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Nothing wrong with a little friendly competition, right? The organizers of RecycleMania think so. They have organized a competition among more than 500 colleges across the country to see who can recycle the most and reduce the most waste per student.

Schools compete in various categories including who can collect the most recyclables and increase the overall recycle rate per student. The competition now also includes a waste reduction category so there is incentive to not just to recycle but also to use less.

The school to recycle most and to reduce the most waste generated per student becomes the Grand Champion.

Last year, Recyclemania helped recycle 69.4 Million pounds of garbage. Last years Grand Champion? California State University San Marcos, who has won 5 years in a row, which is  impressive to say the least.

Starting on Friday, results will start coming in each week for the 2010 leaders. You can track those results here. Can anyone beat CSU San Marcos? Check to see if your school is participating here.

Bisphenol-A (BPA), the industrial chemical found in many plastic water bottles, some reusable water bottles, plastic forks and the linings of canned goods, is being revisited by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a possible hazardous substance for humans.

In the past, the FDA had concluded that BPA shows little health risk to humans in small doses. This conclusion happened to come from two industry funded studies.

More recently, scientists within and outside of the FDA have been speaking out, pointing to the numerous other studies that did show that BPA poses a risks to human health. There had been literally hundreds of such studies, apparently ignored by the FDA, that indicated various health risks for small dosages of BPA in humans. Canada banned the use of BPA from all products sold in the country as a response.

While the FDA may start asking manufacturers to label containers that contain BPA, there is no signal of a ban yet. Right now, many containers that we often use, contain BPA. Beyond water bottles, BPA is found in the lining of many food cans including some baby formulas.

To make sure the products you buy on a regular basis that contain BPA, visit the Environmental Working Group's guide to avoiding BPA products.

Also, you can tell Congress to pass legislation to ban BPA here.

photo credit: stevendepolo via Flickr.com

While last summer's Cash for Clunkers program that got gas-guzzlers off the road is long gone, a new Cash for Appliances trade-in deal is here. The new eco-friendly deal is an especially sweet sounding one for water conservationists because beyond energy-saving attributes, it rewards consumers for water-saving features, too. Swapping out an old top loading clothing washer for an Energy-Star rated model could save an astonishing 40 to 45 gallons of water...per load!

The program is dishing out $300 million dollars in the form of rebates ranging between $50 and $200. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) deals differ from state to state, so before you run out and replace your old washer, dryer, dishwasher, air conditioner, water heater, refrigerator or other appliance, check the rules for your location.

In New York the Great Appliance Swap-Out, starting in February, will hand out over 170,000 rebates, including impressive $500 rebates for consumers who scoop up a three-appliance package of a refrigerator, dishwasher and clothes washer. California's program is scheduled to begin in March with $50 to $100 rebates. Illinois plans a two part program with one phase for large appliances including heaters, furnaces and air conditioners in January and another for smaller appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators and clothes washers scheduled to begin on Earth Day. We also love that some states are giving extra bucks to recyclers. Florida, for example, is giving an additional $75 to participants who present a receipt showing they recycled their clunker appliances.

Sounds like the perfect excuse to go get that Energy Star rated refrigerator with a filtered tap water dispenser in the door that you've always wanted!

Photo by Chris Corwin on flickr under a Creative Commons license.

Cleanscapes, a garbage collection company in Seattle, Washington has challenged several neighborhoods in Seattle to reduce waste that normally ends up in landfills.

Instead of trying to pass laws or issue fines or penalties, the company has decided to offer a carrot stick. The neighborhood to most reduce it's overall material going to it's garbage cans or recycle bins by May, will win $50,000 for a community project such as a park or playground.

Many neighborhoods are jumping on board and trying to come up with ideas. Community leaders will need to educate households on how to reduce waste, which is more challenging than simply recycling.

Officials from the City have suggested people use more reusable plates, napkins and cups instead of disposable ones, cancel junk mail and use mulching lawn mowers to keep grass clippings out of the trash. One resident from the Magnolia neighborhood suggested setting up more collection bins for reusable items such as clothes and furniture.

We suggest not buying plastic bottles for beverages, and only drinking local water.

photo credit: bob.b.brown from flickr

A delegation of California water experts recently toured Australian cities to get a handle on how that country has responded to water shortages after 13 years of drought.

Delegates were apparently struck by the effectiveness of conservation measures there. Water use is about 40 gallons per person, per day, including outdoor watering. California's per-capita average is 200 gallons.  A huge difference!

Some of the conservation measures common in Australia are still rare in the US, like rainwater tanks that capture water for gardens and toilet flushing, dual-flush toilets, dual house plumbing for recycled water and water-efficient appliances in virtually every home.

Water use outdoors, which accounts for about half of consumption, is also much more efficient. Residents use hardy native plants with low-water needs instead of grass. Permeable pavement allows water to sink back into the ground rather than running down drains.

Desalination of ocean water is also common in most of Australia's major cities. But after visiting the plants some delegates came away thinking that conservation measures should be taken first because desalinized water is still fairly expensive. In addition, many water conservation programs involve retrofitting which would create green collar jobs in California. 

In January, California will get to return the favor and show the Australians their Groundwater Replenishment System in Fountain Valley that treats sewer water and uses it to recharge underground aquifers.

Photo: The Nullabor by amandabhslater on Flickr under Creative Commons License

California American Water, a private company that supplies water and waste water services all over the U.S. and Canada, announced that it's on the lookout for instances of water theft from fire hydrants. And they're ready to prosecute offenders.

Contractors who need to use water from a fire hydrant for any project are required to obtain a hydrant meter permit that typically lasts 60 days. They are given a meter so their usage can be measured and billed. But sometimes in remote areas, contractors are using the fire hydrants without permits and hence, not contributing to American Water's bottom line. And that's a big no-no!

While we're all for reducing consumption of water, water privatization really annoys the hell out of me. When I hear about prosecution and law enforcement getting involved, I just can't help asking 'Who's water is it anyway?'

Photo: Sad Hydrant 2 on flickr under Creative Commons License

Fighting over water is nothing new in California but the latest battle has taken on a fun twist - water agencies are clamoring for their share of...you guessed it...sewer water.

Sanitation Districts of LA County has promised to deliver 45,000 acre-feet of recycled water to agencies but some think there will be less available and are worried about not getting their allotment.

Much of the recycled sewer water is promised to a $210 million project - known as the Groundwater Reliability Improvement Program (GRIP) that recycles the water to drinking standards. The project is a partnership between a number of California water agencies but not the Central Basin Water District - and that has sent them into a lobbying frenzy.

The GRIP project will be one of the biggest users of recycled water, taking about half of the remaining waste-water from sanitation districts. It would purify water through reverse osmosis and then use it to replenish dwindling groundwater supplies. Some believe this method of using the water could directly offset half of California's demand for imported water. But Central Basin says GRIP is asking for to much sewer water and that they had first dibs. Oi...

Photo: Wastewater treatment plant, Richmond, California on Flickr under Creative Commons License

One tourist has died and at least two others have become sick after staying at the Epic Hotel in downtown Miami and health officials think its a rare type of pneumonia called Legionnaire's Disease.

County and state officials say that they hotel installed a powerful water filter that removed almost all the chlorine from its city supplied tap water and that this encouraged bacterial growth.

Is this a case of luxury gone wrong? Officials seem to think so. The county's top epidemiologist says that the hotel installed the powerful filtration unit to enhance the quality of its tap water.

To fix the problem, the hotel will adjust its water system so that incoming city water bypasses its special filter and health officials plan to temporarily triple the amount of chlorine normally used to stave off bacterial growth.

Yep, chlorine is necessary guys, I could even learn to love it. Next time someone moans at me that they drink bottled water because they don't like the taste of chlorine, I'll just politely say 'google Epic Hotel and water.'

NY State cows are moving in to take their share of the green energy market and save NY drinking water from natural gas drilling contamination.

Working their way through the recruitment process as we speak, those hired will provide sustainable manure-derived methane bio-gas to NY State homes. Along with other alternative energies, the bio-gas could reduce the need for unsafe natural gas drilling (or hydrofacking) which is dangerous to our drinking water supplies.

The statewide recruitment drive began this fall at NY State's Dairy Power Summit. And while initial goals are modest, by 2020 the cows hope to produce enough methane to power about 30,000 homes. Working with GE, they hope to transform their farms into the central feature of hundreds of bio-energy communities across the state. They'll have to fart a lot!

Given all this hiring, I'm wondering if we can add these beasts to our jobs numbers - it could be a win-win!

Photo: Cow on Flickr by JelleS under Creative Commons License