| As the world grows ever more conscious about | | | | button only uses a fraction of the water. A basic |
| the environment and lowering the per head | | | | toilet flush uses up to 3 gallons of water! One with |
| energy use we all think about how we can | | | | a water saving push button uses only 0.7 gallons. |
| conserve energy. There are a few very easy | | | | But for a #2 it is important to use the bigger |
| things everybody can do. Turn off the light as | | | | button, otherwise your drain might clog and we |
| soon as you leave the room. That is really big | | | | do not want that! |
| energy saver. But with the new energy saving | | | | Wash your produce in a bowl of water and not |
| light bulbs it might actually save more energy if | | | | under running water. After you are done washing |
| you leave them on. They are constructed to last | | | | the lettuce or whatever, you can still use the |
| longer that "normal" light bulbs, and the new ones | | | | water to water your plants! This way the water |
| to not last long if you constantly flip them on and | | | | does not just rush by your produce, but is used |
| off. | | | | again! A classic part of the reduce-reuse-recycle |
| Close the doors of the rooms you heat. There | | | | theory! These are just a few things to start at |
| really is no use in heating all the hallways. Keep | | | | saving energy. There are so many more. We use |
| the thermostat of the rooms on a comfortable | | | | a wood burning stove to heat our house for |
| setting, and keep the doors closed! That way you | | | | example. We only have those very expensive |
| do not have to heat the hallway, and save | | | | electric heaters installed, that charge in the night |
| energy! | | | | and then give out the heat in the day. And on |
| Turn the water off while you lather the soap on | | | | really cold days the heat is blown from the heater |
| when you are in the shower. If you have on of | | | | so fast the room never gets really warm. So |
| those one-armed faucets the water will be the | | | | when we moved in we asked our landlord if he |
| same temperature once you turn it on again! And | | | | would mind installing a chimney, so we could hook |
| of course do shower! A bath uses up a lot more | | | | up our wood stove. They said yes and we can |
| water (actually that is just true if you do not | | | | control our heat very nicely. And on a warmer |
| stand in the shower for hours on end! But if you | | | | day we do not have to keep heating, we let the |
| do turn the water off in between then a shower | | | | sun do its job! And if it turns cooler in the evening |
| is really the better alternative. | | | | we fire up! It really works great! Now if only we |
| Get a water saving toilet tank with two push | | | | had a solar panel to help heat our water!! But that |
| buttons. One for #1s and one for#2s. The smaller | | | | is still far away. |