Water Crisis

This is an informative video that covers the issues with our world wide water crisis. It is a subtle video with a huge impact on its viewers. Take a few minutes to look over it and let me know what you think.

Recycling Water

We've all heard about recycling newspaper, cans, paper, etc..., but this is a great video that focuses on recycling water. It takes you through the process that plants across the country are taking in order to help conserve drinking water. Take a look and see if you think this is a process that more of the country/world should adapt.

If Left Unchanged

If water conservation behaviors do not begin to take effect throughout the world then a water crisis, larger than the one that we currently have, will effect the globe. Having the majority of the water on Earth come from oceans (97%), there is only at 2% of fresh water that can be used. Right now there is an inadequate amount of clean water to support our population. More than 1 out of 6 people already lack safe drinking water. This can be attributed to tripling of the population throughout the 20th century, but the population is expected to double again within the next fifty years.

( Satellite view shows the retreating shore of the Aral Sea, formerly one of the world's largest inland seas. Image at left was taken in 1989, at right in 2003.)

Other issues that are contributing to the lack of the fresh water supply is the amount of contamination prevalent today. Fresh bodies of water are becoming high in algae because of neighboring land containing manure and landfills. The phosphorus from the manure travels through the soil into the underground water streams. As a result, toxic blue-green algae grows in the water supply thus contaminating the water. Also, about 0.1-0.4% of usable aquifers are contaminated by landfills. The wastes in landfills become saturated with water, and if the water seeps into the groundwater or surface water, it can contaminate the supply.

As you can see, the world's water supply is dissipating from natural parts of the environment, but also by what we humans are doing to it. Because water is already becoming a sparse resource, it means that we as individuals need to contribute in ways to help preserve water. People need to participate in water saving principles and recycle proper wastes or else the water supply will soon be virtually non-existent.

Recycling Newspaper

In class the other day someone asked about if it was worth the process to recycle newspapers. After doing some research, I have found that it is important to continue/start to recycle newspapers. According to a website from Newton, Kansas about recycling, it takes about 17 trees in order to create 1 ton of newspaper, and on average, Americans buy 65 million newspapers each day. However, only about 4 or 5 out of every 10 papers are actually recycled. It is good to recycle paper because it is able to reduce air and water pollution up to 50%, and by recycling one ton of paper we are able to save up to 7,000 gallons of water and 4,100 kwh of electricity each year.

The process of recycling newspaper has multiple steps. First the paper has to go through a de-inking mill where it is washed in a solution containing warm water and chemicals which turns the paper into mush. The mush is then spun and screened to remove the ink and other unwanted particles within the paper. After that the mush is then air treated in a flotation cell. A flotation cell is a water-mineral tank where the surfaces of the selected minerals are made water resistant. Those particles that repel the water then attach to air bubbles thus floating to the top of the tank where the unwanted particles in the froth can be eliminated. The mush is washed one last time, bleached and mixed with tree pulp. It is then squeezed to remove the water and then dried and pressed for shipment.

It is a big process for paper that can typically be recycled 5-7 times, but recycling is actually the most effective way to use money to dispose unwanted newspapers. Typically, it costs $30 per ton to recycle trash. By recycling, Americans can save $20-$45 by eliminating the process of sending it to a landfill or burning it. Newspaper can be composted and only leaves a minuscule amount of ink in the compost, the ability to recycle and save trees would be a much more logical way to dispose of newspaper. Newspaper can be recycled and used for other products as well like: cereal boxes, egg cartons, pencil barrels, grocery bags, tissue paper, and cellulose insulation materials. As a result, the effect that recycling newspapers can create other necessary products that are used daily, but can also help save the destruction of trees as well.

Survey

Here is just a quick survey that you can take to see how environmentally friendly you are!

~SURVEY~

Recycling

As the years have continued to go by, the need to recycle has grown significantly. Americans have always been involved in consumerism, but with the build up of wealth amongst our nation more items are being used and as a result more waste is created. With the consumption of fast food and new technologies, more materials that are not biodegradable are present.

With the more recent concern with the environment many recycling practices are encouraged. There are pick up services at homes, businesses, and also a lot of college universities have started their own recycling services. These services encourage people to recycle cans, bottles, magazines, newspapers, paper, and cardboard in addition to the regular waste products. Separate containers are even labeled to say what product can be disposed of where.

Not only are the products that we physically consume able to be recycled, but house held technologies and other products are able as well. There are special recycling services for recycling mercury that is predominant in fluorescent light bulbs and car electronics. But other products that have recycling services are cell phones, clothing, computers, crayons, media devices, phone books, plastic bags, packaging materials, ring carriers, and transparencies.

As you can see, there are more than a handful of services that can help recycle unwanted materials, and I'm sure that there are many more.

Continuation from "Just Do It"

As I looked back on the blog "Just Do It," I wanted reflect more on how the process of going "green" can affect the world, as well as an individual. I know that before I wrote that the switch to go green can be easy and not alter a person's daily life, but I would like to back and clear that up.

Changing your lifestyle to go green initially may become a bit of a social issue. It is not easy to up and change the way you use electricity, water, and recycle; you have to be self motivated to keep on track of the new lifestyle. Shower time may have to be adjusted as well as other tasks in order to save water, but just like any other new task/ability, the final product comes with practice and time. The ability to teach children the importance of recycling and proper water while they are still young and developing is going to be very important with the health of our planet. The younger a child is, the less habits that they have and the easier it is to teach them new principles.

Obviously a great amount of attention is spent on the economy right now, but the ability to save money is always going to be available if you switch to a greener way of living.

3 Impressive Blogs

Three blogs that I spend a lot of time reading are Jumping the Fence, Homeland Security, and Reenergize Tired Earth.

Jumping the Fence:
This is one of my favorite blogs to read. It is very nicely put together and uses creative elements throughout the blog for entertainment. The blog discusses important issues regarding immigration and the effects that it has on our country and its citizens. The writer brings up very bold issues related to the topic and provides great information to support her stance.

Homeland Security:
This blog discusses the actions taken by the Department of National Security in the United States. It discusses areas that need to be more closely monitored with security. It’s main focus; however, is based on airport security, and it elaborates on the ways in which new technology can help alleviate the current airport security status. The blog covers a very interesting main topic; therefore, contributing to great commentary and questions.

Reenergize Tired Earth:
This blog discusses the importance of alternate energy resources. The writer stresses that the United States has grown more dependent on oil for energy, and how alternate resources need to be used in order to save our natural resources. Not only to save our lingering resources, but to also help make the Earth a more eco-friendly place.

Change of Plan

On Monday October 13, 2008 big news hit the street. The original reasoning behind the Bailout Plan was to spend $700 billion to purchase debt that has accumulated from the mortgage crisis. The Bush Administration; however, has taken a slight detour with the plan. They said that they are going to put $250 billion into nationalizing 9 banks; this was not part of the original plan.

The Bush Administration's change in the Bailout Plan has caused a lot of commotion amongst Americans. Nationalizing the major national banks was not part of the Bailout Plan, and therefore Americans are upset that the money is not being used according to plan. As a result, the majority of people pleased with the action are members of the Bush Administration.

Just Do It

There really isn't anything that should be in the way of altering a lifestytle to becoming more green.

The only major expense that could arise in the process the would the cost of solar panels for homes to convert solar energy from the sun into electricity within the home. More than likely; however, the money spent in excess for the solar panels is made up with the accumulation of energy saved each montch. The cost of the electric bill deminishes, and the owners help the environment at the same time.

Also, the ability to conserve water does not come with a high price tag either. Of course by adding water friendly applia nces to the home would be great (very afforable), the ability to save water can be as easy as turning the water off when you brush your teeth and by cutting down on your shower time. No matter how much you contribute, the ability to do anything at all is great and can only help in the long run.

I know that Barack Obama has said a lot abot alternate energy sources in his debates, and I hope that if he is elected, that he will follow through. Being able to create a national sense of urgency with the protection of our envirnment, especially in its economic turmoil, could be one of the best things for the US.

Bye Bye H2O?

A growing concern for the American people has become the national issue regarding our fresh water supply. The Earth’s surface is made up of about 71% water, but 97% of the Earth’s water comes from the oceans and seas; therefore, the [salt] water is undrinkable. That means that only about 2% of the Earth’s water is fresh water and valuable to humans. That’s not really a good amount in supply when among the United States alone, the average American consumes about 100 gallons of freshwater a day, and the nation as a whole uses about 26 billion gallons of fresh water a day. Because water is the most valuable resource to human beings and availability directly impacts our lives, Americans need to take some sort of stand to try and help conserve this dwindling resource.

Because fresh water is becoming less accessible, it has become a national issue. A lot of the knowledge gained about this important situation is often times self induced, but because we as a nation are becoming more and more worried about our water supply, the national government (including presidential candidates) has incorporated the water issue into their national plans. Senator Obama seems more intuitive about the crisis than Senator McCain and seems much more prepared to help attack the problem. Senator Obama is a supporter of having more regulations pertaining to the nation’s water use, especially with the appliances that we use. In conjunction, he also believes that everyone should use water more efficiently to avoid waste and is a believer in continual research and testing to develop more technologies that are water savvy. Some of the other tactics that Senator Obama is supporting are: the switch from irrigated lawns to `water smart’ landscaping, training and economic assistance for farmer and businesses to shift to more highly used water efficient systems, desalination, and the Great Lakes Basin Contract.

Even though it is important to have a national leader impelled to help during an environmental crisis, the personal ability to conserve water never has to be sacrificed. There is a tremendous amount of ways to decrease water consumption around the house in order to satisfy an individual’s effort to help during the water crisis. There are one hundred tips that direct towards good water saving ideas, and they are good to use whether fresh water is scarce (like it is now) or not.

One of the best decisions a person could make within their homes these days is by installing low-flush toilets. The toilet is the single most water used appliance in the house and uses about 38% of fresh water each day. By switching to a low-flow toilet, a household is able to cut down on water wasted by 25%. That is a difference of about 5 gallons a flush to less than 2 gallons. Another system that has been proven effective for fresh water conservation in the bathroom is the new AQUS system. This purpose behind the system is to avoid using fresh water in unnecessary ways. The system works by having a system between the bathroom sink and the toilet. Instead of using freshwater in the toilet, the water used in the sink gets collected and treated in a tank where it is filtered and disinfected and then is moved to the toilet’s tank to be used a second time before becoming waste. This water system has also been effective in water saving, in addition to being low maintenance and low cost.

Other areas that can cause a large difference in the consumption of water in the home are washing machines, dish washers, and low-cost water saving devices. Congress actually approved the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 which includes national incentives to use and develop high efficiency clothes washers and dish washers among the next few years in order to lead the way to creating more efficient water appliances. This Act can allow the United States to take one big footstep in the right direction because that means that all clothes and dish washers that come on the market need to be water efficient. The US will go from using clothes washers that use 40-55 gallons of fresh water a load, to washers that use 22-25 gallons. That is a saving of 30-50% of water and saves 5,000 gallons of water each year. Also, by running the clothes washer or dish washer when only having full loads will save a large amount of water a year as well.

Not only can consumers buy products with the WaterSense label that ensures them that the appliance is water efficient, but they can also buy water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators to help diminish was consumption as well. Again, there is a huge difference in the amount of water used. Using your shower time effectively is important as well. The majority of the time, the appliances, products, and smart living decisions do not require a lifestyle change, no big investments are needed because money will actually be saved, and in the end each home is able to save water.

Some other ways to help conserve water is by checking for leaks and being tactical when irrigating plants outside. For over 30 years, the American Leak Detection has over 4.5 million leaks (still counting) and by finding and fixing those leaks, they have saved over 1.5 trillion gallons of water. A leaky faucet can waste up to 100 gallons of water a day, so performing regular checks are very important. In addition, 40% of the water used in the summer months is used outside. It is unnecessary to waste water to irrigate outside, when we have rain water that we can use instead. A simple and smart way to save water, especially for outside needs, is to collect rain water from gutters to use for gardening and landscaping. Also, plant and water plants in similar groups that have similar water needs to cut back on water usage and to also make it easier to collect and reuse run off irrigation water. By testing soil and the atmospheric measurements, a person is able to schedule irrigation in a more efficient way and actually improve their agricultural results.

As you can see, there are many ways to aid in conservation of water. By doing the little things within the home and influencing others to live water efficient lives, more water will be saved and be available for drinking. Remember to dispose of toxic materials properly as well because 1 gallon of oil can contaminate 1 million gallons of fresh water. Also, remember that every bit helps and although it may not seem like a lot personally, the environment loves every little bit.

Living Off Of The Sun

Within recent times, the desire to use the Sun's energy has attracted the attention of many people all over the world; however, the use of solar energy was thought up and used over a century ago. It's hard to believe that apparatuses were created to soak up the Sun's rays for engergy during the Industrial Revolution, but indeed they did. It was used in times up until World War I and then died off until more recent times. Since the cost of energy is growing so much and more individuals want to use natural ways to live their lives, the very practical and environmental process of using solar energy is becoming a hit.

It is no suprise that solar engergy is developing all around the world. According to an article in the "Vancouver Sun," the development of solar energy is growing amongst various countries at 35% each year. It is not only developed countries that are using solar energy, but the undevoloped and struggling countries are starting to adopt the use of energy as well. Various countries outside the United States like Canada, Japan, Germany, and China are all large consumers of solar engergy. In fact, China has become the world's largest solar market and manufacturing base. Germany and Japan are two of the top countries consuming solar energy, and they experience less sun than rainy parts of the world.

So much can be benefited with the use of harvesting solar energy. Not only are energy bills reduced in homes that use solar energy because obviously everything that we consume from the sun is free, but also it is more envirnmental friendly--no polution is released into the atmoshpere after use. It is not like solar energy is restricted to homes, but a wide variety of our technological sources can opperate on solar energy (e.g. traffic signs, cars, heating, lights, appliances, certain machinery, etc).

If there was a way in which energy can be used free of charge (minus the innitial purchase of proper equipment), saved natural resources but worked just as well, and did it all without harming our environment, shouldn't it become a important national issue?

Get Involved

We are living in a world that is so caught up in consumerism and the concept of "me," that new environmental problems are constantly at risk. People get the mind set that that they can do whatever they want when they are through with products because they personally won't be dealing with it anymore--it's another person's problem. The truth, however, is that the decisions of every American are directly correlated with how the environment responds back.

A breakthrough system that has continued to show success and draw more and more people in is the slogan "Think Green." People involved with the system are trying to draw in others to do easy daily tasks which can help save the environment. By recycling bottle, cans, cardboard, newspaper, etc we as individuals are refusing to let these reusable sources to sit and accumulate in a garbage dump. Recycling is only a fraction of the various things people can do to take action though. There are now electricity and water saving appliances and vehicles that have struck the eye of many Americans.

Each person can contribute a lot to the "Think Green" process, but converting cities, college universities, and other highly populated areas would be extravagant. The wastes created by the population has caused damaged to the environment, that it would be great to see everyone help to restore it.