IN THIS ISSUE
(Click on the story link)

SERVICE PARTNERS

SPECIAL OFFER Mar 2003

ECO EVENTS

Cool Communities Program

1. Interested in reducing your home energy bills
2. Want to do something abut climate change and
3. Live in the Leichhardt municipality

The NCC would like to hear from you. The Cool Communities project will run workshops with community groups, but individual households are welcome to join in also. 

Contact: Felicity Calvert
Tel: (02) 9279 2466
greenhouse@nccnsw.org.au

Handy Water Saving 
Hints for the Home

• Install a AAA rated shower head (cuts water use for showering by two thirds)

• Install a toilet flush water saver (see the Eco Starters Pack for more details)

• Buy a front loading AAA rated washing machine

• Put a cover over the pool to stop evaporation (also helps keep the pool warm)

• Wash your car on the Lawn

Calculate Your 
Ecological Footprint

How much land 
& water do you need?

The average Ecological Footprint in Australia is 7.6 global hectares per person. Worldwide, there exists 1.8 biologically productive global hectares per person.

Q. Ever wondered how much "nature" your lifestyle requires?
 
A. Click here to complete a short Ecological Footprint Quiz to estimate how much productive land and water you need to support what you use and what you discard.

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CONTACT US

Ecological Homes Pty Ltd
PO Box 2504, Strawberry Hills
NSW Australia 2012
Phone: 1300 73 07 07
Fax: (+61 2) 9557 8422
twalsh@ecologicalhomes.com.au
www.ecologicalhomes.com.au

Our Shop Address:

230 Enmore Rd, Enmore NSW 2042

FEEDBACK & ADVERTISING

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for the next issue? 
Let us know

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for the next issue. 
Contact us for a rate card 
or view it online

© Copyright 2002 Ecological Homes Pty Ltd (ABN 71 002 980 047)

Best Home Loan Rates

Best Fixed Rates

Following is a list of the best fixed rates currently available 
(as at 24th June 2003).

Fixed Period   

1 Year

5.25%

2 Years

5.69%

3 Years

5.75%

4 Years

5.85%

5 Years

5.99%

Best Discounted split rate: 4.25% 

Best Variable rate: 5.90%

Are you paying the best rate for your Home Loan?

Request a Free 
Home Loan Check 

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The Earth Repair Charter

Please Endorse the Earth Repair Charter

(If you haven't done so already)

Visit Their Great New Website www.earthrepair.net

Send an E-Card 
and Help Support Nature

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Vol 1 (Issue 11) - June 2003

Dear Reader,

Ecological Homes now has a new home located in Enmore, deep in the heart of one of the greatest concentrations of Green voters in the country (Green candidates recorded 45% primary votes in the recent NSW State election). 

The office has been designed and fitted out to provide a beautiful and sustainable demonstration space for some key environmental technologies.

We needed a healthy, light open planned and efficient workspace to run our business and are pretty happy with the result.

Over the next few weeks we will be sending everyone on our contact list an invitation to pop in for a visit and find out more about environmental housing solutions over a cup of organic tea or coffee.

As always, we welcome your thoughts and feedback on the newsletter and stories related to the environment. The deadline for contributions to the July issue is 13th July, 2003.

The Ecological Homes Team  

Story #1: Ecological Homes Opens 
its New Sydney Premises!

New Eco Housing Shop Opens!

After many busy weeks of planning, preparation and refurbishment, the team at Ecological Homes officially opened the doors of its new Sydney consulting and office space to the public.

The shop, at 230 Enmore Rd, Enmore,  is located deep in the heart of the Inner West - Sydney's greenest and most vibrant region.

Despite the limitations in size and site of our new office (52  m2 - street fronting, ground floor shop), it demonstrates many leading Eco solutions including:

• Oikos non-toxic and zero VOC paints

• Sisal non-toxic carpet (made from Agave cactus leaves)

• Marmoleum flooring (non-toxic hard-wearing flooring made from linseed oil, flax, pine rosin, wood flour, jute, limestone and cork)

• Ceiling ventilation fans (energy efficient air circulation)

• Natural and low wattage lighting (energy efficiency)

• Solar energy panels (greenhouse gas reductions)

• Kyocera KM 2530 multi-function office machine ( energy efficiency) 

• Water filter (drinkable water)

• Sink drainers (water waste reduction)

• Toilet flush water saving device (reduced wastewater)

• Native Plants in pots (oxygen and aesthetics)  

The shop has already been featured in the design publication, Desktop, showing off some of the beautiful feature walls that have been painted inside with the fantastic Oikos paints.

Members of the public are invited to call in to find out more about our range of environmental housing products and services plus view plans for our new housing projects in Melbourne and Sydney. 

We have a range of low cost environmental products available for sale including water saving devices, AAA rated shower heads, non-toxic cleaners and the Oikos non-toxic paints. Our paint consultants can advise you on colour schemes and finishes for you home or office and mix the paint for on the spot.  

Our office hours are:

Mon-Fri - 9am to 5:30pm
Saturdays - 11am to 3pm
Tel: 1300 73 07 07

The shop is accessible by public transport (bus nos. 426 or 428 from Town Hall) and is an easy 10 minute walk from Newtown Railway Station. Free parking is also available out the front of the shop and in Francis Street, adjacent to the shop.     

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Story #2: 100% No Deposit Home Loan Saves the Day! 

Young family secures a home of their own!

After nearly a year of being rejected by the major banks for a loan to buy their first home, Prabu & Jyotsna, a young couple recently immigrated from India, finally secured the loan they needed to buy their first home in Sydney's western suburbs with the help of our finance partners, Hiley Home Loans.

 "We had just about given up all hope of getting our home", says Jyotsna, "We had spent about a year approaching all the banks when we read about the 100% no deposit home loan on the Ecological Homes website." (see the April/May Edition of Econews)  

Within a couple of weeks of their first meeting with one of our mortgage brokers, Prabu & Jyotsna had received their unconditional home loan approval and were able to make an offer on their new home. A deposit on the home has now been paid. Prabu & Jyotsna will move into their new home in 6 weeks time.  

The 100% No Deposit Home Loan helps young families like Prabu & Jyotsna, who have limited savings and would normally be rejected for a home loan, to secure the money they need and get their foot in the door of the fast moving property markets in Australia. 

Contact our home finance experts at Hiley Home Loans today to find out how you too can make the break and secure your own home and beat the Home Buyers Blues.

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Story #3: Problems Emerging With Hydrogen Cars

Back to the Drawing Board for Hydrogen Cars 

In past issues of EcoNews, we have raised the prospect of Hydrogen Fuel cell cars as the possible solution for our personal transportation problems.

However, according to recent research published in Science Magazine, serious concerns exist about the potential and inherent dangers of using liquid Hydrogen as a Fuel source including:

• the technology used in hydrogen fuel cells could contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer

• large amounts of hydrogen could leak from storage vessels (Hydrogen liquid must be stored at very high pressures), drifting up into the stratosphere and increase the depletion of the ozone layer.      

In addition, the liquid Hydrogen is extremely expensive and energy intensive to produce and has to be stored in special containers that are heavily reinforced to withstand immense pressure. You wouldn't want to be near one of these tanks in case of an accident due to the extreme volatility of liquid Hydrogen. 

So it would seem that we are still many years away from a Hydrogen Fuel Cell car in every garage.

Greater Fuel Efficiencies in Petrol Engines Provides the Interim Solution?

Whilst the short-term prognosis for Hydrogen seems bleak, there appears to be tremendous scope for reducing greenhouse emissions from the domestic car by up to 50% in countries like the USA according the Pew Centre on Global Climate Change. 

These reductions could be achieved over a 10-20 year time frame simply by implementing already existing fuel emission technologies without any reduction the size or performance of the vehicles fitted with the technology.

Petrol-based transport accounts for about a third of all greenhouse emissions and 70% of all oil consumed by the USA. The problem remains, however, that oil is a non-renewable source and, ultimately, renewable forms of energy must be found to power our transportation systems. 

For the full version of the Pew Centre report go to: http://www.pewclimate.org

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Story #4: China - An Environmental Basket Case?

China Paying the Price of Rapid Growth 

The Chinese Economy has effectively been integrated into the world capitalist economy over the past 10 years with staggering growth rates of 8 to 10% per annum. This rapid growth has, however, led to a wide range of serious environmental problems including:

• Water pollution - more than half the watersheds of China's seven main rivers are contaminated by industrial, farm and household waste
• Air pollution - air in two-thirds of China's cities is polluted
• Sewage waste disposal - only one-quarter of China's 19 billion tonnes of household sewage is treated before release - recent research has linked the problem of sewage disposal to the outbreak of SARS 
• Threats to water supply - an annual water shortfall of 11,400 GL by 2030 is predicted (more than China now consumes in a year)

Booming industry and a population of 1.3 billion people have outstripped China's rudimentary water and sewage systems and left its cities choked with smog. Despite improvements, air in two-thirds of China's cities is still considered polluted by official Chinese standards (which usually under-state the problems).

What can we do about this?

1) Contact the State Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) of the People's Republic of China and let them know of your concerns

http://www.ihe.org/sepa.html

2) Send a protest email to Mr. Xie Zhenhua, Minister of the EPA (see picture on left) asking him for details on how his government will begin addressing these issues of major concern for the people and ecosystems of China

email the Minister at ymzhao@nepa.go.cn

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Get Out Your Message 
Advertising Space Available in EcoNews

In less than a year, the Ecological Homes website has recorded more than 900,000 hits from over 16,000 unique visitors. On average, each visitor spends up to 7 minutes viewing our site. This is incredible growth for a website that has spent very little on mainstream advertising. 

The amazing growth in website visits is due largely to our visitors referring the site on to their friends and the power of the Web! 

Contact us today to find out how 
you can reach this fast growing audience

Wise Words that Inspire

"Nothing is as real as a dream. 
The world can change around you, 
but your dream will not. 
Responsibilities need not erase it. 
Duties need not obscure it. 
Because the dream is within you, 
no one can take it away".

Author Unknown

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