• Created on 9/12/08 by pottygirl

Toilets account for almost 30% of residential indoor water use in the United States.   Toilets are also a major source of wasted water due to leaks and inefficiency. In a home that was built prior to 1993 it is most likely that the toilet uses 3.5 gallons or more for every single flush (in Dekalb County alone, approx. 165,000 homes were built prior to 1993 – there are approx. 1 Mio. Homes in the Greater Atlanta area that still have old, inefficient toilets in use). Experts say that the minimum needed to meet the basic human needs of drinking, cooking and hygiene is five... read more

• Created on 6/12/08 by stins

  What is Pioneer Day? It is one full day (24hours) with no electricity use in the house.  These have also been referred to as "Unplug Days". Typically, adopters of Pioneer Day take part once a week (see below for adaptations).   Check out the How To Save Energy Around The House wiki for other day to day ideas.   Energy Savings Electricity According to the DOE, the average US household consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year (according to 2001 data).  That works out to about 30 kWh per day per household.    If you adopt Pioneer Day one day a week, you can cut your... read more

• Created on 6/4/08 by teej

What is xeriscaping?   Xeriscaping refers to landscaping in ways that do not require supplemental irrigation. It is promoted in areas that do not have easily accessible supplies of fresh water, and is catching on in other areas as climate patterns shift.  The word xeriscaping was coined by combining xeros (Greek for "dry") with landscape.   Plants whose natural requirements are appropriate to the local climate are emphasized, and care is taken to avoid losing water to evaporation and run-off. XeriscapeTM and the xeriscape logo are registered trademarks of... read more

• Created on 6/3/08 by ted gill

A daily bath uses 16,425 liters (4,339 gallons) more water over a year than a daily shower.  All that extra water also adds up to extra energy usage to heat your shower or bath.   In the United States, people use an average of 2.5 gallons of fresh water for every minute they shower.   Some showers flow at the rate of 80 gallons per minute (gpm), due to manipulation of low-flow showerheads and the rise in popularity of multi-head shower systems.  Federal standards require showerheads to provide 2.5 gallons per minute or less water, but this only applies to... read more

• Created on 4/9/08 by stins

Basic tenents of sustainable design, as outlined in Sustainable Exhibit Design: Guidelines for designers for small scale interactive and traveling exhibits "In the simplest terms sustainable design should adhere to two main principles: 1. Minimising resource consumption 2. Reducing pollution.   Minimising resource consumption "Resources or raw materials can be classified as ‘renewable’ and ‘non- renewable’. Increasing the use of renewable resources over non- renewable ones is imperative. But even more important is the reduction in consumption as a whole.... read more

• Created on 2/5/08 by stins

What is an Aerator?     Aerators are small devices that mix air with a flow of water and are used to oxygenate water, smooth the flow, reduce splashing, and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, reduce total water flow while maintaining pressure.   How do I know if I need one?   For your faucet:   If an aerator is already installed on your faucet, it will have its rated flow imprinted on the side. This should read 2.75 gpm (gallons per minute) or lower. On Huddler, there are aerators that reduce flow all the way to .5 GPM.   Replace the current aerator if it's over 2.75gpm. If no aerator... read more

• Created on 1/25/08 by stins

What is greywater? The average family of four uses 400 gallons of water every day.  Of those 400, 280 gallons are used indoors.  Some of this water is considered blackwater, heavily polluted with biological contaminants (think toilet flushing).  Then there’s the water you use for various types of washing – clothes washing, dish washing, hand washing, and body washing.  What is that considered?   According to some definitions, greywater is all the water used in a home except by toilets. This definition makes sense in buildings that use composting toilets.   Most... read more

• Created on 12/6/07 by stins

The inevitable question is "paper or plastic?" The plastic bag people say they’re saving trees by not using paper bags. The paper bag people say they’re keeping plastic bags from getting into the ocean and harming the fish. How can you get around this predicament?   Consider not getting a bag at all if you are buying something small or easy to carry. Really now ... do you need a bag to carry your sandwich to work?  No, probably not.   Use canvas/cloth bags. They are reusable and much prettier than either plastic or paper.    Check out biodegradable... read more