Many predict that in the not too distant future, we will be fighting over water, not oil. The problem is that the Earth isn’t generating the clean, drinkable water that it used to. The good news is that if we can use less and learn to protect our rivers, lakes and oceans, we may drink to see another day! So how can we really get a grip on our own personal situation
? There are many small changes that you can make today. Would you consider trying to cut down your home water consumption by half? Since the average American uses 151 gallons of water per day, and the French get by on just 71 gallons (Brits even less), it makes sense to give it a go. Here are some tips to get you started: Consider purchasing an Eco Drop (pictured). This is a British invention, which measures how much water you use when you shower. The little man icon displays how much water is pouring out and when you’ve used the recommended amount (which is pretty fair), a buzzer goes off for 5 seconds. Since I get carried away with all manner of scrubs and exfoliators in the shower, it makes sense to have, however annoying it is, that little man telling me when enough is enough. A shower used 2.5 to 4 gallons per minute for a conventional shower head. It might also be a good idea to get a low-flow shower head too. They are inexpensive an can cut down your water consumption by half.
The toilet uses 3.5 to 6 gallons per flush. That’s a lot of water. Consider:
a) A low-flow toilet
b) A dual flush toilet (where you press a different flush button for #1’s and #2’s)
c) Placing an old litre water bottle filled with small rocks into the toilet tank
A bath uses up to a whopping 60 gallons a day. That’s almost your entire water quoto (if you’re going for 75 gallons). I am trying to give up the tub altogether, although I have to admit, it’s my biggest eco-sin.
Your Dishwasher used 4 gallons per load if it’s Energy Star rated (6 if not). ONLY run when its choc full.
Watering your lawn can be the biggest waster of the lot. When running your hose, you are using 5 to 10 gallons per minute. Ugh – so when I’m only watering the planters on my patio, I can easily use up to 50 gallons on a hot day.
It makes sense to either rip out your lawn and landscape an edible front yard or have some eco-friendly artificial grass installed – a worthwhile investment. I love New Grass.
I only water my lawn when it doesn’t rain – never more than 2 x a week. I collect rain water for my potted plants.
I never take a bath – always a shower – and not long or very hot. I use the dishwasher only when it is completely full.
Instead of throwing away the water from my horse’s buckets every day, I use it to water potted plants.
I think all new construction should include gray water systems. That would save a ton of money. And there should be permanent water restrictions on such things as lawns, golf courses, washing cars (a car wash actually uses less water than doing it at home), and washing driveways and sidewalks.
And turn the water off in the shower except to get wet and rinse off.
I live in Iowa and the amazingly green grass in August always amazes me. Grass isn’t supposed to be green in August. And even more, Kentucky Bluegrass, what everyone around here seems to like, isn’t supposed to be here in the first place!
I live in the house with the brown yard. We never water, never participate in the “Who Can Have the Greenest Yard” contest. Why should we? What’s the point?
Also, we use our rain water and dehumidifier bucket for our garden. Oh, and when I wash my goodies from my garden, I catch the rinse water in a huge bowl and use that too! It’s so easy to reduce your water use. It doesn’t make sense not to try.
Green roofing systems can help immensely with water conservation. So much unnecessary water use is devoted to keeping the landscaping alive, while green roofing relies only on natural rainfall to stay watered and beautiful. Some green roofing even captures the excess rainwater so it can be used for watering the rest of the landscaping. In a world with diminishing water resources, homes with green roofing are a blessing, and the wave of the future.
Women can choose to “Go Green” every day of the month
A few feminine hygiene practices that can help women protect the environment:
1. Do not use the toilet as a wastebasket. Never flush tampons-even if the package says they are flushable- down the toilet! They do not disperse or disintegrate in the wastewater stream.
2. Wrap disposable products properly when discarding in public restrooms to protect other restroom users and the cleaning staff who empty the stall waste receptacles.
3. Look for disposable products that are made of 100% cotton which can be composted or will biodegrade in municipal landfills.
4. Check out handcrafted reusable pads.
5. Try single-use biodegradable plastic bags, now on the market, with tie handle closure designed specially for the hygienic disposal of feminine care products. They are clean, easy and discreet, and provide an alternative to flushing items down the toilet. (www.scensiblesource.com)