The degradation of freshwater sources is a growing concern that we as a specie will increasingly have to come to terms with as civilization movies forward. It is important for all of us to do everything that we can in order to protect one of the most important resources in existence. In addition to the following tips, it is a good idea to get in touch with your congressmen in order to advise them to take action. In addition to the water itself, energy is used in transporting the water. As an example, water use accounts for a fifth of the state's electricity, almost a third of the natural gas use, and a total of 88 billion gallons of diesel fuel. Saving water saves energy resources as well.

The first thing that you should to conserve water is set goals for a reduction in your intake of water. As an example, you can commit yourself to using 20% less water every month. Post a consumption chart up in your home so that you don't forget. Make specific changes in habits and products that you use. Each month, add the new information to your chart. Use the extra money that you save to reward yourself and your family.

Reduce the amount of time that you leave your sprinklers on. The average lawn receives between twenty and fifty percent more water than it needs. This means that you can cut off somewhere between two and five minutes off for every ten minutes that you typically use your sprinkler.

It also helps to water at night instead of during the day. This prevents evaporation. A smart controller can also be installed that tells your irrigation system exactly how much water to use for optimal effect.

If any pipes or sprinklers are leaking or broken, be sure to repair them so that you aren't wasting water when it isn't even being used.

You can also take shorter showers, and install a water-saving shower head that reduces the amount of water used. Additionally, you can shut off your shower while you are lathering yourself up.

There are toilets you can install that use less water for each flush. Use energy-saving cycles when you are doing your laundry. The same goes for your dishwasher. In both cases, you should only run the machine when you have a full load.

Follow these tips and you will be able to make a drastic reduction in the amount of water you use everyday.

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Going green can mean many different things to many people, but all of us can do a little to help our environment. With all our problems in today's society, we sometimes forget about environmental issues which are all around us. Here are a few tips for green living that you can apply to your daily routine.

Recycling is something that is simple to do since many municipalities have added this feature to their waste departments. You see the eco green symbols on containers just about everywhere, but what does that really mean? By recycling plastics, aluminum cans, cardboard, and glass you help new techniques using these recycled goods in roadways, furniture, paper products, and many items we use in our everyday lives.Using rainwater can be a very smart way to save on water usage. Water is such a precious resource that sometimes we take it for granted. By placing a rain collection system outside to collect rain water you can use this water to water your garden and yard when needed. About 20% of our water usage is used outside of our homes.When purchasing appliances look for the energy star rating sticker to assure you that you are buying an appliance that meets new green energy standards for electrical usage. Not only will you save money on your electrical cost but you are helping cut CO2 emissions or green house gases.Start replacing your incandescent light bulbs with new CFL bulbs. CFL bulbs can save you up to 75% over the life of a light bulb lasting five times longer than regular incandescent bulbs. CFL stands for compact fluorescent lamp.The biggest use of energy is the heating of water in our homes. By installing instant hot water heaters you can save up to 30% of your cost of heating water. On this same topic, you can help conserve your hot water usage by cutting down your shower time, using cold water to wash clothes, and do the same when running your dishwasher.Sealing our homes my caulking around windows and doors can keep your heat in during the winter months, and air conditioning bills lower by not letting air escape. Maintaining proper insulation in our attics and walls can keep your heating and cooling cost to a minimum. Try wearing warmer clothes during winter, this way you can drop your thermostat to a lower setting, reducing your energy cost even more.Also using green rated cleaning products can have an impact on our environment by not placing pollutants back into eco system.When it comes time to purchase a new vehicle, consider one of the hybrid type that either runs on alternative fuels or electricity. These types of vehicles reduce exhaust emissions by putting fewer pollutants back into our air.

These are just a few tips for living green that I touched on. To look at other alternatives for going green consider solar panels or a wind turbine to produce your own electricity.

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