Our Sustainable Northwest

Our Green Lifestyle: A Matter of Urgency

By: Emily Easley

"Earth" photo provided by www.dayton.hq.nasa.gov

In recent years, Americans have morphed from citizens to consumers. The idea that money will buy our happiness is a common one. But with the earth’s current state, consumers must consider everything they buy, and how it will affect our planet. 

With hopes of a green world in the minds of most Americans, energy conservation is not only a trend, but also a necessity. Our peaceful abodes have turned into energy guzzling nightmares. 

Electric cars, solar panels, wind power and biofuels are the energy of the future. Many home owners are incorporating innovative energy conservation methods to renovate their homes. 

Our Green Lifestyle: Recycling

By: Emily Easley

"Bicycle Chair" photo provided by www.bikefurniture.com

Many Americans are evolving from light green to dark green by incorporating innovative recycling ideas into their lifestyles.  People are doing everything from using plastic bags to make rugs to using old bicycles to make lawn chairs.

KWSU Media Presents: Human Activity and the Environment

				Episode 117
	3:30 min.
	Eugene Rosa
	Professor, Sociology , WSU
	Dr. Rosa’s concern for the environment is manifested in greatly varied ways. His role as a sociologist allows him to study how human activities impact our ecological system. He also shares his passion about nature with a series of art pieces he creates out of trash and junk. He simultaneously inspires and informs in his pursuit to leave his surroundings better than he found them. Watch additional videos at KWSU Media .

Our Green Lifestyle: Recycling Chic

By: Emily Easley

"TOMS Shoe" photo provided by www.pri.org

What we wear says a lot about us.  Shoes, accessories, bags and clothes are now available in eco-friendly or recycled forms. It's now very popular and very chic to show off recycled garb.

Shoes. As a world of many styles, being able to find an environmentally friendly, and fashionable shoe is a serious challenge.  Luckily, designers are out to save the world one foot at a time.  Eco-friendly shoe designs have been popping up left and right.

TOMS Shoes, an eco-friendly shoe company, was formed around the idea of one for one.  For every pair of TOMS shoes purchased, TOMS will donate a pair to a child in need.  Since 2006 TOMS has given over 10,000 pairs to children in Argentina and 50,000 pairs in South Africa.

Our Green Lifestyle: Tis' The Season To Be Green

By: Emily Easley

"Green Holidays" photo provided by www.tchd.org

Americans throw away 25% more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year's holiday period than any other time of year. The extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage, or about 1 million extra tons per week. Reduce your carbon footprint and give the Earth a gift this holiday season!  Be an inspiration to your friends, neighbors and co-workers; they’ll be green with envy.

Our Green Lifestyle: Transportation

By: Emily Easley

"Moped" photo provided by www.p.streetsblog.org

Mopeds, electric cars, hybrids, and alternative energy cars are the transportation of the future.  These innovative vehicles are much better for the environment and your wallet than gas-guzzling cars.  

How to Winterize a “Fixer-Upper”

By: Emily Easley

"Winterized House" photo provided by www.blog.usa.gov

Moving to a house from an apartment is a big step in anyone’s life. At first, you probably bask in the joy of having a big, open space all to yourself. No more obnoxious roommates, loud stereos on the other side of your wall, dishes in the sink that aren’t yours, or clothes thrown across the bathroom that don’t belong to you. Unfortunately, that bigger domain of yours could start costing a bundle of money as winter sets in, especially if it hasn’t been properly maintained. By doing a few small fixes, you can winterize your home and save big on heating bills.

Water Conservation Tips from WSU

Here are some fast facts you may not know:

• Water leaks are our biggest conservation problem around the home. In fact, as much as 13 gallons can be lost in a day by one leaky faucet.
• Washing your car at a car wash is smart because carwashes recycle their water!
• Switching to a frontloading washer can save hundreds of gallons of water each year.

Learn how to repair leaks, how to use smart landscaping and more at this great site from WSU.

If It's Yellow, Let it Mellow and Other Conservation Tips!

Landscape gardening and toilets use the greatest amount of water in and around your home. During the summer 40 percent of municipal water is used for outdoor irrigation. On hot days as much as 3,000 gallons of water PER DAY PER HOME can easily be consumed.

So, these are two areas where you can easily conserve.

Toilets:

In the 1960s and 70s, people placed bricks in their toilets. Do you remember the slogan "If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down"? Well, the same is true today. Many families are adopting the "number two flush" as a way to conserve. If you are too delicate for that, think about a low flow toilet. With new technology and improved low flow flushing, these items are much more consumer ready! You may end up with lots of money in your pocket at the end of the year! The city of Pullman offers rebates for efficient toilets. Check to see if your town has a toilet rebate program (2 flush toilet photo, courtesy jayallen).

Back to the "mellow yellow" idea: if we follow this mantra, we might save around 10 gallons per day of usable water.  With 300 million people in the U.S we could save 3 billion gallons of water every day.

Landscaping:

There are so many ways to conserve in your yard and garden. Here are just a few:

• Use an efficient irrigation system (like drip hoses) and pay attention to when you water: early in the morning is best. One long soak is much better than several light sprinkles.
• Mulch around your garden. This will help your plants retain moisture AND keep the weeds down, so you aren't tempted to use pesticides. Remember: those weeds are competing for moisture as well as garden space!
• Consider a smaller yard or just letting it go brown as the season heats up.
• Plant native plants that don't need irrigation once established.
• Divert downspouts so that they go out into the yard or garden. Better yet, install a simple rain barrel (see below!) to help with your watering needs.
• Think about a grey water irrigation system for your home.

Thanks to WSU, State of Washington Department of Ecology and the Washington State Department of Health for these tips.

Rainbarrels: Easy to Make and Great Moneysavers

Have you thought about placing a rainbarrow or two around your house? It only takes a few minutes and can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of several summers.

Picture taken by Hari Krisna from This Old House Magazine.

Saving rainwater can be an efficient and inexpensive way to bring our water bills down and reduce the amount of water we're letting back into our storm drains and on to our sewer systems. There's another great benefit: rainbarrel water is soft; it doesn't contain metals or additives that are prevalent in some city supplies. Rainbarrels can be made from a number of substances: food-safe plastic, wood or metal. You can paint them to blend in with your landscape or use them as creative canvases!

Check out the rainbarrel guide. For complete rainbarrel plans, photos of rainbarrels, water saving trivia and links to other rainbarrel sites, click on this site from WSU's Master Gardener/Master Composter program in Whatcom County.