Many of us drink filtered, purified, or bottled water on a daily basis.  We do this for a variety of reasons from health concerns to taste preference.  Here are a few practical ideas on how to green your water use. 

1.  Choose Filtered Over Bottled - Not only will you not be throwing away or recycling plastic bottles (even recycled bottles require a lot more energy than reusable containers), but you will also be reducing the energy costs of manufacturing, delivering the bottles to your grocer, and driving the bottles back to you home.

2.  Choose the Right Filter -  Check that your water filtration system meets NSF/ANSI Standard 53 to ensure a higher quality water filtration.

3.  Change Filters Regularly - When you install your filter, take the time to read the instructions on how often to change the filter.  If you do not follow this advice, you may actually make your water more harmful by filtering.

Each time we leave the house, cook, or drive somewhere there is a simple tip to follow to save electric and fuel costs, while reducing your carbon footprint.  The 10 minute rule:

If you're going to turn it off in 10 minutes, turn it off now.

This rule applies to several sitations.  First, consider the air conditioning in your home on a hot summer day.  If you are going to be leaving in ten minutes, you'll probably never notice the difference if you turn the air off now.   The same applies when you are getting close to your destination.  You can switch off the heat or air in your car a few minutes early and most likely you won't notice a significant change in your comfort level before you turn off the car.   When cooking, if you know that a dish needs only a few more minutes in the oven, switch off the power a bit before you take it out of the oven.  As long as the door is shut, most of the heat will be retained (Be careful to never undercook food though!).  By applying the ten minute rule, your savings will add up.  Over the course of the year, ten minutes a day is over sixty hours of energy and cash savings.