Conservation 101: the Compete to Conserve Blog

1. 
   photo credit: cursedthing

   Buying in Bulk Saves Money
   We’re not just talking about buying giant boxes of food a warehouse store. (Although, if you eat that many Cheerios in a month, it can save you money.) We’re talking about the bulk bins at your local grocery store, where you can buy everything from rice, beans, flours, and spices to cereals, nuts, dried fruits, and pastas.
   You can save serious money shopping from these bins—10 to 30 percent off prepackaged prices.

2. Less Trash
   Compare the packaging of 10 cans of kidney beans to one bag. Or three 10-ounce boxes of cereal (three cardboard boxes and three un-recyclable plastic liners) to one bag and a twist tie. You can also reuse your bulk bin bag and twist tie to reduce your waste even more.
   If you’re super-attached to your old cereal boxes, save them and place your reusable bag inside.
3. Less Goes to Waste
   When you buy from the buy bins, you can buy the exact amount you need, so less is likely to spoil and go to waste.
4. Food Often Tastes Better
   Canned beans, for example, are more convenient, but once you get into the rhythm of pre-soaking beans and cooking them the night before, you’ll find beans from the bulk bins taste much better. They harbor none of the metallic aftertaste found in canned beans.
5. A Chemical Found in Most Canned Foods Is Linked to Cancer
   Unbelievable as it sounds, it’s true. Most food and drink cans are lined with a plastic resin that contains a chemical compound called bisphenol A (BPA). Due to a growing concern about the harmful health effects of BPA, it is being banned from baby bottles in Canada and many plastic-bottle manufacturers are voluntarily phasing it out of their products. The makers of cans, however, have not felt the wrath of consumers yet, so most plan to continue using it.

   More resources on BPA in cans, and, if you can’t buy fresh, who offers BPA-free cans:

   “BPA Danger May Be Greater in Tin Cans Than in Water Bottles,” TreeHugger
   http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/bpa-danger-from-cans.php

   A list of companies that use BPA in cans, from Organic Grace
   http://organicgrace.com/node/316

   “Where to Find BPA-free Cans,” Julie’s Health Club
   http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2008/06/where-to-find-b.html

photo credit: emdot

I’ll admit that there is nothing like coasting down the highway on a hot, hot day with the windows down and the music blaring. I don’t even like air conditioning. But since the kid came along, I’ve found A.C. to be a necessity.

The one issue: Kissing all of that extra fuel goodbye.

When Bankrate.com published a story recommending readers to go easy on A.C. and to enjoy the summer air, the onslaught on their email inbox was astounding. Although the site stands by the statistic that “Air conditioning can drag down your car’s fuel economy by 10 percent to 20 percent,” the insistence from readers that using AC saves gas in the end drove them to dig further.

(more…)

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

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