Posts Tagged ‘water’

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Fog Harvesting Friday, March 12th, 2010 Water is probably the most important natural resource on earth.  Our bodies need it to stay alive: we need it to drink, cook, and wash.   Plants and animals require it to grow and stay hydrated.  We have come to realize that it is imperative not to waste this precious resource.  Here at Earth Promise, there are many suggestions on how you can save water: • Take shorter showers • To run only full loads in the dishwasher • Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth • To plug the drain in the tub before turning on the water instead of waiting for it to get warm • To collect the water used when I wash vegetables and fruit and use that water for houseplants. • To collect rainwater to water flowers and plants For now, many of us are fortunate to have access to fresh, clean drinking water.  But what about those who struggle on a daily basis, not only to hydrate themselves, but to be able to cultivate their crops? Many regions need to have their water expensively trucked or piped in, and this doesn’t even guarantee that the water is suitable to drink or bathe with. I came across a link for an amazing invention to collect fresh water from fog.  Believe it or not, the concept of harnessing fog to use for drinking water has been around for decades.  According to Science in Africa : “The first experiments were conducted in 1901, on Table Mountain. But it was only in 1987, in the arid coastal desert of northern Chile, that it was implemented on a large scale.” South of Lima, Peru the village of Bellavista is one of the areas being used as a testing ground for this innovative idea of  fog harvesting.  The annual rainfall here can be less than an inch.  Fog, however, blankets the area over six months of the year.  German conservationists Kai Tiedemann and Anne Lummerich have been quite successful in Bellavsita.  Water collection through fog has provided this parched region with hundreds of gallons of water. So, how does it work?  Massive mesh nettings have been set up to “catch” the thick, dense fog that sweeps through the mountainside.  Once this mesh becomes too saturated, the fog-water then drips into gutters that then lead to collection tanks. Talk about renewable technology! It appears that other areas of the world where dense fog is abundant have jumped on the fog-catching bandwagon. Click on the links below to read more about these phenomenal projects: Bayer National Geographic 123 People The Miami Herald Tags: Anne Lummerich, Bellavista, dew, dew harvesting, fog, fog catcher, fog harvesting, green, green ideas, Kai Tiedemann, Lima, water Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

FLOW:For Love of Water Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 “This notion that we will have water forever is wrong” “It’s not a democratic issue; it’s not a republican issue; it’s a people issue…” “CAN ANYONE REALLY OWN WATER?”   FLOW (For Love of Water), a poignant documentary that opened back in 2008, is now available on DVD.  FLOW highlights not only the impoverished nations and the corporate take-over of their water systems, but  also the effects it has on wealthy nations.  Access to clean drinking water needs to be (again) everyone’s fundamental right.  Unfortunatley, still today people are being told that water is “safer” if bottled (by the big corporations).   Irena Salina, a French native and documentary filmmaker, builds a case against the growing privatization of the world’s dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.   To learn more about Salina’s inspired, yet unsettling documentary, visit http://www.flowthefilm.com/ To watch the tailer, click here Tags: bottled water, carbon footprint, change, changes, clean water, climate change, earth day, earth promise, earthpromise, eco-friendly, energy, energy efficient, environment, environmental, FLOW, flowthefilm, global warming, green, green changes, green company, green living, green practice, green practices, green tips, water, water bottles, water conservation, water pollution Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Basic Human Right in a Bottle Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 It is frightening to think that one individual in the FDA is in charge of overseeing all regulations for bottled water in our country.  Environmental documentary, Tapped, from director Stephanie Soechtig, combines maddening and excellent footage. From the producers of Who Killed the Electric Car and I.O.U.S.A., this film focuses on the disconcerting water bottle industry.  Soechtig scrutinizes the production of  our bottled ”basic human right” and its devastating effects on our health, climate change, pollution, and our reliance on oil. Be sure to watch the trailer and let us know your thoughts on the bottled water industry. Tags: carbon footprint, change, changes, climate change, conservation, earthpromise, eco-friendly, energy, energy efficient, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, environmental movement, global warming, green, green economy, green future, green living, green practice, green practices, green revolution, Stephanie Soechtig, sustainable, water, water bottles Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Earth Promise “21 in 21″ Interview Series – Alexandra Cousteau Friday, April 17th, 2009 Alexandra Cousteau – Social Environmental Advocate Alexandra Cousteau, a globally recognized advocate on water quality and policy, continues the work of her renowned grandfather Jacques Yves and father Philippe Cousteau. At 32, she has already mastered the remarkable storytelling tradition handed down to her through the generations, and has the unique ability to draw audiences into the weighty issues of policy, politics, and action.  Alexandra is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and a CNN International Principal Voice, a graduate of Georgetown University, and a lifelong explorer and activist. She established Blue Legacy in 2008, an organization dedicated to inspiring people around the world to take action on critical water issues. Earth Promise: What changes, or Earth Promises as we call them, have you made in your lifestyle to be more green?  Changes in home, travel, work, shopping and community? Alexandra Cousteau: Being “green” or “blue” is a lifestyle choice. Personally, I try to follow all the rules about conserving water and find that it is easy!!  For example, don’t leave your faucet running while you brush your teeth. Take shorter showers. Install low-flow toilets and shower heads. Put a bowl in your sink or shower to catch water as you wait for it to heat up, then use that water for your garden.  Only run appliances when they are full.  Use a car wash rather washing you car in your driveway- it uses less water and recycles the water that is used.  Minimize evaporation from your pool by using a pool cover.  And water your lawn in the evenings to prevent evaporation!  To avoid pollute water, use environmentally-friendly products for your dishwasher, soaps, washing machines. Don’t use chemical fertilizers, only organic substances. Recycle all your cooking and motor oil, paint thinners, medications, and other substances you have in your home or garage. Remember that everything you put down your sink or down the gutter goes into our water supply!  EP: You come from a family of internationally esteemed explorers and naturalists. How did this help shape your perception of the world and the work you do today? AC: My grandfather Jacques-Yves Cousteau and father Philippe were certainly great influences in my life, as well as other extraordinary people such as Muhammad Yunus and Sylvia Earle.  Exploration and discovery have always been part of my life, not only of places but also of ideas.  While my grandfather’s generation traveled the world discovering new places, its up to our generation to deliver the innovations that conserve our resources and protect our planet. EP: What was your first, ah ha! Green moment? AC: I never really had one.  It just was always a part of my life, something I just took for granted. EP: Much of your work focuses on our hydrosphere. What is the biggest threat to our planet’s waters today, and how can we go about eliminating this threat? AC: We live on a water planet.  It is a unique place in that it is the only planet we know of that supports life.  Yet water, the primary life support system on this planet, is being mismanaged, polluted, and overused.  In addition, water will be the primary vehicle through which climate change will be felt, whether through drought and desertification, floods and increased severity of storms, melting poles and glaciers as well as rising sea levels.  The most important issue we are facing is redefining what it means to live on a water planet and engaging people around the world to be part of that solution. EP: You are currently working on the project, The Expedition: Blue Planet.  Tell me about what it is and what your goals are?  AC: My goal for Expedition: Blue Planet is to chronicle the interconnectivity of water. A key aspect of the project will be its ability to show how individual stories are part of the larger, universal story of an interdependent, global water ecosystem. In this way, we will create a new vision for what it means to live in a world where water is our most precious resource, and a plan for what we must do to protect it. I created Blue Legacy to tell the story of our water planet to the world, to inspire people to take action on critical water issues in meaningful ways and to help shape society’s dialogue to include water as one of the defining issues of our century and the primary vehicle through which climate change will be felt.  That’s the mission statement.  If you ask me to paint the picture, I’d tell you this:  For too long those of us in environmental circles have asked people to protect things they’ve never experienced. My grandfather lived by the motto “let’s go and see.”  I want to build on this legacy by “going and seeing” and also taking people along for the ride—helping my generation see first hand how fragile this amazing planet’s water resources truly are.  When my father and grandfather would go into the field, they’d shoot for weeks and weeks and then return home for months of editing behind closed doors before the public ever got a chance to hear their story.  As the third generation of Cousteau storytellers, I’m so lucky in that I can take my friends from Facebook, my followers on Twitter, my subscribers on YouTube and those who connect with me across so many other platforms right along with me into the field to explore critical issues.  We get questions and suggestions from our audiences nearly every day that prompt us to explore a location or issue differently.  It’s amazing to see people making a difference on the issue before I even clear security and get back on the plane to head home. EP: Of your many accomplishments, which are you most proud of? Which do you think will have the most enduring legacy? AC: I get this question a lot and I always refuse to answer it directly.  I am committed to live my life in a way that re-writes that “most proud of” banner every single day.  A month ago I would have told you that I was so proud to have finally explored the Ganges and have been able to tell the story of that threatened goddess, but today I’m so excited to be with my team exploring the challenges and incredible innovations going on with water in the West Bank region of the world. EP: The project has taken you all over the world including India, Botswana, Cambodia and many other places.  In addition, I am guessing you have traveled to many other countries in hopes of educating people about the importance of conservation and sustainable management of water resources.  How have different countries reacted to these messages?  Which would you consider leaders?  AC: Water is our most critical life support system and it the primary vehicle through which climate change will be felt.  Water issues are relevant all over the world and the quote we heard most often repeated is “water is life”.  On this planet of 7 billion people, water is the one thing that every individual has in common.  People I’ve met from all over the world are realizing this and working to conserve and protect this vital resource. EP: People are concerned with the global warming and air quality.  That is what we hear about all the time.  But the oceans are not in great shape either with pollution, waste, etc.  What message do you want to send to this audience about ocean awareness? AC: All our water resources are connected through the water cycle and the oceans are downstream from all of us.  We must take individual action to be part of the solution in our own communities and support initiatives at a larger level that protect our freshwater/ocean environments. EP: What can the average person do to help conserve water and have a positive effect on the Earth’s oceans? AC: I challenge people to act in four areas: Source, Consumption, Impact and Vision. Know the source of your water.  I’m convinced that the more people learn about where the water in their life comes from—from the central source such as a municipal reservoir or well system to the water sheds, groundwater and weather systems that impact them—the more likely they are to get involve in local environmental issues.  Everyone is an environmentalist when they have a glass of water in their hand. Measure and monitor your personal consumption of water.  Politics and local supply aside, there’s simply no excuse for wasting resources.  I’m sure the Cousteau house wasn’t the only place where kids grew up hearing the constant reminder to shut off the lights and turn off the faucet.  There are tons of great sites out there with ridiculously simple ways each of us can cut back.  It’s always a little shocking when you really start monitoring how much goes down the drain. When it comes to “impact,” knowledge is power. As responsible consumers and citizens, it’s up to each of us to know more about the water footprint of the products we buy and brands we shop and to reward those companies and brands that are working hard to invest in innovation and make a difference.  I challenge my generation to step away from the protest signs of the past and speak up from their shopping carts, investment accounts, product reviews and social profiles. We have the great privilege of growing up in an era of almost unlimited information.  I challenge today’s water advocates to make their product reviews, sustainable seafood discoveries, local recycling options, etc a part of their Tweets, Facebook, and overall social exchange. Finally, I challenge people to look for an opportunity beyond their immediate circle to get involved—to contribute time, talent and/or resources to a water-related effort that fits their overall personal vision.  For some, this means taking an alternative vacation and volunteering on a cleanup or water well project. For others, this involves financial support of a worthwhile waster-related NGO or non-profit.  One of the key missions of Blue Legacy is to uncover the critical water issues of our times and then to help those who connect with us find creative and meaningful ways to get involved. EP: If I live in the middle of the United States, why should I be concerned about our oceans? AC: There are two reasons that everyone should be concerned about our oceans.  Firstly, because the oceans are responsible for weather patterns, fisheries, transportation, tourism, and countless other “environmental services” that contribute to our societies, economy and our well being.  Secondly, life on land could not exist without the oceans.  We are connected to the oceans through the water cycle.  If we the oceans die, so do we.  Its that simple. EP: Green Advocates tend to work independent of the government.  Is there a better way for the government and green organizations to work together? AC: I believe that every group should have a seat at the table and an opportunity to be part of the solution.  This includes civil society, government, and the corporate sector as well as communities and individuals.  In order for us to live in a truly sustainable society, everyone needs to be included. EP: How can parents, teachers and schools inspire kids about caring for our oceans and teach them about water conservation? AC: Experiential learning is without a doubt one of the most critical aspects of educating young people to care for the environment – starting at home, in backyards, playgrounds, and community parks.  I believe that respect for the environment, locally or globally, starts at home. EP: What is the most vital message you hope people will hear that will lead them to take action? AC: Water connects every individual on this planet of 7 billion people.  We are all downstream from one another and we must, for the sake of our families, our communities and ourselves, start working together to preserve and replenish our water resources. EP: What is the one Earth Promise you are going to make in the future that you have not done yet, either professionally or personally? AC: I always do as much a I can, but as new solutions continue to present themselves for less impactful living, I will definitely adopt it into my lifestyle. EP: Thank you very much.  Great interview and very important information provided. Tags: 21 in 21, alexandra cousteau, Blue Legacy, Blue Planet, carbon footprint, change, changes, climate change, conservation, cousteau, earth, earth day, Earth hour, earth promise, earthpromise, eco-friendly, education, energy, energy efficient, environment, environmental, environmental issues, environmental movement, global warming, green, Green Advocates, green changes, green interviews, green living, green practice, green practices, green revolution, green tips, jacque cousteau, Muhammad Yunus, National Geographic, Philippe Cousteau, Sylvia Earle, The Expedition, The Expedition: Blue Planet, water, water conservation Posted in interviews | No Comments »

The Great American Cleanup – Get Involved Thursday, March 26th, 2009  It’s never too late to improve your community’s environment. Keep America Beautiful’s annual event, The Great American Cleanup takes place between March 1 and May 31 in communities all across the United States. This is the nation’s largest community improvement project. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful, Inc.’s mission is to “engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments.”  This is done through their various programs such as The Great American Cleanup.  Each year, people work together to beautify their neighborhoods: picking up litter in parks and roadways, cleaning up beaches and other waterways, planting trees and flowers to restore public spaces, painting over graffiti, repairing local homes and businesses, and holding recycling drives and workshops.  The concept is two-fold—educate and participate. The Keep America Beautiful, KAB, website makes it easy to get involved in a program near you.  KAB provides the tools  to locate or start your own community based beautification project; from how develop partnerships and corporate sponsors to curriculum for teachers to utilize in their classrooms. You can also visit the history of KAB and witness the beginnings of the green mentality long before it was fashionable.  Oh yes, I vividly remember the first public service announcements; one in particular with the single tear running down the Native American’s weathered cheek.  The message was, and still is, clear: pollution is disgraceful and we need to work together to save our planet. Remember, it’s never too late to volunteer your time and effort for The Great American Cleanup. And visit Earth Promise to make your promises to help clean up America!   Tags: carbon footprint, change, changes, cleanup, climate change, community, earth, eco-friendly, environment, Great American Cleanup, green, green changes, green living, green practice, green practices, green tips, holiday green changes, Keep America Beautiful, litter, planet, planting trees, politics, public service announcements, recyclable, recycling, reduce, volunteer, water Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Tap Project’s Good Deed Friday, March 20th, 2009 Growing up, I always made the assumption that (clean, drinkable) water would always be available.  My wasteful habits are astonishing to look back upon: running water while brushing teeth; not turning the hose off while washing the car; and running the kitchen sink while washing dishes. The millions of gallons of water my family and I wasted make me cringe with disgust.  This careless water behavior of mine has come to a screeching halt.   The news about our dwindling water supply and countries around the world not having safe drinking water to survive is not so new.  With our environment in peril, it’s time to truly make a change in behavior. Today, the lack of clean water is the second largest killer of children under the age of five.  This global crisis is due to the high demand for fresh water in our world.  In a 2008 CNN interview with Maude Barlow, author of Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water,   Barlow explained: “One way or another, we have taken accessible clean water … and we have rendered it unusable. We take massive amounts [of water] and we irrigate the desert, where it evaporates. We’re pumping groundwater all over the world far faster that it can be replenished by nature. We are actually running out of fresh, clean water everywhere in the world, including here in North America. We have to give up this myth of abundance. We have come to the limits of the planet.” How can we help our fragile planet’s water supply?  This upcoming March 22nd through March 28th is World Water Week.  We can all make an extra effort to support clean water access to everyone around the world.  New York City based, Tap Project assists UNICEF’s endeavors to bring clean water to children all over the world.  Participating “restaurants would ask their patrons to donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free.”  Starting in 2007, Tap Project was solely a NYC endeavor with 300 Manhattan-based dining locations.  In 2008, it has grown more than 7 fold to 2,300 participators nationally (restaurants, corporations, volunteers, advertising agencies, community groups, local governments and everyday diners).  The Tap Project website allows you to locate a participating restaurant near you.  Although it is too late to volunteer or sign up your restaurant for this year’s Tap Project, donations can be made to support UNICEF’s project to provide sanitized water for children around the world. To kick off 2009’s Tap Project, a walk in both New York City and Chicago will occur.  Although it is only a one mile event, the participants are encouraged to carry a minimum of one gallon of water to show support for “the millions of children worldwide who must carry water from distant sources each day.” Be sure to visit Earth Promise as it has many ideas for you to change your wasteful water habits.  Tags: change, changes, CNN, drinkable water, earth, eco-friendly, environment, global crisis, global warming, green, green changes, green living, green practice, green practices, green tips, Maude Barlow, runnign water, Tap Project, UNICEF, water, water supply Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Water Bottles: Bad for Our Planet, Bad for Our Body Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 We’ve been flooded with information about the how’s and why’s single-use plastic water bottles are outright terrible for our planet and our bodies: ·         Fastest growing section of beverage department ·         (Many) end up in landfills ·         They are shipped either from overseas or just across our own country (burning fossil fuels and diesel fuels).  All this travel to simply get our fill of H2O; something that we have access to right nearby! ·         This, then, causes our gas prices to rise.  Creating and shipping plastic water bottles generates a demand for oil and thus depletes our oil reserves. ·         The estrogen (female sex hormone)-mimicking toxin is found in these deposable bottles.  What should be done? Start by promising  to curb your bottled water purchases.  Also, make a promise to drink tap water when dining out when possible as opposed to bottled water.  Small changes like these, then, will halt the amount of estrogen-like pollutants entering your body. (At least via water bottles!) Below are some great scientific sites that provide detailed data regarding hormones found in plastic water bottles: The report in The Globe and Mail reveals the “consistent contamination of bottled water with a hormonally active substance leaching from PET, one of the world’s most popular packaging materials. The plastic is also used for soft-drink bottles and a host of other food and beverage containers and is identified by the recycling-industry symbol of the numeral “1″ encased in a triangle.”  Science News reports about a water bottle study done at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt.  Scientists conducted research on mud snails, animals highly responsive to female hormones.  Their results were astonishing: a production of up to twice as many embryos.  Be sure to read the article in its entirety. All this news is outright frightening.  I thought #1 was one of the good plastics?!  How to remedy the situation?  Carry your own non-toxic plastic water bottle, but be wary of the bottle you choose.  Or, avoid plastic altogether and purchase glass bottles to refill and stainless steel ones to tote around. Earth Promise has many eco-friendly living tips that make a big impact…for the Earth and your body.   Tags: beverage, body, carbon footprint, change, changes, earth, eco-friendly, environment, estrogen, fossil fuels, green changes, green living, green my home, green practice, green practices, green promise, green tips, holiday green changes, landfills, mudsnails, PET, planet, plastic, plastic wter bottles, recycle, recycling, reduce, science, water, water bottles Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Hair: The Ideal Renewable Resource Friday, March 13th, 2009 Did you ever wonder what could be done with the abundance of hair clippings that cover the floors of salons and pet groomers around the world?  My stylist enlightened me about an eco-friendly company that actually collects hair clippings to make Oil Spill Hair Mats . Over 300,000 hair salons from the US, Canada, China, India, South Africa and beyond mail their hair trimmings to San Francisco based, Matter of Trust.  Think about it: hair, the most ideal renewable resource, naturally absorbs oil and acts like a perfect sponge.  These Oil Spill Mats, that look and feel like a large SOS pads, are a completely organic method of waste removal. This eco-absorber du jour, hair, can also be collected to make fertilizer mats for plants.  According to Smart Grow, hair is a natural by-product that keeps the plants moist and prevents weeds without chemical laden fertilizers.  Living in Florida, my potted plants are loaded with weeds and constantly need to be watered.  Tests conducted on “container-grown plants grown with SmartGrow mats remained healthy and floriferous even after 18 months without fertilizing.”  Now, that’s worth trying! Tags: change, changes, eco-friendly, environment, fertilizer, green changes, green living, green my home, green practice, green practices, green tips, Green$ense, hair, holiday green changes, matter of trust, oil spills, organic, renewable resource, salons, smart grow, waste removal, water, weeds Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCKs The Earth Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 “Now if we only had a superhero who could stand here and turn the generator real fast, then we wouldn’t need to burn so much fuel to make…electricity.” (Electricity, Electricity— SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK!)   OK, this may not be the most memorable of the SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! tunes, but it was no doubt, catchy and forward thinking.  Just like Dr. Seuss with The Lorax (published in 1971), the creators of SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! along with our beloved, Theodore Geisel, initiated eco-topics years ago.  It has not been until recently that the general public is taking notice. The music, lyrics and animation for this ultra-cool and timeless Saturday morning educational series, will always be remembered.   The creators cleverly instruct grammar, history, math, politics, and science in a magnetic way almost every 40 year-old American can recall.  Just as they did with verbs, electricity and the solar system, SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! has taken it upon themselves to approach the eco-friendly trend.  Indeed, perfect timing on the creators’ parts: wedged between Earth Hour and Earth Day, the original architects (Bob Dorough, music and lyrics and  Phil Kimmelman, animation) will reveal their talents once again on March 31with the release of SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! EARTH . Thirteen songs will be used as a learning tool for old and new fans.   Some of the characters we grew up with (Interplant Janet and Mr. Morton) will make cameo appearances. Trash Can Band, Little Things We Do, Savin’ Water and The Rainforest are just some of the amusing, green topics that will infiltrate our minds.  SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! EARTH will no doubt be a huge success as it is modern and in touch with the eco-generational change. Get a sampling of some of the video shorts here.  Afterwards, have your kids join you to make some inspiring Earth Promises. Friends at The Daily Kool  really talk up the Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition).  They, like me, are of the age that absorbed Conjunction Junction, Three is a Magic Number, and Interjections!   I secretly had a three-ringed notebook in my room where I’d quickly write all what my 5 year old brain could retain.  My Saturday morning comrades at The Daily Kool enthusiastically watch it with their children (as do I).  They recommend the Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition) not only because it is their “official birthday present for all of (their) children’s friends,” but because they, too believe ROCK! is a breath of fresh air compared to what our children are exposed to today.  So be sure to visit The Daily Kool to reminisce and be on the lookout March 31st for SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK EARTH!     Tags: change, changes, climate change, disney, dvd, earth, earth day, Earth hour, eco-freindly, eco-friendly, electricity, energy efficient, energy saving, environment, global warming, green, green changes, green living, green practice, green practices, promise, rainforest, recycle, recycling, school house rock, television, the daily kool, trash, tv, water Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Water Rationing Is Not Just For Californians Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 California’s third year of drought is cause for alarm.  Reservoirs are low even though there have been large amounts of snow from storms lately. NPR’s, Morning Edition  announced, ”California has declared a statewide water emergency in the face of a punishing three-year drought. It could result in some drastic conservation measures and water rationing over the coming months, stretching from California’s farm belt to major coastal cities like Los Angeles.” Also the Sacramento Bee  has an eye-opening article how the lack of water is causing a detrimental trickle effect; the “thirsty farms”, the dwindling number of fish in the estuary, and lack of jobs is real and frightening.  The amount of produce the country relies on California for is staggering.  “Some farmers will buy water on the open market to keep orchards alive”  Purchase water?  Is this what our over-indulgent country has deteriorated to?  This is an enormous wake-up call for our country to take action now. Make promises to help our precious Earth.  Here are a few of the countless suggestions from Earth Promise that everyone can do that will make a big difference:  ·         To take shorter showers.  Every two minutes you cut down on your shower can conserve more than 10 gallons of water.  This will not only save you time, but money on your water bill. ·         To run only full loads in the dishwasher. By running the dishwasher when it is not full, you will do so more often, thus using more electricity. ·         To not pre-rinse dishes if possible before putting them in the dishwasher.  If you do need to give them a rinse, don’t allow the water to run.  ·         To turn off the tap while brushing my teeth. ·         To flush one less time per day (obviously picking the right time not to).  By doing this, you can save up to 5 gallons per day. ·         To plug the drain in the tub before turning on the water instead of waiting for it to get warm. ·         To use drip irrigation or soaker hoses in my garden and/or flower bed instead of regular sprinklers which will use less water. Tags: California, change, changes, climate change, draught, earth, eco-friendly, energy saving, environment, farming, global warming, green changes, green economy, green jobs, green living, green my home, green practice, green tips, Green$ense, promise, reduce, reservoir, water, water emergency Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

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