What's your water?

With the summer approaching so fast, I want to talk about the water we drink. I often wonder why people drink bottled water? Why people think that bottled water is safer? I watched the documentary, "Tapped" which discredits each of the reason that comes to my mind. Tap water is more regulated than bottled water. Bottled water is self-regulated by the companies. In most cases the bottled water is just tap water.
Plastic bottles leak toxins into the water and  we are paying to drink that!
By buying bottled water, we are choosing with our dollars to support/cause:
1. Pertrochemical industries - People who live near those industries suffer from chronic illness and we indirectly support that.
2. Water companies - They make huge profits often exploiting communities that live around those pristine water bodies.
3. Pollution - Only 20% of the water bottles consumed in US gets recycled. Its sad that the bottled water competes with tap water and the city has to take up the job of recycling. Only a few states have been able to impose a deposit per bottle to ensure recycling. When you buy a bottle, you see 5c or 10c with states codes. It means the consumer pays 10cents more in those states and will get that back when they take it to the recycle center. Ofcourse, water companies have lobbied heavily in state legislatures to not bring this law into effect in most states.
  Some of the bottles reach the water ways and pollutes marine life. Bottles and other plastic reaching sea, decomposes and forms small shiny colorful pebbles which are attractive to fishes. It again reaches our system when we eat those fishes.

  Some say, I recycle the bottles, its it good enough? I say NO, its always better to reduce consumption.
I tried to summarize most facts from the movie but I suggest you watch it to make your choice. There are plenty of options to filter water at home if you don't trust tap water. So, what's your water?

Reduce methane at home

Did you know that organics in landfill is a major source of methane generation? Don't take my word for it. Check the facts at cool2012 campaign.

Organics like food, paper products and yard trimmings when dumped in landfill get decomposed anaerobically due to lack of oxygen. This improper decomposition produces lot of methane, one of the green house gases responsible for Global warming.

Each year we fret so much in the summer and wonder if it is Global warming. Of course it is. Stop fretting and start helping. There is lot of guidance at Compost guide and HowtoCompost . My friends in India can find a composter here.

I live in an apartment and have a indoor composter. It works well with most of my organics waste but there are some limitations. If you have a yard, you can choose among worm composter, tumble composter, composter bins or a compost pile. I have heard that tumble composter is very easy to use.

I am excited that two of my friends have started thinking about composting. One is going to start a worm composter and other one will start with a kitchen composter. I hope they will comment here on their progress.

So, what's your compost?

Recycle plastic bags in grocery stores

Plastic bags can be recycled! Yes, it is true. In fact, it is very easy to recycle plastics as long as they are kept separate.
Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. Some of them get carried away by wind and end in our oceans. They cause harm to our marine wildlife. In US only about 5% of plastic bags get recycled.
To help more bags to get recycled, we need to separate them in our households. Most grocery stores have a 'plastic bag only' recycle program. I have seen them in Sunflower and Sprouts. Even Walmart has it.
I asked store managers which kind of plastic bags they accept. I used to think that only numbered bags with reusable logo on it can be recycled. But that's not the case. They accept any plastic bag or film as long as they are not contaminated with food. Please take a moment to browse the list of recyclable bags here.
Reducing plastic bag consumption is key to helping the environment but it is unavoidable some times. Do your best by taking your bags to your favorite grocery store. Thanks!

Energy Choices in Texas

I moved to Texas last year. At first I was skeptical about the green living choices I would have here but I was in for a surprise. When I moved into an apartment, the leasing office gave me a website to choose my electricity provider. The website is http://www.powertochoose.org. I have never had to choose my electric provider before and hence didn't think much about it until I visited the page. One of parameters for comparison of the companies listed in this website is their % of renewable energy content. When I browsed this site, I found a few with 5% and thought I will choose one of them. Scrolled some more and found companies that use 100% renewable energy. My choice was easy. I went with a 100% renewable energy company and I live guilt-free when I forget to turn off that closet light switch.

Texas has invested in lot of wind mills which provides major % of the renewable energy content. There are multiple companies offering 100% renewable energy. So, the rates are competitive. One other cool thing about this website is you can choose to switch provider at anytime as long as you don't have a contract with your electricity provider. At the time of move in, all rental properties should direct you to this website to choose your electricity provider.

If you live in Texas, think about making the switch today and live guilt-free!