Internet Resources

Contents

Enviropaedia

Environmental Encyclopaedia A-Z of Green Topics - short factual explanations. Environmental challenges – broad overview perspectives. Controversial Issues - exploring conflicting values and viewpoints. www.enviropaedia.com

Green Stay South Africa

GreenStaySA is an information resource that supports the move towards improved environmental performance for the accommodation sector. It provides guidance and support to facilities who wish to improve their environmental footprint and operate in an environmentally responsible manner. www.greenstaysa.org.za

Green Leaf Environmental Standards

The Green Leaf Environmental Standard is an International Standard that measures environmental issues. The aim of the standard is to reduce the effects of consumption on our environment and improve upon environmental management and awareness in an eco friendly manner. www.greenleafecostandard.net

Green Building

Green Building Media and Events is a media company focusing around all 'green' building aspects around the built environment industry. They achieve this through three key elements; an online information portal, a South African e-Journal of Green Building and various events including the annual Green Building Conference. www.greenbuilding.co.za

Simply Green

Simply Green Online is proud to be South Africa's no 1 website focussing on Green news and information. They update the site daily, bringing you the latest international and local news, and are also working hard to expand their Green offerring to you.Rapidly growing awareness of consumers about how their purchasing decisions affect the environment has shifted the desire for eco-options into the mainstream. www.simplygreen.co.za

Buy Environmental

Buy-environmental is a site that encourages companies to go green. It features case studies on many different companies and what they are doing to 'buy environmentally'. It shows you that your buying decisions can change the world and how to minimise your impact on the environment, who is doing it, and how to make the best environmental choices. www.buy-environmental.co.za

Sustainability Institute

The Sustainability Institute is a non-profit trust, founded in 1999. An international living and learning centre focussing on studies and experience in Ecology, Community and Spirit,Early Childhood Development, Community Development Practice and Management, project facilitation to establish Sustainable Neighbourhood Developments in various localities and Policy Research in the sustainable development sector. www.sustainabilityinstitute.net

Earthfire Africa JHB

Earthlife Africa is a non-profit organisation, founded in Gauteng, South Africa, in 1988, that seeks a better life for all people without exploiting other people or degrading their environment. They want to encourage and support individuals, businesses and industries to reduce pollution, minimise waste and protect our natural resources. www.earthlife.org.za

Envirochild

Envirochild is a growing and diverse group of residents of Hout Bay, dedicated to transforming our suburb into a healthy, prosperous and united community and developing South Africa's first Transition Town. www.envirochild.org

Going Green

Going Green is a real-life experiment in sustainable living. Is it possible to live in the "real world" of today while still pursuing your ideals? They've been wondering the same thing and that's partly what Going Green is all about. The mission of Going Green is to inspire and empower by giving people access to green ideas, products and services. www.goinggreen.co.za

Green Space

Green Space aims to provide a directory of environmentally preferable products and services available in South Africa.All the products and services listed on this website have environmentally friendly features and contribute in some way to the protection/conservation of our country's natural resources. www.greenspace.co.za

Smart Living Handbook

The Smart Living Handbook is a practical sustainability guide for people and households in Cape Town to make their homes safer and to save money, while working to reduce their impact on our precious environment. The book also provides information on key environmental resource issues facing us globally, and within our City. www.capetown.gov.za

Urban Sprout

Urban Sprout is a growing blog-style online community, featuring daily green blogs, events and a directory that focuses on organic and eco-friendly products.They deal with issues that are important to those with a sense of environmental & social responsibility - organic food, climate change, ethical consumerism, sustainable lifestyles and environmental justice. www.urbansprout.co.za

Life in Balance

Life in Balance is a website, where you can browse their archive of interesting articles, read the monthly newspaper online and use their handy resource guide to find eco-friendly, natural and organic products & services. www.lifeinbalance.co.za

The Natural Step

The Natural Step is an international not-for-profit organisation dedicated to education, advisory work and research in sustainable development. Since 1989, they have worked with thousands of corporations, municipalities, academic institutions and not-for-profit organisations that have proven that moving strategically toward sustainability leads to new opportunities, reduced costs, and dramatically reduced ecological and social impacts. www.thenaturalstep.org

Eco-Footprints

An Eco-Footprint is "a measure of the ecologically productive land needed to provide resources for consumption, storage for wastes, and other ecological services" (Earth Institute).

The Victorian EPA Eco-Footprint Calculator uses Australian figures and assumptions.

Glossary of Environmental Terms

For a comprehensive glossary of terms and further links from this excellent site - European Environment Agency Environmental Glossary

Australian Eco-Label Resources

Good Environmental Choice Australia

Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) is an Australian not for profit organisation established to certify environmentally preferable products and services. Standards may be downloaded from the site, and currently certified products range from photocopiers to rubber floor matting and concrete. A significant local initiative seeking to identify with independent verification best-practice products. For further information see 'Introduction to Eco labels'

Electronic Blueprint

The Electronic Blueprint is the principal point of reference and knowledgebase for Architects, Engineers and Builders, and the only package that fully integrates Regulatory and Standards requirements with comprehensive specifications, CAD details and Approved industry training.

International Eco-Label Resources

BRE (Building Research Establishment)

The BRE Group is a research, consultancy, training, testing and certification organisation covering all aspects of sustainability in the built environment. BRE is UK based, but has global scope under its sister company BRE Global. BRE Global is an independent third party approvals body that offers certification of fire, security and sustainability products and services. BRE provides a Life Cycle Assessment based service to calculate and award ‘Ecopoints’. See Ecopoints Glossary entry.

Greenseal

Greenseal is a respected US-based third-party labelling organisation that produces standards and labels for a wide range of products from anti-corrosive paints to air-sourced head-pumps.

Indoor Climate Labelling (ICL)

ICL (originally the Danish Indoor Climate Labelling) is now established both in Denmark and Norway with normative bodies (Danish Society of Indoor Climate and Norwegian Forum of Indoor Climate Labelling) and label issuing bodies (Danish Indoor Climate Labelling and Norwegian Indoor Climate Labelling). The normative bodies are responsible for the preparation and international co-ordination of the testing and labelling criteria of the ICL. The standard does not, however, give data on emission level requirements in English.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

UNEP-SETAC Life Cycle Initiative is a useful online introduction to the broader online world of LCA and an overview of why LCA is being integrated into UNEP processes internationally.

Pesticides Information Resources

Pesticides Action Network (US) is a non-government organisations dedicated to providing public domain data on pesticide toxicity. An excellently laid-out site with an enormous body of information. According to PAN all listings are subject to extensive peer-review before being listed. As well as data about pesticide toxicity the site has extensive links to data about low-toxicity alternatives, searchable by both pest and crop, as well further resources. US-based but useful resource.

The Pesticides Safety Directorate is a UK Government site with extensive links and data on pesticides from a UK perspective. Excellent for a perspective on the EU regulatory environment, the site features amongst other things an excellent 'A-Z' search listing banned and permitted pesticides, and an enormous amout of information on the approvals processes.

Pathogens and Bugs

Ever wondered if you should be worried about a particular bug - or bugs in general? An excellent and accessible resource on pathogens and 'bugs' is the US Food and Drug Administration's 'Bad Bug Book' which is available online. The reference has links to morbidity and mortality reports, current research on listed bugs, and links to other search facilities.

EnviroDevelopment

EnviroDevelopment is a scientifically-based branding system designed to make it easier for purchasers to recognise and, thereby, select more environmentally sustainable homes and lifestyles. EnviroDevelopment certified developments will have been carefully designed to protect the environment and use resources responsibly, whilst offering a range of benefits to homeowners, industry and government. The standards utilised by EnviroDevelopment have been determined by a panel of government, industry and environmental experts.

Certification for environmentally sustainable developments include achievements in:

water
energy
ecosystems
community
materials
waste

Please see the EnviroDevelopment website for more information.

AGO - Your Home

Your Home is a technical manual and consumer guide published by the Australian Department of Climate Change regarding how to design and live for a sustainable future. The guide provides information on issues such as passive design, water use, material embodied energy, indoor air quality, energy use and site issues.

Please see the Australian Department of Climate Change – Your Home website for more information.

Earth Building Association of Australia (EBAA)

Creating structures using technologies with sustainable earth materials and ancient traditions that are still relevant and appropriate in building practices today. Visit the EBAA website for further information.