"You don’t have to climb a mountain to save lives. Watch a video clip and be part of the solution.
Climb with us at http://www.SUMMITONTHESUMMIT.com "
"The global clean water crisis is arguably the most important crisis of our time, claiming more lives through disease than any war claims through guns. A billion people around the world do not have access to clean drinking water, and a child dies every fifteen seconds of a preventable water-related disease.
SUMMIT ON THE SUMMIT: Kilimanjaro is climbing the tallest peak in Africa to raise awareness and funds to fight the global clean water crisis. The 19,340-foot journey will be daunting and physically demanding, but it’s nothing compared to the reason we’re climbing—to help those who face a much steeper obstacle every single day.
Please visit SUMMITONTHESUMMIT.com to learn about how we plan to make a difference.
HP is donating $1.00 for every join at the link and matches $1.00 for every donated.
The state faces a water crisis and population boom, but radioactive waste from the Nevada Test Site has polluted aquifers.Years of underground nuclear tests at the Nevada Test Site have left hundreds of craters filled with radioactive rubble. Above, Yucca Flat.The state faces a water crisis and population boom, but radioactive waste from the... more
The continued degradation of the Mau complex - Kenya's largest water catchment area - threatening everything from the spectacular annual migration of the wildebeest to pastoralism, agriculture and hydro-power generation, has dominated public debate for the better part of 2009. The government's plan to evict the illegal settlers has added to the controversy.
The threat posed by the continued depletion of the Mau complex ties in with the increasing concerns, on a global level, over loss of bio-diversity, increased carbon dioxide emissions as a result of forest cover loss, and poor soil and water resources.
However, while climate change could be a major contributor to the current crisis in the Mau complex, the destruction of the forests has reduced the ability of the Mau eco-system to absorb or reduce the impact of climate change, increasing the vulnerability of the people to changing weather patterns.
We look at some of the issues surrounding the country's largest closed-canopy forest eco-system:
Where is the Mau Complex?
Mainly in the Rift Valley Province, the Mau is one of the country's five major water towers; it forms the upper catchment of the main rivers west of the province. The rivers are: Njoro and Makalia (these drain into Lake Nakuru), Sondu, Yala, Nzoia and Nyando (draining into Lake Victoria) and the Ewaso Nyiro, Kerio and Mara rivers.
The complex supplies water to many lakes in the Rift Valley, from Lake Turkana in the northwest to Lake Natron in neighbouring Tanzania - the only regular breeding site for millions of flamingos.
Historically, it is home to a minority group of indigenous forest dwellers, the Ogiek.
What is the size of the Mau complex?
It covers at least 400,000ha - as large as the forests of the Aberdares and Mt Kenya combined.
Over the past two decades, the complex has lost at least 107,000ha of forest cover due to irregular and unplanned settlements, logging and charcoal burning, as well as increased agriculture.
What is at stake if degradation of the complex continues?
The importance of the complex lies in the eco-system service it provides to the country and East Africa as a whole, including river flow regulation, flood mitigation, water storage, reduced soil erosion, bio-diversity, carbon sequestration, carbon reservoir and micro-climate regulation.
The area contributes to the water supply to urban areas and supports the livelihood of millions of people in rural areas but the widespread irregular and poorly planned settlement and illegal forest resource extraction have affected the ecosystem, from water supply for commercial and domestic use to hydro-electric power generation, tourism and agriculture.
Moreover, experts have warned that continued destruction of the complex will lead to a water crisis that could extend beyond the country's borders.
According to a September 2009 report by the government's Interim Coordinating Secretariat for the Mau Forest Complex on the rehabilitation of the Mau Forest Ecosystem, if encroachment and unsustainable exploitation of the eco-system continue, damage could be irreversible, with serious ecological consequences and ramifications for internal security.
When did degradation of the complex begin?
Originally divided into 22 blocks, the real devastation of the complex began in 1997 when the government allocated large plots of land to individuals in what was seen as a political bid to win votes during the general elections that year. The present government has said all land allocations in the late 1990s are illegal and wants to evict the occupants.
What is controversial about the Mau?
The government and conservationists agree that quick action needs to be taken to stop the continued destruction of the complex but Rift Valley politicians are divided over the eviction of those deemed to be illegally settled in the complex.The continued degradation of the Mau complex - Kenya's largest water catchment area -... more
"From International Space Station (ISS), 14 cities, Al Gore, U2, David Suzuki, Shakira, Matthew McConaughey, Salma Hayek and many more top celebrities will be taking part in a world premiere artistic event on October 9th to raise awareness about the issues facing our planet's water."
One more excerpt:
"Why unite to fight water crisis?
Nearly a billion human beings do not have access to safe drinking water.
More children die every year from drinking unclean water than in all of the world's armed conflicts.
Fully half of the world's wetlands have disappeared since 1900.
Collectively, the women of South Africa walk the equivalent of 16 trips to the moon and back each day just to collect water.
These are all facts and The Ugly Truth. Aren't these reasons sufficient enough to take action? ONE DROP's goal: to play a role in changing and influencing how safe water is shared and made accessible around the world."
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andres-restrepo/world-celebrities-unite-t_b_313154.html
Watch the video below and go to the link for more info."From International Space Station (ISS), 14 cities, Al Gore, U2, David Suzuki,... more
More than 23 million people - equivalent to one third of the UK population - are being pushed towards severe hunger and destitution across East Africa, international aid agency Oxfam has warned as it launches a £9.5 million emergency appeal.
A severe and persistent five-year drought, deepened by climate change, is now stretching across seven countries in the region and exacting a heavy human toll, made worse by high food prices and violent conflict.
The worst affected countries are Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Uganda, while Sudan, Djibouti and Tanzania are also vulnerable.More than 23 million people - equivalent to one third of the UK population - are being... more
Shouldn't water be clean and safe for free? Isn'it our right?
Why do we have to pay two to three dollars per bottle to have clean water that was purified with reverse osmosis?
What about the people that can't afford it? Are we going to slowly get sickened by it and die?
They should install a huge reverse osmosis filter to clean all of our water for may be a little more of what we pay now if not for free.
As you might know already our water is contaminated by heavy industrial and environmental pollution.
These are some of the contaminants found in tap and some bottled water:
Coliformbacteria,Ecoli,Perchlorate,VOCs,Viruses,Fluoride,Chlorine,Chloramine,Lead,Arsenic,Radon,Herbicides,Pesticides,Cryptosporidium,THMs,MTBE,Bromate,Sulphur,Radioactive materials and all pharmaceutical traces that are very toxic.
Wouldn't this save us millions of plastic bottled water? And what are they waiting for to replace plastic with an eco friendly material? Let's not forget the chemicals that plastic bottles leak in the water as bisphenol A and phthalates.
Chlorine and fluoride are disinfecting our water right now but are well known toxic elements, we could get rid of them with reverse osmosis.
An other method could be distilling it and then adding minerals to it like smart water does but at a local water treatment. What do you think?
It makes me think and amazes me when I read this:
"The truth is, there is no "New" water on this planet. All water is old water that has been recycled continuously for millions of years. We are actually drinking the same water that the dinosaurs drank, recycled obviously by Mother Nature".
PS:
The link is just a picture due to the lack of a specific article about this idea, concept and question open for exploration. "I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." Albert EinsteinShouldn't water be clean and safe for free? Isn'it our right?
Why do we have to pay... more
Hunger tied our bellies
into gnawing, burning knots.
Our crops withered in the poisoned earth.
All we could do was watch them rot.
Through our children and the elderly
the sickness ran unimpeded.
The toxin was in the water.
For aid our village pleaded.
The garrison at Strange Hill
refused our imploring hand.
The bribe we could not pay
worth more than child, woman, or man.
We cursed their endless greed
and cried to God to see them fall.
They laughed at our feeble rage,
safe and snug behind their wall.
But on that day our anger
became a living breathing thing,
fed on our desperation
with vengeance as its drink.
And so ten thousand of our living
marched upon Strange Hill that day
with farmers’ tools and wagons
and bony horses for the fray.
In the field the garrison commander
tried to sway us from our path.
His demand for sanity
fell easy victim to our wrath.
He consigned our wretched chances
to a place between slim and none.
We cried, “Better to perish fighting
than the certain death to come!”
We eyed each other for a time
across a field soon soaked with blood
and at the cry of our commanders
with screaming madness rushed
toward the sickening collision
between fates too much the same
to quarrel at the difference
between the rational and the insane.
Heavenly Father, they don’t stand a chance! They’re outnumbered!
They are tired, hungry sacrificial lambs for the corporate forces at Strange Hill.
Without news of the battle, I fear that my love has fallen upon the field of blood.
If you can, I beg you, spare his life, for he is my heart and soul!
And if it is not your will, I pray You, make his passing swift.Hunger tied our bellies
into gnawing, burning knots.
Our crops withered in the... more
(UNEP) United Nations Environment Programme has some number to report, highlighting global invesments in renewable and alternative energy.(UNEP) United Nations Environment Programme has some number to report, highlighting... more
1. The world is currently in a water crisis. One out of six people worldwide doesn’t have access to clean water. Every year, 2 million people die of diseases caused by a lack of clean water.1. The world is currently in a water crisis. One out of six people worldwide doesn’t... more
You leave them everywhere you walk, but recently the term “footprint” has being used to describe your impact upon the planet in broader terms than the impression of your feet. The most common one tossed around these days is our Carbon Footprint (see global climate change). A more recently developed spin on the footprint term is the Water Footprint: how much water you consume through your actions (directly and indirectly).
Of course you use water in your day-to-day life: you take a shower, drink water, water your lawn, et cetera. There is another way we use water: through the consumption of goods. The food we eat takes water to grow (a lot more than you might think). The clothes we wear come from crops that require water. Even the cars we drive require water-intensive processes to create them. Everything we do creates a ripple through the world and we can often take massive amounts of the most basic resource needed for survival on Earth: fresh water.You leave them everywhere you walk, but recently the term “footprint” has being... more
For the first time since territorial days, rain will be free for the catching here, as more and more thirsty states part ways with one of the most entrenched codes of the West.
Precipitation, every last drop or flake, was assigned ownership from the moment it fell in many Western states, making scofflaws of people who scooped rainfall from their own gutters. In some instances, the rights to that water were assigned a century or more ago.
Now two new laws in Colorado will allow many people to collect rainwater legally. The laws are the latest crack in the rainwater edifice, as other states, driven by population growth, drought, or declining groundwater in their aquifers, have already opened the skies or begun actively encouraging people to collect.
“I was so willing to go to jail for catching water on my roof and watering my garden,” said Tom Bartels, a video producer here in southwestern Colorado, who has been illegally watering his vegetables and fruit trees from tanks attached to his gutters. “But now I’m not a criminal.”For the first time since territorial days, rain will be free for the catching here, as... more
Even though three quarters of our planet is considered water, there is still a demand for it in almost every community, and a scarcity in many. That’s because we can actually only use one to two percent of it, which is why we’ve written a slew of articles over the years about conserving water. And with so many items that are now more available, like low-flow showerheads, faucet aerators, rain barrels, and efficient washing machines and dishwashers, there really isn’t an excuse to not be more conscious. Unless, of course, it means spending money.
There are some surprising ways to cut down on water that you might not often think of so we’ve taken the simple things we do in our daily lives to conserve water, and wrote them down along the way. Below is a list of creative steps you can take to conserve water and we know there are a ton more - just put the thinking cap on!
1. Only order water in a restaurant if you are going to actually drink it. How many times have you seen full water glasses left on tables from customers who have ordered an iced tea or soda instead? Next time you sit down think twice about whether you are going to drink your glass of water or ask your server to fill you halfway. You can always get a refill.
2. Reuse your dehumidifier water. For those of us that have dehumidifiers we know this is an excellent source of water. Since it usually comes from damp basements, reusing it to water your plants and lawn is a perfect alternative rather than wasting it by dumping it down the drain or toilet.
3. Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pot of water. Instead of washing your delicious delectables from the farmer’s market under a running faucet, fill a pot instead. Not only will you save a good amount of water, but the water in the pot can also be reused to water your plants.
4. Check outdoor hoses, faucets, and sprinklers. While many of us are very diligent about staying on top of leaky faucets and toilets, another source of wasted water could be coming from outdoors as well. Make sure to check all hoses, faucets, and sprinklers for any leaks that might occur, and check their connections as well. Many times these can often be fixed with electrical tape or duct tape.
5. Use the same glass for water. Throughout the day we drink several glasses of water. But instead of putting it directly into the dishwasher after each use, simply refill the one that you already have. This will cut down on the many glasses used throughout the day, which means there are fewer glasses to wash.
6. Know the water footprint of your food. A significant way to decrease your water footprint is to know how many gallons of water the food you eat consumes. While this might seem a bit difficult at first, you'll get the hang of it and can put it to good use when you're at the grocery store or eating in a restaurant. For example, beef consumes way more water than chicken and mangos consume more water than nectarines.
7. Reuse your cooking water. How many times a week do you steam or boil vegetables? Often that leftover water ends up down the drain. Next time, save the water and use it to start vegetable stock for a soup.Even though three quarters of our planet is considered water, there is still a demand... more
When Travis County installed two huge water pumps to water a nearby park, the water well used by Tecolote Farm, an organic farm, in Manor, TX ran dry. More than a year later, a University of Texas geology professor and his students are on site running experiments and tests in search for a water source.
If they do identify a water source, the county has agreed to pay $5000 for drilling test wells. I contacted the professor for an update a couple of days later to follow up on their results. I have not received a response.When Travis County installed two huge water pumps to water a nearby park, the water... more
"The new Tiger Woods Gold Course needs four million gallons of water to be pumped on to its grounds every day, or it would simply shrivel and disappear on the winds. "
Dubai is ecocide on many levels... see section IX of the article."The new Tiger Woods Gold Course needs four million gallons of water to be pumped on... more
It is not only the Third World that is incurring a water deficit.
Natures life blood on which we all depend; WATER is now in peril.
When will your taps run dry?
When will it be the last drop? Maybe it is already here.
Bob Williamson
Greenhouse Neutral Foundation http://www.greenhouseneutral.netIt is not only the Third World that is incurring a water deficit.
Natures life... more
This week! Search for a restaurant by zip code...
>>
During World Water Week, March 22-28, 2009, the Tap Project will once again raise vital donations and awareness for UNICEF’s water and sanitation programs. For every dollar raised, a child will have clean drinking water for 40 days. All funds raised support UNICEF’s efforts to bring clean and accessible water to millions of children around the world.
In 2007, the Tap Project was born in New York City based on a simple concept: restaurants would ask their patrons to donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free, and all funds raised would support UNICEF’s efforts to bring clean and accessible water to millions of children around the world.
Growing from just 300 New York City restaurants in 2007 to over 2,300 across the country in 2008, the Tap Project has quickly grown into a national movement. Restaurants, corporations, volunteers, advertising agencies, community groups, local governments and everyday diners participated to save millions of children’s lives.
Wamo Boru and his family used to live in Kaffa, one of the many small ethnic Borana communities scattered across the arid borderlands of southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya.
The hard red earth shows through the thin grass of the sun-baked landscape, a wide expanse of thorny scrub, flat-topped thorn-trees and tall red anthills.
The Borana lead a hard life, especially in the past year or two, when rains have been poor.
But the community had its livestock - cattle and camels and goats - and was expecting to have a better water supply when the Oromia regional government finished work on a new borehole in the area.
But at the beginning of February they had - quite literally - a rude awakening.
In past conflicts, communities would fight, but they wouldn't destroy government property
"It was nine o'clock at night, we were sleeping when we were fired at," said Wamo.
"We just had to jump from our sleep and protect ourselves. Because it was night, we didn't see who was attacking us, but we think they were the people called Gherri from Somali regional state.
"They came on foot, without vehicles, but they had bombs and missile launchers, and at that time we didn't have guns, only sticks to defend ourselves."
Wamo, his family and neighbours fled with just the clothes they stood up in.
They managed to bring some of their stronger livestock with them, but they had to leave the weaker ones behind to be taken by the raiders.
Now they are camped close to the dirt road that runs east from Yabelo, the administrative headquarters of Ethiopia's Borana zone.
Wareba, the village teacher, is there too; he lost one of his in-laws in the raid.
"This was a war no-one was prepared for," he says.
"That was how the Somalis could come and destroy so much."
The children he used to teach are scattered across the area, and, he says, "not in good condition".Wamo Boru and his family used to live in Kaffa, one of the many small ethnic Borana... more
1 in 6 people do not have access to clean drinking water. Approximately every 14 seconds, someone dies from a disease brought on by unsafe drinking water. Of the estimated 42,000 deaths each week from diseases related to unclean drinking water and poor sanitation, more than 90 percent of the victims are children. Sadly, many of their deaths could have been prevented had proper sanitation and clean water been available.
Take action and stop this cycle of suffering. You can help by donating, sharing this video, and spreading awareness of this dire need. Together we can solve it.
Be a part of the solution: www.ob.org/cleanwater1 in 6 people do not have access to clean drinking water. Approximately every 14... more
Anybody with their finger with in a block of the pulse knows that "Going Blue" will soon be replacing or teaming up with the phenomenon that is "Being Green"... With the water crisis on out door step what is being done to maintain an adequate supply of usable fresh water. Take a look at these super sized projects that are fighting the water battle.
"As nations and regions all over the globe face too much polluted water and too little fresh water, they are turning to some of the largest, most technologically complex projects the world has ever seen. Here, we have compiled five of the biggest and most ambitious. But are they big enough to keep the taps flowing?"
More, lots more, at the link...Anybody with their finger with in a block of the pulse knows that "Going Blue" will... more
