1. HHS
E-A-C!
Environmental
Awareness
Committee

2. Objective
Determine the value of water and problems with Earth’s water source
Discover ways to protect & conserve water, and the benefits of doing so

3. Water is Valuable 70% of the Earth is covered with water
Only 3% is freshwater
2/3 of freshwater can not be accessed by humans because it is stored in the icecaps and glaciers
Only 1/3 of freshwater on Earth is available to and can be used for human consumption

4. Wetland Losses
Since 1900: 50% of wetlands mainly lost to development

5. Algal Blooms
Cleaning supplies may contain phosphorus, which contributes to algal blooms.
Algal blooms occur when conditions allow for a lot of algae, usually blue-green algae to grow in excessive amounts.
This can be green, red, brown or blue.
The algae can deplete fish in the water of their source of oxygen and release chemicals that can threaten the health of any life that may consume the water.

6. Algal Blooms

7. Water Conservation: Home
Check EVERYTHING for leaks
Use foam pipe insulators (heats water faster)
Shower instead of bath
Low-flow shower heads (less than 2.5 gallons per minute): “A four-minute shower uses approximately 20 to 40 gallons of water.”
Low-flow faucet
Toilets: bottle trick (need 3 gallons to flush); adjustable toilet flappers control amount of water used per flush

8. Water Conservation: Garden
Install a rain barrel to collect water that runs off the roof & use this water in the garden
Install a rain garden to trap water and nutrients
Use mulch/compost: it will hold moisture for a longer time
Water plants early in the morning: prevents growth of fungus and evaporation
Clean with a broom not with your hose
Plant native plants

9. Eco-Friendly Cleaner Benefits
Extremely cost effective
Ingredients are easy to find
Easy and quick to make
More efficient in cleaning
Healthier for the family

10. You Choose: Eco-Friendly Cleaner
Laundry detergent
Dishwasher detergent
All purpose cleaner
Hand soap

11. Laundry Detergent (powder)
Ingredients:
1 cup Borax Natural Laundry Booster
1 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 bar Fels Naptha Soap
Instructions:
Cut bar of soap in half and grate it
Store in an air-tight container
Add Borax, then Baking Soda to container
Use about 1 tbsp per load

12. Dish-washing Detergent
Ingredients:
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
½ cup salt
½ cup citric acid (can be a powder, such as unsweetened lemonade)
Instructions: Mix together and store in a container. Use one tablespoon per load. For a better outcome, add vinegar to the rinse dispenser.

13. All-Purpose Cleaner Ingredients: White distilled vinegar Water
Spray bottle for storage and use
Instructions: Fill the bottle roughly with 1 part water: 1 part vinegar. This dilutes the vinegar so that it is not to strong but can still work well to cut grease and grime for proper cleaning power!

14. Hand Soap Ingredients: Castile Soap Water Storage Container
Instructions: Mix the Castile Soap with water within the container. It should be a solution of 1 part Castile Soap and 1 part water.

15. Sources
“A Homeowner’s Guide to Lakeshore Living.” Lake Sunapee Protective Association. Lake Sunapee Protective Association, Web. 30 Dec
Blue-Green Algae.” Department of Health and Human Services. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, 02 May Web. 30 Dec
"Dahl. Exhibit Average annual change in wetland acreage in the contiguous U.S., " Chart. Semantic Community. Mind Touch TCS, Web. 21 Oct
Environmental Protection Agency. "Composting: Environmental Benefits." U.S. Environmental protection Agency. Environmental Protection Agency, 03 Nov Web. 4 Oct
“Half of all wetlands destroyed since 1900.” The Australian. The Australian, 17 Oct Web. 30 Dec
“Harmful Algal Blooms: Simple Plants With Toxic Implications.” National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA, 17 Nov Web. 30 Dec
Howard, Brian. “Never Pay for Household Cleansers Again.” The Daily Green. Hearst Communications, Inc., Web. 30 Dec
“Human Appropriation of the World’s Freshwater Supply.” Global Change. University of Michigan, Web. 30 Dec
Miller, Crystal. “Making Homemade Laundry Soap.” The Family Homestead. Crystal Miller, Web. 30 Dec
"Number of Cases of Illnesses Due to Drinking Water Outbreaks, " Chart. Water Quality and Health. Water Quality and Health Council, n.d. Web. 19 Oct
Weis, Sam. “Blue-Green Algae.” Clean Wisconsin. Sam Weis, 03 Aug
“25 ways to conserve water in the home and yard.” eartheasy. Eartheasy.com, Web. 30 Dec

16. Wiki Page www.hhs-eac.wikispaces.com
Please visit our Wiki page to view this power-point, which you may find on the “Presentations” page. You can also view our goals and accomplishments.