sustainability.govt.nz News

Minimise your power bills with rightlight.govt.nz

2009-06-12T13:28:02+12:00

New Zealanders - get switched on to efficient lighting practices with the launch of the RightLight campaign.

Rightlight.govt.nz provides tips and tools to enable New Zealanders’ to make informed lighting choices.

“Many households and businesses are paying more than they need to in their power bills because they use inefficient lighting,” said David Caygill, Chair of the Electricity Commission.

The average New Zealand household uses 9,370KWh of electricity each year, approximately 10% of this is used on lighting. Traditional incandescent light bulbs transform only about 5% of the energy they use into light. The other 95% of electricity it uses is turned into heat and lost to the atmosphere. The savings that can be made on efficient light bulbs can be up to $100 over the life of a light bulb.

Rightlight.govt.nz provides information on how to easily reduce lighting costs by using energy efficient bulbs and has tips on how to choose the right type of bulb for each of the different needs of the house or business.

There is a whole new generation of technology behind the increasing range of efficient light bulbs now available that will accommodate the various lighting needs of home and business:

• CFLs are good for high use areas, make good energy savings and now come in dimmable forms

• the new halogen bulbs can also be used on dimmers, are good for areas where lights are on for short periods of
time and some models look just like standard bulbs

• fluorescent tubes come in a range of shapes and sizes and are perfect for work areas, bathrooms and over mirrors.

RightLight is an industry wide initiative developed by the Energy Commission with the support of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), Consumer New Zealand, New Zealand Green Building Council, Lighting Council NZ (LCNZ) and the Electrical Contractors Association of New Zealand (ECANZ).

To find out more information on how to reduce household power bills through efficient lighting options check out the RightLight website.

Look out for the Tread Lightly Caravan in Auckland

2009-06-09T16:55:29+12:00

Auckland school children are in for a real treat - the Tread Lightly Caravan will be visiting schools in their area soon. The caravan will also be visiting community events, such as Round the Bays, Pacifica and Coca-Cola in the Park, during the weekends.

The Tread Lightly Caravan is a purpose-built mobile classroom. It is designed to give school children aged eight to 12 years old an exciting opportunity to find out about the impact that everyday choices can have on the natural environment. The Tread Lightly Caravan is an Urban Ecoliving Trust project funded by the Ministry for the Environment, Auckland City Council and Perry Foundation.

Some of the fun exhibits inside the caravan include seeing the results of a questionnaire about consumption of water, electricity and other resources displayed as an environmental ‘footprint’ lit up on the floor of the caravan. Another exhibit involves playing a race car driver. Children select their vehicle and fuel type and have to get to the end of a maze with the least carbon emissions.

For further information contact Gael Ogilvie, Urban Ecoliving Trust on mobile 029 355 1330

Insulation and clean heating grants for Kiwi homes

2009-06-02T13:51:00+12:00

From 1 July 2009 the government is offering grants towards the cost of installing ceiling and under floor insulation and clean heating.

This fund is available to New Zealanders on any income.

Up to $1,300 will be available for insulation in homes built before 2000 and up to $500 for clean heating devices like approved log burners, pellet burners, heat pumps, or flued gas heaters.
Community Service Card holders will be eligible for higher levels of funding, 60 percent of the cost of insulation and $1,200 towards clean heating.
For houses occupied by tenants with Community Service Cards, landlords will be entitled to 60 per cent of the cost of insulation and a $500 grant for clean heating.

The programme will be delivered through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) as part of its EnergyWise programme. For more information visit www.eeca.govt.nz. Further details will be announced at the official launch of the scheme expected in a few weeks.

Watch The Outlook for Someday this Saturday 30 May, 10am on TV 2

2009-05-26T14:15:05+12:00

Excerpts from the winning films for The Outlook for Someday competition will be presented as part of an I AM TV special this Saturday 30 May at 10am. The Outlook for Someday is a film challenge for young New Zealanders aged 6 to 20. This year’s event asked the question: “What does sustainability mean for the world and for you? What does it mean for your community or neighbourhood? What do you want to say about it?” 70 films were submitted in this year’s competition, and there were 20 winners, selected by judges who work in television, education and youth development. Excerpts from these winning 20 films will be screened this weekend. The films range from a comedy about bike pooling to an animation about the impact of cities on our mental health; from documentaries about growing your own food, the effects of plastic bags and the power of street protest to a mockumentary about the environmental effects of farming in Ashburton. If you miss this weekend’s screening you can also view the films:

on The Outlook for Someday website
at TVNZ Ondemand
as podcasts on iTunes

The easy way to carpool in Wellington

2009-05-21T16:08:15+12:00

A new and easy way to carpool in the greater Wellington region!

‘Let’s Carpool’ is a website that does all the hard work of searching for potential carpooling partners for you.
Fran Wilde, Chair of Greater Wellington, said Let’s Carpool was a fantastic alternative for solo drivers whose commute to and from work could not be done easily by public transport. “Sharing the journey can save you a substantial amount of money, lightens your carbon footprint and enables you to get to know people who live and work near you.

Ping Sim, programme coordinator and Greater Wellington’s sustainable transport planner, says carpooling has never been easier in Wellington. “If you’ve ever thought about giving carpooling a go, now is the time. All you have to do is register, enter a few details about where you’d like to start and end your carpooling trip, and all the searching will be done for you. You’ll then receive emails that will put you in touch with people who live and work near you.”

Car poolers can choose:

• if they want to travel with smokers or non-smokers;
• to travel only with people from their workplace;
• to travel only with people of the same gender; and
• if they want to drive or be driven.

As well as the website, Let’s Carpool encourages workplaces to offer special incentives, such as priority and free carparking, to staff who choose to carpool and to host social events such as morning or afternoon tea where potential carpoolers can get to meet each other.

For more information about Let’s Carpool take a look at the website: http://www.letscarpool.govt.nz/.

Eco Design Advisors provide free advice to help keep you warm this winter

2009-05-19T17:21:45+12:00

As the weather cools down we’re all starting to think about how to keep warm. This is just one of the areas where an Eco Design Adviser could help you.

Eco Design Advisers provide free energy, water and material related advice on home building projects, to ensure better use is made of resources. This service is available to households in Auckland, Waitakere, Hamilton, Tauranga/Western Bay of Plenty, the Kapiti Coast, Wellington, Nelson, Wanaka and Queenstown.

Ian Mayes, the Hamilton City Council’s Eco Design Advisor says insulation, draught proofing and ventilation are critical things to consider if you want to keep your home warm. It doesn’t have to be expensive either “even measures as simple as Granny-style draft-stopping fabric ‘sausages’ can help keep a home warm” he says.

To find out more about the Eco Design Adviser service check out the website (http://www.ecodesignadvisor.org.nz/). This website also links to EECA’s Suppliers and Partners Directory (http://www.eeca.govt.nz/find-an-expert/Directory/SearchDirectory.aspx) to help you on your way to getting a warmer home this winter.

The Golden Foot Awards - New Zealand’s National Walking Awards

2009-05-15T11:05:58+12:00

Nominate a business or not-for-profit organisation for the Golden Foot Awards! These new industry awards celebrate and recognise New Zealand achievements for walkers. By raising the profile of walking friendly infrastructure and promotions, it is hoped that future projects will give more consideration to walking friendly designs.

The Awards are run by Living Streets Aotearoa which is New Zealand’s national walking and pedestrian organisation. Living Streets works to develop walking-friendly communities throughout New Zealand, and to promote the social, environmental, health and economic benefits of walking as a means of transport and recreation.

The awards will showcase walking innovations and facilitate the sharing of new ideas across the country. The categories for the Golden Foot Awards are:

The New Zealand Best Practice walking Facility
Top commitment to walking by a New Zealand organisation
Consultancy Award for walking excellence in New Zealand
New Zealand Accessibility Innovation Award
Best New Zealand Walking Promotion
Best New Zealand Small Walking Project

Nominations close on 19th June and all nominators will go into a prize draw to receive a free pass to the 2010 Walking Conference.

For information and entry forms visit www.livingstreets.org.nz

Millions participate in Earth Hour 2009

2009-04-21T15:54:23+12:00

On March 28 2009 hundreds of millions of people in over 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries “voted Earth” by turning out their lights for Earth Hour.

To check out the photos and videos of this event and share your own Earth Hour experiences with the worldwide community visit the Earth Hour website.

A new guide to help make your eco-decisions easier

2009-04-20T09:58:20+12:00

Navigating your way through the competing claims of companies to be environmentally friendly can be difficult. To help with this dilemma and to promote the use of sustainable products and services, Eco-Bob and the Sustainable Business Network have teamed up to create the Greenlist.

Built with the support of NZI and EECA, the Greenlist is a website which allows consumers to compare products across a range of different sustainability criteria, while also allowing companies to promote their environmentally friendly products. Some products can also have a ‘certified’ label, which means that product has an independent, third party endorsement which adds another level of confidence.

Users of the Greenlist have the opportunity to share their thoughts about products or services by commenting on the listed products. This allows for the robust evaluation of environmental claims as they can be endorsed, refuted, questioned, or discussed by users of the product. The result of this is to make more information available to the consumer, enabling you to make smart choices. So the more you use the Greenlist, the better it will be!

If you’re an eco-conscious consumer, then it’s also good to keep in mind the Ministry for Economic Development’s Ecolabel directory. This handy resource allows people to check the environmental labels on the products they buy and learn more about them.

Thanks to the Greenlist and Ecolabel directory, you can now be a fully empowered eco-consumer!

The 2009 Youth Environment Forum

2009-04-08T11:39:29+12:00

The 2009 Youth Environment Forum will take place between Sunday 19 April and Thursday 23 April.

Approximately fourty five 15 to 18 year-olds from around the country will be in Wellington for the week to share and discuss issues of environment and sustainability with the aim of inspiring action in their own communities. Delegates are hosted for four days of field trips, workshops and activities culminating with a presentation of their projects to invited guests at Parliament Building’s Grand Hall.

The forum is hosted by the Ministry for the Environment, in partnership with the Sir Peter Blake Trust. The week is hands on, youth driven and are designed to inspire and build the capability of young environmental leaders. On returning to their regions delegates are encouraged to continue with their environmental work and help lead other youth in environmental stewardship.

Delegates are nominated by regional councils for their outstanding interest in the environment. If you are interested in attending future Forums please contact the Environmental Educator at your local regional council. Contact details can be found at: http://www.mfe.govt.nz/withyou/youth/index.html