Green power and water recycling: be switched on by switching off

Despite living on Earth’s driest populated continent, Australians throw around water as though the supply were endless. We are the planet’s greatest per capita consumers of water, with each person using an average 100,000 litres a year. Much of that is invisible to consumers, expended on the food and products we buy.

Our electricity use isn’t much better. A recent Environmental Justice Australia investigation found east coast coal-fired power stations – where emissions limits trail places such as China – are responsible for deadly pollution that causes a suspected 130 premature deaths a year in Sydney alone. Yet oil and coal remain our primary energy sources, powering 70% of the nation.

Many water-saving tips are common sense: turn the tap off while brushing teeth, fix leaky taps immediately, use a dual flush toilet, only run full loads in washing machines and dishwashers, and get a rainwater tank if possible. (Visit the Nature Conservancy Australia for a more in-depth tips list.) Choosing water-efficient appliances is important, too. The national water efficiency star-rating scheme makes pinpointing winners easier. Some rebates apply for water-saving products; check the environment department’s website to search your area.

But inventive Australians are also dreaming up recycling solutions. In Adelaide, Peter Cullin created The Cullector, an easy-to-install shower head that captures water wasted during warm-up time, then reuses it to increase shower pressure, saving an average 35,000 litres of water each person each year. Brisbane’s Chris Murray has something similar with his Redwater diverter, and Mackay’s Eric Winn went a step further. His Winns Water Saver diverts cold water from every hot water tap, which is reused in toilets or the garden instead of being flushed down the drain.

Source: theguardian