Environmental Small Steps
by James Kniskern

I'm sure that we will have folks around who would like to take a look at what we are doing. All added up they sound like big things, but they aren't really. Mary and I have just taken many small steps. We put some of those things into action that people may have read about. There are lots of things that we still want to do, but either don't have the time, money, or the solar window to accomplish.

I don't know if there is a list on the internet of things that can be done that are environmentally friendly, but there should be, shouldn't there? Here is a list of the things that Mary and I have done so far. Keep in mind that we tackle things in small batches, and keep working on them until they are done. None of this was done overnight! It takes time. Also it is a matter of changing some habits, and making things work for you!

1. Rain barrels at all 5 downspouts. These were assembled in 5 phases, and I learned how to make them from the internet! And yes, they are made from Rubbermaid 32 gallon trashcans. Each phase of rain barrels got little improvements and tweaks to make it better, so by the time I was installing the fifth set, I got it done in just a couple of hours. We use the water for the gardens around the house. The nice thing is that we don't have to carry water far to water plants.

2. Low flow shower head - low cost item at Home Depot. Reduces water usage by leaps and bounds, but still gives you the feeling of water pounding on you as you shower. It gives plenty of pressure to rinse shampoo out of hair and such. Ours doesn't quite match the other fixtures in the bathroom, but certainly does allow us to save huge amounts of water.

3. Greywater usage: Mary's idea. Catch water in the tub, carry it outside to water plants. We don't do this much in the wintertime, since the plants are sleeping. We do save shower water in 2 buckets next to the toilet to use for flushing. This came about because we have an old house, and didn't want to retrofit the place with more pipes to the outside. Also kids use MUCH less water when they have to carry it outside in buckets. It makes them think about what they are using. Our water consumption dropped to only 5 units per quarter.

We could get much more strict on this, by saving dishwater (no dishwasher in our house, hand washing only) and even saving hand-washing water too. We will probably do this in the spring when we need more water.

4. Electricity - Putting off-and-on-switched power strips on computers, entertainment centers and other things. - Electronic equipment that is in "standby" uses power, just waiting for you to use your remote control. This is essentially wasted power. Ok, so if you want a clock, use a clock that uses wind-up mechanism, or a rechargeable battery. Forget about the clocks in the electronics. They drain power.

5. Compact Florescent Lights (CFL): These are the famous curly bulbs. They save TONS of electricity! When Mary and I married, I started replacing all of the bulbs in her house with these. They are more expensive initially, but save money overall. They pay for themselves. There is something even better, and as of yet more expensive initially : LED lights. They last for 10s of years and use even less energy than CFLs. They take a bit more wiring, as they run on Direct Current (DC) instead of AC. Mary and I haven't moved to these yet, but will when we build our next house.

6. Get rid of the lawn. This took us about 3 years. Plan pathways and plant/flower beds. Make changes in small sections. Did you know that mowing grass using either gas or electric mowers is a fantastic waste of energy, money and time? If you absolutely have to keep some grass, then keep the patch small, only 30-40 square feet, just enough to have some green, or walk on barefoot. This can be easily cut with a rotary push mower, which uses no fossil fuel, and allows exercise too. Remember to let your grass clippings mulch down into the soil to feed your grass. That requires far less fertilizer, which is good for the environment too. Getting rid of the lawn saves hundreds of gallons of water, as well as fossil fuels required to make, transport and clean up fertilizers. The key to getting rid of your lawn is do a little bit at a time, and work toward building the soil. Once you have done this, the system actually takes far less work to maintain. Mary can actually weed the entire front gardens in about a half an hour. This is because we have it so heavily mulched and planted with plants we want, they crowd out the weeds. Planted and mulched garden beds hold more water than shallow rooted lawn grass, keeping much less runoff from leaving your property.

7. Gas mileage - Try to purchase a car with the highest gas mileage possible. Hybrids are better. Full electric if they suit your needs. Most people only travel long distances a few times a year - buy accordingly. I personally found it much more fun to buy a small engined scooter. It gets me to work on warmer days and gets about 80 MPG. So I think I'm doing a bit for global warming, and still having fun at the same time. Of course, it would be better if my job were only 3 miles from home, instead of 18, but I still have to get back and forth.

8. Use of "Bay Friendly" cleaners. This came about not because we wanted to "save the Bay" but because we didn't want to have to have another dry well dug for our septic system. Our first dry well stopped working, and caused a backup of sewage into the house, not a pleasant thing. So I read up on everything not to put into a septic system. Harsh cleaners, bleach, high phosphorus detergents, paint, borax, Epsom salt, and anything else that will kill my beneficial bacteria in the system is forbidden. This has the added benefit of making things biodegradable, and easy to put on the garden, and good for the Bay. It is a selfish reason, and frugal, to be environmentally friendly... It's expensive and smells bad to have septic system problems.

9. Get energy efficient appliances. We are still working on this one. We always shop for the best energy efficient appliances we can afford. Knowing how they will be more cost effective and efficient, makes a slightly more up front cost more bearable. We have to remember that the cost of using the appliance will go in in energy costs later on. Demand quality, efficiency and usability.

10. Hang clothes out on a clothes line. Lines are easy to put up, and clothespins are inexpensive. Even if the clothes are a little damp, 10 minutes in the dryer to finish them up will still save money and energy. We estimate we saved about $300 in the last year by hanging out laundry. As I told a friend recently, if you want softer clothes, use distilled vinegar in the rinse cycle, and tumble the clothes for 5 minutes after they are dry.

11. Drying clothes in the winter: Put a vent on the dryer that will allow moist hot air to be blown into the house instead of outside. Most people with central air have very dry homes. Added humidity makes the house feel warmer, and a load or two of laundry moisture won't make the house feel damp. Also, central heating dries the air in the house anyway. Also, a bit of heat from the dryer is saved, keeping your money from flying out the vent. Our vent can be switched to outside flow in the summer.

12. Water Filters - Simple carbon filter makes water taste better, and also removes some of the chlorine/chloramine/fluoride that is added to water in Maryland.

13. Composting Toilets. Simple to build and use. A bit of a chore, but saves HUGE amounts of drinking water from being flushed away.

14. Weather proof doors and windows. Weather stripping is inexpensive at hardware stores. I'm amazed at the amount of savings from sealing up those doors and windows. It takes a bit of practice to apply, but as my Dad used to say to us kids "Close the door! I'm not heating the entire outdoors!"

15. Install extra insulation in attics, crawlspaces, basements, exterior walls. We are still working on this, and add insulation as we can afford it. Doing it ourselves is least expensive, but again, pays for itself later on. This is equal to putting an extra blanket on the bed, or an extra sweater on when you are feeling cool.

16. Buy locally grown/produced foods. Support your local farmers market. They often have organic foods which are better for you and have traveled much shorter distances. Buying local saves fuel to transport food. Organic foods are higher in nutrients and trace minerals, and have no pesticides. One of my little sayings during sweet corn season, "If it is good enough for the worms, then it is good for me!" I just leave the worm in the pile of husks for the compost bin, cut out the worm eaten bit, and eat the rest of the corn.

17. Eat seasonally grown foods. This works if you garden, and if you don't, patronize those farmer's markets and freeze or can your food for the off season. This is something new for us, and while we are moving in this direction, we still have a good way to go.

18. Eat fewer processed foods. This allows you to be healthier and eat better foods. It has an advantage of allowing you to cook more for yourself at home, and eat recipes you like. Processed foods are packaged with way too much waste wrapping, have been transported way too far, and usually aren't good for you anyway.

19. Eat less meat. It costs enormous amounts of energy and water to feed, transport, and otherwise produce meat for your table. Use less, or for even better health go vegetarian or vegan (animal-derived food free). Reduce dairy and eggs. High energy cost to produce/transport, high health cost of consuming.

20. Lower house temperature in winter. If we are cold, we put a sweater on. We rarely have the house warmer than 66 in the winter. In the summer, our thermostat is set at 78 or 80. If we feel warm, we go outside and spend some time. Then coming inside feels cooler. The advantage is that the AC makes the house drier, so we feel cooler. 80 is pretty cool on a 95 degree day.

21. Wash laundry in cold water. It takes energy to heat water, and clothes get just as clean in cold water too. For extra-soiled clothes, try adding hydrogen peroxide (but not too much) to help your cleaner. Hydrogen peroxide won't harm the septic either.

22. Wash clothes less often. If your clothes aren't dirty, don't wash them after just one wearing. Wear clothes until they are soiled, and need to be washed. Over washing makes clothes age faster. (This works pretty well for adults, but for kids of course, they soil clothes pretty quickly.) I have a set of "gardening clothes" that I put on to garden in. This keeps my other clothes cleaner longer. (Undershirts and underwear are worn for a day, then washed.)

Things we are planning to do in our next home:

All of the above things plus:

Solar water heater

Solar panels - either selling power to power company or going off-grid completely

High thermal mass walls - cool in summer, warm in winter.

Heat with efficient "rocket heater" using scrap wood.

Living roof - again, cools in summer, holds in heat in the winter.

Sun room - shaded in summer, warms house in winter, brings natural light into the home. Allows seeds to be started for garden earlier. Possible food production inside the house during winter.

And more things that I'm sure we will figure out as we go.