Gaithersburg Make a Difference Day, Friday, April 5, 2013
Use less! Do more!
Gaithersburg residents are making their commitments to change some habits for the benefit of our environment as we approach Make a Difference Day on Friday, April 5, 2013. Small actions can add up to significant savings in our consumption of water, energy, and other natural resources.
Insulate.
More insulation means a smaller energy transfer between your home and the exterior environment, or your water heater and the surrounding air.
Fix water leaks in the bathroom, kitchen, garden, etc.
Did you know that an American home can waste, on average, more than 10,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets, and other household leaks? Nationwide, more than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year.
Install a rain barrel.
Rain barrels are containers designed to collect and store rainwater for future use, which is particularly useful in the dry summer months. Installing a rain barrel provides many benefits, including reduced flooding in your yard or basement, better quality water for home landscaping, lower municipal water bills, and protection of local water bodies and the Chesapeake Bay. If you are a City resident, the Rainscapes Rewards Program offers rebates for installing up to four barrels per single family residence or as part of a community garden project.
Use ceiling fans instead of air conditioning to cool off in the summer.
Let your clothes air dry.
What are your commitments to make a difference? If you have some good ideas, please email your suggestions to environment@gaithersburgmd.gov.
Kentlands, Spring Flowers IMG_9097
Photograph by Roy Kelley using a Canon PowerShot G11 camera.
Roy and Dolores Kelley Photographs
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