Is this an eco-epiphany?
I will be the first to admit that I have much improvement to show in making my living habits more environmentally friendly. Whilst there is a lot of chatter around us about how we all ought to be 'green', I have a sneaking suspicion that there is a lot more talk than there is action. I don't believe I'm the only one who talks green but doesn't go all out to act it.
This week we've had the plumbers in, and the water feed into the cistern in the loo has been disconnected, so we have to fill it up manually in order to flush. The first few times I tried filling it up from water bottles (running backwards and forwards to the temporary mains in the front garden to fill them up). Ten minutes later, (not to be too graphic about it), the cistern was ready for action. It was a lot of effort to answer nature's call. Later, we requisitioned a massive watering can for the job, and I could be seen teetering from front garden to bathroom with the filled vessel weighing about a third of my body mass. I realised this very obvious fact: it takes a lot of water - clean water - to flush, and if you have to carry it yourself, it's a helluva lot of effort. What a waste of clean water! For the first time - and I'm being completely honest here - it occurred to me that perhaps those composting, old fashioned kind of loos are something we ought to seriously consider. The effort required really hit home.
I have been thinking about all this for a while, but this experience made me think a bit harder and may have created a tipping point. As a Muslim, it has occurred to me that the way we live is rather extravagant resource-wise and I ought to be more prudent and sensitive in my relationship with nature. Having recently moved from a city-centre flat to a house with a garden also seems to be helping with this earth-connection. I'll be asking for gardening tips soon.
Now, being an urban chick I think it will take me a while to make eco-adjustments, so I'm looking for simple straightforward suggestions for incremental changes that I can make. Any proposals?
posted by Shelina Zahra Janmohamed at 09:08
11 Comments:
to alleviate your problem and salve your conscience, you might want to consider investing in a dual flush toilet which has both a light flush and a heavy flush to be used appropriately. they are very common on the continent (no pun intended).
Good suggestion - we do have one of those upstairs already, so good idea to get the downstairs one aligned too. Thanks!
I grew up in the country where we had septic tanks and cesspools. It was important to conserve water and be judicious with disposal. This suggestion may not be acceptable to everyone, but really, it's not necessary to flush the toilet every time it's used :) Many cottagers and country folk work on this principle: "if it's yellow, let it mellow..."
You're right that that sort of action takes a bit of getting used to. I think your phrase was made popular in the film Meet the Fockers... "If it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown... etc"
Apologies to those reading this who are of a sensitive disposition!
LOL. I think it was around long before Meet the Fockers... I remember seeing it posted in toilets when I was a young girl more than 40 years ago... Sigh ;)
Please do not indulge in a compost loo. Especially now you have a garden.
Recall reading some eco-fascist from Islington proudly proclaiming he used his to fertilise the roses. "Smell goes after a few years," he admitted.
Have mercy on your neighbours!
Hmm...a few possible suggestions:
- a brick in your cistern (although possibly I read something about this affecting dual-flush cisterns...maybe you'd want to check that out before implementing!);
- maybe going back to the traditional 'hand-powered shower' (better known as a bucket and bowl) to replace a bath/shower some days;
- be conscious about turning off lights and plug sockets (e.g. unplug chargers when they're done charging)
- buy locally - find your local greengrocers, whole food shops etc, and shun the massive supermarkets, and all the negative impacts they have (*hastily stuffs Tesco carrier under bed*);
- 'take your canvas bag when you go to the supermarket' (or, in this case, local store)
- better still, get a local box delivery, or see if there are any local food co-ops.
Er - that was just supposed to be a few...sorry!
Knox, your comment about 'hand-powered' shower caught my eye. When I've travelled abroad I have at certain occasions had to use this contraption which was picturesquely created from a natural piece of wood and half a coconut shell. I remember thinking at the time that the amount of water used was minimal compared to a shower. However, what I also noted was that it was a suitable shower alternative in a hot country, but would be likely to bring on a case of the shivers in mid-winter blighty!
Go vegan! - or as vegan as you can. I'll let this person (on the link below) explain as she is far more eloquent than me, or you can just read the FAO's 2007 report 'Livestock's Long Shadow.'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/the-breathtaking-effects_b_181716.html
Muslims use an awful lot of water, for a start they may have ablutions upto 5 times a day, clean water that goes down drain for little good. In my house we collect most of ablution water and shower water in buckets to flush WC, many days this is the only water used for WC. Non soapy water is used for plants indoors and out. Salad washing uses as much water as flushing wc, again I use a bucket to collect used water in kitchen (soap free) and feed plants. There is much that can be done to use less water, with little imagination and outlay.
Shabir, i'm not convinced that Muslims necessarily use a lot of water for wudhu (I know that if necessary I can do it with less than half a litre!) but I do agree that whatever the amount that is used we could re-use it. Good suggestion, perhaps it is naive of me to suggest this, but I'd never thought of that. How do you "collect" the water, without it going down the drain?
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