Perpetual Innovation

Category: Water Day

  • 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 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!



  • Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink

    Here it is the United Nations water report for 2015:
    http://www.sustainablebrands.com/digital_learning/research_report/leadership/united_nations_world_water_development_report_2015?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=schtweets&utm_campaign=social

    As California suffer through water shortage, imagine what the rest of the world looks like. Now, imagine what the rest of the world will look like in the year 2050?
    By that time we should have moved to a population of 9 to 11 billion!
    The first chapter is on non-sustainable uses of water. The trends, including use of water, that are not sustainable, have a way of ending on gracefully!
    Case in point, California.

  • World Water Day Quiz?

    All,


    World water day slipped by without a splash! http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/ 


    Check the blog here on the topic: World Water Day 2014 blog post.


    Most people don’t realize the Nexus of water and energy.

    Most people don’t realize the Nexus of water and energy and plastics.
    Most people don’t realize the Nexus of water and energy and paper.
    Most people don’t realize the Nexus of water and energy and trash.
    Most people don’t realize the Nexus of water and energy and clothes (say cotton pants).
    Most people don’t realize the Nexus of water and energy and food… (virtual water).


    Quick quiz:

    1. How much of the earth’s water is available fresh water (like rivers, streams and fresh lakes)?
    2. What percentage of the bottled water we drink is from a municipal water source (i.e., fine Miami tap-water)?
    3. How many gallons of water (typically) does it take to power a light bulb per year (in the US, based on 12 hrs per day, 60w incandescent)?
    4. How many gallons of water does it take to make a serving of cereal? of beef? of cotton clothes?
    5. How many gallons of water does the average (per capita) American use per day? All things considered, how much water per day?

    Go here to find most of the answers to these questions: http://sustainzine.blogspot.com/search?q=world+water+quiz 


    Key: Out of about 100% correct, where do you stand?

    • 5% right? Low average. You probably should know a little more about our earth systems.
    • 10% right? About average. You probably should know a little more about our earth systems.
    • 20% right? Above average. Pretty good! You probably should know a little more about our earth systems.
    • 30% right? You read too much or you are a closet environmentalist.
    • 40% right? Genius and a full fledged environmentalist. You probably should be blogging about sustainability issues.
    • 50% or more right? No… You cheated! You looked up the answers and were actually lucky enough to find sources that were accurate/right!

  • World Water Day 2014 — March 22

    Welcome to the World
    Water Day of 2014:     This
    year’s theme is Water & Energy.
    By
    the Way:     Earth Day is coming in a month, April 22!!!
    Look for Seminar information.
    See the 2011
    SustainZine post     related to World Water Day.
    Some info is borrowed here.
    World Water Day
    The
    44th World Water Day (March 22, 2014):     http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/
      World Water Day can easily flooded past us without
    most of us hearing a drop about it.!:-(  And
    why is that, you may be wondering? Or not… The problem with this, and most
    things sustainability related, is where to start.  And how do we put the critical sustainability
    issue of water onto our daily radar screen.

    Water,
    Water, Everywhere…
      Water, so critical to life can be devastating in its
    absence. It can be devastating in abundance. Australia, plagued with decades of
    drought, finally got rain in 2011: it had an area flooded the size of Germany
    and France combined!  This was followed
    in February with Cyclone Yasi in the northeast. (A cyclone is the Pacific version of a hurricane… and, yes, they went
    through the alphabet to get to Y.) We know a lot about hurricanes for two years
    starting in 2004 giving us in Florida 3 or 4 per year including Katrina that
    also hit New Orleans.
      Then in the Winter of 2013-2014 we got snow, and
    more snow (let’s call that a polar vortex). In the meantime Europe (England) got
    drowned in rain.
    But the quiet pain associated with water is very
    easily preventable with very little money. More than 1 billion of our world’s
    6.9B population have inadequate drinking water with an additional 1B having
    inadequate sanitation. The result is that more than 3.5 million people die each
    year because of easily preventable water-related diseases (World Health
    Organization at     www.WHO.int).
     Approximately half of the world’s
    hospital beds are taken by water and hygiene-related diseases (    http://water.org/learn-about-the-water-crisis/facts/).  [This should be updated, it has improved
    since 2011.]

    The
    Nexus of Energy with Water, Paper, Plastic and Transportation.
      Few people realize how much water it takes to
    produce energy. How much water to power a light bulb, for example? To power a
    60 watt bulb 12 hours per day for a year? How about 3,000 to 6,000, depending
    on the power source, it could be more or less. See here.
      The water doesn’t go away, per se. Water might be
    taken in upstream, used to produce steam and power turbines and then released
    downstream.  Give a look at the Nexus
    sections in the outline on the last page of     Climate Changes and Sustainability, a
    WikiBook    : http://tinyurl.com/SustainYBook

    Power and the Nexus of Energy, Water,
    Paper, Plastic, etc. are discussed in Wikipdedia:
    World
    Water Day
      World Water Day was initiated to try to solve health
    and wellness problems around the world where people have poor water and
    sanitation. The UN has a 10 year program to attempt to overcome the pain and
    death associated with inadequate water by 2015. Progress has been made, but it
    is slow.
    WATER STATS: Most of
    the earth’s surface (70%+) is water. Yet only about 2.5% is freshwater. (The
    salt in oceans and some lakes make it unusable for drinking, agriculture, etc.
    without expensive desalinization processing.) Of the world’s freshwater 68.7%
    is in ice caps and glaciers, 30.1% is underground, ~1% is other, and barely
    0.3% is fresh surface water! That’s about 0.009% of our total is fresh surface
    water. Freshwater is lakes (87%), swamps (11%) and rivers (2%). So as we divert
    and consume the fresh water available to us – taking from rivers and aquifers –
    the impacts become ever greater as rivers dry and ancient aquifers are depleted.
    This year the theme is Water & Energy. Most people don’t realize the Nexus of Water
    and Energy.

    The
    Water Bubble and Water Wars
      The water bubble may be coming faster
    than we originally thought… Water sources, especially the invisible
    underwater aquifers are being depleted. 
    This will show in increased prices for water, water shortages and food
    shortages/prices (Marks, 2009). “We’re fast draining the fresh water resources
    our farms rely on, warns Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute”
    (George, 2011). Our own Ogallala Aquifer in the high plans of the US (underground
    aquifer from Texas through Wyoming) will be depleted in about 25 years. (See     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer.).

      Water
    wars and water conflicts are expected to increase dramatically. Counties (and
    states) that are at the headwaters of rivers can take all the water and leave
    nothing for the cities, farmers and fishermen below. 

      Worst case, and a horrible
    example, is the Aral Sea. What used to be the world’s 4th largest
    lake is now mostly dry, highly salty and toxically polluted. Russia has been consuming
    the water that would have run downstream (and through) the former USSR state of
    Kazakhstan. (See     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aral_Sea
    and the following news video:     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8b0svfuO_k
    at Russia Today.)
      The truth of the matter is… that water
    matters!  …
      Even in Florida where we are surrounded
    by H2O.

    What can we do?
      Basically, we need to become more
    informed about the sustainability impact of all we say and do. We need to
    become more informed consumers of water. Maybe compute our water footprint.
    Please fill out the H2O Footprint calculator.
    We need to start conserving more water, more energy and more resource. (Recycling
    actually saves huge amounts of energy and water.)
     1)     
    Compute your water footprint
    (and take actions to reduce it):
    a.      
    H2O Footprint: http://www.h2oconserve.org (Water footprint calculator.)
    c.      
    Water footprint of food,
    products, etc.:     http://www.waterfootprint.org
    2)     
    The average American uses
    2,000 gallons per day, more than twice the global average when all things are
    considered. (Most of the statistics will show only about 1,000 gpd, but they
    don’t include food, energy, etc.)
    3)     
    For Florida-centric details
    & water-saving tips, please visit:     www.WaterMatters.org and www.savewaterfl.com.
    4)     
    References and links below.
    Look for information about Earth Day
    2014 coming up on Tuesday April 22.

    Thanks for listening, reading, and thinking about
    sustainability.

    Let’s be good stewards of our God-given resources:
    water and more.

    Some References
    George, L. (2011, Feb. 2) Earth economist: The food
    bubble is about to burst . New Scientist.
    Retrieved from:      http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20927986.400-earth-economist-the-food-bubble-is-about-to-burst.html
    Marks, S. J. (2009). Aqua shock: The water crisis in America. NY, NY: Bloomberg Press.
    Some Links:
    ·        
    Official
    site    :
    http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/
    ·        
    http://www.UNWater.org
    ·        
    http://www.Water.org
    ·         http://worldwater.org/