Remodeling gives us an opportunity to be wasteful or to make some small changes that may have a big impact on our wallets and the environment. In our kitchen, we knew right away that we wanted to install a new floor that would be considered environmentally sustainable…so, at this point, we are looking at bamboo and cork…both abundant and easy to harvest and regrow. Each has its pluses and minuses…the big minus is that we are having trouble deciding.
Fluorescent lighting and LEDs are easier on the electric bill, so that’s a no-brainer. The new dishwasher is Energy Star rated. And new laundry appliances will also be Energy Star. We will have an aerator on the kitchen faucet to reduce unnecessary water use. We are replacing the cabinet doors instead of the cabinets themselves. The new countertop is made with some recycled material.
In the bathroom, we need all new fixtures for the new space. So what do we do with the ones we are no longer using? Actually, they are in pretty good condition, so we might donate them to an organization that can use them, like the Salvation Army or Goodwill or Habitat or even offer them on freecycle.com. Did you know the average household uses 75% of its water in the bathroom? So our new toilet will be a low-flow choice…maybe one of those that gives us a choice about how much water we need to flush. The vinyl flooring might be a problem to get rid of…wonder if there is a good way to reuse it? Because it isn’t very big, maybe we could use it as a work mat in the basement or art studio.
Decisions, decisions. Any time that we change things up, we need to think about the ‘right’ way to do it to protect Mother Earth. We may not be able to do everything exactly right, but we can make some choices that lessen the impact of our lives on Nature. It makes good sense for the pocketbook and for our children’s future.
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Holiday time means lots of lights, good food, presents, decorations and lots of extras. You don’t have to give up a thing to be kind to the Earth this holiday season…Christmas is the best time of year! Here are a couple of ideas that will save Mother Earth and save you some dough.
Consider spending a bit more up front to save a ton on your January light bill. LED lights use only a fraction of the energy that regular Christmas lights use. You can feel good about enjoying your twinkly tree instead of worrying about the cost.
Another Earth-friendly step is to purchase gift and greeting cards, wrapping paper, and gift bags made from recycled paper. Then save some money by recycling the cards and paper and reusing the bags for other gifts next year. Or save the cards and use them as gift tags next Christmas.
Handmade ornaments don’t cost very much and often become family favorites to use year after year. Paint some gourds or burnt-out light bulbs for a personal and eco-friendly touch.
Be sure to buy rechargeable batteries for those electronic gifts and add a battery charger to your Christmas list. Rechargeable batteries are recyclable! And be sure to donate or recycle the old electronics when the holidays are over.
When you are out supporting the retail economy, be sure to select gifts with minimal packaging, or those packed in recycled or recyclable materials, such as cardboard.
Remember to share what you have with others this season and throughout the rest of the year. We all own more than we need. Someone needs that item, even if you don’t! The Salvation Army and Goodwill are great places to offer the ‘reuse’ of your unwanted items.
Have a ‘sustainable’ holiday…a Green Christmas. And Remember to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Happy Holidays!
To help the environment, you can do some little things, and little things add up. If everyone did some little things, there would be huge difference! A man named David Suzuki has come up with a list of things kids can do and you can do them too. We have added some to his list:
1. Recycle! Recycling saves energy and our natural resources. Check your garbage to see if you’ve thrown something away that could have been recycled.
2. Turn things off and unplug them! TVs, computers, stereos and video game units all draw power, even when turned off.
3. Play outside! By exploring the great outdoors, you’ll learn about nature and save electricity at the same time.
4. Be an energy detective! Are you careful about closing doors? Is valuable heat escaping from your home? Do you have a drippy faucet? Find ways to stop wasting energy and tell your family what you have discovered. Saving energy saves money!
5. Choose foods grown on local farms. Your lunch may have traveled a long way! The next time you go grocery shopping choose foods grown on local farms, or nearby areas. You will help reduce pollution from food transportation. Go to the Farmers Market!
6. How do you get around? Use kid power! Walk, bike, skateboard, scooter, carpool, or take the bus to get around. You will have fun and get some exercise too.
7. Explore your neighborhood! Make a map showing all of your regular stops, such as school, grocery stores, libraries, and after-school activities. Find ways to avoid having to drive to these places.
8. Get involved! Be part of the solution! Write, paint, draw or make a video…use your imagination to express how you feel about nature. Making art from old materials is another good way to reuse and recycle.
9. Share your items that you no longer need with someone who does! Re-using is a very important part of saving the environment.
There! Those things don’t seem too hard, but they can really make a difference if each of you do them. You can do your part to help, even if you are just one person. Mother Nature thanks you.
Today, I’ve been thinking about water. Years ago, if anyone had asked me, I would have said that water came out of the faucet and went down the drain. That was all I needed to know about water. Then I had a job in which I learned that water has a mind of its own, and will go where it wants to, unless we force it to do something else. So, water now has a will! Who knew? We live in an area of plentiful water. Most of the water we drink in Southeastern Indiana is drawn from a massive aquifer which lies under Indiana and Kentucky. This water is so pure and so clean, it really doesn’t need much treatment before we drink it…a little chlorine, a little fluoride and there you have it. Louisville draws their water from the Ohio River itself, and treats it so well before it is distributed that the City water has won national taste tests. New York City, with all its city grit and dirt and air pollution and other negative environmental concerns, also has prize winning water. I’m not sure, but I think that water is drawn from reservoirs and lakes upstate. So, our water is plentiful, tasty and clean. However, that is not the case in most of the world. Because it is not an issue for us, we have difficulty imagining life without adequate water. Did you know that 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water and ice? That sounds great, but less than 1/2 % of that is suitable for drinking. The Great Lakes Region is one of the largest repositories of water in the world, but the United States has some areas with little or no natural water resources. Fortunately, we have the technology and financial resources to pipe it where it is needed. Most of us Americans don’t even think about our water…unless it gets shut off for some reason or there is a ‘boil water’ advisory. We are blessed on many levels here, but availability of clean water may be the greatest. Blessed as we are, we have to be careful about how we take care of our water supply. Everything we throw away, dump, or drop, will eventually affect the underground water table. Everything. There is an effort to prevent pollution from landfills with the use of liners; but still… We are so casual about water that we let the shower run for 30 minutes at a time, ignore water drips until we get a big bill, and throw trash in the river and along our roads…and not even think twice about it. The USA uses more water than any other country, even though we have less than Canada or Russia. Toilet flushes are a huge use of water. Did you know that toilets made after 1993 use 1.6 gallons per flush…and those made before that can use up to 8 gallons per flush! There are now toilets that use even less water and we need to be considering those when we build or remodel our homes. Anyway, try to think about water…appreciate it and take care of it.
Of the 3 Rs, I think ‘reducing’ is the hardest…no snickers please. I don’t mean dieting. I mean reducing what we buy, how it is packaged, checking its recyclability, etc. We recently opened our Environmental Discovery Center here at SISWD with one of the exhibits a ’store’ at which kids are to select the better choice for the environment: which cereal packaging, which fruit drink, which mustard, which shopping bag, etc. In order to make a good choice, it is necessary to examine the product pretty carefully. Most of us don’t really want to do that, so it is hard to create a new habit. However, we also didn’t ever want to take time to look at nutritional labels, and now we do, so I guess we can learn and change. For example, just about all cereal boxes can be recycled, but we also need to check to see if it is manufactured out of recycled material. In many areas, only #1 and #2 plastics can be recycled, so we need to check the bottom of plastic food containers to see the number. It can be a hard decision to pay a few cents more for a product in a recyclable container, but it generally pays for itself in reduced garbage. Generally speaking, it is good to buy in bulk…large boxes of cereal, for example, instead of individual boxes. It is all recyclable, but there can be less packaging in the larger quantity. That’s “reduce.” Recycling and reusing require some thought, but are fairly easy to do – unless you are out in a rural area. “Reducing” will require a lot of behavioral change. I guess ‘recycling’ did too, but it is a self-rewarding behavior, so it doesn’t take long to train yourself. ‘Reducing’ may take longer to realize a benefit, but it is just as important as the other ‘R’s’.
I love my cell phone. It doesn’t work out here in the country and no one calls me and I don’t know how to download anything on it, but i love it. I love my computer(s). I love my CD player, my DVD player, my DVD recorder and my TV. As it turns out, most of my life is involved with electronics in one form or another. Bet yours is too. Americans are electronics fiends. We can’t wait to get the next new thing. But what are we doing with our old ones? Did you know that we ditch 130 million cell phones each year? Hope you recycle yours or give it to someone who can use it. Please don’t throw it away. The good thing is that the batteries they use are recyclable and not harmful to us in normal use. The bad news is that when those phones/batteries are no longer useful, you might be tossing a harmful metal or chemical into the waste stream, and the waste stream affects us all. Especially if we throw 130 million of them away! Some of these metals are lead, mercury, chromium, and cadmium. These toxic metals can interfere with the immune system, heart function, the reproductive system, the development of fetuses and children, the central nervous system, kidney function and the respiratory system. Yikes! Is that ‘nuf said? Please please recycle these items. Goodwill is now accepting your computer and all its parts. They have a deal with Dell to refurbish or properly dispose of that stuff. Lots of retailers will accept your unwanted electronics. Look around. Read. Find out. Do the right thing!
It is so frustrating that I can’t recycle all my plastic. #1s and #2s are the only ones my recycler can accept. And while I understand that there are limited markets for the other plastics, it still makes me mad that I have to throw things away. The numbers indicate the type of resin that makes up a certain plastic article. 1s and 2s are made up of chemicals that are more easily recyclable. Yes, there are companies that want all types of plastics, but there aren’t many of them and they are probably far enough away from Southern Indiana to make the cost of shipping prohibitive. Thank goodness our grocery stores and big box stores accept plastic shopping bags! I’m so glad I don’t have to throw those away anymore. You know, we say it all the time: once you begin to recycle, you really don’t want to throw anything away…ever! And, to tell the truth, I read that 84% of our garbage can and should be recycled, one way or the other. I take comfort in knowing that things change and improve with time, so I’m thinking that eventually we will hit that 84% recycling rate.
For those of you who are despairing of the future of the Earth, I bring good tidings. Two periodicals which arrive here at SISWD on a monthly basis are “American Recycler,” and “Waste and Recycling News.” Never before have I thought I’d ever be engrossed in those subjects, but I find myself looking forward to their arrival. The main reason is that both papers tell about the new projects going on all over America. We have not been standing still, people, while the world is going to hell. Waste management people have been working hard to come up with solutions to our problems for many years, and several of those solutions have been brought to fruition. I’m a great believer that Americans(except for me) can solve any problem …we have the creative thought and resources to get’r done. Lots of these solutions involve new science…ideas that you and I would never have thought possible. It’s a great world out there. Take heart, environmentalists! A new way is coming.
Is global warming a big bunch of phony made-up stuff? Who knows, really? Mostly, it doesn’t matter, because all the steps we are supposed to take to reduce global warming also reduce our out-of-pocket expenses too. So, the economy is a good reason to try to do the right thing. Recycling cuts down on the garbage you put out, and eventually translates to lower trash removal costs. Using CFLs instead of incandescent bulbs cuts down on your electric bill. Reusing or passing on clothing and other items helps your pocketbook and that of others. My new Prius just allowed me to drive from Madison to Louisville and back on 2 gallons of gasoline. So, what’s the beef, here? It doesn’t matter why you do these things…just do them. Even if you don’t believe it will have an impact on the Earth, you can bet it will have an impact on your wallet.
We’re busy getting everything setup, so please look forward to our first update!