Sustainability news

- www.thegreenpages.com.au

Green overtakes polluters when it comes to employment

Green economic activities are overtaking polluting industries in terms of employment, says a new WWF study.
“Low carbon jobs for Europe” shows that at least 3.4 million European jobs are directly related to renewable energy, sustainable transport and energy efficient goods and services. This compares with 2.8 million jobs in polluting industries, such as mining, electricity, gas, cement, and iron and steel. It is predicted that the low-carbon economy will continue to expand in the future, whereas employment in extractive and climate polluting industries will continue to decline.

Last year, green technology received a definitive boost in investment compared to their polluting counterparts. Employment seems to be reflecting this trend.

“The study clearly points at the winners and provides evidence that climate-friendly policies and technologies make a positive contribution to the economy,” says Jason Anderson, Head of European Climate and Energy Policy at WWF. “The clean economy is about to take off. If politicians continue to support industries that contribute to climate pollution, Europe will face high costs in the future, both for the economy and the environment.”

Leading European countries are Germany, Spain and Denmark for wind power, Germany and Spain for solar power. Other countries see developments in similar activities, with high potentials for improvement.
Meanwhile, Australia is also hoping to reap the benefits of the rising green economy. A new report from The Clean Energy Council shows that the clean energy and energy efficiency industries will create 28,000 new green jobs nationwide by 2020. CEC Chief Executive, Matthew Warren, said the report demonstrates that renewable energy jobs are the key to Australia’s defence against ongoing global recession and the front line response to climate change. “This is a tremendous opportunity for employers, investors, education providers and jobseekers to reap the benefits of a green jobs revolution,” says Warren.

Time, money and ignorance stopping Australians from greening their home.

In a recent environmental study commissioned by AAMI in conjuction with Greenfleet, researchers have found that the biggest barriers preventing Australians from greening their homes are time, money and ignorance. However the idea that going green can save you money seems to be sinking-in regardless of peoples’ concern about the recession.

“While uncertainty about household finances has clearly impacted some people’s enthusiasm for being environmentally friendly, our research shows that most Australians are taking significant action to reduce their environmental impact, “ says AAMI Corporate Affairs Manager Mike Sopinski.

The research suggests that reducing water and energy consumption seem to be highest on peoples’ priorities, which suggests a correlation between state and federal government campaigns and attitudes and behaviours.
Campaigns encouraging less water consumption in the current drought has clearly had an impact, with three-quarters of Australians (75%) limiting their water consumption, either by choice or force through water restrictions. 65% of householders have installed water-saving showerheads, 24% have installed a rainwater tank, 11% have installed a grey water system and 31% only use grey water on their garden.

In terms of reducing emissions by limiting electricity use, Australians are exercising moderation rather than imposing outright bans on consumption, and those using less energy are saving money.
Three in five Australians use energy efficient appliances (61%) and just over half (55%) say their home has ceiling insulation. This is predicted to increase as people take advantage of government rebates on ceiling insulation this year.

Quick Figures:

37%    of householders will only reduce their environmental impact if it doesn’t cost anything;
12%    will only do so if it doesn’t take too much time;
18%    would like to reduce their environmental impact, but don’t know how;
28%    will go to ‘any length’ to reduce their environmental impact; and
5%    are not at all concerned about their impact on the environment.

Fast Food outlets finally begin to get their recycling freak-on, but there’s still a long way to go.

It may come as a suprise to some that most fast food outlets, and small to medium businesses do not recycle. While Australians are among the most vigilant recyclers at home, when it comes to adopting recycling in offices, shops and retaurants there is a lot of work to do.

In a new initaitive, fast food restaurant Oporto has partnered with Visy and Coca-Cola Amatil to install recycling bins at selected stores throughout Sydney. If the trial is successful the initiative will be rolled-out state-wide and potentially save 7 tonnes of bottles and cans being diverted to landfill each month.

This project has been welcomed by Founder and Chairman of Do Something, Jon Dee who said that “in Australia we do not have enough recycling bins in public places. As a result, many people are unable to recycle their bottles and cans while they’re out and about. Because of this, far too many cans and bottles are ending up in landfill. That’s why this move to install recycling bins in places like Oporto is so welcome”.
But like in the eighties, where the application of public pressure resulted in McDonald’s discontinued use of polystyrene boxes for their burgers, it is likely to take a mass public campaign combined with strong incentives and business leadership to get the fast food industry recycling at full capacity.

According to an academic study conducted in 2007 by the Lappeenranta University of Technology in Finland, waste generated by the packaging of fast food is 93% recoverable, in other words only 7% need go to landfill. The reality is that industry-wide only 29% is actually recovered with 71% of mostly recyclable packaging waste from the fast food industy going to landfill.

The research from this study indicated that it is possible to reach the achievable recovery potential in the exisiting solid waste infrastructure through new waste management practices, which are designed and operated according to waste producers’ needs and demands. A consistent government approach is believed by the study to greatly assist in achieving lower waste, as in Taiwan.

In Taiwan, legislation was passed in 2004 that required its 600 fast-food restaurants, including McDonalds, Burger King (Hungry Jacks), and KFC, to maintain facilities for proper disposal of recyclables by customers. Diners are obliged to deposit their garbage in four separate containers for leftover food, recyclable paper, regular waste and liquids. Restaurants that don’t comply face fines up to USD$8,700.