AUSTRALIA: Australian man proves it's easy being green in completely sustainable house

In Australia, which emits the most greenhouse gas emissions in the world per capita, a reality TV show depicts two families struggling in their attempt to live in sustainable houses. A man in Sydney, however, proves that it is not difficult to live normally while remaining green-friendly. To many Australians, it may seem a challenging task to live in a sustainable way. Australia, however, emits the most greenhouse gas emissions per capita in the world, and there is increasing pressure on its citizens to go green. The issue comes amid the recent release of a U.N. report in Bangkok on May 4 which says humans must make sweeping cuts in greenhouse gas emissions in the next 50 years to keep global warming in check. An Australian reality TV show, the SBS network's 'Eco-House Challenge', illustrates the growing pertinence of the issue among Australians. On the show, contestants from two suburban households must battle it out to live in the the most environmentally friendly way, while still going about their normal lives. The show monitors contestant's every move by wiring their energy sources. The two families often struggle and go through upsetting experiences to reach targets. At one point 12-year-old Judd Shepherd has to have his holiday party cancelled because his car trip would produce too much carbon dioxide (or CO2), the most prevalent of all greenhouse gases emitted worldwide. Despite the fact it may seem difficult to cut greenhouse emissions at a local level, like in 'Eco-House Challenge', however, other Australians are contesting the idea that it's difficult to go green-friendly. Sydney man Michael Mobbs has lived in what he calls a completely sustainable house for the past eleven years. A father of two, Mobbs worked to make his house green himself, designing the energy systems, obtaining approval for renovations and finally putting in place a house that gets energy from sustainable sources and recycles all its own water and sewage. "When the rain falls it comes down the gutters, and it's clean, clean rain water goes into the tank and we use that rainwater for drinking, cooking, washing, showers and baths, all the waste water from that is reused, stored, cleaned and sterilized and reused to flush the toilet wash the clothes and hose the garden , so no sewage has left here in ten years, and with the energy, light from the sun is used to make electricity," Mobbs told Reuters Television. The U.N. report released on Friday also stresses the need for countries to work harder to reduce greenhouse emissions, and that with the help of technological advances, such as the use of nuclear, solar and wind power, it does not have to be difficult or costly to have a sustainable life. The report also says more efficient use of energy and energy production can help reach emissions targets. Mobbs says reducing CO2 emissions and still living a normal life is easier than perceived, one only requires the basic infrastructure investment to change the energy input and cycles of a normal household. "I stop four tonnes of coal being burnt a year, so multiply that by eleven years, that is forty-four tonnes, I've stopped burn. I stop eight tonnes of green house gasses going up, multiply that by eleven, eighty-eight tonnes of green house gasses, but I have still got an ordinary house," he said. Mobbs is also a sustainable projects coach, working with developers to design and build their own green-friendly infrastructure for private and personal buildings. "It's not living less, it's living more" he said, referring to his house's ability to consume less energy while still giving him a normal life -- and peace of mind.

ITN Source | May 19, 2007

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