.
For the winter, you can utilise the natural resources on the land and enjoy the two wood combustion stoves, including the wonderful French Chiminee Philippe main fireplace in the living room.
It is quite evident that every thought has been given to creating a harmonious and sustainable lifestyle in deep privacy in building this home.
CLICK HERE to view the property website. The property is available through Marquette Turner Luxury Homes and Clearpoint.
DID YOU KNOW? Printer Usage
December 11, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Facts
Did you know that inkjet printers use less energy per page than laser printers.
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GREEN TIP: Business Energy Costs
December 11, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Eco Tips, Go Green
Business Energy Costs
Business can reduce their energy consumption and costs by 15% to 25% by adopting sustainable energy practices.
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GREEN TIP: Plant a Native Plant a Native
December 11, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Eco Tips, Go Green
Native plants are better for the environment because they adapt to our area, particularly sandy and coastal conditions. They require less maintenance and less water and far more resistant to pests and disease.
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DID YOU KNOW: By recycling our daily read, NSW saves 3,079,000 gigajoules of energy a year. That’s enough to power 142,510 households.
December 1, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Australia's Challenge, Facts
DID YOU KNOW: By recycling our daily read, NSW saves 3,079,000 gigajoules of energy a year. That’s enough to power 142,510 households.
DID YOU KNOW: Sydneysiders have reduced their water use by more than 13% since 2003
December 1, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Australia's Challenge, Facts, Go Green
DID YOU KNOW: Sydneysiders have reduced their water use by more than 13% since 2003
Did You Know: Dishwasher Energy Usage?
November 17, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Facts
- A half filled dishwasher uses the same amount of energy as a full load.
Did You Know: Recylcling Facts
November 17, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Facts
- Sydneysiders have reduced their water use by more than 13% since 2003.
- By recycling our daily read, NSW saves 3,079,000 gigajoules of energy a year. That’s enough to power 142,510 households.
Clear the Air eMagazine Nov 14, 2009
November 14, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Eco Tips, Features, Go Green
Check out the latest eMagazine from Clear the Air, featuring news on green articles from around the world.
As well as viewing it page by page, you can also:
Download it as a PDF
Download it for your Amazon Kindle/Sony ebook
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The Dirty Lowdown on Disposable Nappies
November 13, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Eco Tips, Facts
Consider these facts when buying disposable nappies:
- Nappies are the third most common item, by volume and weight, in American, UK, European, Japanese and Australian landfills.
- According to Choice consumer magazine, 95% of Australian babies wore disposable nappies in 2007. In China, only 6% do, in India 2%.
- It takes over 10 full sized trees to produce the number of nappies your baby will use in its first couple of years.
- Production of a single disposable nappy requires 2/3 of a cup of petroleum. This adds up to over 3 billion gallons (1134 billion litres of oil) per year dedicated to disposable nappy production.
- According to 2003 figures from the Women’s Environment Network, it takes on average 22,250 MJ of energy, 75,000 ha of land for raw materials and 70 cubic metres of waste water is needed to manufacture enough disposable nappies for just one infant over the course of 2½ years.
- The estimated cost of disposable nappies per child is $3,500.
What to Do With Old Computers and Electrical Appliances?
November 12, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Australia's Challenge, Eco Tips, Go Green
What do you do with appliances such as fridges, microwave ovens, televisionsd, phones and computers that are well past their use by date and no longer work? For most of us, we wait until our local councils hold a household rubbish collection (different from our weekly rubbish collection). Most councils hold these at least once a year and many people “hang out” for these and walk the streets looking to make someone’s trash, their treasure!
Waiting for the council collection usually means those old items are cluttering up our garages or backyards waiting for that annual date and hopefully we don’t forget to place them on our footpaths the night before collection.
These old appliances have typically been buried as landfill, leaving toxins that leach into the ground and our waterways.
Each year 1.5 million televisions are disposed of and this is increasing rapidly because by the end of 2013 the government is switching off the analogue signal all over Australia. Most of us are upgrading our analogue televisions to digital.
If 75% of those 1.5 million televisions that are discarded annually were recycled, it would amount to a national saving of approximately 23,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents, 520 mega litres of water, 400,000 gigajoules of energy and 160,000 cubic metres of landfill space.
Finally we have a service available to us to correctly dispose of our old electrical equipment and help us achieve a sustainable future. As a general rule of thumb, they believe that anything that “plugs in” can be recycled and state that between 95%-98% (by weight) will be fully recycled.
1800Ewaste comes to you, takes away your old appliances and delivers it to the appropriate recycling facility.
http://www.ewaste.com.au/
Eco Friendly Christmas Cards
November 12, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Go Green
Christmas is fast approaching and for those of us who are yet to purchase our Christmas Cards, why not look at cards that are kind to our earth. Here are some sites that allow you top be creative and be environmentally friendly.
Greenerprinter uses high quality soy and vegetable based inks and is 100% wind powered. You can use their templates to design your own cards.
Recycling Your Old Jeans
November 12, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Eco Tips, Go Green
You don’t have to be a seamstress – if you have basic sewing skills you can turn your old jeans into something fabulous. Here are a few suggestions:
Pillows: Cut the legs into a tube, stuff with cotton and sew the ends shut. Make a smaller version for a travel pillow, or a larger version to decorate a living room or bedroom. Add decorative touches like buttons or use the back pocket of the jeans for an interesting effect.
Handbag: Cut the legs below the crotch, sew each leg shut and thread a rope or ribbon through the belt loops for a handle. This can be used as a hip and unusual handbag, or as a shopping bag for the environmentalist. Various size jeans will create different sized bags. Pick a plain cotton rope as a handle for the eco friendly person, or use a decorative, glittery rope for the fashionista.
Potholders: Line denim squares with fleece, quilt batting or more layers of denim to create a thick potholder. Quilt together. Hem the edges, or seam with tape or ribbon. You can add rick-rack and other decorative designs too. The perfect gift for the chef in your family!
Coin Purse: The back pocket of jeans makes the perfect coin purse. Just cut closely around the pocket for an instant pouch. Add a zipper or button closure if desired. You can decorate with buttons, ribbons, fabric print or beads.
How to Make Your Small Business Green
November 12, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Global, Go Green
“How to Improve Your Bottom Line, Grow Your Brand, Satisfy Your Customers and Save the Planet” by Jennifer Kaplan (Prentice Hall Press; November 3, 2009; $19.95), is an excellent book for any small business owner or employee who is concerned about their company’s impact on the planet and would like to take actions to improve it.
“Going green” is a way for each of us to make a positive impact on our world, (woot!) and it doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, as Jennifer explains, making your small biz more eco-friendly can save money and boost profits. (woot woot!) GREENING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS tells readers what they need to know to make their business more competitive by making it more eco-conscious. She covers everything from the basics such as recycling, reducing waste, energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint, to more in-depth concerns such as green marketing, communications, biz travel, and green employee benefits.
Get it on Amazon at 32% off: http://bit.l y/3SXH2a
Save Lindbergh Bay Success in the Caribbean Island of St Thomas
November 5, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Eco Projects
Our favourite Caribbean detective, Jim Walberg, reports on the recent success of the “Save Lindbergh Campaign”.
Many of you remember my article several months ago about the Save Lindbergh Bay initiative. This is a grass roots organization of people committed to keeping this beautiful Caribbean bay on St. Thomas from being the dumping site of the dredging material from Charlotte Amalie Harbor. The U.S. Virgin Islands signed a contract with the largest cruise ship in the world, Oasis of the Sea, to call on the port of Charlotte Amalie. The cruise ship holds over 5,000 people that will greatly add to the tourist revenue of St. Thomas. However, the agreement required Charlotte Amalie Harbor to create the ability for the Oasis of the Sea to dock which would require dredging the path of the ship into the harbor an additional 35 feet to the existing sea floor. The project was to take the 150,000 cubic yards of dredging material and deposit it into Lindbergh Bay. The GREAT NEWS is that Lindbergh Bay has been saved by Gov. deJongh, Jr. signing a degree to halt the dredging until a more suitable site can be found for the material.
The dredging has been opposed by not only the residents of the Virgin Islands, but by people concerned about environment issues around the world. Gov. deJongh said at a Government House press conference, “As this process proceeded, and mindful of the community’s concerns on the placement of the dredged spoils, yet the desire to ensure that Royal Caribbean maintains St. Thomas as a port of call for Oasis, I instructed my team to develop options in the event that a change of course was required.” So, after lengthy negotiations with government officials and the cruise lines, an agreement with Royal Caribbean has been reached. The contracts with the Port Authority needed to be honored, so some of the cruise ships that normally berth at Crown Bay will be shifted to Havensight on the days when Oasis of the Sea calls on Charlotte Amalie Harbor.
Now that Crown Bay will be the temporary docking site for Oasis by the Sea, Gov. deJongh, Jr. acknowledged, “Crown Bay is an interim solution. Quite frankly, it is not the ideal with respect to passenger experience — there will be issues of security screening, transportation, economic impact on passenger spending. However, it ensures that Charlotte Amalie Harbor is able to keep the ship as a port of call.” A BIG challenge with Crown Bay as the docking location for Oasis is how to move the passengers to the center of town where they all love to shop. How about creating a fleet of independent water taxis to finally serve the entire Charlotte Amalie Harbor?
Other comments about removing Lindbergh Bay from the dredge dumping came from:
- Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty is committed to increasing passenger presence in areas such as Market Square and Emancipation Garden, where staging points will be set up; “We’re working on the logistics now and definitely want to encourage shopping there, so that someone can go and get a question answered or just have a cultural experience.”
- Virgin Islands Conservation Society president, Jason Budsan; “I congratulate everyone who helped make this happen. Public pressure counts. The decision is significant because the Virgin Islands is looking at ways to solve problems, balancing the environment and the economy.”
- Senator Wayne James; “It’s a great triumph on our part. I was looking at the bay a couple days ago, and I wondered how anybody could compromise the beauty of this beach.”
- Environmentalist Helen Gjessing; “I’m really pleased that the Port Authority saw the writing on the wall, that this was really not a viable project. There’s no way it could restore the eco-system of Lindbergh Bay. A lot of credit goes to the many people who kept plugging away. I really appreciate that.”
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