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SEA O2 Sustainable Development |
EMBASSY SUSTAINABILITY |
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SEA O2 Sustainable Development |
EMBASSY SUSTAINABILITY |
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The Embassy is a restaurant and bar located in Townsville known for its good food, wine and excellent music. SEA O2 are developing a sustainability program for the Embassy. The vision is for the Embassy to be known as the world's most sustainable nightclub. The program seeks to understand and manage the environmental, social and economic elements of the bar and to manage these in a way that promotes the Embassy bottom lines:
To achieve this, the Embassy is guided by the SEA O2 sustainability framework, The Other Hand. The Other Hand is a five step process for improving the bottom lines. To keep the framework simple, it is necessary to consider sustainability as having two seperate domains.
While there is not much the Embassy can do about reducing greenhouse emissions in China, it can reduce its own greenhouse emissions and tell the world about it. Keeping the Doors Open This is a part of sustainability that organsiations normally have under control. It has the following elements.
Sustaining Vital Systems
A range of sustainability initiatives are under consideration to help make The Embassy a sustainable nightclub. For example, the Embassy Sustainability program:
EMBASSY SUSTAINABILITY initiatives underway are shown below. |
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EMBASSY SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES |
Below is a list of sustainability initiatives underway with the Embassy. Check back soon as more sustainability initiatives are under development all the time. |
Dimmable CFLs |
To save energy, reduce electricity costs and to lower greenhouse emissions, EMBASSY SUSTAINABILITY wanted to use energy efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) instead of incandescent lamps. However, normal CFL lamps are not dimmable. Dimmable lights are necessary to set mood. EMBASSY SUSTAINABILITY researched new lighting technology and found Dimmable CFLs. Dimmable CFLs last four times longer and consume 80% less energy than the incandescent lamps they replaced. The Dimmable CFL Lamps have been obtained and are shown here in bright, medium and dim settings. Energy efficiency is a vital part of a sustainable nightclub. The new Dimmable CFL lamps by General Electric. Provided by Beacon Lighting, Townsville. |
Dimmable CFL made by GE |
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Dimmable CFL High Setting |
Dimmable CFL Medium Setting |
Dimmable CFL Low Setting |
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Thanks to the SEA O2 eco-bling models . |
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SUSTAINABLE EMBASSY Events |
The Kyoto Protocol Party The Embassy is the venue of choice for sustainable events. On such event was the Kyoto Protocol Party, held on the day that the Kyoto Protocol came into effect. The Kyoto Protocol is the international agreement to reduce greenhouse emissions. See the Kyoto Protocol Party website. The Kyoto Protocol Party was attended by about 60 guests including local politicians, business people, government and others. While efforts were made to correctly inform the guests of the pronunciation of the event's title, it did nonetheless come to be known as the Kyoto Ugly Party... (like Cyote Ugly). Sustainable events are a part of The Embassy's role in promoting sustainability and becoming the world's most sustainable night club. |
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Launch of reeFUEL Biodiesel in Townsville On Wednesday 30 March, 2006, the Embassy will host an informal networking event as part of the lauch of reeFUEL biodiesel in the Townsville and Queensland market. The Embassy has put some money on the bar and the event has also been supported in cash contributions by the below organisations. |
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The launch of reeFUEL biodiesel has been supported by the following organisations: |
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Recycling of Wastes |
The Embassy is able to recycle some of its waste through a kerbside recycling program. This waste includes mainly glass and aluminium. |
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Embassy Greenhouse Audit |
One of the key considerations for sustainability is greenhouse emissions. Greenhouse emissions are believed to contribute to global warming which leads to climate change. Climate change is the world's most serious problem. Dealing with climate change requires reducing greenhouse emissions. Before you can properly develop a greenhouse emissions program, it is first necessary to measure your emissions. This is called a greenhouse audit. The EMBASSY SUSTAINABILITY greenhouse audit showed the following results. Three key greenhouse emissions sources:
The greenhouse audit showed total emissions for 2005 were: 132.5 tons CO2e per annum Embassy Greenhouse Emissions - Electricity: 101 tons per annum (76%) More detail about each of these greenhouse emissions sources is shown below under the following headings: |
How much is 135 tons per annum? Consider this: the average Australian household produces about 15 tons of greenhouse emissions per annum. This means that the Embassy's emissions are equivalent to about 9 Australian households.
this is equivalent to or 31 average Australian cars |
An average Australian car produces about 4.3 tons CO2e per annum. The Embassy's greenhouse emissions are equivalent to the emission of about 31 average Australian cars.  |
132 tons of greenhouse emissions is equivalent to the carbon dioxide sequestered by 527 trees - a small forest shown below. |
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Provided by Ergon Energy on tariff 20. The Embassy consumes about 7,900 kWh per annum. This electricity is predominantly produced from coal power and has a carbon coefficient of 1.058 kg CO2e per kWh (source: AGO Factors and Methods). Emissions from use of electricity are equal to about 101 tons per annum. Electricity uses in the Embassy:
Propane gas is used in the Embassy kitchen. It is supplied by Origin Energy. Every litre of propane gas has a carbon co-efficient of 0.51 kg CO2e per litre (source: Origin Energy). The Embassy uses about 2,870 litres of propane per annum resulting in emissions of about 1.46 tons per annum. Organic waste is produced both in the form of food scraps and packaging for drinks and other products used in the Embassy
Organic waste can create greenhouse emissions if it is placed in a landfill that does not capture its methane output. At present, the landfills of Townsville do not capture methane and waste sent to landfill will have a carbon coefficient of 1.5 kg CO2e per kg food scraps (wet) and 2.8 kg CO2e per kg for cardboard and paper (source AGO Factors and Methods Aug 2004, table 13). Wastes are currently collected by JJ Richards and sent to landfill in Jensen, Thuringowa. This landfill does not collect methane produced by the anaerobic breakdown of the organic wastes.
Fuels are used as part of the The Embassy operations These can be categorised into three groups
Motor vehicle travel associated with the Embassy operations and by Embassy staff is rated at zero. This is because for the most part staff walk to the Embassy and vehicular travel associated with the Embassy operations are the responsibility of the service agents. However, there are a recognisable emissions associated with the transport of DJ to the Embassy from other parts of Australia. In total, 32 DJs per annum fly Sydney to Townsville return to perform at the Embassy. For example, return air flight Brisbane to Townsville is equal to 499 kg CO2e per person and a return trip Sydney to Townsville is double this value. Using aviation greenhouse calculators it is possible to calculate these emissions at about 30 tons per annum. The Embassy serves many carbonated drinks from the post mix machine. This machine combines water, with a syrup and carbon dioxide gas to form soft drinks that mix with syrups or are consumed alone. The carbon dioxide gas, which is released into the atmosphere via the soft drinks, is delivered in cylinders provided by BOC gas. BOC were questioned as to the source of the CO2 gas and they replied that the gas was purchased from breweries and was a natural byproduct of the fermentation process. This means that the carbon in the CO2 gas in the soft drink was originally stored in the sugars upon which the beer yeasts fed. Furthermore, the carbon in the sugar was sequestered from the atmosphere by the sugar cane as it grew. In this case, the carbon dioxide released from the soft drinks is carbon neutral and does not register as a net source of greenhouse emissions. |
The Other Hand in Action |
The Other Hand is a simple frame work that assists organisations to introduce sustainability into their operations. The first thing to do is to put up your hand for a sustainability program. The Embassy has already done this. The Other Hand considers sustainability in the Embassy under two interconnected themes:
Keeping the Doors Open
Respecting Natural Systems
Many of the initiatives undertaken in EMBASSY SUSTAINABILITY meet both criteria. For example, use of energy efficient lights not only reduces costs (Keeping the Doors Open), but also reduce greenhouse emissions (Respecting Natural Systems). |
The Other Hand
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 Promoting Sustainability with Glamour |
