Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/131975
greenkeeper but the devil is in the detail. In general, re-usable nappies have less impact on the environment over a comparable usage period of two and a half years. However, the environmental benefits are immediately negated if the nappies are dried in a dryer, not on the clothes line. Interestingly, this is the case in every Australian state and territory except Tasmania, where the main energy source is renewable and the environmental impacts of using the dryer are therefore much less. So if you live in a state with abundant sunshine, or have access to renewable energy for domestic use, re-usable nappies are the way forward. Otherwise, disposable nappies are probably a better option. 4. Electric cars are greener than petrol-fuelled cars It's commonly thought that electric cars are the better environmental choice compared with cars that run on petrol. If exhaust emissions were the only criteria to assess a car's environmental performance, this would be correct, but you need to take a closer look at the components and maintenance of the car to test this assumption. Studies have shown that the biggest downside of electric and hybrid cars is the embedded carbon dioxide in the battery pack, increasing the embedded carbon by 40 to 50 per cent compared with a regular car. An electric car will only be carbon efficient if it compensates for this additional impact throughout its usage. This is possible only if the source of electricity is renewable in a significant amount, which is not the typical situation in Australia, where 85 per cent of electricity is generated from coal. Another aspect is the longevity of the battery pack. The longer the battery pack lasts before it needs to be replaced, the better the life cycle environmental impact. Short-lived batteries can undo the environmental gains of using renewable electricity. Before buying a car that you can plug into the grid, garner detailed information about the car's energy consumption, the longevity of the battery and the carbon intensity of the intended electricity source. What can you do? Simplified concepts, rules of thumb and basic measures are what we currently rely on to make 'green' consumer choices that will help us to reduce our environmental impact. This is not unreasonable, as we can't be expected to continuously research and weigh up all of the implications of our purchasing decisions. However, because few environmental decisions are one-dimensional and clear-cut, the full breadth 86 of environmental impacts must be captured in those things that support our decision-making, such as product labels, best practice guides and rating tools. This may mean we need to challenge the use of narrow, single-attribute product claims on labels, to avoid our good intentions having perverse outcomes on the environment. That said, there are leaders in the market who are showing the way by: • measuring and understanding the environmental impacts of their products and disclosing this information to the consumer. • communicating and highlighting the positive aspects of their products without ignoring poor environmental performance. • engaging, informing and driving change, together with suppliers and consumers, to improve environmental performance. As a consumer you can influence producers by: • learning about the full range of environmental issues beyond carbon emissions, water consumption and recyclability. • understanding what environmental issues are important to you so you can weigh up the trade-offs. • supporting the producers that improve their environmental performance. Edge Environment (sister company of Edge, publisher of OUTthere magazine) is a Sydney-based environmental consultancy providing practical solutions based on sound science to meet the needs of progressive and innovative organisations. For more information visit www.edgeenvironment.com.au.