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The secret to maintaining a good quality of life during pandemic lockdowns is to spend as much time in nature – or exposed to nature – as COVID regulations allow. If your urban-based dad is still in lockdown and he is an avid traveller and nature-lover, he may be feeling trapped in the built environment.

So this Father’s Day, move beyond the usual eco gifts such as organic socks and jocks and consider giving your dad a gift that will help him rediscover some natural joys closer to home and express his unique sustainable style.

If you’re stuck for ideas, here is a list of Father’s Day gift ideas for your sustainability-conscious father or father figure:

1. Organic Cotton Duffle Bag

When lockdowns end – and they will eventually end – travel-obsessed dads will be looking to book interstate trips and overseas holidays and they’ll need some travel goods to take with them. The Terra Threads ‘Bumi’ unisex duffle bag is the perfect size for quick getaways. Made from heavy duty Fairtrade-certified organic cotton canvas and responsibly made (read: workers are paid fair wages), this is a functional and versatile bag suitable for many off-grid adventures.

Price A$99.95. Comes in a range of colours including charcoal, sand dune and olive green. Shop here.

2. Sustainable Watch

Think it’s time your dad upgraded to a watch that matches his eco ethos? Hong Kong-based sustainable watch brand 2°EAST produces stylish watches with a minimalist twist that is built to last and made from low-impact materials such as zero waste ion plating and comes in recyclable packaging. It is also made as ethical-as-can-be in a local factory that has strong commitments to the well-being and rights of its workforce.

They also offer plenty of watch design options too: a black or white face, vegetable tanned Italian full grain leather strap, a fine silver or rose gold mesh strap or a printed woven strap made from 100% post-consumer RePET recycled plastic bottles. 2°EAST watches also feature sapphire crystal glass to ensure the watch face doesn’t scratch and Miyota quartz movements for precise and reliable movements. This is an eco luxury watch that doesn’t cost the earth.

Price US$130. Browse the entire range here.

3. Climate Crisis Game

Is your dad a bit of a board game addict? He’s going to enjoy playing Climate Crisis, a new game released by Nerd Games. This educational board game requires players to pool their special skills, work collaboratively to coordinate actions and devise strategies in search of scientific discoveries that will solve the global climate crisis, stabilise world population, stay alive and achieve environmental sustainability.

While developing the game, the team at Nerd Games conducted intensive research and before finalising the game, received feedback and materials from the Climate Council, Australia’s leading climate change communications non-profit organisation. True to its subject matter, there is no plastic used in the game, non-toxic vegetable inks are used and all components are recyclable.

Price $69.95. Buy now.

4. ‘The New Organic Grower’ by Eliot Coleman

If your father is getting serious about growing food since the COVID panic-induced supermarket runs, then he’ll appreciate the book ‘The New Organic Grower‘ by Eliot Coleman. First published in 1989 and recently updated for its 30th anniversary, this resource guide is as popular now as it was when it was first released. Jam-packed full of practical growing advice from one of the world’s leading voices in organic agriculture and small-scale market gardening, this resource will help your dad produce crops in abundance and make the most of the growing space he has.

Price $38.25. Shop here.

5. Organic Canvas Duvet + Sleeping Bag

Australian bespoke lifestyle and homewares brand Pony Rider, known for its quality bedding and canvas accessories, produces a multi-functional organic canvas duvet that’s versatile enough to use as a sleeping bag. Made from GOTS-certified organic cotton, the canvas fabric is durable yet soft, and is machine washable. Make a gift of it and your dad will never leave for a camping and fishing trip without it!

Price $289. Comes in khaki, stone and tobacco brown (pictured below). Shop here.

6. Digital Nomad Set

Bellroy’s Digital Nomad Set is for the stylish dad who works remotely appreciates minimalist design and quality goods. The set contains a sleek laptop cover (choose from 13-inch or 16-inch) with magnetic closure and a tech kit that can hold chargers, cables, earbuds and other device accessories. Crafted from a durable woven fabric and environmentally certified leather (there is also a leather-free option), these eco-friendly digital accessories also comes with a three-year warranty.

Price $129. Comes in black, limestone (leather-free) and marina blue. Shop here.

7. DIY Mushroom Kit

For the father who loves eating gourmet mushrooms or loves to garden, or both, this DIY mushroom grow kit from Life Cykel is the ideal gift. Each mushroom box is filled with coffee ground substrate that can be composted at the end of its life. With just a little TLC aka spraying with water and monitoring growing, in just two weeks, your dad can harvest his first crop of mushrooms. The grow your own mushroom kit grows up to 500 grams of mushrooms and allows for three harvests.

Price $35. Shop here.

8. Outdoor Apparel

For the outdoorsy dad who should invest in proper apparel but doesn’t, this is your opportunity to show dad the best of sustainable outerwear. There are plenty of eco-conscious brands making fleece jumpers, down jackets, waterproof vests and warm base layer clothing for even the harshest of climates. Patagonia, Kathmandu and Icebreaker are all making progress in various areas of environmental sustainability, whether it be low-impact or natural fabrics, ethical sourcing, responsible manufacturing and reducing plastic packaging. If your dad loves the natural world, get him environmentally friendly threads. It’s just not cool to love the environment and still be wearing fast fashion.

Men’s Bivy Down Jacket by Patagonia.

Disclosure: This curated list does not fully take into account all ethical considerations that are unique to each individual. Before making a purchase, we encourage you to do your own research paying particular attention to the supply chain and your own particular set of ethics. Prices are correct at time of publishing. For more information, click here. Cover image via Pony Rider.

 

Last month’s dire report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change may have left you feeling overwhelmed, or unsure what to do next. We often hear about ways everyday people can tackle climate change, but which acts will make the biggest difference?

The academic literature tells us three spheres of our lives contribute most to climate change: home energy use, transport, and food consumption. Together, these activities comprise about 85% of a household’s carbon footprint.

As one study showed, by adopting readily available practices, households in developed countries can cut their carbon footprint by 25% with little or no reduction in well-being.

Clearly, national governments must set, and meet, ambitious emissions-reduction targets. But 72% of global greenhouse gas emissions are related to household consumption. So small changes at the household level really can make a world of difference. Here’s a guide to get you on the right path.

Many people want to act on climate change at a household level, but where’s the best place to start? Photo: Photo: Li-An Lim.

1. Home

Using energy in the home more efficiently is a good way to reduce your impact on the climate. Signing up to so-called “demand response” programs is a relatively new way to do this.

Demand response involves making changes to energy use to reduce stress on the electricity grid during times of high demand. In Australia, this often entails electricity companies offering financial incentives to households so they use less energy at peak times.

For example in Queensland, the state-owned company Energex offers up to A$400 to those who install a “PeakSmart” air conditioner. When the electricity system is under stress, the electricity network will remotely switch the air-conditioner into a lower performance mode.

Energy retailers have also been trialling demand response programs in other states. For example under AGL’s Peak Energy Rewards program, customers can choose to receive an SMS message prompting them to reduce their energy use at peak times. By turning up the temperature on the air conditioning or waiting to do the laundry, people can earn discounts on their energy bills.

Demand response leads to less electricity use and reduces the need for fossil-fuel electricity generation at times of high demand – and so, can cut greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity sector.

2. Transport

If you drive a traditional petrol or diesel vehicle, try to reduce the amount of time your engine idles. Research last year found Australian motorists are likely to idle more than 20% of the time they’re driving. If idling was eliminated from all journeys, the emissions saved would equal that of removing up to 1.6 million cars from the road.

While some idling is unavoidable such as when stopped at traffic lights, drivers can turn their engines off while parked and waiting in their vehicle.

And drive smoothly, not aggressively. Driving with limited acceleration and braking has been found to significantly reduce emissions.

You might be thinking of making your next car an electric vehicle. While the cost of electric vehicles has traditionally been prohibitive for many people, the technology is expected to reach price parity with conventional cars in Australia in the next few years. And these days, you can even get a good second-hand deal.

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about whether electric cars are a good choice for the planet. So where does the truth lie?

It’s true that electricity used to charge an electric vehicle’s battery is often sourced from fossil fuels. And energy is still required to make an electric vehicle – in particular, the battery.

However, last year, research found in 95% of the world, electric vehicles were less emissions-intensive than traditional cars over their full life cycle – even accounting for the current emissions intensity of electricity generation.

If you buy an electric vehicle, it’s important to ensure potential emissions savings are realised. One way of doing this is by recharging during the middle of the day when renewable electricty is most abundant. And don’t forget, as renewable energy forms an ever-increasing share of the electricity mix, the climate benefits of electric vehicles become even greater.

And of course, don’t forget about the obvious low- or zero-emission ways to get around: walking, cycling, catching public transport and car pooling.

Second-hand electric cars are a lower-cost option. Good Car Co

3. Food

Research earlier this year showed food systems are responsible for a third of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. And recent studies show even if the world stopped burning fossil fuels immediately, emissions from the global food system could still push global temperatures over the 1.5? warming threshold.

Reducing meat consumption is a well-known way to cut your carbon footprint. In fact, recent research from Sweden showed just how high emissions from meat and dairy products are, compared with substitute products. It found:

• lamb is 25 times more polluting than tofu
• milk is five times as polluting as oat drink
• dairy-based cheese is four times as polluting as vegan cheese.

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Related Post: 10 Practical Tips For Going Vegan

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In Australia, the range of meat alternatives is growing quickly. In just one example, Sydney-based All G Foods is developing plant-based mince, sausages, chicken and bacon, as well as “cow-free” dairy products. Helped along by $5 million in federal government funding, the company’s first product launches this month.

Another food that promises to help cut your carbon footprint is seaweed. Australia is only just catching on to the benefits of commercial seaweed production, which can be grown with few environmental costs.

Australia’s first factory manufacturing food-grade seaweed products opened in New South Wales last year. It has the capacity to put seaweed into pastas, and even muesli!

Reduce, reuse, inspire

Reducing your climate footprint is not just about buying “green” stuff: it’s also about avoiding consumption in the first place. So try to buy less – and if you can’t avoid it, try and buy second-hand.

You never know, you might start a revolution. Evidence suggests people who observe their peers undertaking environmentally friendly behaviour often adopt similar actions.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Author: Andreas Chai, Associate Professor, Griffith University.

 

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Succulents make a cute gift, but let’s face it, during the days of pandemic lockdowns, in an effort to connect with the natural world, most people turned to gardening and some built impressive succulent collections. Since succulents multiply and are easily propagated, a succulent gift post-COVID just doesn’t have the same impact as it once did. Come to think of it, nor do house plants. After all, there’s only so many Monsteras and peace lilies one can own.

So if you’re stuck on ideas for what to get your nature-obsessed, eco-conscious friend or family member and want to move beyond just giving plants, this gift guide is for you. Here are some creative ideas we hope will inspire your gift giving:

The Flower Press Kit

The hobby of pressing flowers and leaves is making a comeback as more folks look to get in touch with nature in new and interesting ways. No longer an activity for those wanting to press floral bouquets as keepsakes, flower pressing enables people to create beautiful art as well as jewellery and home decor with the finished pressed flower and plants. Flower pressing also encourages people to go outside, collect foliage and flowers and discover plant species. Our pick is the Flower Press Kit by Textures Factory because they seem to have thought of everything; it comes complete with 17x23cm handmade flower press, silk printed ‘Herbarium’ to collect pressed flowers, cardboard sheets for the press, scissors, step-by-step illustrated handbook and organic cotton bag.

Price AUD$67.44 Buy it here.

Aqua Culture Vase

Designed to help propagate plants, the Aqua Culture Vase made by Japanese brand Kinto is the ideal gift for the indoor gardener. Consisting of a removable plate propped up on a stylish vase, just fill with water, sit on the dish and ensure bottom of plant reaches water to enable growth. Ideal for propagating single stem cuttings, avocados and even onion and flower bulbs – all of which will grow roots when left long enough and can then be potted on.

Price ranges AUD$40-$55 depending on size. Buy it here.

Pressed Fruit & Flower iPhone Case

A great gift for recipients who enjoy one-of-a-kind unique items, this handcrafted iPhone by Backyard Florist case features a variety of seasonal flowers, leaves and fruit such as rose, daisy, strawberry and kiwi that are carefully hand picked. Given that each season brings different leaves, flowers and foliage, you can rest assured that no two pressed fruit and flower iPhone cases will be the same.

Price AUD$29.89. Buy it here.

Vertical Garden

A wonderfully practical gift for the garden lovers who don’t have space to grow herbs and flowers, this stand alone Vertical Garden features six planters holding up to 24 plants. Each planter is connected vertically and the entire system can be easily watered from the top planter, with water making its way down to the bottom until it’s all full. This vertical garden also comes with brackets screws and plugs for easy mounting on a wall or fence or it can be left on its mobile rack.

Sale price AUD$129 (was $258). Shop here.

Zero Waste Flower Tote

If your gift recipient enjoys buying fresh flowers at the farmers’ markets each week, this Jardin Zero Waste Flower Tote made in San Francisco from surplus (organic cotton) denim will mean they will never have to accept single-use paper and plastic bouquet wrapping ever again. This reusable flower tote is designed to replace single-use bouquet packaging and can hold flower bouquets, foliage stems and herbs. It features ties to properly secure plant stems and can be machine washed and reused over and over again.

Price US$58.94. Buy it here.

HAWS 1L Watering Can

Believed to be the world’s oldest watering can manufacturer, HAWS – a British brand founded in 1886 – remains dedicated to handcrafting its metal watering cans using its original shape which dates back a century. Still manufactured in Smethwick, the watering cans feature superior design, ergonomic handles and high-quality powder coated steel. Want to gift a watering can that’s built to last a lifetime? Look no further, this is it.

RRP $198.95. Available in wide range of colours including duck egg blue (pictured below), cream, copper (pictured below), sage and graphite. Shop here.

Pressed Botanical Wall Art

For the flower obsessed art collector, a gift of pressed flower wall art won’t disappoint. Each handmade piece is custom made and personalised and features different varieties of pressed botanicals that make each produce unique. Know the recipient’s favourite flowers and colours? Share with Careation Designs to help the team configure a piece that perfectly suits their tastes and preferences.

Price AUD$44.37-$197 depending on size and style. Buy it here.

Disclosure: This curated list does not fully take into account all ethical considerations that are unique to each individual. Before making a purchase, we encourage you to do your own research paying particular attention to the supply chain and your own particular set of ethics. Prices are correct at time of publishing. For more information, click here. Cover image of Flower Press Kit by Textures Factory.