No Impact Challenge: Energy And Water Conservation

Photo Credit: Flickr/jeff kubina

For those of you who are joining me on the No Impact Challenge, we are on day two and focusing our efforts on not creating
trash. Here are links to my previous tips: consumerism/trash and
transportation/food.  Hope the first couple of days are going well and I would love to hear your stories on how your experience is going so far!

Today though, I move on to tips for days five and six, energy and water conservation.

Energy – If you watched the movie, No Impact Man, you know that this phase of the Beavan family’s challenge meant no electricity at all.   When I participated in this challenge last time, I was not able to go completely energy free.  But it is fun to try.  How much can you unplug?  Inventory each item that uses energy and ask yourself if you need to use it during the
challenge.  Remember,
this is a “challenge”, not an “easy” so really think about what you can cut out for just a few days.  For
those items that you must continue using, make sure you unplug them when not in
use and only use them as necessary.

Two items that will likely be difficult for most of us will be the TV and the computer.  I am no exception.  I’m not a big TV watcher anymore but since I do a lot of writing, I spend much of my time with a computer on my lap.  Unfortunately,
there is not much I can do about this.  I need to charge my computer and at this time, I do not have a solar charger.

This challenge is happening just at the beginning of crisp fall weather when our heating habits can get out of control.  Try to delay heating the house unless it is really getting cold where you are.  Set your thermostat a few degrees lower (and
leave it there!) and make sure you program it so that it goes way down when you are away during the day.  Use things like blankets and sweaters if it is too chilly when you are home.

Another area we use a large amount of energy is cooking and storing food.  Are there meals you can prepare that don’t involve cooking? We should be eating fresher, seasonal foods.  Perhaps we are also buying foods as we need them, and not stocking the fridge and freezer for a month’s supply of whatever we might need.  Maybe this means we could turn off the fridge?  Keep what we need in a cooler for a couple of days.  I know it sounds crazy but it is really not any crazier than anything else we are committing to this week. 

Can you try hand washing your laundry in the sink or tub and hang it to dry? You may make different decisions on what really needs laundering if the job is a little
more intensive than throwing stuff in a machine. 

Turn out the lights!  Many a light is left on mindlessly and this wastes precious electricity.  Guide your day by natural sunlight and use candle light when it gets dark.  Of course, please be safe with open flames!

If you are feeling really ambitious, why not try turning everything off completely at the circuit?  How about just one day to see what it is like?  Is a whole day too much?  Take it hour by hour then.  This
will force you to see how dependent we are on electricity and perhaps this will lead to an increased respect for the resource.

Don’t forget that your challenge extends beyond the walls of your home.  Of course, this does not mean that you need to demand that your office go without
computers or your friends give up their refrigerators if you are visiting.  But it does mean that you should be mindful of your electricity use when you are out in the world.  Take the stairs, not the elevator.  Don’t use the microwave at the office because you have vowed not to use yours at home.  .

Water - When you think about your water consumption, it is important to think not only of the actual water that you use
in your home, but also of the water that is used in the production of goods and services.  Things like cheese and coffee are among the items that have higher water requirements (and also two of my favorite things on earth!)  Of course, in following many of the guidelines set out in this experiment, our water usage will decrease.  But it won’t be eliminated because the truth is, we need water to grow food.  And
we need to drink plenty of water for healthy hydration.  But you can cut down on your water consumption by buying foods that have less water requirements, like fruits and vegetables.

A major source of water use is our daily showers. Most showers stream at a rate of 5 to 10 gallons per minute and most of us shower as
part of our morning routine.  Can you cut back to taking showers on alternate days?  This saves water to the tune of about 150 gallons per week!

Then there is the toilet. In most households, the toilet gets flushed about 6 to 8 times per day and uses 5 to 7 gallons per flush. If the contents of the toilet are not too offensive, just let it sit there and
flush next time. Cutting your household flushes by half could result in saving 200 gallons per week.

In the Kitchen, use water sparingly to wash dishes. If you use a dishwasher, only run it if it is full. If you need to rinse your dishes before they go in, fill a dishpan to rinse them instead of running clean tap water.  If you spend 5 minutes per day rinsing dishes with running tap water before they go in the
dishwasher, filling your dishpan can save up to 100 gallons a week.

Now look at those numbers for cutting back on those three water uses. You have the potential for saving almost 500 gallons for making some pretty minimal changes!  That’s impressive!

There’s no question that the No Impact Challenge is a big commitment.  But the rewards of our changes will be astounding.  Not only will we be helping the environment, but we will be refocusing ourselves and our time and should come out healthier and happier for it at the end of the challenge. 

Eco Home
Consultations provides green living consultation services to households in the Seattle area, focusing on practical ways to integrate green living into your household.  Learn more atwww.ecohomeconsults.com or
email questions about this blog or other green living issues toMelissa@ecohomeconsults.com.