(January 26, 2010) Santa Cruz, CA - On January 19th, after more than a year of continuous controversy, the FDA has released a statement naming the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) as a safety risk, allocating $30 million for independent research for a first-time, non-industry-funded study  in an effort to learn more about the health risks associated with BPA.  Bisphenol A is especially prevalent in baby bottles, and while consumer pressure and declining sales of BPA plastics have spurred the six largest, plastic baby bottle manufacturers to voluntarily remove BPA from baby bottles sold in the U.S., the chemical is still widely prevalent in consumer food and beverage containers sold around the world.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is one of the world’s highest production-volume chemicals, and has been used for 40 years in plastic items such as baby bottles, food and beverage containers, and dental sealants. Independent studies have shown adverse health effects of BPA occur on the brain and reproductive system, as well as create metabolic diseases in laboratory animals.

In the human body, BPA mimics the estrogen hormone, and studies have tied the BPA compound to reproductive abnormalities and the increased risk of both cancer and diabetes. Infants and children are thought to be particularly vulnerable to the BPA compound because their reproductive organs and ability to metabolize chemicals are not fully formed.  In a statement in 2008, the FDA said BPA was safe in materials that come into contact with food, to which  critics accused the agency of using outdated studies that had been sponsored by the chemical industry, so the new cautionary statement by the FDA is a huge step in the right direction of consumer safety over corporate pressure.

There was considerable media coverage of the BPA baby bottle controversy last year. Scientist and expert Frederick vom Saal explains the situation like this: “The Japanese industry voluntarily removed BPA from can linings 10 years ago and thus, were able to reduce exposure to BPA by 50 percent.  Last year, Congress asked companies in the United States to take similar actions; however, companies have made no move toward compliance.”  In spite of this and tarried by pressure from chemical corporation lobbyists, the FDA still has no official plan to ban BPA from consumer goods.

The new FDA position is consistent with that of the National Toxicology Program made two years ago.  To avoid this health risk all together, choose BPA-free plastics, and avoid putting all plastics into the microwave and dishwasher, where they can release dangerous chemicals when heated, or degrade in the heat and excessive moisture.

Safe plastics that use polyethylene (#1, #2, and #4) and polypropylene (#5) require the use of less toxic additives. They also are non-chlorinated. Avoid choosing products that use polyvinyl chloride (#3), polystyrene (#6), and polycarbonate (#7) which typically contains bisphenol A (BPA) and is found in baby bottles and/or sippy cups.

About the author: Elizabeth Borelli is the Founder of Nubius Organics, an eco-conscious mom, and an environmental activist. She began www.nubiusorganics.com to bring her knowledge of safe, healthy alternatives to a greater audience, and to share valuable  information, resources, and green solutions with the public, the media, and parents to be.

#    #    #

Rooftop gardens are a unique idea gaining popularity. They add to the beauty of a landscape, provide a bio-diverse oasis in the middle of a city, offer new options for city gardening, and now, scientists have also discovered rooftop gardens curb carbon emissions in small amounts.

Kristin Getter, a scientist with Michigan State University, collaborated with a group of scientists in a new study that measured carbon levels in plant and soil samples. Researchers collected data from 13 rooftop gardens ranging from one to six years in age in Michigan and Maryland over a two-year period. They discovered rooftop gardens absorbed up to 375 grams of carbon dioxide per square meter. This doesn’t sound like a lot per garden, however, if you increase the number of gardens throughout a city, over time, the collective impact could help further reduce carbon emissions.

Researches calculated that putting rooftop gardens throughout a city the size of Detroit (approximately 1 million in population)  “would remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as taking 10,000 mid-sized SUVs and trucks off the road for a year,” according to New Scientist magazine.

Rooftop gardens also reduce heating and air conditioning costs, and last two to three times longer than standard roofs because they are protected from ultraviolet radiation and extreme fluctuations in temperature, that often cause roofs to deteriorate. In addition, rooftop gardens make good use of rain water, which pools on the roof of flat top high rises and causes them to rot. This also contributes to the bottom line of energy conservation.

“Rooftop gardens are slowly growing more popular in cities, increasing by more than 35 percent from 2007 to 2008 in the United States, and representing more than 3.1 million square feet installed last year. In Germany, widely considered the leader in green roofing, some 12 percent of all flat roofs are green, with the German green roof industry growing 10 to 15 percent annually,” according to Live Science.

So what’s the catch?

Starting a garden on the roof won’t immediately lower your carbon footprint. Greening conventional roofs requires special materials, which also involves changing some of the carbon-emitting materials currently in place on the rooftop. “It takes seven years for the roof to off-set the carbon used for its building materials and become truly carbon negative. Developing low-carbon building materials could bring the turn around time down to two or three years,” adds Getter.

“Green roofs are also more expensive initially, but are much cheaper in the long run once you consider their energy offset benefits,” adds Brad Rowe, also a researcher at Michigan State University.

Currently, Germany and other countries provide government incentives for creating rooftop gardens, and Canada and Russia have also moved forward with rooftop gardening techniques. Some U.S. Cities (New York, Chicago)  have already incorporated rooftop gardens into their landscapes – and even supply local farmers markets and restaurants with the produce. Perhaps the U.S. would consider adding amendments to the current energy bill to provide a clear benefit for creating and maintaining a rooftop garden.

There is also the question of who is responsible for maintaining the gardens? One solution is that people living in the building can take turns, or urban planners/homeowners can choose plants that don’t need to be watered or maintained heavily. Either way, the garden needs some TLC beyond being a great idea, and the more people who show interest and incentive in creating one, it can make an impact beyond aesthetics.

For more information check out:
greenroofs.com
greenroofs.org

http://greenroofs.com/Greenroofs101/index.html

Katrina Pfannkuch
Buzzword Communications, LLC

About the author: Katrina Pfannkuch is a writer, Reiki Master and entrepreneur who lives to write and create. She started Buzzword Communications to pursue her passion for excellence in communication and satisfy her entrepreneurial spirit.

Helayne Seidman for The Washington Post Photo credit

by Katrina Pfannkuch

Water recycling efforts can go way beyond the basic methods used today, according to a team of eco-thinkers and scientists who have derived a way to create fresh drinking water from shower water using a variety of plants.

Designers Jun Yasumoto, Vincent Vanderbrouk, Oliver Pigasse and Alban Le Henry settled on the shower basin concept when searching for creative and practical ways to recycle water. The eco-conscious team graduated from French national design school Ecole Nationale Supirieure de Creation Industrielle, and were especially interested in finding a way to make practical use of shower water, something normally filtered outside the home.

How does it work?

The concept/design for this eco-shower is based on a natural filtration process called phyto-purification, and helps to turn a bathroom into a mini-ecosystem. As you shower, the wastewater passes down into a chamber below the shower floor, and travels through a maze of filters including; sand, reeds, rushes, a mesh filter, water hyacinths, lemnas and a final carbon filter. The plants grow up and around the edge of the shower floor, and the filtration takes place at the root of the plants. Chemicals from soaps, shampoos and other debris are removed, and then the water is recycled back up for use in your next shower, or for brushing your teeth, washing your face or drinking.

‘With this project, we tried to combine the pleasure of taking a shower with the satisfaction of recycling water. We wanted the recycling process to actually interact with the use of the shower,” said Yasumoto.

The team hopes the impact of their concept doesn’t just alter the way we bathe. ‘We thought that by conceiving this very intricate relation between the recycling of water and the user experience, we could get the users to also re-think the way they use water,’ said Yasumoto.

The concept of a self-contained water filtration system is stirring up a lot of interest now that the images have been made public. As a result, the team is continuing to fine tune the idea and currently working on ways to bring it to market.

Now the question remains, how many people will actually want to use it?

. . .

About the author: Katrina Pfannkuch is a writer, Reiki Master and entrepreneur who lives to write and create. She started Buzzword Communications to pursue her passion for excellence in communication and satisfy her entrepreneurial spirit.

by Beth Doane

Many people have asked me why I have personally stopped buying and wearing leather products and I really think the reasoning is so simple once the facts are known. So, to help us all get up to speed on the issues we have laid out the basics here.

Saying no to leather products is not just a statement against animal cruelty, its a statement about our need to be conscious of what we consume for the sake of our planet. Here are eight reasons why:

1. The process of leather production has devastating results.  Not only does it inflict unnecessary and often cruel suffering upon millions of innocent animals but the chemicals used to treat leather are often toxic and can leach into our water-systems and even onto our skin.

2. Most animals slaughtered for their skins endure the horrors of factory farming. Factory farms are mass production facilities for animal products, and like any product it’s all about how much, how fast and how cheap. These facilities are notorious for animal overcrowding, un-anaesthetised castration, branding and tail-docking as well as dehorning.  Ironically many of these animals are used solely for their skin, wasting the rest of the animal.

3. Not only does the leather process cause intense animal suffering, it also causes mass damage to the environment. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), factory farms are the biggest sources of river, lake and stream pollution.  The farms are also the biggest users of water and almost half of the water consumed in the U.S. is used to raise livestock for food and leather.

4. Another major concern with leather production is the output of waste and chemicals that result from the process. A report by the U.S. Senate Agricultural Committee, released in 1997, revealed that livestock raised for food and leather produce 130 times as much excrement waste as the entire human population in the U.S. That’s a lot of crap!

5. Unlike the human population, there are no waste-treatment systems used for our nations livestock. This means that because of the concentration of this “poo” we get ridiculous cases of pollution, human illness and even death in areas where livestock operations are concentrated.

6. Tanneries (leather making factories) treat animal skins with a number of minerals and chemicals that can have dangerous and even carcinogenic results.  For example, the EPA has stated that all waste containing chromium is hazardous. Chromium is just one of many mineral salts used on leather to keep them from biodegrading. So, when we buy a pair of leather shoes or a handbag, these chemicals are in contact with our skin and we have no way of knowing just what levels of chromium were used.

7. It’s obvious that livestock production within the U.S. poses an array of complicated issues but the cattle industry abroad is just as terrifying. Overseas there is often less regulation of animal safety or humane treatment than here in the USA and a report recently released by Greenpeace explores how the cattle industry in Brazil is slaughtering not just cows but also the Amazon in order to meet the high demands for leather and livestock.

8. As the demand for leather continues to rise, more of our world’s most delicate ecosystems will be cleared to create grazing space for the cattle. (See “How Cows kill Rain Forests.”) Brazil has also become the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gasses as a result of the deforestation process-and of course cows. Coincidence? We don’t think so.

To make matters worse, the Brazilian government is financing further expansion of the cattle industry, which will likely result in the continued deforestation of the Amazon.

These are just some of the reasons it is vital for consumers to be aware of what we are really supporting when we purchase leather.  If consumers continue to accept the status quo, the destruction of our Earth’s most important source of climate control, the Amazon, will continue; the inhumane and heavily under regulated treatment of animals will continue; and the massive consumption of vital resources by livestock farms will continue.

What Can We Do?

As we always want to stay focus on the positive and be pro-active, there is plenty we can each do to help.
Take action now!

1. Remember to purchase the faux leather and vegan products that are available because true fashion should never be cruel.

2. Visit the Greenpeace Web site and demand change from the companies using leather from the Amazon to create their products.

Here in the U.S., four states – Arizona, Oregon, California, and Colorado – have already enacted farm animal cruelty legislation. Write to your legislators and demand action in your state!

Without the support of us as consumers, companies will never be inspired or forced to change their practices. The power is truly in the hands of the people–so wear what you believe in!

. . .

About the author: Beth Doane is a fashion designer and consultant focusing on eco-conscious product development and marketing. She founded and designed the internationally acclaimed Rain Tee collection and Andira International.

By Scott Milinder

The “Cap and Trade” climate bill that is making its way through congress has again sharpened public debate about what we need to do to fix global climate change.   Does the bill go far enough?  Will it cost too much?  Will it create or cost jobs?   One thing is certain:  ”Cap and Trade,” if passed in the Senate, will transform incentives in the economy and create radically new business opportunities.  That’s why entrepreneurs like T. Boone Pickens are supporting the climate bill, even if they quarrel with some aspects.

Indeed, the solution to many eco-challenges may be found when aggressive government policy changes market incentives and drive entrepreneurship with market forces.  With this perspective, let’s look at an eco-tragedy unfolding now on the West coast of Florida – algae blooms and red tide.

An unprecedented algae bloom is now stretching 14 miles across areas of Tampa Bay.   Scientists say it’s the largest bloom event ever seen in the area.

The bloom has not wreaked its full havoc yet, but if it continues much longer, it could create a massive fish kill, close down shell fishing, shut down beaches, and drive tourists away.

The cause?   Local scientists seem to agree on two immediate factors to make this event so bad.  First, at the beginning of June we had a week of extreme rain (after a long period of draught), causing a substantial increase in sewer and fertilizer runoff.  Next, the rain was followed by a week of extreme heat for June.  These two extremes may not have caused the bloom on their own but, together, they made it the most extensive in history.

The blooms’ full potential for damage has not yet reached their peak. In coming weeks Tampa Bay could suffer major fish kills, beach closures, and a collapsed fishing industry.  The last time the Tampa Bay area had a major bloom – a large “red tide” in 2005 – all those dangers became a miserable reality. The damage to the area’s economy was up to $240-million, as estimated by the regional tourist bureau.

Florida has been hit especially hard in the recession this year, so a repeat of 2005 or worse would hurt more significantly this time.

Fortunately, the state’s marine scientists have studied the link between bloom events and pollution from the excessive fertilizer use.  Florida has already taken steps like requiring commercial landscapers to follow manufacturer’s guidelines for the use of fertilizers.  Unfortunately, it’s tough to monitor and enforce these laws – so such policies have had limited success.  Also, banning these chemical fertilizers would be considered too extreme, hard to enforce, and enjoy little public support — as would excise taxes that target these products.

So instead of attacking the problem head on, a better approach may be to exploit the connection between heavy fertilizer use and an increased use of water.

In Florida we love green lawns and golf courses, many festooned with exotic tropical species.  The typical suburban yard with St. Augustine grass and lush landscaping with non-native tropical plants all requires copious quantities of water and fertilizer to “keep it green.”   Chemicals and heavy water use are like co-dependent addicts.

On the other hand, this co-dependence can be broken with a sustainable and attractive alternative:  using “eco-friendly” landscaping with native and drought tolerant plants, along with xeriscaping methods.   In Florida, landscapes that use this approach are called “Florida-friendly.”

Using “Florida-friendly” landscaping methods, water and fertilizer use can be substantially reduced, thus avoiding runoff.  If these methods were broadly adopted by commercial properties, golf courses, and home owners, the runoff problem would be greatly reduced.

The benefits? The broad conversion to these sustainable landscaping methods would be a boon to the agriculture, nursery and landscaping industries (sorry makers of chemical fertilizers.)  The resulting reduction in blooms would save tens, maybe hundreds of millions in tourism and fishing industry dollars.
“Florida-friendly” lawns are becoming more common, but not on a massive scale. So how do we persuade people to do the right thing and save millions in economic damage, while still promoting the beauty of our landscapes?

One idea is to make users of water pay a lot more for water as use goes up.   Let’s keep the rates low for modest usage, so everyone can have access to the water they need for personal use.  But if you want to use an additional quantity to maintain your water-guzzling yard, then you pay big time.  That will be a huge disincentive for heavy water use.

Yes, the owners who have to re-design their properties with Florida friendly landscapes may not like the idea, but at least they have an incentive to give the “Florida-friendly” approach strong consideration.  If owners decide to adopt “Florida-friendly” yards and reduce their water usage to much lower levels, they will eventually pay for the Florida friendly landscape and start saving money. For those who will not reduce heavy water use, we can use the extra fees to find other ways to prevent algae blooms. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs in sustainable landscaping and related businesses get a big boost.

This simple but aggressive change in public policy on water use would improve the environment,  reduce the direct and indirect costs from algae blooms,  encourage entrepreneurship, and eventually reduce costs for many home and business owners.

. . .

Scott Milinder is the founder of Sustainetics Institute, LLC, a company in Tampa, FL that helps organizations improve their bottom line performance by becoming more green and sustainable. Scott may be reached at scott.milinder@sustainetics.com or (727) 421-2818.

Congratulations to our Hunt for Water winners:
Susan L., Alice V., Judy R., Josh M. and Kathi K.!

Thank you to all who played along! Here are the answers:

#1: How many liters of water does it take to make one 1-liter bottle of water?
A: 3-5 liters

#2: How many gallons of water do most toilets use for each flush?
A: 3.5 gallons

#3: What chemical can leach into bottled water over time and what is it known for?
A: Phthalates, known to disrupt testosterone and other hormones.

#4: How many pieces of plastic and trash are floating in the world’s oceans per square mile?
A: 46,000

#5: Catching rain water supplements what type of water?
A: Drinking water.

#6: What industry accounts for the main use of water worldwide and what is the percentage?
A: Agriculture, 70%

———————————————————————-

and

Answer six questions by July 6th
and enter to win these great prizes…

Grand Prize for Him and Her

2 myEARTH360.com water bottles
1 myEARTH360.com tote bag
1 set myEARTH360.com Skoy Cloths
2 GenGreenLife.com reusable bags
1 GenGreen necklace
1 GenGreenLife.com men’s t-shirt (large)
1 Rain Tee women’s t-shirt (includes a tree donated to kids saving the rainforest)
10% off coupon at myEARTH360.com
Sample of biodegradable tableware courtesy of myEARTH360.com
Discount on GenGreenLife.com Premium Business Listing and Business Certification

Second Prize

1 myEARTH360.com water bottle
1 myEARTH360.com tote bag
1 GenGreenLife.com reusable bag
1 Sample of Skoy Cloth and biodegradable tableware courtesy of myEARTH360.com
10% off coupon for myEARTH360.com
Discount on GenGreenLife.com Premium Business Listing and Business Certification

3rd, 4th and 5th Prizes:

1 myEARTH360.com water bottle
1 GenGreenLife.com reusable bag
1 Sample of Skoy Cloth and biodegradable tableware courtesy of myEARTH360
10% off coupon for myEARTH360.com
Discount on GenGreenLife.com Premium Business Listing and Business Certification

INSTRUCTIONS & RULES:

1. Read the question.
2. Find the answer where directed.
3. Put all of the answers, numbered, into an email and send it to info@gengreenlife.com.

Winners will be selected in the order in which entries are received. All winners will be notified via email by Friday, July 10, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. MST. All other participants who answer all questions correctly will receive a special offer from myEARTH360.com and GenGreenLife.com.

Rules:

1. You must be a confirmed member of GenGreenLife.com (business, non-profit or individual) in order to qualify. Not a member? Join here, it’s free! We will verify your membership status in our system so be sure to email us from the email address on your account.
2. You must answer all questions and answer them correctly to qualify.
3. You must submit all of your answers in a single email to info@gengreenlife.com.
4. Only one submission per person per email address will be accepted.
5. Your entry must be received between 12:00 p.m. MST on July 2, 2009 and 11:59 p.m. MST on July 6, 2009. Entries received outside of this time frame will not be accepted.
6. Present and past employees, partners and family members of GenGreen or myEARTH360.com are not eligible to participate for prizes.
7. By participating, you acknowledge that you have read and understand these rules and that failure to the follow these rules will result in disqualification.

Let’s Play!

Answers can be found at one or more of the following locations:

1. GenGreenLife.com in the Environment 101 section under Water Conservation.
2. Greenzine Volume 2, Issue 13 in conjunction with The GenGreen blog
3. myEARTH360 Facebook Page under “News.” Note: You do NOT need to be a member of Facebook to access this page
4. The iCountForMyEarth blog

Good luck and have fun! Here are the questions:

#1: How many liters of water does it take to make one 1-liter bottle of water?

#2: How many gallons of water do most toilets use for each flush?

#3: What chemical can leach into bottled water over time and what is it known for?

#4: How many pieces of plastic and trash are floating in the world’s oceans per square mile?

#5: Catching rain water supplements what type of water?

#6: What industry accounts for the main use of water worldwide and what is the percentage?

Have you found all of the answers? Now email them to info@gengreenlife.com to submit your entry! Thanks for playing along!

by Lynn Hasselberger

In Safe H2O Part 1, I reviewed the environmental and health issues related to bottled water and the fact that 25% (some sources say as high as 40%) or more of bottled water is tap water anyway—some treated, some not. For those concerned with their water quality, investing in a filtration system can be a very cost effective, environmentally-friendly option. But first, you need to test your water to determine what filtration system is best for you—or whether you even need one! And the good news: it’s possible to treat almost any water problem—funny tasting or smelly water—with proper equipment.

Keep in mind that the U.S. has one of—if not THE—safest drinking water systems in the world. Excellent marketing by beverage companies has led us to believe otherwise; hence the high bottled water consumption levels and the worry about whether our water is safe to drink straight from the tap.

Step One: Find Out What’s In Your Water

Many people jump right into a reverse osmosis or other filtration system without really knowing what’s in their water. That could be money down the drain (pun intended). Instead, find out what’s in your water first with a water test and you could save yourself some money and unnecessary work.

On city/public water? You’re in luck. Your water is likely as good, if not better, than bottled water. Why? By law, every municipality in the United States is required to not only test the water, but also do everything necessary to meet the national standards as defined in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Regulations.

If you have well water, like me, the EPA does not have the authority to regulate your well. But they do recommend that you test your water annually for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH level, and to always use a state certified laboratory that conducts drinking water tests.

The EPA also notes that you test any time you replace or repair any part of your well system and consider more frequent testing if any of the following apply:

•    Someone in your household is pregnant or nursing
•    There are unexplained illnesses in the family
•    Your neighbors find a dangerous contaminant in their water
•    You notice a change in water taste, odor, color or clarity
•    There is a spill of chemicals or fuels into or near your well
•    Someone buried a dead body near your well (just kidding, although I’m sure this would be of concern)

Before you run out and get a test kit, identify potential problem sources.

I was concerned about pesticides and herbicides: our village sprays for mosquitoes during the summer; many people in the neighborhood fertilize their lawns and/or spray their weeds or pests… What else could be lurking in our water? Here are some other things to consider:

•    Is there livestock nearby?
•    Are pesticides being used on nearby agricultural crops?
•    Do you live near a golf course, where they are constantly treating the grounds?
•    Is your well “downstream” from your own or a neighbor’s septic system?
•    Is your well located near a road that’s frequently salted or sprayed with deicers during winter months?
•    Are your copper pipes disintegrating? It’s happening in our home.

Step Two: Purchase a Water Test Kit from a State Certified Laboratory

In previous years, we picked up vials at our county health department for a mere $15 and our water tested well within the EPA standards for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH level. But, considering my concerns, I opted for a more thorough test this year.

A local lab gave me a quote for $500 or more. Ouch. The more contaminants you want to test for, the more you pay. Then I found Sweetwater LLC, owned by Jim McMahon, a professional ecologist with over 30 years of experience. I called Jim and not only was he friendly and patient, he asked questions to determine which contaminants may be an issue in our area. I purchased my water testing kit directly through him at a much more reasonable price than the local lab.

Step Three: Send in Your Water Samples

When we opened the box, it was so simple. There was a vial for bacteria, another for Volatile Organic Compounds, a container for pesticides and herbicides and last, the metals and physical factors vial. There was also an ice pack that we had to put in the freezer for at least 8 hours, then we filled up each container with untreated, unsoftened water, put it all back into the Styrofoam holder (which they recycle for future customers) and packed and shipped it in the same box it arrived in.

Step Four: Interpret your results – Public or Well

If you’re on public water and request a copy of your municipal test results, you can try to figure them out yourself or call someone like Jim.

Our well water test results came back with a handy brochure explaining how to interpret the findings with suggested treatments. Being of creative mind, my eyes immediately glazed over, so I contacted Jim. He explained the results and provided recommendations for improving our water quality. For research purposes, I also contacted our county’s public health department and the actual laboratory where our water was tested. Everything Jim told me was spot on—and even more thorough.

I learned more about the elements in water than I ever dreamed possible and Jim was the first one who was able to explain the reason for our dissolving pipes: Low pH level. No plumber could ever explain to us why our copper pipes were just deteriorating—pliable like a toilet paper tube.

Step Five: Determine Treatment, If Needed

There are LOTS of options out there and many companies that stand behind their product as being the best and the healthiest, etc. I’m not sure which, if any of these companies encourage you to test your water first. Sadly enough, many just want to sell you their system.

Jim not only analyzes test results, he can customize a water treatment system to suit your needs. But he won’t build it without the test results.

I will write more about what Jim recommended for us and why another day, along with our discussion about the pluses and minuses of water softeners. Luckily, our water is perfectly safe to drink as is, although—like anything else—there’s always room for improvement. However, the low pH levels will continue to deteriorate our copper pipes. Part of his recommendation included a contraption that would treat the water so that certain minerals would naturally line our pipes and even fill in pinholes—potential leaks—over time. Who knew these things were possible?

To be continued… In the meantime, feel free to contact me for a copy of our results. And, if you call Jim toll free at 866-691-4214 and mention myEARTH360, he will give you a free consultation, which usually costs between $50-$100.

. . .

About the author: Lynn Hasselberger is the founder of myEARTH 360.com, a company that offers eco-friendly products and whose mission is to raise environmental awareness and help families transition to an earth-friendlier lifestyle. She is also the founder of the I Count For My Earth campaign and the author of the ICountForMyEarth blog

FACT #1: While more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, 97.5 percent of that total is salt water. From the remaining 2.5 percent that is freshwater, almost 70 percent is frozen in ice caps and
glaciers. (7)

FACT #2: Less than 1% of the world’s fresh water (or about 0.007% of all water on earth) is readily accessible for direct human use. (2)

FACT #3: The United States uses about 346,000 million gallons of fresh water every day. (1)

FACT #4: The United States uses nearly 80 percent of its water for irrigation and thermoelectric power. (1)

FACT #5: Agriculture is the main user of water across the globe, accounting for over 70% of all use. (3)

FACT #6: On average, people in the United States use more than 105 gallons (400 liters)—in Europe use more than 52 gallons (200 liters)—of water per day. Flushing the toilet accounts for the largest amount of this water. (3)

FACT #7: 85% of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.

FACT #8: Showers account for 22 percent of individual water use in North America. Reducing your shower time by 5 minutes will save more than 4,200 gallons of water each year.

FACT #9: 3.575 million people die each year from water-related disease. 84% of water-related deaths are in children ages 0 - 14. (2)

FACT #10: 98% of water-related deaths occur in the developing world. (2)

FACT #11: While basic needs vary, the minimum daily requirement for survival is about 5.28 gallons (20 liters) per person. Most of the 1.1 billion people categorized as lacking access to clean water use 1.3 gallons (5 liters) a day—one-tenth of the average daily amount used in rich countries to flush toilets. (3)

FACT #12: When a European person flushes a toilet or an American person showers, he or she is using more water than is available to hundreds of millions of individuals living in urban slums or areas of the developing world. (3)

FACT #13: A lack of water has driven up the use of wastewater for agricultural production in poor urban and rural communities. More than 10% of people worldwide consume foods irrigated by wastewater that can contain chemicals or disease-causing organisms. (2)

FACT #14: Water scarcity occurs even in areas where there is plenty of rainfall or freshwater. How water is conserved, used and distributed in communities, and the quality of the water available can determine if there is enough to meet the demands of households, farms, industry and the environment. (2)

FACT #15: Water scarcity affects one in three people on every continent of the globe. The situation is getting worse as needs for water rise along with population growth, urbanization and increases in household and industrial uses. (2)

FACT #16: Almost one fifth of the world’s population (about 1.2 billion people) live in areas where the water is physically scarce. One quarter of the global population also live in developing countries that face water shortages due to a lack of infrastructure to fetch water from rivers and aquifers. (2)

FACT #17: Nearly 97 percent of the world’s water is saltwater or otherwise undrinkable. Another 2 percent is held in ice caps and glaciers. That leaves just one percent for all of humanity’s needs – agricultural, residential, industrial, etc. – as freshwater. (5a)

FACT #18: At least 1 billion people must walk three hours or more to obtain drinking water. For example, in Mexico, 15 percent of the population must haul or carry water. Even closer to home, nearly 2 percent of U.S. homes still do not have running water. (5d)

FACT #19: In North America and other developed nations, persistent industrial and municipal pollution pose a significant threat to water supplies. According to the EPA, 218 million Americans live within ten miles of a polluted lake, stream, or coastal area, while forty percent of the country’s waters are unsafe for fishing, swimming, or supporting aquatic life. (8)

FACT #20: Each day, the sun evaporates 1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion) tons of water. (5a)

FACT #21: In a 100-year period, an average water molecule spends 98 years in the ocean, 20 months as ice, about two weeks in lakes and rivers, and less than a week in the atmosphere. (5a)

FACT #22: One inch of rain falling on one acre of land is equal to about 27,154 gallons of water. (5a)

FACT #23: The 250 million U.S. residents living today have access to about the same amount of water that all 4 million U.S. residents did 200 years ago. (5b)

FACT #24: If present consumption patterns continue, two out of every three people on Earth will live in water-stressed conditions by the year 2025. (5c)

FACT #25: As water shortages in the American Southwest increase in frequency and severity, the region faces a return to conditions from the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. (9)

FACT #26: Human induced changes in the Earth’s atmosphere could spawn a continuous drought in the Southwest and impact a drier climatology over the next 90 years. (9)

FACT #27: A contributing factor to current conditions in the Southwest includes agreements made among California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming in 1922 during an unusually wet period, allocating more water from the Colorado River than is currently available. (8)

FACT #28: If all plumbing fixtures in the United States were replaced with water-conserving fixtures, we could save 3.4 to 8.4 billion gallons of water a day. (6)

FACT #29: One leaky faucet drip per second can waste 2,000 gallons of water a year. (6)

FACT #30: Approximately 85 percent of U.S. residents receive their water from public water facilities. The remaining 15 percent supply their own water from private wells or other sources. (1)

FACT #31: Households turn on their faucets an average of 70 times daily. It is estimated that up to 50 percent of the water families use could be saved by implementing simple conservation methods. (5b)

FACT #32: More than half of all Americans drink bottled water; about a third of the public consumes it regularly. Many millions of people use bottled water as their chief or exclusive drinking water source. (4)

FACT #33: Bottled water sales have tripled in the past 10 years, to about $4 billion a year. (4)

FACT #34: People spend from 240 to over 10,000 times more per gallon for bottled water than they typically do for tap water. (4)

FACT #35: According to government and industry estimates, about one fourth of bottled water is bottled tap water (and by some accounts, as much as 40 percent is derived from tap water) — sometimes with additional treatment, sometimes not. (4)

FACT #36: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has strict water quality standards for tap water, but the EPA does not oversee bottled water. Bottled water sold across state lines is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (10)

FACT #37: The FDA’s rules completely exempt 60-70 percent of the bottled water sold in the United States from the agency’s bottled water standards, because FDA says its rules do not apply to water packaged and sold within the same state. Even when bottled waters are covered by FDA’s specific bottled water standards, those rules are weaker in many ways than EPA rules that apply to big city tap water. (4)

FACT #38: FDA regulations do not prevent bottling companies from drawing water next to industrial sites, underground storage tanks, or dumps. (10)

FACT #39: Coca Cola’s Dasani and Pepsi’s Aquafina are tap water coming from places like Queens, NY and Jacksonville, FL with some additional treatment. (10)

FACT #40: According to a four-year study of bottled water about one third of the bottled waters tested contained significant contamination (i.e., levels of chemical or bacterial contaminants exceeding those allowed under a state or industry standard or guideline) in at least one test. (4)

. . .

Resources:
(1) http://www.allaboutwater.org/water-facts.html
(2) World Health Organization as quoted on http://water.org
(3) 2006 United Nations Human Development Report (download). See also http://hdr.undp.org.
(4) http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/exesum.asp
(5) (a) United States Geological Survey, (b) National Drinking Water Alliance, (c) United Nations Environment, and (d) National Geographic Society, as quoted by Freshwater Society
(6) http://www.freshwater.org/water-facts.html
(7) The Second UN World Water Development Report: ‘Water, a Shared Responsibility.’ March 2006. As quoted from Sierra Club ‘Population and Water’ fact sheet.
(8) Sierra Club ‘Population and Water’ fact sheet (download).
(9) Southwest Forecast: Expect 90 Years of Drought. By Andrea Thompson, LiveScience Staff Writer, posted: 05 April 2007. As quoted from Sierra Club ‘Population and Water’ fact sheet.
(10) http://www.sierraclub.org/committees/cac/water/bottled_water

by Andrew Michler, LEED AP

It’s late spring, and this year there has been a lot of rain in my fair state of Colorado. Being in a high desert, with all this water coming at once, makes a lot of us want to save some of it for those hot, dry, sunny days. I am perhaps one of the lucky ones, as I installed a 1,500-gallon underground tank near my shop to catch the water that comes off its metal roof. Fifteen hundred gallons sounds like a lot of water, and it is. The tank is six feet high and seven feet in diameter. “A thousand flushes” has a new ring to it. All this water is used for flushing our 1.6-gallon toilet, which is a lot easier than pumping and treating water just to have it go right down the drain again. While I use rain for waste water now, a future garden and greenhouse is in the works. Even a 500 square foot roof is enough for two people.

Weather is unpredictable here and promises to be even more so in the coming years. A quick peek at the forecast of temperature changes shows that the Rocky Mountain region is headed for some hot, dry summers. It makes sense to do all we can with our homes to “future proof” them. Water catchment should be near the top of the list. And here are some reasons why:

1. The water is free
2. It keeps your landscape from being over-saturated and protects your foundation
3. It is clean and soft (low salts, high in nitrogen)
4. It can be used for multiple applications
5. It supplements our drinking water, which takes a lot of energy and infrastructure to get to your tap
6. You are using a local resource
7. 1 inch of rain per 1000 horizontal square feet of roof amounts to 620 gallons

Here are a few things to think about if you are considering catching your rain water. If your roof has asphalt shingles, the water should not be used for edible crops. Keep gutters clean and use a water filtering device before the tank. If you want to use the water for more than just the warm seasons, your system must be well designed for the cold. The collection tank needs to be covered to keep critters and mosquitoes at bay and large enough to handle storm surges and longer dry spells. You may need a pump, valves, and a power source to make the water go where you want it. Check your local laws. In Colorado, for instance, it is slowly being legalized (don’t get me started). The idea of “future proofing” a house is intriguing, so if you plan on building a new home, consider rain water catchment. Plumb a second line to your toilet, one for potable water and the other for rainwater. Roof your home with metal or tile so the water is kept clean. Be creative in your application of the water. Use it for your laundry– cold water is just as effective for rinsing as hot, and check out those cold-water detergents, they save a lot of energy. Maybe the house should have hose bibs for rain water to wash your car and water the landscape or even water livestock. With a bit of research, this can pay off for you, your neighborhood and protect the 21st century’s most valuable resource. View a short slide show on rain water catchment.

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About the Author: Andrew Michler, LEED AP has lived “off-the-grid” in Colorado since 1995. He started Baosol Sustainable Building Consulting in 2007 to cultivate the low entropy revolution. He is also the co-founder of the BeLocal Northern Colorado Green Builder’s Guild.