| Sustainability
Committee Discusses “Loaded” Topics
By Pat Vaughan, from the June 2005 Newsletter
Our
Co-op’s Sustainability Committee is continuing to explore
ideas that reflect the membership’s commitment to making
environmentally sound choices. The committee has had a busy schedule
of meetings as work begins on our new store’s remodeling
phase. Discussions have addressed plumbing, water filtration and
lighting.
You
might think these topics are all technical, arcane subjects for
engineers and architects, but as I witnessed
during a May meeting,
the committee gets right into questions on environmental considerations
that even a lay person can appreciate. For example, where does
the water go when we flush a toilet? How much water is needed in
a toilet to flush a “#1” versus a “#2”?
Well, there are companies that design environmentally-conscious
plumbing fixtures that detail water volume requirements depending
on “the load.” With grins on their faces the committee
members refer to a “turd chart” as they compare the
relative efficiencies of toilet options.
So there is a fun and educational aspect to this work the sustainability
committee is doing for us as they consider costs and effectiveness
of initiatives that will lighten the environmental impact of
operating our new store.
The
committee may recommend dual-flush toilets as an option in the
bathrooms. These toilets have two flushing
handles: One for
just liquid or a light load, and one that uses a larger volume
of water for us who may leave a “heavier” load. They
also must consider the physical design of toilets to ensure compliance
with the Disability Act, the number required by the city for the
amount of customers, cost (of course), and finally the availability
of shipping to meet our remodel timeline. As I listen during the
meeting I’m thinking I could use this information in making
our toilets at home conserve more water.
Water
filtration is another subject taken up by the committee. Why
do we purify water at the Co-op? Well,
the water that comes
from Moscow, as many of us know, comes with a very heavy mineral
(iron, calcium and others) content. This affects everything from
food preparation and cooking to long-term impact on bathroom and
kitchen fixtures to customers’ skin. Also, Co-op shoppers
want to purchase filtered water for personal and home use without
getting it bottled and shipped from hundreds of miles away. The
committee is considering a filtering system for all water that
comes into the Co-op, and then a reverse osmosis system for specific
points that require the purest water (perhaps the kitchen, deli,
and water sales). Reverse osmosis uses water in the process, so
they are also exploring alternatives to use the “wasted” water.
It is actually clean water, so it may be able to be “re-cycled” through
the bathrooms.
For
lighting at the new store the committee is reviewing the cost
effectiveness of occupancy sensors for certain
areas. For
example,
a separate room that doesn’t require continuous lighting,
like a bathroom or storage area, might be a good candidate for
such a sensor. Compact florescent light bulbs are now available
for refrigerated and freezer areas. And multiple light switches
for the large common areas will allow the staff to select appropriate
levels of lighting. The amount of lighting needed at noon in July
is different than that needed at 5 o’clock in the evening
in December. Multiple light switches will keep us out of the dark
and save electricity.
Finally, Tyler Barron bid farewell to the Sustainability Committee.
He is moving to the West Coast with his partner. He urged the
committee to continue its important work even after the new store
is opened,
and to not forget the ongoing efforts at composting and re-cycling.
Pat Vaughan is getting an education
in “green living” while
observing the Sustainability Committee’s deliberations. |
