| Copyright Pending 2007, The Casual Gardener, Inc., All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Service. |
| GO GREEN AND SAVE WATER – Part 1 of 2 = = = = = = = = = = = = = Dear Casual Gardener, My utility bills keep going up higher and higher and I want to find a way to save money. What is a way I can save water in the garden? Thanks for your help, Trying to Save Cents = = = = = = = = = = = = = Dear Save, Your question is surprisingly complex to answer. There are many ways to save money on water and all involve “greener” conserving practices at home. I want readers to understand WHY we must save water – conserving water involves far more than money savings. The answer to your question will be covered in a two part series. We use our planet’s fresh water faster than it can naturally be replenished. To provide enough clean fresh water for humans, water is cleaned at drinking water treatment plants before it is used. That means that the water you utilize on your property has also been treated – a lot of energy (and money) goes into the production of all that clean water. Using too much water makes no sense when you consider you are wasting all that energy and effort. Your city’s storm drains whisk away any water that is funneled to our drain systems. It goes to the river system, than the ocean, and it is lost for our utilization. The city I live in does not take Lake Michigan water, it utilizes the local water table. It is a good thing too, as Lake Michigan’s water level is lower than it has ever been and Illinois is taking action to restrict the amount of water each city in the Chicagoland area utilizes. Using water more cautiously so that it is funneled back to our underground aquifers is very important. According to Michael Spector, a writer for the New Yorker, “Water that dinosaurs drank is still consumed by humans, and the amount of freshwater on earth has not changed significantly for millions of years. But that doesn’t mean it’s available when or where it is needed. Nearly all of the earth’s water is in the ocean. Only three per cent is even theoretically available for humans to drink. Most of that is locked in polar ice caps and glaciers, or deeply embedded in layers of rock. If a large bucket were to represent all the seawater on the planet, and a coffee cup the amount of freshwater frozen in gla¬ciers, only a tiny teaspoon would remain for us to drink.” Therefore, in my opinion, it is every human being’s responsibility to save the drinkable water we have on earth so that we can continue living here. Every person can make a difference in this effort. Many nations are barely able to survive because of rerouted rivers and fresh water aquifers. The future looks grim for fresh water supplies around the world. Some predict that wars will be fought over water. This brings us back to your property. You can make a difference, save money, AND help our environment! It is important that you start saving now and utilize better water practices. This should include planting drought tolerant plants, using low-water faucets and toilets, reusing gray water from our homes to water plants, planting rain gardens, and installing water barrels. In the second part to this series I will detail the various ways you can save water – and money - at home. Please send your gardening questions for Shawna Coronado, The Casual Gardener to dearshawna@thecasualgardener.com or The Casual Gardener, P.O. Box 358, Warrenville, IL 60555 |
| The Casual Gardener.com |
| The Casual Gardener Column |
| Copyright 2007 and 2008, The Casual Gardener, Inc., All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Service. |