Renters make up over a fifth of households in Noosa Shire, according to the 2021 census. And while they may have limited control over the structural changes they can make to electrify their homes, just like homeowners, renters have a significant role to play in reducing carbon emissions and contributing to a more sustainable environment.
In Noosa Shire, one third of all emissions are produced by household electricity and gas (snapshotclimate.com.au). Going solar is not possible for everyone, especially renters. However, most electricity providers do offer green options which means the renter or homeowner can sign up to 100 per cent renewable energy. Shop around for the best retailer.
In addition, we can all do our bit – and save on our bills – by the familiar tricks of switching off lights and appliances when not in use; and as light bulbs blow, replacing them with more efficient and longer-lasting LED bulbs. It’s a renter’s responsibility to replace light bulbs but for bigger items renters have the right to ask for replacements when appliances have reached their end of life – and in doing so could ask landlords to replace items such as broken water systems and air conditioners with more efficient heat-pump models, or replacing cooktops with induction.
Curtains are also your friends. First, closing curtains can stop direct sunlight heating up your home. But also, temporary curtains can be put up to ‘zone’ your home so that you reduce the space you need to cool down over summer.
The second biggest source of greenhouse emissions in Noosa Shire is transport, creating a quarter of all the shire’s emissions. So, if we all reduce the number of fossil-fuelled car trips we take each week this can have an impact on the environment and on our fuel bills.
Active travel is catching on in urban areas across Australia, not only for reducing emissions, but for promoting better physical and mental health. For any short trip, we can all consider walking or cycling and leaving the car at home. For slightly longer trips, many people in Noosa Shire have already taken up electric bikes and scooters. And as we continue to see more e-bikes and e-scooters on our roads and cycle paths, it means the second-hand market for these modes of transport will also grow – creating a cheaper transport option for bargain hunters.
Food waste is a lesser, but still an important, player in the greenhouse gas story contributing about 5% to our shire’s emissions. According to the Noosa Council, up to 38% of our food scraps and organic garden waste goes into landfill. Here it bubbles away creating toxic methane gases. If you are renting a home which generates a lot of garden vegetation waste, you could ask your landlord to approach the council for a Garden Waste Bin.
We can also reduce food scraps by careful meal planning. And rather than putting food scraps into the landfill bin, composting at home can provide rich nutrition for the garden or pot plants. Options include worm farms or Bokashi buckets which can easily be stored on a kitchen bench or cupboard. Community gardens, like the one at Wallace Park, also welcome food scraps for their compost systems. Noosa Council has loads of tips for food waste management on their website and YouTube channel.
Zero Emissions Noosa (ZEN) Inc. is committed to reducing local emissions and we work closely with the Noosa Council on many of our projects. Find out more at zeroemissionsnoosa.com.au
