April 22nd will mark the 40th anniversary of the annual Earth Day celebration. Be sure to attend the Baltimore EcoFest April 17th in Druid Hill Park. In the meantime, consider implementing these simple lifestyle changes to help honor Mother Earth all year long:
Protect your wastewater!
Garbage disposals are great for keeping the kitchen drain clean, but did you know that using them for nutrient-rich foods ultimately results in contamination of the Chesapeake Bay? The high nitrogen and phosphate content produces algae blooms that can suffocate fish and kill oysters in the already fragile ecosystem. Consider putting solid food into a composter (or the trashcan) instead of down the sink.
Note that most detergents, including laundry and dishwashing detergents, also contain high levels of phosphates with the same effects. Save the Chesapeake Bay by investing in phosphate-free or low-phosphate alternatives which are now conveniently available at mainstream stores.
Go bottleless!
Health experts agree that drinking eight servings of water daily is good for your body, but it’s not necessarily good for your environment. If you use plastic bottles for all that water, you’ll go through over 2900 bottles in a year – and that’s if you live alone. Not only are all those bottles expensive on your wallet, they are a petroleum product that will remain in a landfill for centuries. What’s more, they don’t always make it that far – consider the number found littering the streets and floating in the Baltimore harbor. Consider instead purchasing a quality water purifier for your kitchen faucet at a fraction of the cost of all those bottles.
Clean the non-toxic way!
Harsh cleaners harm the environment and affect the health of everyone in your home. When possible, consider these alternative (but effective) cleaning methods using products already in your home:
- Remove stubborn food from the microwave by steaming it off. Place a damp dishtowel in the microwave for 40 seconds (never leave the microwave unattended). The hot steam produced will loosen that dried-on food, making it easy to wipe off.
- Clean your coffee maker by running it through three cycles with equal parts water and white vinegar. You won’t have to worry about the hot water in your next pot leaching out any soap into your coffee.
Meghan Lockman has a masters of science in environmental management from Vanderbilt University and a masters of business administration from Loyola University. She is owner of EcoConsults, a local ecoconsulting firm. www.ecoconsults.com.
