Archive for March, 2011

postheadericon Recycling Water In Five Easy Steps

Water recycling, or greywater, is rapidly gaining popularity around the country. Water bills are on the rise and water quality and availability are falling in many areas. Greywater use is a great way to conserve water while saving plenty of money that normally just flows down your house’s drain. Here are five easy steps to help you and your family start recycling water at home:

1) Know the Rules
Before you begin, check your local codes to see what kind of greywater systems are allowed in your area. Some city or county codes have little or nothing to say on the subject of greywater while others have very strict guidelines in place.

2) Locate Your Greywater Sources
There are several potential greywater sources in any home. A good source of greywater should have easily accessible plumbing and should not contain harsh chemicals or sewage. Stay away from toilet or bath water since these sources could harbor dangerous pathogens. The kitchen sink is a good place to start.

3) Decide Where to Use Your Greywater
Greywater can be used to water a flower bed, a vegetable garden, a tree or any combination of these. Locate the area or areas in your yard that could use extra water. Good locations for greywater use should be close to and slightly lower than the greywater source.

4) Choose a Greywater System
There are many options when choosing a greywater system. You can have a system professionally installed or do it yourself if you feel confident with simple plumbing. To start, remember that simple is best. The easiest system to install is simply a pipe that runs from the source drain to the exit area and discharges under a bed of mulch. Having the greywater discharge under the surface is important since standing surface water can cause bacteria growth.

5) Maintain Your System
Most greywater systems are very low maintenance. If you use the simple drain method described above you should not have to anything to it on a regular basis. If the system backs up the pipes can be cleared with a plumbing snake. Do not pour any harsh chemicals into your greywater system.

 

postheadericon Get Organized And Go Green

Here are some quick tips to improve the space you can start today, then you can go green too!1. Stop buying bottled water. Did you know that some bottled water is actually bottled municipal tap water? Few people can tell the difference, anyway. Bottled water is more expensive than gasoline and from 250 to 10,000 times more than tap water. If you buy a few bottles, make sure to recycle or recharge then home for your next trip or ride. 2. universidad diseno . Check faucets. Office workers use only enough water every day to fill 17,500 Olympic swimming pools! Much of it comes from leaky faucets. Here is a statistic – a dripping faucet that fills a cup of coffee in 10 minutes you will lose about 3,000 gallons of water per year! While you’re at it, make sure the taps from abroad, especially since they were exposed during the winter months. 3. Use cold water. When doing laundry, try to wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible. Water heating energy consumption is # 1 in many homes. And while you’re at it, use a clothesline outdoors or indoors, even to dry clothes whenever possible. I always use a drying rack for my interior, delicate fabrics and special. It can be dry on the line and then just put in the dryer on low for a few minutes just to get rid of wrinkles and make them smoother. This will prevent clothing wear and disappear so quickly, saving you money! 4. BYOB – Bring Your Own Bag. Instead of using plastic bags or paper next time you go shopping, take cloth bags. You can buy economically in most stores today. Remember that is 15-20 years old tree to make enough paper for only 700 grocery bags! And while the plastic is convenient, they are not biodegradable. Only be recycled so many times! 5. Denver Wedding Coordinator . Turn off your screensaver, turn off the TV. The EPA estimates that using a computer “sleep mode” reduces its energy consumption by 60% to 70%! So please, turn off the monitor when not in use. At the same time, consider turning off the TV or using a power strip with a manual on / off. Most TVs, DVD players, game systems and stereo receivers use electricity, and they are put into standby mode when turned off. They are not really “off.” However, keep your VCR, DVR or cable box to adjust the output so that it does not lose its programming.

postheadericon Our Solution To Improve The Environment

Each year, Americans throw away 30 million tons of food, which is almost one quarter of all waste from landfills. To help visualize this, imagine filling the Rose Bowl Stadium, once every three days, with nothing but leftovers. This statistic is alarming. We, as U.S. food scraps as well, and that are clogging our landfills unnecessarily. However, food waste creates a much bigger problem than just filling our landfills. In this food stays and rots in landfills (or not) that releases greenhouse gases.

 

Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, CO2, capture and retain heat in the atmosphere. CO2 emissions of all cars represent 13 percent of all greenhouse gases. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that methane, another greenhouse gas, is 20 times more harmful to the environment than CO2. Landfills and rotting food are the main source of methane emissions. Food waste generates almost as much methane as cars produce CO2!

 

This problem is bigger than most people think. We must do something about it now to make our environment better. We can not wait to give this problem to future generations. Rather than clog up our landfills and gas and air we breathe, we must find a better solution. That improve the environment and not worse.

 

Gardeners should be able to plant fruits and vegetables on the ground to help them grow strong and healthy. Mothers need to feel safe when they take their children that they are breathing clean air.