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AUT Sustainability Newsletter

What's happening at AUT...
Do you cycle to AUT?

AUT currently has bike stands for staff and students on all three campuses, these can be found on mazemaps. There are further secure bike parks on the City Campus for staff and postgraduate students. Contact transport@aut.ac.nz if you would like to use these facilities.

AUT has a small budget to make some improvements to bicycle parking facilities. As a result, we would like to understand what facilities are most important to you so we can factor that into improvements. 

If you cycle to AUT regularly (more than once a week) and would like to influence what new facilities are implemented please fill out this quick (anonymous) form.

Green Impact AUT
We have had lots of new and returning teams of both staff and students sign up already this year! If you are keen to join but do not have a team please email sustainability@aut.ac.nz. 

For new and returning teams a great place to start is the Strategy section in Bronze. Notably action B030 - Making a plan of action, this will help you to map out what you want to achieve and how you will do this!
Green Impact 2021 closes in...
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Something easy you can do...
Impulse buying clothing, shoes and things is contributing to our take, make and waste society. To make sure you actually need and would use a product you are wanting to purchase, think about it for one month. For example, taking time to think about a garment will help you answer questions like 'do I already own something similar?', 'is this an impulse buy?', will I realistically wear this often?' and 'is this a one season wonder?' After a month you will know for sure if you actually want and need this item. 
(Action B033 in Green Impact)
What's happening in the wider world...
Earth Hour

Earth Hour this year broke all records with 192 countries and territories lending their support for the planet. Earth Hour generated 6.7 billion impressions globally on social media platforms and many influential figures showed public support.

“By continuing to destroy nature, we are the ones who are responsible for increasing our own vulnerability to pandemics, accelerating climate change, and threatening our food security. This has to change, and Earth Hour shows that millions of people around the world are demanding that change." "This is the year when we must commit to reverse nature loss by the end of this decade, building a nature positive society.” - Director General at WWF international.

New Zealand was one of the first countries to turn off our lights. Both the Auckland Sky Tower and the Parliament House in Wellington went dark in support. AUT ensured all non-essential lighting and other equipment was off, as well as non-essential lighting of signage.

Check out some awesome videos of turning the lights off at global landmarks here and here.

Sustainable Easter

Easter can be a very wasteful holiday. Here are a few ideas for a more sustainable one:

  • If you are having a hunt, get second hand baskets/carriers or use what you already have
  • Skip the Easter gifts
  • If you can not avoid the individually wrapped chocolates, collect all of the (clean) foil wrappers into a ball, you can combine this with other foil till the ball is the size of your fist or bigger, it can then be recycled.
  • Look for loose options of chocolate that come package free where possible, NZ made is also a bonus (Goodfor is a great place to look)
  • Look for local bakeries that sell hot cross buns or try make your own
  • Cut out plastic Easter decorations
  • If decorating eggs, buy free range and use natural dyes 
  • If you are hosting an event, cater to your number of expected guests to avoid food waste. Save and distribute any leftovers
If you have any more eco-friendly Easter ideas share these on the Green Impact Facebook Group!
Say no to short car trips

Transport is New Zealand's biggest carbon emitter making up nearly half of NZ's energy-related emissions. If you own a car, chances are it is your biggest emitter of carbon too. Nearly 1 in 3 car trips taken in NZ are les than 2 km in distance for things like grocery shopping or other errands. This makes for over 1 billion short car trips every year in NZ. 

Short car trips have a larger impact on the environment than long haul trips as cold engines burn more fuel. Joe Bye from ECCA comments that while it is our tendency just to reach for the car keys people should consider more climate-friendly modes of transport for these short trips e.g a walk, a bike, the bus or rent an e-scooter. 

“If every New Zealand household switched their car for a climate-friendly mode of transport for two trips every week, we could save around 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year,” EECA’s Jo Bye said.

Fortnightly Species: Bat/pekapeka

New Zealand is home to two endemic species of bat - the long-tailed bat and the short-tailed bat (pictured). These are Aotearoa's only native land mammals!
Long-tailed bat facts!
  • These are smaller than the short-tailed bats and chestnut in colour
  • They are believed to produce only one offspring per year
  • Their echo-location calls can sometimes be heard by people
  • They can fly up to 60 km/h and have a home range of up to 100 km2
Short-tailed bat facts!
  • Unlike most bats who catch their prey airborne, these have evolved to hunt on the ground 
  • In colder weather they go into 'torpor' and stay in their roosts
  • Males compete for traditional 'singing' posts and sing to attract females
In Maori folklore bats are associated with the mythical bird that flies at night and foretells death and disaster. 

The long-tailed bat is classed as 'nationally critical' and the short-tailed bat subspecies range from 'nationally vulnerable' to 'recovering'. Threats to bats in NZ include forest clearance, the removal of old-age trees, predation and exclusion from roosts from introduced species and human interference. 
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