Wollondilly Shire Council

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• Adopt a Vegetarian Diet

  Join the mung bean nation! Prevent the sizzling death of a thousand innocent animals, improve your health, and hit the jackpot in terms of reducing your ecological impact.
  
  On a per capita basis, Australia is one of the largest meat consumers in the world; we consume approximately 118kg of meat per annum per capita (1998 ABS). Meat products contribute almost half of our entire ecological footprint (or impact on the environment).
  
  There are three compelling reasons to stop eating meat:
  
  1. To he…

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• Buy Fair-trade Food and Products

  To stop the degradation of the global environment we have to deal with the failings of global trade, namely its tendency to increase poverty and its exploitation of the weak. Buying products labelled 'Fairtrade' is a good start.
  
  The Fairtrade collection of organisations has developed a Fairtrade Certification Mark. When you find a product that bears this mark, you know that it has been procured through a process that has helped deliver better trading conditions to marginalised produce…

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• Use Non-toxic Cleaners

  Common cleaning products, disinfectants and air fresheners are creating a toxic environment at home. Try natural alternatives for a healthier home and family.
  
  Toxic chemicals in the home impact our health, causing ailments that range from respiratory ailments to cancer. A US EPA study on indoor air quality found that the use of common cleaning products result in levels of several Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that are on average two to five times higher indoors than outdoors. During (and fo…

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• Buy Secondhand Goods

  By purchasing second-hand goods from an opportunity shop, you are supporting a charity, getting a bargain and reducing the resources required to satisfy your consumption needs.
  
  From eBay to the trading post, garage sales to the local op shop, there are a host of ways to grab a second-hand bargain. The common adage that a new car loses 20 per cent of its value when you drive it off the lot applies even more so to most other goods. By getting into second-hand gear you'll save thousands of do…

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• Environmentally Friendly Mindset

  Become aware of the environmental implications of your consumption and purchase those goods that have the least impact on our future.
  
  Understanding the resources embedded in the products we buy and using this knowledge to guide our purchasing decisions is difficult. Advertising is a powerful influence on our purchasing decisions and there is often little information available about the energy, water and other environmental inputs required to produce the things we buy. If we are able to overcome…

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• Avoid Excessive Packaging

  Give priority to purchasing unpackaged products and save the earth's precious resources.
  
  The average Australian consumes 90 kilograms of resources in packaging each year. This is almost double the amount of many European nations. Along with this consumption comes the generation of huge amounts of waste - so it's not surprising that Australia is one of the worst waste generators in the developed world. Reducing the amount of packaging we purchase can help to significantly reduce our us…

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• Choose Green Service Providers

  Wading through the ‘green wash’ to find service providers whose pro-environmental behaviour goes deeper than their marketing department can be a challenge.
  
  As services consume a greater portion of our dollars we want to identify and engage businesses that are making efforts to operate sustainably.
  
  How to do it now!
  The following criteria can be useful in informing your decisions, as to the merit or otherwise of a business with regard to their sustainability performance.
  
  They are an efficient…

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• Invest Ethically

  Your investments may fund activities that are not sustainable and may be contrary to your ethics. Money talks, what is yours saying?
  
  Investing ethically considers your investment's impact on society and the environment as well as its profitability. A study by AMP (June 2006) found that the median ethical investment manager has outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index over one, two, three and five years to 31 March 2006 (Ethical Investment Association Australasia). So, you can now make money…

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• Help Protect Our Waterways

  Our water practices over the past 200 years have brought many of our waterways to their knees. Help restore our rivers, lakes and estuaries.
  
  Over the last 200 years, our land clearing, unsustainable water usage and certain farming, industrial and business practices have contributed to the degradation of the health of our waterways. Signs of this decline include the loss of biodiversity; toxic algal blooms; declining water quality; increased salinity and sedimentation. This affects the health of…

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• Promote Sustainable Living

  Help spread the word about actions we can all take to reduce our impact on the environment.
  
  It is easy to feel that you're the only one trying to live sustainably, but as you talk to more people, you’ll find that many of us are on the same path. We are all teachers and we are all learners, so share what you know with others and you might just be rewarded by discovering something new yourself!
  
  The more we promote sustainable living, the easier it will be to build sustainable communities.…

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• Join a Revegetation Group

  Community groups are planting seedlings and revegetating our lost native bushes and grasslands. Why not join a group and do your bit for the environment?
  
  The Australian landscape has dramatically suffered from the arrival of European farming and our clear-fell domination of the native environment. This decline continues, even though we know it leads to salinity, soil acidification and erosion. It's time to heal what previous generations have harmed. Now it is our responsibility to start fi…

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• Help Protect Our Coast

  Keeping our fragile coastal ecosystems healthy and vibrant preserves the unique natural beauty of Australia.
  
  Since the 1970’s, many coastal regions of this country have been regenerated from bare rock walls and flat sand to the diverse sand dunes and functioning ecosystems of today. Healthy meadows of sea grass reach out from the coast supporting further vibrant ecosystems under the water.
  
  These natural assets and features of our local environment make Australian coastal areas a great place to…

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• Support Local Indigenous Culture

  Understanding, appreciation and respect for indigenous Australians and their cultural beliefs and values is a critical part of moving forward as a society.
  
  For thousands of years the continent was managed and conserved by indigenous Australians and through understanding indigenous culture we can come to appreciate and gain a spiritual connection to the land.
  
  Indigenous communities across Australia had extensive ecological knowledge which enabled them to survive and thrive in a harsh dry contin…

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• Join a Bushcare / Landcare Group

  Community groups are helping to rehabilitate weed choked native vegetation, enabling it to regenerate and thus, restoring native biodiversity. Find your local group and lend a hand.
  
  Years of neglect have stripped our urban creeks, parks and roadways of vibrant indigenous vegetation. It's time for us to remedy this erosion of our natural heritage. We can bring a diverse range of birds and creatures into our daily lives and would be creating a sustainable living space in step with Australian…

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• Recreation

  Recreation is how we relax, reward and inspire ourselves. Careful choices about travel, luxury holidays
  and recreational toys can ensure we play sustainably too. With a bit of extra thought,
  we can make sure our recreational choices don't cost the earth!
  
  Eco Aid and Travel
  Travel and work with local communities to protect endangered species, enhance the local environment and support the social and economic wellbeing of the communities we visit.
  
   
  
  Immerse Yourself in Nature
  Go hiking, b…

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