Successes

Energy savvy = carbon savvy

The Hearnes were already energy-savvy before joining the Brisbane Carbon Challenge. The family’s home energy emissions were almost a third lower than the average Brisbane household yet they further reduced their energy consumption by 39%, achieving nearly zero electricity-related carbon emissions. It took a few steps for the family to achieve these impressive results.  

First, they asked their retailer to apply 100% GreenPower to their energy account, which meant their retailer purchased renewable energy to cover their energy consumption, dropping related emissions to zero.

As GreenPower comes at an extra cost for the consumer, the family identified ways to reduce their energy consumption to lower their bills. To reduce their heating and cooling costs, they invested in plantation shutters for their living area windows and draught-sealed gaps in their doors. They also upgraded their lights to LED bulbs, another easy, one-off action for the busy family.

Finally, the Hearnes worked together to gain better habits to reduce electricity use, such as turning off appliances at the wall when not in use, using smaller appliances (such as a slow cooker instead of the oven) and using fans instead of the air conditioner as much as possible.

Waste not, want not

When the Hearnes first estimated their carbon footprint, they discovered their waste emissions were slightly above the Brisbane household average. Hence, they looked for solutions to minimise the food waste thrown into the general waste bin. They continued using their compost bin for fruit and vegetable scraps and ordered a bokashi bin to compost leftover cooked food scraps. As a result, 26% less food waste was thrown away each week.

The Hearnes are considering purchasing a second bokashi bin to have on rotation while their first bokashi bin food waste ferments.

Developing eco-habits is an ongoing commitment that Declan, Verna and their children are dedicated to maintaining and refining.

Challenges

Transport on the rise

The family really wanted to focus on reducing transport emissions. They even sold their second car during the challenge and their daughter commuted to school by public transport.

Despite their efforts, they realised after a few months that their increasingly busy family needed two cars. As electric and hybrid vehicles weren’t in their budget, they looked for a fuel-efficient model instead. They also installed an in-car monitoring system to help them adopt eco-driving techniques. This monitoring system provides real-time feedback on fuel-efficient driving, allowing for in-the-moment adjustments to their driving style that can lower fuel consumption and related emissions and bills.