Saving water big time

Recently at the Telus World of Science I learned that in space astronauts are allowed 23 litres of water each which is very little compared to the 300 litres that a North American uses and not quite so little compared to the 130 litres that a German uses per day. Anyway, it's hard to imagine but the technology is there to recycle urine and turn it into drinking water. In today's newspaper there's an article about Don Pettit from the International Space Station. The daily allowance for hygiene and food is 3.5 litres per person. OMG, how do they do it? They wash themselves with wet wipes and have a water-recycling machine that collects even breath, sweat and water from a damp cloths which then can be used again. The most fascinating part is the urine-diversion toilet I'd say. Cecilia Ruben from the Stockholm Environment Institute says that there's 2 million of these toilets in China. Germany, South Africa ,Vietnam and Sweden have some as well. Combine them with a compost part for faeces and it's all been taken care off.                      

More facts on water use in Canada: http://www.janegoodall.ca/project-blue/WaterinCanada.html 

Oh, oceans ... and that fish that's left

Here are a few ocean-related facts that I found in the Epoch Times newspaper about 6 weeks ago:

-         About 80% of the world’s fish stocks are fully exploited or overexploited and thus require effective and precautionary management. 90% of all tuna and sword fish are already gone.--- If that's right I wonder why tuna & sword fish aren't a luxury yet. They should be dead expensive, or subsidised.      

-         Oceans absorb more carbon dioxide than the land. This absorption causes the ocean to become more acidic which leads to the dissolving of shell organisms that form the skeleton of coral reefs that will therefore die.

-         Higher biodiversity enhances the functioning of the deep-sea ecosystems which is vital for the sustainability of our biosphere. --- Having species die out never seemed a good thing but with the economic desire to uniform food so it looks and tastes the same no matter where and when you buy it biodiversity is on the losing end. It does not matter if that's the banana or beef burger or fish. Due to companies like Monsanto biodiversity will disappear ever so fast. I'll come back to that.    

-         By 2015 50% of the world’s population will live along coasts, adding pressure on coastal and marine biodiversity. --- This fact in in fact no surprise at all. Just as an example: With Canadian coastal cities happily dumping their waste raw (untreated) into the ocean, what do you think is happening in poor countries? Lots and lots of water pollution ...  

David Suzuki Foundation also had a lot of fish-related articles on the website recently:   

1. Did you know that Canada's Atlantic longline swordfish fishery kills tens of thousands of sharks each year? To find out more and take action got to http://www.friendsofhector.org/

2. Killer whale wins court case for Canada's marine species at risk! http://bit.ly/gVLaZh

 It's a good start but the article points out there's a BUT. It's nice to have laws but laws have to be enforced in order to make a difference and the Canadian government is not famous for enforcing laws that protect anything related to the environment.   

3. Saving Pacific salmon is possible and profitable! Profit is possible on all fronts with closed containment salmon farming

Again, it's a beginning but there's still a study in progress and change tends to happen slowly ... I hate to say it but "better late than never" has developed a sour taste for me. It might be too late for one or the other species at risk. Read also http://bit.ly/eYcWNU   

 

4. For the reading enthusiast a whole book's been written about fish: Four Fish: The future of the last wild food, describes our profoundly changing relationship with the world’s oceans. Learn about the fascinating lives of four fish - salmon, sea bass, cod and tuna – and why overfishing and biotechnology are serious threats to healthy marine ecosystems. http://bookclub.davidsuzuki.org/

 

       

Addicted to cheap power - continued

I was not trying to say that we should get rid of electricity completely. I like my computer, stove and washing machine and life would be tedious without them. Since we should not run out of renewable energy sources it is totally fine to use the electricity produced from these sources. We should reconsider human power though. I think that the cheap power from fossil fuels prompted a development of too many tools making lots of activities too easy, inventing even new ones and making people lazy. Physical exertion now derives from heaving one's own body over-weight in and out of the car seat. My husband, a keen reader of newspapers (on-line) read an article to me the other day that claimed that the treatment to reverse the ageing process has been found: exercise. Who would have guessed! Exercise used to come automatically with whatever one did during the day. Think alone of staircases versus escalators or elevators. Gardening was such an activity, certainly more fun than running around the block or worse on a tread mill, until power tools took a lot of physical effort out of it. Household chores were such thing before bread machines and food processors. Shorter distances were once covered by foot, bike and horse wagon - now conveniently replaced by cars. Long-haul is a different story although I insist it should be mostly trains as long as no water crossing is involved. When flying within Europe is cheaper than the train there's something wrong. Entertainment is were things totally escalated - Radio, TV, Video-, DVD-, MP3-players, game consoles, Wii, home theatre, sound systems for car & home ... there's so many options that seem to have made conversation obsolete. And socializing seems to die out - when my grandma is keener on watching a soap opera than talking to her family  I wonder what's wrong. Personally, I think people like her have a boring life. If you don't, you shouldn't need soap operas. 
Two weeks ago we went to the Festival of Trees. It's a display of Christmas trees, wreaths, gingerbread houses and such which get rated by visitors. There's also games and crafts for kids, a show and shops. All proceeds go to the hospital foundation - so far so good. Considering the number of Christmas lights on the trees and other items though we did not understand why they had to have disco lighting on top of that. It's not only a waste of energy, it was an overload for the senses as well.    
  
  

Look at that!

Do you need a bit more inspiration to save water, some facts and tips and how-to-fix-videos, then check out www.bluebucketcrew.ca by Epcor.   

Do you know Metro? I love their opinion pieces and cartoons. Here two to share with you - Canada and the environment, like fire and water.  Oh, for those who don't know, the big truck is the type of vehicle used to transport the oil sands from the pit to where ever it's being dealt with. Those "trucks" are monsters, simply massive.    

  

home sweet home - last but not least

Randy Florke, author of Restore, Recycle, Repurpose – Create a beautiful home, is pretty good of putting into words what I think so I'll so cheap as just to copy it from his book:

At the beginning of the book he says: "Our very notion of “home” has been supersized, everyone seems to covet a “great” room and a master suite, a six-burner chef’s stove and a two-car garage. Are we losing our ability to live simply and responsibly? Questions like these are why I think sustainable living truly begins at home. It’s where we eat, sleep, dream, and dress; it’s where we cook, clean, nurture, and nest." --- Looking at the houses in newer suburbs of Edmonton I see lots of huge buildings that should accommodate at least ten people. As a matter of fact, they are single family homes, some even without kids. And I don't want to think about the amounts of interior decoration and where it comes from! A good New Year's resolution would be to consume less and more wisely, and to add less to the landfill. Talking about landfill, the average American produces 4.5 pounds of garbage per day! We don't: We have a small 14 litre garbage bin and take it out at the most once per week. In addition I take out one bag of recycling each week, in a cloth bag which I empty out right into the recycling container. How much garbage do you have?          

 

At the end of the book he concludes: "Possessions have a way of imprisoning those who think too much of them, but when I talk about being liberated by having less, I’m not simply referring to the things we acquire. Fewer things do mean fewer worries; it’s less to maintain and upgrade, to protect and insure. Beyond that, though, it’s the liberating feeling that comes with no longer having to keep up with the Joneses.  We teach our children crucial lessons when we show them that we value thrift, economy, quality, and an environment left for them and their children and future generations to enjoy. The American dream becomes about ingenuity, not about the almighty dollar.

home sweet home - good to know

Here a few more things from the same book, Restore, Recycle, Repurpose – Create a beautiful home, by  Randy Florke with Nancy J. Becker. Some of these issues I will write more about eventually:  

-         According to American Water Works Association 26.7 % of the water used daily in a single-family home is flushed down the toilet. --- How terrible is that! In Germany dual-flush toilets or toilets where one can stop the flow of water any time as desired are standard, meaning almost everywhere. In Edmonton and you guess how much further geographically they are still RARE and the old water tanks are huge. We do it the old fashioned way, not with a brick in the tank but a 2-litre jar to save some water. And as long as you are well-hydrated and alone at home you don't have to flush every time.     

-         According to Howtocompost.org, home composting can “divert 700 lbs of material per household annually from the waste stream”.  --- Impressive number isn't it. Half of Edmonton's residential waste is organic matter despite the fact that if composting is done properly it will not smell or attract rodents. And with worm composting it can be done quickly and easily in any apartment. No, we have not got the worm box yet but I am thinking about it. Still trying to figure out how to keep it out of baby's reach and within my reach.     

-         According to the Aluminum Association, Americans throw away enough aluminium every three months to rebuild the commercial air fleet. Randy suggest the logical, to stop using aluminium foil or buy 100% recycled foil. Rinse off after use and put it in with your recycling. --- I have tin foil at home but we only use it for the BBQ which we should properly clean instead and put the food right on it.   

-         Wood-burning fireplaces and stoves are not always energy-efficient, the burning of wood is considered carbon neutral, since no more CO2 is released than if the wood were to degrade naturally. Learn more at www.woodheat.org

-         Mattresses: may contain petrochemical-laced vinyl coverings, softeners such as Phthalates (carcinogen), polyurethane foam that emits VOCs, and potentially toxic chemical fire retardants like Polybromenated diphenyl etners (PBDEs), according to Healthy child, Healthy world. Look for mattresses without PBDEs, without foam interior that contain petroleum products, coverings made of organic cotton or wool instead of vinyl. Flame-resistant barriers made of fibre are better than sprayed-on-fire-resistant chemicals. Consider an organic encasement to put a layer between you and potential toxins in the mattress.  ---- very interesting indeed. Maybe an air mattress and sleeping bag are the healthier alternative. But I better find out first what the air mattress is made of.   

-        High-efficiency tank-less water heaters, though considerably more expensive, eventually pay for themselves in energy costs, which are up to 20% lower than those of traditional storage tank models. It might take up to 22 years to break even though.    --- We had one in Edinburgh for the shower and loved it. We did not bother switching the storage tank on at all, heated the water for washing the dishes in a kettle. The toughest part was for Dave to shave with cold water.

-         According to multiple sources, laptops use 25-45 watts of electricity when running, while the average desktop computer uses 60-250.

Almost done, only a few more no-brainers, just in case: 

-         Refill printer cartridges, unplug what you don’t need, use multi-purpose appliances (printer, scanner etc. in one appliance), print only if absolutely necessary, print on both sides and on recycled paper

-         Do not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers in your garden, there are organic options 

-         Use push lawn mowers and hedge clippers – does not cause as much noise either

-         Donate stuff you don't need any longer, try not to add on to the landfill, buy used

-         Buy a Christmas tree with the root ball on and plant afterwards, mulch or compost a live cut tree otherwise

home sweet home - flooring

I got this book from the library: Restore, Recycle, Repurpose – Create a beautiful home, It is a Country Living Book by Randy Florke with Nancy J. Becker, published by Hearst Books. Even though we don't have a country house or any house at all it has lots of information on decorating, sourcing your materials, furniture,and lots of other household items. It is trying to give sustainable options for every room of your home. Here is what Randy says about several flooring materials:    

-         Bamboo: considered environmentally friendly, grows quickly, needs little fertilizer, not as durable as hard woods, but typically from far-flung places so the shipping has a big foot print

-         Stone: durable, water resistant, renewable but takes millions of years to degrade and the excavation is damaging to the environment – slate and sandstone require a less intrusive form of mining than marble or granite that lie deep within the earth

-         Cork: more renewable resource than many woods because the trees are not destroyed when the cork is harvested. Insulating, microbial, with sound-proofing qualities

-         Reclaimed Wood: from trees that have fallen naturally due to storm or age and wood savaged from razed structures

-         Renewable Wood: woods like bamboo, cork and eucalyptus but consider the foot print of shipping, local maple or oak might be the better option

-         Concrete: manufacturing process creates large quantities of carbon dioxide, one source suggests that 7% of global CO2 emissions come from concrete. Hydrochloric acid is typically used as the base for concrete stain, but there are eco-friendly solutions available, like low-VOC acid-free soy-based stains. Check out Eco-Safety www.ecoprocote.com

-         Linoleum: is a natural product made from linseed oil solids. Durable, install with low-VOC adhesives, water-based adhesives are better than solvent-based

-         Marmoleum: looks like linoleum but it’s made of linseed oils, rosins, wood flour