Sometimes, All It Takes is a Child

Photo courtesy: Joe Shlabotnik / cc via TreeHugger

So often there's the sense that only with dramatic change can we bring about a more sustainable world -- but in reality, sometimes all it takes is the imagination of a child. Meet Mason Perez, a 9-year-old from Reno, Nevada, whose science fair project has helped save his community tens of thousands of gallons of water. Two years ago, at age 7, the gradeschooler discovered an all-too-common point of waste that had been overlooked by grown-ups for ages. And, with just one surprisingly simple fix, Mason found a way that the city could conserve one of its most important natural resources.

According to a report from The Reno Gazette-Journal, Mason's ingeniously innovative idea was borne from an experience he had two years ago. One day, he was at the a local baseball field enjoying a hot dog with his mother, and afterwards he visited the park's restroom to wash up -- but the water from the faucet was so strong that is was almost too painful for his little hands to bear. That's when he stumbled upon a simple discovery: if the tap was turned down halfway, it was actually just as effective.

The youngster began to suspect something which most adults had never thought of -- that reducing water pressure could save a lot of water. With this theory in mind, and his school's science fair approaching, Mason set out to prove it.

From the Gazette-Journal:

He tested his theory by using a half-gallon bucket and a stop watch, measuring how much water came out within a certain amount of time when the valves were wide open and when they were turned half off.

The tests were conducted three times each at his house, his grandmother's house and a friend's house, with a resulting savings in water use ranging from almost 4% to 23%.

He also went to three businesses: Reno Aces ballpark, Scheels sporting goods store and the Coconut Bowl at Wild Waters in Sparks. His tests showed savings from 6% to 25%.

It is common practice for construction workers to leave valves fully open when installing plumbing -- it's important for clearing out new pipes, but evidently unnecessary to stay that way in the long-term, and wasteful too.

Mason and his mother then approached the ballpark's manager, Rick Parr, and told him about the idea of turning down the pressure. At first, Parr wasn't convinced that it would help.

"But after listening to him, I thought, 'This kid could be right.' So I went down to the bathrooms myself to check out his theory. We didn't measure it, but you could tell right away that it worked." says Parr

"You don't have to be a scientist to see that you can save water. And it didn't make any difference in how well you could wash your hands. The only difference was you weren't wasting a lot of water in the process."

Since 2009, the park has reduced the water pressure in its facilities, saving an untold amount of water and saved 20% off their utility bill each month. And sure enough, the idea started catching the attention of the local water authority, TMWA. There are meetings planned to determine where Mason's idea can be implemented, like in other parks, public schools, casinos, and private homes.

Ultimately, turning down the pressure on some water lines won't just be a boon for the environment, but for the other areas as well.

"You know how teachers have kind of been losing their jobs?" Mason told the Gazette-Journal. "If we turned down every valve at every school we have in the Washoe County School District, with all that money we can save, we can save at least one teacher's job."

Oh, and by the way, his project took the top prize at the science fair.

Via TreeHugger

Looking at Bathroom Numbers

I found this information on one of my favourite sites: Treehugger.com These statistics are based on your average American bathroom.

Green Bathrooms: By the Numbers

• 21 percent: Household water use that comes from the shower.
• 26 percent: Household water use that comes from flushing the toilet.
• 1.5 percent: Household water use that comes from using the bath.
• 80 gallons:Amount of water the average American uses a day.
• 2.5 gallons: Amount of water used per day by the rest of the world.
• 260 gallons: Amount of water used by the average household in the developed world.
• 67 percent: Water heating costs for households for showers alone.
• 22 gallons: Amount of water flushed down the toilet daily in the U.S.
• $5: Cost of a low flow shower head that will cut your consumption by 45 gallons per day.
• 15,000 gallons: Amount of water you can save per year by taking a navy shower.
• 60 gallons: Average amount of water used in taking a shower.
• 3 gallons: Amount of water used when taking a Navy shower.

Saving Money AND the Environment

Well, it doesn't get much better than this, does it? Saving money and the environment. Since this blog is still in its infancy, I thought I would start with tips we may or may not be familiar with.

1. Take an empty 1 litre plastic bottle, fill it with water, cap it securely and place in the toilet tank. By doing this, you are displacing 1 litre of water that will not be used per flush. Most people don't realize (until it's pointed out to them) that the same quality of water you use in your toilet is the same quality water that you drink from your kitchen tap. Yup!! If it were not for the container it comes in, you could drink your toilet water.

So what does this mean for us consumers? It means that unless we change the way we handle some of our water delivery, we will literally be flushing good, drinkable water down the toilet.

Our water-processing plants have a finite limit on the amount of water they are able to process without building new plants. Unless we conserve water where we can, we could soon be experiencing the kind of water conservation problems that places like California are having.

Not only does this tip save the environment 1 litre a flush; but, it also helps to reduce the risk of the toilet overflowing as less water is being circulated. If you are living in a place that charges you for water, you'll save a little there too.

2. Start checking out water-saving shower heads immediately. Again, another incidence of water literally going down the drain. Water-saving shower heads work by mixing air in with the water. This allows for less water without having to extend shower time.

Some of these heads have managed to reduce the amount of water they use to 1.5 gallons per minute. This a water saving of at least 1 gpm. They can use up to 1/3 less water and 6% less energy. For a family of four these water and energy savings can be approx. $600.00 a year. WOW!!

3. Let's talk electricity for a moment. Our electric power is in somewhat the same position our water power is in. While we have all the water we need to make the electricity in most places, what is missing are the power plants to process it.

While we all know about turning off lights (and TV) when we leave a room, using lower wattage, energy-saving bulbs, etc.; how many of us have thought about the "ghost" electricity used by instant-on appliances. For every instant-on appliance we have uses electricity whether it is turned on or off. This is the "ghost" electricity used to keep it in an "instant-on" mode. Electricity we don't see being used.

The solution is as simple as a power bar. Plug these energy pigs into a power bar that you can turn off at night. You will have to wait a moment or two for these appliances to power up; but, the environment will thank you.

4. Save electricity when baking and/or cooking with these tips.

• when using your oven, try to bake as many things as possible at one time. When roasting chicken and vegetables on the top rack, try baking the cherry pie for tomorrow's dessert on the bottom rack.
• turn the oven off 15 mins. before the items are thoroughly cooked. Leave the oven closed for the next 1/2 hour. Do NOT open the door. This traps and allows the residue heat in the oven to finish the cooking without using any energy.
• always cover pots - they boil much faster that way

5. Try to buy organic whenever possible. Much of our agricultural land is becoming unuseable due to overuse of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. The nutritional value in soil is becoming more and more depleted meaning fewer crops, less nutrient-rich food, and more land becoming worthless as farm land.

Organic farming treats our soil with more respect. No chemicals or pesticides are allowed anywhere on the property. Absolutely nothing that is not 100% natural and/or organic is used in crop production.

The result? Produce that is tasty; healthy; loaded with valuable vitamins, minerals and fibre; and, good for our bodies. The even better news is that organic produce costs approx. the same as that produce grown on artifical fertilizer and chemical-laden pesticides.