Compact fluorescent lights use approximately 80 percent less electricity then standard incandescent bulbs. With the government set to phase out the use of incandescent bulbs from 2009, now is the perfect time to change your lights to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money.

Appliances not switched off at the powerpoint can still use standby power, contributing to electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Each appliance left on standby generates approximately 45 kg of greenhouse gas emissions per year. Ensure TVs, computers, microwaves, VCRs and other appliances are turned off at the powerpoint to reduce your environmental impact.

If you use a clothesline instead of a dryer once per week you will save approximately 156 kg of greenhouse gases per year. With Sydney having such a sunny climate this is a simple step you can take to help avert global warming. You will also save money on your electricity bill.

Even simple activities like watching TV use electricity and generate greenhouse gases. Watch the TV for an hour less a day to save approximately 33 kg of greenhouse gases per year! Make sure you switch it off completely and do not leave it on standby.

By switching to 100 percent green power the average household would save approximately 7000 kg of greenhouse gases per year. Visit www.greenpower.gov.au to find out more about renewable energy options.

A dripping tap can waste between 9 855 and 72 270 litres of water per year. Most dripping taps simply need a new washer, which you can purchase cheaply at your local hardware store.

If you stopped hosing hard surfaces for 10 minutes twice a week you would save approximately 18 720 litres of water per year.

A running tap can use up to 18 litres of water per minute. If you clean your teeth for 2 minutes twice a day, turning the tap off will help you save 26 280 litres of water per year. This is a really easy step that can save a lot of water.

An eight minute shower using a regular showerhead uses around 144 litres of water and produces approximately 9.6kg of greenhouse gases. Cutting your time in the shower to four minutes four times a week will save approximately 14 976 litres of water and 998 kg of greenhouse gases per year.

A regular showerhead uses approximately 18 litres of water per minute, while a AAA rated shower head uses half that amount. If you shower for eight minutes per day a water efficient shower head will help you save approximately 26 280 litres of water and 1 752 kg of greenhouse gases per year. Sydney water can install a water efficient shower head for you at a small cost. Visit www.sydneywater.com.au for more information.

A greywater system can redirect used water to your garden, toilet or washing machine. This can help you save up to 50 000 litres of water per year - enough to fill a large backyard pool!

If you walked or cycled 10km each week instead of driving you would save approximately 130kg of greenhouse gas emissions per year. With 80 percent of students and 60 percent of staff living within a 10km radius of campus, walking or cycling to Macquarie is the perfect opportunity to reduce your emissions.

The average car produces approximately 3750 kg of greenhouse gases per year. Get rid of your car and choose to walk, ride or catch public transport instead. Not only will this save greenhouse gas emissions but it will save you thousands of dollars each year on petrol, registration, maintenance and insurance.

Catching public transport can significantly reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, especially if you do it regularly. Get the train or bus to Macquarie instead of driving to reduce greenhouses gases and save money.

Plane travel produces more greenhouse gas emissions than any other form of transport. Sometimes it is not possible to avoid flying. However, you can avoid the effect of emissions by carbon offsetting. Carbon offsetting is where your emissions are neutralised by other activities such as tree planting or energy saving initiatives. For a list of Australian carbon offset providers see the Carbon Offset Guide www.carbonoffsetguide.com.au.

A return flight from Sydney to London produces more greenhouse gas emissions per person than having 3 cars on the road for an entire year! See the Carbon Offset Guide www.carbonoffsetguide.com.au/ to offset your emissions.

Livestock production is one of the largest sources of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions in the world, producing more than 18 percent of global emissions. This is more than the worlds entire transport sector! Livestock production is also extremely water intensive. If everyone at Macquarie had one serve less of red meat per week we would save approximately 6 831 630kg of greenhouse gases and 364 353 600 litres of water per year. This is more water than is used across the entire campus each year and is the equivalent of taking 2017 cars off the roads!

Animal products are extremely resource intensive to produce and have a huge impact on our land and biodiversity. Approximately 92 percent of all land degradation in Australia is caused by animal industries.

Growing some of your own food is a great way to reduce your environmental impact. You can eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from transport, say no to pesticides and artificial fertilisers and compost your food scraps to create a closed loop system. Living in an apartment is no restriction either. Many vegetables and herbs will happily grow in smaller pots.

Every kilogram of food scraps thrown into the bin will produce approximately one kilogram of greenhouse gases. This is because food that goes into landfill is broken down anaerobically (without oxygen), producing the greenhouse gas, methane. If you compost your food at home (in a well aerated compost bin) you can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while making a great fertiliser for your garden. If you live in an apartment block, check with the body corporate to see if they will provide a compost bin for the entire complex to utilise. They will benefit from using the free compost on the complex gardens!

For every shopping bag full of containers you recycle you will save approximately five kilograms of greenhouse gas. You will also save trees by recycling paper and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

The community garden is a vibrant oasis where staff, students and community members grow fruit, vegetables and herbs using organic techniques and permaculture principles. The garden has a monthly working bee. Visit their website http://www.worldofclubs.com/MacquarieUniversityPermacultureClub/index.htm) to find out more.

The Macquarie bush regeneration team helps to regenerate native bushland around campus. To become involved email sustainability@mq.edu.au) to find out more.

Volunteering in your local community is a great way to meet like-minded people, learn new things and make a difference at the local level. Consider volunteering at a food kitchen or homeless shelter, participating in water quality testing or bush regeneration or donating your time to a community action group. Remember, think global, act local.

It is important to let decision-makers know that sustainability matters. Urge politicians to take action over climate change, land degradation, water pollution, threatened species, overfishing or any other issue that concerns you.