Water
There are certain books that are essential for any library about world sustainability issues. Marc Reisner’s “Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water” is a title that must be included on the library shelves.
For those facing water shortages, there is much to be thankful for when it comes to the inventive spirit. Thanks to young Australian inventor Edward Linacre, there may one day be no such thing as a water shortage for Australian farmers.
I am looking out my frozen window, watching flurries of wet flakes continuing to fall, as Western Washington becomes completely engulfed in thick blankets of snow. Nearly everything is closed, as local residents marvel at the white winter wonderland. It does, however, feel a bit like being permanently trapped inside of a tiny frosty snow globe.
Canadian professor Glynnis Hood’s fantastic new book, “The Beaver Manifesto”, just arrived in the mail today. I started reading the small volume immediately, and found both the writing and the message most engrossing. I am already a devout fan of the beaver, and was immediately sold at the first few words of the manifesto:
“If I could design the perfect animal, it would be the beaver…”
As clean water becomes increasingly scarce globally, it is probably not an accident that access to water is one of the prominent themes in two of the most gripping films that have been released this year. The first movie, “Even the Rain” is an excellent Spanish movie which I wrote about a few months ago, that is set in Bolivia. The need for water is also one of the main characters interwoven into the engaging dramatic plot of my other favorite movie of 2011, “Meek’s Cut Off”.
Regardless of the politics behind the deaths in Somalia, and the whole event reeks of international drama, there are 29,000 dead children in a world where starvation is avoidable. Maybe if 29,000 dead children can be made visually commanding, more of the world would take notice.
In 1900, the oceans of the world contained six times more fish than they did in 2009. Now, it takes 17 times more effort to catch one ton of North Sea fish than it did then. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, 80% of the world’s fish stocks are either being over-exploited or have already been depleted.
Arcata is a university town of about 17,000 people in the northwest corner of California; it is nestled on the coast, between a stunning community owned forest and the Pacific Ocean. For three decades the city has been successfully treating its waste stream through a simple and effective system of natural wetlands, plantings and oxidation ponds.
The day before Earth Day, we announced the release of some of Rachel Carson’s classics as e-books (Under the Sea Wind, The Sea Around Us, and A Sense of Wonder), as well as an opportunity to win one of them, The Sea Around Us. I’ve just selected the winner using Random.org, and it is…
Yesterday the BBC reported that radiation levels at the crippled Fukushima reactor site are ten million times normal levels. As the oceans near the damaged nuclear plant are becoming contaminated with increasing amounts of nuclear radiation, concerns are growing about how much radioactive poison the planet’s seas can withstand.
However, although it is not receiving anywhere near as much attention as the unfolding disaster in Japan, the massive amounts of illegally dumped radioactive nuclear waste that are still being thrown into Somalia’s oceans potentially could prove to be an even more deadly catastrophe.
Every movement needs an anthem. Whether it is to save a river or end a war, a well written song can clearly communicate the message and rally public support more effectively than hours of speeches and protests. Now the organized effort to end the toxic mining process of hydraulic fracturing has its own song, thanks to the musician Marc Black.
Using the power of the sun to heat your water is one of the simplest ways that you can make your home more energy efficient. Heating water usually accounts for 40 percent of an average family’s heating costs. Converting to inexpensive solar thermal water heating is a great first step that will not only allow us to utilize a much more clean, affordable and sustainable source of energy, it will also create jobs and help our nation to become more energy independent.
Imagine a huge, blue body of water, white sandy beaches, waves crashing onshore and kids playing in the sand. You might be tempted to think of an ocean scene, but I’m talking about a typical July day on any of the Great Lakes. Sans the salty smell and the abundant sea life, the Great Lakes support a large tourist business, a busy shipping industry and are responsible for more than 1.5 million jobs in the U.S. and $62 billion in wages…