more suggestions on how to save water outdoors … see my previous blog for more outdoor tips …

gardens — herbs, fruit trees, vegetables, & other edibles …

* select plants that are native to your area or at least adapted to your growing zone … if in doubt, consult with your local nursery for information on plant selection and placement for optimum outdoor water savings …

* organize your garden using the principles of companion planting … for more tips, see this and this website … more…

already covered in previous posts: general water saving tips, saving water in the kitchen, and saving water in the bathroom … today, i discuss:

how to do laundry … (and save water) …

general washing tips …

* i think the most important tip i can give straight away is that clothes can be worn more than once … even more than 2x or 3x … if clothing is stained or odouriferous, then it is understandably ready for a washing … however, the majority of people avoid re-wearing clothing due to purely aesthetic reasons … if your clothes aren’t dirty, fight the urge to throw them into the laundry pile … cutting back on the number of times you do laundry and the size of your loads is the best way to cut back on water use … also, the more you wash your clothes, the faster they wear … more…

so far, i’ve covered general water saving tips + saving-water-in-the-kitchen tips … now:

suggestions for saving water in the bathroom …

toilets …

* minimize the amount of toilet paper you use and flush down the toilet … better yet, dispose of used toilet paper in a trash bin …

* avoid flushing garbage (including pads, tampons, and diapers) down the toilet … water systems are not the equivalent of landfills … more…

in my previous post (wednesday june 24), i provided some general recommendations for how to cut down on your water use …. now, here are:

tips on how to save water in the kitchen ….

washing dishes …

* fill a tub or sink with water and dish soap to wash dishes rather than running
water down the drain while you scrub …

* when possible, fill a tub or sink with rinse water as well, so dishes can be dipped instead of soaked under a running stream … alternatively, rinse quickly under a low-pressure stream or warm or cool water … avoid using piping hot water, which won’t (at this point) make your dishes any cleaner … it will only help them dry faster … more…

here are some ideas for how you can become more aware of your water usage and how you can decrease your water consumption … you can learn more about the water cycle in my previous post (mon june 22nd) …

general recommendations …

* avoid leaving a running tap unattended … you will waste more water than you need …

* use the minimal amount of water pressure needed — often times, a modest trickle of water will suffice … rarely, if ever, is a deluge of water necessary …

* avoid using hot water when warm or cool water will suffice …

* close the water tap any time you are not using the water that pours out of it …  for example, close the water tap while: more…

to effectively protect and conserve global ecosystems and wildlife, i think a certain level of maturity, respect, and understanding is necessary … every individual must understand the depth of the issues, respect all forms of life, and live maturely to minimize negative impacts to the planet and all Earth-dwellers … more…