About Me
With a couple of decades in energy & resources, you'd think I'd be further down the path of considering my climate change impact.
I'm working out all the tips and tricks you need to live more lightly on the planet, even in an urban setting. ​
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Follow this little family on our personal journey to net zero by 2030. Roll with me as I learn more about decarbonisation and the changes I need to make to be slightly more sustainable, so you can be too.
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I don't know how tricky this goal will be - and we have limitations. For the next ten years we won't be moving from our urban setting, so no rural life growing all our own food and livestock. My work may require me to drive or travel more than is ideal. Giving up beef burgers, cutting down on coffee and chocolate (wine?!), sustainable fashion choices are just some of the issues we will tackle on this journey.
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Work full-time? Got kids? Just looking for the easy how-to guide? Sign up and jump on in to being part of a global community!
But why take action?
Our world has already changed and continues to. As the devastating effects of a shift in our climate cause bushfires, drought and extreme weather events, they will play out in a whole range of consequences for our children - impacting food supply, our earth's natural beauty and standards of living.
One of the ways we (as in the global 'we') are committing to trying to prevent the most devastating consequences is the limit global warming to 'well below 2 degrees' sometimes also called the 1.5 degree target. Here's a litle more about what that is -
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The Paris Agreement is an international agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that was adopted in 2015. Its aim is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
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To achieve this goal, the Paris Agreement sets out a framework for countries to make voluntary pledges to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to regularly report on their progress towards meeting these goals.
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Australia is one of the signatories to the Paris Agreement, and it has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below 2005 levels by 2030. However, according to a recent report by the Climate Council, Australia is not currently on track to meet its Paris Agreement targets.
In fact, the report found that Australia's greenhouse gas emissions have been increasing in recent years, largely due to the continued burning of fossil fuels.
So what can individuals do to help Australia meet its Paris Agreement targets and create a better climate future for the country? There are a few key actions you can take:
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Reduce your carbon footprint: This can be done in a number of ways, such as by driving less, using public transport, eating a more plant-based diet, and using renewable energy sources. Much of this is the subject of our blog as we make these changes as a family.
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Advocate for climate action: Speak up about the importance of taking action on climate change and encourage others to do the same. We often have more opportunity to influence decisions on energy use, energy sources, waste management, purchasing decisions at work, schools and community groups, then we think.
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Support clean energy: Consider investing in clean energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines. You can also support clean energy companies by choosing to do business with them whenever possible.
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Reduce waste: Reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible. This can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with landfill waste. It also reduces the copious environmental damage from pollution, microplastics and loss of biodiversity which further impact nature and the natural carbon sinks we need to offset greenhouse gas emissions.
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By collective action, we can help to reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a better climate future for our communities and our families.