Carbon emissions are a big part of Treading Lightly. Jamie & Nick attempted to live within 2 tonnes of carbon emissions each. Settling on 2 tonnes was based on a average of multiple sources. Some sources suggest as little as 1 tonne p/person p/year up to 3 tonnes p/person p/year.
Sources supporting 1 tonne p/person (from Google Scholar):
Sources supporting 3 tonne p/person (great source of info and ideas in any case):
Book: How Bad Are Bananas? by Mike Berners-Lee
Book: How to Live a Low-Carbon Life by Chris Goodall
To calculate an estimate of your carbon footprint, visit:
We used (and continue to use) the search engine www.ecosia.com for the documentary. They use advertising revenue to plant trees.
For every 45 searches, 1 tree is planted = estimated 50 kg offset. Our 1700+ searches during our Treading Lightly year would make for a decent offset, but if we are going to be fair, it’s Ecosia’s offset, not ours. So we didn’t include it.
During the making of Treading Lightly, Jamie and Nick discovered the ecological footprint. This concept looks beyond carbon as a measure of human impact on the planet.
This report was a valuable resource for Treading Lightly and was used as a reference multiple times during the film.
2018 WWF Living Planet Report
Revegetation project in the film:
Lot 50 Kanyanypilla was the revegetation site that appeared in the film. For more info, please visit.
Volunteer to grow/plant trees:
Trees For Life – https://treesforlife.org.au
Greening Australia – https://www.greeningaustralia.org.au
BioR – http://bior.org.au
Ecology and Pest Animals:
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature – https://www.iucn.org
The demographer in the film spoke about human population and where it’s going. Here are his references.
Book: Your Home: Australia’s Guide to Environmentally Sustainable Homes by Department of the Environment and Energy
Due to Jamie and Nick’s distance from most services, friends and the city, they purchased E-bikes to be a ‘middle way’ approach to transport. For more info on why, this article sums it up the best. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/23/business/e-bikes-electric-bicycles.html
Air travel comes with high emissions. To calculate your travel emissions, visit: https://www.travelmath.com
Wicking Bed Guide: https://vergepermaculture.ca/wp-content/uploads/wicking-bed-infographic.jpg
Composting Guide: http://foodwise.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Compost-ONLINE.pdf
Bokashi Guide: http://growingvitality.com.au/BBKITinstructions.pdf
Restore Your Soil: www.soilfoodweb.com
How to Build a Bee Home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zaQzJxSheQ
Food waste is bad for the environment. To see how bad, visit this food waste to methane calculator:
Food Waste Guide: https://www.fix.com/blog/guide-to-food-waste/
If you are looking to collect food waste for a charity, consumption or compost, this legislation might help:
Civil Liability Act 1936
It states in division 11A—Food donors and distributors 74A—Food donors and distributors
What can be recycled in Australia will depends on your council. For Jamie and Nick, these websites were revenant and useful. Maybe they are for you too.
Recycling Disposal Guides are available for most councils online, you can search through your council website. Here’s Jamie and Nick’s.
John Coveney PhD, APD – Professor of Global Food, Culture and Health
Udoy Saikia – College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Dr Martin Freney – School of Art, Architecture and Design
Andrew Allan – Bachelor of Urban & Regional Planning (Hons)/Grad Dip/Masters School of Art, Architecture and Design
Dr Gavin Malone – Cultural Geographer & Environmentalist
Michelle Burger – Rite Price Discount Groceries