The Courier-Mail
By: Graham Readfearn
From bicycle trips to installing solar panels, a Courier-Mail campaign to show Queenslanders simple ways to combat climate change has saved 75 tonnes of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.
Our six-month One Degree Challenge campaign handed $2000 each to four households and one small business to help them to find ways to reduce their carbon footprints.
State Climate Change Minister Kate Jones yesterday commended The Courier-Mail and the five challengers for showing leadership on climate change.
"They've perfectly demonstrated that we all have a role to play and that individual efforts can combine to generate massive savings on emissions and, ultimately, the planet,'' she said.
"These savings for the environment and the hip pocket are what can happen by employing just a few simple changes to how we live and run our household.''
Mother-of-two Nicolle O'Connor, 35, said the campaign had prompted fundamental change in her Enoggera household: "We have really seen a difference in our mindset in terms of what we do every day. It's been a really big change for us as a family.''
She said their footprint, which fell from 34 tonnes to 20 tonnes, would be cut even more dramatically because a solar hot water heater and solar system were now on order.
"We'll be one of the first houses in our area to have solar panels,'' she said.
Thanks to campaign partner Origin, each household was subjected to a detailed audit of energy use with advice about steps they could take to reduce that amount.
Heather McCarthy, 34, joined the challenge with husband Chris, 37, and children Caitlin, 6, Jackson, 3, and Emma, 2, soon after moving in to their new Chapel Hill home.
"It's important for us to have the least impact on the environment that we can so that we can pass on something to our children that's not just a mess to clean up,'' she said.
Frances Wright, 29, of Bowen Hills, said the campaign forced her to change habits at home - starting by simply turning off stand-by power on televisions.
"I now factor in the impact of what I'm doing in to my daily decisions,'' she said.
The biggest impact on her 1910 Queenslander home was a decision to get roof insulation.
She said it had reduced her cooling and heating bills as well as created a more pleasant climate in the house.
Retired couple Laurie and Helene Moorhouse, of Bellbowrie in Brisbane's west, already had a footprint below the Queensland average of 13 tonnes when they joined more than 100 hopeful campaign applicants in late 2008. But, with changes to lighting, refrigeration and turning off stand-by power, they have further trimmed their footprint to a miserly 8.74 tonnes.
"The challenge certainly increased our awareness of what's happening in the world and what we can do about it,'' said Mr Moorhouse, 71.
Wife Helene, 67, added: "Of course it was easier for us because we had the grant from The Courier-Mail - but this illustrates what significant changes you can make with just $2000. I wanted to prove that you don't have to spend a lot of money to make a difference. At the start it was just ideas - now it's something that we've achieved.''
The campaign also followed the fortunes of the Mermaid Beach Motel, a Gold Coast business that is now looking to attract travellers wanting a more environmentally conscious break. Co-owner Anne Ross said many of the changes were good because they lowered costs as well as emissions.