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As much as we want to deny it,
Christmas is nearly upon us. Check out some tips below
to help get you through the silly season. There is
also an update on the latest Emissions Trading Scheme being
proposed by the Government.
Christmas
trees - real or fake?
Fake trees can look just as good as
real trees. The real benefit is made when you use the
same tree for many years, not just one or two. So
don't feel guilty about going fake. You are actually
reducing the number of trees that need to be cut down.
Real trees look great and the kids
love them. Think you are being green by getting a real
tree? It depends on how you dispose of it. Don't
just take it to the landfill. Make sure it is
composted. Some companies that deliver real trees
offer to recycle them for you.
Going away on
holiday?
This is a great time of year to get
away to those camping spots with the kids. A little
planning can make your trip away a little greener and softer
on the pocket.
Make sure your car has been serviced
recently. Check the oil and water levels, and check
your tire pressure. Incorrect tire pressure can add
many dollars to your fuel bill. Try not to pack too
much into your car. The more weight it has to pull,
the more fuel it will use. When you eventually take
off, take it easy on the roads. Don't drive over the
speed limit, avoid excessive accelerating and breaking, and
wind the window down instead of running the air conditioning
the whole way. And make sure you take plenty of rest
breaks.
If you are away for more that a
couple of days, think about what you can turn off at home.
Make sure all appliances such as TV's and game stations are
turned off at the wall. Turn off the heated towel
rail. If you are away for an extended period of time,
turn off your hot water cylinder - no point keeping the
water hot if you are not going to use it. Turn off any
additional fridges you don't need to keep on, and consider
putting bottles of tap water into your fridge/freezer to
help regulate the temperature if there is not much in it.
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Emissions Trading Scheme
A report out on the Government's
proposed Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) has the
householder/taxpayer carrying 84% of the burden of our
obligations under the Kyoto protocol, subsidising the large
emitters such as farming which accounts for two thirds of
the countries emissions. Our initial bill will not be
due for a few years due to credits received for forests
planted since 1990. However this bill will become
significantly bigger as agriculture emissions continue to
grow, and when we are due to pay for the trees in the 2020's
and the carbon in them is deemed to be released into the
atmosphere.
The Government is trying to protect
the competitiveness of big business and agriculture by not
bringing them into the ETS until 2015. At this point
it is hoped that credits under local ETS's will be applied
around the world to put all business on a level playing
field.
The proposed ETS can be seen as not
doing enough to encourage all sectors of the community to
reduce their carbon and other harmful emissions. It is
also using the credits belonging to future generations to
reduce our current obligations in the first commitment
period (2008 - 2012).
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