Green Options

Though many states and localities are waking up to their water shortages and taking steps to plan for “peak water”, people generally continue to waste water and to ignore the energy-water link. In 2004 the Natural Resources Defense Council did a study in conjunction with the Pacific Institute called “Energy Down the Drain” on how saving water saves energy. We need to do more to spread the word. [...]

Get to know this symbol because chances are it’s going to be as ubiquitous as the blue star of EPA’s other conservation program, ENERGY STAR. Launched in 2006 the EPA’s WaterSense program seeks “to enhance the market for water-efficient products and services by building a national brand for water efficiency.” Viewed mainly as a program for water-only products like toilets, faucets, and irrigation systems, WaterSense does not include appliances, like dishwashers or clothes washers, that use both water and energy - those remain under the ENERGY STAR program. In 2007, the EPA released WaterSense specifications for high efficiency toilets and high efficiency bathroom sink faucets. They also offer certification programs for several irrigation professionals, include golf course irrigation auditors. Specifications for showerheads are in the works.

WaterSense is about to become very popular in the green building community. In their proposed changes to the LEED programs, the US Green Building Council removed some specifications for water saving credits, replacing them with, “WaterSense-certified fixtures and fixture fittings should be used where available.” It’s much easier to check for the WaterSense label than it is to gather the specifications for every fixture.

I have learned from our readers that there are two sources for green motivation in families: the parents or the children. Eco moms and eco dads obviously pass on their green values to their children, but sometimes it is the children themselves that inspire a family to go green. I was one such child growing up that converted to vegetarianism (I did not get my family to do the same), and made my parents aware of environmental issues. My influence was not seen immediately, but I look at my dad’s avid recycling and my sister’s organic food choices and can’t help but think that my green values may have rubbed off on them. Now, there is a book to help children turn their parents green.

How to Turn Your Parents Green, by James Russell and illustrated by Oivind Hovland, is a humorous book for kids ages 8-80 (you are never too old to turn your parents green). This book helps alleviate eco-anxiety by empowering children. “The premise for the book is that grown-ups (the Groans) are responsible for causing global warming, but it’s you (the kids) who will have to deal with the consequences.” The tips in the book are what you would expect, such as eating organically, riding your bike, and turning off light bulbs; but the format is unique in suggesting how children can approach their parents. One suggestions is presenting your parents with a list of poisons in the household, such as cleaners, then giving them a month to switch to natural products. There’s even a section on how to turn your teachers green!

Big news for the wind industry, big implications for water.

First, the Department of Energy released a report that confirmed what the wind industry has already claimed: wind could power 20% of the United State’s energy needs by 2030. Even with growing energy demands, our ample wind resources could meet one-fifth of our needs with continued growth and innovation. Other nations, especially Denmark, are already deriving significant fractions of their energy from wind, sometimes with impressive results. The truth is, wind energy is booming even as the specter of the expiring Production Tax Credit moves to the House of Representatives for a vote.

Another large announcement this week came from ex-oilman T. Boone Pickens, who proved (once again) that every thing’s bigger in Texas.

He just ordered $2 billion worth of wind turbines from GE to build the world’s largest wind farm.

© James Steidl | Dreamstime.com

As I am trying to sleep, somewhere in the house I hear water running. And it bugs me. It always has. Perhaps it was my childhood of growing up rural on a well system. During the dry summers, the entire family would have to go into conservation mode. I learned early about the “Navy” shower; get in, get wet regardless of water temperature, turn off water, soap up, quick rinse and go. I also learned not to leave the water running while brushing my teeth, and the more contentious practice of “if it’s yellow…” you know the rest.

These things prepared me well for my brief expatriate days on arid Caribbean islands. I adapted easily to the idea that you can’t drink from the tap, flush every time, or enjoy a long shower. In fact, we were only allowed one, ice-cold Navy shower a week. Thank goodness we spent a lot of time in the ocean.

This is not, however, the common experience for an American suburbanite. So, I spend a lot of time listening to the water running and thinking of ways to resolve my worries.

Water shortages are on the rise, from Mexico to the Andes, northern China to southern India, and Spain to Pakistan. Drought, soaring populations and population densities, changing diets, and increasing living standards are all factors. Is this an issue that technology can fix?

Judging by investors’ responses, the answer seems to be yes. FourWinds will invest up to $4.7 billion in water treatment and desalinization and companies that make meters, pumps, and pipes.

BlueWater Bio is a player in the wastewater and sludge treatment arena. Their claim to fame is a treatment technology called Hybrid Bacillus Activated Sludge (HYBACS). It uses proprietary bacteria that eats waste, saving on chemicals. The high quality treatment effluent has reuse potential for commercial or industrial applications, but I wouldn’t recommend drinking it.

Monsanto’s top 20 experts have been examining how climate science will affect the company, with drought being the leading problem to solve. New drought-resistant crops are being created.

“The most advanced of these is now a drought-tolerant corn product … commercializable within several years,” said Monsanto’s head of technology strategy and development David Fischhoff . “We expect this to be the first generation of an ongoing stream.”

People are familiar with motion-sensing faucets that turn on when people move their hands under them, and automatically turn themselves off, so they don’t have to handle the germy handles. People like that. But Toto takes this design much further with its Ecopower faucet, which saves energy AND water. How? It uses “self-generating hydropower” to automatically recharge a tiny battery in the faucet, thus saving the electricity [...]

After concluding last week’s post with water conservation tips, I was motivated to look deeper into more steps homeowners can take to conserve water, as well as the new technology surrounding this issue. I found all I needed (and MUCH more) at www.h2ouse.org.

The website was created by the California Urban Water Conservation Council under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They’ve covered everything! For example, in the ‘Home Tour’ section alone they have indoor information on The Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry, Garage, and Basement and outdoor information on Landscaping, Pool and Spa, Patio, and The Water Meter. To give you further insight on the depth of this site, if you click on the link to the kitchen (which is an illustration looking very much like a Hanna/Barbera cartoon) you are given info and tips regarding: Faucet, Dishwasher, Home Water Treatment, Hot Water on Demand, and Greywater and/or Dual Water Systems.