Monday, February 2, 2009

Small Steps

When I am reading some books and essays about the water issues of the West, those readings trigger my worry of the drought (because we had a very serious drought in the northern part of Taiwan many years ago). Taipei Water Department always reminds people 有水當思無水之苦. It is a Chinese saying meaning “One has to consider the sufferings without the water when his or she still has plenty of water.” In our everyday life, there are many small steps that can help us live in a green way.

Well, toilet consumes a lot of water. My apartment’s toilet is an old system; therefore it is not a water-saving toilet. To make my toilet waste less water, I learn a useful skill from the department’s commercial.

1. Find an empty plastic bottle larger than 1 liter.

2. Fill the bottle with water, and make sure there is no air in the bottle (so that it will not float up in the tank). The bottle will still float even it is "almost" full.

3. Remove the tank cover, and put the bottle in the tank.

4. Cover the tank and you are done.

My juice bottle is 1.75L. It means I can save 1.75L of water when I flush. Think about it: how much water you can save whenever you use your improved toilet! At the same time, you can also recycle the used bottle. Isn't it a win-win situation?

Small steps, great contributions to the earth.

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