water conservation

Jimmy Carter Gives a Dam about Saving Water

jchatraw — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:57:11 -0400

Jimmy Carter may have presided over one of the darkest times in our nation's history, but he's determined to be remembered for something other than being a lousy president. Now the former president is building a legacy that may prove he had the foresight necessary to force his home state into creating real solutions rather than temporary fixes.

As someone who lived in the Peach State for many years, I cringed along with many other fellow Georgians when Carter's name was raised in most circles. But it's nice to know that he's doing some things now that Georgians can be proud of—he's fighting to help conserve water.

While you may not be able to slay government plans that lack foresight into the ever-changing environmental issues like Carter, Steve Creech has some great suggestions for you to conserve water in the book Hold Your Water: 68 Things You Can Do to Keep Our Planet Blue. This particular suggestions starts off by relaying the story of how the town Stigomta, Sweeden, has an annual "Pee Outside Day" that asks people not to flush their toilets. This book's suggestions are not only fun but practical, too:

"The average toilet flush uses three to seven gallons of water. We're not saying never flush. (In certain circumstances a double flush may even be required.) But, well, you decide.

BONUS TIP: Place a sealed plastic bottle in your toilet tank. Keep it safely away from any operating mechanisms and save up to 15 percent of the water you use with each flush."

How to Save Water ... and Money

jchatraw — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:01:10 -0400

In our house when I was growing up, The Cosby Show was must-see TV on Thursday nights before NBC's marketing execs ever dreamed up that tag line. It's where I learned such great life-long lessons like how to hold a proper funeral for a goldfish or how to mop ("shovel, turn, splat"). It's also where I learned a la Cliff Huxtable (played by the Cos himself) that if you're not good at fixing things, don't try--and call someone who is. Cliff always made a bigger mess of things.

However, over the years I've also learned that said handymen can be expensive--and that there are a few things even I can do. Despite all I know about fixing things could fit into one of Bob Villa's arm hair follicles, I managed to fix our bathroom ventilation a few months ago much to my loving wife's surprise.

When it comes to the living an eco-friendly lifestyle, there are a few things we can all easily fix or at least investigate to see if something even needs fixing ... like our toilets and faucets.

In Stu Campbell's classic The Home Water Supply (classic mostly because it even pre-dates The Cosby Show), he explains a few ways you can check to make sure you're not losing water at home:

"Leaks in a faucet can amount to a loss of twenty gallons a day. A runny toilet can lose 200 gallons a day! A dye tablet, free for the asking at health agencies nearly anywhere in California, can be dropped in a toilet tank to demonstrate, almost immediately, if there’s a leak. Over time the dye will detect even the slightest wasteful seep. Food coloring will do the same job. So will turning off the water supply line to the toilet tank and watching the water level inside for several hours.

"People in metered water systems have a quick and easy way to check for leaks. Make sure everything in the house is turned off, so the system theoretically is using no water. If the meter still shows some water input, water has to be leaking somewhere. In an individual water system, finding leaks becomes a more painful trial-and-error search."

Home Water Efficiency Options

jchait — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:31:09 -0400

Everyone and their dog has heard of Energy Star - it's truly the darling of the eco-energy world. However, Energy Star, while good, is not the only energy and water saving option available when it comes to home appliances and even whole water systems. Don't forget that even more important than the appliances you purchase, and the systems you set-up, is the difference you can make based on basic water conservation principals.

If you're researching water saving options for your green home, visit the following resources:

WaterSense is a partnership program created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Research at the WaterSense site is a really simple way to locate all sorts of water saving and energy saving options. The WaterSense label is now being applied in stores to specific items, so if you don't happen to carry your laptop shopping, you can still make smart choices.

Jerry Peek's Off-the-Wall (but simple) Water-Saving Ideas: this little guide just might have some ideas you haven't heard before (rare). I especially liked his thoughts on garbage disposals; although I'd have added that you could compost the garbage too - not just toss it. But good theory on the water wasting that comes with a disposal.

Water Saving Plumbing Products Faucets and Fittings: Covers many products and even though it's a storefront, is not too salesman like at all. They offer good information.

Water-Saving Plumbing Fixtures - a nice video from This Old House.

And in my totally bizarre link o' the day - Hack a Toilet for free water. Um, it's a little odd, maybe not for everyone, possibly not for me, but still, it's something interesting to consider.

50 Simple Things You Can to Save the Earth-- Updated

jchatraw — Fri, 16 May 2008 01:26:39 -0400

It's the hard part of being green that makes you really feel like you're making a difference. For example, my wife and I recently decided disposable diapers really weren't that disposable and made the transition to cloth diapers from Bum Genius. And while it's not nearly as time consuming or tedious as washing old-school cloth diapers like my mom did, it still takes more effort than a quick wrap and a dump into the diaper pail.

However, simple is good, too. So for all the difficult things I do to play my part in saving the earth as I resist the urge for convenience, it's still nice to know there are some simple things I can do as well that make just as much of a difference.

John, Sophie and Jessie Javna have updated their classic book 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth: Completely New and Updated for the 21st Century. And I have to admit that its simplistic approach to complex issues is the real beauty in this book.

Check out this green nugget as it pertains to saving the rivers in America and water conservation:

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Your Partner: American Rivers, a national organization that "protects and promotes our rivers as valuable assets that are vital to our health, safety, and quality of life." Meet them at americanrivers.org
Your Goal: Make using water wisely a focus of our society. "One of the challenges," explains American Rivers' Betsy Otto, "is that water-efficiency isn't sexy. People just don't perceive that we need to use water more wisely ... until we run out."

Start Simple
Start saving. American Rivers' "3 simple ways to save water": 1) Fix leaks. A faucet leak of 60 drops per minute wastes 192 gallons a month; outdoor leaks from hose connections and irrigation systems can lose 50% of the water used. 2) Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators, which can cut flow by 50%. 3) Turn the faucet off when you brush your teeth or shave. You'll easily save over 5 gallons each time. More tips: 50simplethings.com/savewater

How to Flush Your Toilet Using Rain Water

jchait — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:44:55 -0400

If you've ever built a rain barrel, or harvested your own rain water in some way, then you know how easy it is. You can use rain water to water your yard, wash your car, and any number of other uses. What if you could fairly easily use rain water to flush your toilet? Think of all the water you'd save.

Some house do utilize rain water for flushing, as do public buildings, so the possibility is reasonable for you if you own a home. Recently I saw a cool post at Seattlepi.com - at their reader blog section. The post, Flushing Your Toilet with Rainwater, covers a neat resource,a Rain Barrel to Toilet Installation Guide.

The individual who wrote this guide did a good job. It's not hard to follow and there are some great illustrations - both photos and diagrams. It's also a easy project to find parts for; this person snagged everything from the local Home Depot. The guide even discusses extras like backflow protection; a step not required in all states, but it's there, and is simple. Also extra a nice bit about attaching a water meter inside, so you can see just how much you're using. Best of all the entire installation cost around $100. A steal!

Best of all, of course are the environmental impacts. Curiously, the guy who did this is living in Seattle. Being in Oregon and the Washington myself, people often act like water conservation is a joke; I mean, we have so much rain. But rain coming down, does not equal plenty to go around. We still need to conserve when possible.

Learn more:

How Much Do You Know About Water Use?

The Aroma of Green

jchatraw — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0400

Ever since I was 11 years old, I've held daily showering as a high value. I came to that decision when I went to Disney World that summer and spent sweltering July days standing in line with people who didn't share that same value. But as I've re-evaluated my footprint on this planet, I've found myself asking those tough questions, like "Is showering daily really good for the earth?" Most people who come into daily contact with me would probably scream, "You showering is good for all of the earth's inhabitants."

Sometimes, it's healthy to consider such questions and how the daily habits of our culture have impacted the earth. In Wake Up and Smell the Planet: The Non-Pompous, Non-Preachy Grist Guide to Greening Your Day, authors Brangien Davis and Katharine Wroth propose simple ways we can actually do something. It's fun, pithy and practical.

Here's a green nugget from the book ... and the answer to my all-consuming question about showering:

"Most people consider bathing a fairly crucial part of the daily routine. But for those who worry about global water resources gurgling down the drain, the mere prospect of washing up can be a downer. Very few bathers have the time, space, or stamina to limit water usage to barrel-collected rainwater heated in solar sacks. Which means many of you are left standing on the bathmat, shivering in your skivvies, wondering which wastes less water—a shower or a bath?

"The answer will vary depending on how long your showers are, how many gallons rain down from your showerhead each minute, how big your bathtub is, and how high you fill it when you soak. But tuck this into your robe pocket: a five-minute shower uses about a third as much water as a full bath. Whichever route you choose, there are simple things you can do to ensure your bathing experience is as water-friendly as a sea turtle:

Fix any leaks around the faucet or showerhead (even small trickles add up to gallons of water wasted per week)
Buy aerators for all of your faucets. these are mesh faucet ends that can cut the gallons-per-minute water usage by up to 40%. (They are easy to attach, but they may need occasional rising when clogged.)
Get a low-flow showerhead, easily installable by even a tepidly intrepid person. You'll cut your water usage from about 5 gallons a minute to 2.5 gallons a minute."