THINK PRECYCLE! Ideas and Facts

"Going Green" is heard every day. Unfortunately, it is so over used its people forget about what really means. So HMB is going to do our part in educating about living with a green conscious. So here are some tidbits to keep in mind.

• The hospitality industry spends $3.7 billion per year on energy, and an average-sized hotel buys more products in a week than 100 families do in a year.
• Out of the 50 billion bottles of water being bought each year, 80% end up in a landfill, even though recycling programs exist.
• Organic agriculture can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and uses 50 percent less energy than conventional farming methods.
• 17 million barrels of oil are used in producing bottled water each year.
• An organic diet is free of harmful pesticides and hormones that are commonly found in everything from dairy and meat to vegetables and fruit.
• Bottled water costs 1,000 times more than tap water. Drinking 2 Litres of tap water a day only costs 50 cents per year.
• The most urgent issue concerning sustainability is the burning of finite resources such as oil, coal, and natural gas that leads to liollution, deforestation, and climate change.
• The United States uses more water than any other country in the world, even though we have far less access to fresh water than some other countries, including Canada and Russia.
• Global warming affects farming, weather, oceans, and ecological diversity. Changing to clean, renewable energy and using less energy by switching to more energy efficient cars and appliances are the best ways to prevent global warming.
• More than 97% of the Earth’s water is in salty oceans. Only 2.53% is fresh water, and icebergs encapsulate most of that. By 2015, 40% of the world's population will be experiencing a water shortage. Unfortunately, humans can use only .5% of the world’s water
• The high cost of importing fossil fuels would be saved if we relied on renewable or inexhaustible energy, since these energy sources (solar, wind, and waterpower) are available in every country on Earth.
• Over 2500 gallons of water are needed to produce just one pound of Beef
• The sun produces enough energy to supply the entire world's energy demands. Solar power is inexhaustible, has no harmful byproducts, and solar panels have no moving parts, making them durable and easy to maintain.
• There are many reasons why organic farms use less energy. Some include: more natural farming methods, using crop rotation (where crops are planted in different places each year, which helps keep topsoil in place), and often a greater than average attention to conserving resources.