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Bejing Water Diversion Plan for Olympics Criticized
Plans to divert water to Beijing for the Olympic Games are shortsighted and will not ease the city's severe water crisis, a Canadian-based development policy group said in a study released recently.
Channeling water from neighboring provinces for an event billed as the “Green Olympics” is not a “fundamental solution,” Probe International said in its report, compiled by a team of experts in Beijing who requested anonymity. Such diversions are expensive and damage the environment, the report said.
“Whether diverting surface water or digging ever-deeper for groundwater, the underlying solution proposed is like trying to quench thirst by drinking poison,” the report said.
It didn't say why the compilers had requested anonymity, although the Olympics are a highly sensitive issue and authorities have responded harshly at times to perceived critics of the games.
Explosive growth combined with a persistent drought for over two decades have drawn down Beijing's water table, meaning the city of 17 million people is fast running out of water.
Beijing has drained surrounding regions in recent years to supply its growing water needs, depriving poor farmers of water and encouraging wasteful consumption, the report said.
snip
Nearly all Olympic venues and the Olympic Village will use treated wastewater for heating systems and toilets. Recycled wastewater also will irrigate the Olympic Park, which will include a wooded area and an artificial lake. But the rowing venue, built on the dried-out Chaobai river bed in Beijing's Shunyi district, will use precious reservoir water. An eight-mile underground tunnel will divert water from the Wenyu River to keep the landscape green.
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Again, Bejing has one of the world's lowest per person available water resources, at one-thirtieth of the world average. And yet, they continue to divert water from poor farmers and others who need it to make artificial lakes and landscaping for the Olympics which they are hoping will bring them a lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$. I am already boycotting the Bejing Olympics because of China's involvement with Sudan regarding drilling oil wells on land cleared in the Darfur genocide. These selfish moves regarding water diversion make another reason why a boycott is necessary.
This is simply wasteful at a time when water conservation is crucial to the people of China, especially considering 90% of their rivers are already polluted. The water they will provide in the toilets in Bejing to put on their "green" show will probably be cleaner than what their people have to drink now that is giving them cancer. Such is the power of the dollar bill, or yen. Plans to divert water to Beijing for the Olympic Games are shortsighted and will not ease the city's severe water crisis, a Canadian-b... more -
LSD in our water?
"A study by Royal College of Art graduate Tuur van Bulen has revealed that the way people live and behave in each zone of London is reflected in the quality of their tap water. A similar study was done in the US. Our scientist suggested being able to target law enforcement efforts in areas where the water tested highest in illicit substances!
Effectively the contents of our medicine cabinets - that’s everything from aspirin to LSD - ends up in the water we cook with, bathe in and drink everyday. The content of tap water in each area thus depends largely on what the residents of that area ingest. Who knows, the chemicals ingested by the concentration of hippies ... might even have made for an interesting tap water experience …" "A study by Royal College of Art graduate Tuur van Bulen has revealed that the way people live and behave in each zone of London is re... more -
Giant rubber "snake" could be the future of wave power
"A giant rubber snake could be the future of renewable energy. The rippling "Anaconda" produces electricity as it is squeezed by passing waves. Its developers say it would produce more energy than existing wave-energy devices and be cheaper to maintain."
I think there is still a lot of innovation to be done in marine/wave power sector of renewable energy. This is one great idea that could be promising! "A giant rubber snake could be the future of renewable energy. The rippling "Anaconda" produces electricity as it is squeezed by passi... more -
Expo Milano 2015: un'occasione per contribuire ad un modello di sviluppo sostenibi...
Visita il mio blog e dai il tuo contributo di idee e proposte alla discussione sui temi dell'energia prodotta da fonti rinnovabili e non inquinanti, della produzione alimentare e della fame nel mondo, sull'acqua quale bene il cui uso e consumo è un diritto di tutti. Visita il mio blog e dai il tuo contributo di idee e proposte alla discussione sui temi dell'energia prodotta da fonti rinnovabili e n... more
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Oren Lyons Speaks - A Call to Consciousness on Climate Change
Oren Lyons (Onondaga)
Oren Lyons was born in 1930 and raised in the traditional lifeways of the Haudenosaunee on the Seneca and Onondaga reservations in northern New York State. After serving in the army, Lyons graduated in 1958 from the Syracuse University College of Fine Arts. He then pursued a career in commercial art in New York City. A noted American Indian artist, he has exhibited his paintings widely.
Since returning to western New York in 1970 and joining the faculty of SUNY Buffalo, Chief Lyons has been a leading advocate for American Indian causes. Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation, and a member of the Council of Chiefs of the Haudenosaunee, he is respected internationally as an eloquent spokesperson. In 1982, he helped to establish the Working Group on Indigenous Populations within the United Nations and has taken part in meetings of the U.N. Human Rights Commission. He also serves on the executive committee of the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders on Human Survival, and is a principal figure in the Traditional Circle of Indian Elders, grassroots leadership council of the major Indian nations of North America.
Chief Lyons has authored or edited numerous books including Native People Address the United Nations (1994); Voice of Indigenous Peoples (1992); and Exiled in the Land of the Free: Democracy, Indian Nations, and the U.S. Constitution (1992).
Complete Video - http://www.nmai.si.edu/iss/2008/me_webcast.html?siref=Y...
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from TouchArt.net and OneEarthBlog.blogspot.com
where we think Oren Lyns is the bomb. Oren Lyons (Onondaga) ... more -
Couture Bottled Water
This reusable frosted-glass water bottle bedazzled with Swarovski Crystals brings you your daily h2o fix for a mere $20 for 375 ml.
The philosophy...
"While working on various studio lots where image is the utmost importance he noticed you can tell a lot about a person by the bottled water they carried."
Where does this h2o come from?
Dandrige, Tennesse
Words can't even describe how ridiculous this is. This reusable frosted-glass water bottle bedazzled with Swarovski Crystals brings you your daily h2o fix for a mere $20 for 375 ml. ... more -
Bottled water industry faces growing opposition
Last week’s decision by a York County water board to delay a vote on whether to sell municipal water to Nestle Corp., the owner of Poland Spring, did not happen in a vacuum.
* Last month in McCloud, Calif., after encountering opposition to what would have been the largest water bottling plant in the country, Nestle announced plans to significantly reduce the plant’s size.
* Earlier this month in Enumclaw, Wash., the city council rejected a proposal to allow Nestle to build another such plant.
* And last Monday, the U.S. Conference of Mayors voted to phase out use of bottled water for municipal employees.
Across the country, opposition to bottled water is building, amid growing concerns about the industry’s environmental impact and rising fears about private control of public water supplies.
“There’s no question that there is a groundswell,” said Ruth Caplan, coordinator of Defending Water for Life, a Washington, D.C.-based campaign that opposes the bottled water industry.
There are several reasons for the backlash to bottled water. Some of it is driven by fears about global warming - given the amount of oil needed to bottle and transport the water.
Some stems from concerns about the chemical makeup of plastic water bottles.
Some of the opposition is a byproduct of the huge price disparity between bottled water and the kind of water that comes from the tap for free.
Here in Maine, some of the local opposition to Poland Spring’s operations has stemmed from the traffic generated by the trucks that transport the water.
Perhaps the biggest factor, though, is a fear that as bottled water becomes more popular, private corporations are gaining more control over a natural resource that is central to life.
“The fundamental issue is, who owns the water?” said Jim Olson, an attorney for Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation, which has been engaged in a legal battle with Nestle. “If this company gets to do it, all companies get to do it, and you’re not going to be able to say no in the future.”
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We need to stop the commoditization of this resource which is the lifeblood of the Earth. Water is a human right. It cannot be bought by Nestle at the expense of the poor in countries where water is already scarce. It is a good sign to see people finally standing up to these companies.
Last week’s decision by a York County water board to delay a vote on whether to sell municipal water to Nestle Corp., the owner of Pol... more -
Beijing to suck itself dry because of Olympics
The Beijing Olympics are putting a strain on already-tight water supplies, says a new report by Canadian based Probe International.
The city’s two main reservoirs are also holding less than 10 percent of their original capacity, it said.
Statistics show that the per capita fresh water resources in Beijing is only 300 cubic meters, or one-eighth of the national average and one-30th of the world's average.
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This is largely due to the fact that Beijing is putting up many artificial lakes and gardens for the Olympics. Riding by the Olympic forest park this past winter, there was so much dust everywhere, getting in your eyes. They had trucks driving around putting water on the road, to lessen the dust, especially in front of the "Bird's Nest" so that people driving by could see that is looked nice. They planted a large amount of trees for this forest park, and in the winter I said to myself "How are these trees gonna grow? The dirt/soil looks so dry." Riding by the park this past week, the grass seems quite green and the trees look healthy. It seems as if water must have been poured day after day to get this place looking like that. As the Bird's Nest is now complete, from the fourth ring road you can see pristine ponds formed in front of the stadium, with cute little rowboats (that look more American, than Chinese) buoyed. (Puke.)
If I ride the train south from Beijing, through Hebei province, I see a place that is feeling the effects from water loss. I see farmers hacking away at dirt with no clear sign of any water in sight, just sights of rivers that are all dried up, except for maybe a trickling stream. The Beijing Olympics are putting a strain on already-tight water supplies, says a new report by Canadian based Probe International. ... more -
"Words of intent" effect water crystals
Research From Dr. Masaru Emoto, says that human thoughts are directed at water before it is frozen, images of the resulting water crystals will be beautiful or ugly depending upon whether the thoughts were positive or negative. Emoto claims this can be achieved through prayer, music or by attaching written words to a container of water. Since 1999 Emoto has published several volumes of a work titled Messages from Water, which contains photographs of water crystals next to essays and "words of intent". Research From Dr. Masaru Emoto, says that human thoughts are directed at water before it is frozen, images of the resulting water crys... more
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Ancient oak trees help reduce global warming : study
The battle to reduce carbon emissions is at the heart of many eco-friendly efforts, and researchers from the University of Missouri have discovered that nature has been lending a hand. Researchers at the Missouri Tree Ring Laboratory in the Department of Forestry discovered that trees submerged in freshwater aquatic systems store carbon for thousands of years, a significantly longer period of time than trees that fall in a forest, thus keeping carbon out of the atmosphere.
“If a tree is submerged in water, its carbon will be stored for an average of 2,000 years,” said Richard Guyette, director of the MU Tree Ring Lab and research associate professor of forestry in the School of Natural Resources in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. “If a tree falls in a forest, that number is reduced to an average of 20 years, and in firewood, the carbon is only stored for one year.”
The team studied trees in northern Missouri, a geographically unique area with a high level of riparian forests (forests that have natural water flowing through them). They discovered submerged oak trees that were as old as 14,000 years, potentially some of the oldest discovered in the world. This carbon storage process is not just ancient; it continues even today as additional trees become submerged, according to Guyette.
The battle to reduce carbon emissions is at the heart of many eco-friendly efforts, and researchers from the University of Missouri ha... more -
What's colorless and tasteless and smells like . . . money?
The push to turn water into the new wine is a marketing phenomenon: The bottled-water industry is engaged in an intense effort to convince Americans that the stuff in bottles is substantially different from the stuff out of the tap.
Desalinated seawater from Hawaii, meanwhile, is being sold as "concentrated water" -- at $33.50 for a two-ounce bottle. Like any concentrated beverage, it is supposed to be diluted before drinking, except that in this case, that means adding water to . . . water.
But empirical tests have repeatedly shown that they are generally the same. In blind taste tests, many people who swear they can differentiate between bottled-water brands and tap water fail to spot the differences, and studies have shown that both are fine to drink, and both occasionally can have quality problems.
Folks..that bottle of water near your computer that you bought from the store for 2-3 bucks is the same as the water coming from your tap!!! by the way, I have some powdered water for sale, its easy to transport and you can fit it in your pocket. All ya gotta do is mix it with....water!
NOTE..the bottles are made from OIL byproducts... The push to turn water into the new wine is a marketing phenomenon: The bottled-water industry is engaged in an intense effort to conv... more -
Oilsands Development: Killing Canada
"We appreciate the fact that Canada's tar sands are now becoming economical and we are glad to be able to get the access toward two million barrels a day."-George W. Bush, March 23, 2003.
Powers in this world are now salivating to be able to tear apart the boreal forest to satisfy their lust for greed. And make no mistake about it, it has nothing to do with caring about the people or other species because if it did alternate sources of energy that are safer for the environment and cleaner and more economical to use would be the order of the day, not the "new world order" of the Bushes of this world that seek only to destroy it for their own benefit. But then, getting his fix seems to be something Bush is accustomed to in his life.
Making crude oil from tar sands is a dirty wasteful business. It takes two tons of oil sands ore to yield ONE barrel of oil. Put that into perpsective of these people wanting two MILLION barrels a day, and then it is not hard to see the environmental degradation this process is causing. The oil sand is composed of silt, sand, clay, water, and bitumen. On average, bitumen contains 83.2% carbon. At two million or more barrels a day burning, you figure out the environmental impact of that. And there are two methods by which this noxious smelling concoction is brought to the surface.
It is either through strip mining it or situ recovery methods which are used to access deeper deposits. It is an arduous process that uses much water, which then results in groundwater being polluted and river water being diverted as large amounts of freshwater are required to flush bitumen from the sand to make crude oil. It also is increasing greenhouse gas emission in Alberta, which are spilling over. It is also such a complex process that I went searching for a source that could explain it all from beginning to end, and I found one. This to me is the most thorough and comprehensive source out there now to describe this process and the environmental and climate change effects it is having on our world. I HIGHLY recommend you read through this:
More at the link. Compare the picture here to the picture on the blog entry to see what they have done to the beautiful Boreal Forest with this wasteful practice.
"We appreciate the fact that Canada's tar sands are now becoming economical and we are glad to be able to get the access toward two mi... more -
Crows Cool Off
Photos of crows cooling off at a public paddling pool at Clapham Common in London, England.
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Could Just One Degree Change The World?
This is where we are at now, also experiencing the events catagorized at two degrees... which is why doing all we can now from an individual to a global level is imperative to us not going to 2 plus degrees and beyond. Six degrees is considered the doomsday scenario... and it is up to the human race as to whether we ever reach that. Not fear, reality.
Click on the link to see all the videos here. This is where we are at now, also experiencing the events catagorized at two degrees... which is why doing all we can now from an indi... more -
Hawaii first state to require solar homes
Hawaii has become the first state in the nation to pass into law a requirement that all new homes built after Jan. 1, 2010, be equipped with solar or other energy efficient hot water systems.
Signed into law by Hawaii’s governor on June 26, the bill's introducer, Senate Majority Leader Gary L. Hooser (D-Kauai, Niihau) said, "Hawaii is almost totally dependent on imported oil for its energy needs and estimates show that, with this law, our oil consumption will be cut by 30,000 barrels during the first year and continues to decline exponentially thereafter."
While allowing for other energy efficient choices, the new law is widely seen as a solar hot water mandate and is expected to cut home energy usage in Hawaii by an average of 30 percent starting in 2010.
With the price of oil recently reaching $140 per barrel, Hooser considers Hawaii's move toward cheaper, cleaner energy "a vital decision for our island state."
"While the instituting of broad mandates is never an easy thing to do, the public benefits resulting from the passage of this measure are huge," he added.
Hawaii currently has the highest electricity costs in the nation and it is estimated that homeowners will save $600 annually for a family of four. "The additional disposable income combined with a cumulative multiplier effect of that income circulating in the Hawaii economy, rather than being exported to import foreign oil, will result in significant additional economic activity," Hooser said.
Economics aside, the groundbreaking measure enables Hawaii to lead the nation in the country's growing effort to combat global warming. Hawaii's switch to solar will prevent the emission of over 10,000 tons of greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere every year.
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Aloha Hawaii! This is the way to go and show leadership as well. Who needs Washington Dc? Hawaii has become the first state in the nation to pass into law a requirement that all new homes built after Jan. 1, 2010, be equippe... more -
Hydrogen Economy - Earth will run out of water
If we do decide to go to a hydrogen based economy, where hydrogen becomes our sole source of energy, there is one tiny problem.
Hydrogen is the only gas that is able to escape our atmosphere and dissipate into space. When this happens, water that is used to produce hydrogen gas will disappear from our the planet and will never be able to be replaced. Given a system wide leakage factor of two or three percent, and the huge amount of water that will be required to create the hydrogen/oxygen mixture that will power fuel cells and hydrogen engines, it will only be a mater of time until all the earth's water is gone. If we do decide to go to a hydrogen based economy, where hydrogen becomes our sole source of energy, there is one tiny problem. ... more -
Southeast Drought Highlights Power Plant Water Waste
Georgia, and other states in the Southeast are learning a lesson that communities on the Hudson River in New York know well: burning coal the old fashioned way costs the river environment, not just the air.
By now, everyone's familiar with the list of pollutants that spew from coal-fired power plants, including the compounds that form ozone, smog and acid rain; those that make our fish contaminated with mercury; and those that fill the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, fueling global warming.
But coal-fired power plants -- along with nuclear and other fossil fuel plants -- also use a lot of water. Typically, this water is sucked in to a plant, used to cool condensers and then flushed back into the river or lake on whose banks the plant sits. In the process, millions of fish, fish eggs, fish larvae and other aquatic life can be killed, and heated water discharged can cause ecological problems downstream as well.
The Hudson River has been ground zero -- for 30 years -- in the fight environmentalists have waged to have old plants upgraded, and have new plants built to use minimal water. Most plants built today use a fraction of the water old plants use, but the Environmental Protection Agency has resisted ordering upgrades on older plants.
Upgrading plants is not cheap. Not by a long shot. But the drought highlights another facet of the issue: It isn't just about fish. It's about people. When drought makes water scarce, it helps if your drinking water needs don't have to compete with your electricity needs.
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With 45% of our country already in some stage of drought with urbanization, pollution, and substandard infrastructure causing waste, it is not feasible to continue pushing for new coal and nuclear power plants that will waste more water and endanger marinelife. That money could be better spent on altternate energy sources that conserve water and on upgrading old plants to use less water.
Georgia, and other states in the Southeast are learning a lesson that communities on the Hudson River in New York know well: burning c... more -
Black Mesa Water Coalition Needs Your Support
URGENT! PLEASE ACT NOW!
JULY 7, 2008 DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS
Please Forward Widely to Everyone You Know!
On May 23, 2008 the Office Of Surface Mining (OSM) opened a 45 day public comment period concerning the proposed Black Mesa Project: Peabody Coal Company's massive coal-mining expansion plans on the sacred ancestral homelands of the Dine' (Navajo) & Hopi peoples of Black Mesa, AZ. Peabody Coal's plans would devastate whole communities & ecosystems and de-stabilize our planet's climate for their own personal gain. Your voices are urgently needed before the comment period closes July 7, 2008!
Big Mountain, Black Mesa Elder Faces Threat of her Ceremonial Lodge/Home being dismantled while Peabody Coal Company is pushing their massive coal-mining expansion plans on the sacred ancestral homelands of the Dine' (Navajo) & Hopi peoples of Black Mesa, AZ. Your voices are urgently needed before the deadline!
PEABODY COAL COMPANY'S PLANS UNDERMINES PLANETARY LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS BY ACCELERATING ECOLOGICAL & CULTURAL COLLAPSE! We cannot allow a small cartel of energy corporations and their financial backers to knowingly de-stabilize our planet's climate and devastate whole communities & ecosystems for their own personal gain. This may turn out to be the most devastating crime ever perpetrated against humanity, the planet and future generations. We are at a critical juncture. Indigenous and land-based people globally have maintained the understanding that our collective survival is deeply dependent on our relationship to the Earth.
Please, act now in support of the communities on the front lines of resistance! The Black Mesa Project Environmental Impact Statement (BMP-EIS) outlines harmful impacts to every level of the ecological and cultural systems on Black Mesa and has global repercussions. If we don't stop these plans, Peabody will have the green light to:
Lock in mining rights until the coal runs out or until 2025!
Substantially accelerate global warming and cause an ecological meltdown.
Destroy thousands of acres of canyon lands, vanishing indigenous vegetation and shrines or burials.
Blast the land for coal & deplete air quality, increasing the health risk of the local residents and their livestock.
Deplete an underground source of water that residents depend on to survive by pumping massive amounts of water.
Uproot & relocate families from their ancestral homelands where the coal mining expansion are.
Sacrifice human dignity and planetary health for elite profit! Peabody would cause many more problems than what is reflected here.
HERE'S HOW TO SEND YOUR COMMENTS: You can send as many comments as you want on different issues, as long is it's before the deadline on July 7, 2008. Your comments must directly address components of the EIS. Alternative C, (No Action), is our preferred alternative. Alternative B is Peabody Coal's preferred alternative. Find a sample letter here or write your own. At the top of your letter or in the subject line of your e-mail message, indicate: "BMP Draft EIS Comments.'' Include your name and return address in your letter or e-mail message.
The Draft Black Mesa Project Environmental Impact Statement for Peabody Coal's preferred Alternative B is available for review on OSM's Internet Web site at: http://www.wrcc.osmre.gov/WR/BlackMesaEIS.htm
EMAIL: BMKEIS@osmre.gov. You should receive a confirmation that OSM has received your e-mail comment, or contact (303) 293-5048.
Read more at link above.
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from TouchArt.net and OneEarthBlog.blogspot.com
where the Touchette/Paisner family lived in the
1980s just miles from beautiful Black Mesa in Navajo Nation.
URGENT! PLEASE ACT NOW! JULY 7, 2008 DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS Please Forward Widely to Everyone You Know! ... more -
High dive in foot of water record set by Professor Splash
It definitely wouldn't have received a 'perfect 10' from the judges, but Darren Taylor's dive, which looked like more of a belly flop, was worthy of a one award ... a Guinness World Record.
Taylor, 47, more commonly known as Professor Splash, challenged and beat his own world record by diving 35 feet 5 inches into 12 inches of water at Water World, 1850 W. 89th Ave., in Federal Heights June 26.
"Bringing the record back to my home crowd is spectacular," said the Denver-native, whose previous records were from dives performed overseas.
The home crowd got quite a show as they temporarily forgot about water slides and wave pools, gathering almost an hour in advance to watch the festivities.
For full story :
http://www.worldamazingrecords.com It definitely wouldn't have received a 'perfect 10' from the judges, but Darren Taylor's dive, which looked like more of a belly flop,... more
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