Green Options

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Editor’s note: Our friends at Low Impact Living point out 10 ways you can save energy this summer. This post was originally published on June 10th, 2008.

The heat of summer is coming, and that means many of us are about to crank up the AC, make an extra batch of ice, and generally burn energy like it’s our job. But we need all need to continue to try to conserve as much energy as possible to conserve resources and slow the march of global warming. And we get to save money at the same time–woo hoo to that!

Here are the ten things we can all do at home to cut our energy consumption. We start out nice and easy, then ramp up to some extra-credit methods at the end of the list for you Climate Crusaders.

Editor’s note: Today’s final installment of Low Impact Living’s “A Thirsty Nation” focuses on steps you can take to conserve water around the home. Make sure to check out the previous two posts in this series on water use and conservation, or take a look at the whole report on Low Impact Living’s site.

What Can You Do to Reduce Water Consumption?

Improve the water efficiency of your lawn.

For many homeowners in the southern United States, lawn irrigation is likely the largest source of residential water waste. There are many things one can do to correct this.

Adjust your irrigation controller to fit your climate conditions and landscaping. This alone can produce water savings of over 30%. Some water utilities offer water audits, so check with your local water provider to see if they offer this service. Or, find experienced landscape maintenance firms in your area.

Install rain and soil moisture sensors. Many people don’t turn off their irrigation when it rains. Also, most lawns receive far more water than they actually need when it isn’t raining. Both problems can be corrected using sensors attached to your irrigation system. See examples.

Replace existing landscaping with climate-appropriate options, keeping grass to a minimum. The biggest challenge with many yards is that they are composed of plants originally from other areas with vastly different climate conditions. The typical turf lawn can use up to 40 inches of water a year or more; many climate zones in the US have far less than that in rainfall. What most people don’t realize is that all regions of the US have native plants that are beautiful, durable, and adapted to local climate conditions. Some native grasses can provide the benefits of turf while requiring 1/3 of the water. So, if you really want to save water and also want to stand out on your block, cut down your turf use and rebuild your lawn using beautiful natives. Find landscape architects in your area who can help.

Editor’s note: On Monday, we published the first part of Low Impact Living’s report on American water use at sustainablog. Today’s second part takes a look at how we tend to use water excessively in our own homes. Keep an eye out for part 3, which will give you tips for reducing your water consumption, or visit LIL for the original publication of the report.

Key Causes of Excessive Water Use

There are many sources of water waste across all sectors of the economy. But, as homeowners and consumers, which ones do we have the most control over? Low Impact Living suggests you consider the following ideas when thinking about lowering your water use.

Direct Household Water Use

The typical household with three members uses over 300 gallons of water per day, both inside and outside. If you live in a warm climate where lawn irrigation is needed, then typically this is your single biggest source of waste – most lawns are over-watered, irrigated with inefficient equipment, and planted with plants not suitable to the local climate.

Inside, toilets, clothes washers and showers are the largest water users, representing 19, 15 and 12 gallons per person per day respectively (see chart to the right). There are huge inefficiencies here as well, especially in older homes. New appliances and plumbing fixtures can often shave 50% off of your water use.

All told, an average water-conserving home could cut the 300 gallon average above to less than 150 gallons with no sacrifice in comfort or performance. Specific things you can do to achieve these savings are listed below.

Indirect Water Use

In addition to the water that you use directly, you also consume water via the products and services that you buy.

Has it ever occurred to you that the whole concept of private property might be innately harmful to the natural environment? While I’ve always recognized that indigenous cultures viewed the land as a blessing to all, not as something belonging to individuals, I never really made that concept personal until now.

Now, in the context of the U.S. mortgage meltdown, the context of protections for Alaskan wildlife and how they affect Inuit culture, the context of how actions on one side of the globe (i.e., industrial pollution and greenhouse gas emissions) are affecting the lives of people on the other side, I have to wonder if the idea of personally-owned land is destructive to the environment and, ultimately, to all of us.

Whether or not we’re actually in a recession (it feels like one from where I’m standing), there’s been a lot of discussion about if that could be a good thing for the environment.

The pro side’s argument goes like this: Yes, because people spend less during a recession. That means fewer miles driven and flown, fewer factory items shipped, more items reused and recycled rather than replaced.

Sounds logical, right?

I was intrigued by this couple after they appeared on Oprah Wednesday, February 27. I know it’s been over a week. Did you really think I caught the episode on Oprah? I heard about this from a friend who never misses the show. Honestly! OK, I watch it sometimes.

Daniel Burt is an eye doctor and his wife Amanda is a civil engineer living in Nashville. Their hobbies include living a lifestyle that makes a statement against rampant overconsumption and wastefulness in America. In other words, they dive in dumpsters to redeem things that have been thrown away.

Daniel explains, “We try to live very simply, and we don’t spend a lot on ourselves. We are very happy with having a little. We like to make it a priority to share a lot of our money. A lot of that comes from our Christian values of sharing and generosity.”

“We must restore confidence to the economy, to consumers and to the markets,” declared The House Democratic Leadership on Friday.

Their solution? Tax rebates and relief, echoing George Bush and probably every other economic analyst. The Federal Reserve has been cutting interest rates for the past six months to achieve the same goal; to entice people to Buy! Buy! Buy!

Not only will this take money away from important public services, but increasing consumption has dire negative impacts. The process of extracting resources, manufacturing products, consuming them, and disposing of them is the very culprit of environmental degradation. And guess what? This consumption will ultimately take us down as well.

In an article entitled 10 Ways Recession Can Help the Environment the author writes:

It’s been going on since 1922, seven western states staking their claims on Colorado River Water. For years, a sometimes divisive battle has raged as Colorado, Utah, California, Arizona, Wyoming, Nevada and New Mexico all said they weren’t getting their share of the precious liquid.

It came to an end in Las Vegas, when representatives of the seven states inked their signatures to a 20 year water-use agreement that now supersedes the 1922 pact.

The plan resolves several legal issues among water agencies and formalized rules fostering cooperation during drought conditions now ongoing in the region. The states are promising consultation and negotiation before litigation on Colorado River water issues. What a concept.

Three lower-basin states, Arizona, California and Nevada will use the Lake Mead reservoir behind Hoover Dam to store water they won’t use or need right now. Thirty million people depend on water in that region, especially in Southern California, where 26 cities and water districts serve about 18 million customers.

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