Green Calgary's Blog

It's 2019 and another World Water Day is upon us. Water is such a vital part of our lives. We drink it, eat it , wear it, use it, bathe in it, and more every day. It seems odd that we only celebrate water on a few days every year! Each year, the UN declares a theme for World Water Day. This year's theme is clean water for everyone. Surprisingly, there are many communities - even in Canada - that don't have access to clean water. It goes to show that we still have a ways to go in terms of managing this precious resource. Here are other reasons we should all respect our waters! Calgary gets floods. We all remember the big flood of 2013, but there's flooding fairly regularly. The City has plans extending far into the future to help lessen the impacts of floods. Learn about how to mitigate flood risks for you and your neighbours on The City of Calgary's website . It takes a lot to manage our water. The City of Calgary has its job cut out for it! Betwee

We all know that water is a precious resource and most of us take care not to waste it, but there are some amazing facts about water that can help you conserve even more in your day-to-day life! Here are 5 amazing things you never knew about water! 1. Water conservation isn't just about water. When we talk about saving water, we're not just talking about the wet stuff itself. Water conservation is about domestic water (the stuff you use at home) and virtual water, which is the water that we don't see - this refers to the water that is inherent in products we buy and use. 2. Domestic Water. The water we use at home for cleaning, cooking, and washing is called our domestic consumption. In Calgary, our average water consumption each day (per capita) was 387 litres in 2017 . That's much higher than the 223 average for Canadians in 2013. Overall, both of these averages are very high on the global scale. 3. You can cut down on your domestic water with choices

Much of what we write about here is how to make your home and life more sustainable - reducing the waste you generate and that you throw out is a big part of that. But does that only apply to your life at home? People spend an average of 13 years and 2 months at work over their lifetime - that's a big chunk! It's definitely worth it to try to make your workplace a bit more sustainable. Here are six steps to a Greener Workplace! 1. Reduce Energy Usage. Change lightbulbs to LEDs, turn off and unplug equipment that isn't in use, and turn down the thermostat. 2. Save Water. Install low flow toilets, check for leaks and fix promptly, and plant drought resistant plants for landscaping. 3. Reduce Waste and Increase Recycling. Host zero waste meetings, only print when necessary, and replace disposable products in the staff kitchen. 4. Reduce Emissions and Carbon Footprint. Encourage telecommuting/working from home when possible, provide a bike rack for employees