Energy Efficiency in the drivers seat

Energy Efficiency is always the first step when reviewing your energy plan for the next few years. So if you or your business plans to purchase a new vehicle, then it's not just the initial investment, it's about your fuel and running costs. So Ford's ECOnetic Fiesta turbo diesel is certainly one to consider.

According to all the reviews, the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic is more fuel efficient than a Prius, and considerably less in price. Previously, I wasn't a fan of diesels until the development of the particulate filter to reduce emissions - and that's no longer an issue for most modern diesels. Also, the Fiesta ECOnetic claims to produce less than 100gm/km of CO2 emissions, one of the few cars in Australia which meet this standard.

I was taken for a short ride in one of these last week, and the ECOnetic Fiesta is a zippy 5 door manual hatch, with all the now essential USB and Bluetooth mod cons. But the main benefit is the fuel economy, claimed as 3.7L/100km under test conditions, and that will give you a car that goes the distance.

Energy efficiency is not just about turning off your lights and computers. The biggest saving for you and the planet may be in your choice of car. And with fuel prices likely to roller-coaster at any time, the right choice is not just better for the environment, it's also better for your budget and your business.

My pic of Ford Fiesta ECOnetic at Enviro 2010

Savings start at Home

Most Australians, including myself, are fortunate to enjoy a modern lifestyle, accustomed to live well. But that lifestyle has a price, both in dollar terms and in our carbon impact on the planet.

So it's timely that we now have a new book to help us "save energy, save money and reduce our our carbon footprint" and, at the same time, still find ways to live well and enjoy life. That book is The CSIRO Home Energy Savings Handbook, and you can find more about this comprehensive family friendly book here.

So if you want to find out how you, your friends and family can make a difference - which TV to buy, how to cool your house, why recycling aluminium is so important, and whether a diesel car has a lower carbon impact - then find yourself a copy of this highly useful book from your local bookstore or library.

And for those looking for a good idea for Fathers Day next week - instead of that tie or socks for Dad - why not give him a gift that is a real investment and one everyone can share.

Gracious and green funerals

If we are serious about energy efficiency, then no aspect of living is off the agenda. So what about the other end of life – where we need to dispose of our bodies with dignity but also with serious consideration for those who remain.
There is an increase in number of deaths, mainly due to the early baby boomers reaching “that age”, and some places such as Perth, WA, are in the grip of a graveyard shortage. Where do we find the space to bury or place cremated remains of the estimated 56 million people around the planet who die each year? The funeral business is booming, but at what cost?

According to GreenPlanet, 50 million trees are cut down each year in India for funeral pyres, and 1.6 million tons of concrete are buried in the US each year in the construction of vaults. Maybe we could turn some of this around? A town called Halmstat in Sweden proposed a new source of heat for one business and for the surrounding houses. The local crematorium would provide an endless and reliable source of heat from its primary activity of cremating bodies. Would this be acceptable in your community?

In many places we now have ranges of eco-friendly coffins and we control the emissions from cremation, but there is still a long way to go. And as demand grows, there will be new business opportunities in finding energy efficient and planet enhancing ways to manage bodies no longer in use. Consider this when you are bequeathing your material possessions to your loved ones – think of how to manage your final exit in a way that benefits rather than harms their environment.

pic ex Flickr Global Green Expo, Jersey City (biodegradable coffin) by goodrob13

Think Nano

As part of the Ultimo Science Festival in August, Prof. Geoff Smith of UTS gave an easy to understand talk about Functional Future Homes and how to make the average house more energy efficient using nanotechnology. And as these products develop, nanotechnology offers businesses in the building industry significant new niche markets.

We were told about a paint which, if painted on roofs in hot climates, could save up to 50% of the air-conditioning load, new additives that improve the thermal mass of walls, and processes that change the properties of glass and improve insulation. And the bonus for these changes, is to produce environments that have "natural dynamics" - where there there is more natural variation of temperature and light. So that we save energy plus live and work in more pleasant environments. So for businesses in the building industry looking for a new opportunity -it could be -think small, think nano.