Eco Staging - What Next?

by Christine Rea

Eco Staging - What Next?

Everyone is talking about it. Some people are doing something about it and many people are thinking what can I do – I am only one person. I recently saw the passage below on a website for Parkinson’s disease and was moved to think how one person can really make a difference to anything. I thought I would share it with you. “The Difference of One is really the difference in everything. In every struggle, every battle, every search and every dream there comes a moment when the outcome is decided. There are countless things that may have occurred leading up to that point, that moment, but something trips the forces in play and the scale tips to one way or another. That something is The Difference of One.

 “Every person knows or has felt the difference that just one thing can make and has made in her/his life. One goal made, one appointment missed, one date made, one job completed,one wrong turn, one dream realized, one piece of homework lost, one hug, one lie, one apology, one smile.” (www.thedifferenceofone.org)

Everything we are, everything we do or want to do begins with one small step. I am forever motivated by remembering when President Kennedy said, “Within ten years we will put a man on the moon and safely return him to earth.” They didn’t even have a rocket ship plan at that time. They had a goal and they achieved it one step at a time.

So if the goal is to save the planet for our grandchildren,great grandchildren and all the generations to come, we all need to do our part – one small step at a time, but do we must. I have been inspired by Al Gore’s movie “Inconvenient Truth.” If you have not seen it yet, consider doing so. Sit down with your pre teens and older children and start thinking about the small steps your family can take. If we each do a little it will eventually mean a lot.

In the process of getting a property ready for sale, CSP™ consultants remark frequently that the work they did in preparation for that house sale was the catalyst for that home seller to change the way they lived. Comments reverberate around the continent - “I didn’t know how much stuff I had accumulated”. “I am amazed at how great the house looks with less ‘stuff’ in it” or “I am inspired to live like this all the time; less is definitely more”. The CSP™ organisation will be involved in special projects with Habitat for Humanity beginning Sept 07 and CSP™ consultants recommend clients consider donating to the “Re Store” any household items they are replacing; another small step to reduce waste in the landfill sites.

In July 2007, the CSP™ organization  introduced eco friendly products which the graduates of their program may choose to use in the work they do. Another small step towards a cleaner planet. This research motivated me to find some ideas that you can implement at home for little to no cost.

KITCHEN:
• Install a faucet aerator to reduce the flow of water by 25% - 50%.
• Use leftover cooled boiled water from vegetables, eggs etc to water house or garden plants.
• If you use a teapot and have some left over – pour into a container in the fridge – enjoy as a refreshing ice tea later.
• Consider upgrading appliances to “Energy Star” quality. Save hydro, water and money.
• Only run the dishwasher when it is full. If you don’t have a dish washer or you prefer the “old fashioned” way
remember to fill the sink rather than run the water – saves 94 litres per wash, a recent Home Dept article stated.
• Repair faucets throughout the house. A leaky faucet can waste more than 25 litres a day, which is 9,000 litres a year.

BATHROOMS:
• Toilets are the biggest water wasters in the whole house. Try a low flow appliance which uses less water per flush but still maintains the force. Look for a model which uses
6 litres or less. Or you can insert a water filled plastic bag or bottle into the toilet tank to displace the water.
• Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth to save 5 litres a minute and encourage you to brush longer.
• Shave with a half basin of water; by not running the tap you save 10-20 litres a day.

GARDENS:
• Water the garden between 7am – 10am, when temperatures are low and evaporation is low. A soaker hose can use up to 70% less water.
• Use garden solar lights. Install time and motion sensors on other lights to conserve energy.
• If using fertilizers be sure it’s an all purpose organic brand that releases slowly.
• The rain barrel has returned! A great “yester year” standby. Today’s models have a spigot for easy hose connection and a screen so debris is filtered out and mosquitoes can’t breed there.
• Use a broom on your driveway instead of hosing down.
• Wash the car using a bucket rather than a hose. 300 litres per wash are wasted hosing the car down.