Witch's Hat water tower, Prospect Park Neighborhood, Minneapolis, MN. Built in 1913 and de-comissioned in 1953.
Today, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. The aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.
blogactionday.com
I could talk about green building and environmentally friendly materials but I don't know many friends or family that are building or remodeling at the moment. Instead, I'll highlight an issue that we might take for granted: water. Since I was just in Mpls for my brother's wedding I'll deliver this from a MN perspective. In MN, the per capita consumption of water is approximately 731 gallons a day and 1.72 billiong gallons a year (2000 water resources study, MN DNR). Fortunately, MN does not have the acute water resource problems that CA does but it still must manage water resources sustainability to meet population growth and commercial usage for agricultural, food-related industries and breweries (beer!). So, here's a few inexpensive suggestions that will help reduce water usage in your home or apartment by 5- or 20 gallons a day.
blogactionday.com
I could talk about green building and environmentally friendly materials but I don't know many friends or family that are building or remodeling at the moment. Instead, I'll highlight an issue that we might take for granted: water. Since I was just in Mpls for my brother's wedding I'll deliver this from a MN perspective. In MN, the per capita consumption of water is approximately 731 gallons a day and 1.72 billiong gallons a year (2000 water resources study, MN DNR). Fortunately, MN does not have the acute water resource problems that CA does but it still must manage water resources sustainability to meet population growth and commercial usage for agricultural, food-related industries and breweries (beer!). So, here's a few inexpensive suggestions that will help reduce water usage in your home or apartment by 5- or 20 gallons a day.
- If you live in an older home, retrofit your plumbing fixtures with a faucet aerators - these increase spray velocity, reduce splash and save water and conserve energy. Faucet adaptors are available to retrofit an aerator onto a non-standard fixture.
- The same thing applies for an old showerhead. Newer shower heads can save as much as 25% with features such as "pause" to lower water flow while you're soaping up and internal pressure compensators, to maintain pressure without using more water.
- Leaking toilets waste a lot of water and adds to the water bill! So fix that leaky toilet if you have one. Or, retrofit with a toilet tank water saver (you can buy one for $2 or just put a jug of water in your tank, or replace the throne with a low-flow toilet. http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,213021,00.html
- Fix anything that leaks.
- Don't let the faucet run if you don't have to.
- Cut down on using the garbage disposal, they use a lot of water and add solids to the septic system. Start a compost pile instead.
- Try to only do full dishwasher or laundry loads.
3 comments:
I put a full bottle of water in my toilet tanks to make them low-flow.
showering with friends would save water. thats just what i've heard.
Thank you about tips to making your home more green.
Kudos to you for participating in blog action day.
I did not participate. However, I wrote a belated post of my own about an environmental issue that might strike a cord with some of your readers. It would be especially pertinent to readers who might be remodeling or building a home:
Brazilian Teak Floors, Slave Labor, and the Destruction of the Rain Forest.
You can find it at:
http://www.realestatetwincities.net/blog/
Anything that you can do to help promote awareness of this issue will be greatly appreciated. Normally, I don't ask for this kind of help, but the issue is that important to me.
Thank you!
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