Sustainable Living in New Zealand. A better way to shop, travel, garden and take action for the environment

Sustainable Living Information Links

Click the topic headings below to jump direct to six grouped sets of NZ and international links, on this page:
Energy efficiency, also reducing carbon emissions by lifestyle choices & new technology
House construction, lower-impact eco-buildings and house renovation
Reduce waste, needing less stuff, re-using and re-cycling
Backyard Nature, Gardening & Water, the sustainable approach to NZ gardening
Shopping for the planet and travel options (maybe get yourself fitter, too)
Sustainable business and local government - a wider picture than home, on similar principles.

This page was updated for the release of Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth (which shows graphically why it's worth making lifestyle changes to reduce your carbon-burning) and again for launch of The 11th Hour movie on similar themes. In December 07 we welcomed arrival of the NZ Government 'portal' on sustainability, assisting access to information from several official sources and encouraging you to take the next step for sustainability in your lifestyle.

Energy efficiency, reducing your carbon emissions and wider lifestyle changes
New Zealand Links below here	International Links below here
carboNZero emissions calculator (Landcare Research)	Carbon footprint calculator (Safe Climate - USA) Sustainability performance calc. (Columbia , USA)
Residential carbon emissions calculator (NIWA) Carbon calculator sheet (BRANZ) as a pdf file.	Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and Living Planet Report (WWF)
Action to reduce home carbon emissions (NZ Climate Change Office) also: Climate Change in NZ (MfE) Play it Cool (kids game, site uses Flash) Sustainable Action (Env. Manawatu) Only Planet Guide (Greenpeace)	Climate change news (Climate Ark - USA) Stop Climate Chaos (UK) Climate analysis indicators (World Resources Institute - USA) Climate Change short films (BBC-UK)
Household Energy Efficiency (EECA - Energywise)	Australian Greenhouse Office
Energy saving on appliances (Contact Energy) Home energy savings calculator (Meridian Energy) Energy Star appliances	Climate Change Solutions (Pembina, Canada) Greenhouse Gas News Global warming quiz (USA)
Household Energy End-use Project (BRANZ research results)	How green is your lifestyle? 2 minute questionnaire (Green Choices - UK) Climate Challenge Game (UK. Site requires Flash and Broadband speed)
Cleaner air and warmer homes (Environment Canterbury)	Global Action Plan (Action at home, work and school - UK)
NZ Climate Defence Network and Sustainable Energy Forum NZ (two lobby groups)	Energy Bulletin-Peak Oil Primer (USA) Peak Oil (international)
NZ Solar water heating and Consumer Institute & EECA on solar hot water	International Solar Energy Society
NZ Photo-voltaics (Sunshine into electricity) Ecobulbs (CFLs promoted regionally across NZ)	Compact Fluorescent Lighting as an energy saver (Aus)

Construction Methods and Materials
New Zealand Links	International Links
Easy Guide to Eco-Building (BRANZ booklet)	Green Home (Seattle)
The NOW home (Beacon Pathways) and What is Sustainable Living? (Beacon)	Natural Life at Home (USA)
Reducing waste on building sites (REBRI)	Centre for Alternative Technology (UK)
Sustainable Home Guidelines (Waitakere City Council)	Home furnishing & materials (UK, FoE site)
EcoBob - readers' construction experiences and NZ home examples that make eco-living easy	Construction Resources (UK)
new building website from Dept Building and Housing & Consumer Insititute

Reducing waste, buying less, re-use and re-cycling
New Zealand Links	International Links
Zero Waste NZ Trust (includes NZ Buy Recycled directory)	The Simple Living Network (USA) Simplicity Forum web resources (USA) Voluntary Simplicity (Wikipedia entry)
Impact E-magazine for savvy NZ consumers. Environmental Choice product labelling to trust	BBC TV2 recent series No Waste Like Home (UK) has similarities to WA$TED on TV3 in 2007 and new series due 2008
Christchurch City Council (pdf booklets on compost, worm farms and EM bokashi, and other Christchurch recycling info	Ecocycle (USA) Site uses Flash. Girl's Room - for teenagers (Aus) Site uses Flash. RecycleZone (UK) kids activity site
Reduce Rubbish - Government site made in 2003, includes NZ local Council links	Downshifting (Aus, USA, UK) USA shopping advice
Packaging Accord 2004 & annual progress reports (Ministry for the Environment)	EPA waste education pages (USA)
Additional NZ information in Lisa Harrow's 'What can I do?' guide at SustainableFuture site

Backyard Nature, Organic Gardening &Water Efficiency
New Zealand Links	International Links
Organic NZ (Soil and Health Assoc)	World Wildlife Fund
Permaculture NZ	Water use at home calculator (USA, volumes in gallons)
Pest plants invading bush and waterways (Dept of Conservation) See also Weedbusters	Water saving at home Site uses Flash. (USA) Save water (Aus)
Gardens and wildlife (Forest & Bird Protection Society)	Sustainable Gardening Australia
Restoring native plants (NZ Ecological Restoration Network) includes 'Plantfinder'	The Permaculture Research Institute (Aus)
Natural heritage and weed plant control in Auckland Region: the Big Clean Up and in Greater Wellington: Be the Difference	Henry Doubleday Research Association (Ryton, UK)
Waterwise challenge (for kids, Greater Wellington) Water efficiency (Tauranga Waterline) eco-wai water-wise (Waitakere)	Vegetarian Resources Group (USA)
Chinese Conservation Education Trust	Soil Association (UK)

Planet-friendly Shopping & Travel options -
New Zealand Links	International Links
NZ Consumer Institute (only limited info here for non-members, magazine is held at libraries)	Responsible Buying and Consumption (Reading list from Sustainable Communities Network - USA)
Environmental Choice NZ (accredited product labelling) and Green Tick Vegetarian food is kinder to the planet than meat	Center for a New American Dream (USA) Busy Person's Guide to Greener Living (USA)
Push Play & Activator - get more exercise!	Food additives (Sue Dengate's site, Aus)
LiveSmart - stack the health odds in your favour	Car fuel consumption comparisons (Aus)
Living Economies, timebanks, Local 'green dollar' Exchange and Trading/Bartering	Travelling smarter (Aus)
Cycling Advocates Network NZ City & town everyday cycling in NZ EcoTransport Week NZ (in November)	Walking school bus (USA)
GreenFleet (for business car fleets - from Sustainable Business Network)	Car sharing experiences (USA) Car clubs (UK)
Living Streets - Walking issues Walking School Bus (Christchurch)	Auto-makers and car emissions (USA)
If not cycling or walking, you might need city public transport timetables: Auckland: www.maxx.co.nz Hamilton: www.gobus.co.nz Palmerston North: www.horizons.govt.nz Wellington: www.metlink.org.nz Nelson: nelsoncoaches.co.nz Christchurch : www.metroinfo.org.nz Dunedin: buses.orc.govt.nz Public transport to and within other centres: use a travel planning link, select city (Dunedin shown in the example here), then go to their 'Planning a trip' page or maps. More maps and route info available at Wises.
NZ Business and sustainability
NZ Sustainable Business Network (SBN) offers practical tips on becoming more sustainable at work, plus the Sustainable Business Challenge and GreenFleet Small business energy efficiency (EECA) Ministry for the Environment - advice for businesses	Aus and NZ local government initiatives (ICLEI) CCP Action Plans by Councils include promoting the Sustainable Living courses.

For links to other parts of this Sustainable Living resources website,
see the titles below or scroll up to reach green buttons at the top left.
For the issues quiz, or to register for free E-newsletter, visit Sustainable Living main site.