Conservation 101: the Compete to Conserve Blog

My “mother in-law” (for lack of a better term) has diverticulitis. I’ll admit that I’d heard of this ailment, but I didn’t really know what it was. So I looked it up. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, diverticulum are small pouches in the colon “that bulge outward.”

Apparently the condition is pretty common and most likely caused by a lack of fiber in the diet. In other words, someone wasn’t getting enough roughage, which resulted in extra pressure in the colon area, causing bulges and then inflammation and…well, let’s just say I now know more about my in-law’s colon than anyone should.

What interested me about the timing of her illness is that I’ve been reading a lot about buying/eating locally. And this disease was spotted in the US at around the same time that processed foods were introduced (early 1900s). Hard to believe that processed foods are over a century old—some may even have been on the shelf for about that long.

But even if you shun processed food and try to eat “real,” not all food is created equally. Whether it is a backlash against the use of pesticides and hormones, or just a desire to help sustain the local farming community, more of us are considering the benefits of eating organically.

Many sources tout how local, organic food saves on fuel (transportation), preserves the land, and maintains much-needed diversity in food supply—all while providing more nutrients for your buck. And it will take a few of those to walk the organic line. But if it is true that the food is better for you, it could be worth the investment.

Some also argue that the cost difference between organic and industrialized foods is negated by the fact that industrialized organizations get subsidized by our tax dollars. In other words, we pay for their gas, among other resources, via government support, while suffering the nutritional differences in the process.

The recent salmonella and E. coli scares in vegetable supplies have definitely called into question the practices of veggie suppliers—from farm to distributor to grocer.

Living in California, I realize how spoiled I am by having so many food options available in state. I can feed myself (and the family) with local products pretty much year ‘round.

Even our local grocery has choices, and although the organic fruits and veggies take up a smaller section, have fewer options, and cost more overall, you have to weigh in what that cost gets you and your community.

If moving in this direction interests you, and your grocer isn’t as stocked as mine, you still may have options. Most major metropolitan areas have farmers markets at least one day per week. In other regions, roadside stands, “pick your own” options, and buyers clubs may be available. Plus, Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscribers receive weekly shares of produce year ‘round. This is a great opportunity to establish a relationship with those whose livelihood depends on producing these foods and selling them to you. As you get to know what’s “in season” at different points of the year, you can make choices around what works for you.

So maybe you aren’t ready to swear off Pop Tarts, and that’s okay. Hey, I love the Pop Tart. Can’t help it. They’re good. But as the “eat organic” movement extends beyond the hippie culture, it’s becoming easier to find the healthier foods you like/need from a variety of sources, providing you with options.

To check out what may be available in your area, here are some helpful resources:

Farmer’s markets (farmer’s market search): www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets

Local harvest (food sources local to you, including CSAs): www.localharvest.org

A recent notice from the local Public Utilities Commission highlighted Food & Water Watch’s Take Back the Tap campaign. While this isn’t the only program of its kind—Corporate Accountability International has a similar campaign called Think Outside the Bottle—the goal of motivating individuals, businesses, campuses and restaurants to give up bottled water is gaining merit and seeing success across the country.

Take Back the Tap has inspired half a dozen San Francisco restaurants to serve tap water only. These include the finer dining experiences of Incanto, Delfina, and Nopa. An impressive list of others have agreed to forgo serving “still” bottled water, including happy-hour hotspot Thirsty Bear and Giants pre-game fav Acme Chophouse.

Think Outside the Bottle notes locations in Philadelphia and New York are doing the same—and provides a map of participating restaurants throughout the nation.

In response to these campaigns, the US Conference of Mayors passed a resolution in June 2008 calling for bottled water to be phased out by municipalities and to redirect tax dollars to other city services, as well as to promote local water sources.

But the International Bottled Water Association feels that bottled water doesn’t deserve the bad rap. They point out that bottled water is a healthy alternative to artificially sweetened or carbonated beverages, not to mention a necessity in times of crisis, such as floods or other natural disasters.

Take Back the Tap contends that the federal government maintains “rigorous and frequent safety testing” of tap water, while many bottled waters pass under the radar. In fact, two of the biggest sellers, Aquafina (by Pepsi) and Dasani (by Coke), both came out in 2007 as being filtered water from municipal sources, rather than from the mountain streams of (insert location here.)

Meanwhile, the cost difference is clear: “$0.002 per gallon for most tap water to a range of $0.89 to $8.26 per gallon for bottled waters.” (Take Back the Tap) And as for the much argued taste factor…on April Fool’s Day 2008, the campaign challenged people to taste the difference. The video of this event is available on their website.

Both Take Back the Tap and Think Outside the Bottle have pledge pages where visitors can sign up and commit to the cause, and pick up schwag like T-shirts and stickers. Since I saw the “I Heart Tap Water” tee featured in a pregnancy mag just this morning, it’s reasonable to assume these campaigns are quickly gaining momentum—and possibly becoming downright trendy. 

For more info, check out: www.takebackthetap.org and/or www.thinkoutsidethebottle.org

It is not a new phenomenon. Gas prices climb. The demand for saving increases. Hints, tips, and tricks appear.

In fact, during the gas embargo in the 70s, all sorts of hints came across the wires for saving gas, including riding your bike to work or driving exactly 55 mph (although this may have been more to curb the natural tendencies of Boston drivers.)

Recent news broadcasts have noted similar hints and tips, including making sure the air pressure in your car tires are even at the appropriate level and carpooling.

Either way, the practice of using driving techniques to save gas isn’t a new concept. As gas prices continue upward, many people are noticing that they don’t exactly get the mileage per gallon the dealership sticker promised when they purchased their car.

Enter HyperMiling—a series of techniques to help reduce the gas used in the average day. While most of the tips center around understanding how much mileage your vehicle currently gets, as well as how you tend to drive, some border on the extreme.

Both CBS and CNN have run segments warning that HyperMiling can be dangerous. Techniques like “drafting” (aka—tailgating by most law enforcement agencies) encourage pulling up close behind larger vehicles to cut wind resistance. One scenario showed a passenger car drafting a Semi—a definite Driver’s Ed “Don’t.”

Another technique, nicknamed “pulse and glide,” suggests speeding up to about 50mph, turning off the engine and gliding. The questionable stupidity of this may be obvious, even to those who haven’t seen The World According to Garp. In many vehicle models, turning off the car can eliminate hydraulics connected to important features like power steering or brakes. Not to mention that the steering wheel could lock, or that the technique relies on reaction time to include restarting the ignition…quickly.

But not all HyperMiling sources encourage these practices. The HyperMiling.com website offers a six step how-to for saving gas safely. Check it out for more info, as well as links to articles covering the good and bad of HyperMiling, here:

http://www.hypermiling.com/car-mpg.html

photo credit: chispita_666

Skeptical that your dishwasher is more energy and water efficient than washing by hand? To test this theory, Leah Ingram of The Lean Green Family suggests stopping up your sink as you hand-wash dishes and then measuring the water you’ve collected. It’s likely more than you think.

Ingram is right. In my test, I used 8.25 gallons on a day’s worth of dishes (breakfast, lunch, dinner) for a family of four. My methodology? I quickly rinsed our dishes, turned off the water, scrubbed, and then rinsed off the soap. I’m not sure I would have saved water even if I had filled the sink first, as the sink itself would have required a good scrubbing and rinse, too.

Considering the average standard dishwasher built since 1994 uses 9 gallons a load, and I can fit two day’s of dishes in one load, I can cut my water usage, not to mention my water-heating, by more than half. Good-bye dishwashing gloves!

They’ve Done Studies
I’m not the only one who found dishwashers come out on top. Researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany studied 113 people across seven countries and found that new, energy-efficient dishwashers use only half the energy, one-sixth of the water, and less soap than hand-washing. The study also notes that dishwashers get dishes cleaner, too.

More resources:
Energy Star Dishwashers

American Council for and Energy Efficient Economy

Waterwise a water-industry organization in the UK

Water Usage Calculator

photo credit: jsgphoto

I hate washing dishes. My husband hates washing dishes. And as soon as they are old enough, our two children will likely hate washing dishes too. Yet for years, I dutifully hand-washed our dishes, believing it to be more energy- and water-efficient.

Then I came across The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen, which suggested that new energy-efficient dishwashers beat hand-washing dishes, well, hands down.

For me, this was a revelatory moment, akin to when Woody Allen’s character in Sleeper awakens in the future only to learn that chocolate is good for you and exercise bad! Still, I was skeptical, so I researched the debate myself. Here’s how you can make the dishwasher come out ahead:

Old Dishwashers Bad, New Dishwashers Good
If your dishwasher is more than 10 years old, you might be better off hand-washing. But according to Energy Star’s downloadable guide (PDF), a new Energy Star-rated dishwasher, can save you an average of $40 in utility costs and 4,945 gallons of water a year over doing dishes by hand.

Run Only Full Loads
Your dishwasher uses the same amount of water and energy whether it’s full or not, so maximize your resources.

Scrape before You Load
We run our dishwasher every other day. To avoid crusted-on food that requires (ugh!) rewashing, we wipe them rather than rinsing, which wastes water.

Skip the Heated Dry Cycle
The dishwasher water is hot enough to evaporate quickly—about 15 minutes in our house—and you’ll save on electricity usage and costs, too.

Use Eco-Friendly Detergent
Seventh Generation and Trader Joe’s, among others, offer automatic dishwasher detergent free of phosphates that can cause algae blooms in lakes that can suffocate acquatic plants and animals; free of chlorine bleach, which creates dangerous toxins that are linked to (scary!) cancer, birth defects, and developmental and reproductive disorders; and free of dyes and artificial fragrances that can irritate children and sensitive adults. While they might not save you energy, you’ll get bonus eco points for choosing them.

Conserving water in the long term can be a costly endeavor. But with a range of options to choose from, investments can be made as the funds become available. Here are some examples:

1. Install a low-flow showerhead in all of your bathrooms
2. Install a low-flow faucet aerator on all your household faucets
3. Install a smart sprinkler controller
4. Opt for energy efficient/water efficient appliances, like an on-demand hot water system
5. Replace toilet—largest water user— look for low flush or dual flush models
6. Replace clothes washer—second largest water user—for Energy Star-rated one, which have Water Factor at or lower than 9.5
7. Choose climate appropriate plants and proper irrigation for your landscaping
8. Install irrigation controller has rain shutoff device or opt for weather adjusting ET irrigation controller that waters only when plants need
9. Use organic mulch around plants to reduce evaporation
10. Opt for a greywater reuse system
11. Install a rainwater harvesting system as supplementary outdoor water supply
12. Seal water pipes and external taps to prevent bursts in cold weather

Local water providers may offer more information and potential incentives, so don’t hesitate to check out their websites for deals.

List of Resources for More Info on Conserving H2O

• Be Waterwise: www.bewaterwise.com
• California Urban Water Conservation Council: http://www.cuwcc.org/home.html
• Department of Water Resources (Water Conservation and Water Use Efficiency Links): http://watersupplyconditions.water.ca.gov/water_links.cfm
• The Nature Conservancy:http://www.nature.org/tncscience/bigideas/people/art23907.html
• Treehugger.com:www.treehugger.com

Looking to conserve water? Here are some options you can do without spending a penny—and potentially saving a few:

1. Turn water off when brushing teeth, washing dishes, soaping up in the shower, shaving, etc.
2. “Selective flush”—aka “if it’s yellow, let it mellow…”
3. Wash vegetables and fruit in a bowl rather than under a running tap
4. Keep a basin/bucket in your sink/shower to reuse extra water on landscape
5. Shorten showers (even a minute or two could save up to 5 gallons per day)
6. Fill the bathtub only as much as needed—and make sure drain plug works!
7. Use the minimum amount required when boiling water in pans and kettles
8. Reuse bathwater for plants, but watch for high-levels of phosphates, nitrates and boron from soap—could be harmful for some plant types
9. Find and Fix Leaks (faucets and pipes, indoors and outdoors)
10. Wash only full loads of laundry/dishes (and consider air-drying)
11. Water only when/what your plants need (use oven timer when watering manually)
12. Water your yard before 8 a.m.
13. Collect rainwater in bucket and use a watering can instead of a hose
14. Use broom instead of hose to clean driveway/walkway/sidewalk
15. Consider periodically turning off water treatment systems that consume water–such as reverse osmosis systems and some water softeners—or programming the regeneration and cleaning processes for between 2:00 and 5:00 a.m.
16. Wash car using a bucket and sponge, and rinse with a watering can
17. Learn to read your water meter

The California Urban Water Conservation Council also offers a Water Budget Calculator, which could be a great way to get a handle on how much water is flowing in your home, and where you can save.

List of Resources for More Info on Conserving H2O

1. Be Waterwise:www.bewaterwise.com
2. California Urban Water Conservation Council: http://www.cuwcc.org/home.html
3. Department of Water Resources (Water Conservation and Water Use Efficiency Links): http://watersupplyconditions.water.ca.gov/water_links.cfm
4. The Nature Conservancy:http://www.nature.org/tncscience/bigideas/people/art23907.html
5. Treehugger.com:www.treehugger.com