Washing without water

Washing without water
From The Economist print edition
Sep 3rd 2009
Link to full article below

Environment: A washing machine uses thousands of nylon beads, and just a cup of water, to provide a greener way to do the laundry

Xeros Water? Who needs it?

SYNTHETIC fibres tend to make low quality clothing. But one of the properties that makes nylon a poor choice of fabric for a shirt, namely its ability to attract and retain dirt and stains, is being exploited by a company that has developed a new laundry system. Its machine uses no more than a cup of water to wash each load of fabrics and uses much less energy than conventional devices.

The system developed by Xeros, a spin-off from the University of Leeds, in England, uses thousands of tiny nylon beads each measuring a few millimetres across. These are placed inside the smaller of two concentric drums along with the dirty laundry, a squirt of detergent and a little water. As the drums rotate, the water wets the clothes and the detergent gets to work loosening the dirt. Then the nylon beads mop it up.

To read the full article: http://www.economist.com/sciencetechnology/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14299614&fsrc=rss******************************************************
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Goodbye Pools, Lawns and a Whole Lot More: Why Life in the Southwest as We Know it Will Be History

Goodbye Pools, Lawns and a Whole Lot More: Why Life in the Southwest as We Know it Will Be History
By Alex Steffen, Worldchanging
August 10, 2009 Link to full article below

This piece first appeared in Worldchanging.

It is likely to be a source of unhappiness for us that we have taken natural bounty for granted in designing our civilization. But it is likely to prove tragic that we have assumed not only the indestructibility of nature (heck, some fossils still argue that climate change is impossible because it is not within human abilities to wreck the climate), but also that the particularly beneficial circumstances of the 20th century are what is ecologically "normal." Nowhere is this more evident than in arid regions, and nowhere is it better studied than in the American Southwest.

There, in the deserts and mountains, we Americans have built huge cities, farms and ranches, and one of the world's leading tourism industries (think Vegas) predicated on the reliability of cheap, plentiful water. This was a mistake. Water in the very near future will be neither cheap nor plentiful, and much of the Southwest is destined for real trouble.

To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/141887/

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A right to rain

A right to rain
by Daniel Moss
26 Jun 2009
(link to full article, see below)


One man gathers rain to recharge groundwater reserves and another pushes salt water through a desalination plant for subsequent sale. Are these both viable solutions to the world’s water crisis?

With the impacts of climate change, water waste, contamination and mismanagement driving us ever closer to the edge of a cliff, ensuring clean and plentiful water to both people and nature becomes tougher and more urgent each day.

A seemingly broad variety of water management strategies was on display at the recent 5th World Water Forum (WWF), confusing participants with repackaged policy prescriptions and technological bells and whistles. Helping people sift the wheat from the chaff were discussions of how to manage water as a commons. A concise set of principles offered a hopeful roadmap forward.

The forum was a mostly a civil affair, with the notable exception of riot police beating and arresting 25 Turks protesting peacefully for public water and against its privatization. The World Water Forum is convened by the World Water Council, a private, French non-profit whose board of governors tilts towards water privateers.

It’s a tri-annual gathering of government delegations, non- governmental organizations, international financial institutions, and private industry representatives. This year’s forum featured an advocacy effort by 16 governments to move the forum to the U.N., presumably a more accountable institution. The well-subscribed conference - over 30,000 people in attendance - seemed to demonstrate not only that the water crisis is a shared concern, but also, perhaps, the amount of money that can be made trading this precious fluid.

Ragendra Singh, known as the rain gatherer, travelled across Asia to Istanbul to address the forum. Working in arid Rajastan, India, Singh has revived the ecology of the Arwari river. After twenty years of building small earthen dams called johads and a movement called Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), flow has returned to the once dry river, providing sustenance to thousands of families.

At a WWF trade booth, a representative of a Spanish desalination company projected powerpoint slides of barges docked off of coastal cities, sucking in sea water and spitting out drinking water (and brine and emissions). Over 60,000,000 people worldwide drink desalinated water.

The two faces of water technology couldn’t have been more dissimilar – and more caricatured. Ragendra Singh wore a long white kurta. He spoke of water with a mystical air, a grin spreading beneath his ragged beard. The balding desalination representative wore a grey suit, his lips pursed in grim determination to sell his technology.

Both men claim to fulfill a critical need in getting water to those who need it - in Ragendra’s case, beneficiaries include plants and animals. Is there a way for the average person, simply looking to get water to the thirsty, to evaluate if these two strategies are complementary or contradictory?

As a society, we can perhaps agree – although I may be overly optimistic here - that in its broadest conception, water is a commons, a public good to be shared by all and passed on undiminished in quality and quantity to future generations.

In a session on this topic entitled, “Water Commons: Global Experiences in Progressive Water Management”, Maude Barlow, Senior Advisor on Water to the President of the UN General Assembly, suggested ten principles to manage water for the common good. The principles seem a useful measuring stick against which strategies of water management can be assessed. Does the strategy do the following?

1) Affirm water as a commons, that is, it belongs to everyone and no one, passed onto future generations in sufficient volume and quality;
2) Ensure the earth and all of its ecosystems rights to water for their survival – indeed it is on those ecosystems that human life depends;
3) Conserve water as society’s first course of action (enforced by law), including suggesting drastic changes to industrial and agricultural practices;
4) Treat watersheds – the source of water - as a common as well and not simply the water itself;
5) Encourage local, community management while legally binding communities to respect upstream and downstream neighbors’ rights;
6) Forge or affirm trans-boundary agreements that respect water sovereignty for both communities and nations;
7) Provide water as a basic principle of justice, not as an act of charity;
8) Ensure public delivery and fair pricing of water;
9) Promote enshrining the right to water in nation-state constitutions, laws and a UN covenant;
10) Employ innovative legal tools to protect water and manage water as a commons, including through public and community trusts.

To read the full article: http://www.grist.org/article/a-right-to-rain

VERY IMPORTANT: California's Water Woes Threaten the Entire Country's Food Supply

California's Water Woes Threaten the Entire Country's Food Supply
By Scott Thill, AlterNet
June 6, 2009

What a difference an administration makes. Samuel Bodman, the previous secretary of energy under the Bush administration, spent his short term stumping for nuclear power plant construction, polluting the hell out of the Earth, profiting off global warming and trying to significantly downplay America's singular role in greenhouse-gas emissions.

The new one? Well, he's a doom prophet with a Ph.D.

"I don't think the American public has gripped in its gut what could happen. We're looking at a scenario where there's no more agriculture in California. I don't actually see how they can keep their cities going," Steven Chu told the Los Angeles Times in February, shortly after taking office in January. "I'm hoping that the American people will wake up," he added, just in case there was any confusion about the gravity of the situation.

That kind of apocalyptic foresight has made Chu a breath of fresh, dystopian air. For eight nearly insufferable years, the American public has had no shortage of political tools telling it everything is going to be all right, that the United States is the greatest country in the world, that reports of our impending environmental devastation have been greatly exaggerated, and so on. By contrast, Steven Chu is a Cassandra on a mission from reality. But few, especially in the state he singled out, feel like buying what he is selling.

"Dr. Chu is not a climate scientist," argued Jim Metropulos, senior advocate at Sierra Club's California chapter, echoing the same conditional given in the Los Angeles Times article in which Chu was quoted. "Obviously, he's versed on it, but he's taking an apocalyptic view. I think it's not sustainable in its current form. We rely on imported water to grow high-value crops, but maybe the agriculture we have today may not be the agriculture we have decades from now."

To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/140487/

Losing Rivers

Losing Rivers
by Roddy Scheer
April 27, 2009

http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4647
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4647&printview&imagesoff

A study released last week by researchers from the Colorado-based National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) found that rivers in some of the world’s most populous regions are losing water quickly as a result of climate change. Large affected rivers include China’s Yellow River, the Ganges in India, West Africa’s Niger and the Colorado in the southwestern U.S.

The researchers, whose study came out last week in the American Meteorological Society’s peer-reviewed Journal of Climate, reported that water loss as a result of global warming combined with the negative effects of damming, irrigation and other profligate water use could mean a threat to future supplies of food and water. They looked at records of river flow in 925 big rivers around the world from 1948 to 2004, finding “significant changes” in about a third of the world’s largest rivers.

To read the full article:
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4647

Texas cattle ranchers need water, aid fast

Texas cattle ranchers need water, aid fast
March 24, 2009

http://supermarketguru-com.advantex.net/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/363

The perfect storm is about to hit Texas cattle ranchers—and the U.S. beef industry and consumers could soon be worse off as a result.

This past January and February comprised the driest start of any year on record in the United States. That covers more than a century, meteorologists told USA Today. John Nielsen-Gammon, the climatologist for Texas, said the past eight months were the state’s driest ever.

The result: parched land, little grass for cows to graze, and ranchers selling off parts of their herds, including mother cows used to produce calves and regenerate herds. Some ranchers’ herds are already one-third smaller, and the sell-offs are continuing, auctioneers told the paper.

Texas Governor Rick Perry asked that all 254 counties be designated as disaster areas for 2009, and noted that “farmers and ranchers are unable to control the cause of their economic and physical losses, which exceed state, local and private sector assistance.”

Added Dr. Allan McGinty, Texas AgriLife Extension Service range specialist at San Angelo, “Soil moisture is almost non-existent in a large majority of our counties, resulting in an absence of cool-season forage plants for livestock. Dry forage conditions, higher than normal daytime temperatures and wind have added the additional risk of wildfire across most of the state.”

To read the full article: http://supermarketguru-com.advantex.net/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/363

Drinking water: Toilet to tap -- get used to it!

Drinking water: Toilet to tap -- get used to it!
by Joseph Romm
26 Mar 2009

http://gristmill.grist.org/print/2009/3/26/13338/6707?show_comments=no
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2009/3/26/13338/6707?source=daily

In the future, your drinking water is going to be recycled from your toilet -- believe it.

As the population grows and global warming drives desertification and the loss of the inland glaciers (see here), fresh water will become increasingly in short supply. As the AFP reported recently:

Surging population growth, climate change, reckless irrigation and chronic waste are placing the world's water supplies at threat, a landmark UN report ...

The global population is growing by 80 million people a year, 90 per cent of it in poorer countries. Demand for water is growing by 64 billion cubic metres per year, roughly equivalent to Egypt's annual water demand today.

Read the full article: http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2009/3/26/13338/6707?source=daily

Want to Save $1,400 a Year? Give Up Bottled Water

Want to Save $1,400 a Year? Give Up Bottled Water
Bottled water is expensive for you and the environment, with all those bottles and the transportation adding up

http://www.thedailygreen.com/print-this/living-green/blogs/save-money/bottled-water-460309
http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/save-money/bottled-water-460309

During the weeks of Lent, the Green Cheapskate will be sharing his suggestions for little daily sacrifices that can save you money and help Mother Earth breathe a little easier.

Being a professional cheapskate, I'm frequently asked if I buy bottled water. "Heck no," I say in all truthfulness. "I don't even buy bottled wine." Yep, I prefer my water out of the tap and my Chablis in a five liter box. In fact, I think "Chablis" is actually French for "cardboard vineyard," isn't it?
water bottles

Prepare for shock and awe (and national embarrassment): 1.5 million barrels of oil are used every year to manufacture disposable plastic water bottles for the U.S. market. That's enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year according to an article in the New York Times.

And the bottling process itself wastes two gallons of water for every gallon of water that it actually packages. I was never very good at arithmetic, but I think that's mathematical madness. It's like the company president who reports that his firm is losing money on every sale, but that they plan to make it up in volume.

But here's the thing that really gets my Green Cheapskate blood pressure soaring: Bottled water is 240 to 10,000 times more expensive than water from the tap, depending, I suppose, on how stylish the bottle is. At the same time, bottled water is actually subjected to less rigorous testing and purity standards than our tap water here in the U.S.

According to the Times, if you drink only bottled water you'll spend about $1,400 annually to get your recommended daily amount of H2O, as opposed to 49 cents for a year's supply of just-as-healthy tap water. Use the calculator at www.newdream.org to calculate your savings based on actual consumption, whether it's just for a week during Lent or, better yet, for the whole year.

And while you're at it, take a nanosecond to sign the petition to your governor asking them to stop purchasing bottled water with state funds.
http://www.newdream.org/action/user_petition_detail.php?config[com_region_global119][instance_uid]=10
It's not only better for the environment, but it's better for taxpayers. Now that's the kind of thrifty talk that makes me work up a thirst.

Tracking the ‘Water Footprint’

Tracking the ‘Water Footprint’
By Azadeh Ensha
March 24, 2009

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/tracking-the-water-footprint/

Water forum “Water neutrality” was a hot topic in Turkey last week.

Last week, delegates from over 100 countries converged in Istanbul for the Fifth World Water Forum.

Among the many topics of discussion at the weeklong conference, which ended Sunday (World Water Day), was one that has been gaining steam for the last couple of years: “water neutrality.” The idea — conceptually analagous to minding one’s carbon footprint — is that companies ought to be tracking their water footprints as well.

“Water neutrality is a relatively new idea put forward by a small number of corporations to try to address their use of water,” said Peter H. Gleick, a co-founder and president of the Pacific Institute, which is working with the United Nations to develop more robust corporate reporting of water use.

There is little agreement over how water footprints should be measured.

“At its simplest, the idea is that a corporation that is trying to be water-neutral will somehow compensate for the water they use in their processing — and on net, not use any excess water,” Mr. Gleick said. “That’s the theory,” he added, “but the practices are going to be more difficult.”

The U.N.’s CEO Water Mandate is attempting to develop, implement and disclose water sustainability policies and practices — though some critics have dismissed the program as greenwash:

“It is a devious initiative by some of the global water giants to position themselves as environmental stewards while also exercising even more control over water management,” wrote Richard Girard of the Polaris Institute, a group that aims, according to its Web site, to “unmask and challenge the corporate power.”

However legitimate those charges, several companies are making at least a token effort to adress their water use — and some are claiming bolder ambitions. E. Neville Isdell, for instance, the chairman of Coca-Cola — which sells 1.5 billion beverages a day in over 200 countries and, in 2006, used 80 billion gallons of water to produce its beverages — has pledged, “to replace every drop of water we use in our beverages and their production, to achieve balance in communities and in nature with the water we use.”

Whether or not the company will achieve that goal remains an open question — particularly given that it’s unclear where to attribute responsibility for water use along a product’s supply chain. Does a beverage maker, for example, account for the water used to grow the sugar that is eventually used in their products? Or is that part of the supplier’s water footprint?

Meanwhile, the World Water Forum’s sustainability efforts hit a message-snag early on last week, when Turkish police fired water canons at crowds of protesters.

The officers said water was “the cheapest way” to keep the crowds at bay.

Out West, Catching Raindrops Can Make You an Outlaw

Out West, Catching Raindrops Can Make You an Outlaw
By STEPHANIE SIMON
stephanie.simon@wsj.com
MARCH 25, 2009

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123794222413232887.html

DENVER -- Every raincloud that passes over her eastern Colorado ranch tempts state Rep. Marsha Looper to break the law.

A long, hard drought has settled across the land, and on those rare occasions when the sky opens, Ms. Looper longs to set out some rain barrels to collect the bounty for future use. She'd like to use the rain to grow hothouse tomatoes. But she refrains.

"I don't want to get thrown in jail," she explains.

It is, in fact, illegal in Colorado to collect rainwater. State law is vague about the penalties, except to say that violators can be taken to court and ordered to pay damages. The state lacks the resources for vigorous enforcement and fines are extremely rare, officials say. Still, the law is the law -- and so Ms. Looper has set out to change it. This might just be her year.

Colorado, like most Western states, lives by a rigid and byzantine knot of water laws. Vast quantities of river water are made available, free of charge, to a variety of public and private interests, including oil companies, ski resorts, fire districts and breweries. The international food conglomerate Nestlé has applied for a permit to draw water from a Colorado aquifer and sell it in plastic bottles under its Arrowhead brand.

Those appropriations are made under a seniority system based on first-come first-serve claims staked out as far back as the 1850s. Colorado law explicitly states that every drop of moisture suspended in the atmosphere must be divvied up according to those claims. That means each drop must be allowed to hit the ground and seep through the watershed into distant rivers, where it can be doled out to claimants ranging from alfalfa farmers to ExxonMobil.

Ms. Looper, a Republican, thinks that's nuts. "They own every raindrop that falls out of the sky? Just ridiculous," she says.

With drought widespread across the West, many cities outside Colorado are encouraging rain harvesting through tax credits, rain-barrel subsidies, even building codes that require rain-catching cisterns in new developments. The membership of the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association -- a trade group that represents any company or individual interested in the practice -- has jumped from less than 100 to nearly 600 in just two years.

But in Colorado and Utah, the only other state with a blanket ban on rain harvest, powerful forces are determined to continue limiting access to precipitation.

Setting a barrel on the lawn to recycle rain "sounds nice and efficient, but in my opinion, under Colorado law, that is theft," says Glenn Porzak, a lawyer who specializes in water-rights claims. "That rainwater is spoken for."

True, most people who store rain water will eventually dump it on lawns and gardens -- exactly where it would have fallen in the first place. But they are likely to do that during dry seasons when thirsty plants suck up most of the water, and very little is left to work its way through the water basin and into rivers.
[Map]

A hydrology study commissioned in 2007 by several Colorado water districts found that just 3% of the rain falling on undeveloped land makes it back into the stream system in a dry year, compared with 15% in a wet year. (In developed areas, those percentages are typically much higher, because the rain washes into storm drains, which often dump into streams.)

A ban on rainwater harvesting "makes no sense to people, because rain seems ubiquitous," says Mo McBroom, policy director of the Washington Environmental Council. "They're like, 'Do I have to have an air right to breathe?' " Ms. McBroom responds that one rain barrel won't hurt anyone -- but hundreds of thousands of 5,000-gallon cisterns could threaten the livelihoods of all who depend on the West's mighty rivers.

Farmers rely on rain-fed river water to grow food; utilities need it to produce electricity; industries need it to run factories -- and cities need it to provide drinking water to residents. Fish need healthy rivers, too, of course. Some environmentalists fear that diverting downpours to cisterns would threaten aquatic habitats.

Washington allows rainwater harvesting only in a few areas, including Seattle and the San Juan Islands, where some residents have spent $50,000 or more on 10,000-gallon rain storage tanks and filtration systems. Efforts to expand the practice statewide have failed several years in a row because the varied interests can't agree on how much precipitation individuals should be allowed to store. A bid to lift the ban in Utah died in the legislature this month. In Colorado, however, Ms. Looper and a fellow rain rebel, Democratic state Sen. Chris Romer, have crafted bills so modest in scope that they have gained widespread support.

One bill would let rural residents not served by a municipal water system store rain for fire protection, livestock feed and household uses. A second bill authorizes several new developments to capture and reuse rain, so long as the builders track how much water they divert from the state's natural waterways.

Ms. Looper acknowledges that her bills still keep rain harvesting off limits to the majority of Colorado residents. But she says it's the best she can hope for in a state that adheres faithfully to the old adage of Western life: "Whiskey is for drinking. Water is for fighting."

Food & Energy Shortages Will Create the "Perfect Storm" by 2030

[blog note: We ALREADY have millions and millions starving and without water...how can we let it get worse?]

Food and energy shortages will create 'perfect storm', says Prof John Beddington
Growing populations, falling energy sources and food shortages will create the "perfect storm" by 2030, the government's chief scientist Professor John Beddington has said.
By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
19 Mar 2009

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/5015051/Food-and-energy-shortages-will-create-perfect-storm-says-Prof-John-Beddington.html

The demand for resources will create a crisis with dire consequences, Prof Beddington predicts.

Demand for food and energy will jump 50 per cent by 2030 and for fresh water by 30 per cent, as the global population tops 8.3 billion, he is due to tell a conference in London.

Climate change will exacerbate matters in unpredictable ways, he will add.

"It's a perfect storm," Prof Beddington will tell the Sustainable Development UK 09 conference.

"There's not going to be a complete collapse, but things will start getting really worrying if we don't tackle these problems.

"My main concern is what will happen internationally, there will be food and water shortages," he said.

"We're relatively fortunate in the UK. There may not be shortages here, but we can expect prices of food and energy to rise."

He said we need more disease-resistant and pest-resistant plants and better practices, better harvesting procedures.

Prof Beddington said the "storm" would create war, unrest and mass migration.

Growing populations and success in alleviating poverty in the Third World will create huge demand for food and water in the next two decades with climate change depleting resources.

He said food reserves are at a 50-year low but the world requires 50 per cent more energy, food and water by 2030.

Prof Beddington said climate change would mean Northern Europe would become new key centres for food production and other areas would need to use more advanced pesiticides.

The United Nations Environment Programme predicts widespread water shortages across Africa, Europe and Asia by 2025. The amount of fresh water available per head of the population is expected to decline sharply in that time.

Population Growth, Climate Change Sparking Water Crisis

Dry Cycle
Population growth, climate change sparking water crisis: U.N.
11 Mar 2009

http://www.grist.org/cgi-bin/printthis.pl?uri=/news/2009/03/11/water/index.html
http://www.grist.org/news/2009/03/11/water/index.html?source=daily

PARIS -- Surging population growth, climate change, reckless irrigation and chronic waste are placing the world's water supplies at threat, a landmark U.N. report said on Thursday.

Compiled by 24 U.N. agencies, the 348-page document gave a grim assessment of the state of the planet's freshwater, especially in developing countries, and described the outlook for coming generations as deeply worrying.

Water is part of the complex web of factors that determine prosperity and stability, it said.

Lack of access to water helps drive poverty and deprivation and breeds the potential for unrest and conflict, it warned.

"Water is linked to the crises of climate change, energy and food supplies and prices, and troubled financial markets," the third World Water Development Report said.

"Unless their links with water are addressed and water crises around the world are resolved, these other crises may intensify and local water crises may worsen, converging into a global water crisis and leading to political insecurity at various levels."

The report pointed to a double squeeze on fresh water.

On one side was human impact. There were six billion humans in 2000, a tally that has already risen to 6.5 billion and could scale nine billion by 2050.

Population growth, especially in cities in poor countries, is driving explosive demand for water, prompting rivers in thirsty countries to be tapped for nearly every drop and driving governments to pump out so-called fossil water, the report said.

These are aquifers that are hundreds of thousands of years old and whose extraction is not being replenished by rainfall. Mining them for water today means depriving future generations of liquid treasure.

Fuelling this is misuse or abuse of water, through pollution, unbridled irrigation, pipe leakage and growing of water-craving crops in deserts.

Applying pressure from the other side is climate change, said the report.

Shifts to weather systems, unleashed by man-made global warming, will alter rainfall patterns and reduce snow melt, scientists say.

The water report was first issued in 2003 and is updated every three years.

The latest issue, entitled "Water in a Changing World," is published ahead of the fifth World Water Forum, taking place in Istanbul from March 16 to 22.

The mammoth document made these points:

-- DEMOGRAPHIC GROWTH is boosting water stress in developing countries, where hydrological resources are often meager. The global population is growing by 80 million people a year, 90 percent of it in poorer countries. Demand for water is growing by 64 billion cubic metres (2.2 trillion cubic feet) per year, roughly equivalent to Egypt's annual water demand today.

-- In the past 50 years, EXTRACTION from rivers, lakes and aquifers has tripled to help meet population growth and demands for water-intensive food such as rice, cotton, dairy and meat products. Agriculture accounts for 70 percent of the withdrawals, a figure that reaches more than 90 percent in some developing countries.

-- ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION from water pollution and excessive extraction now costs many billions of dollars. Damage in the Middle East and North Africa, the world's most water-stressed region, amounts to some $9 billion a year, or between 2.1-7.4 percent of GDP.

-- The outlook is mixed for key UN MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS, which in 2000 set the deadline of 2015 for halving the number of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. The target on drinking water is on track but the tally of people without improved sanitation will have decreased only slightly by 2015, from 2.5 billion to 2.4 billion.

-- Water stress, amplified by climate change, will pose a mounting SECURITY CHALLENGE. The struggle for water could threaten fragile states and drive regional rivalry.

"Conflicts about water can occur at all scales," the report warned, adding: "Hydrologic shocks that may occur through climate change increase the risk of major national and international security threats, especially in unstable areas."

-- Between $92.4 billion and $148 billion are needed annually in INVESTMENT to build and maintain water supply systems, sanitation and irrigation. China and developed countries in Asia alone face financial needs of $38.2-51.4 billion each year.

-- CONSERVATION and reuse of water, including recycled sewage, are the watchwords of the future. The report also stressed sustainable water management, with realistic PRICING to curb waste. It gave the example of India where free or almost-free water had led to huge waste in irrigation, causing soils to be waterlogged and salt-ridden.

Purifying the Business of Selling Water

INNOVATION: Purifying the Business of Selling Water
By Astrid M. Krogstad

http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4493&printview&imagesoff
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4493

In 2004, Jonathan Ritchey and Rick Howard joined forces to address the loss of one of the world’s most precious resources: water. The majority of the planet is covered with water (326 million cubic miles), yet only 3% is fresh water and even less is accessible to humans. Element Four is Ritchey and Howard’s answer—a company devoted to easing the global fresh-water shortage. Their product, the WaterMill, converts air into potable water through condensation followed by antimicrobial processes. The water then travels to various “points-of-use systems” such as home faucets and refrigerators. Ideally, the WaterMill will produce 3.2 gallons of water per day—enough to meet the needs of a family of six. And at an average operating cost of 35 cents per day, it far surpasses in cost-effectiveness the price of bottled water. The point is to alleviate the environmental burden of bottled water, while placing control of fresh water sources into the hands
of consumers.

The WaterMill is at the intersection of technology, environmentalism and philanthropy. Though the company’s target demographic will initially consist of suburbanites, Howard and Ritchey envision adapting the product for worldwide use. “With a minimum relative humidity, the WaterMill can be of benefit to any consumer in almost any environment, and this is where Element Four can have a global impact on the water crisis,” says Howard. Available in February, it is the first in an upcoming line of products that will include a solar-powered version of the WaterMill as well as the WaterWall, a large-scale adaptation for use on an industrial scale.

Want to impress your boss? Suggest these simple ways to save money and the planet - at work...

Need to Impress Your Boss
Suggest These Simple Ways to Save Money (and the Planet) at Work
January 2009

It can be hard to get back into the swing of things at work after the cheer of the holiday season. But we have some tips that might help get your creative juices flowing again during the dark, cold weeks of winter. You can become a new office hero by suggesting ways for your employer to save money while helping out the planet.

In today's tough economy, every penny saved can help keep folks employed. Plus, it can't hurt your reputation in the boardroom if you are the one to show your boss how he or she can trim expenses.

Businesses use a tremendous amount of water, energy, paper and other products, and reducing waste saves money, as well as valuable resources. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

1. Turn the Heat Down

Office spaces and other places of work require enormous amounts of energy to maintain an even temperature, whether it's the heating or cooling season doing the work. While this can be a tricky subject among coworkers, who may have different body types, metabolisms, expectations and preferences for temperature, by talking things through you may be able to encourage your building manager to set a more eco-friendly temperature. He or she may not know that the air around your desk feels like a summer night in Alabama, even if it's snowing outside. Or perhaps your team can agree to try out lowering the thermostat by just a few degrees, and avoid wearing short sleeves for a while. The savings can be substantial, especially if you suggest that temperature is lowered at night, or other times when few folks will be present.

2. Suggest Energy-Efficient Lighting

You've probably heard that you can save money by switching to fluorescent lighting. But maybe no one at your office got the green memo. Also, are there times when you can raise blinds and turn down the lights? Does everyone remember to shut off unneeded lights when they leave at night?

3. Turn Off Those Computers!

If your office is like many others, people leave their computers on all the time, even when they aren't using them! However, you can tell your boss that every worker who shuts his or her machine down before heading out each night saves an average of $90 worth of electricity a year. That adds up! The Department of Energy recommends shutting off your monitor if you aren't going to use it for more than 20 minutes, and the whole system if you're not going to use it for more than two hours. The agency says time spent off extends your machine’s life—tell that to the IT guys!

4. Just Say “No” to Water Bottles

A lot of companies provide employees and clients with bottled water. That's a nice thought, but carting around all those plastic bottles isn't doing the environment any favors. Suggest a cheaper filter system instead. You'll even have a talking point to impress those clients when they need a little refreshment.

5. Encourage Car Pooling and Biking

Ask around and see if some of your coworkers might be interested in doing some car pooling. Not only can everyone save on gas, but you'll also reduce emissions and build camaraderie among your team. Point out to your bosses that the company can save on maintenance and security of parking lots, and in a number of areas may qualify for valuable incentives from city governments. Does your company have a bulletin board, either virtual or the kind with actual thumbtacks? Ask your boss if you can post a sign-up sheet for those who might be interested in participating. Similarly, does your work place have bike racks? Those who bike to work also tend to be healthier, and more fit employees are sick less often and require less health care. Aren't you smart for thinking of that?

6. Save on Printing

As anyone who has ever owned an inkjet or laser printer knows, replacement cartridges are mighty pricey, and soon eclipse the original cost of the device. You can save your company a pile of cash if you help encourage people to print black and white as much as possible, to use draft settings, and to only print when needed. For draft copies recommend that people print on both sides (it's easy!), and definitely suggest that your company recycle if they don't already!

7. Provide Reusable Mugs and Dishes

Put out ceramic mugs and plates instead of paper or Styrofoam and people will use them. Tell people to clean up after themselves, and they'll also develop a greater sense of pride in their surroundings, instead of just tossing things away after a single use.

8. Green the Chow Hall

If your company has a cafeteria, suggest that it also provide reusable utensils, and minimize packaging. Suggest that food buyers look for local and seasonal ingredients, as well as plenty of meatless options, which are greener and generally cheaper.

9. Invest in Some Plants

If you had success with the proceeding steps, we salute you! If you're feeling a little ambitious, you might try suggesting that your company provide a few house plants, which help clean the air, leading to more comfortable, and productive, employees. Plants also can improve the mood of employees and guests. At the least, ask that your boss consider reversing a ban on plants, if you work in one of the unfortunate places with such a strict policy.

When will the water run out?

When will the water run out?
Climate change, increased industrial demand and wanton wastefulness: is 'peak
water' upon us?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2009/jan/22/water-climate-change/prin\
t
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2009/jan/22/water-climate-change

[Read comments:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2009/jan/22/water-climate-change?comm\
entpage=1 ]

Peak oil may be the least of our problems, scientists warned today. Growing
industrial demand for water in developing countries such as China, rapidly
expanding urban populations and the efficiency with which we use water have
increased the risk of "peak water" – a resource that most of us presume will
be infinite – entering a terminal decline.

Of course, we already knew one of the big eco-bummers of our modern lives is
that products from beer to microchips use inordinate amounts of water. Last
August, the WWF revealed that each Brit effectively uses 4,645 litres of water a
day to produce the food on our tables and the T-shirts on our backs; see our
world map for an idea of where Britain's "borrowed water" comes from.

Unsurprisingly, one of the solutions advocated by this new report is a better
use of the water we have. To that end, the authors have estimated the water
footprint of everyday food and drink, which encouragingly shows that one litre
of beer consumes less water (300 litres) than one litre of orange juice (850
litres). One kilogram of coffee is reportedly more thirsty (21,000 litres of
water) than one kilogram of hamburger (16,000 litres). Take a look at our image
gallery to see the hidden water cost of everything from your daily cuppa to a
glass of wine.

According to the report, this is adding up to a global crisis. "We are facing a
crisis of running out of sustainably managed water," says Peter Gleick, the
author of the sixth edition of the World Water report by California's Pacific
Institute. Despite human demand accounting for over 50% of the world's
accessible freshwater, the report warns that billions of people still lack
access to basic water services. Developing countries, it notes, will suffer
worst from peak water because of supply problems exacerbated by flooding,
drought and water pollution. Developed countries won't be entirely spared
though, as Peter Preston discovered in Spain last year.

The World Water report continues by singling out China as a country in danger of
water stress because of its inefficient water use and large projects such as the
Three Gorges Dam scheme. "[Chinese] Rivers and lakes are dead and dying,
groundwater aquifers are overpumped, uncounted species of aquatic life have been
driven to extinction, and direct adverse impacts on both human and ecosystem
health are widespread and growing," warns Gleick.

His team also highlights how climate change is adversely affecting water global
supplies and its impact on food production.

"The stress on global food production from temperatures alone is going to be
huge, and that doesn't take into account water supplies stressed by the higher
temperatures," said David Battisti, the lead author of another study published
earlier this month.

Gleick's report is keen to stress that the concept of peak water, or more
specifically "peak ecological water", isn't completely analogous to peak oil.
Unlike oil, some water supplies are infinitely renewable. But even those regions
with a water supply that could be exhausted are only likely to suffer peak water
locally – whereas peak oil will be a global issue.

Top 10 Ways to NOT Screw the Earth at Work

Top 10 Ways to NOT Screw the Earth at Work
Easy Going Green Tips for Any Office
Going green is much easier than you might think, especially in the office. Check out these tips to reduce your footprint.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/print-this/green-homes/eco-friendly/office-going-green-tips-460528

Sure, work might be the most boring part of your life — perhaps you routinely count the seconds until each workday is over and dread coming in the following day. But so long as you're there, why not do your best to not screw up the environment?

Here are 10 ways anyone can get started:

10. Use energy-efficient lighting

Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. Both CFLs and LEDs give off less heat than incandescents, plus they last longer. Even Fidel has made sure every Cuban office is using more efficient lights. If you haven't already, it's time to make the switch!

9. Get rid of water bottles

We've known about it for years, but never done a thing. Millions of plastic water bottles are being thrown away daily, and removing them from the office will help! Try using tap water, refilling old bottles, or even buying a water purification device. You can also purchase reusable beverage containers such as Nalgene (soon to be bisphenol A free)
http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/
or Sigg
http://www.mysigg.com/

8. Advocate your company's switch to renewable energy sources

Over 70 percent of electricity in the United States is generated through the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. Try being the voice that gets your company to switch to cleaner, renewable sources — talk to your boss, start a petition or, if need be, refuse to wear clothing at work until your company gets its act together.

You might lose your job in the process, but at least you'll make your point. For a practical guide on switching to green energy, check out the World Resources Institute's "Switching to Green: A renewable energy guide for office and retail companies."
http://www.wri.org/publication/switching-green-renewable-energy-guide-office-and-retail-companies

7. Join a carpool

The average automobile burns over 12 liters of gasoline in just one hour. Whether you're going to the same office, or just the same neighborhood, carpooling makes a heck of a lot of sense. It's not only easy on the wallet (particularly in light of current insane gas prices), but will reduce harmful CO2 and fossil fuel emissions. Sites like erideshare.com
http://www.erideshare.com/
are cool if you're looking for potential carpool companions.

6. Power off your computer

Instead of putting your computer in sleep mode when you leave for an extended period of time, go ahead and shut the puppy off. Believe it or not, powering off completely can save up to 10 times the energy. And if you want to be a hero (and potentially piss off your co-workers), make sure their computers are also turned off after they've gone home for the evening. A word to the wise, however: first make sure everything is saved.

5. Use a laptop

On average, a laptop uses 10% less energy than a standard PC. Plus, if you're accustomed to spending a long time in the bathroom (after lunch, for example) you can multitask by bringing in your laptop — just be sure you don't drop it in the toilet.

4. Keep a keg under your desk

Not sure how it helps the environment, but it sure would make work a lot more fun!

3. Recharge your batteries

Offices use tons of batteries to power things like calculators and hand-held massage devices (at least my office does). When possible, buy rechargeable batteries — so they can be used time and time again and ultimately, create less waste. According to rechargeable battery makers Uniross,
http://www.uniross.com/consumer_html/index.php
rechargeable batteries have 32 times less impact on the environment and use less than 1/23rd the natural resources of their disposable counterparts.

2. Turn off the AC and wear lighter-weight fabrics

Although the thermostat is usually governed by committee, turning off the AC is a quick and easy way to reduce your carbon footprint in the office. If your co-workers aren't happy to accommodate by wearing lighter clothing, you can either a) insulate heat by drawing blinds and curtains (roughly 40% of unwanted heat comes through windows) or b) lay an old-fashioned guilt trip on them (e.g., "You're single-handedly killing Mother Nature, Sally! How do you sleep at night?!")

1. Use paper wisely

This is the big one. Start printing documents double-sided, save scrap paper to jot notes on, and of course, recycle whenever possible. On the more novel side of things, those offices that still use paper time cards (a huge waste of paper!) should consider going electronic with a company like T-sheets.
http://www.tsheets.com/
As a general rule of thumb, if you can move paper correspondence online, then go for it.

New Years Resolution: Live on 13 Gallons of Water a Day

New Years Resolution: Live on 13 Gallons of Water a Day
By Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages
January 5, 2009

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/117557/
http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/117557/?type=blog
http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/http://waterfortheages.wordpress.com//117557/

Recently, someone asked me "Do you track your water use?" I thought thoroughly about my reply to that question. In many ways I conserve water: only flushing the toilet when necessary, turning off the faucet during hand washing and teeth brushing, taking short showers, limiting outdoor watering, and only washing full loads of clothes and dishes. But, do I track my water use -- in detail -- gallon by gallon?

Well, our three-person (two-unit) household does keep track of monthly water use through our utility bills. On average, our household uses 216.92 gallons per day. That equals 72.3 gallons per person each day. Now, I´m ashamed to say this is higher than the average in my town of 66 gallons per person each day. So, where are we going wrong? I´m a water-conscious person, but my house and the attached mother-in-law unit are still exceeding the municipal average.

This new year, I´ve decided to make two important resolutions:

1. Conduct a Household Water Audit
2. Live for One Week on a Human Right Allocation of Water

It is my hope that these actions will reduce my water consumption and raise my awareness about the importance of access to water. Read on to follow my endeavors in the new year.

Conduct a Household Water Audit

Today, I conducted something called a water audit. A water audit is method to evaluate the efficiency of a water system and estimate daily water use. First, I checked and changed all of the water faucets in my home to low-flow water faucets that only use 1 gallon per minute. Then, I changed my showerhead to a low-flow showerhead that only uses 1.6 gallons per minute.

dscf1619

Luckily, I already have a low-flow toilet that uses 1.6 gallons per flush. Next, I checked my municipal water meter to see if it was recording leaks. Then, I used a bit of food coloring to check my toilet for leaks.

Cheap Leak Check

Finally, I made signs to identify the amount of water necessary for all of my fixtures and appliances. It is my hope this last step will serve as a reminder for myself and my housemates. If you are interested in completing a water audit on your home, there are several step-by-steps available. Try this audit or this audit or this audit.

Water Use Totals for Fixtures and Appliances

Live for One Week on a Human Right Allocation of Water

I´ve been interested in the idea of water as a human right for a while. Declaring water a human right will require that a certain amount of water will always be available for free to humans. This measure is to ensure that those without money still have access to water. Obviously, access to water is important because water is necessary for life. As posted recently on Water Wired, in 1996 Peter Gleick suggested a human right allocation of water at 50 liters (13 gallons) each day for basic human needs such as bathing, sanitation, and drinking. The Constitution of South Africa also acknowledges water as a human right, and courts declared this amount to be 50 liters each day. So, I wonder, how does it feel to live on 50 liters (13 gallons) each day? Well, there´s only one way to find out.

For one week, I will live on this amount estimated as a basic human right. This means, I will count every toilet flush, every hand wash, and probably miss most showers. I will live on this human right allocation at home, at work, and everywhere. Tomorrow, I will begin. My journal of this undertaking will be posted to Water for the Ages. Stay tuned.

Abigail Brown manages water resources in Washington State.

= = =

Comment:

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/117557/#comments

A thesis of the obvious...
Posted by: ABetterFuture on Jan 5, 2009 10:26 PM

Next, I checked my municipal water meter to see if it was recording leaks.

Check meter. Don't run water for six hours. Did it move? Then your meter is "equipped for leak recordings".

I´ve been interested in the idea of water as a human right for a while.

It's not a matter of unavailable H20. It's a matter of potability and deliverability in extreme circumstances. Pulling a gallon of water out your back yard pond doesn't affect the grobul wadurh supply anymore than buying a gallon off the shelf at wal-wart does.

All told though, I liked the article. It pointed out some things that otherwise duhmb induhviduals could do to live less ignorantly...

....unfortunately...

....so that others might, cheaply.