New Zealand Celsias

The adage of “less is more” has been given a new lease of life based on some initial findings by Victoria University sustainability researchers Robert and Brenda Vale.   

The two architects, who specialise in sustainable living and are professors at Victoria University’s School of Architecture, are partway through a three-year research project exploring what New Zealand would be like if communities and individuals reduced their footprint to a sustainable level. 

They’re undertaking their research using ‘The Ecological Footprint’, a technique that measures the area of productive land and water the population needs to maintain its activities and absorb waste in a sustainable way. 

So how much does each person currently need? Based on current population levels, 1.8 hectares. How do New Zealanders fare in light of this number? Currently we’re afforded a luxurious five hectares each. The Americans have even more using between eight to nine hectares. At the lower end of the scale are the Chinese who use around two and Indonesia and Vietnam who use just one. 

Based on a study carried out by Masters student Carmeny Field, Brenda Vale says mobility expectations today are a lot more taxing than those of people living in Wellington in the 1950s. 

“Back in the 50s, people didn’t travel much. They didn’t fly, only used their car at the weekends and mostly walked, cycled and used public transport.” 

She says what’s interesting here is that of those interviewed, most of them thought life was “pretty good back then”. 

So where to now? Well for starters, Vale says people need to adopt changes into their lives that involve more than incorporating a bit of “eco bling”. That “bling” includes such measures as installing a rainwater tank or solar heating. Where we’re getting it wrong, according to Vale, is in carrying on with life as normal after incorporating such measures.

“...the changes required are much more far reaching than that.” 

Professor Robert Vale says New Zealand needs more visionary thinking and points to China as a good example. 

“They are connecting their cities with a network of high speed electric trains and building a high speed link to Europe, which will reduce the need to fly. 

“It is more difficult for New Zealand because we are small and geographically isolated, but there is plenty we could do such as feeding ourselves, generating our own power and growing bio fuels. People aren’t thinking long term and they need to be.”