Water – keep it clear and simple July 26, 2009

Only areas that face low rainfall or prolonged droughts need to worry about water conservation… Any pollution in fresh water is filtered out as the water flows through the ground into the water table… And anyway, city water treatment plants do the final clean before it reaches our pipes and after it goes down the drain… what’s to worry about?

If you ever had thoughts like those above, then you need a refresher in how the global water cycle works.

agriculture and industry are the largest users of water

Today there are more people using the same amount of water as existed 100 years ago.  Water suffers from the tension between people’s multiple needs for it: as a fundamental resource for life, for transportation, and for agriculture and other industries.  Your personal choices in food and manufactured products affect water supplies – Good Magazine has a great visual, click here.

Many of us don’t pay for the water we use directly. That means most of us don’t have a motivation to conserve water (why bother fixing that leaky toilet? it’s more trouble than it’s worth) – in reality, when we don’t pay for something directly, that usually means we’re paying for it indirectly. Indirect costs are always higher, because there are more people providing services (or just beauracracy) between you and the resource.

There are at least 3 processes that have to be paid for to get clean water to your tap: moving it from the source through the pipes (pumping = energy), keeping it clean and potable (chemicals and monitoring), then moving it from your drain back to the water treatment plant or directly into the local waterways (physical infrastructure; regulatory agencies; local, state, and federal laws; etc.).

The upside is that the less we use, and the cleaner it is coming into the system, the less it costs. A few things you can do today to conserve:

• Use less: fix those leaky pipes; time your shower; etc.
• Avoid bottled water
• Eat less red meat
• Keep it clean: don’t pour chemicals down any drain

Visit my website for more tips and information: www.rethinkyourworld.com

It’s Not All About You – part 5 of Living on Purpose July 1, 2009

my favorite bridge

There is a connection between an intentional life and a greener world, and this 5 part series explores that connection.

 

The sustainable future is the future that allows us to leave our children our best memories – the parks and seashores and swimming holes that hold our special memories, we want those to be there for them. We want future generations to enjoy the same sense of “anything is possible if you just work hard enough” attitude that is the essence of the American Dream. We want to leave them a landscape rich in beauty and discoveries yet to be made; it is our responsibility to not blow it! I believe that we are on a cusp, perhaps already over the edge; we are in the process of an historical sea change. Being in the middle of it is very exciting – scary, because it’s like we’re in the middle of the roller coaster ride, only this one we’re not guaranteed the outcome. We’ve been enjoying the steady climb up that big hill, click-click-clicking up… enjoying the view, the sunshine…. But now we are at the top of that first hill – in fact, perhaps we’ve already begun the descent… sometimes it seems with all the chaos going on around us – unpredictable dangerous weather, wars, epidemics, the economy (yes, it’s all connected, a topic for another post) – each one perhaps representing a hairpin curve or even a loop-de-loop. How long will our seat belts hold? Facing the unknown is scary, but can also be exciting. It is a huge opportunity – talk about a legacy! What do you want to tell your grandkids about how you spent the early “oughts”? Will you tell them about the gas station riots?; the year you had to stop going to the summer beach house because there was no swimming allowed due to contaminated water?; you remember the first in-ground house on your block, designed to minimize the cooling load during the 120deg summers? Or, will it be exciting and pioneering? You’ll be able to tell them how you remember the first hybrid cars that still used gasoline, because the only hydrogen fueling station was the one in Iceland; how the neighbors helped you install your first solar panels, can you believe how big they were back then?; and your favorite summer beach – how you saw the fishing get better every year after the community pulled together to get it cleaned up. The future really is yours. We just have to remember that “yours” means everyone’s, not just you. Happy 4th of July!