Yahoo!7 Answers Australia

The judges have begun collaborating to find the best answer to the Yahoo!7 Answers/Be a Better Planet question – and they certainly have a stack to sort through! While the question is yet to be resolved it is no longer officially taking answers to be considered to win the competition, however you are still welcome to add your thoughts on the best way to spend $50,000 to improve the Australian environment if you have any.

Before the big announcement is made let’s meet one more of our judging panel members – Professor Derek Eamus. An expert and well renowned environmental scientist at the University of Technology Sydney, and author of over 150 research papers, book chapters and reports into climate change, plant ecology and water use, Professor Eamus is well armed with knowledge to help decide which response to the $50,000 question has the most merit.

Professor Eamus took some time from sorting through the myriad responses to tell us about why he feels so strongly about environmental issues…

When did you first become passionate about environmental issues?

When I started a research project in Scotland looking into the impacts of acid rain on forest growth. Acid rain was a serious problem for much of Europe and North America in the 70’s and 80’s but through the research we conducted we were able to convince government and industry of the need to reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide and other acid forming chemicals. Consequently acid rain is not a problem for Europe and America now (although it is in China and elsewhere).

What made you decide to become involved in spreading the word about climate change?

A second research project that I started in Scotland looked at the impact of carbon dioxide on forest growth and physiology. I continued this research in Darwin, NT and now am part of a major research team growing Australian trees in giant chambers in the field with a CO₂ enriched atmosphere. These research projects clearly revealed to me that forest growth and forest water use will be altered in response to climate change and that there was a need for this research to be widely understood in the public domain. Consequently I lecture about this topic to my students.

What is your biggest concern about the state of Australia’s environment? The rate of climate change and the impact this has on Australia’s natural environment, (including water resources) will be faster than politicians and industry are willing to respond.

What do you do in your own daily life to reduce carbon emissions? I use public transport as often as possible. We buy the most energy and water efficient appliances we can for the household. I ride a motorbike in preference to a car. We recycle as much as we can and we repair as much as we can (I’ve repaired the vacuum cleaner three times with new carbon brushes for the motor) before buying new. We try to buy locally grown produce to reduce the transport costs embedded in food. We don’t iron many clothes!

Is Australia lagging behind other countries in terms of reducing carbon emissions and generally being environmentally friendly?

Australia has particular problems not shared by many other countries, such as the lack of consistent rainfall, the high temperatures and the large distances between major centers of population. This presents challenges. We should be harnessing renewable energy more effectively and re-evaluating the crops we grow in Australia. For example, why do we choose to grow cotton and rice in Australia when rainfall is so unpredictable? We are very poor at investing in effective accessible and cheap public transport. So, on balance, we could be doing better than we do at the moment.

Do you think people have their heads in the sand when it comes to climate change?

I don’t think people have their heads in the sand about this, but I think they feel that the politicians and industry groups need to unite and act on this and provide some sustained and intelligent leadership.

Professor Eamus is joined by his fellow judges, including Yahoo! Founder and co-chief David Filo, New Idea Editor Robyn Foyster, Planet Ark founder Jon Dee, and Better Homes and Gardens Landscaper Jason Hodges, to whittle more than a thousand entries down to just one. I don’t envy him the task – there are so many great responses – take a look for your self!

Clea

We have already heard from several of the Yahoo!7 Answers / Be a Better Planet competition judges over the past couple of weeks, who have given us the lowdown on their own personal involvement in environmental issues.

This week we’d like to introduce another important figure who will be taking part in the decision making process, sorting through hundreds of answers to the question How would you spend $50,000 to create a more sustainable environment in Australia until a winner is chosen – the Co-founder and Chief of Yahoo! David Filo.

David cares so much about the environment that he is the driving force behind the push for Yahoo! offices all over the world to go carbon neutral, and is even asking for your thoughts on how to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

Here are some of David’s own thoughts and tips on ‘green’ living -

What do you do in your own daily life to reduce carbon emissions?
I’ve done simple things like changing out my light bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs, buying green power through my local utility, recycling and owning a hybrid car, but mostly it’s just being mindful of the choices I can make every day.

How can companies make their offices more environmentally friendly?
By examining their facilities to determine the most practical actions for reducing energy consumption. Options might include installing motion sensors to turn of lights in unused offices or conference rooms, recycling aggressively, investing in renewable energy programs, installing window films to reduce the need for climate control, upgrading appliances and mechanical systems with energy-efficient products and encouraging employees to pursue alternative commute options. Little changes can go a long way.

What is one really simple thing people can start doing right now to reduce global warming?
Think differently about everything. Whether replacing incandescent lights with more energy-efficient CFL light bulbs, turning off computers at night, or choosing public transport over driving, if people consider the environment before they act, we could see a dramatic impact.

Is there enough awareness in the community about the deteriorating state of the planet?
Awareness is definitely growing — efforts like “An Inconvenient Truth” and recent global media coverage have been very effective in making the issue top of mind. However, I think people still feel overwhelmed by the problem and they aren’t convinced that their individual actions can change anything. That’s the mindset we need to start changing. Millions of actions contributed to our problem and millions of actions can reduce it.

The big question still needs answers! There’s plenty of time to register and make your own suggestion on how 50,000 big ones could be best spent to improve the environment in Australia – each entry will be considered by David and his presitgious panel of fellow judges, including Better Homes and Gardens’ Jason Hodges, New Idea Editor Robyn Foyster, Planet Ark Founder Jon Dee, University of Technology Sydney Professor of Environmental Science Derek Eamus, All Saints actor Virginia Gay and Yahoo!7 CEO Ian Smith.

Yahoo!7 Answers Team

Whales – still under threat

Residents in the far north of Western Australia will not be taking advantage of unseasonably warm weather being experienced by the whole nation this week – as a 3 metre long crocodile has been spotted lurking about Cable Beach –the area’s most popular tourist spot. Wildlife officers fear they will have to shoot the reptile – not an ideal solution – they are hoping it will tire of waiting for an unsuspecting traveller to wade into the ocean and take off in search of other potential food sources.

Killing a crocodile would cause some upset from animal conservationists, but not nearly as much as the idea of killing whales does. There is certainly a lot of discussion on Yahoo!7 Answers about countries such as Japan moving to lift a ban on commercial whaling. For now the ban is upheld – as the International Whaling Commission has been convinced that the world is at risk of wiping out these majestic mammals permanently, however Japan has not ruled out going against orders and continuing whaling it it’s own economic zone.

In other news – you may have noticed a lack of coverage in this blog of the recent exploits of the starlets Miss LL and Miss PH. It was recently decided over muffins and coffee by the Yahoo!7 Answers Team that these particular partying and scandal causing young celebrities shall not be mentioned by name or deed as they are completely overexposed on a global level. Henceforth no rehab stints or prison stays will be mentioned in this blog – despite the fact that it is very tempting and easy to poke fun at particular incidents of airheaded behaviour.

Even mentioning certain people’s initials is almost breaking the newly created guidelines so I will stop here and say have a good weekend and don’t forget to add your contribution to the Yahoo!7 Answers/ Be a Better Planet $50,000 question if you haven’t already!

Clea

Our third Yahoo!7 Answers/Be a Better Planet $50k competition judge is Robyn Foyster – Editor of the longstanding and hugely popular women’s magazine New Idea.

As well as giving women all the latest celebrity news and fashion tips New Idea has a strong environmental conscience – the magazine works closely with the World Wildlife Federation and recently supported the Lights off Australiaand Earth Hour campaigns that are aiming to reduce the country’s planet damaging carbon emissions. Robyn also makes sure New Idea has regular features on how to save money by being environmentally friendly.

Robyn took time out of her hectic schedule to give us some of her thoughts on environmental issues…

What made you decide to become involved in spreading the word about climate change?
Being in a position to be able to motivate a lot of people to change things for the better and give our readers a voice is something I am very passionate about. Also, I am a mother of two and as such feel a responsibility to do the most I can to ensure a better future for my children.

What is your biggest concern about the state of Australia’s environment?
Perhaps more than any other country, the effects of climate change is really impacting us – with the drought, the degradation of the Murray-Darling river basin – our farmers are suffering.

What do you do in your own daily life to reduce carbon emissions?
Our family uses a shower timer, we walk as much as possible rather than drive and our family car is small and economical. We have energy efficient light globes as well as white goods.

How can people make their homes more environmentally friendly?
By installing solar panels, a rain water tank and making use of grey water. Also simple things like using energy efficient light globes and whitegoods and using less water by timing your showers.

Is Australia lagging behind other countries in terms of reducing carbon emissions and generally being environmentally friendly?
Yes and no. As Australians, we are one of the highest per-capita greenhouse gas polluters in the world, because most of our electricity comes from burning coal so we have to start using energy more efficiently and switching to cleaner energy sources now, which will result in a major reduction in climate change impacts.

In stating that, our awareness is very high, a recent international poll found that 92% of Australians are in favour of measures to counter global warming, we were ranked the highest – so I really think we are starting to make changes. (source – Chicago Council on Global Affairs)

Do you think people have their heads in the sand when it comes to climate change?
No, I think right now people are taking the issue more seriously than they ever have, Australians are realising the issue of global warming needs to be addressed with urgency. Our farmers know this firsthand with the hotter and drier climate that has caused the worst drought in living memory. Pester power is also on the increase – green is the new black!

Robyn will be taking part in the huge decision process involved in finding a best answer for the Yahoo!7 Be a Better Planet competition, and the user with the best suggestion on how 50 thousand dollars could create a more sustainable environment in Australia will see the cash go to the cause or initiative of their choice. There are now more than six hundred responses, but each and every answer will be considered so if you haven’t submitted yours make sure you do so soon!

And don’t forget to register first!

Yahoo!7 Answers Team

EDIT: This competition has closed for new submissions and the winning entry is now being considered by the judging panel.

It’s time to introduce the second of our prestigious panelists in the Yahoo!7 Answers/ Be a Better Planet $50,000 question competition – environmental organisation Planet Ark’s well known founder Jon Dee.

Jon was just 27 when he set up Planet Ark to help show people and businesses the many ways they can reduce their day to day impact on the environment. More than 13,000 Australian businesses now have Planet Ark recycle bins in their offices and nearly 4 million printer cartridges have been recycled through the organization, diverting thousand of tones of waste from ending up as landfill. Planet Ark is also behind National Recycling Week, National Tree Day and a whole host of other earth friendly initiatives.

Jon gave us the story beind his dedication to saving the planet and some tips on how to better reduce your own carbon footprint

When did you first become passionate about environmental issues?
I’ve been keen on nature since I was a kid, but it turned into a passion in the eighties when I watched a movie starring Charlie Boorman called ‘Emerald Forest’ about rainforest destruction. Within a week of seeing it, I managed to get a full time job at a rainforest protection organisation

What do you do in your own daily life to reduce carbon emissions?
I’ve signed my home up to have 100% Government accredited GreenPower with the renewable energy company Jackgreen. That is the single biggest thing that the average person can do in the fight against climate change.

Back in 1992, I also switched all my incandescent lights over to energy saver lights, which has saved me a fortune over the years. I also own a hybrid Prius car but mainly travel up to four hours a day by train to get to and from my office in Sydney. That’s not as bad as it sounds as I manage to work while I’m on the train.

I also make sure that I turn off all electricity devices at the plug at night and when they’re not in use. That takes away the risk of fire when I’m asleep and it knocks up to 10% off my electricity bills (my Dad was a fireman so unplugging things at night was drummed into me from birth!).

How can companies make their offices more environmentally friendly?
Make sure employees use recycling bins that recycle more than just office paper. Not letting people put recyclables in the rubbish bin, switching to energy saving light globes, activating the EnergyStar setting on their electrical goods, buying energy efficient products and giving people reusable coffee mugs and refillable water bottles (that can be filled by a water filter in the company kitchen).

What is one really simple thing people can start doing right now to reduce global warming?
Switch to GreenPower. Visit www.GreenPowerPriceWatch.com.au to find out what the best deals are for GreenPower in your State. It is a site I set up to help people make the switch.

How can people make their homes more environmentally friendly?

Buying energy efficient products and turning the thermostat down by one degree and turning off unused electrical appliances at the wall is a definite way to have a safer house and cheaper bills.

Again, there are many places online that will give you a variety of tips on what you can do.

Is Australia lagging behind other countries in terms of reducing carbon emissions and generally being environmentally friendly?

Yes and we must do more. The one good thing is that the Government took my idea I gave them of phasing out incandescent globes over 3 years so that we could ban them in favour of energy saving light globes. The rest of the world is following our example on that front, which is great!

Do you think people have their heads in the sand when it comes to climate change?
To a degree but it’s changing rapidly. Green is once again the new black!

Jon will be one of the judges scrutinising every entry that answers the question How would you spend $50,000 to create a more sustainable environment in Australia?, with the best answer to receive the money to put towards the cause that they have nominated. There is still time left for you to contribute your idea and have it read by Jon and his fellow judges, but don’t forget to register first.

Today I’d like to introduce you to the first of our Be a Better Planet judges, none other than Jason Hodges, the resident landscaper from the hit Channel 7 show Better Home and Gardens. Jason will be part of the team selecting the winning answer to the most important question to be posted on Yahoo!7 Answers yet – How would you spend $50,000 to create a more sustainable environment in Australia?

Because he works all days with flowers and all things green, Jason is passionately aware of environmental issues and has been ever since he was 7 years old. We caught up with Jason and asked him the following questions about his involvement with environmental issues –

What is your biggest concern about the state of Australia’s environment?
The fact that I went to Brisbane last week and the loss of plants and tree shrubs is going to take generations to repair due to lack of rain – the Murray is drying up – lack of water in our dams is a major concern. It hasn’t just become an issue, it has been an issue for the last 20 years or more – and with an extra 6 million people in that time… we all need to be doing something. If we save a litre of water a day that is 20 million litres of water a day and 140 million litres a weeks and so on and so on.

What do you do in your own daily life to reduce carbon emissions?
I am conscious of trying not to waste energy. I do drive a ute for work due to landscaping every day but I don’t drive everywhere if I don’t have to. Simple things like leaving lights off, I hate packaging on products so buy products with the least amount, use recycling bins… all this impacts our landfill and hence carbon emissions. They are simple things to do and we need to think in simple terms but realise the amount of impact it can have.

How can people make their homes more environmentally friendly?

• Think about your water and energy use.
• Think about what you are throwing into your bin – recycle – don’t throw an aluminum can in your bin. Sort it out.
• Save water, by doing what I do and having a bucket in your shower to catch all the cold water when you first start a shower – use that water in the bucket for your garden. I put a brick in the toilet cistern… it saves 2 litres a flush.
• Don’t think you can’t fit a water tank in your garden. I have one of the world’s smallest gardens – 15 x 3 metres and I have a slim line water tank you wouldn’t even know was there.
• I have insulation in my roof – so not only is it soundproof but warmer in winter and cooler in summer- so I don’t use heater or air conditioner.

Do you think people have their heads in the sand when it comes to climate change?
No but I think people think “How can I make a difference? I am one in 20 million, it doesn’t matter if I leave a light on.”- We have to stop taking our environment for granted and feel overwhelmed by it and simply change our attitude.

According to Jason the most simple thing you can do today to help reduce global warming is to plant a tree – and as a landscaper he certainly does plenty of that!

We’ll be introducing you to the other judges over the coming weeks, but in the meantime if you haven’t already contributed your thoughts to the $50,000 question make sure you register here first and get your thinking cap on!

Clea

In April, Yahoo! announced that it would be going carbon neutral and turned to the Answers community to decide how we would do that.In Australia, we want to share what we know and today we launched a new site, Be a Better Planet. It is all about empowering Australians to take action against climate change and is designed to keep you up to date with the latest tips, news and ways to take action. If you go to the site you can learn how to become more environmentally conscious at home, how to save money while you save the environment and you can even find out about ‘green’ movies and actors who support the push to fight climate change.

In honour of this exciting new site, Yahoo!7 will be giving $50,000 to a project that will help to create a more sustainable environment in Australia. This is where comes in!

We are seeking your ideas and suggestions on how you think $50,000 could be best spent to save the Australian environment. If you are in Australia, you have until the 8^th of June to log on and share your ideas, after which time the money will be contributed to a not for profit organisation that will implement the initiative. If your idea wins, we will fly you to an event in Sydney where your idea will be presented.

How can I be part of this?

1. Get yourself a Yahoo! ID (if you haven’t already) and sign up to Answers on the Yahoo!7 Answers site. You can do both here.
2. Go to the Be A Better Planet Answers registration page and fill out the form.
3. Click on the link to tell us your idea.

You may well be wondering who will be involved in choosing the best answer for such an important question. Yahoo!7 has gathered six prestigious panellists who will work together to choose the final winner – including Yahoo! Chief and Co-founder David Filo, Planet Ark Founder Jon Dee, University of Technology Sydney Professor of Environmental Science Derek Eamus, All Saints actor Virginia Gay, New Idea Editor Robyn Foyster and the CEO of our very own Yahoo!7 Ian Smith.

Keep an eye on the Yahoo!7 Answers blog over the next couple of weeks to learn more about these great people and their involvement in environmental awareness.

We are all looking forward to reading your great ideas on how you would use $50,000 to create a more sustainable environment in Australia.

Less smog is just one of the benefits of a reduction in carbon emissions!

As a company, Yahoo!7 will be helping the planet by doing everything possible to become carbon neutral in 2007 and to encourage the rest of the community to follow suit. This is really encouraging news as the forecasts for global climate conditions over the next fifty years are very frightening – unless we all work together to change the way we treat the earth.

This plan for Yahoo! has come right from the top… Co-founder David Filo wants every office around the world to make an effort towards reducing carbon emissions this year – and he’s asking for your help to make it happen. If you have a suggestion on how the Yahoo!7 office and indeed all other Yahoo! headquarters can become carbon neutral then just go to David’s question and do what you do best – answer!

We can all work towards reducing our carbon footprints, just look at the phenomenal effort that was made for Earth Hour, when people switching their lights off for just one hour resulted in a 10.2% drop in energy use across the city of Sydney. Making a difference to reduce the impact of climate change is just as easy as unplugging electric products at the wall when you’re not using them, or making sure you turn out the lights when you leave a room at home or in the office.

As Kermit said, “it’s not easy being green,” but with a little willingness, creativity and research, it’s not so difficult to give it a try. Any attempt counts toward pitching in for a good cause: our future and the future of the planet we share. It seems that more and more people are making an effort lately – there is a lot of green-minded questions and responses on Answers, which is likely why David Filo turned to this community for help to begin with.

So what is your suggestion? How should Yahoo! go carbon neutral?

Clea

Leonardo Dicaprio and Bar Refaeli – tying the knot?

This weekend many Australians will be kept in the dark – voluntarily of course! Sydney will be leading Earth Hour, encouraging people to turn all non essential electricity in their homes and businesses off between 7:30 and 8:30pm on Saturday night. The venture is all part of a push by the World Wildlife Fund to reduce the amount of toxic gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect – or global warming – by 5 percent in 2007. It is in everybody’s best interests to take part in initiatives like this, after all we’ve only got one planet!

As well as wanting the planet to be healthy – we want our own bodies to be healthy… but nearly two hundred people in western Sydney didn’t quite manage that this week after contracting salmonella poisoning from a small bread shop. The hospitals in the area all had their hands full coping with patients reporting to have the nasty symptoms of the illness.

In the celebrity world the biggest rumour at the moment is that Leonardo Dicaprio is engaged to his girlfriend of less than 18 months Bar Refaeli. The pair have been visiting Bar’s parents and word is the Leo popped the question, with the wedding already scheduled to take place in June. Judging from the number of questions about Leo on Yahoo!7 Answers there will be many with broken hearts upon hearing the news!

Have a great weekend!

Clea

Cycling where possible is just one way to help the planet

This week Yahoo!7 Answers is featuring a question from Lawrence Bender, the producer of Al Gore’s environmental awareness film An Inconvenient Truth, and it has inspired me to take a browse through the Environment and Ecology category.

Hybrid cars, renewable resources, recycled water, there are so many issues that are being discussed within this category. Concern over the environment is a global issue that is only gaining momentum as more and more people realise the importance and gravity of the situation. Users are turning to Yahoo!7 Answers for ideas on how to save water, what type of car to buy and generally how to reduce their personal impact on the environment.

It is great to see so many people (not just celebrities!) taking the time to ask questions about the environment on Answers. As we learn more about the long term impact of global warming it becomes more and more evident that we need to change our lifestyles to delay some scary possibilities. I am taking baby steps by bringing my own mug to the coffee shop downstairs rather than wasting a paper cup and by riding a bike instead of driving whenever I can… if you want some more ideas on how to be environmentally friendly just ask Answers!

Clea