With a carbon footprint comes a water footprint. Every time you turn on the light switch, not only are you consuming energy and adding to your carbon footprint, you are also increasing your water footprint. Electricity production requires tremendous volumes of water to power steam-generated turbines and to cool equipment. In fact, more than half the total water withdrawals in the U.S. each year feed our electrical grid. In some regions of the country, these withdrawals for electricity production are contributing to water stress.

The volume of water required depends upon the energy source. A recent study by The River Network, Burning Our Rivers: The Water Footprint of Electricity, estimates that it requires between zero and 231 gallons of water per megawatt-hour of electricity produced using wind and PV solar technology, and between 14,811 and 440,000 gallons per megawatt-hour for hydropower, coal and nuclear. On average, the water footprint of the electricity we use is about 42 gallons per kilowatt-hour (or 42,000 gallons per megawatt-hour), and the monthly energy use of the average household translates to nearly 40,000 gallons of water—five times the direct water use of that same household.

Conserving energy—turning off lights, insulating your hot water heater, and using Energy Star appliances—then, conserves water. This week’s Taking on Water Challenge is to switch out just one incandescent bulb for an energy-efficient LED or compact fluorescent one, saving about 42 gallons of water per week, or almost 2,200 gallons per year.

For more information see:

Burning Our Rivers: The Water Footprint of Electricity

See introductory information on the Taking on Water Challenge: Reduce your Water Footprint here, the Week 1 Challenge: Eat Less Meat here, and the Week 2 Challenge: Waste Less Food here. To enter to win the Taking on Water Challenge, pledge to decrease your water footprint by leaving a comment on Wendy’s blog.

  

Hiking early season turns at Mad River Glen with the 1% crew

Waitsfield, Vermont, like most ski towns, is filled with people who are generally pretty darn happy. The social life of a Valley resident (or a 1% for the Planet employee) revolves around enthusiastic discussion of the outdoor pursuit du jour, or actually getting out and partaking wholeheartedly in that activity. Grins are standard. But this December has been a different story.

When weather doesn’t cooperate, people take a turn to the dark side… especially in the early winter when memories of the previous season’s bounty tantalize us. This past week I’ve seen people stare up at the sky with looks on their faces usually only employed by seven year olds hoping to reprimand their parents for withholding desert. The feeling of tension in town is palpable, and our office is not immune.

Thankfully, release came today with 2-6 inches of new snow over fast grass at Mad River Glen. The 1% team, sporting grins once more, was there early to welcome winter to the valley by hiking a few early morning runs. All this welcoming has me thinking about another long-overdue welcome–the one we owe our most recent 1% members!

Bamboodha is the first out of the gate this week. They’re based in Australia but will ship their bamboo towels anywhere. And best of all, they’re giving away copies of the 1% for the Planet CD! If you haven’t heard it yet, check it out.

The Aromatropolis The Aromatropolis retails printed materials online which concisely convey the complex properties of essential oils.  This is an emerging, woman-owned business developing media in different formats to enhance the experience of the essential oil enthusiast.  Currently they offer a limited-edition, 18″x24″ print and carrying card relating the properties of the twenty most common essential oils.  Future plans include the development of brick-and-mortar locations to retail their products and create healing environments for patrons. The Aromatropolis and parent company Bright Blue Green LLC seek to raise the bar for environmental and social responsibility in business.

David C Dixon LLC offers LEED and sustainability consulting to Food and Beverage corporations. David, proprietor and avid outdoorsman (who would have fit in well at Mad River this morning), has been involved in some of the largest LEED food manufacturing facilities built in the past 6 years, and has helped name brand companies reduce their environmental impact and pursue “closed-loop” technologies. David says that “1% for the Planet is a great initiative which can offer corporate decision makers a “brand” similar to LEED that they can trust, that earns them recognition, and provides funding for vetted organizations.” Glad to have you David!

Keep your eye on Exout for deals on outdoor gear for every sort of pursuit, summer or winter. You’ll find steals for members as low as 70% off retail–stock up and feel good that 1% is going back to the environment!

Gone Surfing Hawaii specializes in surf lessons and customized surf tours in the Hawaiian Islands. Need a break from winter? Check ‘em out!

The Green Line‘s proprietor Janine on coming to 1%: “Discovering 1% For The Planet was the missing to piece to my puzzle.  I always knew I wanted to give back but I didn’t have the proper platform.  Since becoming a 1% member, now I have the resources to do what I always wanted to do:  Give back to something meaningful to me.” Janine is giving to Oceana, so when you purchase her jewelry you’ll know her 1% is going to a good cause!

Hug on a Rug is based in our very own state of Vermont and offers hand-made rugs. They’re still working on their web presence but check back soon to see what they’re up to.

Integral Dialogue Project is a consulting company committed to the greater purpose of “co-creating a better world by empowering people to lead.” They believe we all possess interpersonal greatness. By facilitating and engaging individuals and organizations in generative dialogue there exist the potential to create this ‘better world’ through a sharing process of innovative perspectives – and transformational change.

Integral Ecology Group is a specialist company focusing on applied ecological and cultural research by providing consulting services that interface between human land uses and their supporting and surrounding environments. They have done everything from reclamation projects following source extraction to analysis of traditional land use.

KAVAJ has you covered when it comes to protecting your iPad, Xoom or other tablets with great looking cases.

Ever hear that Uncle Cracker song with the line about being “as cool as the flip side of my pillow?” Well… Polar Pillow is an award-winning cooling pillow that uses specialized gel technology to generate coolness. PolarPillow has identified Philippe Cousteau’s EarthEcho International as its first beneficiary, and will be helping to inspire the next generation to care for the earth.

Tulan supplies everything you need for yoga, from mats to clothing and you can feel good about buying from them!

Welcome all!

Clif Bar & Co., one of 1% for the Planet’s 1,100+ member companies, recently joined BICEP, a coalition of businesses calling for meaningful federal climate and energy legislation. Clif Bar is one of eleven businesses to sign on to the program which was launched in November 2008 by Ceres. BICEP advocates nine core principles which they believe will help simultaneously pave the way toward economic recovery and a solution to our global climate and energy problems. BICEP’s principles call for more aggressive action than the unrelated USCAP, an alliance of large businesses and non-governmental organizations currently working with members of Congress to develop a climate and energy bill.

Way to go Clif Bar – and all of our 1% members – for continuing to push the envelope in the business community!