The benefits of a 1.6-gallon flush volume with a reduced flush (dual flush) for toilets, reduced flow showers and improved design of clothes and dish washing machines are being assessed through recent surveys performed in the U.K.
Issue: 3/02
In January 2002 the U.K. government released the 1901 census Web site. Despite crashing immediately due to the volume of interest, it has since been reinstated and is proving immensely popular. The surveys there provide a snapshot of what life was like and allow comparison with our own environment. Comparison with 1901 could induce a feeling of d? vu. Surface travel in London then as now averaged 4 miles per hour, although pollution took the form of tons of horse manure not carbon monoxide. The army was engaged in Afghanistan, and there was war in the Balkans. A robust American president was unafraid of overseas involvement, and Britain's ambivalent approach to Europe was summed up by the Times of London headline, "Fog in Channel, Europe Cut Off." However, the census will assist many to trace their forebears. It will provide comparison in areas where progress has been marked, e.g., health care and infant mortality. The site may also be of interest to many U.S. citizens whose forebears joined the migration to the U.S. in the first decade of the 20th century. The web site address is http://www.census.pro.gov.uk.