Rideau Park United Church

 

Environmental Corner

The Environmental Corner is an initiative by the Environmental Action Committee to bring you weekly tips, information, and more! If you have ideas or quotes for this space e-mail them to greenrpuc@gmail.com. The Environmental Corner also appears in the Rideau Park News included with each Sunday’s bulletin.

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October 28, 2007:
Heating and cooling—

• reduce the temperature in the winter and wear sweaters indoor to stay warm
• plug air leaks (use caulking around windows and weatherstripping around doors), and don’t forget to close your fireplace damper
• upgrade the insulation in your basement, walls and roof

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October 21, 2007:
Walk, bike or take public transit to work, shop and visit friends.
Reduce your driving speed (i.e. just keep to the speed limit).
 

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October 7, 2007:
Install low-flow showerheads and low-flush toilets (or insert a water-filled, sealed plastic bottle in your toilet tank to reduce water volume)

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September 30, 2007:
Set your computers, printers, faxes and copiers on auto standby, and turn them off when not in use.

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September 23, 2007:
To improve your mileage, maintain your vehicle regularly, optimize your tire pressure, and don’t drive on the highway with your windows open.

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April 8, 2007:
Did you know... our water bill is calculated in cubic meters and one cubic meter is equal to 220 gallons of water? This means that we use an average of 93.77 gallons of water per person per day!

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March 18, 2007:
Did you know... in an effort to curb the country’s greenhouse gases, Australia has become the first country to ban the traditional light bulb. The country will favour the more fuel-efficient fluorescent light bulb. We have heard of recommendations that Canada be considering this option as well!

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February 25, 2007:
Help out with cleanup in the kitchen! Let’s make our mugs initiative work – for our benefit and that of the whole community.

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February 4, 2007:
Natural gas is sold on world markets in units of mmBTU. However, we consume natural gas in cubic meters. One mmBTU contains 27.993 cubic meters and equals about 30 litres of gasoline. The average home uses about 135 mmBTUs per year – this is equal to 4050 litres of gasoline. This is one of the many natural resources we take very much for granted.

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December 17, 2006:
The City of Ottawa and LOEB have partnered for a return-to-vendor “Take it Back!” initiative at 19 LOEB stores in the City of Ottawa. Loeb is the first grocery store chain in Ottawa that has agreed to accept back clean, plastic grocery bags from Ottawa residents for recycling as part of the City's “Take it Back!” program to divert waste from landfill sites.

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November 26, 2006:
Make your home more energy efficient through improved insulation, caulking and weather-stripping. The less energy you use, the less impact you have on the environment.

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September 24, 2006:
Encourage carpooling when possible! Put a map up in the office to encourage carpooling and make it easier for riders to connect.

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September 17, 2006:
Donate electronic equipment to specific recycling groups or recycle them. This will help reduce pressure on landfills. In Ottawa, you can donate used computer parts to The Computer Recyclers (163 MacFarlane Road): www.computerrecyclersottawa.com.

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September 10, 2006:
Make your home more energy efficient through improved insulation, caulking and weather-stripping. The less energy you use, the less impact you have on the environment.

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September 3, 2006:
When replacing hard to reach light bulbs, such as exterior porch lights, switch to energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. You won’t have to change them for seven years!

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August 27, 2006:
Don’t forget to clean your light bulbs (while the power is off). Dust build-up can reduce the light intensity by 25%.

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August 20, 2006:
Instead of using chemicals and paper towels to wash your windows, try 125 ml vinegar (1/2 cup) and 1L water (4 cups) and a squeegee.

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August 13, 2006:
Don’t forget to return your plastic bags to Loeb stores this summer! Every 1,000 plastic bags returned to Loeb will divert 8 kilograms of waste from the City’s landfills. Customers are being asked to turn the bags inside out and remove any objects, such as food remnants or receipts before returning them to the Loeb stores.

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July 30, 2006:
Install and use a programmable thermostat. For every 1° C you lower your thermostat you can save 2% on your heating bill. A reduction of 3° C at night and when you are away during the day provides optimal savings and can reduce your greenhouse gas emissions by half a tonne.

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June 25, 2006:
“Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we can’t eat money.”

— Chief Seattle  

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June 18, 2006: Your green plastic plant pots from garden stores can be re-used by local farmers. Drop them off at Rideau Park! Please put them in the box by the waste disposal unit in the side parking lot.