So we were thinking that you should all get involved with a sweet lil test for your flat.
The aim is to record how sustainable you really are. So grab a white board (scrap paper and in some flats the walls are also suitable) and start recording un-ecofriendly sins! This can include stuff like leaving the tap on, really long showers, leaving the lights and TV on (everyday occurance in my flat), washing small amounts of clothes instead of a full load, shoving it all in the dryer afterwards (Dan!). Same goes with washing individual dishes rather than a days worth, you get the drift.
So as the points add up for each of your flatties the fun begins. Punishments are dealt out depending on how severe the offence is. You can use your own creativity to come up with punishments, as well as judgments, however here are some ideas.
6 before 6
scrumpies lock in
tequila shots
naughty corner ( I have heard stories of this been done naked while been forced to face the corner)
soap opera lock in (shorty or coro st, this could also work by banning certain flatties from watching the game)
listening to a classic (like say Britney Spears, “Hit me baby, one more time”) over and over.
static watching/listening (either on the tv or radio).
Oatmeal instead of a proper dinner (while watching everyone else eat steak of course).
The list goes on and on. Be creative and let us know how you go!
Sustainability, too much to comprehend at beer ‘o’ clock? Here are some easy peasy tips to help you out. Who knows you may even enjoy them.
1 )Scrub the heating – try group spooning! Whether there is ten of you or simply two, spooning will create all the heat needed to stay cosy at night.
2 )Share and share alike! Whether it’s “borrowing” that old jumper your neighbours didn’t really want anyway or recycling some kitchenware. (We suggest trying one easily concealed item per party.. unless a keg has been consumed, then you can probably pull off the croc pot underthe shirt move). The second part to sharing is showers. . . what better way to get to know the flatties than over an early morning back scrubbing?
3 )Communal plates. Want to cut down on water use and wasted time spent scrubbing dishes? Easy.. Each flat only needs 1 large bowl, 1 large plate and utensils for every person.Now I hear you saying this is stupid, but picture this, everyone cross legged on the floor centred on a single bowl of blackbean stir-fry.All you need now is a fork each and away you go! For dishes such as Spag bol however, we do suggest cutting the noodles.. this is not Lady and the Tramp!
4 )Conserving precious energy, time and cutting down on the heating needed, we suggest a natural insulation. Two ways to achieve this: firstly, stop going to the gym, and secondly, drink your way to a beer gut. Your spooning buds may also appreciate this.
5 )STOP SHAVING! By now you can probably see we are all for the natural. What way to better celebrate this than with your own thermal covering?
6 )Easiest way to cut down your electricity bill? Cut down the lighting usage. Our suggestions? Candle light dinners (who said romance was dead?). Second option: group study sessions. Yes, we know Johnny smells and Lucy has that annoying humming habit, while you tend to still get distracted with the art of spit balls. However, what better way to motivate each other to actually finish that assignment? Gather your desks into the lounge and do a group study under a single light.
7 )Compost! What better way to get rid of that extra gunk than to start a compost pile. Too much effort starting one in the garden or perhaps the two metre walkwould be too much to drop the scraps in the pile? Easy! Start a small one on your kitchen floor or perhaps under the sink. The decomposing process will also help to generate heat (heat pump what?). Just remember it is probably a good idea to sweep it out every now and again.
8 )Beer run!Why drive down to your local liquor store whenyou can run? Not only are you burning the calories as you drink them, carrying the load back will give you muscles… sexy!
9 )Speaking of beer. Why waste money individually buyinga box? Gather your friends and get a crate! Better yet, a keg! Not only does it work out cheaper (meaning more beer for you in the long run), but if you take the crate back you get $$$ off your next one! An added bonus is they will recyclethe bottles for you, saving you the hassle.
We all love to have that minty fresh taste after brushing, flossing or polishing those pearly whites but did you know how wasteful this can be?
Research shows that leaving the water running while brushing your teeth wastes up to 15 litres per minute! So if your actually following your dentist’s instructions and are scrubbing for at least 2 minutes this is up to 30 litres per brush. Times this by twice a day (or 3 if you have an important date) and you get 60 litres per day.
Wow so much for conserving water huh! So, next time you brush turn the tap off!
In fact, that goes for everytime you use the sink, if everyone in the U.S. did, they could save as much water every day as all of New York City consumes in total per day (that’s a population over 8 million, so translation – twice what all of New Zealand uses in a day!)
To be honest, we’re all a bit sick of the commentators sitting in their hybrid cars, trying to make us feel bad about how we live our lives. We thought it could be interesting to get out there and hear what people actually think about sustainability and get a bit of a look into what everyday, young people are already doing.
So, today, we went out around uni and annoyed about 30 people in the middle of their lunches with a small questionaire-cum-survey and here we have the results!
Is sustainability important to you?
64% : Yes
11% : Yes but I don’t do anything about it
11% : Kinda
7% : No
7% : Random statements
Are there things you do everyday that you would consider to be “sustainable” practices?
Yes: 68%
No: 32%
What are some things that you do that you would consider to be “sustainable practices”?
kavitron
janelle77
janli221
