Welcome to August – the month of more water usage than any other month of the year in the United States. It’s time we identify methods to keep ourplants happy and green and still reduce our appetites for the ubiquitous clearliquid.
On average, an American household uses about 260 gallons per day, but this amount climbs to around 1,000 gallons per day during peak water use season with some households using as much as 3,000 gallons a day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
But we can all do more to reduce our water consumption. According to EPA’s WaterSense Program, homeowners can save as much as $110 a year just by following a few tips and making a few changes.
August tends to mean hot, dry weather leading to more yard watering just to keep our plants alive and our neighbors from wondering why we stopped caring for our yards. To save money on your water bills set sprinklers to water your plants only early in the morning or at dusk. Watering in the middle of the day when it is hottest means more of the water will evaporate before being absorbed by vegetation. Purchase a rain gauge and water only one inch of supplemental water in the absence of rain. Your rain gauge will tell you how much water will be needed if your area received rain. Also before watering plants, press your finger into the soil up to the first knuckle and see if it is moist. If the soil is dry and your finger comes out clean, the plant needs water.
If your grass needs water, set up sprinklers in the early morning hours or in the evening and attach timers to them. Nothing wastes more water than forgetting about your sprinkler for hours. Timers are available at most hardware stores and can be as simple as an egg timer mechanism or as technologically advanced as a digital interface. Prices vary so check out reviews online so you can make the most informed decision before purchasing.
Install rain barrels around your home at the ends of gutter downspouts. These barrels will hold rain water for you until your plats are ready to use it. I installed one this summer on our new home and we have barely used our hose at all for our vegetable garden and household plants. Purchase or make a rain barrel which has a spout as close to the bottom as possible. Make sure the barrel has a screen on the top to reduce the number of bugs which can enter the water. To keep any larvae from germinating, add mosquito dunks to the water – they are non-toxic and will not hurt your plants. If the water in the barrel begins to smell at all, do not worry. Add a capful or two of bleach to the water and let it sit for a day before you use it again. Rain barrels offer free water and help reduce runoff in your neighborhood. Some municipalities offer financial help with purchasing these inexpensive barrels and some have tax rebates. Make sure to check with your municipality to see what they offer.
Outdoors isn’t the only place you can save a little water, though. Keep a pitcher of water in your refrigerator so that you always have cold water on hand and you do not have to run the tap water until it is cold. Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes, and scrape dishes instead of rinsing when loading the dishwasher. Lastly, put your favorite handyperson to work fixing leaks around the home, which can waste about 200 gallons per week. Fixing leaks can add up to about $50 in utility bill savings annually.
Renovating or planning to upgrade your kitchen or bath? Look for EPA’s WaterSense label on toilets, faucets and faucet accessories which have helped Americans save more than 9.3 billion gallons of water and realize more than $55 million in savings on water and sewer bills in just 2008. That is enough water to supply 100,000 average households for a year.
Did you know that some of your favorite retail stores actually generate some of the energy they use onsite? Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a list of the top twenty on-site energy generators in the country. You might be surprised to find some retailers you frequent on the list.
Just to name a few, Macy’s, Khols, Wal-Mart, Safeway, and even Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, are just a few of the companies that together help generate millions of kilowatts of green power onsite. This is a great start, but of course there is always more that can be done to increase the amount of green power we use in this country. Learn more about the others who made the top twenty list of onsite green energy producers.
Businesses, however aren’t the only ones getting in on the efforts to generate the energy needed to operate daily onsite. Around the country, cities and municipalities are helping too. From San Diego and San Francisco to Ann Arbor, Michigan and Iowa University, public offices are getting in on the green energy action by generating their own wind, solar and biogas power.
Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas, and low-impact hydropower. On-site green power is deployed directly at energy users’ facilities rather than at central power plants. Green power electricity generates less pollution than conventional power and produces no net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
If you have a small business, or a business of any size that wants to purchase green power, take a glance at the Green Power Partnership program operated by US EPA. While you may not make the top twenty list next year, you will be helping to reduce your company’s carbon footprint – a sales point your customers will appreciate.
Every time you purchase anything, you are voting with your wallet. At the same time, each of the retailers you purchase from, votes with their revenues. Its important for any person working to live a greener life to pay attention to not just their own purchasing habits, but that of the retailers and manufacturers from which you purchase. The good news is that it is getting easier to learn more about the purchasing habits of corporations as they learn that consumers want to know more, and how that information affects consumer behavior.
Nearing the top of the list is Kohls department store, ranking number three on the list of the National Top 50 list and number one on the list of the Top 20 Retailers list. Kohl’s is purchasing more than 600 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, which is enough green power to meet 50 percent of the organization’s purchased electricity use. Kohl’s Department Stores’ commitment to green power helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also supporting the development of new renewable generation capacity nationwide.
Along with its announcement of corporate green energy purchasers, the EPA also announced the top green energy powered communities in America. Among the new additions to the list is Stoughton, Wisconsin (#19), Cordova, Alaska (#23), and Hood River, Oregon (#12). Leading municipalities across the nation are partnering with EPA to become Green Power Communities (GPCs). GPCs are cities, towns, and villages in which the local government, businesses, and residents collectively buy green power in amounts that meet or exceed EPA’s Green Power Community purchase requirements. If you are wondering how your community ranks, check out EPA’s list of Green Power Communities is available at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/communities/index.htm.
Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro. Green power sources produce electricity which produces no human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and are more environmentally sensitive than conventional energy production. Companies which participate in purchasing green power also help accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide.
These corporations are not just spending more money to do their part to save the environment and increase the demand for clean energy, they are hoping that their good deeds pay off. Last weekend at the National Earth Day Festival on the National Mall, FedEx passed out bookmarks with wildflower seeds attached and information about their green power ranking. They aren’t the only ones trying to make hay out of their act of greenness. Many of the listed companies will advertise their ranking as one of the nation’s largest green power purchasers in an effort to get you to spend your next purchase with them, and not a competitor.
So the question is, does learning that a company purchases green power in some of the greatest quantities in the nation drive you to want to support them over their rival? Comment below and let us know how a list like this affects your purchasing habits.
ENERGY STAR certified buildings help reduce our nation’s reliance on carbon-based fossil fuels – energy sources which contribute to global climate change. In 2008 alone, ENERGY STAR buildings and plants across the country have saved more than $1.1 billion in energy costs and reduced more than 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions-savings equal to the emissions associated with the electricity use of more than 1 million homes for a year.
2008 showed an increase of 130% from the number of ENERGY STAR buildings built the year before. With the passage of a “green” economic stimulus package in Congress which includes incentives for the construction of energy efficient buildings, it’s likely that in 2009 and 2010 we will see an even greater bump in the number of ENERGY STAR buildings.
And what is good for the environment, is good for the economy too. Building energy efficient buildings reduces the amount of energy the building will use over the life of the structure. ENERGY STAR qualified office buildings cost $0.50 cents per square foot less to operate than average office buildings. Even better, ENERGY STAR qualified office buildings consume nearly 2x less energy per square foot as average buildings.
As we round out the month of January, I wanted to take a moment to remind you all about Radon Action Month. Sure, you learned all about radon earlier in the month, but this is me reminding you that this really is a serious issue and if you haven’t already had your basements tested, you should.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announce the winners of a groundbreaking contest where they asked the public to create public service announcements educating about the effects of radon and the importance of protecting you and your family. The winning video and runners up are breathtaking works you must take a moment to see and another moment to pass along to your family and friends.
Check out the videos and send the link around to help spread the word about this often-overlooked cause of lung cancer in America.
It would be a shame to let the month of January get away from us without acknowledging that it is National Radon Action Month and letting you know how to properly celebrate no matter where you reside.
Radon is a silent intruder that you cannot see or smell but can build up at dangerous levels in your home. Exposure to radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers in America, claiming the lives of 20,000 people a year. Sadly, nearly all exposure to radon is entirely preventable and if high levels are detected in your home, there are steps which can be taken to protect you and your family.
Radon is found in every state of the country, contrary to what you may have heard in the past. It is a radioactive gas which is emitted as uranium, which is found in soil, decays. The gas rises through the ground reaching the air above through cracks in your home’s foundation where it becomes trapped and builds up within the walls of your house. Any home, new or old, with or without a basement, can test high for radon.
This month, put testing your home for radon at the top of your to do list and make sure you check it off! It’s easy and inexpensive. The National Safety Council offers a discount coupon for a radon safety kit (either long or short term). Kits can also be ordered directly from NSC’s Helpline at (800) 557-2366 (credit cards only). Some states also offer discounted and even free kits to help you test your home for radon.
There is no known safe level of radon in your home, but risks can be reduced if high levels are found. Solutions can be as simple as sealing cracks in your foundation and crawl spaces or as complex as a soil suction radon reduction system. Check out the brochure for more information.
For drivers who commute to work long distances driving highway miles without stop and go traffic, an efficient conventional vehicle may be better for you. Sound shocking? It’s not. Most hybrid vehicles generate energy through braking, making them more efficient for city driving than highway driving. If you were, for example, to compare the costs and benefits of purchasing a Honda Civic with that of a Hybrid Honda Civic, you may find that your driving habits do not make the hybrid worth the added costs because you use your car to take long trips with little stop and go. The same can be said if you take public transportation most of the time and drive very few miles.
Take the time to understand hybrid technology so that you can best decide if it’s worth the extra cost based on they type of driving you do and the alternative car you would drive if it weren’t a hybrid.
Besides hybrids, there are other types of fuel efficient, low emissions vehicles on the market or soon to be on the market. Relatively small groups of people are taking it upon themselves to retrofit their cars to accept biodiesel, a fuel which usually comes from used oils such as restaurant frying oil. Soon to be on the market are hybrid plug-in vehicles which offer the same technology as the current hybrid with the addition of a plug to help you get a head start at energizing the electric battery and therefore increasing the number of miles you can drive on each tank of fuel.
Still confused about what cars have the greatest fuel efficiency? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a program called SmartWay which might help. Previously focused entirely upon tractor trailer fleets, this new program now offers a green leaf logo which you can look for on consumer cars and trucks. Much like other certification programs, the green leaf shows that these vehicles are more fuel efficient and have cleaner emissions than others on the market. If you already have a car in mind and want to see how it ranks, check out the EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide.
But there is more to consider about your future car than just the emissions and fuel efficiency. While most of us think of are concerned about the emissions at the tailpipe, few realize that there are also toxic emissions from a car’s interior. That “new car” smell isn’t just a clean scent auto manufacturers spray at the end of production; it’s the off gassing of chemicals used to make upholstery, dashboards, the foam in seats, and other interior parts. The Ecology Center offers a project called Healthy Car which tests hundreds of cars and rates them based on their toxicity. The most common chemicals found in cars are flame retardants (found to be endocrine disruptors), lead, and polyvinyl chlorides (PVC). Take a look at the most and least concern vehicles for 2008.
Lastly, more car manufacturers are making a concerted effort to clean up their manufacturing plants by recycling, reducing waste, and eliminating many toxic chemicals. Subaru celebrates their fourth year as a zero waste manufacturer this year. These efforts not only reduce the waste going into landfills but also the chemicals to which workers are exposed.
When purchasing your next vehicle, look at the whole picture, not just what goes in the gas tank and out the tailpipe.
And this issue ain’t just about a bunch of acronyms…
Just a quick note to let you all know that the EPA has not been preventing unscrupulous US recyclers from shipping e-waste illegally to developing countries, according to a recent GAO report. So, basically not only does the U.S. want to continue dumping our high tech trash in other peoples’ backyards…poorer peoples’ backyards, but the EPA is even willing to passively help!
Read a summary of the report here. Go here for an overview by National Geo of the problem.
Welcome to August – the month of more water usage than any other month of the year in the United States. It’s time we identify methods to keep ourplants happy and green and still reduce our appetites for the ubiquitous clearliquid.
