American households waste more than 1 trillion gallons of clean drinking water each year because of leaky pipes, toilets, shower heads and other fixtures.
These types of leaks are often easy to fix. You might only need a few tools and hardware, and these simple repairs can pay for themselves in water savings.
As part of Fix a Leak Week (March 18-24), learn how to find and fix leaks in your home, and save water with WaterSense labeled products.
Image description: Streams are critical for clean drinking water.
In the continental U.S., more than 357,000 miles of streams provide water for public drinking water systems. Approximately 117 million people – over one-third of the total U.S. population – get some or all of their drinking water from public systems that rely in part on these streams.
Photo by Eric Vance, Environmental Protection Agency
Do you usually think of federal buildings as places to shop for fresh produce, listen to live music or enjoy a colorful art gallery? Perhaps not, but many people regularly do these things at federal properties across the country.
That’s because some federal properties are open for events like farmers markets, concerts, book readings, lectures and more.
“We’ve had weddings, aerial dance shows on building facades, concerts, holiday markets and even an insect museum. We’ve seen a lot of creative uses at federal buildings,” says Frank Giblin, director of the Good Neighbor Program at the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).
The program promotes public use of federal properties and works with federal agencies and local communities to locate federal buildings in places that minimize the environmental impacts of commuting and offer easier access to a wide range of employees, including those from low income areas.
Nonprofit organizations and members of the public can use many of the country’s 2,000 federal buildings for community events for low or no cost.
Some of these buildings might include a historic site such as the James R. Browning U.S. Courthouse in San Francisco or a local Social Security or Veterans Affairs office. Others include lesser-known office buildings, warehouses, and laboratories.
Events that last fewer than 30 days are often free unless the building needs to pay for additional costs such as security, heating, air conditioning and trash removal. Long-term, commercial use is also available at some federal buildings for businesses like restaurants and stores.
GSA works closely with local communities to make sure that, when possible, federal buildings are designed, built, renovated and managed in a way that protects the environment. GSA’s Good Neighbor program works to promote the location of federal buildings in neighborhoods that minimize commute times and distances for employees by choosing locations that are easily accessible by public transportation, bicycles and pedestrians. Shorter commutes and less need to rely on employees driving to work protect the environment by reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality.
Through the Good Neighbor Program, GSA works to make federal buildings more open to the public and to create policies that promote the use of federal properties while protecting the environment.
“These are public buildings,” says Giblin, “And we want to make sure that the actions we take as an agency keep them as public as possible and provide great benefits to communities.”
Because federal properties vary in size, functionality, security and location, it can be tricky to figure out which ones are best for public use. You can find that out by contacting the on-site property manager of the building you’re interested in. The process for obtaining a permit is easy and usually includes:
Visit GSA.gov for more information on the Good Neighbor Program or contact the federal building manager closest to you if you are considering organizing an event on federal property.
Also, you may contact your local representatives if you have issues with federal real estate. You can visit an inventory of properties owned or leased by GSA and find information on how to contact the agency’s regional staff.
Image description: The Department of the Interior posted this photo of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in central Montana.
These lands hold a spectacular array of plant life, wildlife, unique geological features, endless recreation opportunities and significant historical and cultural values. The rugged landscape has retained much of its unspoiled character over the centuries and, as a result, offers outstanding opportunities for solitude and dispersed recreation.
Photo: Bureau of Land Management
You have probably seen products with labels claiming that they are “eco-friendly”, “all-natural”, or “made from recycled materials”. The challenge with these statements is that there is no clear definition of these terms. Here are some tips to help you sort through green marketing:
