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12 Simple Things You Can Do for the Environment this Summer


1. Don’t wash your car at home; bring it to a carwash instead. Unlike when you wash your car at home, commercial carwashes treat wastewater (they’re required to by law). Also, according to the International Carwash Association, on average, automatic car washes use less than half the water compared to someone who washes her car at home (45 gallons of water at a commercial car wash, compared to between 80 and 140 gallons at home).

2. Water your lawn and garden in the early morning only. By doing this you avoid water lost to evaporation by the sun. Watering in the evening is preferable to mid-day, but you risk promoting fungus growth and insect activity.

Better yet? Landscape with native flowers and grasses that don’t require watering (see below) and/or let your lawn go brown; dormancy is normal in the summer heat.

3. Landscape with native flowers and grasses. Native plants have adapted to the geography, hydrology and climate of your region. As such, they are hardy and drought resistant, and can also be beautiful. These low maintenance plants save the environment, time and money because they significantly reduce the need for fertilizers, pesticides, water and other maintenance. They also provide a habitat for native wildlife species such as birds and butterflies.

4. Let your lawn grow to at least 3 inches before mowing and don’t cut it shorter than 2 inches. Taller grass means deeper roots. Deeper roots mean better drought and heat resistance. It also prevents broad leaf weeds from germinating. And, when you finally do cut the grass, let the clippings lie. This will fertilize the lawn with nitrogen. All of that means less air pollution from the lawn mower, less water used on the lawn, and less fertilizer and herbicides used on the lawn.

Better yet? Use a manual mower. According to the U.S. EPA, one gas-powered lawnmower emits 11 times the air pollution of a new car for each hour of operation and one hour of mowing is the equivalent of driving 350 miles in terms of volatile organic compounds. Come on! It’s good for the environment and you.

For more information on “green” lawn care see Real Mama’s articles:
The "Green" Lawn Care Sell: Why for the sake of your kids and the environment you should choose a "green" lawn
Going Green: How to get a healthy looking lawn without jeopardizing the health of your children or the environment

5. Don’t use pesticides on your lawn or garden. Pesticides are not only toxic to the pests you might be targeting, but they are also potentially toxic to other wildlife, as well as you, your children and your pets. Keep in mind that the pesticides you use don’t just stay where they are applied; they can run off into streams and lakes and leach into drinking water. If you must fight pests do so through integrative pest management practices—using a combination of approaches such as rotating crops; planting hardy, native plants; mechanical control (e.g., trapping or weeding); and/or biological controls (e.g., beneficial insects).

For more information on alternatives to pesticides see Real Mama’s article:
From your Kitchen to your Garden: Natural Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals for Controlling Pests in the Garden

6. Install a rain barrel. Save water by putting a rain barrel under a downspout. It’s a really simple process with great benefits. During drier weeks, use that water for your gardens. Uncontaminated freshwater is limited, so conserve it! (Note that there a few precautions that should be taken when using a rain barrel: Ensure the barrel is securely covered to avoid dangers to small children and to animals. Put a fine screen over the top of the barrel and empty the water about every ten days to avoid creating a breeding ground for mosquitoes. And, ensure protection from overflow so as to avoid damage to your foundation.)

For more information on at-home water conservation see Real Mama’s article:
At Home Water Conservation

7. Plant trees. By planting trees, you can reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and decrease storm water runoff. Trees can also remove other air pollutants from the atmosphere, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, particulate matter, and ground-level ozone. Strategic planting around your home can also provide shade that cools the inside of your house in the summer, thus decreasing air conditioning use.

8. Hang washed clothes outside on a clothes line, rather than drying them in an electric or gas-powered dryer. By doing so, you save fossil fuels, greenhouse gas emissions, and money on your utility bill. Plus, you get that great scent on your clothes!

9. BBQ w/ USDA certified organic foods. The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) defines “organic” as follows: Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. So at the next barbeque, cook up an organic buffet and say cheers to the environment and your health as well!

For more information on organic foods see Real Mama’s articles:
A Common Sense Approach to Eating Organic Produce
Go Wild! Eat Grass-Fed Beef for Health, Taste, Animal Welfare and the Land

10. Visit your local farmers market to buy your produce (preferably organic). When you purchase locally grown food, you are reducing the distance that the food travels. In turn, this means fewer fossil fuels are burned and fewer greenhouse gases are released. Products at local farmers’ markets are also likely to involve much less wasteful packaging than if they were transported to a supermarket and prepared for sale to you. Another benefit to the less travel for your veggies is that they are likely more nutritious than what you’ll find at the supermarket. Buying locally also supports the local economy.

11. Turn the air conditioner temperature up. Conventional air conditioners use refrigerants made of chlorine compounds, which are suspected contributors to the depletion of the ozone layer and global warming. They also use energy. Set the thermostat as high as is comfortable, and if you have a programmable thermostat set it even higher for the times you are regularly away from home. A higher temperature, resulting in less energy used, means less greenhouse gas emissions, as well as a lower utility bill.

Better yet? Forgo the air conditioner or supplement the cooling efforts by: closing drapery on south and west facing windows; putting reflective window films on your windows; ensuring your home is properly insulated from the summer heat (e.g., attic insulation, and window and door caulking and weatherstripping); and using fans (ceiling fans lower the air temperature by about 4° F).

For more home energy saving ideas, see Real Mama’s article:
Home Energy Eaters: How to Save Energy and Money Around Your Home

12. Get your kids outside and in nature. By getting your kids outside, teaching them about the environment, and allowing them free time to explore, you’re helping to create a future environmental steward.

For ideas to inspire your kids in outdoor play, see Real Mama’s articles:
Nature Has No Recalls: Getting Joy Beyond Toys
Extreme Hiking: Is Hiking with Your Little Ones Worth the Extreme Effort?
Destination Environmental Education: Nature Vacations to Inspire Your Children
Family Gardening: Inspiration and Guidance from the National Gardening Association
Get OUT!

Information used in this article was found at the following sources, which you can visit if you want to find out more about this topic:

http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/car_wash.htm (article on environmental effects of car washes)

http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/ (U.S. EPA webpage on “Green Landscaping”)

http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/nativeplants/factsht.html (U.S. EPA fact sheet on landscaping with native plants)

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/dep/greenman/lawncare.pdf (The Green Man article on environmental lawn care)

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/sustainability/MplsFarmersMarkets.asp (touting the benefits of buying from your local farmers’ market)

http://www.bobvila.com/HowTo_Library/Cooling_Your_Home_Naturally-Energy_Efficient_Products_and_Technologies-A1576.html (article on Cooling Your Home Naturally)

http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/ (providing information on rain barrels)

http://www.epa.gov/hiri/strategies/vegetation.html (providing information on the benefits of planting trees)


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