|
What's the big deal about water?
Our real global crisis is about clean water, not climate change, just clean drinkable water. We just don't have enough. Water is the most precious natural resource that exists on our planet. Without it, life on Earth would not exist. It is essential for every living thing on our planet to grow and prosper. Pollution is making our water unfit to drink or bathe in, let alone water the plants that provide our food. This pollution is caused by agricultral and manufacturing waste products, pathogens such as organisms that cause typhoid and dysentery, including bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, organic pollution, such as, but not only, sewage and, more ominously, pharmacutical wastes. The problem...Our drinking water is going away. Clean water is vital for our well being. Some third world countries have no way of providing clean drinking water to their people. In India, thousands of people drink the waters of the sacred Ganges River. You would be sickened if you knew what was in that. You can't even see through it! Millions of people in India are sickened every year by drinking this water. As horrible as that water is, it is worse in some other countries. In the United states, clean water is getting harder and harder to find. Industrial wastes and agricultural chemicals have polluted groundwater to the point of it not only being unfit for human consumption, it is also too salty to grow crops. City and state governments are working hard to provide their people with potable water but the problem gets worse every year. California is reaching a crisis point fast. Cities are big and growing bigger and people and manufacturing use lots and lots of water, milllions of gallons per day. Agricultural demands have usurped the demands of the cities for decades and now the pressure is on. In a recent 2009 news telecast, a prominent newscaster went to a valley in California where farms were being shut down for lack of water and made a big deal about "turning on the water", but he missed the point. There was no water to turn on and it wasn't the Governor's fault, it was the fault of interprising land owners who had previously sold the water rights to other companies, long ago. We are in serious trouble. Some cities, like Tucson, AZ, are trying to take care of it's people by careful planning, wise negotiations and clever engineering, a vital process, especially since Tucson is in a desert with sparce rainfall to begin with. Water harvesting is encouraged here. In some other states, water harvesting is actually against the law, because the government is afraid that it will prevent the recharge of the groundwater resevoirs, cause the water supply to become depleted and/or they will lose control of this valuable resource. There is lots more to come along with names, dates and places. Stay tuned! In the mean time, What can you do? The solution...Individually, you can't save the world, but you can start with your own family, reach out to your neighbors and then your community. Community examples spark interest in other comunities, then cities and on to the state level. Trust me, this crisis has not gone unnoticed at the state level. It's just something they don't like to talk about. You can start by finding out what is in your drinking water. All city water companies have an analysis of the water they provide to you. In most cases, (not all), your tap water is cleaner than the expensive bottled water you buy at the store. Now that was an eye-opener for me. That is a dirty, little secret. Find out where the bottling company is getting the water they sell you. You might not like the answer. Then, if you don't like the taste or the analysis of your tap water, you can get a filter from many sources. The least expensive is a counter top model that you fill yourself, and there are many brands. It goes up from there. Over the next few months, I'll be reporting on what, exactly, happens to be in the water, how it probably got there and why you should be worried. I will also be reporting on how you can remove it and what I've found to be the best ways to wind up with pure drinking water. Filtering is not your only option. You will be able to find here, resources such as books, government (city and state) reports, films you should see, inexpensive water tests you can buy and affordable water filters. 'Till then, drink healthy. Simone, your cleanwater reporter. ---------------------------------------------------
|
| HANDY WATER TIP --------- If you just have a problem with the chlorine in your tap water, (put there to kill those nasties that might harm you), just fill a jug and leave it out on the counter over night. The chlorine will dissapate, leaving your water sweet and good to drink. ------------------------ WATER AND ENERGY ------------------------ Water can be the other utility in which the units also play a major role in your life. Gallons or CF/M (Cubic Feet per Minute) are the units I have seen. Here is the best and simplest utility to study and mold to your use. Waste water generated by every house could be used again. You can even use the condensation from your air conditioning. Grey water, rain runoff, and evaporative cooling overflow all can be utilized instead of wasted. Make two catches, one salty, and one not. How about that Reverse Osmosis waste line. Tie it in to a salty catch tank or barrel, along with the evaporative cooler drain. Painting your catch tank a dark color first, then a light color over that, will cut down on algae problems. A simple silica sand filter, the kind used for swimming pools, works great as a water cleaning tool. You will need a pump for this to work. Make this catch separate from the house runoff or rain catch. There are other methods I have used, including a solar still overflow line (salty). All waste lines are now resources. ---------------------- STOP THOSE LEAKS! ---------------------- That pesky leak in the bathroom could cost you a hundred gallons a day if you don’t fix it. Keep your living space maintained and save money. As my cousin used to tell me “If you see something that needs doing, do it!” A simple 39¢ washer could save you bundle. This applies to basic little problems. Take care of them before they get worse and really cost you. Plugging cracks may be an ongoing thing. Sometimes you have to live with it. |
© 2009 • All Rights Reserved
No part of this website or graphics within may be copied without permission from owner.