“Just Don’t Flush It”

This year’s winning short films were announced Sept. 20 at the Intelligent Use of Water™ Film Competition screening in Beverly Hills, CA. The 2011 Audience Choice Award went to

“Just Don’t Flush It” by Brian McAndrew, North Bend, Oregon – check it out!

Water Supply – or Management – Crisis? The Right Question Will Drive the Right Solution · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader

Water Supply – or Management – Crisis? The Right Question Will Drive the Right Solution · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader.

Water Supply – or Management – Crisis? The Right Question Will Drive the Right Solution

Joe Geever
California Policy Coordinator
Surfrider Foundation

The majority of public messaging is about the water supply crisis we are facing. It is true that climate change and increasing demand will outstrip safe and reliable sources if we continue down the current path. However, the problem is not a “supply crisis,” but instead a “water management” crisis. One simple example that highlights the problem is California’s current statewide drought emergency declaration and simultaneous flood warnings in communities statewide.

World Water Day is a clarion call to everyone – from individuals to our highest-level decision-makers – to start asking basic questions about the way we manage our precious water resources. Where does the water in your home or region come from? How much do we use and for what? What happens to that water once we’ve used it – often just once? Most importantly, are we managing this life-sustaining resource in a way that results in avoidable waste, intractable adverse impacts on our natural environment, and unsustainable economic growth?

Crisis often drives important reform. Sadly, too often that reform is driven by short-term reactionary solutions, avoiding the need for holistic and long-term sustainable solutions.

The crisis we face is much broader than the narrow focus on increasing water supplies. The challenges facing the southwest, if not every region of the world, offer opportunities for holistic reform of water management. We can, and must, resolve our water supply challenges with integrated solutions that reduce pollution, restore ecosystem services and health to local watersheds, eliminate much of the “embedded energy” in our supply and wastewater disposal systems, and adapt to climate change and the multiple threats it poses.

Does this sound like a Herculean task? It does. But like any effort to reform institutional and complex regulatory problems, the public needs a thorough and honest assessment of the problems, and a clear picture of the solutions. World Water Day can and should be the platform to project this vision. The public will drive reform once we understand, and can visualize, the multiple benefits to our economy, environment and quality of life in our community from integrated water management reforms.

Fortunately progressive planners and individuals are already incorporating pieces of the puzzle, and these successful examples can lead the way to holistic reform. Homeowners are beginning to conserve water and redesign their landscapes to capture rainwater. Cities are implementing Low Impact Development ordinances, creating “green streets,” constructing networks of treatment wetlands and other efforts to restore natural watershed benefits to urban settings. We are taking the “waste” of water and energy out of our sewage treatment facilities through safe and reliable recycled water systems. All of these pieces can be incorporated into integrated management reform that provides a multitude of benefits through sound economic investments.

The predictions of a looming “water supply crisis” only seem dire until we embrace the notion that the coordinated and cooperative efforts by many public agencies who have some authority over managing water, as well as our own efforts at home, can result in reform that integrates solutions to multiple problems. Crisis drives reform – and World Water Day is an invaluable opportunity to illustrate what the reform looks like in our communities and how we end up with a sustainable economy, environment and better quality of life.

Joe Geever is the California Policy Coordinator at Surfrider Foundation. His duties include a broad array of policy education and advocacy, including development and management of Surfrider Foundation’s new program “Know Your H2O.”

Caroma’s 2011 “One Flush Makes a Difference” Promotion – 50% off MSRP

http://www.caromausa.com/2011/02/09/2011_one_flush_makes_a_difference_50_off_promotion.php

2011 “One Flush Makes a Difference” Promotion

Caroma’s 50% off promotion is back! Last year’s promotion was a huge success and this year we’re once again inviting customers to receive a coupon for 50% off the list price of any qualifying Caroma toilet or sink at participating reseller locations*. The 2011 “One Flush Makes a Difference” promotion honors Earth Month and helps bring awareness to all that Caroma does to promote water-efficiency. You have until June 30, 2011 to participate in the promotion and receive 50 % off the list price of any qualifying Caroma toilet or sink.

Can One Flush Make a Difference?

Absolutely! In the United States federal law requires that new toilets must not exceed 1.6 gallons of water per flush (gpf). The high efficiency toilet (HET) category has set a standard in North America with 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf). Caroma’s HET’s go even further: The average flush of the toilets in Caroma’s standard collection is 1.06 gpf, while the Smart Series features an industry breaking 0.96 gpf!

Just think. If just one person uses a high efficiency toilet for one year then they will save around 330 gallons of water (based on the average three times a day flush). Further, if your toilet is from the 1980s, when new toilets were regulated to use 3.5 gallons of water per flush, you would save 2,410 gallons per year by switching to a HET toilet!

The numbers simply add up. If five people replaced their old 3.5 gpf toilet, over 12,000 gallons of water or the equivalent of 300 20-minute showers would be saved. One flush does make a difference, but if 2,000 people with new toilets switched to a HET toilet, in one year you would be able to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool with the water saved: 660,430 gallons! If 822 people using the old 3.5 gpf toilets changed to a Caroma HET toilet, we could fill an Olympic pool with the water saved!

Start Saving. Now you can save money and water at the same time with Caroma’s “One Flush Makes a Difference” 50% off promotion.

*Available through participating resellers only.
Excludes Invisi™ Series, Somerton Smart 270, Sydney Smart 305 One-Piece, Cube Ultra, H2 Zero Waterless and Flow Showerheads. Shipping not included. 50% discount is based off of the list price. Promotion runs from February 14, 2011 through June 30, 2011. Offer available to all North American residents (Canada exempt). Coupon must be present at time of purchase.
 

Click here to see Participating Dealers - if you are in Georgia, contact ecoTransitions.

All floor mounted models also qualify for the various toilet rebate programs in the US!

San Fransisco Rolls out tap water refilling stations

http://www.inspiredwater.org/2011/02/san-fran-rolls-out-global-tap-water-refilling-stations/.

San Fran Rolls Out Tap Water Refilling Stations

Those who live in San Francisco may have noticed strange new contraptions located around the city. These metal boxes are the new official “tap water refilling stations.”

The “refilling stations” are a project of the Department of the Environment, the Public Utilities Commission and Global Tap and are designed, according to the press release, “to promote free access to San Francisco’s great tasting tap water.” There are currently seven stations located around the city, but they plan to have a total of 15 units installed.

“People take for granted what’s in front of them, and that’s definitely the case for tap water,” said Tyrone Jue, spokesman for the PUC. “We need to remind people every chance we get that bottled water just isn’t necessary.” According to the PUC, the city’s tap water costs $.003 per gallon versus $1-$4 per gallon of bottled water. And it’s much better for the environment since it doesn’t come in plastic bottles.

Live in SF? Find your nearest refilling station here.

To learn more, visit here and here.

Best and worst bottled water brands by Shine

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/green/best-and-worst-bottled-water-brands-2436818/

By Lori Bongiorno

(Photo: B2M Productions / Getty Images) 

How much do you know about the bottled water you drink? Not nearly enough, according to a new report released today from Environmental Working Group(EWG). “Bottled water companies try hard to hide information you might find troubling,” says Jane Houlihan, senior vice president of research for the Washington D.C.-based research and advocacy group.

[Read more: Cities with the best (and worst) tap water]

EWG analyzed the labels of 173 unique bottled water products and company websites to determine if companies disclose information on where water comes from, how or if their water is treated, and whether the results of purity testing are revealed. The nonprofit also looked at how effective (and advanced) any water treatment methods are. Researchers followed up by calling dozens of bottled water companies to find out which ones willingly tell consumers what’s in their bottles.

The Environmental Protection Agency says on its website that consumers have the right to know where their water comes from and what’s in it so they can “make informed choices that affect the health of themselves and their families.” Tap water is regularly tested and consumers can find their local water info online. That’s not necessarily the case with bottled water, which is not required to disclose that information to consumers. “Bottled water is a food product and every one of these companies is complying with federal law,” says Tom Lauria, of the International Bottled Water Association.

[Video: The story of bottled water]

More than half of the bottled water products surveyed failed EWG’s transparency test –18 percent didn’t say where their water comes from, and another 32 percent did not disclose any information on treatment or purity of water.

Only three brands earned the highest possible marks for disclosing information and using the most advanced treatment methods available - Gerber Pure Purified Water, Nestle Pure Life Purified Water, and Penta Ultra-Purified Water.

On the other end of the spectrum, these six brands got the worst marks in EWG’s report because they don’t provide consumers with the three basic facts about water on product labels or their company website - Whole Foods Italian Still Mineral Water, Vintage Natural Spring Water, Sahara Premium Drinking Water, O Water Sport Electrolyte Enhanced Purified Drinking Water, Market Basket Natural Spring Water, andCumby’s Spring Water.

How does your bottled water brand stack up? Here’s a look at the 10 top-selling* U.S. brands:

1.     Pure Life Purified Water (Nestle), EWG grade = B

2.     Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = C

3.     Aquafina Purified Drinking Water (Pepsi), EWG grade = D

4.     Dasani Purified Water (Coca-Cola), EWG grade = D

5.     Deer Park Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

6.     Ice Mountain Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

7.     Ozarka Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

8.     Poland Spring Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

9.     Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

10.  Crystal Geyser Natural Alpine Spring Water (CG Roxane), EWG grade =  F

Filtered tap water received the best grade (an A) from EWG because if you change your filter regularly, EWG says it is purer than bottled water, plus it saves money (bottled water can cost up to 1,900 times more than what flows from your tap). Drinking tap water also takes less of a toll on the planet. EWG offers plenty of tips for filtering your tap water so that you can drink the healthiest water possible.

[Related: Giving up bottled water saves a shocking amount of money]

What should you do when bottled water is your only option? “While our top choice is filtered tap water, when you do need to choose bottled water, we recommend brands that tell you what’s in the water and that use advanced treatment technologies like reverse osmosis and micro-filtration,” says Houlihan. Advanced treatment technologies remove pollutants that other methods don’t. You should look for bottled water products that tell you where the water is coming from and how pure it is.

Here are the results for all 173 bottled water brands included in the report. You’ll find that some less popular brands rank even lower than our list of top-sellers.

The advice to drink filtered tap water can seem confusing when there are often reports about the contaminants found in municipal water supplies. Just last month, for example, EWG announced that cancer causing hexavalent chromium (chromium-6) is in 31 cities’ tap water. Houlihan says chromium-6 is as likely to be in your bottled water as it is in your tap water and we need action from the federal government on this. She points out that a reverse osmosis filter can remove the worrisome contaminant. You can guarantee its removal in your home supply, but in many cases you don’t know what’s in the bottle you’re drinking from.

*Sales rankings from the Beverage Marketing Corporation.

Do toilets go to heaven? by http://www.bluegranola.com/

Toilet –> Tile –> Trendy.

One rarely ponders the life and death of a toilet. Just like some kids ask if dogs go to heaven, I wonder where toilets go when their lifespan is up. For some of them, the answer is a Whole Foods juice bar. Fireclay Tile, a Northern California-based ceramic tile company, uses recycled materials such as porcelain from local used toilets to create its product. According to their website, “All products are handmade within Fireclay’s day-lit, open air factory where the company reuses everything including clays, glazes and waste water.”

Ok, pause. Why is going around collecting old toilets and making them into counter tops for yuppies important?

Answer: Throwing away large clunky items like toilets contributes to our problem of overflowing landfills. Instead, we should do everything we can to waste less and reuse more. Turning a toilet into a tile does just that because by reusing the porcelain, Fireclay lowers the amount of pollution that would otherwise be emitted by creating all new material from scratch. Also, the company only uses things it can find from nearby sources which significantly reduces its carbon footprint.

Point is- recycling, reusing, and buying local does not only apply to soda cans, plastic bags, and vegetables. People are creating innovative ways to do their part for the planet all the time using their own unique talents. Cool.

 

The Story of Bottled Water

The Story of Bottled Water by Madeline Ostrander, senior editor of YES! Magazine.

Worried about what’s in your tap?

That’s exactly what the water bottling industry hoped when it developed brands like Dasani, Perrier, and Poland Springs, which promise to be “natural,” “pure,” “clean,” even “sexy” alternatives to tap water.

But the very companies that market those brands, like Nestlé and Coca Cola, are putting public water supplies in jeopardy in communities both in the United States and overseas. They’re selling us a product that is often not any cleaner than tap water, and is a lot pricier.

Bottled water is a scam. The simplest way to understand why is to watch a new, short film released today by the creators of The Story of Stuff. Like its predecessor, The Story of Bottled Water uses simple language and surprisingly charming stick figures to walk you through the perils of the bottled water economy. “Bottled water costs about 2,000 times more than tap water,” says Annie Leonard, the film’s narrator and director. “Can you imagine paying 2,000 times the price of anything else? How about a $10,000 sandwich?”

Bottled water often comes straight from the tap, sometimes with a little filtering, sometimes not. It is not necessarily safer. For instance, in 2004, the Coca-Cola company had to recall all of its Dasani water from the United Kingdom, after officials discovered the water exceeded the legal limit for bromate, a carcinogen. The Environmental Working Group recently tested 10 brands of bottled water—on average, they contained eight chemical pollutants, no better than tap water.

But there’s something even more insidious about the way that the bottled water industry preys on our public water systems and tap water. Water is both the most basic of human needs and a product of nature. It can’t actually be manufactured, so bottling it up and selling it always means removing water from a public source. As the bottled water market has taken off, we’ve seen public water fountains begin to disappear. Meanwhile, citizens in rural towns have begun to take notice that water-bottling companies are trying to sell off water that actually belongs to them. Communities like Barnstead, New Hampshire have fought hard to keep Nestle from bottling and shipping away their local water.

China’s Living Water Garden
Photo essay: Chengdu’s most popular public park is is a 5.9 acre inner-city natural water treatment system.

We’ve gotten used to thinking we have more than enough water to go around in this country, but it’s not true. According to experts like Peter Gleick, the United States is facing a water crisis that will only get worse in coming years. Already major water supplies like the Ogallala Aquifer and Lake Mead, which together supply water for millions across the Southwest and Great Plains, are in big danger of running dry. Climate change is going to alter everything we know about water—how much stays in our reservoirs, how much snow falls in the Sierras, how our rivers flow, and how much we have available to drink, irrigate our crops, and water our lawns. When we let a private company control, bottle, or sell our water—whether it’s Coca-Cola or the private water operator Thames—we’re giving up some measure of control over our health, environment, lives, and futures.

In May, YES! Magazine will unveil a full issue about how to protect our water and keep it clean and accessible. You’ll read about radical breakthroughs in contentious Western water wars, about a community that bought its water back from private control, about farms that are learning how save water by taking care of soil, and about ways to get all the water you need, even if you live in the heart of the desert.

In the meantime, you can celebrate World Water Day by watching The Story of Bottled Water, and read more about campaigns to protect water in our online and magazine coverage.

---

Madeline Ostrander is senior editor of YES! Magazine.

Interested?
Life, Liberty, Water by Maude Barlow
A global water justice movement is demanding a change in international law to ensure the universal right to clean water for all.

City of Los Angeles Approves Waterless Urinals for All Buildings

via City of Los Angeles Approves Waterless Urinals for All Buildings.

And not just any urinals, the lucky winner is the H2Zero waterless urinal by Caroma, which beat out the competition to win this huge endorsement from one of the largest cities in the United States. Plus, green builders looking to get their permit approved now have one more ally on their side as this system has already been stamped off by the city.

In a city that has long had its battles with water conservation, this is just one more way to save lots and lots and lots of water. So just how did this “vitreous china urinal” clear all of the hurdles? Well, by making a product that outperformed the other urinals in operation, odor management, durability and waste build-up. If the city was going to approve a system that might make some people a little queasy, they had to find something that wouldn’t leave a mess for anyone to have to deal with.

The H2Zero system doesn’t use a oil-based seal, like most waterless urinals, but instead uses a cartridge with a Bio Fresh deodorizing block inside that is activated upon use. The system allows urine to pass through freely but also acts as an airtight valve so the user doesn’t have any lingering scents. As the urine flows through the cartridge, it heats up the deodorizing block and lets out a slight lemon scent. The cartridge lasts roughly 10,000 uses and then must be replaced. Plus, their larger size is “ideal” for retrofits because it will cover over just about any spot you used to have from that old water-hogging urinal.

Caroma expects that their system will save the city millions of gallons of water each year just by replacing common urinals with their H2Zero waterless urinals. The Caroma is also a maker of the Dual Flush Toilet. Heck, next thing we know the city will be promoting “if it’s yellow let it mellow…” with little signs on every bathroom stall. :Caroma

Caroma continues American Forests support

Source Hotelnetwork.com

HILLSBORO, OREGON  -– Caroma, the leader in dual flush toilets and stylish bathroom sinks, is pleased to continue its support of American Forests and the environment by donating trees to the Ham Lake rehabilitation project in Superior National Forest in Minnesota.

On July 4, 1999 a windstorm caused 1000 square miles of blowdown, with the main path passing through the Gunflint Trail. The Gunflint Trail is a State of Minnesota scenic byway that bisects the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and is historic because it follows Native American footpaths that are centuries old. It now serves a significant portion of Cook County residents and businesses. The area was struck again by disaster in May 2007 when the Ham Lake Fire occurred, the largest wildfire in the history of the Superior National Forest. Caroma is contributing to the planting of 134,000 red, white and Jack pine to benefit threatened, endangered, and sensitive species. This planting will be a part of Gunflint Green Up, which began in the summer of 2007 and involves public participation in reforesting after the fire. Volunteers included Girl Scout Troops, families, college students, senior citizens and friends and families of those who lost homes in the fire.

“We are pleased that Caroma continues to sponsor American Forests replanting programs,” states Deborah Gangloff, Executive Director of American Forests. “Their continued support of programs such as the Ham Lake rehabilitation project shows their concern for the environment and willingness to think beyond their primary business of water conservation. We look forward to their ongoing donations to environmental conservation.”

American Forests’ mission is to grow a healthier world with trees by working with communities on local efforts that restore and maintain forest ecosystems. Our work encompasses planting trees, calculating the value of urban forests, fostering environmental education, and improving public policy for trees at the national level. We have a goal of 100 million trees planted by 2020.

According to Derek Kirkpatrick, Caroma North America General Manager, “We are concerned with protecting the environment for our children and further into the future. Caroma promotes water conservation with high efficiency toilets and urinals, and we are extremely pleased to expand beyond water conservation by becoming a sponsor of American Forests and their environmental restoration programs.”

Toilet rebates flush with requests, but cash draining

Source National Post November 23, 2009, 4:30 PM by Jodie Shupac

The shift to all things green gains momentum, and certain cities are flush with requests for energy-efficient household alternatives.

Case in point, a conservation program in Austin, Texas recently received requests for nearly 4,000 efficient toilets, costing nearly $800,000 in rebates, the New York Times reports.

These new Texan toilets consume 63% less water than the antiquated 1980s models. But City water officials say the surge of requests is draining the $2.3-million budget alocated to the toilet rebate and other incentive programs.

On this side of the border, funds for the toilet rebate program in Ottawa — which offered up to $70 for a green replacement — have taken a similar plunge. 

Money has run out for our capital’s Toilet Replacement Program. The City of Ottawa calculated roughly how much Ottawanians waste with their waste:

“Toilets represent approximately 30 per cent of all household water use. Some older toilets use as much as 20L per flush… Based on a family of four and four flushes per person per day, that’s 116,800L of water per year just to flush waste. Newer, more efficient toilets use as little as 4L of water to do the same job and provide a savings of 93,440L of water per year.”

An Ottawa City councilor is pushing to increase funds so the program can run for the rest of the year.

Without support from City officials for more funding, incentive programs like these could continue to tank — if only by virtue of their popularity.

(Photo: Cultivate a greener household with an energy-efficient toilet. Nathan Denette/National Post)

Read more: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2009/11/23/toilet-rebates-flush-with-requests-but-cash-draining.aspx#ixzz0YzohjhU3
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10 drinking water scams exposed

The following information was provided by Pete Van Cleave, Water for Life http://www.waterforlifeonline.com/

Everybody is susceptible to being scammed, simply because they want to believe!

Nowhere is this more obvious than in the drinking water business. Politics spawns a lot of lies in the water business since the government is responsible for making tap water. Franchising and exclusive territories also spawn lies.  The internet has spawned much nonsense, too, with it’s uncensored, wild west sort of approach to business. It is truly alarming to see the explosion of internet products claiming to infuse water with magical properties to cure all your ills. These specially altered waters claim to be superior because they’re wetter, oxygenated, clustered, enhanced, magnetized, energized, alkalized, vitalized, or some other pseudoscientific term.  These empty promises simply do not hold water.

We always look for scientific and verifiable data from reliable third parties than can provide the proven facts about the various treatment technologies and how pure water works to support good health.  Education is the only way to battle bogus claims. I have studied water for 20 years and I stand firm in my commitment to bring you the very best possible drinking water and water purification systems based upon the best information available.

Distillation is the only method to produce legally purified water

Since 2002, it is one of three methods to produce legally purified water.  Competitors only selling one thing tend to defend it well, but also get their blinders on regarding other advances.  Biopure Everclean Reverse Osmosis also produces microbiologically pure water according to the NSF without electricity. We believe independence protects consumers best.

Common Reverse Osmosis works as well as NSF Nano filter/Everclean Rinse Reverse Osmosis

Common Reverse Osmosis systems degrade from day one like a filter does. Microbiological contaminants often migrate through the membrane or o-rings. Everclean Rinse Reverse Osmosis prevents the membrane from degrading and keeps the water 100% consistently pure. It costs more, but the value is there because the membrane does not have to be replaced like it does with common RO.  The NSF Nano filter technology gives a non electric system barrier protection against all forms of bacteria for those undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant, or HIV/Aids.

Throwaway bottles are not a problem because they break down in the landfill.

There is an area of floating plastic trash in the Northern Pacific ocean that is twice the size of the continental United States. Experts tell us that dangerous chemicals from industrial waste stick to the plastics and enter the food chain as it is ingested by birds and marine life.  Americans bought about 50,000,000,000 plastic bottles in 2006 and the cost of energy and pollution is staggering! It takes enough crude oil to fuel 100,000 cars for a year to make a year’s supply of those plastic bottles. It takes 1000 years for these bottles to break down 100%.

Energized, vitalized, living, hexagonal, activated, ionized, and restructured water is purported to slow aging, restore cellular balance, or raise consciousness, and promote world peace.

All scams and hoaxes supported by testimonial evidence which only tries to take advantage of feel good placebo marketing. Absolutely no third party testing or science supports this.

 Oxygenated water enhances performance and post recovery workout.

The grossly overpriced Penta water is priced at $15.00 per gallon.  Perfect water by Amway is priced at $36.00 per case. Infused with 30- 40% more oxygen than ordinary water, it is marketed on the premise that the body can actually absorb oxygen directly into the bloodstream via the digestive system. The only way to get oxygen into the blood is through the lungs.  Trying to get oxygen into your body from water is called “drowning”! Unless you have gills, there is no need to search out water with extra oxygen.  This is a case of pure fraud without physiologic foundation.

 Clustered water is the fountain of youth.

Each year, university researchers on human aging bestow their annual “Silver Fleece” award on anti-aging quackery.  The 2002 recipient was “clustered” water. Water only really clusters when it crystallizes during freezing.

Magnetic water can cure all manner of human ailments.

There is no scientific evidence that water can even be magnetized in the first place.  This scam is at odds with the fundamental laws of physics.

Advanced filters can protect you as well as legal purifiers

Filters do not protect against microbiological or inorganic contaminants. They are often not changed properly, they break down, they dump, they channel, and they produce a declining level of performance the older they get. I often test the water coming out of them worse than the water going into them because they have no automatic shutdown devices.

 Cheap spring or national brand water in 16.9 oz bottles is the answer to tap water problems.  

Teton Springs, Quibell, Lithia Springs, and Big Springs are all local springs that have gone out of business in Georgia in the past 15 years because they failed to protect their customers from microbiological contamination in their water. Crystal Springs, Dasani, and Aquafina have all been cited for contaminants in their water in the past 8 years. We have tested our water against Deer Park, Zephyr Hills, Nestle Pure Life, Crystal Geyser, and every cheap brand sold in the state of Georgia. They all test out with contamination higher than tap water.

Municipal water systems are still keeping our drinking water safe.  Every system using chlorine contains the cancer causing agent trihalomethanes.  63% of waterborne illnesses in the U.S. are directly caused by Cryptosporidium and Giardia cysts, which are city water chlorine tolerant.  Flouride is ineffective and has serious health risks.  The American Dental Association is now warning parents not to use fluoridated water in the preparation of formula. After so many “boil water” alerts, chemical spills, broken water mains, and now AP’s pharmaceutical expose, Municipalities and states are now spending $63 billion dollars a year to try to keep up, but they can’t.  Legal testing requirements and repairs are currently routinely granted waivers. Many municipalities are using the exact same technology that has been in place for 100 years.  TDS levels, by my own testing are double what they were 20 years ago.  Standards are getting tougher as we find out new scientific facts and more contaminants are being discovered.  For example, in January 2006, the standard for Arsenic was reduced from 50 PPB to 10 PPB.  That means the previous standard was off by 500 percent! The distribution system is completely laden with problems: over 237,000 water main breaks in 2006.  The distribution system is coated with dangerous layers of mineral, biological, and chemical deposits that recontaminate the water as it travels in pipes from treatment plant to homes.  We now have over 2100 chemical contaminants in the drinking water that we can test for but we don’t. The EPA estimates there is a gap of $22 billion per year between what is needed and what is done. The fact is that in the next 30 years, every city water supply in the U.S. will reach or exceed it’s expected lifetime, costing the American taxpayer somewhere near $300 billion just to fix the underground pipes. 

Respectfully,

Pete Van Cleave

Water for Life

(770) 578-0600

 

Soenso Celebrates Five Years of Providing Clean, Renewable Energy to Georgia

Solar PV Array on Roof of Campus Crossings Emory University

Source Press release, September 30, 2009

ATLANTA, GEORGIA, September 30, 2009 – Founder and president of Soenso Energy, Roger K. Cone, today announced that this Marietta, GA, startup is celebrating five years of service to Georgia. Established in September 2004, Soenso Energy is one of the leading renewable energy installers in the state. Soenso, which is an acronym for Southern Environmental Solutions, installs commercial and residential solar thermal water heating, solar photovoltaic (PV) electric and small wind turbine electric systems.

“Much of Georgia is marginal for wind energy,” said Mr. Cone, “but there are micro-climates in our area where our residential/small commercial-sized wind turbines perform quite well. However, Georgia is indisputably a solar state.” Most of Georgia is rated as “very good” for solar radiation according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Georgia is on par with much of Florida, the self-proclaimed “Sunshine State”, for solar energy potential.
Currently there are generous Federal and Georgia financial incentives in place for the installation of renewable energy. Generally speaking for commercial solar or wind energy installations the Federal incentive is a 30% income tax credit or grant, and the Georgia incentive is a 35% income tax credit or rebate. And generally speaking for residential solar or wind energy installations the Federal incentive is a 30% income tax credit, and the Georgia incentive is a 35% income tax credit. There are published maximum limits on Georgia renewable energy incentives.

In its “long” five-year history Soenso has provided renewable energy systems for clients in a variety of categories including churches, inns, museums, office buildings, private residences, restaurants, schools and warehouse facilities, among others. Soenso Energy encourages the practice of energy conservation first and then the implementation of renewable energy. We are helping Georgia move away from our dependence on dirty fossil fuels such as petroleum and coal that are major contributors to the climate crisis. Soenso Energy is working toward making renewable energy a more significant component of Georgia’s overall energy mix.
About Soenso Energy Located in Marietta, Georgia, near Atlanta, Soenso Energy is a supplier and installer of commercial and residential renewable energy products – solar thermal hot water systems, solar photovoltaic (PV) for generating electricity and small wind turbines for generating electricity. These renewable energy technologies qualify for Federal and Georgia clean energy income tax credits. On the Web: http://www.soenso.com , Email: info@soenso.com, Phone: (770) 973-6298.

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Soenso Energy.

Please vote for Soenso Energy to win a free website by an interactive marketing  agency based in Atlanta, Solar Velocity.

Soenso Energy, founded in 2004, is one of the pioneering renewable energy integrators in Georgia. They are a family owned and operated business; managed by brothers,  Roger and Charles Cone. Soenso Energy, founded in 2004, is one of the pioneering renewable energy integrators in Georgia. When Soenso started five years ago, there were no more than a half dozen solar installers in the entire state. Now there are more than three dozen solar installers in Georgia. With this plethora of newcomers they find it increasingly more difficult to maintain high search engine rankings with their current Web site. A professionally designed and optimized Web site from Solar Velocity would be a great enhancement toward helping them to continue to grow their business and to supply clean, renewable energy to Georgia; They sell and install high quality German- designed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar thermal water heating systems and high quality American-designed wind turbines. They are also confident that they have the best installation crew in the state of Georgia.

Please give them your vote here

Sales Tax holiday in Georgia October 1-4, 2009

October 1-4, 2009

A culture of conservation is growing in Georgia.

We are responsible for the stewardship of our state’s natural resources. Incorporating energy and water conservation practices into our daily lives benefits everyone in our state now and for generations to come. And small changes can make a big impact in our pocketbooks. To help make those changes a little easier, Georgia is offering the ENERGY STAR® and WaterSense® Sales Tax Holiday, Oct. 1-4, 2009.

During the sales tax holiday, you can purchase ENERGY STAR-qualified or WaterSense-labeled products up to $1,500 without paying sales tax. In addition to the up-front cost savings, purchasing and installing more-efficient appliances and products can reduce in-home utility costs and improve both energy and water conservation.

 

ENERGY STAR®

ENERGY STAR products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy. These appliances, electronics and lighting operate while using less energy – and less money – than older models.

Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, prevented 43 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 alone – equivalent to the annual emissions from 29 million vehicles – and saved more than $19 million on their utility bills. By looking to ENERGY STAR for best practices and products, households can reduce their energy use and save about one-third, or $750 annually, on their utility bills, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

 

WaterSense®

WaterSense, a national program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, makes it easy to find water-efficient products. Toilets, faucets and other products that are independently certified to meet U.S. EPA criteria for water effi­ciency and performance can earn the label.

The average household spends as much as $500 per year on its water and sewer bill. By installing WaterSense-labeled fixtures and ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances that use water more efficiently, a household could save about $170 per year. If just one out of every four households in Georgia retrofit their bathrooms with WaterSense-labeled fixtures, it could save nearly 10 billion gallons of water per year – enough for every Georgian to take a shower daily for about two months.

For more information on ENERGY STAR, please visit http://www.gefa.org/Index.aspx?page=352

For more information on WaterSense, please visit http://www.conservewatergeorgia.net/documents/ waterSense_taxHoliday.html

Who’s To Blame For The Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Look In The Mirror.

The slowly moving, perpetually undulating mass of pastel and primary colored plastic trash that bobs up and down in the middle of the ocean is perhaps one of the biggest man made eyesores of its …

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The slowly moving, perpetually undulating mass of pastel and primary colored plastic trash that bobs up and down in the middle of the ocean is perhaps one of the biggest man made eyesores of its kind aside from the infinite landfills of rotting post consumer waste that continue to dot our landscape. We’ve seen photos and video footage documenting the existance of this aquatic nightmare and every single one of us probably understands the correlation between our consumer obsession with plastic and what happens when we discard the temporary fixtures of our lives. For years, human beings have purged ships and boats of their excess plastic waste. We’ve conveniently forgotten to clean up after ourselves following long, lazy days at the beach. Countless plastic shopping bags, one-time-use plastic water bottles and beverage caps have been wind-swept from the pavement (where we dropped them) into overflowing sewage systems or carried there following rain storms.

Our rational minds may tell us that a state-sized mass of plastic trash does not belong in the middle of the ocean and our mouths may even fall agape at the sight of hard to fathom images of the chunky plastic buouyant soup. In spite of the shock that may radiate through our systems, every single one of us is to blame for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch’s existance. Scoff if you will. Cling onto the fact that you are a diligent recycler — go ahead and pound your chest while proudly declaring that you gave up bottled water one year ago and that reusable bags are your thing. You can itemize all of the personal efforts you’ve made to positively impact the environment but the bottom line is that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the result of society’s carelessness, and as a member of the human race, every single one of us is to blame.

There is now so much plastic waste clogging the ocean 1,000 miles north of Hawaii that scientists estimate it is now about twice the size of Texas. This is hardly accidental, unless you consider apathy and outright littering a chronic mistake that has been coincidentally repeated ad nauseum by the large majority of our population. Perhaps it is a symptom of our cultural ignorance or it demonstrates the general lack of regard that humans have for what happens beyond our own small sphere.  How many times have you or someone else you know uttered such phrases as: “I’m too busy.” “It’s not my fault in the first place.” “Let someone else deal with it.” “I’ve never thrown out a single piece of plastic in my life, so don’t look at me.” “There’s no recycling service in my neck of the woods.” “I don’t live in the middle of the ocean, so why should I care?”

 Not only is it our problem, we’ve got to stop passing the buck and presuming that someone else will take care of this mess. It may be unreasonable to suggest that everyone should start paddling out into the middle of the ocean on their weekends and dragging as much plastic trash as they can back to the mainland for proper recycling — that job is perhaps best left to marine scientists who must figure out how on Earth they can resolve this ecological problem as effectively as possible. In the meantime, we can’t allow these images to fade from our minds because they serve to remind us that our daily eco-friendly efforts can make a huge difference. Stay away from non-recyclable plastic products and make sure that every single piece of plastic that does enter your household leaves in a recycling container or is repurposed in a responsible manner. Pick up plastic “junk” that is discarded in public places and relocate it to a proper recycling bin. Shift your household over to more eco-friendly alternatives such as glass, wood and ceramic. Stop thinking that recycling one bag or cap is not going to make a difference. Clearly, it all adds up over time…just take a good long look at what is clogged in the middle of the ocean for all the proof that you’ll ever need.

The Top 10 Facts About the Great Pacific Garbage Patch:

1. Each year, 10% of the 200 billion pounds of plastic produced globally ends up in our oceans and now, roughly 46,000 pieces of plastic litter are floating on every square mile of the ocean.
2. A 1,700 mile mass of plastic garbage sits in the middle of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, a slowly moving, clockwise spiral of ocean currents.
3. The gyre actually consists of two large masses of ever-accumulating trash, the Western Pacific patch (located east of Japan and west of Hawaii) and the Eastern Pacific patch (floating between Hawaii and California).
4. Both zones form what is referred to as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and they are connected by a thin 6,000-mile long current called the Subtropical Convergence Zone.
5. The mass moves seasonally as much as a thousand miles North and South in the Pacific while in warmer El Nino periods, it drifts even further South.
6. Approximately 3.5 million tons of plastic waste can be found in this water-bound waste zone.
7. 90 percent of all trash floating in the world’s oceans is plastic-based and some of the most common items found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch include toothbrushes, wrappers, bottle caps, plastic shopping bags, pacifiers, old toys, fishing floats, soda bottles, Styrofoam chunks, tangled nets and even patio chairs.
8. The plastic pieces in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch contain toxic elements able to absorb other chemicals such as DDT and PCBs, and these components can persist in the environment for decades.
9. 100,000 marine mammals each year — such as sea turtles, seals and birds — are the victims of plastic trash-related deaths because they consume or become entangled in the waste.
10. There are up to six pounds of marine litter for every pound of plankton in the ocean.

Advertisement in Brazil encourages urinating while taking a shower to save water

Source http://www.greenlaunches.com/

An animated video ad has been released in Brazil encouraging people to urinate in showers to save water. It has been aired on TV and has many characters including, Mahatma Gandhi, King Kong, Statue of Liberty, an alien and many others relieving themselves behind a semi-transparent shower curtain. SOS Mata Atlantica commissioned this ad, which is a green group that is devoted to protecting the Atlantic rainforest of which presently on 12% is currently there. Check out the video here

Flushing potatoes at the Sweetwater 420 Festival 2009 in Atlanta

created by Creative Artists, Monroe, GA

Toilet rebate program in the City of Camrose, AB Canada

Source: http://www.camrosecanadian.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1645347, By JEFFREY KU/City of Camrose

The City of Camrose is bringing back the Low Flow Toilet Rebate Program for 2009’s summer season from July 1 to Aug. 31. The rebate offers $80 to those who replace an older, high volume toilet with a eligible, newer low-flow model in their home with a limit of one per household for purchases after Oct. 31, 2008 and installations before Aug. 31, 2009.

The City of Camrose is running the Low Flow Toilet Rebate Program again hoping that it will encourage and educate the citizens of Camrose on the subject of water conservation. Conserving water will not only benefit the environment from which the resource is taken, but it will also benefit the City by reducing the load put on the water treatment plant and citizens and reducing their water bills by using less water. All citizens of the City of Camrose who live within city limits are eligible for this rebate. To qualify for the program, the City of Camrose must receive the following:

1. The address in which the toilet is to be installed.

2. Receipt of purchase of new, approved low-flow toilet.

3. Pictures of the washroom, before and after installation.

4. Evidence that the toilet was made none functional.

Camrose is running this program alongside, but having no affiliation with the federal government’s Home Renovation Tax Credit and ecoENERGY Retrofit—home grant programs that offer tax benefits for those doing certain home renovations. For more information, contact Jeffrey Ku with the City of Camrose at 780-672-4428 or e-mail at engineer@camrose.ca

Red, White, Blue and…Green?

Red, White, Blue and…Green?

Posted using ShareThis by Rebecca Lacko, LA Parenting Examiner

Put a little green in your red, white and blue celebration

This Fourth of July weekend, Americans will light up more than 60 million barbecues and will roast about 150 million hot dogs and 890 million pounds of chicken and red meat. A yummy prospect for most picnickers, but consider that, according to Jason Green, coordinator for St. Petersburg College’s Office for Sustainability, “A typical party of 30 guests can create 80 pounds of waste.”

Not only is paper waste an environmental concern, but as Green reports, “It’s estimated that Americans using their grills will create the same amount of carbon dioxide as if 2,300 acres of forest were burnt.”

Think it ends with paper waste and CO2 emmissions? Think again. Fireworks contain potassium perchlorate, which gets into the soil, air and water and causes damage to the thyroid gland. Other ingredients include such heavy metals as barium and copper, which are toxic.

Party Like an Independent American, AND Minimize Damage to the Environment!

What are the best ways to celebrate the holiday season in an environmentally friendly way? Here are some ideas:

• For July 4 parties, use real plates, silverware and cloth napkins and stay away from paper napkins, disposable paper plates and plastic utensils. If you must use disposable plates, buy plates that are biodegradable. Did you know that  disposable plates are now available that are made from corn, potato and sugar-cane pulp?
• Throw a potluck party to share resources and carpool.
• Prepare meals and desserts with locally-grown organic ingredients and free-range, grass-fed meats and poultry. (Bonus: they’re much more delicious!)
• Balance your meat dishes with more sustainable vegetable-based items. Potato salad, anyone?
• Provide recycling bins for glass bottles, cans and plastic — A must-do!
• When BBQ-ing, use natural gas grills — they pollute less than charcoal grills. To make matters worse, over-charring meat produces toxic chemicals in the food itself.
• Don’t shoot off polluting fireworks at home; instead, go to one of the city- or county-sponsored events.
• Make your own natural insect repellent! Frequently reapply basic essential oils like lavender, rosemary and cedar wood. These oils can trick insects into thinking you’re a plant.
• If you must use a DEET-based insect repellent, choose products with less than 20% DEET. Never apply over cuts or wounds; never apply on infants or if you are taking any medications; don’t spray in enclosed areas; and wash skin with soap and water after use.
• Use environmentally-friendly cleaning products and cloths or micro fiber rags to clean up after the party.

    For more info: Learn more about the sustainable | SPC initiative

Refill, NOT Landfill!

Source: Pete van Cleve, Water for Life

Save Money, Save Plastic, Save the Planet…Refill Not Landfill! 

Plastic ½ liter Bottles versus buying a Kinetico K5 Drinking Water Station from Water for Life.  

24 plastic ½ liter bottles = 3.17 Gal. @ $5.00 = $1.58 per gallon x 500 Gal. = $790 x 10 = $7900.  Equivalent of 3 cases per week for the average family of 4 saves you more than enough to buy and maintain two K5’s for 10 years and keeps 37,440 ½ liter plastic bottles out of the landfill.   Don’t use that many bottles now?  Cut it in half = $3850 saves you enough to buy and maintain one K5 for 10 years and keep 18,720 ½ liter plastic bottles out of the landfill. 

Two people drinking 1 bottle each per day for lunch for 270 working days per year @ $1.00 =$540 per year x 10 years = $5410.  You save enough to buy and maintain two K5’s for 10 years and eliminate 5400 plastic bottles or cans from the landfill.  Double these results for a family of 4.  

K5 VOCGuard =   $1419 installed year 1 price @ 500 gallons = $2.84 per gallon

                                    $197.50 service year 2 price @ 500 gallons = .395 per gallon

                                    $760.00 parts year 2 -10 price @ 500 gallons = .19 per gallon

                                    $2376.50 Total 10 year cost  

 Keep the Convenience,  Eliminate the Plastic,  Save the Planet…Refill Not Landfill! 

When you purchase a K5 Drinking Water Station from Water for Life, we provide each member of your family with their choice of a Water for Life Glass Pitcher and 4 Glasses or up to 4 refillable, dishwasher safe Stainless Steel, Eastar, or Polycarbonate bottles to use at games, to take outside while mowing the lawn, to take with you in the car, to take to work or school, and to use while watching TV instead of washing glasses or using plastic cups.   

Live more Abundantly with the K5 Drinking Water Station…Refill Not Landfill!

Are you rationing your expensive pure water bottles just for some drinking now and using 1 case or less per week?  With a K5 Drinking Water Station from Water for Life, Mom can cook or make coffee with it, give a treat to the dog, get the kids drinking more water, water the plants with it, use it in the steam iron, make ice cubes with it, make drink mix drinks instead of Coke or juice when the kids want something sweet, fill the stainless steel bottles half way and freeze them overnight and refill them completely before games for an ice cold drink at lunch, work, or school,  and Dad can drink ice cold purified water instead of Coke after mowing the lawn, serve K5 water for dinner from a pitcher into glasses instead of drinking Cokes or using more bottles, make mixed drinks with K5 water when friends come over,  make iced tea with K5 water at parties or serve pure water from the Water for Life Pitcher into Water for Life Glasses to guests instead of passing out plastic bottles.  Extra bottles or Glassware are available for purchase. 

Healthier Family…Refill Not Landfill! 

If your average family of 4 each buys a Coke per day for lunch spending .50 cents each for 270 days per year, you will spend $540 per year and $5410 in 10 years on Coke! Wouldn’t it be healthier to drink Cokes only every other day and drink K5 water on alternative days?  The savings actually pays for two K5’s and the family would be healthier because they would be consuming less sugar or artificial sweetener, less caffeine and carbonation, less artificial flavor and food color.  What if you drank pure water every day?

Go to this link http://www.waterforlifeonline.com/k5_video.html to view a 4 minute K5 video.                                                                                                                           

visit Water for Life online or call them at 770-578-0600 

 Always fresh,  Always pure…Guaranteed!                  Call 770-578-0600