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The old folk wisdom that says place a brick in your toilet’s water tank is partially correct: It’s an effortless way to save water, but a brick isn’t the best choice of object. Use a plastic bottle filled with water instead.
HealthyStuff.org is based on research conducted by environmental health organizations and other researchers around the country. The Ecology Center created HealthyStuff.org and leads its research and development. The Ecology Center is a Michigan-based nonprofit environmental organization that works at the local, state, and national levels for clean production, healthy communities, environmental justice, and a sustainable future.
Every moment you spend idling your car’s engine means time spent needlessly wasting gas, as well as rougher wear on your vehicle. So give it a rest, and avoid idling through your days.
One of the ways the much-praised Toyota Prius is able to achieve such impressive fuel economy is by having a computer cut out idling automatically: when you aren’t making headway, the gas engine shuts off. For regular cars, it doesn’t make sense to shut off the engine at every stop sign. (Even though Environmental Defense found that idling for more than 10 seconds wastes more gas than is required for startup.) But, you should certainly kill it when you are waiting for your date to finish getting ready. Or when your honey has to run into the bank to cash a check.
Overall, idling Americans burn 2.9 billion gallons of gas a year, worth around $78.2 billion, according to a recent report from Texas A&M. That doesn’t count the damage done to idling engines by incompletely burned fuel.
Many communities have organized “no idling zones” around schools, churches and other locations. At least 15 states, and many counties, have laws that restrict idling for large diesel engines. New York City and New Jersey have laws limiting idle times of passenger vehicles, but enforcement is lax.
During hot months, try to park your vehicle in a shady spot, which decreases the amount of fuel lost to evaporation and requires less air-conditioning when you get back in.
Gasoline evaporates rapidly, and even escapes from closed tanks. The process is sped up by high temperatures.
Keeping your vehicle cooler means you’ll run your air conditioner less, resulting in a substantial savings in fuel. You’ll be less likely to damage car contents from extreme heat, meaning you’ll have fewer items to replace.
Also check out cardboard or shiny metallic windshield sun shades, which reflect solar heat away from the cabin.
Being thrifty in the kitchen, just like grandma used to, will cut down on the amount of waste you produce. Nobody expects you to make a pie every day like she did, but taking a few pointers will help you be as green as possible.
Use up leftovers. Try incorporating them into new recipes instead of letting them sit in the fridge. Leftovers today are opportunities for tomorrow.
Cook instead of going to restaurants or ordering take-out. You’ll save money cooking for yourself, and you’ll avoid the waste from extra take-out packaging.
Don’t just cook. Cook from scratch. Whole, natural ingredients are better for you. Avoid the pre-packaged stuff, and you’ll avoid preservatives, additives and the wasted packaging material.
Be thrifty. But don’t be thrifty by buying cheap stuff. Try to pick things (like appliances and furniture) that are durable and will last you a long time. You’ll go through less stuff, and less will be sent to the dump. It’s a win-win!
Plastic packaging accounts for the majority of all waste the United States produces, but there are environmentally friendly alternatives to petroleum-based plastics that are biodegradable.
Plastic takes about 1,000 years to decompose. When you consider that the country generates about 14 million tons of plastic packaging and containers every year, you can see it’s a big problem, especially when less that 7 percent of it gets recycled.
Now, though, there are some new plastics that are just as strong and work just as well but break down in a fraction of the time it takes for traditional plastic.
While traditional plastic is made from petroleum, the new plastics are made from renewable plant products. Here’s how you can tell that your plastic packaging comes from a renewable source. Look for the letters PLA, which stands for Polylactic Acid, which means the plastic is made from renewable plant products such as corn, soy, potatoes or sugar. Such plastics take just 30 to 45 days to compost and are 100 percent biodegradable.
Looking for PLA or the 7 in a triangle when you’re buying products in plastic packaging is one small step that could help save the earth from being wrapped in plastic itself.
For more information, check out the links below.
Instead of reaching for regular old smelly bug spray, try out a natural, herbal insect repellent; new brands now available are less likely to be toxic, but can still help keep biting pests from ruining your outdoor fun.
The active ingredient in most conventional bug sprays, N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, or DEET, has come under fire in recent years, since it has been found to impede cognition in some animal studies. A study conducted in the late 1980s on National Park employees found that one-quarter of the subjects experienced negative health effects, including rashes, numb or burning lips, nausea, headaches, dizziness and difficulty concentrating. Plus, some people just don’t like the smell or feel of DEET repellents.
These days the burgeoning natural products industry has numerous alternatives to offer, so give some a try, and see if they work for you. Generally, natural bug sprays don’t last as long as DEET, and they may not be quite as potent, though they are getting better all the time. Many are made from plant oils like citronella, lemongrass, peppermint and cedarwood, which are known to deter fleas, mosquitoes, ticks and biting flies. Oil of lemon eucalyptus has been listed by the CDC as effective protection against mosquitoes that may carry West Nile virus.
Major brands include Aubrey Organics, Kiss My Face, California Baby, Bite Blocker, Repel, Badger Balm and more. Check out our list of 7 natural bug sprays.
The best time to water plants is usually in the morning, both to maximize the efficiency of H2O used and to promote healthy flora.
Mornings tend to be cool and without strong winds, so the amount of water lost to evaporation is much less than during the middle of the day. Yes, evenings are typically similar, but if plants stay damp over night they are more likely to be damaged by fungal and bacterial diseases. Ideally, use a drip or soak system instead of a regular sprinkler, which wastes a lot of water and drenches the leaves, which are prone to damage as well as disease.
Most experts recommend substantial, infrequent watering for established plants, typically a total of about one inch of water per week (including rain). One or two applications a week encourages deeper rooting, which promotes stronger plants. To avoid shocking tender greenery, try to use water at or near air temperature (collected rainwater is best).
With population growth and climate change putting increasing pressure on freshwater supplies, it is becoming more important than ever to save water.
Use a spritz or two of vodka to freshen up clothes in between laundry loads. You can reduce the amount of laundry you end up doing, saving time, energy, water and cleaning chemicals.
We all need clean clothes, but actually doing the laundry uses a lot of resources and cuts into our free time. Many times, an item worn once doesn’t really need a full washing. So instead of lugging it to a laundromat or down to your basement machines, spritz your duds with a little vodka, then hang to dry in a well-ventilated area. (Do a spot-test first to be safe.)
Vodka kills odor-causing bacteria, but doesn’t leave a scent when dry.
Check out these nine other household tips for vodka, as well as great new organic vodkas.
Chances are you can turn down the thermostat on your home’s water heater a few degrees, and still have plenty of hot water for everyone’s daily shower, not to mention the dishes and laundry.
Installers and builders often think they’re doing homeowners a favor by jacking up a water heater’s temperature (commonly to 140 degrees F). Maybe such hardworking folks really appreciate a long, hot soak. But it’s not necessary for most households to keep the appliance set to anything over 120 degrees F.
Lowering the temperature from 140 to 120 would reduce your water heating costs by 6 to 10%. Give it a try. Many people find that tweaking the dial can be addictive, and it’s easy to reduce the temperature further to 115 or even lower.
If you start to wonder why you need a tank at all, then you may be ready for a tankless water heater, or go solar.
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