Damian says I'm a nerd for this next entry to 'our' blog. OK I am!!!
As many of you now, I pride myself at being environmentally mindful. I feel even more passionate now that I am studying this topic at university. I will hopefully be a teacher in a couple of years and part of the teaching degree is specialising in two subjects, for which I have chosen Spanish and Environmental Studies. I get very excited when I discover new ways to be more 'green'. Australia has several standard 'green' ways of life that I want to brag about. As with many things in Australia, I am sure you are able to get them in the U.S., but here they are as common as a toaster and sometimes even mandatory. I know I have a few friends and family who also feel passionately about the environment, so these photos are for your interest especially.
Obviously this is the power outlet. The energy efficiency comes in when you are finished using an appliance. For example, if you turn off the switch, no more energy is being used. Good for the environment and your wallet! This is the only way outlets are installed in Australia. So much energy is used from appliances that are turned 'off' but still are plugged in. It takes a little getting used to but now it is second nature, like driving on the 'wrong' side of the road!! 
Here is what we call an electric kettle. "I'll put the kettle on", says Damian's mum when she is making a cup of tea. This one I will be looking for when we move to the U.S. This is probably more common than a toaster. It heats up water very quickly via electricity. Because it does it so quickly (faster than a stove and probably the same time as a microwave, but more convenient and energy efficient) it is better for the environment. I use it daily, whenever I need hot water (for pasta, tea, steam veggies, etc.). 
Here is the top of a toilet and currently this is the only way to buy a toilet in Australia. There is a number 1 button and a number 2 button. For those that don't get it, the half circle uses less water for when you wee!
This photo is just for fun. In many houses, particularly the older ones, the doorknobs are unusually high when compared to ours in the U.S. This is in our apartment with a lovely etching of a Kookaburra (an indigenous bird to Australia that makes a unique laughing sound) on the glass door to our living room. All the doorknobs in the apartment are at this height!A great website to do your part for the environment:
http://www.freecycle.org/
For those interested, I will add links along the way to great websites concerning the environment, as I am constantly researching these issues for university.
