Green Options » water saving

Surestop Device Could Give Major Boost to Water Conservation

Andrew Williams — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:32:51 +0000

A UK company has launched a new device that allows users to cut-off their water supply at the flick of a switch, drastically reducing wasteage and giving a significant boost to water conservation efforts.

Instead of scrabbling around looking for the stopcock, the new Surestop device allows users cut supply instantly, saving water loss, and consequent damage, whilst giving householders direct control over water consumption.

Now the company hopes to expand into areas crippled by drought, where water conservation is a pressing priority.

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Japan Opens Environmentally Friendly Ice-Free Skating Rink

Jerry James Stone — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:08:07 +0000

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A unit of Mitsubishi Plastics Inc. is providing panels for artificial skating rinks that require absolutely no ice.

The petro-based resin panels are made in Spain, measuring 1.965 meters by 0.965 meter, and are available for both domestic ice skating and hockey rinks. Um…one ice skating rink, please. Hold the ice.

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Super-Effficient Water-Saving Shower

Philip Proefrock — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 01:43:33 +0000

Showering is one of the major uses of domestic water. Showering is responsible for roughly 18% of indoor water use. But with a new kind of shower system invented in Australia, showering could, according to the manufacturer, use 4 times less water and save up to 87% of the energy used in typical showering.

Australia has been suffering through a drought for the last several years. Since 2003, most of Australia has been experiencing the most severe drought conditions on record. And Australia is the driest populated continent, which further exacerbates water issues there. So it’s not surprising that a super-efficient shower would come from Australia.

According to the Quench Showers brochure, “If we focus on Australia’s water position we are at crisis point. Being aware of this is a start, but more importantly, we all need to understand the crisis and take immediate action if we are going to influence change. Without changing the way we consume and manage our water usage in our day-to-day activity, this crisis will become a widespread catastrophe!”

So how does the Quench shower save so much water and energy?

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Shit Happens…

Simran Sethi — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:27:00 +0000

Editor’s note: OK, we’re usually not so potty-mouthed, but, as you’ll see, it’s perfectly (and literally) appropriate this time around. We’re pleased to have Simran Sethi and Sarah Smarsh join us as guest contributors, and share with you their series on the surprising journeys of everyday things. They will be posting previews on Green Options before launching the posts on Huffington Post. Here’s a sneak peek at bathroom fun.

What you may not realize, cherie, is that whatever you flush down comes back around. Our waste fertilizes our fields and is pumped back into the waterways that are our major sources of drinking water. Let’s take the journey from toilet to tap, shall we? Oui oui. (We’re affecting French here for a touch of sophistication in a post centering on fecal matter.)

Americans use about 70 gallons of water indoors, every day. About three-quarters of that is used in the toilette—shower, bath, sink, crapper—and over one-quarter is used whisking away our waste. You can cut this water usage by making sure your toilet isn’t leaking, using a composting or low-flow toilet or even displacing the water in the tank with a brick or container filled with sand . Your toilet is not a trashcan, so save cigarette butts, tissues and used condoms for the basket, not the bowl.

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