Save Some H2O

A great way to start saving some water is by installing low-flow toilets in your home. However, sometimes this is not always feasible, or maybe even the best option. In terms of consumption, both the water that is used and the materials that make the toilet must be taken into consideration. If it's not broken...don't fix it, right? I think it is wise to operate on the assumption that it is much better for the environment to simply consume less, rather than going out and buying products that you don't need just because they are "green" or "environmentally friendly."

So, if you're toilet is working just fine, or maybe you live in an apartment and are renting, but you would like to save a little H2O here is a great alternative: Take a one liter plastic bottle and fill it up with water (so it doesn't float) and place it in the tank of your toilet. The space that the bottle takes up in the tank offsets the amount of water that flows through your toilet every time you flush it. Depending on the toilet, you could experiment with different sizes of containers, too. Like using a plastic half-gallon milk jug, for instance.

I have heard that some people use bricks to put in their toilet tanks. I would advise against this, however, as bricks can become corroded over time. As pieces flake off they can get into the toilet's system and affect it negatively.

Wanna take this one step further? Find out if there are low-flow toilets installed at your work. If not, suggest this easy-fix. Your employer may save a little on the water bill, and everyone will benefit from this simple way to conserve water.

Save some Green by Being Green

Speaking of winterizing your home the other day, here are some tips I found to help keep the warm air in and the cold air out. By making sure that your home is more energy efficient, you can save some money on your gas bill and reduce your ecological impact. Here are some great ways to do this:

1. Find the leaks. Places such as windows, doors and piping entering the building are hot spots for leaks. Seal leaks around doors and windows with weather stripping or caulk, and check around piping and other entries into the building for other leaks to seal.

2. Update your windows! If you can, invest in a new set of insulating windows. If you have older
windows, a good way to insulate them during the colder months is to cover them with clear plastic sheets (inexpensive kits can be found at most hardware stores) or even blankets.

3. Get in the zone. Are there some areas of your home that are not used as much during specific times of the day? If you have multiple thermostats in your house, turn the heat down when you leave an area, or when you leave for work in the morning. Or even better, install setback thermostats. These are thermostats that contain a timer. You can set your heat to turn down when you go to work or are snug in your bed at night.

4. Check if your insulation is adequate. Attics that are not properly insulated are responsible for a large amount of energy loss. Check it out: if you can see your ceiling joists, you need more insulation in your attic.

5. Inspect your heating system. Have your heating system inspected. This should also include vacuuming your vents/ducts and replacing the furnace filter if needed.

6. Walk around. Check the foundation of your house and your roof (use binoculars) for cracks and gaps.

7. Keep it hot. Insulate your hot water heater by wrapping a blanket around it. Also, you can wrap your water pipes in foam pipe covers.

8. Keep it clean. If you have a chimney, have it swept annually and inspected for leaks. Make sure that damper or wood stove doors seal tightly and are closed (except when you have a fire!).

But don't forget that while you are keeping all of the warm air in and the cold air out, it is important to keep the air inside your homes clean and free of harmful particles and toxins. For some tips on how to do that, check out yesterday's post by clicking here.

Keeping Fresh Air During Winter

The snow has already flown here in Salt Lake City. Though I missed out on the winter wonderland while I was on vacation in New Hampshire experiencing some chilly weather of my own, it's still time that we all start thinking about and making those preparations to start winterizing our homes. While keeping all of the cold air out by sealing up our houses, we are also keeping keeping air in and not allowing for much fresh air to come in. This can lead to a very unhealthy environment. Here are some great tips of how to keep the air in your home a little fresher and freer of unhealthy indoor particles that I found on Seventh Generation's blog.

• Open a window every once in a while and let in a good dose of fresh air. While it's not the most energy-efficient action, it means a big difference for indoor air quality.
• Consider getting some houseplants, which excel at removing airborne chemicals. Particularly effective varieties include Boston fern, areca palm, lady palm, bamboo palm, rubber plant, English Ivy, ficus, and peace lily.
• Place large mats at all your entrances to remove particles and other pollutants tracked indoors on shoes. Clean and vacuum these mats frequently so they don't become a source of trouble themselves. And encourage guests to remove their shoes when entering your house. A basket of slippers kept by the door can ensure that everyone's feet stay cozy.
• Conventional cleaners create a barrage of chemical fumes and invisible aerosol particles when used, all of which can be easily inhaled. So if you haven't already, stock up on cleaning products made from natural and non-toxic ingredients and use them instead.
• Use a chlorine-free dishwasher detergent. Dishwashers vent about six liters of air into your home per minute during certain cycles, and the very hot water they use can turn as much as 100% of a detergent's chlorine into a vapor that's released as they work.
• Use warm rather than hot water when you clean so that whatever you're removing from household floors and surfaces doesn't volatize into the air your family is breathing.
• During warmer months, don't use mildewcides or fungicides, poisons it will be hard to rinse out of your home during winter. Instead, eradicate mold and mildew with a solution of two tablespoons of tea tree oil in two cups of water. Spray on the affected area, let sit for half an hour, and then wipe clean.
• If air seems stale or malodorous and it's just too cold to open a window, resist the temptation to use commercial air fresheners, deodorizers, and other similar products. Instead make your own by adding 5-10 drops of your favorite essential oil to a spray bottle filled with two cups of water.
• If you've stored clothing or other items in mothballs, give them a thorough airing out followed by laundering to remove toxic paradichlorobenzene residues. In the future, use natural cedar to protect your vulnerable textiles instead. By the same token, let dry cleaned items air out in the garage before you bring them inside. They, too, can emit unhealthy fumes.
• Although winter's many idle hours may seem like a good time to do some annual maintenance cleaning, resist the temptation until spring. Without open windows and an ability to clean things outdoors, you'll just be stirring back into the air a lot of the dirt and contaminants you're trying to banish.

Photo: Mallory Platt

Sunrise

No matter which candidate you voted for...

Today is the beginning of a new tomorrow.

Photo Credit

It's A Big Day!

So no matter what else you do today...

Photo Credit

Get out there and VOTE!

Paper or Plastic?

For some time now I have been learning about different sustainable choices that we can make in our everyday lives. Some are easier than others, but mostly I have found that sustainable choices often begin with simply taking a little time to think about your choices and plan a little bit ahead. Sustainability is a journey where there are always more challenges ahead, new options to choose from. As I make one life change, I am on to another and often forget that even though I may have made a certain choice years ago, not everyone is on the same page. The most poignant of examples is the question of paper or plastic. Which one is better, which one should you choose?

The answer is neither. Though paper bags can be and are recycled more than plastic bags, millions of trees must be cut down every year to produce them. The majority of paper bags are not recycled (only 10-15% of paper bags are recycled.) Plastic bags are made from oil and oil drilling has many negative environmental effects from habitat destruction to the release of pollutants. Litter is also a problem as millions and millions of plastic bags float around the earth and often end up in the ocean, where marine life often swallow them up, mistaking them for prey, and choke to death. Both paper and plastic bags must be transported from their respective factories to the stores that distribute them to carry groceries and other consumer products. And both options require tons and tons of resources to produce them in the first place. How do you avoid this grocery store dilemma?

Bring your own bags to the grocery store! Do you have any old canvas bags sitting around the house? Stick them you trunk and bring them with you to the store. Or if you ride your bike or walk to the store, fold 'em up and put them in the bottom of your regular bag or backpack so that you will always have them with you for that "Oh yeah, I need to stop by the grocery store" quick trip. If you don't have any bags around to use, you can easily make your own. Try and use materials that you already have around the house, rather than going out and purchasing new materials. An old pair of jeans works nicely, or you can even make a sturdy bag out of plastic bags that you may have saved over the years.

The hardest part about this plan is remembering to bring your bags into the grocery store with you. One way is to strategically place a sticker or note somewhere in your car or home where you will see it to help remind you. Or, at many of the grocery stores in my neighborhood the grocers have put signs up in the front windows reminding you to bring your bags in. If your grocer doesn't already do this, ask to speak with the manager and ask them if they wouldn't mind doing something like that as well. Chances are they will thank you for the idea.

For more information about the debate about paper, plastic, or bringing your own bags, for the photo credit, and for some hard facts about all this, please click here. Another great idea is to make reusable bags for gifts for friends and family. Last May I made two of these puppies for my mom on Mother's Day:

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My mom loves her bags and has been using them religiously ever since. This is an inexpensive and great made-with-care way to start making some sustainable choices!

2nd bird photo credit.

Environmental Literature

Every person who has studied or has interest in environmental science has undoubtedly read several books on the matter. I have compiled a list of environmental literature that I have read over the years. Each has contributed to and affected me in forming my own opinions about environmental issues that confront us everyday. Here are some of my favorites:

• Getting to Scale, by Jill Bamburg
• A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
• Desert Solitaire by Ed Abbey
• Blessed Unrest by Paul Hawken
• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
• Bargaining for Eden by Stephen Trimble
• The Health of the Country by Conevery Bolton Valencius
• Wilderness and the American Mind by Roderick Frazier Nash
• Changes in the Land by William Cronon
• Locust by Jeffery A. Lockwood
• An Unnatural Metropolis by Craig E. Colten
• Plan B 2.0, by Lester Brown

I will be adding to this list periodically as I finish more books that fit into this category. I have started a column about what I have been currently reading to keep my blog a little more current with what I am doing in my life. As I finish more books that fit into the Environmental Literature category, I will be updating them here. Have you read any of these books before? What are your thoughts about them? Do you have any recommendations for other pieces I might explore?