What We All Can Do
Try regular municipal water in a reusable bottle. Though commercially bottled water has been associated with healthy living since the 1980s, there’s little evidence that it’s healthier than what comes from the tap in most places and it’s definitely more expensive. Phalates, which can disrupt the human endocrine system, can leach from the plastic into the water and into our bodies. From an environmental standpoint, there’s no doubt that our taste for premium water contributes significantly to the waste stream.
Many heating/ventilating/air conditioning systems in commercial buildings include a device that brings outside air into buildings if it’s cooler on the outside. In many offices you can’t open the windows, but you can talk to the building manager about using the economizer to save energy.
It’s best to water your lawn or garden before 8 am or after 6 pm. Watering midday sacrifices as much as 30 percent of the water to evaporation. Avoid watering on windy days and break watering into short segments. Lawns absorb water better in three ten-minute spells than in a half-hour stretch.
As you plan your garden this spring, select native and drought tolerant plants. Together, these varieties can help you limit the amount of watering you’ll do this summer. For more information, visit www.xeriscape.org.
A simple way to improve your car’s gas mileage is to maintain the air filter. A dirty filter results in a “richer” mixture of air and gasoline, cutting combustion efficiency. Change single-use filters every 12,000 miles; if you have a washable or reusable filter, clean off the dust and bugs at intervals recommended by the manufacturer.
Solar water pumps can move water effectively in many situations without any help from the electrical grid. Surface pumps are best for wells less than 20 feet deep, submersibles are better for deeper wells.
Every opportunity to buy new office equipment means another chance to buy greener. Consider replacing single-purpose office equipment with a multi-functional system. According to Xerox, an office copier, two printers and a fax machine use 1,070 kWh of electricity per year; in contrast, one multi-functional machine for all these jobs uses 800 kWh.
Federal standards now require that new showerheads operate at 2.5 gallons per minute. According to EPA figures, replacing old showerheads (at an average of 4.5 gallons per minute) can save a family of four about 20,000 gallons of water per year.