Ecologically Sustainable Sydney

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In 2007, the Greater Sydney population is around 4.5 million people. The area from Gosford to Wollongong, from the coast to the Blue Mountains is about 50x100=5000sqkm. This makes it an interesting place to live. But as the population increases, we need to plan to ensure that it is viable to live and work.

"Since 2005 new challenges have emerged. Following recent Census data Sydney’s population (including the Central Coast) is forecast to be 5.7 million by 2031 and 6 million by 2036, an increase of 1.7 million people from 2006." - Metropolitan Strategy Review (17 March 2010)

Since 1947, the Sydney region has more than doubled its population. It is now 4.1 million people. The sources of growth are also changing. Between the 1940s and the 1960s, 53 per cent of Sydney's growth was from immigration. By comparison, over the last 10 years 65 per cent of Sydney's growth has been the result of natural increases, that is, the number of births over deaths. New population projections recently released by my department show that the population for the Sydney region could reach 7.4 million people by 2051 and by that time the state's population could be 10 million people. - JENNIFER WESTACOTT, Director General, Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, Tuesday 18 May, 2004

See Planning for a Sustainable City: Having my say on Shaping my State: Metropolitan Strategy

Why you should leave your car at Home

Whether it is the noise, the cost of injury or death from car accidents, the time wasted in traffic, or the carbon dioxide generated, road traffic is the biggest problem facing us today.

If the daily average of 15,724 vehicles travelling North along Johnston St (North of the Intersection with Booth St Annandale) in 2005 ^ADT, travelled just 1km and were 2004 Toyota Prius ¹, they would generate 106g of CO₂-e each. Which would add up to 106gx15,724Prius=1,666,744g (approx 1,666kg) of CO₂.

A Eucalptus Tree which has grown a trunk of 100cm (1m) Trunk has absorbed 1,182kg of CO₂-e⁽¹⁾. A Softwood Pine Tree with the same size trunk has absorbed just 787 kg CO₂-e^(Calculator)

Those 15,724 Prius travelling just 1km through Annandale, each day would have generated more CO₂-e than 365*1.4=511 Eucalypt Trees.

Useful Links

2006 Carbon Footprint per Country: USA: 19, Australia: 17.2, Canada: 16.7, Germany: 9.7, United Kingdom: 9.4, New Zealand: 7.4, China: 4.6, India: 1.3 -Carbon dioxide emissions per capita

• NSW Spatial Information Exchange

• BASIX - The Building Sustainability Index
• Global Reporting Initiative
• AuSSI - The Australian SAM Sustainability Index
• Ecological Footprint Calculators
• Kaplan and Norton's balanced scorecard for translating Strategy into Action
• Video about Green ICT Course
• Are Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs Dangerous?
• Linux makes for greener computing
• Cogeneration Demonstration Project
• '6 star' Australian Ethical's refurbished office building
• Fujitsu opens sustainable data centre in Sydney
• Sydney Metro Bus 12 Month Trial
• 78% of people to work and trucks 60% of goods
• Sustainable transport and urban form
• Sustainable Transport in Sustainable Cities
• www.greenfleet.org.nz
• GoGet CarShare
• The Reva G-Wiz Automatic Electric Vehicle is a fully electric vehicle designed for urban commuting. It is the UK's most popular EV (electric vehicle).
• City of Hannover has 520,000 inhabitants over 204sqkm. Their Transport Modal Split is
  * 22% on foot
  * 13% by bicycle
  * 42% by car
  * 23% by public transport - Lessons from Sustainable Hannover
• Federal Park Wetlands
• Ted Floyd's Creek Care
• Saving Water in Public Buildings
• Your Home Plumbing System
• From peril to progress (higher fuel efficiency standards for carmakers)(USA Monday, January 26th, 2009)
• Report: Germany's Revised Car-Tax Could Benefit Gas Guzzlers....Meanwhile, German car owners swamped a hotline with calls this week after the government invited applications for a big cash handout to anyone crushing an old car and buying a new one. (22.01.2009)
• Florida to buy 187,000 farmland acres to preserve Everglades
• A trip through Europe and Asia on the theme of climate change
• The Natural Paint Place
• Traffic fumes are still damaging children's brains
• EDGAR"- based constructions, as inputs to a model of the evolving global budget for methane
• Tumbleweed for your recycling and garden needs Easy Composting for Everybody
• Life Cycle Analysis - A Tool to Understand Sustainability
• Install an Apartment Balcony Worm Farm
• Reverse Garbage
• The Bower: Traders of the Lost Artefact

www.ramin.com.au/eco-sydney/index.shtml © Ramin Communications 2008. Last modified 3 September 2010.