Why saving water is wonderful

You often hear people going on about "saving water", particularly in the summer when people turn on their hosepipes to water their garden blah blah blah. You might think that this isn't important right now what with all the rain we've had but AHA! It is I tell you.

This is because when we use water in our homes, for washing, cleaning, drinking, whatever, that water has to be pumped to us. Pumping water requires ENERGY! And for every cubic metre of water pumpted to our homes, one kWh of electricity is used. So, even if you're not heating your water, just having it delivered to your home is resulting in carbon emissions through the energy consumed to pump it to you.

Standard water conservation tips include:
- Take showers instead of baths (but not power showers because they use just as much water as a full bath)
- Get a water butt for your garden and use this to water your plants instead
- Don't leave the tap running when you brush your teeth

If you are lovely and wonderful and already do all of this I have another tip for you. At first I wasn't sure about this but now I'm used to it I don't even notice I'm doing it, and I reckon it reduces my water usage by half when having showers.
- When you have a shower, just turn on the water to get wet, then switch it off. Soap up, wash, and then turn it back on again to wash off. Woo! Also applies for hairwashing.

Turn to 30

You may have seen Ariel tv adverts recently encouraging people to turn their washing machines down to 30.C. I have finally convinced my mother of the wisdom of washing at 30.C instead of 40 or higher. Washing your laundry at 30.C instead of 40 saves 40% of the electricity used to power your washing machine and heat the water, thus saving 40% of your washing carbon emissions! And while we're on the subject don't even think about a tumble drier. They are ridiculous consumers of energy. Now we actually have sunny, breezy weather - put it out on a washing line!

Am yet to convince my mother of the wisdom of getting rid of the tumble drier completely however. Project for the future.

By the way on other topics just spent the last week doing some temp work at a racecourse near where I live. Its at the top of a hill. I attempted to cycle 5 miles up the hill so that I have very low carbon emissions for travelling to and from work. But the prospect of a 5 mile uphill cycle, 10 hour working day waitressing, skivvying in kitchens and clearing glasses, and 5 miles back home meant my parents took me & my bike up the hill in the car at the start of the day and I whizzed back down on the bike when I'd finished. I would rather have not had to resort to any car journeys at all but I figure halving them is better than not.