New Ground: Small Steps to a Sustainable Environment

The Weight of Fresh Water

Water is a pretty weighty commodity. A gallon of the stuff weights 8.3 pounds, yet, the real weight of water is in how necessary it is to life. We drink it, cook in it, and bathe in it. Our plants need it to grow. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),

“Up to 60 percent of the human body is water, the brain is composed of 70 percent water, and the lungs are nearly 90 percent water. About 83 percent of our blood is water, which helps digest our food, transport waste, and control body temperature. Each day humans must replace 2.4 litres of water, some through drinking and the rest taken by the body from the foods eaten.”

We have an R/O water system (reverse osmosis) in our home because the chemicals our city needs to provide clean water leave a nasty taste behind. The system is a water tank with special R/O filters that intakes the city water, cleans it, and dispenses it from a drinking water tap in our kitchen sink. The entire system cost less than $100.00 and it’s well worth the price.

A while back, in Piles of Poo, I talked a little bit about how pet waste can pollute ground water. It just figures that doggy-doo is a pollutant. Today I watched a video from a Kentucky 4^th grader that reminded me that other, everyday forms of waste can pollute water, too. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I was struck by Sara’s footage of an illegal dump site.

I don’t know how many times I’ve seen an illegal dump site as I walked through the woods or passed by one while driving. All of the nasty crud in this waste seeps into the ground water, the stuff of life. It would be a very small step to report it to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) or to find a group willing to clean it up.

These days, many states offer free advertising on road signs to groups that “adopt a highway”, Each group signs up to clean up a mile or more of trash along their adopted stretch of road. Their small steps help us all to not only preserve the purity of the ground water, but also to restore their part of the world to its natural beauty.

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Hidden Green for Shoppers

Some everyday purchases may hide the green in more ways than one. In a few minutes’ search, I found three companies working towards money and energy saving environmental sustainability. Their efforts enable us all to take small steps towards personal sustainability and save some of the “green” in our wallets besides!

Since I’m a little strapped for time this week, I’ve linked the news articles so that you can get the details on each of these green companies.

Coca Cola^® debuts “Plant Bottle”

Have a smile and a coke! Coca Cola has developed a beverage bottle that is 30% plant material, sourced from molasses and sugar cane. They intend to begin promoting it through their Dasani and sparkling beverage brands. This is a step towards the company’s goal of developing bottles made from materials that are 100% recyclable and renewable.

From Post it Notes to TV Screens: 3M^® Makes a Green Commitment

A global giant in adhesive manufacture, 3M is taking giant steps towards a reputation as an environmentally conscious industry model. You’ll find more details by reading the article linked above, but here are a few that impressed me:

• Post it notes are made from 20% recycled paper.
• LCD TV sets manufactured with 3M’s Vikuiti brightness enhancement film use an average of 36.5 kilowatt hours less electricity per year than similar sets.
• In 1994, long before most of us were concerned with carbon emissions, 3M installed China’s first thermal oxidation furnace that not only cuts toxic emissions but also saves energy by recycling excess heat.

Wal-Mart: Pumping Up Energy Efficiency—Rolling Back Prices

Walmart is making it’s suppliers “go green”. The company insists that suppliers meet all current local and federal environmental standards. Walmart has also set new standards to boost energy efficiency and cut use of raw materials. Manufacturers have until 2012 to meet the new standards or risk termination as a Walmart vendor.

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