Conservation

Washing Dishes 1% of Domestic Electricity Use  Dishwashers have improved substantially in the past 10-15 years. They do a better job and use less water. Some claim to do as good a job as hand washing. Of course, some people

Cooking   12% of Domestic Electricity Use  The Stove-Top  Little can be done to improve the efficiency of stove-top cooking.  Over 90% of Canadians cook with electricity. Electric ranges are inexpensive. They also cost little or nothing to install, where

Laundry   Potential Savings: $200 per year (Based on replacing a top-loading washing machine with a front loader and switching to cold-water washing)  Washing Machines 1% of Domestic Electricity Use  The washing machine is probably the most labour-saving domestic appliance. Scrubbing

Lighting 25% of Domestic Electricity Use – Potential Savings: $100 per year (Based on replacing 10 x 60 watt bulbs with 10 x 15 watt compact fluorescent (CF) lamps; lights on 6 hours per day x 365 days; electricity cost

Refrigeration   16% of Domestic Electricity Use – Potential Savings: $60 per year (Based on replacing a 15-year-old 15 cu ft refrigerator with a modern unit; the average Canadian refrigerator is 10 years old.)  A very old refrigerator could cost

Wastewater Treatment in Barrie   By Martina Rowley     You turn on the shower. Clean, hot water rushes out in fine streams, like strings of shiny little beads. The water hits your body with comforting splashes, bounces off you,

Pollutants in the air we breathe are a threat to all living things. Read more about air pollution and smog. One of the leading causes of air pollution is the car. Another effect of air pollution is  global warming. Read the pdf

The Guide to No-Trace Camping Treat land with respect. You are guests in the forest. Do not build a fire, if there is no designated area to do so, or if there are signs that specifically ask you not to.

What Should Energy Cost? by Peter Bursztyn Oil Oil is a media favourite. The price of petroleum bobs up and down at the whim of OPEC. But it also depends on demand, largely from North America, Europe and Japan. The

Barrie’s Water: It’s FREE now, but shouldn’t we pay for it? by Peter Bursztyn Canada is riddled with lakes. Many are tiny, but we also “own” or share the world’s largest lakes, plus some very impressive rivers. Altogether, Canadians control