Next Step

The Ministry of the Environment, via its sustainability.govt.nz portal has launched a "Next Step" personal planning guide. While some of the content seems a little simplistic, this is a good start for children or those wanting some basic ideas about what they can do to help the environment in everyday life.

Throughout the well designed and informative sustainability.govt.nz website, I particularly like the myth-busting panels in each section, and it's a good idea having case studies to see what real people are up to. For example, you can read about Mike and Monica, who saved $80 a month after installing a Centameter to monitor their electricity usage or watch a video of Yolande Cumming talking about forming a car pooling club.

The real key to helping the environment though, is participation and this is where the Next Step plan really adds value to the site. Apparently around 600 "plans" have already been made by visitors, contributing over 28,000 "steps towards sustainability", claims Martyn Pinckard, manager of the household sustainability programme.

Personally selecting "steps" from a comprehensive list in each or all of five categories (rubbish, water, energy, building and transport) is an effective way for visitors to consider suggestions as real options for their own lives.

I think the next step for Next Step would be to include some specifics for each action. For example, why should people "re-use food waste by composting" and why should people "install a solar hot water heating system"? I know that sometimes it's dangerous to generalise, but it'd be useful to have an indication of how much could be saved by taking each step. This would help users to prioritise and take action. For a great example of a fairly precise model, check out the ecobulb savings calculator to see how much you could save by replacing incandescent and halogen lighting with compact fluorescents.

All in all, a job well done by the MfE to help us step in the right direction.

Newest First

Oldest First

Kate   #1   09:13 pm May 27 2008

Speaking of sustainability - did you realise that the promised review by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's office of progress against the objectives of sustainable development as set down in the document, "Creating Our Future" (2002) - is not going ahead? As you can see the review was part of the 2008 Work Programme, as advised here; http://www.pce.govt.nz/projects/pce_work_programme.shtml But on contacting that office to enquire when the review document would be released, I've been told it isn't going to be written up and released. So effectively, New Zealand has no overarching sustainability framework, as far as I can see - and this review that isn't - isn't going to point that out either!!!

Ad Feedback