Don't Drink the (Bottled) Water

In 2009 Americans spent 10.6 billion dollars on bottled water, according to the International Bottled Water Association. Why do we spend so much money on something that we can get for almost free from our tap? Tap water is safe to drink in the United States, and it is available in our homes and at our work and schools. Bottled water is expensive and extra waste is created during the production of bottled water and when people do not recycle plastic bottles. When you add the fact that some bottled water is just purified tap water, you wonder why we throw away money on something as unsustainable and costly as bottled water.

Daniel Gross expressed his frustration with bottled water well in his article about Charles Fishman's new book The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water. In his article, he states "Fishman isn't an anti-bottled water scold. But I am. With apologies to the good people at Poland Springs and Evian, there is something absurd about taking water out of a tap, or a spring somewhere in Maine (or, even worse, Fiji), pumping it into plastic containers — whose construction consumes lots of energy, chemicals and petroleum — and then shipping those containers on trucks (more petroleum consumed) to the point of sale, whence a consumer will slug it down and then toss the bottle into the garbage. Next, that bottle will most likely make its energy-intensive way back to a landfill. The IBWA notes that, last year, only 31 percent of plastic water bottles were recycled".

If you are concerned about drinking tap water, get a filter. Filter your own water, and you will save yourself and the planet a great cost. to learn more about the costs associated with buying bottled water, watch Annie Leonard's film "The Story of Bottled Water". In her film, she will tell you that bottled water is sometimes cleaner than tap water, but sometimes not and that during taste tests comparing bottled water to tap water, people chose tap water to be tastier. So, go ahead and enjoy the water from your home tap. Remember to appreciate the clean water that is delivered right to your home while so many others have to travel to access clean water and then haul it back their homes.

If you need convincing that plastic waste is indeed harmful to the planet, check out this picture of trash floating in the ocean. Due to our wasteful, garbage producing culture, there are great patches of garbage floating in the oceans. The garbage collects in ocean currents and forms large piles of trash. The largest of these is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and is about the size of Texas (or double the size of Texas, we are currently unsure).

Pictures from: http://nowastewednesdays.wordpress.com/
http://www.newwood.com/news/tag/pallets/

Learn Before You Burn

Want to chop less wood and/or spend less money buying firewood this winter? You can reduce the amount of wood you burn by learning how to burn more efficiently. The EPA's Burnwise Program has a lot of great information about this. Spend some time checking out their website, and see if you can learn how to build a better fire.

Here are a few tips:

1. Use only seasoned, dry wood (make sure you keep your wood pile off the ground and cover it up to keep it dry).
2. Use kindling to start your fires, never use trash or paper.
   
3. Remove ash often.
4. Burn hot fires.
5. Check your chimney to make sure there is not too much smoke coming out. If there is a lot of smoke, you may need to have a hotter fire and check to make sure your wood is dry.
   

Here is a great video summarizing important burning tips from the EPA.

Stay warm!

"Cash for Caulkers" - President Obama's New Energy Efficiency Rebate Program

The White House has announced a new plan to improve energy efficiency in American homes and create jobs in the slumping construction and manufacturing sectors. Called Homestar, the plan would give rebates of up to $ 3,000 to homeowners for energy saving upgrades.

Improvements covered under the program include windows, doors, HVAC systems, insulation, water heaters and more. Most of these products are made right here in the U.S.A., and some right here in Minnesota. I think this program will prove very popular, and I hope Congress sees that this will pay off by both creating jobs and reducing our energy use.

An Easy Way To Save Energy And Reduce Mold

The chill in the air the last few mornings has got me thinking about getting ready for winter and how much propane I will use. With prices rising to the stratosphere there are some easy steps you can take to help save energy and money.

On many homes both new and old you will see condensation running down the inside of windows in the winter. Often this can lead to mold growth and even rot the window frames. But an easy and inexpensive solution to this is to use a plastic film window insulating kit on the inside of the window. This extra layer of insulation keeps the surface of the plastic above the dew point so moisture will not condense out of the air onto the film.

Also it is a good idea to replace worn out weatherstripping and caulking around the house. If you heat with wood be sure your chimney is clean and leak-free, and do not dry large amounts of wood in the house. Wood bark can contain a variety of mold types, and combined with the moisture given off from the drying wood can create mold problems elsewhere in the house.