How would you spend $50,000 to create a more sustainable environment in Australia?

Question

Yahoo!7 Answers is on a mission to find Australia’s most worthwhile environmental initiative and fund it with $50,000 and we need your ideas to make it happen.

If your answer is chosen by our panel of judges, Yahoo!7 will contribute $50,000 to an environmental organisation that will put it towards implementing your idea.

While anyone can answer the question, in order to be eligible to have your answer funded, you’ll need to first register your details with Yahoo!7 here - http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/aunz/lifestyle/answers/y7ans-babp_reg.html

Answer 1

The best use of $50,000 for the planet would be as a reward to the greenest school in the country. The money could be shared out to schools who are implenmenting a go green program. It may be divided into $30,000, $20,000 & $10,000 to provide a number of prizes that would encourage schools to go green. It is our children who will be most affected and it is our children who need to change the way we use our planet.

Answer 2

In My Own Opinion The Only Way To Create A More Sustainable Environment For Everyone Is To Start At Ground Level.
By This I Mean I Would Spend The Money On Not Building A New Home From Scratch Unless That Was The Most Cost Effective Answer. Rather I Would Reno My Home, Installing Heat Saving Solar Combi Boilers, A Water Cooling Or Heating System Which Relied On Evaporation Combined With A Water Collection Bladder Under The House Which Also Collected Rain Water If We Get Any! If Able A Reed Bed Soiled Water Treatment Pond. Sheep's Wool Insulation For Walls And Roof And Triple Glazing Made From Recycled Bottles. I'd Also Conditions And Planning Consent Permitting Turf The Roof And Give The Property The Australian Parliament Treatment, ie Bury It And Turf As Much Of The Outside As Possible.
Then If There Was Any Money Left Over I'd Convert The Car To Dual Fuel Or Put A Hydrogen Powered Town Car On My Wish List.
I Believe That It Is Everybody Doing What They Can To Their Homes Be It Solar Power, Wind Turbines, Sheeps Wool Insulation Or Just Recycling Everything You Possibly Can That Will Make The Differance Not Just One Person Or One Thing.
Thank You And God Bless Australia.

Answer 3

Hi,
you may have to read this a few times to understand it !

An issue for all inefficient Cars (most of them)
I have an old car hmm not very good one might think.
It runs on a old notebook computer using a product from MicroSoft (which you cant buy anymore).
I have modified the head and manifold and have reduced its Fuel Consumption by over 50%, on the Hwy, eg 1983 wagon with a normal 2L engine.

My best efforts is around 20-26 km/per L of fuel @ ~100km/h.

I know how to modify an engine, but I do not understand what is going on yet, I have many theories that need to be tested.
I know my current effort is only a mild version of what is to come, the compression ratio is ~10.5 to 1
tech stuff ......
" I have my 2nd engine on this planet that is naturally aspirated and is being fired on the down side, After Top Dead Center (ATDC)", with no special pistons, yes just sum internal mods in the head and other stuff.
The first was in 2002 sept
"I destroyed it before I could control it."
I now believe from early testing in 2002 that the final Compression Ratio could be around 20:1 , thus leading two a further 50% increase in efficiently so thats 4 times better than Normal.
so what, is that better than a current hybrid probably YES
Who knows what the final limit is "94% thermal efficiently"
some troubles....
The 1st engine fouled normal plugs up in 15 minutes , I had a very low combustion temperature with an extremely short burn time indicated by the knocking sounds.
Anyway..
So its half the fuel to go the same distance at the same speed, after 7 years research and lots of hardships.

My Wallet Enjoys it, very sustainable
The Environment must be enjoying too, but I don't have the money to test or prove it.
It has also cost a few engines to get this far too, but the positive side is,

I Could write of on of my engines every 3 months or so for the same cost of the extra fuel on an unmodified engine, but there is the down time, which I have plenty of that all the time.

An environmental organization well do I come near that.
I have discover a way to fix a lot of green house gas emissions on a Global Scale (needs to be Proved though)
I don't have much money not even enough to register a business name.

I would really like to finish this soon because it can be done to Most Spark Ignited Internal Combustion Engines.
I have yet to try my method on a modern fuel injected engine.
I would like to test it on a diesel engine as well, beacause
my mods are the equlivent of a free 7 psi super charger, this figure maybe more or less.

Its a way to stab Co2 levels in the back ( I hope It does)


Regards

SmokingWheels

Answer 4

I would do a theoretical model that created a CO2 neutral area.as well as feed the town by creating a permenent water supply . thereby reducing transport.
The fact is that it is a lie that solar is more expensive, what politicians are saying is that if every one went solar their associates in the power industry would not get the dividends they expect to keep up with their investments.
The idea is to show that by forming Coopracies within geographical regions and that can be any nominated area in Australia and by the people in that area buying a combination of solar and flywheel technology they then can gain many benifits their electric bill will never go up, in fact in time it goes down if inflation is taken into account, once the power system is owned then the Coopracy can use the accumulatting capitol for other improvments such as hyper cars, that are charged from the free electricity generated on thier roofs. and it is important to understand that it is better if whole communities buy solar together, it is far more economical, because they require less individual pieces. The idea is as the power system is paid off part of the payments are accumulated, this then helps governments because if we apply this to a town were there are lots of pensioners then there is less pressure on the capital of the commonwealth because if pensioners and low income earners are secure in their basic needs because they have un limited access to power but their bills always are at a nominal rate, then this theoretically saves the government the up keep of these to some extent thus the goverment needs less money from energy use This method is called Coopracy and Universal capitalism and it is something the government would rather you not know about. Because it is a lie that Solar is more expensive and both political parties are in fact doing nothing about the greenouse effect because they are both tied up with monopolies I would use the fifty grand to help promote the idea expressed here and expose the fraud coming from Howard and Rudd.

Answer 5

The answer to reducing CO2 emmissions is not a technical one but a philosophical one. there already are enough technical solutions to solve the problems beginning now. The problem is one about capitalism and how that has been mutated to become monopolised. So politics become owned by capitalism and is then bound by this association and the promise of wealth to go along with monopolistic capitalists. This is why our politicians are so willing to give millions to milionaires in the pwer ind, then say we will leave it to the market.
how I would use the fifty thousand dollars is by creating with the help of more technically minded people than myself a model using a location[town] in the NSW countryside. I would do a theoretical model that created a CO2 neutral area.as well as feed the town by creating a permenent water supply . thereby reducing transport.
The fact is that it is a lie that solar is more expensive, what politicians are saying is that if every one went solar their associates in the power industry would not get the dividends they expect to keep up with their investments.
The idea is to show that by forming Coopracies within geographical regions and that can be any nominated area in Australia and by the people in that area buying a combination of solar and flywheel technology they then can gain many benifits their electric bill will never go up, in fact in time it goes down if inflation is taken into account, once the power system is owned then the Coopracy can use the accumulatting capitol for other improvments such as hyper cars, that are charged from the free electricity generated on thier roofs. and it is important to understand that it is better if whole communities buy solar together, it is far more economical, because they require less individual pieces. The idea is as the power system is paid off part of the payments are accumulated, this then helps governments because if we apply this to a town were there are lots of pensioners then there is less pressure on the capital of the commonwealth because if pensioners and low income earners are secure in their basic needs because they have un limited access to power but their bills always are at a nominal rate, then this theoretically saves the government the up keep of these to some extent thus the goverment needs less money from energy use This method is called Coopracy and Universal capitalism and it is something the government would rather you not know about. Because it is a lie that Solar is more expensive and both political parties are in fact doing nothing about the greenouse effect because they are both tied up with monopolies I would use the fifty grand to help promote the idea expressed here and expose the fraud coming from Howard and Rudd. There is far more to this, just remember the interest on debt is pollution, Join me please in an evolution in democracy and capitalism

Answer 6

Many of the newer environmental organisations are doing very good work. Yet they tend to treat the symptoms of environmental degradation instead of the root cause - population growth. The worst problem is sprawl and suburbanisation. Many factors have contributed to our environmental problems, including the myth that we must have continued growth no matter what, a media that has not paid much attention to the environment and our personal consumption patterns. The environmental movement has gone from largely a citizen-based activist movement to an organisational movement run on paid staff. While this seems to happen with all citizen movements, it has been particularly harmful to the environmental movement. It has resulted in less passion, less citizen involvement, less creativity and less risk taking. The movement relies on paid lobbyists to do most of the work, and the members are largely limited to signing petitions after receiving an email action alert.
The connection between population growth and the environment is perhaps best expressed through what is known as the foundation formula or the environmental impact equation

I = PAT

What this says is that any environmental input is the result of three factors; the size of the population, the affluence and wealth of that population and the technology or type of consumption that the population spends its wealth on. What has happened is that environmental organisations have disregarded the population part of the equation and focused almost entirely on the technology part of the equation, be it driving more fuel efficient cars or encouraging "smart growth."

Almost no resources are put into addressing the concern of population growth. Australia's population, in comparison to other countries, is obviously very low. However, our resources are not plentiful and we have the highest rate of mammal extinction in the world. Such a beautiful and unique country like Australia needs protection. Population growth is a major cause of environmental degradation. If I had 50,000 dollars I would help establish population growth as a high priority by environmental organisations. I would also use it to set up a website which deals with feminist issues regarding having children, and how it is in fact very in tune with our maternal instincts to deeply care for the environment and to adopt children, rather than produce more offspring. This, of course, is rather subversive considering the government's encouraging of women to reproduce with baby bonus grants. Population is a sensitive issue, but it really is time that environmental leaders stopped worrying about offending, gathered their courage, and began alerting everyone to the need to rein back numbers dramatically in a humane and democratic fashion, for the sake of this precious sunburnt country.

Answer 7

ok THE ANSWER FOR NUCLEAR ELECTRICITY.....

There was man called Tesla and he was doing great reasearch many years ago with electro magnatism. This most practical and in expensive answer is so simple a genius couldn't think of it. This machine which is powered by Electro magnets will generate its own electricity.

I call it the production of electricity form magnetic momentum.
If my answer was to be implemented The organisation i would be seeking out would be the Australian CSIRO department which in probably a month would have a working model. Than an operational plant within a year easily. The the world will be free of green house gas emissions for the production of electricity all together because and im being sinical a babey could do it. No need for Nu-clear power stations

The only reason this answer is coming out is because i am poor, so poor. I dont have the money to just make a simple model.

1/ I will be compesated to a royaly of 1% for all the moneis made from my invention the Purpetual Electrical Generator hehe i whish.

The generator is powered by electro magnets fixed on a steel or concrete surface in a circular fashion. The magnets are placed closely at a 45 degree angel.

At the centre of the circle of electro magnets is a housing for a centre axel for a wheel A BIG WHEEL "HUGE". Now on the wheel is also a series of electro magnets placed also at a 45 degree angel. Both the polarities of the magnets are the same so a pushing motion is created, purpetually hence magnetic momentum.

The amount of power put to the magnets (supplied by the machine itself) will determin how much electricity is produced. It is concievable to me that solar power alone may be enough just to start the machine then the machine need never be stopped only for maintanence issuse such as replacment parts.

The concept: Much like a car, altenator, battery system which stores the electricity created by the altenator in the battery, the altenator continually recharges the battery so it doesnt go flat, which in turn is fed back to the starter motor when you turn the key in the ignition which restarts the motor, it's totally cyclical.

Purpetual Electrical Generator.

At the present a petrol fuelled motor is doing that same job lets get rid of the motor is what i am saying and the need for it because i got a new one :)

A fixed ring of magnets pushing a ring of non fixed magnets in a circular motion to create electricity much like the very GREEN windmill . If wind alone can create electricity. How much more so the immense power created by electro magnets and the absolute beauty of it is it costs vurtually nothing to run "Only maitanence issuses Bairings and parts".

I TELL YOU THIS IS "A' ANSWER and if no-one can get their heads around this than i truly am i genius. It will work.

How big is your mind you can do anything.

Now you have the answer what the bloody hell you waiting for

"GO SAVE THE WORLD" for a while. This machine has the potenial to power motor cars. Electric cars. This machine has the ablitiy to power a househould. Can be portable or other wise.

My $50.000 is in this, it'll work, and people will kill to stop it.

Good luck :) This is 'The' answer. No need to burn coal. No need to go nu-clear. No need for petrol driven cars.

How big is your mind, think about it?

Answer 8

Can i have your attention please? Quite simply the answer is 'Cheese'.

No, it's not.

In fact it's something quite different.

$50 000 isn't going to save the world. But it is enough to build a platform to raise awareness and much needed funds to help create a more sustainable environment.

And i have a plan. With or without Yahoo7, it's going full steam ahead!

Being an established entrepreneur and having worked in the environmental industry and also having set up my own non-profit organisation in a developing country, i have been formulating a plan for several years now that will capture the minds and the money of the Australian public. Raising awareness and funds for Australia's environmental concerns.

I am very reluctant to give away too much of the plan, but i can say it is a website that captures the essence of traditional online fund raising techniques along with the latest internet technologies such as You Tube, My Space etc with a very special twist ... the twist i will not give away.

I have a ready to go business plan, it will integrate nicely with any Australian environmental organisation and it will fit within the budget - to develop the site and begin a viral marketing campaign that will be taken up by the media, big business and the general public like no other fund raising campaign in the history of fund raising.

Of this i am sure. Let me know if you want to know more.

[e-mail]

Answer 9

" I have my 2nd engine on this planet that is naturally aspirated and is being fired on the down side, After Top Dead Center (ATDC)", with no special pistons, yes just sum internal mods in the head and other stuff.
The first was in 2002 sept
"I destroyed it before I could control it."
I now believe from early testing in 2002 that the final Compression Ratio could be around 20:1 , thus leading two a further 50% increase in efficiently so thats 4 times better than Normal.
so what, is that better than a current hybrid probably YES
Who knows what the final limit is "94% thermal efficiently"
some troubles....
The 1st engine fouled normal plugs up in 15 minutes , I had a very low combustion temperature with an extremely short burn time indicated by the knocking sounds.
Anyway..
So its half the fuel to go the same distance at the same speed, after 7 years research and lots of hardships.

My Wallet Enjoys it, very sustainable
The Environment must be enjoying too, but I don't have the money to test or prove it.
It has also cost a few engines to get this far too, but the positive side is,

I Could write of on of my engines every 3 months or so for the same cost of the extra fuel on an unmodified engine, but there is the down time, which I have plenty of that all the time.

An environmental organization well do I come near that.
I have discover a way to fix a lot of green house gas emissions on a Global Scale (needs to be Proved though)
I don't have much money not even enough to register a business name.

Answer 10

By This I Mean I Would Spend The Money On Not Building A New Home From Scratch Unless That Was The Most Cost Effective Answer. Rather I Would Reno My Home, Installing Heat Saving Solar Combi Boilers, A Water Cooling Or Heating System Which Relied On Evaporation Combined With A Water Collection Bladder Under The House Which Also Collected Rain Water If We Get Any! If Able A Reed Bed Soiled Water Treatment Pond. Sheep's Wool Insulation For Walls And Roof And Triple Glazing Made From Recycled Bottles. I'd Also Conditions And Planning Consent Permitting Turf The Roof And Give The Property The Australian Parliament Treatment, ie Bury It And Turf As Much Of The Outside As Possible.

Answer 11

The fact is that it is a lie that solar is more expensive, what politicians are saying is that if every one went solar their associates in the power industry would not get the dividends they expect to keep up with their investments.
The idea is to show that by forming Coopracies within geographical regions and that can be any nominated area in Australia and by the people in that area buying a combination of solar and flywheel technology they then can gain many benifits their electric bill will never go up, in fact in time it goes down if inflation is taken into account, once the power system is owned then the Coopracy can use the accumulatting capitol for other improvments such as hyper cars, that are charged from the free electricity generated on thier roofs. and it is important to understand that it is better if whole communities buy solar together, it is far more economical, because they require less individual pieces. The idea is as the power system is paid off part of the payments are accumulated, this then helps governments because if we apply this to a town were there are lots of pensioners then there is less pressure on the capital of the commonwealth because if pensioners and low income earners are secure in their basic needs because they have un limited access to power but their bills always are at a nominal rate, then this theoretically saves the government the up keep of these to some extent thus the goverment needs less money from energy use This method is called Coopracy and Universal capitalism and it is something the government would rather you not know about. Because it is a lie that Solar is more expensive and both political parties are in fact doing nothing about the greenouse effect because they are both tied up with monopolies I would use the fifty grand to help promote the idea expressed here and expose the fraud coming from Howard and Rudd. There is far more to this, just remember the interest on debt is pollution, Join me please in an evolution in democracy and capitalism