101 Way to Conserve Water in College - Part 6: Spreading the Word

Spreading the Word

Get others involved, too.

84. Send a letter to the newspaper: Write a letter to the editor asking everyone on campus to be more conscientious about water usage.
85. Host a contest: Pit dorms against each other to see who can save the most water one month. Get residential life involved to amp up prizes and evaluate water bills.
86. Hang up flyers around campus: Share water conservation tip by hanging flyers in dorms and academic buildings.
87. Make a YouTube video: Make a funny YouTube video showing places around campus where water is wasted, and hope it goes viral.
88. Start a club: Participate in events around the city and sponsor water conservation awareness days and events on campus.
89. Explain the importance of water conservation: Droughts, pollution and water shortages are all important reasons to conserve water.
90. Write letters to the president or dean: Explain that going green is actually good business for your campus, as it saves money proves that you’re an Earth-friendly school.
91. Make t-shirts: Sell t-shirts to spread the message across campus.
92. Get professors involved: Ask professors to pitch in by reporting leaks and reusing coffee mugs.
93. Join national campaigns: Sign up with the EPA’s WaterSense campaign to find out about events and literature you can share on campus.

Miscellaneous

From car washes to washing your pets, here are more ways for college students and workers to save water.

94. Use a commercial car wash: Their design is more efficient, and they use recycled water.
95. Wash your pets outside: If your lawn needs watering, wash your dog on the lawn to reuse the water.
96. Keep a bucket on your patio to catch rain water: Use it to water plants when it’s try, or flush your toilet.
97. Don’t contaminate water supplies: Don’t pour anything into water supplies, like chemicals or drugs into toilets.

101 Way to Conserve Water in College - Part 5: Personal Awareness

Personal Awareness

Report leaks around campus and challenge yourself to be better about water usage.

77. Report open hydrants: Call maintenance if you see an opened hydrant that’s gushing water.
78. Turn water faucets off tightly: After washing your hands or working in a lab, turn the faucets off tightly, and wait a few seconds to see if there are any drips.
79. Report leaks: Even if it’s not in your dorm, report leaky faucets, toilets, etc. Don’t expect someone else to do it.
80. Finish your water instead of dumping it out: Or at least make a point to dump the end of your water bottle into a thirsty looking plant, not the pavement or trash.
81. Get a conservation buddy: Work with your roommate to keep each other accountable.
82. Write down all the ways you see people wasting water: Then check to see if you’re practicing the same dirty habits yourself.
83. Turn off the water while washing your hands: You don’t need the water running while you lather up.

Thanks to Online Classes for this content.

101 Way to Conserve Water in College - Part 4: Gardening, Plants and Patio

Personal Gardening, Plants and Patio

If you have a garden on your balcony or a bigger plot outside your apartment, be more conscientious about water usage with these tips.

67. Use "leftover" water to water plants: Any leftover water you have in a drinking glass or other container should be used to water plants, not thrown out.
68. Clear off dirt and other messes with a broom, instead of hosing it down.It’ll get things just as clean and save water to boot.
69. Plant during spring and fall: Considered "less water stress times," spring and fall bring more rain and moisture naturally, so you won’t have to water young plants as often.
70. Water in the morning or evening: There’s less chance of evaporation due to cooler temperatures and lower wind speed at this time.
71. Use the right fertilizer: Put slow-release, water-insoluble fertilizer on plants only when necessary. Many fertilizers make plants more thirsty.
72. Learn how to compost: It’s a life skill you can use to save water.

101 Way to Conserve Water in College - Part 3: Campus Wide

Campus-Wide Conservation

Here are some ideas your whole school can use to conserve water on campus.

36. Start campus gardens: Sustainable for many reasons, community gardens also save water and reduce pollution in the form of runoff.
37. Use recycled water to water grass: It’s already a common practice on many college campuses.
38. Put out mulch: Packing mulch around trees and landscaping keeps water in.
39. Connect irrigation systems to weather systems: This prevents watering plants when it’s raining.
40. Install shower times with red lights: Make it easier for students to take shorter showers.
41. Get gyms and recreation facilities in on the conservation: Install low-flow shower heads and other water conservation systems there too.
42. Insulate water pipes: When it’s cold out, insulated pipes mean you won’t have to run the water as long to get a hot shower.
43. Ask for aerators in faucets: Propose that your school changes the faucets so that they have aerators, which restrict water flow.
44. Winterize outdoor water faucets: Prevent leaks and breaks from freezing by appropriately protecting outdoor water faucets.
45. Re-route grey water: Maintenance can re-route water from your dorm to water the lawn and plants.
46. Cut out water fountains: These waste water and electricity, so encourage students to carry around their own reusable bottles instead.
47. Install shower timers with red lights: Make it easier for students to take shorter showers.
48. Use recycled water for fountains, too: It’ll still look pretty with recycled water.

101 Way to Conserve Water in College - Part 2: In the Kitchen

A lot of businesses, households and campuses have recently adopted water conservation plans to save money and protect the environment, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us. Those of us in the developed world use inordinate amounts of water for personal use, and most of it isn’t used efficiently. With each extra utensil used or toilet flushed, water is wasted, and you can imagine how much water that adds up to on a college campus. Here are 101 ways to conserve water in college, whether you’re a student, college president or professor.

Dining Hall and Kitchen

Whether you’re making your food choices in the dining hall or in your own apartment kitchen, be smart about water with these tips.

22. Use one glass per day to drink from: If you’re just drinking water, use the same glass all day to reduce the need for washing.
23. Run the dishwasher when it’s full: If you run out of spoons, wash those by hand before running the dishwasher if it isn’t full.
24. Use the garbage disposal sparingly: Running it wastes water each time.
25. Water plants with dropped ice cubes: Putting them in pet water dishes is a good idea, too.
26. Use a pitcher of water to cool it in the refrigerator: Now you won’t have to let the faucet run to cool the water, or even use ice.
27. Fill up the sink when you wash dishes: A good alternative to just letting the water run.
28. Fill up one plate only: Use as few plates and utensils as possible to cut down on dish washing later. Do you really need a separate plate for your mashed potatoes?
29. Turn off the automatic ice maker: Don’t let it run continuously, and always turn it off when you go out of town.
30. Make soup with water leftover from steaming veggies: You’ve already pre-flavored it!
31. Bring your own reusable glasses and bottles: Don’t use disposable cups, and minimize dish washing loads for the dining hall staff. Instead, bring your own thermos or cup to fill up on water or fountain drinks.
32. Stop pre-rinsing: Most newer dishwashers are strong enough to pull off little crumbs, so a shake into the garbage can is all the pre-cleaning you really need to do.
33. Clean veggies in a pan of water: Much better than letting the water run.
34. Consider water footprint: You’ve heard of carbon footprint, but did you know that foods have a water footprint scale, too? Lettuce and cabbage have a water footprint of 15-24 gallons, while beef’s is up to 2500-5000 gallons.
35. Don’t thaw frozen foods with running water: Put it in the refrigerator over night instead.

Thanks to Online Classes for this content.

101 Way to Conserve Water in College - Part 1: In the Dorm

A lot of businesses, households and campuses have recently adopted water conservation plans to save money and protect the environment, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us. Those of us in the developed world use inordinate amounts of water for personal use, and most of it isn’t used efficiently. With each extra utensil used or toilet flushed, water is wasted, and you can imagine how much water that adds up to on a college campus. Here are 101 ways to conserve water in college, whether you’re a student, college president or professor.

In the Dorms

From laundry to showering, here are ways you and your roommates can save water every day.

1. Take a home water audit: Print out this audit so that you and your roommate can evaluate your current water usage, and then trim it down.
2. Turn water off when brushing your teeth: And while shaving or even washing your face. Turn it on when it’s time to rinse.
3. Check for leaks: Report them to maintenance ASAP to avoid mildew and mold, and of course, water waste.
4. Take shorter showers: Americans use 1.2 trillions of gallons of water taking showers each year. Spend shower time cleaning yourself, not just standing there zoning out.
5. Only wash clothes when you have a full load: This shouldn’t be too hard for students who wait until the last minute to do laundry. Just make sure you have a full load, or else you’re wasting water and energy on a half load.
6. Put rocks in your toilet: Placing pebbles in your tank restricts the amount of water that fills the bowl back up, using less water per flush.
7. Test your toilet for leaks: Put a drop of food coloring into the tank. If the color bleeds into the toilet bowl without flushing, there’s a leak you need to report.

Yeah! It's pomegranate season!

Did you know it is pomegranate season? Most people are so far removed from the seasonality of their food they don't realize such things. But nothing hearkens the holiday season in the Southwest like the ripening of blood red pomegranates.

12 Green Days of Christmas: Day 12 Clothing

There are getting to be more and more companies who specialize in eco friendly clothing. I am amazed at what I found just through my searching on the internet today versus what I found 3 or 4 years ago! I listed some clothes that are from different companies. Check out their websites! They all have some great products!

Element EcoWear

This company seems to specialize in bamboo threads of clothing and other organic materials. They say their clothing is soft and durable and fits your everyday style. They are part of One Percent for the Planet, giving back to one of the 5 Conservation Organizations. I liked this Men's polo. It comes in three colors here.







Zoe and Zac
Oh my! I love, love, love shoes! And I am in LOVE with the new eco friendly line, Zoe and Zac. Found at Payless, this shoe line has organic cotton uppers and recycled rubber outsoles. Super cute styles at super affordable prices all while helping save our planet. What more can you love?!

 

howies

Can I be in love with clothes and shoes? This UK line of clothes has a great history and they have an awesome selection of clothing. I am in love with this dress, called the Meg Dress (this dress must be meant for me because that's my name!). its made from organic cotton and is super stylish.

12 Green Days of Christmas: Day 11 Jewelry

There are a wide range of earth friendly jewelry out there. I found three different types here Of course, there is always the homemade kind too- but here is for some fun internet shopping!

Brilliant Earth
Did you know that in most mines, in order to get one gold band, it take over 20 ton of ore? Gold mining is one of the most destructive types of mining. At Brilliant Earth, they use mining techniques that reduce the impact on the environment. They also sell conflict free diamonds. Check them out!

Paloma Pottery

At Paloma Potter they have necklaces made out of recycled materials. Their jewelry is one of kind.







Solstice Glass
Unique glass hand blown jewelry. Beautiful little pieces of artwork.

12 Green Days of Christmas: Day 10 Holiday

With all the hustle and bustle of the season, it might seem like "one more thing to do" when considering how to be green. Here are a few simple and easy things you can do this holiday to be a little more eco-friendly.

1. LED Lights
Target, Costco and many other stores now sell LED Christmas lights. These lights will save energy and look the same as the other version of lights.

2. Recycle your Christmas Tree
Every year 10 million Christmas trees end up in the landfill. Think of how many wood chips, paper, boxes, etc could come if those were all recycled! Many cities offer programs for recycling your tree. It's as easy as calling (800) CLEANUP or just visiting www.earth911.org to find the tree-recycling program near you.

3. Recycle your old cellphone
Many people may be getting a new phone or gadget this year. So what to do with your old phones? Over 130 million cell phones are thrown out each year! Can you imagine the 65,000 tons of wastes that creates in our landfills? And all of the hazardous chemicals that are then leached into the environment? Instead of throwing them out, the Sierra Club has a program where you can drop off your phone at any Staples and they'll recycle it for you!

4. Make your own wrapping paper
Did you know that most wrapping paper is not recycable? So instead of using store bought paper, become creative and use the comic section of the newspaper, old maps or have your kids make some pictures and use that to wrap your gift. Or use brown paper and have your kids stamp it to make it look more festive.

5. Reuse the Bubble packaging

Family Fun magazine has some great ideas for the family and decorating. One was to use bubble packaging and cut it out into the shape of a tree. Ahere numbers to each day and let the kids pop away each day!

12 Green Days of Christmas - Day 9: Gifts of Education

Tonight we drove past Toys 'R Us. The parking lot was filled to the brim. I have been in Toys R Us before, although I avoid it like the plague. Most of the items are plastic junk shipped from overseas to be played with for a few months (maximum), then broken or disregarded. To me the plastic junk is a waste of money, natural resources and our children's brains.

What gifts are not a waste of money, resources and brainpower? For many, this conundrum is never resolved, but rather a few days before Christmas a gift card is purchased placing the burden of junk buying on the recipient instead. Today on this the ninth day of our Green Christmas series I give you some ideas for meaningful gifts that come without finger splicing plastic wrap, which don't require 15 AA batteries and which will last all year, if not for a lifetime...gifts of education.

For the younger crowd:

Online Story Telling Service:
One More Story

What child doesn't like a story read to them? Each night at our household there is a debate as to how many books we can realistically read. I LOVE One More Story because professional story tellers read the books for you. The bookshelf has grown over the years and now includes several pages of wonderfully illustrated books. For those learning to read, subtitles can be activated and the words turn red while being read. I sometimes find myself just as engrossed in the stories as my children.

One Year Subscription...$44.00
Six Month Subscription...$27.00
Three Month Subscription...$15.00

12 Green Days of Christmas - Day 8 The Green Kitchen

CSA Community Supported Agriculture Membership:


Numerous food clubs abound, where you can send a box of fruit to a loved one each month throughout the year. Its a great idea, but even better is a CSA membership. Send a box of locally grown, organic produce to your loved one each week during the growing season. 


Our CSA here in Colorado, the Grant Family Farm, is fantabulous, we have the option us weekly flowers, eggs, whole grain bread, fruits, veggies, milk and grass-fed meat. 


You can find a CSA in your area by searching on Local Harvest. Its wise to research your CSA because as CSA member you are buying a share of the farm, if the harvest is good, your weekly produce box will be overflowing, if the harvest is poor, your weekly box will reflect this as well.


What I love about my produce boxes: the taste of fresh carrots, the beautiful color of orange beets and surprise veggies that I must learn how to serve and cook. 

12 Green Days of Christmas - Day 7: Charity

As the holiday season approaches each year, I look around our home and feel that we already have too much stuff. Each year I try to par down the gift giving, telling co-workers and family members that we really do not anything more. None-the-less everyone wants to give gifts, it's a meaningful part of the season. So how do you give gifts without creating more junk...donate a gift to a charity.


This year we are giving sending part of our Christmas funds to three worthy organizations:


RISING  STAR  - INDIA

My sister-in-law is currently volunteering a year of her life to serve as principal of this school for the children of lepers in India. Lepers are seen as the lowest caste in Indian society and. as such, lack access to almost all resources. Their children, often free of the disease, must suffer by default. Rising Star is trying to change that, educating about 180 students. 

Recently my sister-in-law wrote my daughter a blog post on how life in India is different than here in America:

"My eleven-year-old niece, Amelia, is studying a unit on India in school. And she's wondering what tidbits of information I might have for her class. Well, dear Amelia, let me begin with a list of some of the ways life here is different than in Denver.

Our kids...

have never seen snow or been sledding or skiing.
have never been to the mall.
have never been to the grocery store (food is sold on the sidewalk, in little booths, and in kiosks).
have never seen a strawberry.
have never slept in a bed. 
have never seen toilet paper.
have never worn a jacket.
have never used a seat belt.
have never owned a swimming suit or been swimming.
have never eaten pizza. 
have never blown out birthday candles. 
have never used a knife, fork, or spoon. 
have never been to the dentist's office. 
have never seen broccoli or lettuce.
have never been in a car.

See the pictures from her blog post and you'll choose to donate some of your Christmas funds too!

12 Green Days of Christmas - Day 6: The Green Garden

Midwinter may not seem like the ideal time to be giving gardening gifts, but a true green thumb has green things growing all year round, from that window seal herb garden to to the poinsettia around the Christmas tree. Here are a few ideas for the perennial garden this Christmas.

GREEN MAGIC FERTILIZER

Absolutely the best fertilizer I have ever used. Safe and extremely effective, what's even better is that GREEN MAGIC adds back to the plants and soils the minerals and trace elements needed to create not only delicious food, but healthy food. Never again will hydroponic tomatoes tempt you, once you've tasted the difference - grow your own delicious flavorful fruit and veggies with GREEN MAGIC. I must also admit that GREEN MAGIC can also be credited with resuscitating several of my slightly....okay, severely neglected indoor plants. And for the eco-conscious, the compact size and concentrated form (one bottle makes 16 gallons) saves a whole lotta plastic!

12 Green Days of Christmas: Day 5 Kid Toys

Here are some great Green Kid Toys items...

1. Haba Soft Toy
Made from organic cotton materials, this Haba Soft doll is part of the new line of toys by Haba, the Pure Nature series. All toys are hygenic and stictly controlled in their production.

12 Green Days of Christmas: Day 4 Eco Friendly Games

Here some earth friendly games that are not only made out of environmently friendly materials, but they teach you something about the planet as well.

1. Earthoplogy.  A "green" planet friendly twist on the classic game of monopoly. The game is packaged in earth friendly plastic and teaches you how to make the earth a little "greener".

2. Recylorama. A game to be downloaded for the PC, it teaches you about recycling. Good reviews for it!

3. Lorax Garden. A game for the Ipod/Itouch/Ipad, its a twist off of Dr. Suess's book, "The Lorax". It follows  in line to what the last few lines of the book warn, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not." The player has to go along and grow and replant trees and flowers to help the enviornment.

12 Green Days of Christmas: Day 3 Makeup

There are a few things to note with "Green" makeup. A natural makeup line is not the same as an organic makeup line. Organic makeup goes through meticulous inspections and production. Every step is monitored to ensure that it meets the highest standard. Most natural makeups maintain that their products are free from unsafe chemicals and ingredients. The great thing about today is that there are so many new products and companies who are striving to make organic and natural products. I've listed a few of the ones that have caught my eye!

1. E.L.F. Cosmetics Minerals
This line of makeup is 100% mineral-based with no parabens, no preservatives and no chemical dyes. They have amazing pricing on their makeups as well!

12 Green Days of Christmas - Day 2

Day 2 Books and such...


While flying home for the Thanksgiving holiday, I took advantage of the free television playing on the seat back in front of me. It was Friday night and Brian Williams was interviewing the Prince of Wales. Charles, the quiet heir to throne, was surprisingly green minded. He walked Brian around an absolutely beautiful organic garden and revealed a desire to help stem the chemical assault on nature. He's written a new book (an adult and child version) and has a short documentary, all entitled Harmony. Listen to him while he can still talk, once he becomes King he has to be impartial, by law.

The 12 Green Days of Christmas

For the Green Bean on your Christmas list (which I hope is everyone on your Christmas list), we present the 12 Green Days of Christmas, each day selecting of few green products to help your find the perfect gift.

Today: the Green Lunchbag:

Lunchskins sandwich bags. EASY to use and durable. Just throw them in the dishwasher each night. Then the peanut butter and jelly don't turn into a penicillin pocket. Love them. they come in several colors and can be purchased at several outfitters, including the Container Store.

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lunchskins® Sandwich Bag

Simply brilliant. Our fantastic and reusable lunchskins® Sandwich Bag replaces the multitudes of plastic bags used to pack lunches. Each lined sack is made from quick-drying, lightweight cotton fabric. The flap is secured with hook and loop fasteners - it can be labeled with any permanent marker. Reuse the bags over and over again to contain everything from your PB&J to your tuna salad!  

• Made from certified food-safe fabric
• Top rack dishwasher-safe

Office Plants

My husband and I both moved into new office spaces recently. He has an office, I have a cubicle. Three gray walls hug me each day, a computer screen send its radiant waves into my face, flourescent lights pelt me from above. Even though I work in the medical profession, I've never felt so unhealthy.

On my Christmas wish list are two items to green my workspace:

Plants

and

A Salt Lamp

First, plants: From a NT Times article on hardly houseplants, I have narrowed the selection to these stalwarts:

WAX PLANT (HOYA CARNOSA VARIEGATA) Can sprawl some 15 feet along a bamboo pole, from one window to another. The wax plant takes its style cues from “Desperately Seeking Susan”: the new vines are hot pink; the flowers, patently fake. The secret to raising it to adulthood, is “to back off the water” in the winter, imitating the plant’s natural dry period. 

RABBIT’S FOOT FERN (DAVALLIA FEJEENSIS) A hanging basket made of wooden slats provides a comfy home for this fuzzy native of the Pacific Islands. Encouraged to “creep around the bottom of the basket it can make a kind of fern ball.” In the summer, the fern swings from the branch of a peach tree in the courtyard. 

BIRD’S NEST FERN (ASPLENIUM NIDUS)A shade-loving plant, whose form resembles “a badminton shuttlecock” turned “upside-down.” The new growth from the central rosette is chartreuse, the older fronds, which may be a foot wide, are dark and shiny.