It’s only fitting that today, Earth Day, I make mention of the responsibility of caring for our HOME.
This IS our home, but like irresponsible and selfish little children, we’ve messed it up. Our “Mom” (Mother Earth) has been trying to tell us. The animals, plants, oceans, atmosphere, insects have been trying to tell us too. The climate is … s c r e a m i n g … at us to pay attention. Still we spew, still we pollute, still we ignore the cries of a damaged ecosystem.
We think it’s someone else’s responsibility. The guy next door, the crazy environmentalists, the government or some other country. In fact - it’s everyone’s job…. yours, mine, the government and the rest of the world. Unfortunately, we haven’t been too good at it.
This ‘hippie’ thing started in the 70’s - 39 years ago, to be exact. It looked good for awhile but then people forgot. They continued to drive their gas guzzling cars, made by car companies with interests in the oil industry; the government blind and deaf except to the whispers of the lobbyists and corporate America.
Electricity consumption - fueled by our voracious need for luxuries and entertainment and unnecessary ‘necessities,’ has jumped despite electricity saving techniques. One family showcased on TV had a monthly bill of over $700! How can this be? What do they NEED that their costs should be so much? How can they save? Do they even TRY?
What are YOU doing to help this Earth? Not just today, when we can proudly say ‘We celebrated EARTH DAY’ - but EVERY SINGLE DAY? What is your water useage? Do you waste water? What about electricity? How much can you save by really making an effort - not just putting band-aids on things. How about your driving? Have you gone back to driving more since gas prices went down? What are you giving back to the earth, instead of taking away?
What are you doing to be environmentally responsible - instead of irresponsible? Are you really making a difference - every day?
Landscape irrigation nationwide totals about 7 billion gallons a day, and accounts for one-third of all residential water use.
Saving water is crucial to the environment. The planet is at a point where humans can no longer afford to waste water, or any other resources.
Experts estimate that more than 50% of all commercial and residential water goes to waste due to evaporation, wind, improper irrigation system design or over watering.
Homeowners should monitor their outdoor water usage and make some changes to save water. A rain barrel is a great way to cut down on the amount of water your household uses. It saves electricity because there is no pump to run; it works on gravity. You aren’t using water from the municipal water supply, or, if you’re in the country, your well.
There are many different systems available, depending on your local area rainfall, or how you’d like to use your rain barrel. You can use it to create an underground watering system for your garden. Soaker hoses used in the garden save water, and your rain barrel can be attached to one. You can also use your rain barrel to water plants on your porch, deck or to hose off a sidewalk or patio. This helps save water, too!
Environmentally speaking, Americans waste water - billions of gallons a year. The average family of 4 uses about 400 gallons a day; 70% of it being used inside the home.
Consider the following statistics on how much water is used by an American family:
Toilets: 27% Shower: 17% Faucets: 16% Washing Machine: 22% Leaks: 14% Other: 5%
27 percent of all household water is used in the bathroom. Installing a new toilet or a composting toilet can save a dramatic amount of water in one year. A leaky toilet can waste over 200 gallons every day.
Bathroom faucets run at about 2 gallons of water a minute. Shutting off the faucet while brushing your teeth saves about 200 gallons per month.
Not rinsing dishes before loading into a dishwashe saves over 10 gallons per load.
Washing machines can use up to 54 gallons of water per load, but recent energy efficient models use about 27 gallons.
Garbage disposals waste electricity and water. A typical disposal uses between 4 and 8 gallons of water a minute. Consider this the next time you go to use yours. A garden composter is the way to go and will provide you with free, nutrient rich soil for your garden and get rid of your food scraps at the same time.
You won’t be wasting water or electricity with a composting toilet or a composter.