New Westminster Environmental Almanac (2917 ... - Douglas College

Environmental Citizenship
Set your computer to go to standby instead of leaving it running
continuously; this alone can save you up to 105 dollars per year!
Use compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs;
they use only 25% of the energy an incandescent uses, gives off the
same light, and lasts 8 times as long!
And remember, while you’re helping preserve the environment, you’re
also saving money!
Urban Run-off (from Home Tips for Healthy Streams,
DFO)
It is not necessary to dump a hazardous material directly into a stream or
river for that material to end up in the stream or river. During a storm all
the rain that falls on or houses, roads, and parking lots flow into the
nearest storm drain or waterway, such as the Brunette and Fraser Rivers.
In heavy rains, New Westminster’s storm drain system can overflow and
some may end up being discharged into local waterways without
treatment. This overflow may contain many different household
contaminants including garbage, oil, gasoline, detergents, fertilizers, and
paint. The city is working on reducing the amount of storm water
overflow that enters the rivers around New Westminster (see page 56),
but there are also many oppurtunities for individual residents to improve
the water quality of urban runoff. Here are some tips we can all use to
help keep our creeks and rivers clean.
In the Lawn & Garden
Hand-pull weeds and use insecticidal soap rather than using weed
killers and pesticides
Create wildlife habitat that encourages insect-eating birds and
beneficial insects
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