environment » Sift Blog
Posts Tagged ‘environment’
Thursday, February 25th, 2010 by Admin
It’s a beautiful sunny end-of-summer day here in Christchurch (New Zealand). Back to blog posts now after concentrating on the new website. If you haven’t already go for a spin and check out what SIFT is all about. Lots of great projects that are making a difference to reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill. We also have a few projects in the pipeline we are really excited about.
The deadline for the government’s Waste Minimisation Fund is 5pm on Monday. If you miss out and have a project focussed on Canterbury try applying to SIFT.
In the meantime here are the favourite links we have found from around the world:
That should keep you all going for a while. Have a great weekend.
 Suitcase Chairs via The Violet Hours via Apartment Therapy
Tags: community, consumption, diverting waste from landfill, environment, environmental sustainability, landfill, plastics, recycle, recycling, SIFT, sustainability, sustainable living, waste, Waste Management
Posted in Friday favourites, Sustainability Resources, Sustainability in Action, Waste Management | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 by Admin
Want to use your strong commercial and governance skills to build a sustainable future for New Zealand and improve the health of our environment?
The Sustainable Initiatives Fund is looking for two trustees (one replacement and one additional for the SIFT Board) and four directors for a new charitable subsidiary company. We are looking for people who have strong strategic and governance skills, and either donations and/or investment experience. Preferably based in the Christchurch area and with some knowledge of the waste industry.
An interest in developing businesses and communities that will build a more sustainable future for Canterbury is also a must.
You can find more information or apply here on Seek.
Tags: board, christchurch, directors, donations, environment, governance, investment, SIFT, strategic, trustees, waste
Posted in SIFT | No Comments »
Thursday, November 26th, 2009 by Admin
 International Buy Nothing Day If reducing your consumption is still a habit that you’re trying to break try not buying anything for just one day to see what happens. The easiest way to reduce the level of our waste going to landfill is to stop purchasing, stop consuming. Full Stop. It’s that easy. (It is also a really good way to tackle climate change). But humans are driven by desires and needs (or wants) and purchasing/consuming can sometimes be fulfilling – at least we think it is fulfilling. But, there are many other ways to live a good life that doesn’t involve consuming and the side effects create a healthier planet and healthier people.
So, this week’s Practical Action is to take part in Adbusters’ International Buy Nothing Day. This campaign has been going for a few years now and calls on millions of the world’s population to buy nothing for 24 hours. They are also asking for everyone to unplug as well. Turn off all appliances, lights, cell phones, the internet, computers and anything else that depletes the world’s resources.
Adbusters: “We want you to not only stop buying for 24 hours, but to shut off your lights, televisions and other nonessential appliances. We want you to park your car, turn off your phones and log off of your computer for the day.
We’re calling for a Ramadan-like fast. From sunrise to sunset we’ll abstain en masse, not only from holiday shopping, but from all the temptations of our five-planet lifestyles.”
You never know what the day might bring – closer connection to family and friends, old clothes and “stuff” that you forget you had that you could reuse, finishing that project you have been meaning to get to, a day in the garden, reading your favourite book again, increased awareness of how your actions impact the environment and everything that lives in it, peace and quiet from the world for just one day. You will also have reduced your impact on the environment. After one day of not spending it becomes easier and you might start to find that life is nicer this way!
Our motto is to be a conscious consumer when you do consume (question if you really need it, can you use something else, can you buy second hand, fair trade, recycled etc). By not consuming for one day you can move towards this way of life. Start by recognising how you consume and then start to change this. There are lots of different actions happening across the world which you can check out here. Let us know what you get up to for the day.
Tags: Adbusters, climate change, consumption, diverting waste from landfill, environment, humans, International Buy Nothing Day, landfill, purchasing, resources, waste
Posted in Events, News on Sustainability, Waste Management | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 by Admin
 No Impact Man - Colin Beavan No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal who Attempts to Save the Planet and the Discoveries he Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process by Colin Beavan.
After spending the past couple of years following No Impact Man’s (Colin Beavan) blog I was looking forward to reading his book on the year he spent (with his wife and child) living with no impact on the environment. If Colin Beavan and his family can make profound, lasting, positive environmental changes to their lifestyle in order to tackle climate change while living in a ninth floor apartment in the middle of Manhattan then I can certainly make some changes to my life (while I live in the much easier NZ suburbia – where I can grow my own vegetables for instance!).
This book (and the blog) is now a favourite. Beavan discusses what he has done (and is still doing) to live a lower impact life and the decision-making/thought processes he has while doing it. From zero waste to zero carbon transportation to eating only local food from the farmers market to not buying anything new to taking a reusable jar (for coffee) and taking napkins with him to switching off the electricity this book has many ideas (and ideals) we can take away to improve our lives to improve the health of the environment.
Not only does Colin Beavan give the facts of the why and the how but also discusses the social, cultural, political and global issues surrounding climate change and global warming (such as consumption and poverty). Beavan questions why we are all living the way we do and why we have not questioned it before. A cultural shift is required in order to solve the problem and Colin Beavan delved deeply into that new culture and came out the other side with a healthier body, family, life and a much lowered impact on the environment.
It is a must read for anyone who has made the decision to try to make a difference. I ordered mine from the library and had to wait a few weeks due to the number of other people wanting to read it but that’s a good thing. The more people who read it the better. It is an emotive and compelling read that will make you think. But, it also reminds you that you are human and we can make a difference, together (while having fun and laughing – lots of smiles from this book too).
Here’s the NoImpactMan blog and here’s the recently set up NoImpactProject which will help more people to live a no impact life. And hopefully in NZ we will see it soon but there is also a documentary about Colin Beavan’s No Impact Man year – here’s a preview.
Courage, conviction, strength, integrity, heart (and soul), conscious living and determination (with fun thrown in). This is No Impact Man and this is what we all need to hold true to in order to live differently for a better earth. Thank you Colin Beavan. I think I will read the book again!
Change must start today.
Tags: climate change, Colin Beavan, conscious living, consumption, environment, Manhattan, No Impact Man, recycle, reduce, reuse, sustainable living, zero waste
Posted in Other Sustainable Initiatives, Pratical Action, Sustainability in Action | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 by Admin
 CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi S Adam Werbach’s book Strategy for Sustainability (Harvard Business Press) is the first off our library shelf to be read this week. The last paragraph of the back flap caught my eye “The sustainability movement is just beginning – and you have the chance to reinvent everything. The question is: what will you do?”. That is everything that Sift is all about. It is time for change. In order to improve the health of the earth and ensure our survival we need to start living sustainably. We are consuming too many resources and wasting a high percentage of them. Reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink…and collaborate.
Sift wants to help those who have the new business solutions (whether product or process) that will move our communities into a better way of living and start reducing our impact on the environment. This is just the beginning. Sustainability needs to become a way of life – so it becomes just social norm.
Adam Werbach’s book is all about continuing to grow and prosper as an company/organisation while acting sustainably. Create “North Star goals” that are linked to global trends, engage the public (collaborate with the community – this is where the great ideas are), be transparent, leverage networks – get savvy with problem solving, build better products and create a healthy future for the next generations. Including sustainability into your business is both good for the Earth, your community and your business. It’s win-win. A bit of a no brainer, really. Go beyond green to truly sustainable business practices. It’s not about changing lightbulbs its about integrating sustainability (social, economic, environmental and cultural) into long term business strategies (adapting to climate change is going to be long term).
I have only read the introduction but I think this is going to be a useful book for Sift and its partners.
Adam Werbach’s Strategy for Sustainability Website and Blog.
If you have any other great books that you think we would like to read let us know.
Tags: Adam Werbach, climate change, cultural, economy, environment, recycle, reduce, rethink, reuse, SIFT, social, strategy for sustainability, sustainable future
Posted in Sustainability Resources, Sustainability in Action | No Comments »
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