TimJFowler |
02-13-12 03:17 PM |
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Originally Posted by Piwoslaw
(Post 19754)
Is it possible to have a small baby and stay eco and efficient? Our son will be born 1-1.5 months from now, but as we prepare our water and electrical usage is already increasing, mainly because the washing machine is being used more often, and at a higher temperature. I wince at the thought of how much more it will increase once there is a newborn in the house.
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Congrats! We have a 14 month old and I think it is a given that your total energy/resource use will increase with an additional human in the house.
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[*]Use reuseable cloth diapers to minimize waste. This will increase water and energy usage since they have to be washed very often, so...
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That Depends ;) on your diaper service / laundering efficiency. The disposable / reusable diaper question isn't a simple one. - Oh Poop! Part Deux | EcoDaddyo.com. We went with disposable, which fills up the landfill, but is a lower-energy / resource use answer where we live.
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[*]Replace old washing machine with newer, more efficient model. The new one we're looking for takes a slightly smaller load (4.5kg instead of 5kg), weighs the load to know how much water is needed, and spins at 1200rpm to squeeze out more moisture. The new machine also has an Eco program which saves even more if the load isn't too dirty.
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Yes, go for it! Line dry your clothes too (if you weren't already) as that has a large impact on energy use.
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[*]Wash the baby in a small tub, then use the water for other things - washing ourselves and/or flushing the toilet.[/LIST]
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No suggestions for you. I'm reusing grey water, but not worrying about the dirty bath water which is "black water".
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Oh, and I'd like this thread to cover only the 'technical' side of efficient parenting, but if you can recommend any more general ecoparenting forums then please do:)
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I'm looking for the same info and writing about the same on my own website (see tagline). Frankly, I think most parents have an enhanced appreciation for the future of our planet and finding reliable and useful info is a challenge.
Good Luck,
Tim
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