The five best things you can do personally right now are;

• Change over to 100% accredited Green Power
  Check www.greenelectricitywatch.org.au for ratings
  Check www.greenpower.com.au for explanations
  Check www.greenpower.gov.au for info and suppliers
  Choose Green Gas if it's available in your area.
• Drive a more economical car (if you have to drive)
  Check www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au to rate your car
• Use your heating and cooling as little as possible
• Fly less (if you have to fly) and offset any flights you take
• Let your politicians know that you are concerned about climate change

By doing cheap and simple things like getting rid of the second fridge, not using an airconditioner, plugging drafts, using eco light bulbs and turning appliances off at the wall you'll reduce your energy use and 100% accredited green power won't cost you any more than what you are currently paying. At the same time you will be directly supporting the renewable energy sector.

Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

Every time you buy something energy is consumed in the provision of the good or service so purchase wisely.
By reusing what you already have you lessen the need for more goods to be produced and reduce landfill.
It's possible for Australians to recycle more, as the Swiss have shown by recycling 95% of their packaging.
For every kilo of waste sent to landfill around two kilos of methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) is produced.

• Australia wide recycling directory www.recyclingnearyou.com.au
• Victorian recycling directory www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
• Recycle your flouorescent and CFL lamps at www.environment.gov.au
• Recycle your mobile phone with www.mobilemuster.com.au or www.cleanup.org.au
• Recycle your computer at Byte Back www.bytebackaustralia.com.au or www.cleanup.org.au
• Recycle your paint at Paintback www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
• Recycle your batteries at Battery Back www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
• Recycle scrap metals with The Great Srap Roundup www.scrap.org.au
• Freecycle, a way of picking up and getting rid of second hand things free www.freecycle.org

Water

Yes we need to conserve water, but lack of water is just a symptom of climate change, we need to address the cause as well. The Australian Bureau of Meterology website contains a map of Australia summarising a fifty four year historical rainfall trend showing where more and where less rain has fallen due to climate change. Link In fifty years it's quite likley people in our capitals (other than Hobart and Darwin) will look back and wish that they had as much rainfall as we do today. Switching to green power saves water because huge volumes are used in coal (and nuclear) power stations.

More ideas

You're free to use and distribute the 20 things you can do today to fight Climate Change.pdf with a Jargon Buster on the back page provided the source is acknowledged.

• ACF Climate Change kit www.acfonline.org.au
• Environment Victoria www.envict.org.au
• Transition Towns www.transitiontowns.org
• Energy Smart Allies www.seda.nsw.gov.au
• Carbon Kicker www.abc.net.au
• Australian Greenhouse Office 'Cool it' www.greenhouse.gov.au
• Who on Earth cares? www.whoonearthcares.com
• How you can reduce your waste www.cleanup.org.au
• Alternative Energy Technology www.ata.org.au
• Request a feed-in Tarrif www.ata.org.au
• One at a Time Foundation www.oneatatimefoundation.org.au
• Green Pages product and services directory www.greenpagesaustralia.com.au
• Tips for Home, Office and Events www.easybeinggreen.com.au
• Greenpeace climate action page www.greenpeace.org
• Johnson Controls links page http://216.40.252.67/

Be the change, and lead by example.