Composting is nature’s own waste management process that nutrients are recycled back into an ecosystem. In other words, it is the process of taking organic materials, such as leaves, vegetables, fruits, logs, eggshells, coffee grounds, banana peels and dead animals and placing them in a pile or container along with water. In the composting time, you will turn your pile periodically to encourage the beneficial bacteria to thrive. This will create high heat and breaks down the natural organic materials over time into a dark, rich, fertile soil that gardeners fondly nickname Black Gold. By composting at home, we cannot only save money by not buying too much chemical fertilizers but also save the organic materials from landfills where they take up space and release methane – a greenhouse gas.

Table of Contents

• Benefits of composting
• Composting Basics
• Home Composting
• Composting Resources

Benefits of composting

One of the great ways to really jump into composting at home is to understand the value of finished compost. You have probably heard that composting is one of the easy and affordable ways to help the environment or compost will also do wonders for your plants or herbs. But what exactly is involved in it? How does composting benefit the environment? what are the benefits of composting at home? In this section, you will find answers to these questions.

Environmental Benefits of Composting

Composting reduces greenhouse gases 

Composting is an effective way to reduce methane (CH4) and other powerful greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Some people believe that throwing food scraps and paper materials into a landfill is harmless because the materials biodegrade. The truth is when these materials break down in a landfill they rot anaerobically (without oxygen) and release greenhouse gases, particularly methane. A large amount of methane gas in the Earth’s atmosphere is a known contributor to global warming. In fact, methane is roughly 30 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2, according to Princeton University.

Composting minimizes the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides

Compost is a rich source of nutrients and therefore significantly reduces or eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides that helps avoid greenhouse gases related to their production. The application of synthetic nitrogen to fields is a significant portion of nitrous oxide emissions (N2O) – a powerful greenhouse gas. Compost helps reduce the use of NO2 and other chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Protect water quality

Compost in the soil helps to keep fertilizers (a major source of water pollution) from leaching into the water. Some of the micro-organisms in compost can also bind heavy metals, again preventing them from leaching into groundwater or waterways. Compost helps soak up water and decrease runoff.  Runoff pollutes water by carrying soil, fertilizers to nearby streams.

Research also shows that compost energizes the soil food web, which is made up of microscopic bacteria and fungi, decompose organic compounds such as plant residue, manure, and pesticides, preventing them from entering the water and become pollutants – so using compost for your garden is beneficial for both your garden and the surrounding environment.

Compost is Great for Gardens and Lawns

Improves soil structure

When it comes to improving the soil structure of your garden, there is no better way than amending your existing soil with organic matter. Compost helps improve the quality of soil by encouraging the production beneficial bacteria and fungi, which then break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material. Compost can also help control soil erosion both by holding onto moisture in the soil and by encouraging healthy root growth.

Adds a few nutrients

Although compost is not considered a fertilizer, it does contain some nutrients. A well-made compost may provide small amounts of the basic nutrients – usually 1-2% nitrogen, 0.6-0.9 % phosphorus and 0.2-0.5 potassium. It may also provide low levels of secondary nutrients: magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S). More importantly, it contains a wide array of trace minerals and micronutrients which are essential to plant health and are often not available in chemical fertilizers such as manganese, copper, iron, zinc.  As a result, products grown in composted soil has shown to contain more nutrient contents and be more healthy to eat.

A compost-amended garden also attracts earthworms, sow bugs, redworms, centipedes, and others. The existence of these tiny guys proves that there is still organic matter breaking down as it passes through their digestive systems and represents a balanced ecology.

Reduces Plant Diseases

According to the University of Illinois Extension, soil treated with compost tends to produce plants with fewer pest problems and are more resistant to disease as well. This helps reduce the need for various fungicides and other chemicals, most of which are toxic to humans, animals and the soil biota themselves. Through home composting, you enhance your garden’s ability to produce healthy plants while reducing your volume of trash.

Composting conserve resources and saves money

Composting Reduces Waste

In the US, about 95 percent of food scraps are thrown away and eventually end up in landfills. As you may know, food waste, in particular, produces a significant amount of the greenhouse gases when it decomposes in a landfill, but not so when composted. While you may not be able to compost all of the organic matter you generate, composting at home is still an effective way to cut down on your overall trash significantly.

Use these resources to find out more!

Composting food waste remains your best option, says UW study

Composting as a Waste Management Technique

Water conservation

When compost is added to bare soil as a thin layer, it will keep soil moisture from evaporating – a practice called top- or side – dressing. Compost helps increase soil’s ability to retain water and slowly releasing it to plants. In fact, only a 5% increase in organic material quadruples the soil’s water holding capacity.

Composting saves money

Composting can save you money in many ways. Composting can help you save money on garbage bills or water bills. In addition, when you compost, you can use them for your own garden, which means you can save money by removing the need for expensive synthetic fertilizers that destroy your soil and harm humans, animals, and the environment.

Composting Basics

For the composting process to work, four things are needed: carbon, nitrogen, water, and oxygen. You can mix and match the brown and green ingredients listed below until you find a compost recipe that works for you. Just remember the carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio as you build your compost pile. We often use nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) at a ratio of one part Nitrogen to three parts Carbon.

Carbon (Brown material)

Carbon is what is most needed in the pile since it helps slow the decomposition process to prevent rotting. But if you have too much carbon in your pile, the composting process will slow down or stop. Just add more nitrogen to remedy. Carbon can be found in all carbon-rich material ( Aka brown material ) such as paper, dry leaves, branches, twigs, wood chips, sawdust, straw and other dried organic material. You can cut up the large items into smaller pieces to make the process move faster.

Nitrogen (Green material)

To balance out the brown matter in the pile, you need green material. The green material contains nitrogen to help bacteria break down the ingredients. This group includes items typically thrown out in the kitchen such as eggshells, leftovers from vegetables, coffee grounds, peelings, fruit cores. Any kitchen waste can be composted, except greasy or meat. Grass clippings, leaves, seaweed and manure (Not dog and cat waste, only barnyard animals) can be used as the green material. And again, if you have too much nitrogen in the pile, your pile will start like ammonia. Add more carbon to make it work efficiently.

Water

Water is another important ingredient in a thriving compost pile. Without moisture, the microbes will go dormant. If it goes dry for too long, you organic materials will not break down at all and you’ll end up with ants or termites in your pile. If your pile is too wet, it will smell and nutrients will be washed out as the ratio of bad bacteria outweighs the good. Ideally, pick up a handful of your material, squeeze it, and only get a couple of drops out. I just water the pile until see the water coming out the bottom and check the inside of the pile every few days. The bottom and center of the pile are where most of the action takes place, so make sure to pull back the top of the pile to check for water. You will know that your compost is right if it becomes hot in the center. This is important to sterilize the organic matter and kill the weed seeds or bad diseases that may be there.

Oxygen

Oxygen is the final key ingredient in the compost. This is why turning your pile periodically is so important. You will turn your compost pile from the outside in about once a week. It reintroduces oxygen and helps break up organic material that may have matted with time. Use a shovel or a hoe to turn the compost to make sure that oxygen penetrates the compost pile and speeds the decomposition process. If oxygen can’t get to the pile, the anaerobic parts will start to build up too much nitrogen and stink or it will stop composting if the nitrogen is used up.

Add these materials to speed up composting

Some materials are full of bacteria, fungi, and worms that will speed up the composting process. Add just a small portion of one of these materials to really get the party started.

• Mushroom manure
• Well-rotted manure (not pet waste)
• Healthy garden soil
• Compost Accelerator

What not to compost?

Generally, all waste will eventually decompose. However, for gardening purposes, there are a few items you will want to avoid.

• Plant wastes or yard trimmings that have been treated with chemical pesticides: Might kill beneficial composting organisms
• Leaves and branches from black walnut trees and diseased plant matter: Diseases might survive and be transferred back to other plants
• Meats, bones, oils, fats: Oils and fats block basic compost reactions. Also, your compost pile can become a food source for unwanted animals and will smell very badly!
• Charcoal ash or Coal might contain substances harmful to plants
• Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter): Might contain parasites, pathogens, bacteria, germs and viruses harmful to humans
• Large branches, wood chips, pits: Will take more than a year to break down. Can tie up nitrogen. May have to sift compost each season.

Check with your local recycling or composting coordinator to see if these organics are accepted by your community curbside or drop-off composting program.

Composting at home: Establishing your own basic compost pile

Choose a site where you want to put up your compost pile. Clear a patch of ground about 4′ by 4′. Fence it if you want. You can easily find a book that shows you how to layer your components in great detail, but if you’re going to be mixing your compost pile in a few weeks, that’s not really necessary.

Take your brown material and shred it to 0.5 -1.5″ pieces using a sharp shovel. This will make the process move faster. Put the shreds in the spot. Take your green material and shred it up a little. Combine it with the brown material. Ideally, you will want to wait until you have enough material to make a pile at least 3′ high. A pile which is too small will also be slow.

Then, sprinkle water over the pile regularly until it is like a damp sponge. Don’t add too much water, otherwise, your pile will rot instead of compost. Check the pile every few days for water and mix it up once a week. If your compost pile looks too wet and smells, add more brown materials. If you see it looks too dry and brown, adds green materials and water to make it slightly moist. Also, in this time, monitor the temperature of the pile with a thermometer to be sure the composting process is properly working. Or simply put your hand into the middle of the pile, your compost pile should feel warm.

Once the compost no longer gives off heat and becomes brown, dry and crumbly like dark, rich soil, you can add it to your garden beds, on your lawn, in container plantings and even in your seed-starting mix as an ingredient.

What is the best time to add compost? Generally, you can add compost to your garden soil at any time, it is nearly impossible to overdo it with compost. However, it’s best used when plant and leaf growth is most rapid. Add some to your soil in early spring before planting. Side-dress all your plants with compost throughout the growing season until flowers buds form because too much nitrogen (in compost) will encourage foliage at the expense of flowers. After the seed or fruit has formed, side-dressing can resume on the same schedule until early autumn.

What do I do if my compost smells?

List of handy tools you may need:

• Composter
• Garden gloves for kids
• Containers
• Compost Thermometer
• A fork, or a Compost Aerator
• Compost starter
• Indoor pail for kitchen waste
• Books on composting

The post A Beginner’s Guide to Composting at Home appeared first on quiet hut.

Like many other Americans, water is not something I’ve thought about through most of my life -It’s just an ordinary thing of an ordinary day. It’s easy to take water for granted since it flows easily out of the tap. Then it’s mind-blowing to me to know how hard it can be for people to access safe water in many parts of the world.

Droughts in California. Diminishing of water reservoirs in Cape Town. Water rationing in Rome. And in India, many people are dealing with limited water supply and poor quality of drinking water. In the rural parts of the country, people are fighting every single day against long distances and harsh weather conditions to get access to clean and safe water.

It doesn’t take a hydrologist to realize that the water crisis is one of the most important global issues that our world is facing nowadays. In fact, Bank of America Merrill Lynch reports that water scarcity is one of our biggest problems worldwide, and there are 1.2 billion people live in areas where they don’t have access to clean drinking water and likely spend their entire day searching for it. In a recent report, NASA pointed out that our world is running on the brink of a freshwater shortage. Rivers and lakes disappearing increase around the world and the world is heading toward a water-secure future. The UN expects that 3.4 billion people will be living in countries highly stressed for water by 2025. When water is scarce, people living in these countries are forced to consume contaminated water.

If you’re anything like me, you are freaking out about the water scarcity, and you want to do something, anything, to prevent this from happening because this is not a problem for “them” or “those”. It’s a problem for “us” and “we”. And one of the best ways we can do is to conserve water.

The good news is that conserving water does not to be difficult or expensive. There are a lot of things you can do to cut down on your water consumption.

Better late than never. It’s never too late to start saving water. Making just a few small changes to our daily habits can result in big water savings. So I’m here to provide you with some tips for saving water on a daily basis both indoors and out.

How you can help

We all can make a positive contribution to solving the water crisis.

First of all, simply change your mindset. Instead of thinking of your tap water as an abundant resource or a renewable resource, think of it as having limits or a non-renewable source.

Alexandra Cousteau, an advocate on the importance of water conservation, said: “When it comes to understanding the challenges to understand water, I really think we focus too much on ‘scarcity’. Water is and always has been scarce”. She goes on to say “The truth is, we really need to go back to grade school Earth Science class and remember that water on the planet exists in an interconnected cycle.”

To put things into perspective, find your own water footprint – is the amount of water your family consumes in daily life (You can get your water footprint using a quick calculation or continue to the extended calculator). You might be surprised by how much water you actually use on a daily basis because you may not see the “invisible” water that was used to grow your food and to produce your clothes and the things you buy. That said, our use of water is not limited to bathrooms, kitchens, and gardens. On a daily basis, we contribute to the consumption of large volumes of water when buying products, from the food we eat, the energy we use.

By measuring water footprints, you cannot only know how much water you use on a day-to-day basis, but you will also get a clear picture of how water is used in today’s consumer society. Understanding our water consumption can help you learn how to save water by making changes in your diet or lifestyle.

And now, without further ado, here are several ways to can do to reduce your water consumption while saving big bucks on your water bills.

Save water in the kitchen

Do the dishes properly

It takes less water to wash dishes in an automatic washer than to wash by hand if it is a modern model and you’re washing full loads. Studies have shown that 27 gallons of water per load by hand versus as little as 3 gallons with an energy-efficient dishwasher.

If you have a dishwasher, use it, especially it’s an energy-efficient dishwasher. A full, energy-efficient dishwasher cleans best and brings the best results in saving water.

1. Scape off the food scraps with a utensil over the trash or the compost pile before you load it.
2. If you use a new dishwasher that doesn’t require pre-rinsing, then a pre-rinse is unnecessary. If you have to rinse your dishes, use the washer’s pre-rinse instead or rinsing them in the sink – it uses less water.
3. Test your machine – Run a full load of dishes on the lowest setting and shortest cycle. Change a cycle that’s a little bit longer if your dishes aren’t clean. After a few tests, you will find the cycle sweet pot that cleans best with the lowest possible amount of water used.
4. Since most dishwashers use the same amount of water, even if it’s only cleaning one or ten dishes, so wait until it’s full. If you need a dish but the dishwasher isn’t full yet, wash it by hand instead of running the entire dishwasher.

If you don’t have a dishwasher, you can still reduce the amount of water with hand-washing by following these steps below:

1. Scrape your plates with a spatula before food has a chance to dry. By doing this, you will save the water you use to run the disposal.
2. Place the well-scraped dishes in a pile right by the sink instead of starting your water and then reaching for dishes one at a time.
3. Read your soap’s label and use the amount specified on the label. If you’re using too much dish soap, you’ll need more water to wash away the suds.
4. Fill up your sink with warm water and detergent, shut off the faucet, and then wash a stack of dishes at a time. Once your water becomes cold, dirty, or loses all its suds, let half of it drain and add fresh water. By not washing dishes one by one under constantly flowing water, you can save 200-400 gallons a month.
5. Fill up the sink with cool water and rinse the dishes by immersing them in the water. You won’t need to refill the rinsing water unless it gets soapy.
6. Drip dry. Ok, drip drying dishes has nothing to do with conserving water, but has everything to do with saving time!

Save water while cooking your fruits and vegetables

Wash your vegetables and fruits in a bowl of water instead of leaving the water running. You can expect to save up to 35 gallons per month with this simple way.

You can save water by steaming your vegetables instead of boiling. Steaming vegetables requires a lot less water and also preserve flavor and nutrients.

If you still want to boil your vegetables, there are still ways of saving water. First, just use enough water to cover vegetables. Second, boil the water in your electric kettle first (since electric kettles are constructed to boil water faster than a pot on the stove), then pour the boiled water over your vegetables and put the lid on the saucepan so they boil quicker. This will save you water, energy, and money.

And when you’ve finished boiling, keep on saving water by using the gray water from boiling vegetables for soups, sauces or gravy. If you are not going to use the water right away, keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

If you don’t want to use the vegetable cooking water in your recipes, just use it to water your garden. Make sure to avoid watering garden with the water that contains more than a trace of sugar, oil, salt, or starch. Also, use the water as soon as it cools down so it won’t get nasty with bacteria.

Don’t use water for defrosting

Using water to defrost frozen food is a waste. Just leave them in the fridge overnight. Or go and enjoy a cup of tea while everything thaws at room temperature or in the sun. Food will be defrosted and water will be saved at the same time.

Invest in a water aerator

Much like a low-flow showerhead, adding flow-reducing aerators to faucets can drastically cut down on water use without compromising performance. These aerators are easy to install and cost just a few dollars.

Save water in the bathroom

Did you know that a 10-minute shower with a standard shower head takes 25 gallons while an average bath requires 30 gallons of water?

Most people are not aware of how much water they use while taking their ordinary baths or showers, but showers or baths are typically the third largest water use after toilets and clothes washers in an average home.

So the first way to save water in the bathroom is…

The 5-minute challenge

As I said, a shower often uses less water than a bath, but the amount of water you can save actually depends on the efficiency of the showerhead and length of time for a shower.

To get started, here are five ways to measure a five-minute shower:

1. Use a shower timer or a simple kitchen timer
2. Set a watch timer or using a timer function on your smartphone
3. Listen to any five-minute song (This is my favorite way)
4. Sing the ABC’s 10.5 times. Stops after M on the 11th time.
5. Count backward from 300 – this is meditative and useful

Tip: Be sure to have fun doing this or your 5-minute challenge will fail. A little friendly competition can be fun. It can be a husband/wife, child, or family member. You can challenge your family member to take 5-minute showers as well.

While a standard showerhead uses 12.5 gallons for 5 minutes, a low-flow showerhead uses around 8-10 gallons for 5 minutes. Consider installing a water-saving showerhead for additional savings. You don’t need a complete bathroom remodel to start saving. If you’re looking for a great low-flow showerhead, you may want to check High Sierra’s Low Flow Showerhead.

By using a low-flow showerhead and reducing your shower time to 5 minutes, you can reduce your water usages, saving thousands of gallons of water a year.

Collect shower water

What is the first thing you do when you take a shower? You turn on the water and wait for the cool water to begin running warm. While you’re stripping down to your suit, making crazy faces in the bathroom mirror or doing other regular things, all that water is running wasted down your shower drains – and you’re paying for it.

Now, let’s look at how much water is typically wasted while waiting for it to get hot?

Let’s say it takes one minute for the shower water to warm up. An average showerhead uses 3.5 gallons per minute. If you take seven showers a week, in a year, the wasted water equals 1274 gallons of shower water a year.

As you can see, tons of gallons of water a year per household is wasted while waiting for the water to get hot. But there is something that we can do to stop this waste.

Put a bucket in the shower to collect the water.

Once you are ready to take a shower, remove the full bucket and put it aside. Then, the next time you need to flush your toilet, water plants, or clean the home, you can use this water. By doing this, not only you are saving 1274 gallons of shower water a year, you are also saving another 1274 gallons in toilet flushes. Which also means, you won’t have to pay for the wasted shower water that would have gone right down the shower drain – plus you won’t pay for the water that used for flushing your toilet. Huzzah!

You can save even more water if you use the bucket to capture clean water while you’re showering. But be careful you don’t get shampoo or soap in the bucket water if you plan to use the water for your plants.

Save water with your toilet

Since most indoor water use involves toilets, this is a good place to start saving water. Here’s a look at water-saving strategies for your toilet.

Check your toilet for leaks

Toilets are one of the most common sources of water waste in the home. Sometimes, it’s easy to tell if your toilet is leaking, when the water can be heard running. But some leaks are not as easily discovered, meaning the water may not be seen or heard running, these are called silent leaks. To determine if your toilet has a silent leak, drop a little food-safe eye in the tank. Do not flush. Give it 10 minutes. If that color becomes visible in the bowl, your toilet has a silent leak.

The “bottle in the tank” method for older toilets

One easy and inexpensive way to save water used in toilet flushing is to minimize the amount of water needed to fill its tank after each flush. To do this, there’s one thing you can do right now to make an immediate difference: put a plastic bottle filled with water in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water that flushes out.

I’ve also heard of people putting bricks in the tanks of the toilets in their house. Bricks, however, are ideal for this, as they have the potential to deteriorate and clog the plumbing. Instead, find a plastic milk jug and place a few items inside it such as rocks, then fill the rest with water. Take the lid off the toilet tank and drop the plastic jug into the tank, without interfering with the moving parts inside the toilet.

If you’re looking for something a little more sophisticated, try the Tank Bank. This tool clips onto the side of your tank and it saves approximate 0.8 gallons per flush.

Upgrade your toilet

Most likely, you’re current dumping more than a gallon of drinking water down the sewer each time your flush. While an old toilet uses up to 5 gallons per flush, a WaterSense-labeled toilet uses only 1.6 gallons for a full flush and 0.8 gallons for a half flush. So converting your old toilet to a water-saving toilet is one of the effective ways to conserve water at home. Here’re three main types of water-efficient toilets to consider if you’re willing to spend some serious cash.

Dual-flush toilets

This type of toilet is used internationally and is more expensive than other types of toilets.
A dual-flush toilet saves water by offering two ways to flush: a low volume flush for liquid waste only and a full volume flush for solid waste. It uses either two buttons or two separate handles to distinguish between half and full flushes. This high-efficiency toilet has a much larger trapway than a standard toilet and uses a wash-down flushing design instead of a siphon system, so it can use much less water to get the job done. However, the main issue with this toilet is flushing doesn’t always get rid of all the waste so you will be more active with your toilet brush.

By using a new dual-flush toilet, you will use only 20% of the water used in a traditional one. Dual-flush toilets have become more mainstream, so you might be ready to take the plunge and install one.

In case you don’t want to go as far as purchasing a new toilet, you can retrofit the dual flush functionality onto your old toilet by using a dual-flush conversion kit. The bowl will still use the siphon system to get rid of the waste, but you will have two options – the partial or full flush.

Pressure-assisted toilets

This type of water-saving toilet was first introduced to the market in 1984 and is used more in commercial premises since it is more expensive to purchase and install and it is sometimes louder when flushed than other types of toilet.

These days, pressure assisted toilets growing in popularity since they are a water efficient toilet and they leave the bowl cleaner because the flush is stronger and the water level in the bowl is higher.
Despite looking identical to standard toilets, the pressure assisted toilet operates using compressed air which acts like a spring and pushes the water into the bowl more forcefully. So no additional pumps or other devices are needed.

Composting toilets or waterless toilets

While not for the faint of heart, this is considered as the most water-efficient type of toilet since it operates without any water. Composting toilets treat the waste by a biological process called composting. In the toilet, the solid waste is composted by bacteria, while the urine is diverted off to prevent the creation of anaerobic decomposition which results in nasty odors and vector problems. If you’re interested in this eco-friendly option, I highly suggest checking out The Humanure Handbook. It’s a fascinating read.

Turn the tap off

Yes, you can save a lot of water by simply turning off the tap while you soap up and wash your hair, while you brush your teeth or shave, while you wash your hands, and many other uses.

Turn off the tap might seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes we are busy and become careless while doing something on a regular basis.

When it comes to conserving water, every little bit helps. Turn off the water while washing your hair and save up to 60 gallons a month.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth can save up to 30 gallons of water per month. Which means you can save up to 360 gallons per year for every person in your home that brushes with the tap off.

Save water in the laundry room

Washing laundry is a significant use of water in the average home – about 20 percent of the water consumed in the average home. Washing and drying clothes not only uses a lot of water but you also use energy and detergents. Here are some ways to reduce your consumption of water and energy while doing laundry.

Start with the right washing machine

The best way to save water in the laundry is to make sure you choose the high-efficiency washers. These machines are typically font loading washing machines. According to EPA (The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), a traditional washing machine uses 40-45 gallons of water per load, but a water- and energy-efficient model uses less 28 gallons of water, saving of 6000 gallons of water per year for an average family.

One of the most important factors when choosing a water-efficient is the water factor rating. The rating is based on the amount of water used per cubic feet of the washing machine. The smaller the rating, the more water efficient the clothes washer.

Run full loads

Only use your washing machine for big loads. If you only have a few items to clean, wait until you get a big pile of dirty laundry that you can wash at once. Some older washing machines don’t have a function to know how many items you have in there, so they tend to use more water than necessary.

Keep laundry count to a minimum

Of course, the best way to save water in the laundry room is to do less laundry!

Most likely, the slacks and shirt you wore yesterday are still clean enough to wear today. They can be worn more than one time, however, you want to change your socks and underwear on a daily basis.

Wearing your clothes at least twice before throwing them in the hamper not only helps to save a lot of water but also prevents wear and tear on your clothes. In case, you’re worried that people noticing you wore the same clothes for two days in a row, you can skip a day and wear them the next day instead. In truth, very few people will remember what you wore the day before unless what you wore was very eye-catching (bright colored shirt for example).

You can also keep laundry count to a minimum by washing your household’s towels when they actually need to be washed. You don’t need to launch your towels after a shower because you are clean when you get out of the shower. Just make sure you hang them up to air dry and you can use them a number of times before washing.

Save water in your garden

I would like to share with you a great tip that helps me save a lot of water in my garden is: Try watering your garden in the early morning or the evening when it’s cool outside. This helps cut down on evaporation due to high temperatures and wind speed.

Now, let’s see some more tips on conserving and managing water efficiently.

Plant flowers that need less water

You really don’t need to sacrifice style and beauty while saving water in the garden because some plants require less water than others to grow such as lavender, butterfly bush, palms, verbena. Choosing low water-use plants combined with basic management practices can keep gardens healthy and full of color while saving water.

Don’t forget native plants, not only do they look fabulous but they save you water too! Native plants generally require less water and general care since they are naturally adjusted to the local climate.

Drip irrigation

Drip irrigation is a form of irrigation where water and fertilizer are fed only near the root system of the plants. This system is very efficient in water saving since it helps to reduce evaporation by directing water to plant roots. Drip irrigation is ideal for a small garden and is highly effective at supplying one to three gallons of water per hour directly to the soil.

Use compost

Most keen gardeners are well aware of the importance of mulch in helping to keep water from evaporating out of the soil on hot summer days.

But did you notice that using organic matter is also a great way to help conserve water in the garden?

The use of compost will allow the soil to hold water a lot longer, especially if combined with mulching. For example, if you water your vegetables every three days and start using compost, you could probably push that watering out to seven days with no obvious change in the health and vigor of the plant.

Make sure garden hoses don’t leak

According to EPA, approximately 10% of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day. Don’t forget the garden hoses!

Check your garden hose for leaks at its connection to the spigot. If it leaks while you run your hose, simply replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and use pipe tape to ensure a tight connection to the spigot.

Water at the right time

Many of us over-water our gardens. This is not only wasteful, but it also means we are doing more than required. A good way to avoid that is to check the moisture level of the soil by sticking your finger into the soil. If it is damp, it’s fine. If it is dry, then it’s time to water. If you have clay soil, watch your plants instead. Often times, when leaves turn brown and wilt due to over-watering, the dead leaves will be soft and limp. While with under-watering, those leaves may be crispy and dry.

Set up a rain barrel

Using a rain barrel to collect rainwater is one of the best ways to save water at home. A rain barrel is easy to set up, and the water you collect can be used to water the lawn, water your vegetable garden and even to wash your car.

Using a rain barrel can collect more rainwater than you may think. Just one-tenth of an inch of rain falling on a 1000-square-foot roof will yield 300 gallons of water. You have to admit that whether you’re in a drought situation or not, it’s hard to pass up that much of free thing.

To save water, change your diet

Those who have taken GRACE’s Water Footprint Calculator have learned that diet makes up the huge part of a person’s water footprint. This is part of what’s called “virtual” water use, or the volume of water used to produce the food we eat, the things we use daily life, and the energy we use. Virtual water is essentially all of the “invisible” water behind a product. Even though we often use far more of this water than we realize, it comprises the majority of our water footprint.

When it comes to reducing the water footprint of a person’s diet, there are several different approaches you can take.

Eat less meat

Of all foods, meat requires the most water to produce. Beef, for example, is the king of big water footprints. It requires about 1800 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, while it takes only 180 gallons of water to produce the same amount of wheat. The problem is not the water that the animals drink, but the fact that we need to grow crops to feed them and it takes a tremendous amount of water to grow feed.

By choosing to eat more plant-based food, you can drastically reduce your water footprint as well as carbon footprint. Some less water-intensive proteins include pulses like beans, lentils, and peas. Chicken generally has a lower total water footprint than beef, so if you’re not ready to abstain from meat altogether, giving up or just cutting back on red meat (beef, pork, lamb) can help.

Don’t waste food

When we waste food, we are wasting all the resources required to produce that food, including water. It is the sad truth that 30 to 40 percent of the food supply is wasted in the U.S, that’s nearly half million gallons of water being wasted every year! So not wasting food is a smart way to reduce your water footprint and your food bill as well.

Eat less processed food

Water is used very wastefully in the process of making processed foods. For example, a one-liter bottle of soda contains not just one-liter of water and added ingredients. This small bottle requires about 400 liters of water to make, 400 times the amount of liquid in the bottle. While a cup of apple juice needs 60 gallons of water, one apple needs only 18 gallons of water.

As you can see, eating more whole foods and moving away from processed foods is a great step toward reducing your water footprint because it takes additional water to process and package food.

And right now, maybe you just need a very concise conclusion. So here you are.

Conclusion

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the things I mentioned, I can completely understand. If there is one thing you need to remember about conserving water, it would be :

Develop a water-saving mindset – Be conscious of every precious drop.

Yes, that’s all you need to start using water wisely. With a water-saving mindset, you will find yourself become more creative on how to save water and you can save water anywhere, anytime.

Just bookmark this page and come back here again to check if you can do all of the things I mentioned. This can be a real challenge, but it’s definitely worth it to see the amazing results! Good luck!

The post Ways to Save Water at Home | Ultimate Guide to Saving Water appeared first on quiet hut.

Keen to get your kids into composting?

Great! Composting is fun and is ready for anyone, anywhere. Making compost is appealing to a wide range of ages. Composting is not only great for the environment, it is also an awesome science experiment that can help kids learn more about biology, life cycles, recycling, conservation.

Photo Credit

Composting is a natural process of decomposition and recycling of organic material (such as leaves, grass, fruit and vegetable scraps) into a rich soil amendment known as compost. You can teach kids about this circle life and teach them how to complete it. It’s also important to teach kids the basic principles of taking responsibility for the waste they generate through recycling and composting. Making composting for kids a hands-on science experience! For kids, it will just seem like great fun.

In this article, we’re going to guide you through the ins and outs of composting and how to compost with your kids. We hope that this guide can help you, as a parent or teacher, boost your knowledge of the topic so that if the situation ever presents itself and your children ask you a more loaded question, you’ll know just what to say.

What do Kids Learn Through Composting?

In this electronic age, kids have a lot of things competing for their attention. They need time for the meaningful family connection. Composting is one of the easiest outdoor family activities that helps steer kids away from the television and tablet and engage them in good gardening activity. These activities are fun and enjoyable experiences that help kids promote communication skills and learn a lot of lessons. Here’re some more lessons kids can learn through composting:

Composting raises Kids’ environmental awareness – Composting is a great way to raise kids’ awareness of the environment by teaching them how to reduce waste. Kids learn through direct experience that they can make a difference and have a positive effect on the environment. Composting also helps kids understand the three environmental r’s (recycle, reuse and reduce). Kids learn the difference between compost and what ends up in our landfill. Kids learn what waste can be used for composting. As kids get older, they learn about the impact of the three environmental r’s on the earth. You can turn collecting compostable waste into “seek and find” compost game or involve your kids in the kitchen by teaching them what kind of kitchen scraps to save for composting.

Composting Teaches Kids Science – Although composting is simple (you just put organic matter in a compost pile and wait for it to decompose), it is a wonderful introduction into the world of science especially biology, chemistry, and physics. When kids put their organic materials into the compost pile they become curious about what will happen next. Without even realizing it, kids are learning the basic steps of the scientific process by monitoring the natural process of decomposition and recycling of organic material. Kids learn which organic materials called “Nitrogen materials”, which called “Carbon materials”. Kids learn the importance of bugs and worms and their value to our ecosystem. Kids learn how different materials breakdown by understanding the chemical process and they even learn how temperature works in the decomposition process. Composting offers wonderful science lessons right at home!

Composting Teaches Patience – Patience is virtual, and with composting, it is very important to understand that the process of decomposition can take a while. Kids have to learn to be patient when waiting for their materials to decompose. The waiting actually makes the moment they see their own biodegradable products even more exciting!

Basics of composting

What is Composting?

Composting is not a mysterious process. Natural recycling occurs on a continuous basis in the natural environment. In a forest, dead leaves fall forming the mulch that protects the soil. Over time, they decompose into nutrients which are returned to the soil to support plant growth.

Composting is a natural biological process of recycling organic materials such as food waste, leaves into a dark brown, crumbly soil that smells like a forest floor. It’s amazing nutritious for your garden and lawn. In this process, various microorganisms, including fungi, insect, and bacteria, decompose organic solid waste into simpler substances. As these beneficial microorganisms decompose organic waste they produce heat, which is why compost piles often warm and can even be seen steaming in cold weather. Under optimal conditions, a compost pile can heat up to temperatures in the range of 50-65 °C (120-150°F).

Kids conducting composting experiments can use daily temperature readings to compare how quickly the compost heats up, how hot it gets and how long it retains its heat. If you’re a teacher, you can even make this into a competition, for instance, to see whose pile reaches the hottest temperature or stays hot the longest.

If you want your compost to heat up, then some knowledge of the decomposing process is important. Chemistry is important in this natural process because for quick microbial growth, you need to add the right mix of carbon, nitrogen, and water. Physics also plays a role in composting because physical characteristics of the compost ingredients, including particle size and moisture content, affect the rate at which composting occurs.

Why Composting?

There are various reasons to make compost. Save resources, save money, reduce our impact on the environment and improve your soil. While it may take a little time to set up your own composting system, the results will be worth it. After a few months, you get a free natural fertilizer for your plants to keep them looking healthy and beautiful.

Many people often asked, “Why should I worry when my local council does food waste collections- and why do I need to compost when my waste will break down in landfill anyway?”

Here’s why: When our waste is sent to landfill, air cannot get to the organic material. Therefore as the landfill material breaks down it releases methane gas (a greenhouse gas) that contributes to climate change. However, when this same waste is composted at home where it has access to oxygen, it decomposes aerobically and it hardly produces any methane which is good for the Earth’s atmosphere.

A recent research has found that almost half of the food waste in their rubbish bins could have been composted into nutrient-rich soil. It’s even amazing to know that composting at home for just one year can save global warming gases equivalent to all the CO2 your washing machine produces in around three months, or your kettle produces annually.

And what’s more?

Integrating activities like composting into kids’ lives is a great way to help them to spend more time outdoors, connect with their food, and cooperate as a family. Composting may be work on one hand, but it can also be a fun practice. Moreover, composting is a gateway into gardening – and I can’t think of anything more fun!

What To Use To Make Compost? (Ingredients)

Some people mistakenly assume that organic matter thrown in the garbage will break down and feed the soil in the landfill. But throwing kitchen and garden scraps in the garbage means they will be surrounded by garbage and not have the proper compost recipe. Therefore, they cannot become a healthy compost for feeding the soil.

Healthy compost results from a combination of four ingredients: Brown stuff, green stuff, water, and air. You can mix and match the brown and green stuff that listed below until you find a recipe that works best for you. Just note the carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio as you build your compost pile. We prefer to use carbon and nitrogen at a ratio of three parts Carbon to one part Nitrogen. You can try it with your kids too.

1. Greens – 1 Part

Greens are those with higher nitrogen and are quite wet and heavy. They rot quickly and can get stinky fast unless you balance them out with enough browns.

Nitrogen components consist of:

• Aquarium water, algae, and plants
• Dead houseplants
• Fresh grass clippings
• Green garden debris, such as spent pansies deadheaded flowers and bolted lettuce
• Vegetative kitchen scraps
• Chicken manure
• Horse manure

2. Browns – 2-3 Parts

Browns are those with higher carbon and are dry and bulky. They do not decay rapidly without green compost ingredients because they do not hold enough moisture.

Carbon components consist of:

• Brown garden debris, such as corn and sunflower stalks, dried legume plants, and dried potato and tomato vines
• Hedge prunings and twigs
• Leaves
• Pine needles

3. Water

Moisture makes the best possible conditions for the microbes to break down the material. After adding the greens and browns, water the compost pile and mix it well. You will need just enough water for the compost to be moist, not wet. In dry months, you need to add water, and in wet months you need to keep the compost pile from the rain.

4. Air

Packing layers of brown and green matters into a compost pile is not going to make compost alone. Air needs to be added by turning the compost with a rolling composter or a fork. The compost pile will become warm as the organisms work to break down the organic materials. The heat in the middle of the compost pile can reach up to 150 °F. Turning the compost every few days to introduce more air and more materials from the edges to the middle.

Add these compost amendments to speed up composting

Some materials are full of beneficial bacteria, fungi, and worms that will speed up the decomposition process. Add just a small portion of one of these materials to really get the party started.

• Healthy garden soil
• Mushroom manure
• Well-rotted manure (not pet waste)
• Compost Accelerator

What Not to Use?

Generally speaking, you can compost almost anything that is organic and was once living. However, not all organic matter is useful. There are a few items that do not decompose well and will hold up the efficiency of your compost pile. So you will want to keep them out of your compost to avoid a hassle.

For example, we keep cooked foods, meat, fish scraps and dairy’s out of our compost pile. Although these organic matters can be composted, their smell will act like a magnet for any critters and unwanted pests. We also keep large woody branches and cuttings out of our compost pile since they take too long to break down.

Keep these materials out of the compost pile:

• Diseased plants
• Dog, cat, pig, and reptile manures
• Gypsum board scraps
• Materials from the side of the road, including grass clippings and leaves,
• Coal Ash
• Colored Paper
• Inorganic Materials
• Meat, Bones, Fish, Fats, Dairy
• Synthetic Chemicals

Getting started – Composting for Kids

Composting is easy to make, but it isn’t simple as just throwing your garden and kitchen scraps into a compost pile and checking on it a year later. Eventually, those organic materials will break down and create compost, but it is much cleaner, faster and more effective knowing the proper step-by-step guide.

Are you ready to get outside and work with your kids?

Okay, let’s compost!

Step 1 – Choose a compost bin

Bins have the advantage of being neat, preserving heat and keeping animals out. You can build your own compost bin or you can buy a compost bin from many garden centers.

There are many types of bins that you can use to hold organic materials. The size and type of bin you purchase or build will depend on how much organic waste you and your family generate.

Step 2 – Choose your composter location

Choose a site that is sunny and well-drained. Most importantly you should find a site that is easily accessible year round. Place the bin over bare soil rather than paving to ensure that beneficial organisms can make their way into the compost. It’s a good idea to remove any plants and turn the soil to a depth of about 6-8 inches.

Step 3- Making great compost

Collect compostable materials which listed above in containers. You can chop materials into small pieces (the small the better). When they are full, empty their contents into the compost bin.

Where to start?

Place a 4″ to 6″ bottom layer of course material such as twigs, dead plant stalks in your composter in order to allow for drainage and aeration. Cover this layer with leaves. The simple alternate layers of garden waste and kitchen waste in 4″ to 6″ increments. Top off the compost pile with 1″ of healthy garden soil or mushroom manure.

Whenever you add food scraps or garden waste, be sure to top it with a layer of browns (Carbon materials). If you do not add carbon materials, your compost will be wet and can smell like rotten eggs or garbage. If possible, collect and store dead leaves in a garbage in the fall so you can them in your compost pile year round.

There are probably specific ways of maintaining compost depending on the type of compost bin you have chosen. Most of the composters come with instructions inside, follow these instructions for best results.

Step 4 – Add Water

Each layer gets a good sprinkling of water to wet the organic materials. You should wet each layer as you build it. Repeat each of the layers until the bin is full.

Step 5 – Maintain Your Compost Bin

Once you have a full compost bin, mix and turn the compost every 7 days or so to help the breakdown process and eliminate odor. The more you turn the pile the faster you will have finished compost!

Step 6 – Compost is ready

It takes anywhere from 3 months to 12 months to produce your healthy compost. The time it takes can vary widely depending on the materials and methods used.

Finished compost is dark and crumbly in texture and mostly broken down with a pleasant earth-like smell. To remove the compost, scoop it through the trap door on your unit. Pick out any lumps or pieces of unfinished materials and place them back into the compost bin to continue decomposing. However, for most uses, it is acceptable to have some recognizable pieces of straw remaining.

Step 7 – Use your compost

Finished compost can be used for:

• Use your compost as a top dressing for flower beds.
• Add to houseplants.
• Mix compost in with garden soil.
• Can be spread on your lawn a few times a year.
• Make compost tea. Fill an old pillowcase or cheesecloth with 1 liter of compost. Tie the top and “steep” the bag overnight in a garbage can filled with water. The compost tea is nutrient rich for watering your plants and garden.

What do I do if my compost smells?

List of handy tools you may need:

• Composter
• Garden gloves for kids
• Containers
• Compost Thermometer
• A fork, or a Compost Aerator
• Compost starter
• Indoor pail for kitchen waste
• Books on composting

Good luck and have fun!

The post A Complete Guide to Composting for Kids appeared first on quiet hut.

People use energy each day for lighting, cooking, cooling rooms, heating, transportation, manufacturing, entertainment, and many other uses. We consume a lot of energy and every year, we use more energy than we did the year before. In fact, the amount of energy Americans use has doubled about every 20 years.

Energy is something that kids and grownups need and use every day at work and at school. People get energy from food. Once food converts to energy in the body it gives them the strength and energy to go to work or school and to use their bodies and brains to get things done. Some scientists explain that everything in the universe is made up of energy. Since energy is very important, energy conservation is an evergreen topic that adults worry, and have concerns about.

Energy conservation is any behavior that results in the use of less energy. Energy conservation should not be confused with “energy efficiency”, which is using technology that requires less energy to perform the same function. A classic example of energy conservation is turning the lights off when leaving the room. In the same vein, energy efficiency is using a compact fluorescent bulb that requires less energy instead of using an incandescent light bulb to produce the same amount of light.

Why do we need to save energy?

We use natural resources to make energy and natural resources are things found in nature such as natural gas, oil, and water. Many of natural resources are called nonrenewable, cannot be renewed once they are consumed. Unfortunately, we have only a limited amount of nonrenewable resources in the world, so it is important to conserve it.

Another important reason for conserving energy is the health and well-being of every life form on the entire planet. Using fossil fuels or some other energy forms pollute the environment in many ways. Any kind of pollution can make people and animals sick and cause problems with plants. Especially, these issues are very dangerous for people with compromised immune systems, the elderly and babies. And the use of certain resources helps spread pollution by releasing chemicals and gases. It also helps cause the earth to get warmer than it should be and this could lead to the weather change or create really bad snow, rain or heat. By using less energy, you’re creating less pollution and fewer problems.

Ways kids can do to save energy at home

As kids, you don’t work for the government or large companies, but you can still make a huge impact simply by starting at home. Every time you turn off a light bulb or play game less by going outside to play more, you’re saving energy. Here’re some more easy ideas that kids can use to save energy at home:

• Watch less TV – read a book instead! A book doesn’t require electricity to run. Additionally, reading a book is proven to be more relaxing than watching TV.
• When you play video games or watch TV, turn them off when you are done.
• Don’t leave your computer in standby – turn it off at the end of each day.
• Remind parents to their phone from the charge when the phone is fully charged.
• Avoid browsing the fridge a thousand times a day. Also, avoid browsing for food with the fridge door open – every time you do, the fridge has to fire up to cool down the air again.
• When you shut down your gadgets or appliances, be sure to unplug them completely since these energy vampires often suck up power even when we’re not using them.
• If the air conditioner is on, close all of the doors and windows in the house because if they are open, the air conditioner will work harder than it needs to.
• Again, shut all of the windows if the heating is on. If they are open, the hot air will escape straight out of the window, then you’re wasting energy and money.
• If the weather is not too hot, ask your parents to open the windows instead of relying on an extractor fan or using the air conditioner – No electricity used, no cost!
• Shower – don’t bath! A shower uses less hot water, and as a result, showering costs less than bathing. If you choose the shower instead of bathing, then over a year, you would save a lot of water and the costs of heating that water.
• Reuse or recycle whatever you can (such as composting) since it helps to reduce or eliminate the need to make materials from scratch which means to save energy.
• You can also help by reminding parents to turn the heat down in the winter, buy energy-smart bulbs and use machines the right way.

Learn by watching | Make learning fun for kids

Overall, energy conservation is as important as energy itself. The choice people make about how they use energy – turning electric devices off when they are not using them for example and all those energy-savers add up to a big impact on the environment.

Use these resources below to learn more about Energy Conservation for Kids:

Things that you can do – Imagining Tomorrow – Ways that older kids and even adults can change attitudes toward energy use and the environment and in government policy.

Plant Trees to Conserve Energy – Follow the link to learn how planting trees for shade, windbreaks, and insulation can conserve energy and lower energy costs.

NASA Climate Kids – How to Help – On this page, you can find a lot of ways that kids can help protect the environment, reduce their “carbon footprint”, reduce their “trash pile”, and save water.

Energy Conservation in the Home – This is a printable coloring and activity book for kids about energy conservation at home.

Kids for Saving Earth – This site provides educational materials, posters, and activities to educate, inspire and empower kids to protect the Earth’s environment.

Teaching Children to be “Energy-Wise” – This fact sheet identifies things that kids can do to help save energy at home.

Kids Saving Energy: The US Department of Energy provides a fun page for kids about using energy the right way at home, games and renewable energy information.

Energy Sources – This site describes the types of energy in a way that is easy for kids to understand.

EIA Energy Kids  – This page has a lot of energy information from learning about the definition of energy, the form of energy, energy calculators to the difference between renewable and nonrenewable sources.

Energy Kids Games & Activities – Riddles, experiments, quizzes, puzzles, and activities on energy conservation are available on this website.

Ways to Save Energy –  The Victorian Energy Saver has great tips on how to save energy at home to help keep your energy bills down.

Energy Efficiency – Check out to see things kids can do to start saving more energy.

Energise Anything – About E.ON – Energise Anything aims to inspire young people aged 5 to 18 in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths. Follow the link to watch the science animation and get free resources for the home and classroom.

Energy saving advice – Click this link for the exhaustive checklist of energy saving ideas.

Energy Tips For Kids – On this page, kids can learn many ways to conserve energy and save water. The article features many activities that kids can participate in rather than watching TV or playing Videogame.

How to get your kids involved with saving energy – Check this page to learn how kids can save their parents a little money by saving energy in this summer. The page offers ten quick things you can do to keep your kids thinking about energy efficiency all summer long.

Top 10 Rules for Saving Energy – There are lots of ways to save energy at home and rules can make it easy for the whole family to save energy in the home. To get started, try the top ten rules for saving energy on this page. The grown-ups in your house can help!

GEF’s Energy Activities – Pick one of the GEF’s Energy Activities are a great way to get started on the Green Energy Challenge. These hands-on and fun activities teach kids to know the importance of energy conservation at home and at school.

Con Edison Kids – On this site, kids can watch and play a variety of games that teach them about energy usage.

30 simple things you can do to save energy – Click on this link to read a PDF about 30 ways grownups and kids can do to save energy and help the environment. This PDF also talks about pollution and environment.

Zoo America – Kids Conserve – Inside, kids can learn ways to help protect the environment. This page gives many tips on saving energy, conserving water, and other advice, including recycling.

The post Energy Conservation for Kids appeared first on quiet hut.

Your carbon footprint is a measurement of the number of carbon emissions produced by the activities in your daily life. The primary footprint is the sum of the direct carbon emissions of burning fossil fuels. Cars, homes, and possessions all contribute to this impact by using energy, most of which is produced by burning fossil fuels.

According to The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Earth’s climate system is undoubtedly getting warmer and the warming over the last 50 years is due to human contributions. These contributions include increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (Also known as “heat-trapping” gases). More heat is “trapped” in the earth’s atmosphere means warming temperatures.

Warmer temperatures increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of heat waves, which can pose health risks, especially for the elderly and young children. Climate change can also affect our natural environment, resources, and impacts our way of life in many ways.

Cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important element in fighting global warming and climate changes that may be a factor in catastrophic weather events.

So, it’s time to reduce your carbon footprint. There are various actions you can take every day that will help keep the planet healthy for current and future generations. Even small actions can have big impacts on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and inspiring others to follow in your footsteps. By doing these actions, you can also save money by saving energy. So here’re ways you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.

Home Energy

Change Your Lightbulbs

One of the easiest things you can do to reduce the carbon footprint is to switch all of the incandescent light bulbs to Energy Star qualified light bulbs. One Energy Star light bulb in every American home can reduce up to 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, or about the amount of 800,000 cars, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Reports. Additionally, according to the EPA, the electric savings for a single Energy Star-rated light bulb is about $6 per year and $40 for its lifetime.

Replace old appliances

Older appliances are less energy efficient than newer models, especially models bearing the Energy Star label are recognized for having superior efficiency. By replacing these old clunkers in your home with energy-efficient appliances, you can save money and have a positive impact on the global environment.

When buying new electronic appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines, water heaters, and clothes dryers, with smarter models, look at their energy usage. The more energy efficient they are, the more they will save you in the long run and the lower their CO2 impact will be.

Consider green electricity

Most of your daily activities depend on electricity and most of which is produced by burning fossil fuels. However, using sustainable and renewable resources such as solar, wind and wave power that can cut down on your carbon footprint and reduce overall energy usage when possible.

Turn everything off that is not in use

At home, there are some things you can start doing immediately to reduce the carbon footprint.  All of the basic appliances and devices you use throughout your house including lights, computers, televisions, video game systems and so on should be turned off when not in use.

Another important thing to note is, many appliances and gadgets continue to consume energy if they are left plugged into a standard electrical socket whether you use them or not. So make sure unplug everything that is not in use so you won’t waste any electricity. You can also use a power strip to avoid the constant task of plugging and unplugging.

Food

Reduce or eliminate your meat

You don’t have to become a vegetarian, but eating meat less frequently will significantly help the environment. Studies have shown that meals that include meat involve nearly twice the amount of carbon dioxide emissions than vegetarian meals and carbon emissions from agriculture are an even bigger problem than fossil fuels. That said, just limiting your meat consumption can make a huge difference to our environment. Don’t forget to inform your family and friends too! Most people simply don’t know about the connection between meat and climate change.

Eat Local or in-season food

According to Shrink That Footprint, You can reduce the carbon footprint of your food by up to 7% by eating locally. Since food often travels long distances between the time it is produced and the time it reaches your kitchen, it requires extensive fuel use that produces amounts of carbon dioxide. In fact, up to 83% of carbon emissions come from food production, which mainly consists of growing, storing and transporting food.

By using local food, you can support your local economy and help lessen the amounts of carbon emissions indirectly.

It is also worthing noting that eating local food out of season may have a larger footprint than importing food grown within the same season for some good reasons:

• Growing food in a non-native climate requires a hothouse, which uses the power
• Growing food from warm areas in cold areas requires larger amounts of fertilizer, which creates carbon emissions.
• Storing food consumes electric and may produce more carbon dioxide than transport.

A general rule for where something is grown? In-season food is better than food out of season and the closest to you, the better. So whenever possible, try to eat local, in-season produce.

Minimize food waste

Any food you throw away contributes to greenhouse gases (methane emissions), which increases your carbon footprint. Pay attention to the portion of food you buy that commonly spoils rather quickly and make sure you get the facts on when food is actually spoiled and no longer safe to eat. Minimize food waste is a great way that not only minimizes the carbon footprint but also to avoid throwing money away on uneaten food.

On the road

Cycling or driving a low carbon vehicle

When you cycle instead of drive, you can save on fossil fuel usage, save money, improve your health and avoid carbon emissions completely. According to the Transportation and Development Policy’s study, bicycling could help cut carbon dioxide from urban transportation 11%.

Full buses and electrified public transport are also the lowest carbon forms of transport. For cars, using a hybrid or electric car with low carbon electricity.

Public transit

Public transportation and carpooling also drastically reduces the carbon footprint by spreading fuel usage across multiple riders and cutting the number of vehicles on the road. Similarly, if you need to run errands throughout the day, it’s a great idea to bundle these into one trip rather than making multiple stops and using more fuel.

Become a more efficient driver

Your driving style can also have an effect on the number of carbon emissions produced. Driving smoothly, maintaining a steady speed, avoiding sudden starts and stops are the good ways to become an efficient driver.

Avoid traffic by using traffic websites and apps and go different way or wait can also help you become a more efficient driver.

Other

Recycling

This is one of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint because it helps reduce the number of things that need to be thrown away and the number of materials which have to be mined.

Grow a garden

No matter where you live, growing some plants is a quick and easy way to reduce your carbon footprint because it helps store carbon from the atmosphere into the soil. And we all know plants absorb carbon dioxide – a beneficial relationship for the natural environment, that we should be seeking to nurture. If you grow an edible garden such as a fruit or vegetable garden, it helps decrease the number of miles it takes to get food from the farm to your kitchen – which also reduces the carbon footprint of your food.

For more information on reducing the carbon footprint, check the following articles:

25 Simple Swaps to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

8 Tips To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Eat your way to a smaller carbon footprint – Terrapass

5 ways to reduce your carbon footprint with gardening

Get gardening to reduce your carbon footprint!

Cycle Safely and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

How Much Can Bicycling Help Fight Climate Change? A Lot, If Cities Try

How to reduce your carbon footprint on the road

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Water makes up more than two-thirds of the weight of the human body, around 50-75%. Babies and kids often have more water (as a percentage) than adults – being born at about 78%. So water is the most essential to our survival, next to air. In fact, a person can survive for 8 weeks without food but without water, he or she will not be able to survive for more than 5 days.

Water is not only essential to the human body, it also plays a vital role in our daily lives. We use water to do countless things such as: to drink, to clean and prepare our food, to clean our homes, to care for our pets, to grow plants and to cool our vehicles. However, in many developed countries, we often take water for granted because it is (almost) everywhere. For so many of us, we just turn on the faucet, and the fresh and drinkable water comes out, simple as that. Now, imagine instead that you had to scoop water in a dry riverbed, like in the photo below in remote Turkana in northern Kenya.

Photo Credit – A woman scoops water in a dry riverbed near Kataboi village in remote Turkana in northern Kenya. In 40 degree heat and with no access to clean water, she resorts to collecting unfiltered water for her family in containers.

This photo might be a perfect illustration of how water important to us and why we need to conserve our precious resource. According to the World Health Organization, there are 844 million people don’t have access to clean and safe water and 365 million people in Africa alone without it. So, it’s time to notice the way we use water and learn how we can help to protect the quantity and quality of our water resources for generations to come.

As kids, it might seem like they can’t do much to help. However, kids can still make a huge impact simply by using water wisely at home and changing the way their families and classmates use water. Even a few small changes can end up saving hundreds of gallons of water every year.

So, whether you’re ready to take shorts showers or to check your home for leaks, there are lots of easy and simple ways that you can do to help conserve water around the home. Don’t worry if you can’t do everything on this list at a time. Just pick a few things to start with and add later if you can. Here are some water-saving ideas to get you going…

How Kids Can Help to Save Water

In the kitchen

• Turn off the kitchen faucets when finishes using water.
• If you see or hear any leaks, tell adults so the leak can be repaired.
• If you want to help your mom with dishes, remember to wait until you have a full load to use your dishwasher. By doing this, your dishwasher is at its most efficient.
• Know that dishwashers often use less water than washing by hand. Don’t have a dishwasher? Fill up your sink with water and wash the dishes all at once instead of washing one-by-one under running water.
• Don’t waste your food scraps – Get composting.
• Got ice cubes left over in water glasses after a party? Toss them is a houseplant’s soil.
• Using a large glass or a container to collect the water left over in the teapot each morning and use it to water the plants.
• Save water while filling your glass. Don’t keep running the faucet until the water gets cold enough to drink. Fill up a large water bottle and keep it in the fridge instead.

In the bathroom

• Turn off the water while you’re scrubbing your hands. If you follow guidelines to wash your hands, you can save a few gallons of water per day. Also, turn the faucet off after you wet your hands until you need to rinse.
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth can save up to 200 gallons of water per month.
• Take showers instead of baths. A bath typically uses up to 30 gallons of water, whereas a 5-minute shower will use only 10-20 gallons.
• Take short showers.
• Don’t let the water run while soaping up or shampooing.
• Reuse towels.
• Throw tissues, bugs in the wastebasket, not a toilet.
• Using a container to catch water from the shower, use it to force the toilet or to mop the home.
• Tell adults about leaky faucets or toilets

Save water outside

• If you do wash a car, turn off the hose between rinses.
• Remind adults to adjust sprinklers so they water only plant or lawn areas – not the sidewalk, driveways and your neighbor’s front yard.
• Use a broom to clean a deck or driveway instead of hosting it with water.
• Adding compost to your garden soil reduces how much water they need.
• Water the plants in the morning or evening when it’s cooler, to reduce evaporation.
• Collect rainwater and use it for the plants.
• Try to avoid water fight games.
• Again, tell adults about leaky faucets.

Learn by watching | Make learning fun for kids

Other ways to help conserve water

• Use less paper or recycle it – Think “saving paper equals saving water”.
• Stay away from toys that require constant running water.
• Alert neighbors to running hoses or broken sprinkler heads, and check your own.
• Encourage family, friends, and neighbors to conserve water.

Water Conservation for Kids Resources

• Teacher’s Guide to How the Children Learned to Save Water
• Play Tip Tank and Other Water Games!
• Can Your Class Win at the Water Conservation Challenge?
• Where Does Water Come From and How Does it Get Dirty?
• Check Out More Than a Hundred Water-Saving Ideas
• Print the Water Usage Worksheet and Calculate Your Daily Water Usage (PDF)
• Plenty of Water Activity Sheets for Kids
• Create a Virtual Water Family and Help Them Conserve Water Wisely!
• Tips for Kids to Start Saving Water Indoors and Outdoors
• Water Conservation Projects and Tips for Kids
• Classroom challenge
• The groundwater Foundation: Students and Educators
• Classroom materials
• Environmental Concerns and Causes

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All parents want to leave the world a better place for their kids. It sometimes feels like we don’t have much control over what happens down the line. But teaching our kids about the environment, energy conservation, and recycling is one of the best ways to ensure that there will be a healthy planet for future generations. By doing that, little ones will grow up with an awareness about waste and an appreciation for preserving resources. The earlier good habits are ingrained, the easier it is to incorporate them into your daily life. Teaching your kids to go green at home is the best place to begin. Keep green extends to a wide variety of practices, that makes a small contribution to the health and quality of our environment, water, and air. Here are some ways to go green at home.

Recycling

According to Annenberg Learner, 220 million tons of waste ends up in United States landfills each year and less than one-quarter of the total waste stream in the United States is recycled. It might seem like we can’t do much to help. But we can help significantly to decrease the number of the landfilled waste by recycling the landfilled waste at home. This would also reduce the demand on the virgin source of these materials and eliminate potentially severe environmental, economic and public health problems.

But what exactly is recycling?

“Reduce, reuse, recycle” is the mantra we often hear every time there’s a discussion about recycling. Recycling is, simply, processing used materials into new, useful products.

At its core recycling is a process. It’s a series of activities within a cycle if you will, that includes, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

“The separation and collection of materials that otherwise would be considered waste, the processing and remanufacturing of these items into new products, and the use of the recycled products to complete the cycle.”

If we recycle instead of throwing things away, then we can reuse our limited resources instead of taking them from already dwindling sources. This not only gives the used materials a new lease of life but also reduces the amount of raw material used to make new things from scratch.

By making changes in how we use used items, we can help to reduce the carbon footprint of many general manufacturing processes, and control water, air, and land pollution as well.

Tips for simple recycling

• Tape a list of items that can be recycled onto the refrigerator door.
• Set up a bin system in your house for your general waste and recycling.

Get The Kids On Board

Make recycling bins for paper, glass, and plastic and let the kids decorate them. Making recycling bins easy for the little ones to recognize by using images of what will go inside. This can be a great reminder and will help kids not get too overwhelmed. If you want, you can make a goal chart above each bin, keep a chart of who recycles the most each day and offer rewards for good recycling habits.

For more information about recycling, check some useful links below:

How Do I Recycle?: Common Recyclables

Recycling for Kids – Fun Experiments, Free Games, Cool Projects, Science Online

Tips on reducing, reusing and recycling from the LA Department of Public Work

Recycling basics by the US Environmental Protection agency

Recycling: Home Recycling Basics You can Teach Your Kids

Water Conservation

Fresh and drinkable water is necessary to our survival, but it is a limited resource. More than 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water and must be treated before using in everyday life to cook and consume. The remaining percentage of water, which is drinkable, is mostly frozen or stored underground as groundwater. For these reasons, we all have to do our part to conserve the limited amounts of water that we have available to us.

Additionally, you can save an immense amount of energy by saving water. That energy would have been needed to transport the excess water through underground channels. Saving water also decreases the load on an area’s water treatment plants, making it less likely that they will spill over and pollute local water sources during storms or the times of excess use.

It’s also important to remember that millions of people need to use this water every single day. As long as you are aware of how important water is and how to use it efficiently, you are already one step ahead of the game.

Tips for conserving water at home

Discover how you can conserve more water and preserve the limited stock of water that we have on Earth with these simple tips!

• Instead of getting a fresh glass each time you need a drink, use the same glass throughout the day.
• Shortening your shower by one or two minutes every day.
• Switch to water saving showerheads and install a low flow toilet the next time the bathroom needs remodeling.
• Use the environmental setting on both washing machines and dishwashers.
• If you use a dishwasher, make sure it is full of capacity before you run it. If you clean your dishes in the sink, fill a small bucket in the sink with soapy water and use that to wash dishes instead of running a constant stream of water.
• Wash pans in a bucket of soapy water rather than under a running tap.
• Plug the sink and bathtub drains before turning on the water.
• Grow a garden that is drought resistant and that requires less water.
• Collect rainwater for plants.
• Check your water bill. If it is high, there might be a leak.

Get The Kids On Board

• Give kids their own unique glass to reuse throughout the day.
• Remind kids to turn the water off while they brush and only turning it back on when they are going to use it.
• Kids can help to conserve water by keeping their parents aware of any leaks they come across in the home. They may be the first one to notice the problem and telling an adult as soon as they recognize an issue can help to have it resolved more quickly.

For more tips and ideas, visit these resources:

• Ways Kids Can Help Save Water
• Water Conservation Improvement Ideas for Children
• Green Facts: Water Resources
• Water Saving Ideas for Kids
• 10 Things Kids Can Do to Protect Water (PDF)
• How Can I Save Water?
• Water Conservation Improvement Activities
• Fun Water Facts and Conservation Activities

Energy Conservation & Energy Efficiency

Saving energy, conservation, increasing efficiency are all terms used to describe ways we can reduce our overall energy consumption. But why energy conservation is important? Saving energy is an efficient way to keep the environment clean, save money, improve the economy, enhance the quality of life. In other words, energy conservation and energy efficiency benefit you, your country and the world. That’s why it’s important to learn how to conserve energy at home.

Tips

• Use energy saving light bulbs instead of less energy efficient incandescent bulbs.
• Don’t leave your computer in standby – turn it off at the end of each day
• Turn heaters and coolers off when you don’t need them
• Turn down the heater by a few degrees in the winter and use less air conditioning in summer months.
• Windows, doors, vents, and the roof can be insulated to keep the heat in when the temperatures drop.
• Open windows instead of relying on an extractor fan – no electricity used, no cost!
• Plug in “always on” electronic devices into power strips and turn off the strips with just a flick of a switch before going to bed or leaving the house. This will help to prevent standby drain.
• If your washing machine doesn’t have a half load setting – make sure you fill it with clothes
• If you’re looking for a new coffee maker, try to find a model that has an auto shut-off feature, which can help save energy as well as water.
• Consider installing solar energy system.

Get The Kids On Board

• Teach children to shut off the lights when they’re done using them. You can put friendly stickers near light switches to remind them.
• Remind kids don’t leave the refrigerator door open
• Find games and activities to play instead of playing game
• Help a grow-up put plastic sheeting on windows.
• Go out for a family bike ride or walk.

For more ways to save energy, visit the following links:

• How to get your kids involved with saving energy
• Energy Tips For Kids
• GEF’s Energy Activities

Composting

Composting has various benefits: it helps to keep stuff out of landfills, promotes healthy plants, reduces the use of pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers, which can be harmful to the environment. Additionally, compost in the soil can help to prevent fertilizers from leaching into groundwater, some of the micro-organisms in compost can bind heavy metals in soil, keeping them from leaching into the water. That said, when done with care, food waste can become an excellent source of plant food for trees, flowers, vegetables, and the lawn.  In fact, compost is now used to help remediate polluted areas.

Composting tips

• Have a separate sealed container for food waste and empty it frequently
• Choose a shady spot in the yard to start your compost heap or to position your compost bin.
• Dig it into your garden or spread it on top as mulch.
• Keep your compost moist, but not wet, and aerate it about once a week

Get The Kids On Board

• Teach your kids to scrape their plate into your food waste container after a meal.
• Get the kids involved in and learning about composting and gardening. Worms, soil, flowers, and plants can all become an interesting lesson in science.

For more information, check out these helpful articles:

Detailed guide on backyard composting

Advice on composting options that can be done at home –  United States Environmental Protection Agency

Composting with worms | The Environmental Education for Kids (EEK)

Food Choices

Producing the foods has massive environmental impacts, it requires large areas of land and a huge amount of water. Besides, food production results in greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Food Ethics Council, agriculture accounts for 30 percent of all the greenhouse gases people release into the atmosphere each year.

So having healthy food choices available in the kitchen not only benefits your family member’s health but also helps to save the environment. For example, decreased consumption of meat could have a major impact on water usage.

Tips

• Shop and eat locally. By buying and eating locally, you are helping improve the environment because it takes less energy to transport to your kitchen table.
• Eat less meat, choose plant food instead. Try to exchange one or two meals of pork, beef, lamb or chicken every week with vegetarian meals.
• Choose fish from sustainable stocks in a sustainable way, for example, certified fish.
• Choose vegetables and fruits that store well, and choose sensitive vegetables and fruits after the season.
• Minimize food waste and store food properly.
• Learn more about eco-smart food choices and how to minimize food waste on the heading to the left.

Get The Kids On Board

• Eat fewer sweets, cookies, cakes, candies, and snacks – they have an impact on the environment but their nutritional contribution is low.
• Find your local farmer’s market and make it a fun day out with the kids.

To learn more about how our food choices affect the environment, check the resources below:

• Food choices, health and environment: Effects of cutting Europe’s meat and dairy intake
• How do our food choices affect the environment? – Science Journal For Kids (Pdf)
• Eat Local 

Donating vs. Throwing Away

There are some household goods, which cannot be recycled, might be better off in different hands. Finding a new home for your old goods and clothing can help to lower the overall demand for the manufacturing of new replacement products.

How to re-home your unwanted items

• Find charities and thrift stores that accept donations of used clothes and goods.
• Sell or give away your items through local online services such as Craigslist (http://craigslist.org) and Freecycle (http://freecycle.org).

Get The Kids On Board

Have older kids go through their old clothes or toys to decide which ones are in good enough condition and which ones they no longer use to sell or give away.

For more information about going green at home, visit these resources:

• Teaching kids to go green | Care.com – one mom shares her tips for inspiring young kids to love the earth
• Advice on reducing waste | New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation
• Tips on what can be recycled | CalRecycle 
• Teaching Energy Conservation Ethic
• The United States Department of Agriculture discusses reducing food waste
• Kids Environment Kids Health |The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• Energy Conservation in the Home
• How You Can Save Energy

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You’ve probably noticed that green is everywhere in this day and age – in the news, politics, technology and even fashion. Going green isn’t just about helping to preserve equatorial rain forests, it can also mean saving your money, improving your health, and ultimately, improving your overall quality of life. All that and you can save plants, animals as well as the environment around you. That is why so many people that begin to think of green building.

Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to the building project that would allow you to preserve most of the natural environment around the project site while still being able to make a building which is going to serve a purpose. In other words, a green building is a building that, in its design, construction or operation,  uses energy, water, and other resources more efficiently, lessen the building’s impact on the climate and the natural environment, leaving a smaller carbon footprint or improving employee productivity. A green building preserves precious natural resources for the future generations and improves our quality of life.

In fact, more local governments and states are taking action to incorporate green building techniques and practices into their planning as a foundation for resource efficiency, sustainable development, and a green economy. According to the University of Delaware’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, seventeen states have adopted legislation to promote green design and construction.

There are various features which can make a green building. These include:

• Efficient use of energy, water, and other resources
• Use of non-toxic, ethical and sustainable materials
• Pollution and waste reduction measures, and the enabling of re-use and recycling
• Use of renewable energy, such as wind energy, solar energy
• Good indoor environmental air quality
• Consideration of the natural environment in design, construction, and operation
• A design that enables adaptation to a changing environment
• Consideration of the quality of the occupants’ life in design, construction, and operation

A home, an office, a hospital, a school, a community center, or any other type of structure can be a green building as long as it includes features listed above.

However, not all green buildings are the same. Different regions and countries have various characteristics such as unique cultures and traditions, distinctive climatic conditions or wide-ranging economic, social and environmental priorities – all of which shape their approach to green building.

In this guide, you will find a lot of links to helpful resources about green building. Feel free to review the following information to learn more.

What is Green Building?

Green Building | US EPA – Useful web page which provides all basic information involving green building.

Green Building Background | Indiana University Bloomington – Overview of green building and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). And the reason why commit to LEED and green building.

What is green building? | U.S. Green Building Council – Informative page with a definition and information on green building.

Importance Of Green Building | Green Built Alliance – Information on why green building is an important part of the environment and economy.

Green Building Tips – You will find a lot of helpful information and tips about green building in this page.

Green Building Types – Every green building type has a different design and efficiency needs depending on its function. And the EPA provides helpful tools for the certain building types. Click on the link to learn more.

Ways to make a building green | World Green Building Council – Check this useful page to explore ways to make a building green.

Green building – Inside, you can find a number of downloadable materials that are related to the green building including green building case study, Infographic, report.

Infographic: USGBC’s Green Building Economic Impact Report – Check the infographic below to get a quick briefing on the report’s findings.

Infographic by usgbc.org

Benefits of Green Building

The Benefits of Building Green | UMass Lowell (PDF) –  Information for the public providing facts on why green building is important.

Green Building Facts – Useful page which present facts on why green building is important to our environment.

Does Green Building Create Value? (PDF) – You will find a lot of studies, data, and research that show the real benefits of building green.

Green Building Materials

Green building materials | Green Building Solutions – Check this page to discover green building materials that will help you learn more about sustainable ideas and resources for your green project.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) – You will learn how LCA can help to navigate the claims and confidently pick the best green-building materials.

Green Building Materials Resources – A resourceful page which lists many factors about how the material is produced and disposed of that can be important to consider.

All about green building materials – Check the link to learn more about different types of eco-friendly blocks, blocks, and other building materials.

Green Building Practices

What are Green Building Practices? | Town of Hilton Head – You will learn the definition of green building practices and many techniques that can lower operating costs and use fewer natural resources.

Guiding principles of green building practices – Helpful article with five principles of green building practices.

Sustainable Design, Planning and Green Building Practices – Informative page with some of the principles and challenges involved in sustainable architecture.

Green building practices (Video) – In this video, you will learn the concept of green building practices. It also explains how green building strategies may be used by local governments to design and build healthy, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly living and working environments.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

What is LEED– Inside, you will find how LEED works, explore current LEED projects and learn why green buildings matter for economic growth.

The Value of Green Building LEED Valuation Phase I Report (PDF) – Initial research, summarized in this report provides a lot of data, research and the value and valuation of green building.

Guide to LEED Certification – This page contains helpful links to all information on LEED Certification such as LEED certification fees, LEED Certification deadlines.

Green house plans – Benefits of LEED certification  – Article which lists several key benefits of green building.

LEED Cost Analysis Summary (PDF) – Web page which provides information on the cost of obtaining LEED Certification.

LEED Online Training | Green-Buildings.com – Online LEED training courses for continuing education and test preparation.

Green Building Websites

EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency’s website is all about eco-friendly. Bookmark the site to stay up-to-date on the latest issues in the environmental industry and learn more about green building, energy conservation and many more.

Green Built

Founded in 2001, the Green Built Alliance is a nonprofit organization with the mission of advancing sustainability in the built environment through sustainability programs, education, and advocacy. The Green Built Alliance has a long record of success in educating and transforming the building industry throughout the western region of North Carolina.

In the site’s blog, you can also find a lot of advice and tips on green living and energy conservation.

Green Building

This website, which contains all information on green building, is the great source for people who are building new homes and those who are remodeling.

Tree Hugger

Tree Hugger provides helpful guides, advice, and solutions for green living along with the latest green news.

PlayHaven Farm

If you want to learn more about sustainable building, the PlayHaven Farm’s website is really the great resource for you since it contains lots of great information on sustainable building as well as sustainable farming.

Green Education Foundation

This organization focuses on keeping people informed about global environmental concerns and solutions.  It provides educational sessions and grants for educators about green living including water and energy efficiency and environmental quality.

I hope that this information has been helpful for you to learn more about green building and how important it is for improving our quality of life. Feel free to bookmark this page, share this on your own website, or tell others about this information.

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We all know that our future depends on protecting the health of our future builders and the planet. To do so, we need to instill a sense of environmental responsibility into new generations of citizens. Since students spend more time at school than anywhere else, at least six hours a day, school is the best place to educate them a “green” lifestyle. How can we have a green future without green schools? By going green at schools in practice and the classroom, we can bring about the idea that such sustainable lifestyle is normal and acceptable. That will make the process of producing new generations of responsible people much easier.

Benefits of Going Green at School:

• Going green help protect the environment and save our planet
• Research shows that greener school environments can improve student’s health and learning as well as counteract some of the unhealthy environmental factors and practices often employed by schools
• It teaches the students to be less wasteful and more responsible
• It could save energy and even lower utility bills for schools
• It teaches the students how important it is to take care of the earth as they are growing up this is something they see with their own eyes.
• Setting a good example for others (It can be your friends or your family) – They will benefit from seeing the way you act about the environment as they will act accordingly.

Ways to Go Green at School

For Students/Parents

Get to School Greenly

Why drive when you can walk or ride! Driving less helps save gas and cause less air pollution. By biking to school, you cannot only help reduce carbon dioxide but also improve your health. In fact, regular cycling is good for your heart and muscles and it may improve how you walk and balance.

Re-use school supplies

Before buying every item on the supplies list, take time to look at the supplies you already have and see what can be re-used. Are last year’s pens and pencils still usable? Do you really need a new lunchbox? By re-use some usable items, you will reduce waste and save a lot of money.

Buy recycled or renewable ones

If you really need to buy new supplies, you can make green choices by considering recycled and renewable school supplies. You can find many retailers which are selling those supplies out there such as Ecojot.com, which offer notebooks, sketchbooks, and more made entirely from post-consumer waster. When buying a new backpack, consider ones that are made from recycled material as well as is padded to prevent back pain. Making green and economical purchases can go a long way in protecting the environment and saving your money.

Pack a waste-free lunch

A waste-free lunch means that you have no trash to throw away when you’re done. By reducing your plastic waste and by adopting reusable lunch containers, you’re not making choices that are better for your child’s health, but on the whole for the planet. Pack lunches for your kids using reusable lunch containers, refillable water bottle, cloth napkin, reusable utensils to avoid trash generation.

More information on packing a waste-free lunch:

Pack a waste-free lunch – EPA

Pack a Waste-Free Lunch

Saving energy

Schools waste a lot of energy by leaving the lights on for most of the day. So make sure turn off the lights when they’re not in use.

• Switch off lights whenever you leave your classroom of science experiments room.
• Form a student patrol to ensure lights are out when rooms are empty.
• Make signs to remind people to turn off the lights when leaving a room.

Saving water

There’re many ways you can do to save and reuse water in your school:

• Turn the tap off if not using
• Collect excess water and use it wisely (You can use it in your school garden)
• Report Leaks
• Use a container to wash your brushes rather than under a running tap

For teachers

Organize a School Carpool Program

This program can help to reduce fossil fuel used per person, which means less pollution emitted per person. The teachers can start a carpool program by asking the parents of one or two classes to see if they’d like to reduce the amount they drive their individual child to and from school to reduce the driving emissions. If the students live nearby,  try to encourage them to ride or walk to school in groups.

Classroom recycling

Starting a recycling program in the classroom is one of the easiest ways to go green at school. This can be as simple as providing a green box for recycling. By doing this, the students can physically see how much trash they are saving from the landfill.

Read more:

Recycling for Kids and Teachers

Teacher tips for classroom recycling

School-friendly composting projects

What a better way to understand what happens to our garbage than through the hands-on experience of using a compost bin!

Composting is the process of decomposing or breaking down organic material to create an organic, nutrient-rich fertilizer or additive to soils. Incorporating a composting program at school can be a fun and effective way to teach the next generation about how waste can be turned into a rich soil and the related environmental concerns. There are a number of ways to start composting in the school. You can start a school-wide composting program with outdoor bins on the school grounds.

Read more about composting program:

How to Start a Compost Program

Guide to start a school compost program (PDF)

Recycled Art Projects

What better way than get creative with what you’re already recycling? Recycled art projects for students to create can be a great way to encourage them to reuse what they already have and giving them an easy taste of being green.

Following the link below for a lot of projects for students that reuse what they’re already recycling.

75 recycled art projects for kids

Recycled Arts Activities for kids

Grow a Garden or plant trees

Grow a garden or plant a tree can be a valuable activity for students since there’re a ton of lessons they can learn from growing and maintaining a garden.

By growing a school garden, students can learn valuable lessons about ecology, sustainable agriculture, and nutrition. Growing food and native plants can also teach them about food sources and problems such as grocery transport emissions and food waste issues. Choose vegetables, herbs, and fruits that are easy to grow and harvest such as salad leaves, beetroot, tomatoes, mint. In no time, they will bloom and produce new vegetables that your students will certainly love to eat, knowing that they had a hand in growing it.

A garden-growing project can also teach students about the environmental benefits of trees such as producing food, providing shade for comfort and creating a natural habitat for animals.

Read more: School garden planning checklists

Discuss the issues

It’s important to create an open atmosphere in the classroom for students to discuss about recycling, water, and energy conservation, the benefits of going green, ways the students can get involved in going green and all kinds of environmental topics. Open discussions will bring out new ideas as well as a better understanding of what we can all do to help protect the environment and save our planet.

Field trip to recycling center

If there’s a recycling center nearby, you can contact them to ask if they offer guided tours. With visual stimulation, the students will have a better understanding of what happens to their paper and other recyclables after they land in the green box as well as the process of recyclable materials. Additionally, learning about the compelling benefits of recycling helps students make sound and thoughtful choices that will positively influence the local and global environment.

Read more: Field trip to recycling center

Go green on Earth Day

You can plan out small activities for the entire day or for the weeks leading up to Earth Day. Here are some activities you might incorporate into an Earth Day event:

• Discuss cool science topics like energy and water awareness.
• Learn how to compost
• Calculate your carbon footprint
• A trash pick-up around school grounds
• Create a rain barrel
• Plant trees or growing food and native plants
• Making art projects
• Decorate an environmentally-friendly t-shirt
• Making posters to raise awareness of green initiatives

Going green at school resources

The importance of green schools

The benefits of green school

How to Bring Green Into Classroom

Energy Saving Activities For Schools

Going Paperless: Not as Green as You May Think

Ideas for Going Green in The Classrooms

Guide to Transforming your Campus, Community, and Career (PDF)

A Guide to Sustainability in College and In Life

How to Green Your Community

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What is Solar Energy?

“Solar” is the Latin word for “sun” and Solar energy is, simply, the energy that comes from the sun. Solar energy works by capturing the sun’s energy and can be used directly to heat, light home or converted into electricity for homes and businesses and industry. The energy from the sun not only benefits individual owners but also benefits the environment as well. In fact, people are increasingly investing in solar energy to save on out-of-pocket costs and solar energy is most sought today in developing countries, the fastest growing segment of the photovoltaics market.

Since solar energy is provided by the sun, it is harnessed using solar energy technologies like solar panels.

There are a few different type of solar panel such as monocrystalline solar panels, polycrystalline panels, thin film solar panels, hybrid solar panel. All these different types of solar panel, are called  Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels (Photovoltaic literally means “light” and “electric”). They produce electric that you can use in real time to power machines and light your home. You can also earn money from these solar panels by selling any surplus back to the national grid.

There is another kind of solar panel with different purpose is solar thermal panels. These panels do not produce electricity, they take energy from the sun and use it to heat water, which can be used within the home as heating, or in showers, washing machines or dishwashers.

So if you’re hoping to earn money from the solar panels, you want to sign up for solar PV panels rather than the thermal variety.

Solar PV panels are made up of lots of solar “cells”. These cells are made from materials which exhibit the “photovoltaic effect”. The photovoltaic (PV) effect is the process of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage). When sunshine hits the PV cell, the light’s photons excite the electrons in the cell, the electrons start to move the bottom layer, and once electrons move together in the same direction, generating electricity. And this is harnessed by two metal contacts are placed on either side of the silicone layers to create a circuit.

The electricity created by solar panels is direct current, whereas the electricity we use on a day-to-day basis is alternating current, the solar energy has to run through an inverter before it can be used.

Solar panels work even when it is cloudy and the more hours of sunlight you get, the longer they work each day. In the summer, you will get more solar panel output even it is is not a particularly hot one.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy

Advantages of solar energy

There are many advantages of the photovoltaic solar energy that make it “one of the most promising renewable energy sources in the world”. Photovoltaic Solar power even has advantages over hydropower, wind power and solar thermal power. The latter three require turbines with moving parts that are noisy and require maintenance. Read on for 9 advantages of solar energy.

Solar energy is renewable

Solar energy is tremendously abundant and is the most abundant natural energy resource on the plant. Energy from the sun provides a consistent and steady source of solar power throughout the year and can be used to harness power even in remote locations. It will never run out as long as the sun exists. In fact, more solar energy is generated in one hour than the entire Earth uses in as a year. There is no cap on the amount of solar energy that can be generated. And the most important thing is the amount of solar energy we use today won’t affect the availability of it tomorrow.

Solar Energy can save you money

Solar energy is a free resource. While there are some costs involved in having solar panels installed on a home, sunlight itself is free. Non-renewable resources like fossil fuels can skyrocket in price based on availability, not solar energy. So, if you are tired of high utility bills every month, solar-powered electricity can offer you a cost-saving alternative.

Depending on the size of the system you choose to install, its efficiency and the how your home faces the sun, you can save an average of 40% on your electric bill or even eliminate it all together. With rising electric costs, 40% can translate to over $17,000 in savings over the next 30 years (Let’s say the average monthly electrical bill is $120).

But what happens when it’s overcast and rainy? If you are wondering, no worries, when clouds block out the sun, your solar panels will still produce clean electricity but just not quite as well. On a cloudy day, typical solar panels can produce 10-25% of their rated capacity. The exact amount will vary depending on the type of solar panel and the density of the clouds.

Easy Installation

Unlike wind power systems, which requires them to be tied with drilling machines, solar panels are easy to install. They don’t require any cords or power sources can be installed on the rooftops which mean no new space is needed. Since they can be installed in a distributed fashion, no large-scale installations are needed.

Solar Panels Need Very Little Maintenance

The cost of installing solar power systems can be high. But once you get them installed in your home, there are very recurring costs and these systems can be expanded as energy needs grow. In other words, you can basically forget that they are there and you can enjoy the benefits for many years. This is because solar panels require almost no maintenance and can last for decades. Plus, newly designed solar panels have sleek trims and slimmer profiles that blend much more seamlessly with traditional roofs.

It’s eco-friendly

Solar energy is green and safe for the environment. It will not produce polluting emissions that affect the safety of air, water, and soil like greenhouse gases or toxic waste while generating power. In fact, solar power reduces heavy metal emissions and greenhouse gases by at least 89% when compared with traditional power plants and even the manufacturing of solar cells creates 90% fewer pollutants than conventional fossil fuels.

Global climate change is a growing concern and carbon dioxide has been proven to cause global warming, which is wreaking havoc on our Earth – causing shorelines to erode, glaciers to melt and animals to be endangered. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends switching to renewable energy sources – Since these systems help to reduce a carbon footprint. By installing solar energy systems, you also help to conserve non-sustainable energy sources and protect the environment for the next generation. Protecting the environment also means protecting our health. Cleaner air water = healthier, longer-living people.

With the technology evolving constantly, solar powered cars are to be expected pretty soon among consumers.

Solar power systems can enhance the value of your home

If you are looking to sell your home in the future, you should know that installation of solar technologies can significantly increase the value of the property. Especially, in areas where buyers are likely to look for home installed with solar panels, such as in cities that are known for being environmentally conscious. Studies performed by the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory have shown that adding a solar system increases a home’s resale value by an average of $5.50 / watt, and depending on location, can be as high as $6.40 per watt. That said, a 3.1kW system can add $17,000 to a home’s value. Since that’s an amount that would cover the average installation cost for solar energy in most homes, which means you will be able to recoup your money when you sell the property. That’s a pretty wise investment in your property.

You can get money back

Besides saving up a lot on your monthly bill, you might get a chunk of money back by installing solar panels. In 2016, homeowners were allowed to claim 30% of the installation cost as a tax credit when they purchased a solar system. The most state also offers tax rebates to homeowners who use solar energy in a bid to encourage the use of solar energy. According to National Geographic, Taking these tax incentives into account, it’s possible to recover all of your installation costs within 5 to 10 years. Additionally, if your systems generate more energy than you use, utility companies allow you to sell back the energy to them.

Solar panels can be used in remote locations

Solar energy is suitable for remote areas which have no access to energy grids. It works great in remote locations where running power lines would be costly or difficult.  Solar energy can also drastically improve the quality of life for millions of people who live in the dark. According to the One, around 16% of the world’s population, about 1.2 billion people, have no access to electricity. Christine Lins, REN21’s executive secretary, said that poorer countries were increasingly turning to renewable energy partly because it was now so “cost-effective”.

Solar power can also be effective in cooler climates. The world’s current solar leader is Germany and many people in Alaska also use solar energy, even if much of the state can be dark for months at a time.

Solar energy helps to increase energy awareness and conservation

You might are not aware that once you generate electric yourself, you will become much more aware of energy usage, and you normally look to conserve energy more. By knowing the electricity production, you can better relate to a kilowatt-hour, and you are likely to want to use only the amount of electric that you generate. By doing that, you not only conserve energy more but also teach your kids and others to conserve energy.

SUMMARY OF THE BENEFITS OF SOLAR ENERGY

• Renewable and Inexhaustible
• Non-polluting
• Reduces use of fossil fuels
• Reduces energy imports
• Avoids global warming
• Contributes to sustainable development
• It is modular and very versatile, adaptable to different situations
• Can be applied alike for large-scale electricity generation and on a small scale in areas isolated from the network
• Increase energy awareness and conservation

Disadvantages of Solar Energy

Low Efficiency

Sunlight Dependence

Unlike other renewable energy sources, solar panels cannot be operated during the night. So you have to depend on the local utility grid to draw power during the night or you can buy solar batteries to store excess power which you can later use in the night.

Although solar energy can still be collected during cloudy and rainy days, the efficiency of the solar panels drops. Solar systems rely on the steady absorption of sunlight to effectively gather solar energy – particularly, subatomic particles called photons – which can be easily deterred. So you can notice an effect on the solar systems on cloudy and rainy days. Also, storms or hurricanes can also reduce the solar panels’ ability to draw power during those days.

When the solar panels are dormant, you can use a battery storage bank to provide power but adding a battery storage bank can add tremendous cost to the solar system (think $10k+) and does not make sense unless it’s crucial. Also, a battery storage bank needs to have the capacity to meet the expected load. The larger the load, the more batteries are needed. If the next days are cloudy, the solar panels will not be able to fully recharge the energy reserve. For these reasons, solar power alone is often considered a supplementary source of power, off-setting electricity consumption from the grid.

High Initial Capital Cost

As mentioned above, installing solar panels on your roof will save you money in the long run, but the upfront costs can be punitive. Depending on the company you choose to buy solar panels from, it can cost a pretty penny. Rebates and tax credits can help reduce the cost, but unless you are putting some money aside for this, it can be an unbearable cost. The number of solar panels needed to capture energy for an entire home typically costs tens of thousands of dollars, resulting in a time-lag of many years for savings on energy bills to match initial investments. But it is not about how much payback period is, anything that can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels is worth trying.

Conclusion

There is a reason why solar energy has become a trending topic when talking about renewable energy sources. While it has been popularly criticized for being inefficient and very expensive, harnessing the free solar energy still seems promising and solar energy has now proved to be very beneficial – not only for the environment but also financially speaking. Additionally, due to the higher demand, the technology has been improved considerably to make solar cells more efficient and cheaper to make, solar power will become an important energy source for residential homes in the future.

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