Monday, April 28, 2008

Green Your Toilet





Forgive my potty mouth for this post, but it simply must be talked about! According to some reports, the average household uses 185-291 gallons of water per day. On average, 60% of a family's water bill goes down the drain in the toilet and the shower, 20% in the laundry and 20% in other indoor areas like the kitchen. WOWZA! 60% of our water flushed down! The ideal solution would be a greywater system. Unfortunately, that is not in the budget yet. Anyways, I digress…
We needed to replace our toilet recently, and went on a search for an affordable, environmental choice for our family. We decided on an American Standard Toilet in a Box from Home Depot that only flushed 1.6gpf. It was actually one of the most cost-effective toilets in the place, it looks great, it’s not dinky, and saves water! I was excited-weird! We have installed it, and 2 months have passed. Let me tell you, our water use has gone down 40%! I had no idea my other toilet was such a waster! It looked fine, but was costing us $100 more/yr to flush! In one year, we will have paid for our new toilet and will continue to save after that.
I think that a toilet is worth replacing if your current one is not as efficient. My big question is always, what to do with the old when you replace it with the new. As far as toilets are concerned, call your local waste disposal company, and inquire about recycling facilities. Toilet recycling facilities typically crush the porcelain and use it to make concrete for roads or sidewalks. In fact, toilet porcelain was collected to provide homes for oysters in the Chesapeake Bay. For more info on disposal, take a look at H2ouse.org. Other toilet options include dual flush toilets and hybrid toilets. These involve separating the urine from the feces, and using less water for the urine, cutting down on water use even more. Check your toilet every few months for leaks and efficiency.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

And the Winners Are....

Michelle said...
I've heard great things about Shaklee but haven't tried them yet - great opportunity!
April 21, 2008 9:20 PM

and from the secret double entry post:
Sarah said...
Our Earth Day resolutions include the following:1.Start Recycling2.Switch to green cleaners3.Make cloth knapkins instead of using paper ones
April 23, 2008 12:44 PM

Thanks to everyone who participated in this great giveaway! Please keep reading for more tips on how to go green one step at a time!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Serve God, Save the Planet Review





Serve God, Save the Planet is an answer to my prayers! J. Matthew Sleeth, MD has issued a Christian Call to Action, and writes this account of his journey to become a Christian Environmentalist. Inspiring and practical, this book gives you the information you need to make a difference on the individual level.
Our family has recently made the commitment to go green; we have started recycling, changed out all of our lightbulbs and have begun analyzing our lifestyle for more ways to conserve. There is so much talk of “green”, that this can become a daunting task. Sleeth brings it down to the personal level, and truly presents the challenge as one that can be accomplished. Although I cannot imagine myself giving up my clothes dryer as the Sleeth family has, the overall theme of the book is to consume less, and think more about our impact.
One of the most encouraging themes of the book is the Christian aspect of Creation Care. Our maker has created an entire world for us to be caregivers of, and Sleeth points out that it is our duty and responsibility. He writes, “The Christian is not at liberty to do whatever he likes. Christians are constrained by conviction to think about their lives, their actions, and their responsibilities.” The Christian community as a whole has been slow to come on board, even as Ford, BP, and other big polluters are greenwashing their ads. Many Christians want to distance themselves from the “fanatic, hippie, new age” stereotypes that environmentalism conjure up. Sleeth points out that many of the rules for simple living and environmentalism are supported by the Biblical principles that all Christians hold dear, like the Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments. He argues that as Christians, our worship is in every action we do, and failing as stewards of the planet is a direct contradiction to our call to worship.
Even if you are not a Christian, I believe the same principles can be applied to your life. Will this “thing” make you happier? Do we have a larger responsibility to our fellow man to care for this earth? Sprinkled in with practical suggestions and startling statistics, Sleeth tells the stories from his days in the ER. They illustrate the themes that all “greenies” embrace: Live Simply, Waste Less, Stewardship.
Much of the green message that Sleeth writes is interwoven with medical stories and commentaries, some of which are over-generalized. Issues like cancer, depression, medications and health insurance are very complicated, and need to be dealt with more in depth than this book did. However, I didn’t feel like this distracted to much from the overall theme of the book.
If you are a Christian wondering what the green fuss is all about, I suggest you run out to your local bookstore, or go online and order it. As Francis Schaeffer wrote, “If I am going to be in the right relationship with God, I should treat the things he has made in the same way he treats them.”

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

EARTH DAY

Today is Earth Day! Don't forget about our Earth Day Giveaway here. Enter for a chance to win a basket of non-toxic cleaners from Shaklee. You can also leave me a comment on this post for a second chance to win! Just tell me what your Earth Day Resolution is, and I'll pick 2 winners! For this Earth Day, we are planning on going to some events geared toward the children here in town, the weather is beautiful, and it should be fabulous! As a present to the Earth, we bought a reel mower. It does not use gas, and will never break down! My hubby was so excited, he went out to try it at 10pm! Here are some ideas for gifts to the Earth this earth day:
Switch to non-toxic cleaners
Buy micro-fiber cloths instead of paper towels
Open your windows and turn of the heating/cooling system
Park your car, and walk today
Read a book to your kids about recycling
Start recycling
Make a meal from only local or all organic foods
Bring Your own Bag
Plant a garden
The list could go on and on, get to enjoying your Earth!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Earth Day GIVEAWAY

Yay! It's Bloggy Giveaway Time, and I have a Spring Cleaning Giveaway! We clean Green here at Mama Goes Green, so in honor of Earth Day, I will give away one of these baskets:





Filled with Shaklee's Basic H2, spray bottles, and a surprise! This stuff will clean your walls, your floors and everything in between! Non-toxic and biodegradeable, you can feel safe handing your kids a bottle and telling them to spray away! Enter your comments and I will pick the winner on Saturday, April 27 at 12 noon. Have fun and good luck!

Get Ready for EARTH DAY

Earth Day celebration is on Tuesday! Check your local library and environmental chapters to see what local events you can join in on. Our library is having family story night with an emphasis on the environment, and a local cafe is hosting a "green your business" seminar. Do you have any plans? Check back tomorrow for more Earth Day ideas!




Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Spring is here!

I was so excited to find these at Lowe's! Solar lighted endcapes. They just fit right on top of our posts beautifully! They automatically light up at night, and they look great! No electricity used!


We also went about planting 6 trees last weekend in our yard. 2 are dogwoods to block the view from the sidewalk to our bedroom window, and the other 4 are fruit trees. Peaches and pears mmmmm!



And this is where my 4 raised beds will be for our Square Foot Gardening adventure. Let me tell you, I have never even kept a houseplant alive! A dear friend of mine is growing many organic and heirloom plants from seed to sell. Better her than me this year! I am a bit overwhelmed at all there is to know! Tomorrow is an Organic Gardening class at our town Garden Festival, I'll blog about it! Enjoy your weather, it's almost time to plant!

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