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Outside maintenance
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Avoid using chemical pesticides or fertilizers
Avoid using chemical pesticides or fertilizers on your lawn and garden. Chemical fertilizers are a source of nitrous oxide, a GHG. Try using organic products – they are better for our environment and healthier for your lawn and your family.
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Capture rainwater for your garden
The water you use for your lawn doesn’t have to come from a tap. A cistern or a rain barrel will capture and store rainwater for irrigation. Make sure your barrel is covered with a tight-fitting lid or screen to keep disease-carrying mosquitoes from breeding there.
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Limit your use of gas-powered lawn mowers
Using a typical gas-powered mower
produces 48 kilograms of greenhouse gases in a season, and as much particulate matter (fine particles that contribute to air pollution) as a car driven 1,800 kilometers – that’s like driving from Halifax to Toronto.
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Maintain your pool efficiently
Use pump timers to regulate energy and the length of time your pool is heated. Cover your pool with a thermal blanket to reduce heat loss and water evaporation. And use cost-effective solar panels to heat your pool.
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Plant trees
A well-placed line of evergreens on the north side of your home can shelter it against cold winter winds and reduce your home’s demand for heat. Similarly, shade trees on the south side can keep your home cooler in summer and reduce the need for air conditioning by shading your home’s windows and walls.
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Practise “grass cycling”
Leave grass clippings on your lawn where they quickly break down and add needed nutrients to your lawn. Keeping grass out of your garbage can save 0.1 tonne in GHGs.
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Water your garden or lawn early
Water your garden or lawn early in the morning, after the dew has dried, to reduce losses due to evaporation. More than half of the water applied to lawns and gardens can be lost due to evaporation or run-off because of overwatering. As a rule, most lawns and gardens require little more than two to three centimetres of water per week.
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Did You Know?
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Energy consumption isn't limited to inside your house. Lawn mowers,
leaf blowers, snow blowers and other maintenance tools also use a lot of
energy. Garden and lawn maintenance can also involve excessive water
consumption and contribute to air pollution.
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Watering your lawn uses 700 litres in half an hour. That is more than the average daily water consumption of an entire household.
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Trees absorb and store CO2 from the atmosphere and filter out pollution. Consider this fact when landscaping. Visit the Tree Canada Foundation
The EcoLogo* labelling system will help you identify a wide range of environmentally friendly products and services. For a complete listing of EcoLogo-certified products, visit the Environmental Choice* Web site.
* EcoLogo and Environmental Choice are official marks of Environment Canada.
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