Yep, that word. Carbon. It’s the ‘buzziest’ buzzword in recent years. Thousands of businesses and nations are fixated on reducing carbon emissions – including our own. It’s been positioned as the most important thing to do, but did you know that you can reduce carbon by reducing water. While carbon is discussed as one thing, it comes in plenty of forms. It is for this reason, it’s created in many ways too.
You see, carbon footprints are attached to everything. From every breath you take, to the emissions coming from aeroplanes. This includes your water supply. Although water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O); you can still reduce carbon impacts by reducing your water consumption. We’ll show you how…
It’s about the process of water
Recently on our blog, we’ve been talking about our water supply and the impacts of wastewater. The entire modern-day water cycle, like everything else, is having its own carbon impact. We hear you asking, “but how can something that contains no carbon whatsoever reduce my carbon impact?”. Let’s break it down.
For every drop of water you use, there’s an entire process before it. It’s said that every drop of water on the Earth has passed through another living being – namely dinosaurs. We’re not sure how much we believe it, we’re not exactly professionals in the history of water and dinosaurs. But we know that water never ‘disappears’ – it merely changes state from solid to liquid to gas. So, this process has to have some sort of carbon impact; the same way everything on the planet does. Especially since we’ve modernised it in recent years.
Collecting water, filtering it, cleaning it, and transporting it into homes. As well as cleaning and redistributing it on the way out of them is where most carbon-related impacts occur. While industries try to create efficient methods of supplying and removing water from homes – it’s important that we’re doing what we can at our end too. So, here’s how you can reduce your carbon impact, by reducing your water consumption.
How to reduce carbon by reducing water
When you know more about the processes that go on behind our water supply, you quickly realise that reducing your water consumption has a direct impact on your carbon creation. Ultimately, we need to analyse our everyday actions and see where we can reduce our water consumption the most. Let’s start somewhere obvious.
Reduce carbon with your bath/shower
There’s been a lot of talk about showers always being a better solution for reducing water consumption. But you might be surprised. A lot of different elements come into play. How you get your supply, how it’s heated, and of course the volume of water. If you’re someone who likes to take a long shower of 20 minutes or more, and your plumbing isn’t very eco-friendly, you might use less water by having a modest bath. A generous bath heated by a gas efficient boiler is 1kg of CO2e, a modest one heated by solar energy is just 200g CO2e.
Power showers are every thick-long-haired person’s essential, but the speed at which they pump out water might be raising your water consumption and CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) to an alarming rate. Take a look at the following stats, and determine if your supply is eco-friendly enough then question – are you spending too long in your shower?
- 15 minutes in an 11kw electric power shower can produce 1kg CO2e
- 5 minutes in an 8kw electric shower can produce 250g CO2e
- 3 minutes in an efficient gas boiler aerated shower can produce 55g CO2e
It’s incredible how much the CO2e rates can drop depending on what shower you use, how long you use it for and what water-saving equipment (like aerators) you have in place. To put this into context, a litre of bottled water that has travelled 600 miles by road, has the CO2e of 480g – nearly half that 15-minute shower. Here’ a challenge for you, determine where you sit on the scale and see if there are any areas you could improve on. It could be your easiest way to reduce carbon.
Greenredeem Thames Water members can get a free aerator in the dashboard on their membership page.
Washing up and saving carbon
Another large area where we use a lot of water – and can save it – is when we’re cleaning. Another common predicament for a lot of people is whether you should be washing by hand or using the dishwasher.
Dishwashers have a bad reputation for using a lot of water, but just like baths, they can sometimes offer a more efficient solution. It all depends on how you use it and how eco-friendly it is in the first place. For example, a full load of an eco-friendly dishwasher is more eco-friendly than hand-washing plates for 30 minutes using a running tap. Oh, the waste! Take a look at some stats to consider:
- By hand, sparingly in warm water uses 360g CO2e.
- In a dishwasher, at eco 50°C uses 470g CO2e.
- In a dishwasher, intensive at 65°C uses 600g CO2e.
- BUT BY HAND, with a lot of warm water, uses 3KG CO2e!!
It’s important each time you wash up to consider, how much there is to clean, what settings on a dishwasher you are going to use, and if that’s the best option (meaning you can fill it). Imagine saving over 2kg of CO2e by using a dishwasher – that’s the equivalent of around 4kg of household waste being sent to landfill!
When you take a step back, you realise that reducing your water consumption isn’t necessarily a straight rulebook to follow. It all depends on what appliances you have in your home, and how you use them, that’s the best way to determine how you can reduce carbon. Remember pouring a pint of water down the sink triples its carbon footprint. It is possible to reduce carbon by reducing even the smallest amounts of water use, and water waste in your home.
Ndio, neno hilo. Kaboni. Ni <unk>buzziest<unk> buzzword katika miaka ya hivi karibuni. Maelfu ya biashara na mataifa ni fasta juu ya kupunguza uzalishaji wa kaboni <unk> ikiwa ni pamoja na yetu wenyewe. Imekuwa nafasi kama jambo muhimu zaidi kufanya, lakini je, unajua kwamba unaweza kupunguza kaboni kwa kupunguza maji. Ingawa kaboni huzungumziwa kuwa kitu kimoja, inapatikana katika aina nyingi. Ni kwa sababu hii, ni <unk> ni kuundwa kwa njia nyingi pia. Kwa mfano, alama za kaboni zinapatikana kwenye kila kitu. Kila pumzi unayofanya, na hata uzalishaji wa hewa kutoka kwa ndege. Hilo latia ndani ugavi wako wa maji. Ingawa maji yana hidrojeni na oksijeni (H2O), bado unaweza kupunguza athari za kaboni kwa kupunguza matumizi yako ya maji. Hivi karibuni kwenye blogi yetu, tumekuwa tukizungumza juu ya usambazaji wetu wa maji na athari za maji taka. Mzunguko mzima wa maji ya kisasa, kama kila kitu kingine, una athari yake mwenyewe ya kaboni. Tunakusikia ukiuliza, <unk>lakini jinsi gani kitu ambacho hakina kaboni chochote kinaweza kupunguza athari yangu ya kaboni?<unk> Hebu kuvunja chini. Kwa kila tone la maji unayotumia, kuna mchakato mzima kabla yake. Inasemekana kwamba kila tone la maji duniani limepitia kiumbe kingine hai - yaani dinosaurs. Hatujui ni kiasi gani tunaamini, sisi si hasa wataalamu katika historia ya maji na dinosaurs. Lakini tunajua kwamba maji hayapotea kamwe - hubadilika tu kutoka hali ya imara hadi hali ya kioevu hadi hali ya gesi. Kwa hiyo, mchakato huu lazima uwe na aina fulani ya athari ya kaboni; kwa njia ile ile kila kitu kwenye sayari hufanya. Hasa tangu sisi <unk>ve modernized ni katika miaka ya hivi karibuni. Kuokota maji, kuyatakasa, kuyasafisha, na kuyasafirisha kwenye nyumba. Kwa hivyo, kuondoa na kuondoa kwa njia ya kawaida ni sehemu ambayo athari nyingi za kaboni zinatokea. Wakati viwanda kujaribu kuunda mbinu ufanisi wa usambazaji na kuondoa maji kutoka nyumba <unk> ni muhimu kwamba sisi <unk> ni kufanya kile tunaweza katika mwisho wetu pia. Kwa hiyo, hapa ni jinsi unaweza kupunguza athari yako ya kaboni, kwa kupunguza matumizi yako ya maji. Jinsi ya kupunguza kaboni kwa kupunguza maji: Unapojua zaidi juu ya michakato inayoendelea nyuma ya usambazaji wetu wa maji, unatambua haraka kwamba kupunguza matumizi yako ya maji ina athari ya moja kwa moja kwa uundaji wako wa kaboni. Mwishowe, tunahitaji kuchambua vitendo vyetu vya kila siku na kuona ni wapi tunaweza kupunguza matumizi yetu ya maji zaidi. Hebu kuanza mahali fulani dhahiri. Kupunguza kaboni na kuoga yako/kuoga Kumekuwa na mazungumzo mengi kuhusu kuoga daima kuwa suluhisho bora kwa kupunguza matumizi ya maji. Lakini huenda ukashangaa. Mambo mengi tofauti-tofauti huchezwa. Jinsi ya kupata ugavi wako, jinsi ni joto, na bila shaka kiasi cha maji. Ikiwa wewe ni mtu ambaye anapenda kuoga kwa muda mrefu wa dakika 20 au zaidi, na mabomba yako si ya mazingira, unaweza kutumia maji kidogo kwa kuwa na kuoga kidogo. Kwa mfano, bafu ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto. Mvua ya umeme ni muhimu kwa kila mtu mwenye nywele ndefu, lakini kasi ambayo hupomba maji inaweza kuongeza matumizi yako ya maji na CO2 (sawa na kaboni dioksidi) kwa kiwango cha kuogofya. "Kama unaangalia takwimu zifuatazo, na kuamua kama ugavi wako ni mazingira ya kirafiki kutosha, basi swali ni, ""Je, wewe ni kutumia muda mrefu sana katika kuoga yako?""" - dakika 15 katika 11kW umeme nguvu kuoga inaweza kuzalisha 1kg CO2e - dakika 5 katika 8kW umeme kuoga inaweza kuzalisha 250g CO2e - dakika 3 katika ufanisi gesi boiler aerated kuoga inaweza kuzalisha 55g CO2e ni ajabu jinsi kiasi cha CO2e viwango inaweza kushuka kulingana na nini kuoga wewe kutumia, muda gani wewe kutumia na nini maji-kuokoa vifaa (kama aerators) una mahali. Kwa mfano, lita moja ya maji ya chupa ambayo imesafiri maili 600 kwa barabara ina CO2e ya 480g, karibu nusu ya hiyo ya maji ya mto wa dakika 15. Hapa ni changamoto kwa ajili yenu, kuamua ambapo wewe kukaa juu ya mizani na kuona kama kuna maeneo yoyote unaweza kuboresha juu. Hii inaweza kuwa njia rahisi ya kupunguza kaboni. Greenredeem Thames Water wanachama wanaweza kupata bure aerator katika dashibodi juu ya ukurasa wao wa uanachama. Kuosha na kuokoa kaboni Eneo jingine kubwa ambapo tunatumia maji mengi <unk> na tunaweza kuokoa <unk> ni wakati tunaposafisha. Jambo jingine ambalo watu wengi hujiuliza ni, je, ni lazima watu wasafishe vyombo kwa mikono au kwa mashine ya kuosha vyombo? Washers vyombo ni maarufu kwa kutumia maji mengi, lakini kama vile kuoga, wanaweza kutoa ufumbuzi bora zaidi. Yote inategemea jinsi unavyotumia na jinsi ni rafiki wa mazingira katika nafasi ya kwanza. Kwa mfano, kupaka maji mashine ya kuosha vyombo kwa muda wa dakika 30 ni bora kuliko kuosha sahani kwa kutumia bomba la maji. Oh, hasara hiyo! Kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa mfano. Katika mashine ya kuosha vyombo, kwa eco 50 ° C hutumia 470g CO2e. Katika mashine ya kuosha vyombo, joto la 65 ° C hutumia 600 g ya CO2e. - LIKIMA KWA KIKONO, na maji mengi ya joto, hutumia 3KG CO2e!! Ni muhimu kila wakati wewe kuosha juu ya kuzingatia, kiasi gani kuna kusafisha, nini mipangilio juu ya mashine ya kuosha vyombo wewe ni kwenda kutumia, na kama kwamba ni chaguo bora (maana unaweza kujaza). Fikiria kuokoa zaidi ya 2kg ya CO2e kwa kutumia mashine ya kuosha vyombo - hiyo ni sawa na karibu 4kg ya taka za nyumbani kutumwa kwenye mahali pa kuondoa taka! Unapochukua hatua nyuma, unatambua kwamba kupunguza matumizi yako ya maji si lazima kitabu cha sheria moja kwa moja kufuata. Yote inategemea nini vifaa una katika nyumba yako, na jinsi ya kutumia yao, kwamba ni njia bora ya kuamua jinsi unaweza kupunguza kaboni. Kumbuka kumimina lita moja ya maji ndani ya sinki huongeza mara tatu kiwango cha kaboni. Ni rahisi kupunguza kiwango cha kaboni kwa kupunguza hata kiasi kidogo cha matumizi ya maji na taka ya maji nyumbani.