Office Depot Helps Large Customers Understand ?Greenness? of Purchases
Shared via AddThis
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
When I was born
When I was born the world population is about 3.937 billion, while my country the Philippines' population was about 40 million. After about 35 years (CY2008), the world population is about 6.790 billion and the Philippines has about 97.98 million. In my lifetime, world population has increased two-fold while the Philippines population has increased more than two-fold. Alas, the land area could not be increased much (increasing the land area had become possible through reclamation only). With about 30 million hectares of total Philippine' land areas, when I was a kid, I could play and claim 7500 square meter as my own, now a kid can only claim 3000 square meter. That is assuming there is an equal distribution of land to each and every Filipino, alas that is not the case at all.
In the field of chemistry when I was born, a German Ernst Otto Fischer (W. Germany) and Geoffrey Wilkinson (UK), were given a Nobel Prize award for their work that could solve problem of automobile exhaust pollution. Yet and alas, I am still suffering from the sicknesses caused by over-exposure to automobile exhaust pollution. That means my country after 35 years have not adapted that technology and I fear that I will die knowing a technology exist since I was born which could have prevented a lot of my sufferings.
In the field of chemistry when I was born, a German Ernst Otto Fischer (W. Germany) and Geoffrey Wilkinson (UK), were given a Nobel Prize award for their work that could solve problem of automobile exhaust pollution. Yet and alas, I am still suffering from the sicknesses caused by over-exposure to automobile exhaust pollution. That means my country after 35 years have not adapted that technology and I fear that I will die knowing a technology exist since I was born which could have prevented a lot of my sufferings.
Return of the "oil regulation policy" is not the solution on the unfair increases of fuel prices in the Philippines
Its true that the fuel prices hike in the Philippines at present is not reflective of the real world oil prices. That there is a grain of truth in the accusations of some sectors that the big oil companies are just on the rampage of amassing gains and profits against the Filipinos. Yet the commonly proposed re-installation of the "oil regulation policy" and removal of EVAT imposed in the oil and fuel products is not a prudent solution. It will just be a thin patch-up solution to the profusely leaking problem of the oil industry which is our dependence to imported and pollution-laden fuels, which are produced by countries whose values encourages terrorism. Pollution-laden fuels exposing the Filipinos to carcinogenic, respiratory and metabolic disruptor substances. Fuels which by-products accelerates global warming. In effect, fuels that kills humanity.
I am fully convinced that the only way to curb the greed of the giant oil companies operating in the country, save ourselves from sickness, and save humanity is not through lifting oil deregulation and taxes. The solution is to pool all our resources (mind, talent, education and money) into looking for renewable energy sources, where we are richly blessed as a nation.
For a long term solution,
1. Let us invest in our young people by giving incentives for them to go into science courses, physics, math, engineering and nanotechnology instead of producing service oriented workers such as nurses and caregivers;
2. Improve our public transport system towards a commuter-friendly and efficient services and environment;
3. Give high sinner's taxes for all products using crude oil, just like that of cigarettes and alcohols.
As of now, we could
1. Save on fuel usage by taking the public transport instead of using our cars, practice car pooling, walk instead of riding for short distance travels;
2. When shopping bring re-usable bags and refrain from using too much plastic bags (plastics are manufactured using crude oil by-products and the manufacturing process eats a lot of crude oil fuels);
3. Use naturally made soaps and detergents, and other cleaning substances in our kitchen, bath and toilets. Most of the soaps and detergents commercially marketed are made from crude oil byproducts.
4. Read instead of watching television for your entertainment and educational purposes.
By doing these, we could significantly reduced and soon totally eliminate our dependence to crude oil as source of energy.Through the above actions, we will stop willingly giving our moneys to the greedy giant oil companies, we will deny the terrorist middle-east their funding sources for terroristic activities. The time to act is now and let us look for better solutions!
I am fully convinced that the only way to curb the greed of the giant oil companies operating in the country, save ourselves from sickness, and save humanity is not through lifting oil deregulation and taxes. The solution is to pool all our resources (mind, talent, education and money) into looking for renewable energy sources, where we are richly blessed as a nation.
For a long term solution,
1. Let us invest in our young people by giving incentives for them to go into science courses, physics, math, engineering and nanotechnology instead of producing service oriented workers such as nurses and caregivers;
2. Improve our public transport system towards a commuter-friendly and efficient services and environment;
3. Give high sinner's taxes for all products using crude oil, just like that of cigarettes and alcohols.
As of now, we could
1. Save on fuel usage by taking the public transport instead of using our cars, practice car pooling, walk instead of riding for short distance travels;
2. When shopping bring re-usable bags and refrain from using too much plastic bags (plastics are manufactured using crude oil by-products and the manufacturing process eats a lot of crude oil fuels);
3. Use naturally made soaps and detergents, and other cleaning substances in our kitchen, bath and toilets. Most of the soaps and detergents commercially marketed are made from crude oil byproducts.
4. Read instead of watching television for your entertainment and educational purposes.
By doing these, we could significantly reduced and soon totally eliminate our dependence to crude oil as source of energy.Through the above actions, we will stop willingly giving our moneys to the greedy giant oil companies, we will deny the terrorist middle-east their funding sources for terroristic activities. The time to act is now and let us look for better solutions!
Friday, June 5, 2009
World Environment Day Today
World Environment Day Today
by Jimely O. Flores
June 5, 2009
World Environment Day is explained in UNEP website, http://www.unep.org/wed/2009
What lifestyle should we have to promote an environment safe for us and all lifeforms today and for all generations to come:
1. Save Energy.
• Let us turn off the lights and other electrical appliances when they are not needed. Remove the electrical appliances from their sockets especially those with standby power properties as these are still using significant amount of energy even if such are turned off.
• Open the windows and let the natural freshness of the air to aerate your abode instead of the air con or electric fans. Also these would let in the natural lights of the sun so we don’t have to open the lights at daytime. And remember that natural sunlight also disinfects the surroundings and you would save on anti-bacterial, anti- fungal, anti-viral sprayers.
• Use the stairs and avoid using the escalator or elevators. This would strengthen your muscles and give a good pump to the heart (this way you save energy and doctor's fee).
• In my soapmaking activities instead of using the food processor and blender, I make my hands do the stirring (though it is a bit backward and tiring) I get a good feel by saving on energy and exercising while doing the things I love doing.
2. Save Water
• Repair all leaking faucets.
• Use a cup or glass when brushing your teeth instead of letting the tap continuously running.
• Set you toilet bowl water box to the lowest water level capacity to minimize water during flushing.
• Minimize the use of shower when taking a bath; you could use a pail and a dip instead.
• Collect the water used for washing the dishes, vegetables and fruit. This water could be use to flush the toilet or water the plants.
3. Transportation
• Enjoy the walk and hike going to your destination instead of using your car. Don't buy car, invest in bicycle instead.
• Practice transport pooling and share your resources.
4. Go Green by Reducing, Recycling and Reusing things!
5. Buy and use products that are truly GREEN. For example my natural bath soap creations, my arty hanging towels, my crocheted small bags/sachets. The bags/sachets could be used as soap saver, potpourri bags, giveaways/gift bags, jewelry pouch, body scrub and others. The soap is certified vegan which main ingredients are olive oil, virgin coconut oil, fruit, herbs and vegetables juices and essential oil fragrance. The hanging towels are button-less which denies the exploitation of sea shells and pearls primarily use to produce buttons.
Let us hold hand and create an environment safe for everybody!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Life of a soapmaker dedicated to green principles
Life of a soapmaker dedicated to green principles
by Jimely O. Flores
June 3, 2009
Hmmm what a joyous relief... I just finish my nth batch of natural bath soap. This time the ingredients are olive oil, virgin coconut oil, carrot juice, and jasmine essential oil. It turns out very good but tracing was reached only after two hours of constant stirring, this is because i decided to exercise my arms and save electricity by manually stirring the mixture. It is really very tiresome making my soap products carbon neutral is one of the principles of being and living green so i have no regrets. I wish I could now show the photos by this posting time but it could not be as the soap are still on their saponification process, not to be disturb until atleast after 24 hours. I would definitely share them to you soon.
These soaps are for sale and you could contact me thru my mobile 09189428250 or email: bank_ideas2@yahoo.com. These are definitely great soaps to your mind, body and spirits. I hope to be of service to you soon...
by Jimely O. Flores
June 3, 2009
Hmmm what a joyous relief... I just finish my nth batch of natural bath soap. This time the ingredients are olive oil, virgin coconut oil, carrot juice, and jasmine essential oil. It turns out very good but tracing was reached only after two hours of constant stirring, this is because i decided to exercise my arms and save electricity by manually stirring the mixture. It is really very tiresome making my soap products carbon neutral is one of the principles of being and living green so i have no regrets. I wish I could now show the photos by this posting time but it could not be as the soap are still on their saponification process, not to be disturb until atleast after 24 hours. I would definitely share them to you soon.
These soaps are for sale and you could contact me thru my mobile 09189428250 or email: bank_ideas2@yahoo.com. These are definitely great soaps to your mind, body and spirits. I hope to be of service to you soon...
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
A Daughter’s Thoughts for Greening Father’s Day Celebration
A Daughter’s Thoughts for Greening Father’s Day Celebration
By Jimely Flores
June 2, 2009
Soon it’s Father’s Day Commemoration again (June 21, 2009). Father is the first hero in a child’s life. He is looked up to, respected and even revered but as we grow older when our eyes are opened to the realities of life, all these are forgotten and the recognition our Father’s deserved are overlooked.
This year let us re-affirm our love and appreciation to our Fathers in a Green Celebration, a truly way of giving meaning to the life they lived for our benefit…
Tips on celebrating a green Father’s Day:
1. Our gifts should be from certified sustainable resources, wrap or packaged less, and with biodegrable materials and/or from sustainable sources.
• One o the great gift is my all natural bath soap (contact me at (63) 9189428250 or bank_ideas2@yahoo.com for orders)
2. The best gifts are our hugs and affirmation of our love and respect for them.
3. When eating out, let us choose restaurants that advocates green practices and patronize certified organic goods.
4. But the greenest and best way to celebrate Father’s Day is to dedicate our entire day just for them… joining them in doing the things they love and doing things for them only.
Let us Green the Father’s Day Celebration!!!
Friday, May 29, 2009
For Sale - gift sachets and/or soap bag saver
These are crocheted sachets and/or soap savers. Great as gift bags for party and wedding giveaways. Also Great as soap bags and/or small soap saver. Also Great as body or face scrub when used as soap saver. Also Great as potpourri bag for freshening up your area. GO GREEN and use this washable Reusable materials to Reduce waste (papers and plastics use in gifts and loofahs in baths).
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Go Green on your Fabric Softener
Go Green on your Fabric Softener
By Jimely Flores
May 24, 2009
It is sunday afternoon and it is so hot in my place that instead of going out I decided to replenish my stock of fabric softener. I am making them myself. That way I have a control of the ingredients which are definitely all natural - a product that is friendly to my health and to the environment. The savings only come as a bonus here.
In fact, all my powder and bar laundry soaps, fabric softener, dishwashing liquid detergent and bath soaps, are all my creations - i make them myself. I will be very happy to share it with you if you want to GO GREEN and HEALTHY like me. Aside from GOING GREEN and OPTING for HEALTH and WELLNESS when using these products you could also save money, a must at these financial crisis times.
Contact me here or in my email: bank_ideas2@yahoo.com or thru my celfon: 09189428250. See you
By Jimely Flores
May 24, 2009
It is sunday afternoon and it is so hot in my place that instead of going out I decided to replenish my stock of fabric softener. I am making them myself. That way I have a control of the ingredients which are definitely all natural - a product that is friendly to my health and to the environment. The savings only come as a bonus here.
In fact, all my powder and bar laundry soaps, fabric softener, dishwashing liquid detergent and bath soaps, are all my creations - i make them myself. I will be very happy to share it with you if you want to GO GREEN and HEALTHY like me. Aside from GOING GREEN and OPTING for HEALTH and WELLNESS when using these products you could also save money, a must at these financial crisis times.
Contact me here or in my email: bank_ideas2@yahoo.com or thru my celfon: 09189428250. See you
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Go Green on Your Wedding Giveaways
Go Green on Your Wedding Giveaways
by Jimely Flores
May 12, 2009
Giveaways on your wedding day may seem the least important in your priorities, but since this will serve as a perceptible reminder of your special day, it should also be given ample thoughts and consideration.
Fortunately, there are many options from mere decorations to functional and personalized items such as plants, candles, chocolates, soap, mugs, plates and others.
Below are some suggestions of green wedding giveaways that would certainly enhance the essence of your wedding day:
1. Go green, literally. Small potted plants like herbs, cactus, fortune plants and bonsai. The pot could be personalized with your names and wedding day printed or the pot is covered with a beautifully crocheted cotton yarn of your motif colors.
2. Vegan Bath soaps. The soap is definitely made from natural ingredients mainly from Olive oil, Virgin Coconut oil, natural Colorants, and essential oils. Colors and fragrances could be patterned on the motif of the wedding.
3. Hanging Towels. The artistically design toppers are crocheted cotton yarns with colors representing your wedding motif.
Contact me for orders and ideas!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Green Gift for Moms on Mother's Day
The day when we especially celebrate the love, work, and sacrifices of all mothers in the world is soon to come.
Let us show our love and appreciation to them through giving them gifts very appropriate to their nurturing qualities.
My mother's day gift package include handcrafted bath soaps which main ingredients are olive oil and virgin coconut oil with the lavender scent which is known to relax the senses and invigorates the brain. These natural soap is wrap with my handcrafted hanging towel with arty crocheted toppers. Great for Mom and great for the family.
For Orders, Please contact me through my celfon (09189428250) or email (bank_ideas1@yahoo.com). You may also send messages to my websites: http://lifegifts.multiply.com, http://jimelyflores.wordpress.com, http://lifegifts-jimelyflores.blogspot.com, http://jimelyflores.blogspot.com, my facebook account and in here (my friendster account).
Pictures of the products could also be browsed on the said websites and more are coming. See you.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
How to Save Water
Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Save-Water
How to Save Water
Water is a finite natural resource that must be conserved; it is limited and scarce in many places. Even if you live in an area with ample rainfall, using water uses energy to process it, pump it, heat it, pump it, and process it again. Here are some ways to save water.
Steps
Indoors
1. Install a water meter. You might be very surprised to find out how much water you are actually using. By installing a water meter you can raise your awareness and consequently reduce your water intake.
-If you already have a water meter, learn how to read it. Among other things, it can be very helpful in detecting leaks. Read the meter once, wait an hour or two without running any water, and read it again. If it has moved, something is leaking.
-Many water meters have a small wheel or gear that turns fairly rapidly if any water at all is flowing. In the photo, it's the little blue wheel. If you are sure all your water is turned off and you see this wheel moving at all, you have a leak.
-If your water meter is underground, you may need to remove debris from the face to read it. Squirt it with a bit of water from a spray bottle.
2. Check your plumbing for leaks, especially leaking toilets and faucets. Fix anything you find leaking. A silent toilet leak could waste from 30 to 500 gallons every day.
3. Take shorter showers.
-Take showers rather than baths. By taking a bath you are using up to 100 liters of water! Showering will generally use less than a third of this amount. See the water use table below.
-Shave outside the shower, or turn off the shower while you shave.
4. Catch the cold water that comes out of the faucet, tap, or shower while you are waiting for the hot water. Use it to water plants or pour into your toilet reservoir after flushing.
-Water from a hot water tank may have more sediment or rust than water from the cold water tank, but is otherwise suitable for drinking. If you use a water filter, you can filter the saved water, and put it in bottles in the refrigerator for drinking water.
5. Install low-flow shower heads and faucets or faucet aerators. Low-flow devices are inexpensive ($10-$20 for a shower head and less than $5 for a faucet aerator). Most simply screw into place (you may need an adjustable wrench), and good, current units maintain the pressure and feel of the flow while using as little as half as much water as conventional units.
6. Turn the faucet/tap off while you are brushing your teeth, shaving, washing your hands, doing dishes, and so on. Turn the tap off when you shower, too. Get wet, then turn off the water while you soap up. Turn it back on for long enough to rinse. Look for a twist valve that installs behind your shower head to keep the water temperature where you set it while the water is off.
7. Wash full loads. Wait until you have a full load of clothes before you wash a load. Don't wash a load of clothes just because you want to wear the same pair of pants the next day! When washing your clothes be sure to use the economy mode and this will save you both water and electricity! This goes for dishwashers, too. Load the dishwasher full but not overly full.
-Dishwashers, especially modern, efficient ones, can actually save water compared to washing by hand, since they pump the same water around inside the tub. If you're ready for a new dishwasher, check both energy and water usage before you buy.
-Choose your next washing machine wisely, too. Front loaders use far less water than top loaders.
8. Do less laundry. For this, you and your family will have to produce less laundry, but you will save time and wear and tear on your fabrics, as well.
-Hang towels on a rack to air dry after you shower. Use them multiple times between washings. It will help if each family member has his or her own towel. Get several coordinating colors, if need be.
-Shower before bed. Your sheets will not get dirty as quickly and you will be able to launder them less frequently. If you like, in between, wash just the pillow cases with other similar fabrics, or have a spare set you can swap in.
-Wear clothing more than once. You can also wear the same pajamas for a few nights in a row, especially if you shower before bed. Do change socks and underwear daily, but wear slacks, jeans, and skirts more than once between washings. Wear sweatshirts and sweaters over a t-shirt or tank top and just change only the innermost layer.
-Don't change clothes midday. If you have something especially messy to do, such as painting, gardening, or working out, set aside one set of old clothes for that purpose and wear it multiple times between washing, too. If possible, time such activities so they happen just before your regular shower so you don't use additional clothing or take additional showers.
9. Use waste water or gray water from the bath, washing machines or dish washing on the garden. If possible, hook up a hose to the outlet on your machine to send the water outside onto your garden. To re-use bath water use a hand-operated Syphon Pump. When hand-washing dishes, if you rinse the dishes over a plastic bin, empty the bin into your garden.
-Use garden-compatible soaps and cleaning products if you collect gray water for gardening.
10. Convert your toilet to low flush. Place a plastic bottle of water in the tank to displace some of the water used for each flush. Weigh the bottle down with pebbles or sand, if necessary. Or, try ordering a 'save-a-flush' or 'hippo' from your local water board.
-Not all toilets will be able to flush effectively with a reduced amount of water.
-Make sure there's a lid on the bottle, especially if there are pebbles or sand weighing it down. You don't want any pebbles or sand loose in your toilet tank.
11. Upgrade to a low-flush toilet. Low flush toilets exist that can flush reliably with 1.6 gallons (6 liters) of water and less. Read product reviews to find a good one.
12. Get or create a dual-flush toilet. Use the half flush button with a dual-flush toilet.
-You can also buy a dual flush conversion kit to turn your water guzzling toilet into a water saver you can be proud of. Search the web for devices like Select-a-flush and two-flush. They both work well and save money.
13. Don't flush every time. Remember; "If it's yellow keep it mellow, if it's brown flush it down."
14. Don't use your toilet as a trash can. Each time you flush the toilet you use up to 9 liters of clean water.
Outdoors
1. A rain collection barrel. Catch the rain. Use it for watering your plants, lawn or garden.
2. Water the garden and lawn at night. Watering at night gives water more time to soak in without added evaporation from the day's heat.
3. Water only the areas that need it. Use a trigger nozzle on your hose or a watering can.
4. Drip irrigation. Water deeply but less often. This will encourage plants to grow deeper roots, so that they need water less frequently.
-One way to water deeply with a minimum of water is to water slowly using drip irrigation or micro sprinklers. The simplest form is a soaker hose; other options include drip tape or hoses with emitters. These systems do not lose water to evaporation like overhead irrigation and keep plant foliage dry to help lessen disease. Buried tape applies the water to the root zone for even greater efficency. These systems may need to have acid added to the water to keep calcium or iron from plugging the tiny emiters.
-Watering deeply but less often goes for lawns, too. The roots of grass don't grow as deep as those of other plants, but they can still be encouraged by deeper, less-frequent watering.
5. Use furrows and basins. Dig low areas to water only the root zones of your plants, not unplanted areas around them.
6. Mulch can be attractive as well as useful.Use mulch on your garden to retain moisture. Ideal mulch candidates include hay, manure, leaves, wood chips, bark, and newspaper. Many mulches are available for free or very low cost. The right organic mulch can also help improve your soil as it breaks down and keep weeds in check.
7. Grow the grass longer. Don't mow your lawn too short. Raise the height of your mower blade, or simply let it grow a bit longer between mowing.
8. Grow no grass or less grass. Plant something besides a lawn or reduce the size of your lawn. Lawns require much more water (and maintenance) to keep growing than many other plants and ground covers.
9. Many plants thrive in shade.
10. Plant small trees under big trees. This will help prevent evaporation and provides some shade for your plants. You can also plant a shade garden under trees.
11. Cover your swimming pool. This helps to prevent evaporation. In some places, emptying and refilling a pool is under severe restrictions, or even banned, so preserving this precious resource is crucial.
12. Time water usage. Put a timer on your sprinkler and outdoor faucets/taps. Look for inexpensive, automatic timers that screw between the hose and the hose bibb, or install a programmable timer on your sprinkler or drip system. An automatic timer can also help you water at times of day when the water can best be absorbed.
-If you water something manually, set a kitchen timer before you turn the water on, or stay with the hose the whole time.
-Know how to adjust your sprinkler and irrigation timer settings for the seasons. Water less or not at all during wetter, cooler weather.
13. Maintain your sprinklers and irrigation. If you have irrigation on timers, watch it run. Fix broken sprinkler heads and pipes and make sure that spray patterns are directed where they are intended.
14. Don't over-water, and don't water any faster than the soil can absorb the water. If water is running off the lawn onto the sidewalk, cut the watering time or divide it into two smaller segments to allow time for the water to absorb.
15. Use environmentally friendly cleansers. This will enable you to reuse waste water from washing to water the lawn or garden.
16. Wash the car on the lawn. Use a trigger nozzle hose and/or bucket. There are even waterless spray-and-wipe car wash products, but they tend to be costly.
17. Don't wash the driveway or sidewalk with a hose. Use a broom or rake to remove dry matter and let the rain do the rest.
18. Plant drought-resistant landscaping. If you have a garden, devote an area to hardy plants that need relatively little water. Also, learn about native plants that naturally thrive in your area.
19. Know how much water plants need to thrive, and don't apply more water than that.
20. Grow plants with like water needs together. Sometimes called "hydrozoning," this method simply means that plants are grouped together by water use, so that they can all be watered appropriately.
Water Use Table
Bathing Showering Total Use After
0 liters 0 liters 0 Days
100 liters 30 liters 1 Day
200 liters 60 liters 2 Days
300 liters 90 liters 3 Days
400 liters 120 liters 4 Days
500 liters 150 liters 5 Days
600 liters 180 liters 6 Days
700 liters 210 liters 7 Days
Tips
• Find out if there are any rebates for water-saving devices, depending on where you live. Some municipalities encourage water saving by offering rebates for things like low flow toilets. Others provide free or reduced cost low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators.
• If there is a water shortage in your area, make sure you understand any restrictions or water rationing.
Warnings
• If you choose to reclaim gray water for garden use, make sure that any soaps or detergents you use are safe for that purpose. Don't use gray water for food plants.
• If you're collecting rainwater, be sure to mosquito-proof your collection system.
• Due to water rights laws, collecting rain water may be illegal in your area, so check with your community or county first.
How to Save Water
Water is a finite natural resource that must be conserved; it is limited and scarce in many places. Even if you live in an area with ample rainfall, using water uses energy to process it, pump it, heat it, pump it, and process it again. Here are some ways to save water.
Steps
Indoors
1. Install a water meter. You might be very surprised to find out how much water you are actually using. By installing a water meter you can raise your awareness and consequently reduce your water intake.
-If you already have a water meter, learn how to read it. Among other things, it can be very helpful in detecting leaks. Read the meter once, wait an hour or two without running any water, and read it again. If it has moved, something is leaking.
-Many water meters have a small wheel or gear that turns fairly rapidly if any water at all is flowing. In the photo, it's the little blue wheel. If you are sure all your water is turned off and you see this wheel moving at all, you have a leak.
-If your water meter is underground, you may need to remove debris from the face to read it. Squirt it with a bit of water from a spray bottle.
2. Check your plumbing for leaks, especially leaking toilets and faucets. Fix anything you find leaking. A silent toilet leak could waste from 30 to 500 gallons every day.
3. Take shorter showers.
-Take showers rather than baths. By taking a bath you are using up to 100 liters of water! Showering will generally use less than a third of this amount. See the water use table below.
-Shave outside the shower, or turn off the shower while you shave.
4. Catch the cold water that comes out of the faucet, tap, or shower while you are waiting for the hot water. Use it to water plants or pour into your toilet reservoir after flushing.
-Water from a hot water tank may have more sediment or rust than water from the cold water tank, but is otherwise suitable for drinking. If you use a water filter, you can filter the saved water, and put it in bottles in the refrigerator for drinking water.
5. Install low-flow shower heads and faucets or faucet aerators. Low-flow devices are inexpensive ($10-$20 for a shower head and less than $5 for a faucet aerator). Most simply screw into place (you may need an adjustable wrench), and good, current units maintain the pressure and feel of the flow while using as little as half as much water as conventional units.
6. Turn the faucet/tap off while you are brushing your teeth, shaving, washing your hands, doing dishes, and so on. Turn the tap off when you shower, too. Get wet, then turn off the water while you soap up. Turn it back on for long enough to rinse. Look for a twist valve that installs behind your shower head to keep the water temperature where you set it while the water is off.
7. Wash full loads. Wait until you have a full load of clothes before you wash a load. Don't wash a load of clothes just because you want to wear the same pair of pants the next day! When washing your clothes be sure to use the economy mode and this will save you both water and electricity! This goes for dishwashers, too. Load the dishwasher full but not overly full.
-Dishwashers, especially modern, efficient ones, can actually save water compared to washing by hand, since they pump the same water around inside the tub. If you're ready for a new dishwasher, check both energy and water usage before you buy.
-Choose your next washing machine wisely, too. Front loaders use far less water than top loaders.
8. Do less laundry. For this, you and your family will have to produce less laundry, but you will save time and wear and tear on your fabrics, as well.
-Hang towels on a rack to air dry after you shower. Use them multiple times between washings. It will help if each family member has his or her own towel. Get several coordinating colors, if need be.
-Shower before bed. Your sheets will not get dirty as quickly and you will be able to launder them less frequently. If you like, in between, wash just the pillow cases with other similar fabrics, or have a spare set you can swap in.
-Wear clothing more than once. You can also wear the same pajamas for a few nights in a row, especially if you shower before bed. Do change socks and underwear daily, but wear slacks, jeans, and skirts more than once between washings. Wear sweatshirts and sweaters over a t-shirt or tank top and just change only the innermost layer.
-Don't change clothes midday. If you have something especially messy to do, such as painting, gardening, or working out, set aside one set of old clothes for that purpose and wear it multiple times between washing, too. If possible, time such activities so they happen just before your regular shower so you don't use additional clothing or take additional showers.
9. Use waste water or gray water from the bath, washing machines or dish washing on the garden. If possible, hook up a hose to the outlet on your machine to send the water outside onto your garden. To re-use bath water use a hand-operated Syphon Pump. When hand-washing dishes, if you rinse the dishes over a plastic bin, empty the bin into your garden.
-Use garden-compatible soaps and cleaning products if you collect gray water for gardening.
10. Convert your toilet to low flush. Place a plastic bottle of water in the tank to displace some of the water used for each flush. Weigh the bottle down with pebbles or sand, if necessary. Or, try ordering a 'save-a-flush' or 'hippo' from your local water board.
-Not all toilets will be able to flush effectively with a reduced amount of water.
-Make sure there's a lid on the bottle, especially if there are pebbles or sand weighing it down. You don't want any pebbles or sand loose in your toilet tank.
11. Upgrade to a low-flush toilet. Low flush toilets exist that can flush reliably with 1.6 gallons (6 liters) of water and less. Read product reviews to find a good one.
12. Get or create a dual-flush toilet. Use the half flush button with a dual-flush toilet.
-You can also buy a dual flush conversion kit to turn your water guzzling toilet into a water saver you can be proud of. Search the web for devices like Select-a-flush and two-flush. They both work well and save money.
13. Don't flush every time. Remember; "If it's yellow keep it mellow, if it's brown flush it down."
14. Don't use your toilet as a trash can. Each time you flush the toilet you use up to 9 liters of clean water.
Outdoors
1. A rain collection barrel. Catch the rain. Use it for watering your plants, lawn or garden.
2. Water the garden and lawn at night. Watering at night gives water more time to soak in without added evaporation from the day's heat.
3. Water only the areas that need it. Use a trigger nozzle on your hose or a watering can.
4. Drip irrigation. Water deeply but less often. This will encourage plants to grow deeper roots, so that they need water less frequently.
-One way to water deeply with a minimum of water is to water slowly using drip irrigation or micro sprinklers. The simplest form is a soaker hose; other options include drip tape or hoses with emitters. These systems do not lose water to evaporation like overhead irrigation and keep plant foliage dry to help lessen disease. Buried tape applies the water to the root zone for even greater efficency. These systems may need to have acid added to the water to keep calcium or iron from plugging the tiny emiters.
-Watering deeply but less often goes for lawns, too. The roots of grass don't grow as deep as those of other plants, but they can still be encouraged by deeper, less-frequent watering.
5. Use furrows and basins. Dig low areas to water only the root zones of your plants, not unplanted areas around them.
6. Mulch can be attractive as well as useful.Use mulch on your garden to retain moisture. Ideal mulch candidates include hay, manure, leaves, wood chips, bark, and newspaper. Many mulches are available for free or very low cost. The right organic mulch can also help improve your soil as it breaks down and keep weeds in check.
7. Grow the grass longer. Don't mow your lawn too short. Raise the height of your mower blade, or simply let it grow a bit longer between mowing.
8. Grow no grass or less grass. Plant something besides a lawn or reduce the size of your lawn. Lawns require much more water (and maintenance) to keep growing than many other plants and ground covers.
9. Many plants thrive in shade.
10. Plant small trees under big trees. This will help prevent evaporation and provides some shade for your plants. You can also plant a shade garden under trees.
11. Cover your swimming pool. This helps to prevent evaporation. In some places, emptying and refilling a pool is under severe restrictions, or even banned, so preserving this precious resource is crucial.
12. Time water usage. Put a timer on your sprinkler and outdoor faucets/taps. Look for inexpensive, automatic timers that screw between the hose and the hose bibb, or install a programmable timer on your sprinkler or drip system. An automatic timer can also help you water at times of day when the water can best be absorbed.
-If you water something manually, set a kitchen timer before you turn the water on, or stay with the hose the whole time.
-Know how to adjust your sprinkler and irrigation timer settings for the seasons. Water less or not at all during wetter, cooler weather.
13. Maintain your sprinklers and irrigation. If you have irrigation on timers, watch it run. Fix broken sprinkler heads and pipes and make sure that spray patterns are directed where they are intended.
14. Don't over-water, and don't water any faster than the soil can absorb the water. If water is running off the lawn onto the sidewalk, cut the watering time or divide it into two smaller segments to allow time for the water to absorb.
15. Use environmentally friendly cleansers. This will enable you to reuse waste water from washing to water the lawn or garden.
16. Wash the car on the lawn. Use a trigger nozzle hose and/or bucket. There are even waterless spray-and-wipe car wash products, but they tend to be costly.
17. Don't wash the driveway or sidewalk with a hose. Use a broom or rake to remove dry matter and let the rain do the rest.
18. Plant drought-resistant landscaping. If you have a garden, devote an area to hardy plants that need relatively little water. Also, learn about native plants that naturally thrive in your area.
19. Know how much water plants need to thrive, and don't apply more water than that.
20. Grow plants with like water needs together. Sometimes called "hydrozoning," this method simply means that plants are grouped together by water use, so that they can all be watered appropriately.
Water Use Table
Bathing Showering Total Use After
0 liters 0 liters 0 Days
100 liters 30 liters 1 Day
200 liters 60 liters 2 Days
300 liters 90 liters 3 Days
400 liters 120 liters 4 Days
500 liters 150 liters 5 Days
600 liters 180 liters 6 Days
700 liters 210 liters 7 Days
Tips
• Find out if there are any rebates for water-saving devices, depending on where you live. Some municipalities encourage water saving by offering rebates for things like low flow toilets. Others provide free or reduced cost low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators.
• If there is a water shortage in your area, make sure you understand any restrictions or water rationing.
Warnings
• If you choose to reclaim gray water for garden use, make sure that any soaps or detergents you use are safe for that purpose. Don't use gray water for food plants.
• If you're collecting rainwater, be sure to mosquito-proof your collection system.
• Due to water rights laws, collecting rain water may be illegal in your area, so check with your community or county first.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Earth Day
Its earth day today! Let us all be reminded that the beauty and services of nature such as clean water, fresh air, and fertile soil are for free… But it is our duty to pass these to the future generation…Let us then do our part in saving the future by preserving nature. Start with Greening your Lifestyle and buying our Green Products (Green Living Soaps and Hanging Towels). See my photos on FOR SALE SOAPS AND HANGING TOWELS.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)