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We see climate change statistics all the time - "sea levels to rise 50cm" or "average temperatures to go up 3 degrees" - and we recognise that they’re bad. But it can be hard to relate to those abstract numbers - the numbers are global, but our daily experiences are local.

A recent article in The Australian, "Climate Facts to warm to", makes much of a recent interview where Jennifer Marohasy asserts that global temperatures have plateaued this century.

But looking around the web, the only data I can find is NASA's GISS data that shows the climate continues to warm with 2005 being the warmest year ever recorded, and 2007 coming equal second...despite the solar cycle being at its lowest ebb! Thats a long way from a plateau!

Given that the majority of the carbon dioxide we're each responsible for comes from the manufacture and transport of what we buy, consuming less can make a big difference to our environmental impact. Plus, it can save us money too! This article contains some straightforward tips to get you started on reducing our paper usage around the home.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has just released their latest compilation of statistics. This reveals that 98% of all the energy produced by Australia is from non-renewable sources - primarily coal and uranium. Only 2% of power was from renewable sources, like solar, wind and biofuels.

The light at the end of the tunnel is that the latest available statistics date from 2005/06. With the recent, rapid growth in public knowledge of the issues, hopefully an improvement is around the corner!

Sometimes circumstances make it difficult to do the "big things" when improving the sustainability of your house. Things like installing solar cells, or replacing hot water systems. This article covers how some simple changes, like turning down the thermostat and replacing light bulbs, was enough to cut one household's power consumption by almost a third.

There has been a renewed push in the last few years for nuclear power plants. The big argument in favour of nuclear is the claim that they are “zero emissions”. Because they don’t actually burn anything, the power generation (fission) produces no greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. But nuclear plants need fuel, and getting that fuel is not emission free!

Not stunning rocket science - just 4 basic ways to keep an eye on your household's environmental impact. Once you can measure it, you can make a start on reducing it!