Perpetual Innovation

Category: sanitation

  • World Water Day 2023 – Accelerating Change

    World Water Day 2023 – Accelerating Change

     [With AI contribution from Bard.]

    World Water Day 2023: A Call to
    Action (https://www.worldwaterday.org/).
    Act like the humming bird, be
    the change you want to see in the world.

    Approximately 750m people worldwide
    do not have ready access to clean water. Double that for people without clean
    septic/sanitation. The health and wellness of these 2b people can be improved
    dramatically with clean water and safe septic.

    World Water Day is observed on March
    22 each year to raise awareness of the importance of water and to advocate for
    the sustainable management of freshwater resources. This year’s theme is
    “Accelerating change.” This means that we need to take action to
    address the water crisis. We need to find ways to use water more efficiently,
    and we need to protect our water resources.

    Water is essential for life. It is
    used for drinking, bathing, cooking, cleaning, and irrigation. Water is also
    essential for the environment. It provides habitat for plants and animals, and
    it helps to regulate the climate.

    However, water is a finite resource.
    The world’s population is growing, and the demand for water is increasing.
    Climate change is also causing changes in the distribution of water. These
    factors are putting a strain on the world’s water resources.

    There are many things that you can
    do to help accelerate change on World Water Day. You can:

    • Turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth.
    • Take shorter showers.
    • Fix any leaks in your home.
    • Plant a tree.
    • Donate to a water charity.

    These are just a few examples of
    things that you can do to make a difference on World Water Day. Together, we
    can accelerate change and create a more sustainable future for our planet.

    In addition to the above, you can
    also:

    • Educate yourself and others about the water crisis.
    • Support organizations that are working to address the
      water crisis.
    • Contact your elected officials and urge them to take
      action on the water crisis.
    • Make changes in your own life to reduce your water
      consumption.

    By taking these actions, you can
    help to make World Water Day 2023 a success. Together, we can accelerate change
    and create a more sustainable future for our planet.

    Water Related Charities

    There are many great water-related
    charities, but here are a few of the best (CharityNavigator ratings):

    • Charity:Water is a non-profit organization that
      provides clean water to people in developing countries. (91, 4 Star)
    • Water.org is a non-profit organization that works to
      ensure everyone has access to safe water and sanitation. (95, 4 Star)
    • WaterAid is a non-profit organization that provides
      clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education in developing countries. (91,
      4 Star)
    • The Thirst Project is a non-profit organization that
      builds wells in developing countries. (80, 3 Star)
    • Planet Water Foundation is a non-profit organization
      that provides water filters and sanitation solutions in developing
      countries. (79, 3 Star)
    • The Safe Water Network is a non-profit organization
      that provides water filtration systems in developing countries. (93, 4
      Star)

    These charities are all doing
    important work to help people around the world have access to clean water. If
    you are looking for a way to make a difference, consider donating to one of
    these charities.

    Water and Rotary
    Action Groups (WASH-RAG)

    Rotary International (100, 4 Star)
    and its collection of clubs worldwide take on 7 specific areas of focus
    including water and sanitation. Rotary groups help initiate sustainable fresh
    water and sanitation projects. (Rotary has almost 40,000 clubs worldwide in
    more than 200 countries.)

    WASH-RAG is a group of Rotarians who
    are committed to helping Rotary clubs effectively plan, finance, implement,
    monitor, and evaluate water, sanitation, and hygiene programs. WASH-RAG
    operates in accordance with Rotary International policy but is not an agency
    of, or controlled by, Rotary International.

    WASH-RAG provides a variety of
    resources to Rotarians, including:

    • Information on water, sanitation, and hygiene projects
    • Tools and templates to help Rotarians plan and
      implement projects
    • Training and support to help Rotarians evaluate
      projects
    • Access to a network of Rotarians who are working on
      water, sanitation, and hygiene projects

    WASH-RAG is a valuable resource for
    Rotarians who are looking to make a difference in the lives of people around
    the world. By working together, Rotary clubs can help to create a more sustainable
    future for our planet.

    Clean Water Saves
    Lives

    According to the World Health
    Organization, an estimated 2.2 million people die each year from diarrheal diseases,
    which are caused by a lack of clean water and sanitation. If everyone had
    access to clean water and sanitation, it is estimated that 2.2 million lives
    could be saved each year.

    In addition, clean water and
    sanitation are essential for preventing other diseases, such as cholera,
    typhoid, and dysentery. These diseases can cause serious illness and even
    death, especially in young children.

    Therefore, providing clean water and
    sanitation to everyone is essential for improving health and saving lives around
    the world.

    Thanks BARD (from Google) for
    assistance with this World Water Day blog post.


     

    #SustainZine.com #NonprofitPlan.org #WaterForLife #BardAI


     

  • World Water Day 2021 Quiz

    World
    Water Day 2021 (March 22) Quiz        Name/Team: ____________ 

    (See SustainZine blog post related to this quiz and World Water Day.)
    1.      Approximately
    what percentage of the adult human body is water (H2O)?

    a.       10-15%
    b.      20-30%
    c.       40-50%
    d.      55-65%

    2.      All
    of the following are primary water-related causes of death world-wide except:

    a.       Diarrhea
    b.      Malaria
    c.       Dehydration

    d.      Driving
    into bodies of water while texting

    3.      A
    gallon of DeLand city tap water costs about how many cents (vs. bottled water)?

    a.       <0.6
    cents
    b.      2
    cents
    c.       4
    cents
    d.    8
    cents


    4.      What
    percentage of the world’s water is fresh surface water (lakes, rivers, swamp,
    etc.)?

    a)     
    10.9% of the world’s water
    is fresh and surface water.
    b)     
    5.2%
    c)     
    2.5%
    d)     
    <0.1%

    5.      Of
    the ~7.8B billion world population what number (percentage) do not have safe
    drinking water; what percentage do not have clean septic/sewer?

    a)     
    0.5 Billion (~7%) without
    clean water; 1B without basic sewer/septic (~13%)

    b)     
    1 Billion (~13%) without
    clean water; 1B without basic sewer/septic (~13%)

    c)     
    780 Million (~10%)
    without clean water; 1B without basic sewer/septic (~13%)

    d)     
    780 Million (~10%)
    without clean water; 2B without sewer/septic (~25%)

    6.      About, what
    percentage of the US lakes, rivers and streams are polluted (according to US
    EPA)?  (Polluted, as in no swimming and
    you should not eat the fish, if there are any.)

    a.       5%

    b.      10%

    c.       30%

    d.      50%



    7.      How
    many gallons of water does it take to power a single light bulb for a year
    using NatGas, Coal and Nuclear (100-Watt, incandescent, 12 hours per day)?

    a.       50
    to 60 Gallons
    b.      200
    to 500 Gals.
    c.       1,000
    to 2,000 Gals.
    d.      4,000
    to 8,000 Gals.



    8.      How
    many gallons of water does it take to produce the corn necessary to produce 1
    gal of ethanol?

    a.      
    1-5 Gallons of water went
    into the corn to make up 1 gal of ethanol.
    b.     
    10-15 Gals
    c.      
    20-25 Gals
    d.      30-35
    Gals

    9.      How
    many gallons of water does it take to produce a gallon of ethanol from corn?
    (Not counting the virtual water in the corn from the prior question.)

    a.       None
    b.      0.5
    Gal
    c.       2
    Gals
    d.      3.5
    Gal



    10.  About
    how many gallons of water does it take to extract a gallon of oil?
    (Fracking drilling.)

    a.       No
    water used.
    b.      2-4
    gal of water per 42 Gal barrel of oil
    c.       5-10
    gal of water per 42 Gal barrel of oil
    d.      21
    gal of water per 42 Gal barrel of oil

    11.  About
    how many gallons of water does it take to refine a gallon of gasoline
    from crude oil? (not counting the prior question related to drilling the oil.)

    a.       No
    water used in the refining process.
    b.      0.1
    gal of water used per 1 gal of gasoline produced from crude oil.
    c.       0.3
    gal of water used per 1 gal of gasoline produced from crude oil.     
    d.       0.7
    gal of water used per 1 gal of gasoline produced from crude oil.

    12.  All
    things considered, how much total water does it take for a single chicken egg?
    (Virtual Water.)

    a.       12 gals

    b.      22 gals

    c.       32 gals

    d.      52 gals

    13.  All
    things considered, how much total water does it take for a pound of beef?
    (Virtual Water.)

    a.       200
    gals
    b.      500
    gals
    c.       900
    gals
    d.      1,800
    gals

    14.  All
    things considered, about how much total water does it take to make a pair of
    cotton jeans, both the cotton, milling, dying and the fabrication? (Virtual
    Water.)

    a.       50
    gallons
    b.      500
    gals
    c.       1,000
    gals
    d.      2,000
    gals

    15.  The
    average American family uses how much water per day at home directly
    (meter and/or well)? (Average household is 2.5 people.)

    a)   60 gals directly per day
    b)     
    95 gals directly per day
    c)     
    125 gals directly per day
    d)     
    300 gals directly per day

  • World Water Day: 2021 Valuing Water (Quiz your Water Knowledge)

    It’s World Water Day, March 22, 2021 (www.WorldWaterDay.org).  

    Time to test your water knowledge with a World Water Day Quiz. 
    Some days we wish it would rain. Some days, we
    wish it would stop. But every day, not just March 22, we should stop and
    appreciate the importance of water. How important it is to out our being, to
    our lives, to our living and to our existence.

    Here is my Water Quiz for 2021. It is
    surprisingly hard to develop because the numbers are all over the map. I have 15
    multiple guess questions. Answer them all before starting to Google the
    answers. For which questions do you have a high confidence in your original answer?
    I’m trying to use current stats; different sources give different estimates. Sometimes old news is no longer accurate (maybe it never was accurate). I
    generally used US and US units of measure unless specifically indicated otherwise.
    Answers, scoring and sources will be forthcoming.

    Celebrate the day. Go, drink a glass of H2O.

    Cheers!



  • Bill Gates Helps Reinvent the Toilet – Earth911.com – Poo Power

    Bill Gates Helps Reinvent the Toilet – Earth911.com:

    I know what you’re thinking, when you contemplate the power of poo. You’re thinking about Winnie the Pooh. Right.  “You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” Winnie famously said… Talking about going out and making a difference.

    Apparently the same can be said for poo. We need to take new and better toilets to the masses of people, 2.5B or so, that do not have clean sanitation. And you use that same poop and pee-power toilet to generate  poop and pee-power. Something you would want to call Poop-Pee Power, I’m sure.

    Processing it and storing the “fuel” (methane?) can then be used for power. Fuel cell for on demand, when needed,no moving parts, power seems logical. A requirement is that the final outputs must be power and hydrogen. Bill Gates says in the press release related to the challenge/competition:

    “Imagine what’s possible if we continue to collaborate, stimulate new investment in this sector, and apply our ingenuity in the years ahead, . . . Many of these innovations will not only revolutionize sanitation in the developing world, but also help transform our dependence on traditional flush toilets in wealthy nations.”

    Innovation such as this will bring sanitation, health and power to poor and unclean masses.

    No crappy jokes here. (Well, maybe a few.)

    This is a great idea, that’s a HEAD of its time — or maybe a little BEHIND the times.

    We all really should have done something like this a LONG time ago.
    And that’s the stinking true of it.

    “Innovative solutions change people’s lives for the better,” said foundation Co-chair Bill Gates. “If we apply creative thinking to everyday challenges, such as dealing with human waste, we can fix some of the world’s toughest problems.”

    By the world’s toughest problems, do you think that Bill thinks we can apply some of such solutions to politics? It seems that PolitiPoo should be especially high-octane and extremely combustible. !:-)

    The trick seems to be keeping it out of the fan long enough to harness PolitiPoo power.

    ‘via Blog this’