hero missions

qpsu climate heroes
supported by acf

See the Bigger Picture

Climate change threatens the human, economic and environmental future of Australia, and we need to lead the world by example, reducing our emissions and encouraging all other nations do to the same, to ensure a safe climate future for the next generation.

Currently, coal-fired electricity is Australia’s largest source of carbon pollution. Changing the way that our electricity is produced – to clean, renewable energy sources – is one of the most important actions that we can take to help avert dangerous climate change.

Australia is the lucky country – with huge renewable energy resources and opportunities to cut energy waste, we’re perfectly positioned to prosper in a clean, low-carbon economy. However, at present, less than 10% of our electricity comes from renewable sources. Queensland, ‘The Sunshine State’, could be a lot ‘smarter’ with its excellent solar resource.

We can also dramatically cut our energy waste by becoming more energy efficient in our homes and workplaces. For many years, studies have repeatedly shown that we can easily reduce our electricity consumption by up to 50% at no net cost by implementing strong energy efficiency measures. The beauty of investing strongly in energy efficiency is that we save not only our greenhouse emissions, but our power bills as well![1]

Don’t forget, if you ever want to contact us about the campaign, or if you have any questions, email us at climate@qpsu.org.au, or call 1800 177 244.

Step 1: Learn More

Included in this kit are two briefing papers to share with your friends, family and colleagues:

1. An update on the crucial Garnaut review and the Green Paper for the national emissions trading scheme, or the ‘Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme’.
2. The union response to the Business Council of Australia’s recent report on emissions trading.

Have you ever wanted to know more about Geothermal Energy? How exactly to Photovoltaic cells make electricity from sunlight? Can wind power provide baseload power?

The Clean Energy Council has the answers – see http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/info/index.php

Step 2: Lobby your MP

In the last kit, we asked Climate Heroes to speak up if they were interested in meeting with your Federal representatives, to help send a message to our representatives in Canberra. We have received a great reponse, and in this kit have included a lobbying kit with everything you need to help you prepare.

If you haven’t already expressed interest and would be prepared to visit your MP email climate@qpsu.org.au and our organizers will get in touch with you, helping you to team up with others in your area to make sure you have strength in numbers. We will help support you and prepare for your meeting.

Step 3: At home: GreenPower

Accredited GreenPower is new renewable generation that reduces both your own and Australia's greenhouse emissions. The more you buy, the more you reduce your greenhouse footprint and the bigger your contribution to combating global warming.

The Green Electricity Watch survey scores GreenPower products based on which products do the most for the environment. See www.greenelectricitywatch.org.au and tell your friends and work colleagues about it!

Green Electricity Watch recommends:

• DO BUY accredited GreenPower with the most stars AND as close to 100% as you can afford.
• DON’T BUY 'green’ electricity products unless they contain accredited GreenPower
• DON’T TAKE ANY NOTICE of the description ‘renewable’ unless it’s accredited

To answer the tough questions on Green Electricity – like what is the difference between ‘Accredited’ GreenPower and other renewable energy – see the Green Electricity Watch FAQ’s page.

Step 4: At work: Stickers!

Past studies have shown that reminder stickers attached to light switches and monitors are effective at reducing energy consumption in private offices, and the energy savings pay for the cost of the stickers in a matter of weeks!

Distribute these fun and colourful stickers around your office and remind your colleagues to join in the energy-saving efforts. You might like to use the text of the email overleaf.

Step 5: Monitors!

Save the ‘Energy-Saver Screen-Saver’ picture that has been attached to your briefing email in your ‘My Pictures’ folder, or another folder of your choice.

Then, right click on the desktop and select Properties > Screen Saver. In the drop-down box select ‘My Pictures Slideshow’ and then click ‘Settings’. Under ‘Use pictures in this folder:’ ensure that the file-path refers to where you originally saved your image.

Step 6: At work: Floor Plan

In a survey done by ‘EcoLearning’ in the UK, only 31% of respondents ever took responsibility for turning lights off at their school or workplaces. Imagine the energy that we would waste at home if we always relied on someone else to turn off! Taking responsibility for our energy practices is as important at work as at home.

Many workers leave the office without turning off the lights because we aren’t quite sure exactly which switch controls which area of the office, and don’t want to disturb your colleagues by flicking on and off to find out. The ‘Lighting Zones’ sheet attached can help.

To help your colleagues be more energy efficient, make a few copies of the sign attached, and spend some time at the end of a work day flicking light switches on and off to figure out which areas are controlled by which switches. Draw a quick map of the workspace and use colours to highlight how the different lighting zones correspond to different light switches.

Then all you have to do is to stick the ‘lighting zone’ maps on the wall next to the switches, let you colleagues know what it’s all about, and watch the energy savings start.

The Climate Heroes team have done it at the QPSU office and it’s already making a difference.

Community Brisbane climate change forum.

If you are in Brisbane, please invite anyone you know to the ‘Make Poverty History’ discussion forum on the human impacts of Climate Change to be held at the University of Queensland St Lucia campus on 9 September.

Contact

Email us at climate@qpsu.org.au, or call 1800 177 244 if you have any questions.

Good luck!