In 1967 my parents started a bushwalking club in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.  I grew up being connected to the environment and understanding the benefits to our well-being if we care for nature.  In the 1990s, while studying at university, my interest in ecology became more acute and passionate.  I became an advocate for protecting our environment and minimising our ecological footprint, and this has become the primary motivation in my life. 

My personal goal was to have no power bills, which I achieved 4 years ago by retrofitting our modest 3-bedroom 1967 AV Jennings home, turning it into a 'suburban Earthship'. This has also reduced our family's ecological footprint. Some highlights include: 

• Sustainable renovation 
  We kept the building footprint compact; incorporated passive heating and cooling; reused cabinetry and sinks; and used tiles, decking and blinds that were made of recycled materials.  We discovered beautiful Tasmanian Myrtle flooring under our carpet and polished it up instead of buying new carpet.
• Minimising energy use
  • We have insulated our roof, floor and windows. Installing translucent polycarbonate sheeting on our windows has enabled us to achieve the benefits of double glazing at a fraction of the cost.  
  • Deciduous creepers growing on the northern and western walls provide shade in summer, and let the sun warm the house in winter.  
  • We’ve gone all-electric with solar panels, solar hot water, reverse-cycle air conditioning, heat pump hot water system, and induction cooktop
• Conserving water 
  We collect rainwater from our house and garage roof into two large water tanks, with a gravity-fed irrigation system for our food garden; and grey-water system.
• Reducing waste 
  We avoid waste by buying second-hand or salvaging wherever possible – our garden arches, mulcher, bricks edging our garden beds, and water tank are all second-hand!  We recycle e-waste, plastics, batteries, corks, and compost all food and garden waste on site.
• Transport 
  I ride my bike and trailer to work, run errands and go shopping. We even have car-free family holidays with our tandem bike and lots of people stop to talk to us. We like to show people how you can spend great family time without the car.
• Sustainable gardening 
  We grow our own fruit and vegetables organically to reduce food miles and have replaced most of the lawn with garden beds.  Indigenous plants in our front garden attract native wildlife; and the backyard is a food forest with low maintenance fruit trees.
• Fixing things
  As a trained carpenter, I like to fix and build things myself (often from repurposed or salvaged items) wherever I can. Recently, I extended the life of our fence and saved money by running a metal strip along it to hold all the boards firmly in place. One of our neighbours loved this idea so much that he did the same to his fence too!
• Parenting
  We’ve made a conscious decision to avoid unnecessary consumption often associated with raising kids, learning to live more with less. We breastfed our daughter, used reusable nappies, and sourced preloved toys, clothing, and other baby equipment.  

When I heard about the home energy kit in Whitehorse News I put my name down on the waitlist to borrow it.  I wanted to check if all the upgrades I had done to my home were working and what I could do to improve its efficiency. Most of all I was interested in the thermal imaging camera which shows if my interventions were working, and where there might be draughts and poorly insulated areas. 

I have sealed a door between the kitchen and laundry and installed a draft-stopper over the exhaust fan in the cooking area which showed a draft on the camera.  I have also increased the use of blinds and pelmets on windows. In the future I plan to install more door seals and share with family and friends how this simple device can show easily which areas of your house are well insulated and which could be improved. 

1. Rethink the way you live to minimise your ecological footprint. For example, consider how much fossil fuel you use; or when you’re about to buy something ask yourself, “Do I really need this?”. Instead, get creative by substituting, reusing, repairing and recycling what you already have.  It’s fun and can make a big difference!
2. Reduce the water, energy and land you use.  Australians produce more carbon emissions per person than any other country on the planet. Our risk of fire and flood is increasing because of these emissions. Our rate of plant and animal extinction is among the highest in the world and much of this is caused by land clearing for agriculture.  
   However, some of the solutions are very simple. For example, avoiding food waste and reducing how much meat we consume reduces greenhouse gas emissions. We make a choice for the world we want every time we shop at the supermarket. If we scale up these actions and vote for governments that lead with policy and regulation, we can protect our natural resources, minimise carbon emissions, and avoid global temperature tipping points. Making the change is important to keeping our temperatures down and reducing climate change. There is no time to waste.
3. Reuse.  Op-Shops and online platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree and Ebay make it easy to reuse.  Every time we reuse an item, we harness its embodied energy or the fossil fuels it took to make it.  In contrast, when an item goes to landfill, we not only throw out the garment but also throw out the energy it took to make it. 
4. Repair. It’s fun working out how to repair something when it’s broken.  The other day I had a lemon squeezer which broke at the hinge and I repaired it with a nail from the garage. I love thinking of how to save what I have and extend its useful life. A circular economy where we recycle what we have reduces our environmental footprint and gives our kids and grandkids a more promising future and a healthier planet to share.