circa.4300 BC to 2017 AD
 
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Race Against Waste in the Township of Dalkey

A slide show lecture was given to local clubs on how to recycle all your kitchen waste using a composter , digesters or wormeries. Information and demonstrations were given how to build a compost heap, buying a compost bin, wormeries, including where to buy the special worms. A living wormery was shown compete with details on the worm pee, and worm compost for use in the garden.
A series of lectures have been given to local school and in the public library to young children explaining the benefits of eating a healthy diet, including organic food. This will encourage the young not to buy some of the fast foods around, that contribute a major amount to the litter and waste on our streets. And has recently been shown on television that a healthy diet reduces excessive bad behaviour that are exacerbated by junk foods.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT
Cleaning teeth
Do not run the tap all the time
Turn the tap off between each brushing
Better still fill up a glass and and use this to rinse your brush and mouth
1/2 gallon of water could be saved
1/2 gallon x 2,000,000 persons x once a day = 1 million gallons a day saved at least
Use low energy light bulbs
 
1. Think before throwing anything away - can it be reused for something else?
2. Have a garden composter for organic waste like vegetable peelings, food leftovers, tea bags, fruit peelings, garden waste and divert 1/3 of your waste away from landfill.

3. Have a digester in your garden, this will allow you to dispose of all cooked foods, including chicken bones etc.
3. Buy fruit and vegetables that have no unnecessary packaging, e.g. bananas don't need a bag
4. Where possible, buy groceries packed in recyclable packaging like glass or cardboard instead of foil and plastic
5. Where possible buy goods in larger containers,
e.g. a 2-litre bottle of cola instead of a few small bottles or cans
6. Use a lunchbox for your sandwiches or salad and don't wrap them in plastic
7. Buy a battery re-charger and use recyclable batteries
8. Save all glass jars and bottles and bring them to your local Glass Bank for recycling
9. If you have a green bin / bag at home be sure to use it for newspapers, magazines, junk mail, pizza / cereal boxes, milk / juice cartons, food tins and drinks cans as well as other materials, depending on where you live
10. If there is a recycling centre close to where you live or work, be sure to bring old batteries, plastic bottles and bags and any other materials they accept for recycling
11. Shower with a friend.  A shower uses less water than a bath

12. Do not use a sink waste disposer, at it places extra load on the sewage treatment system, and produces extra pollutants that are discharged into the rivers and seas. Compost or Digest this waste.
It takes electricity, :- to run the sink disposer, pump the mixture to the sewage plant, run the pumps to separate the mixture from the liquids, load the solids into lorry's, and drive them to a waste dump.
If you compost this instead, you will get nice organic soil for your garden at no cost to yourself or the environment


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Energy Tips
These energy saving tips will help you to get more value from the energy you use in your home. Then give your home a quick energy check so that you are aware of the value of good energy house-keeping. Low energy lighting Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL's) use 80% less electricity than ordinary bulbs to produce comparable light - and they last 8 times as long. Remember if it is hot, then you are wasting money.
When carbon tax kicks in, energy savings are going to be more important every day.

Solar Heating
Solar Heating Panels can be designed to heat just your hot water, or your whole house. Savings up to 70% of the existing costs can be saved, more if it is a new designed eco friendly house. Installed systems can be inspected. As energy prices continue upwards and the grant aid from the government is updated ( thanks to the greens ) it makes sense to install, now rather than in a few years time.

Attic Insulation and Draughtproofing
Up to one-third of heat loss in a home is through the roof. A  150mm (6") attic insulation can pay for itself in energy savings within 2 years. Up to 15% of heat escapes through badly fitting external doors and windows. Fitting draught excluders to eliminate draughts is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to reduce heat loss. Choose from self-adhesive foam strips, more durable metal and plastic strips and brush-like strips for the door.
Hot water cylinder and Water Heating
Insulate your hot water cylinder with a thick lagging jacket (at least 80mm). Hot water pipes should also be lagged in order to conserve energy. The cost of lagging pipes and cylinder can be recouped within months. Saving hot water means saving energy and money. Take a shower instead of a bath. Use 'economy' programme's on your washing machine. Use 'cool wash' programme's for suitable fabrics.
Energy-efficient appliances and Energy Labeling
Modern appliances are designed to use less electricity than older models. Newer washing machines and dishwashers have 'economy' programme's. 'Jet spray' type washing machines use less water and therefore less electricity to heat. Energy labeling of all new laundry and refrigeration products is now obligatory. When you go shopping you will find energy information labels on all these appliances. The energy label allows you to compare how energy-efficient one model is against another. The range is from 'A' being the most efficient to 'G' being the least efficient. You will enjoy ongoing long-term savings by choosing the more energy-efficient model.
Heating systems and heaters
A well designed heating installation should incorporate (a) thermostats which turn the heat off when the room is warm and (b) timers which switch bedroom heaters on and off at appropriate times.
Double glazing
Double glazing reduces heat loss through windows and reduces condensation and noise. Consider double glazing when your windows need to be replaced.
Curtains
Pull the curtains at night. Heavy lined curtains reduce heat loss through windows. Special interlining can be inserted between curtain and lining for extra insulation.
Energy-efficient cooking and Appliances
Use an electric kettle to boil water for cooking instead of using the hob. Use a toaster instead of a grill. Avoid using the oven to cook one dish. Bake a few things at one time. A microwave oven provides an efficient way of thawing, reheating and cooking food. Energy is wasted if we don't switch appliances off when they are not in use, stand by settings can still consume 20% of the running cost. Switch lights off in rooms that are unoccupied. Switch off the TV or stereo when you are finished using it. Switch off or turn heater controls down when rooms are warm enough.
Energy saving habits
It's obvious, but how many of us sit in over-heated homes and don't bother to turn the heat down / off. Reduce the settings of thermostats as the weather gets slightly warmer. It's only a matter of developing the habit.

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