Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Green Noise: How being Green is missing the mark

Cynthetiq · 06-21-2008, 09:18 PM

I'm surprised you have to ask or haven't seen anything like them at all.

Here's some examples of the table tents and their verbiage.

Quote:

View: Aloha Oahu Restaurateur!
Source: HBWS
posted with the TFP thread generator

Aloha Oahu Restaurateur!
Restaurant Conservation

Aloha Oahu Restaurateur!

In an effort preserve and protect Oahu's finite water resources, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) adopted a rule, effective January 1, 1992, prohibiting automatic serving of water to customers at Oahu restaurants. The rule reads as follows:

The Department (Board of Water Supply) shall restrict the serving of drinking water to any customer unless expressly requested at any restaurant, hotel, café or cafeteria, or any other place where food is sold, served, or offered for sale. These restrictions shall not apply to catered groups of 25 or more people. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the imposition of a fifty-dollar ($50.00) special assessment for each violation, or in the discontinuation of water service and/or penalties as authorized in Section 2-205, 2b and Section 5-501 of these Rules and Regulations.

We ask for your kokua in reminding your staff and customers of this regulation. Under the rule, staff may serve water upon request or may ask the customer if they want to be served a glass of water.

We sincerely appreciate your efforts to help us conserve water while saving money on your water and sewer bill! As you know, every glass of water served in a restaurant requires another two glasses of water to wash and rinse the glass.

To assist you in your efforts to comply with this rule, the BWS has produced table tents available to download and print by clicking here. (Note: When printing table tents, ensure that printer settings are not set to default setting "Fit to Printer Margins." Final dimensions of table tents are 4.5 inches by 7.25 inches.)

Or submit completed Water Upon Request Table Tent Order Forms to contactus@hbws.org.

This water-service-on-request rule helps everyone play an important part in the continuing effort to preserve the precious natural resources of our beautiful island.

Mahalo for your cooperation!

Quote:

View: Water Conservation Tips for Businesses
Source: EPA
posted with the TFP thread generator

Water Conservation Tips for Businesses
Businesses vary tremendously in their water needs depending on the products or services that they provide. EPA's pollution prevention program offers assistance to businesses on ways to reduce water use through their manufacturing processing. Service businesses, like restaurants and hotels, can reduce water use by installing water saving devices and encouraging water conservation by their customers. For example, many restaurants and hotels in Cape Cod, Massachusetts are participating in a Ground Water Guardian Program. Through the program, participating restaurants are placing an attractive table tent on tables, informing patrons that while they are happy to serve water to them, it will not be automatically placed at their table since some guests may prefer other beverages. Participating hotels place vanity tents in the bathroom which suggest water conservation tips, and encourage guests to re-use their towels during their stay, rather than obtaining new towels everyday.

Similar to residential homes, some businesses can use large quantities of water to maintain outdoor areas. Outdoor water use tips follow:

Maximize the use of natural vegetation and establish smaller lawns. For portions of your lot where a lawn and landscaping are desired, ask your local nursery for tips about plants with low water demand. Consider planting more trees, shrubs, ground covers, and less grass. Shrubs and ground covers provide greenery for much of the year and usually demand less water. Use native plants in flower beds. Native plants have adapted to rainfall conditions in New England and often provide good wildlife habitat. Cluster plants that require extra care together to minimize time and save water.
When mowing lawn areas, set the mower blades to 2-3 inches high. Longer grass shades the soil improving moisture retention, has more leaf surface to take in sunlight, allowing it to grow thicker and develop a deeper root system. This helps grass survive drought, tolerate inspect damage and fend off disease.
Only water the lawn when necessary. If you water your lawn and flower beds, only do it once a week, if rainfall isn't sufficient. Avoid watering on windy and hot days. Water the lawn and flower beds in the morning or late in the evening to maximize the amount of water which reaches the plant roots (otherwise most of the water will evaporate). Use soaker hoses to water flower beds. If sprinklers are used, take care to be sure they don't water walkways and buildings. When you water, put down no more than 1 inch (set out a empty cans to determine how long it takes to water 1 inch) each week. This watering pattern will encourage more healthy, deep grass roots. Over-watering is wasteful, encourages fungal growth and disease, and results in the growth of shallow, compacted root systems that are more susceptible to drought and foot traffic. If an automatic lawn irrigation system is used, be sure it has been properly installed, is programmed to deliver the appropriate amount and rate of water, and has rain shut-off capability.
Apply mulch around shrubs and flower beds to reduce evaporation, promote plant growth and control weeds.
Add compost or an organic matter to soil as necessary, to improve soil conditions and water retention.
Collect rainfall for irrigation in a screened container (to prevent mosquito larvae growth).
When washing a car, wet it quickly, then use a bucket of water to wash the car. Turn on the hose to final rinse (or let mother nature wash your car when it rains).
Always use a broom to clean walkways, driveways, and entrances rather than hosing off these areas.

It seems like people in Hawaii can save an additional 3 glasses of water versus those in New England. Someone is wrong or lying.

This is a great example of Green Noise.

Quote:

View: Appeal to conserve water is spread slowly
Source: Signonsandiego
posted with the TFP thread generator

Appeal to conserve water is spread slowly
Appeal to conserve water is spread slowly

'It's a really tough message to convey,' county official says
By Mike Lee
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

December 10, 2007

Regional officials ramped up their appeals for water conservation in June when they launched a program aimed at trimming the county's water use by 10 percent. Ever since, they've relied on a low-budget campaign to push optional measures such as taking shorter showers and serving less water at restaurants.

NANCEE E. LEWIS / Union-Tribune

Have those efforts worked?
July and August were the second and third biggest months for water use since the San Diego County Water Authority started keeping monthly data in 1975. Water consumption dipped in September and October, the latest months for which data are available, but that was expected during the transition from summer to fall.

For the first 10 months of the year, the cumulative total was up by about 6 percent from the same period in 2006, and it was the highest in at least five years.

The region is “not getting as much water savings as we would like,” said Vickie Driver, a water authority spokeswoman. But she also said it's too soon to measure the campaign's effectiveness.

“It's a really tough message to convey, and . . . I think we just have not had as much time and as intensive of a campaign as we would like or need,” Driver said.

Storms that drenched the county in the past two weeks won't bring the region out of its water bind, the water authority said Thursday, when it moved to the second phase of its drought-management plan. Stage 2 allows the agency to buy emergency supplies of water, likely from Northern California and the Central Valley.

Water officials countywide largely have avoided mandatory conservation measures that could inconvenience residents, stir public resentment and create negative publicity for the region. They said a measured approach is best given the possibility that drought conditions could lessen or end.

“We soft-sell everything,” said Steve Erie, a political science professor at the University of California San Diego. “There is this level of insecurity that somehow we will drive residents and businesses away if there's a water crisis.”

Population growth, generally dry weather and other reasons have accounted for the county's higher water use so far this year, water experts said. The region uses roughly 17 percent more water today than it did at the start of the most recent drought 20 years ago.

San Diego County is particularly susceptible to a water shortage because it relies almost entirely on water imported from the Colorado River and Northern California. The region's water supply mainly depends on how much snow falls in the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains each winter.

The size of those snowpacks won't be known for months, but pressure already is growing for stronger water conservation measures in 2008. Water officials are concerned not only about drought but also by a federal court order that likely will slash how much water can be pumped out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

State officials recently said that next year they expect to give customers such as the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California only 25 percent of the water requested from the State Water Project.

“We do have a disaster waiting to happen,” San Diego Councilwoman Donna Frye said during a recent hearing on how to increase the public's knowledge about local water woes.

Raising awareness has been a constant theme among water leaders for months. The big emphasis countywide is curbing outdoor use. Up to half of the irrigation water used at a typical home is wasted through leaks, overwatering and other means.

The county water authority launched its “20-Gallon Challenge” campaign in June to encourage residents to reduce water use by about 10 percent, or 20 gallons per day for the average person.

It has relied heavily on a Web site, news releases and community partners to publicize the program. The water authority also has helped the Metropolitan Water District with that agency's advertising strategy.

On Thursday, the water authority approved a $206,600 budget for efforts to more strongly publicize water conservation. Officials said more money likely will be needed for higher-profile advertising later on.

“We need to make this more visible because (conservation) is such a key component,” said Ken Weinberg, a top administrator for the water authority.

At spots around the county, there are signs that the conservation message is starting to sink in.

The Helix Water District is providing rebates to customers who replace their grass lawns with artificial turf. District spokesman Jeff Barnes is pleased with the initial response.

“More San Diegans are recognizing how much water it takes to have green lawns,” Barnes said.

In Fallbrook, the public utility district has aggressively pushed a combination of voluntary and mandatory water conservation. The agency's water sales in recent months were about 3.5 percent below its forecasts.

At Cafe 222 in downtown San Diego, owner Terryl Gavre is serving water only when customers ask for it. She also has put out “table tents” that educate patrons about water conservation.

Gavre's actions are part of a program launched by some restaurants in the county to help meet the “20-Gallon Challenge.” “It goes along with how I am trying to live my life,” she said. “It's a whole new way of thinking.”

And Southern Californians in San Diego won't even say how much water is saved, just that water is saved.