WATERSHED Close the TAP

On average, 103 gallons of water are consumed each day by each citizen

A seemingly limitless supply of water but wrong.

Every day, over four billion gallons of groundwater are consumed to satisfy the demands of agriculture, industry, power plants, development, and municipal and public water supplies, and as a result, we are depleting our natural, underground water resources faster than they can be replenished.


Each of us can play a role by helping reduce groundwater pollution and decrease water consumption.

Learn more about some of the simple steps you can take to protect nature's gems.

Landscaping and Lawn care

• Reduce the size of your lawn and choose grass varieties that require a minimal amount of fertilizers and watering.
• If you use fertilizers, use only slow release varieties for residential lawns and gardens. Be sure to have a soil test done to determine if fertilizers are necessary.
• Resist the temptation to over-fertilize. Applying twice as much as fertilizer as is recommended does not make plants grow twice as fast.
• Do not over-water your lawn. Use a rain gauge to determine when and if you need to water.
• Plant native or drought-tolerant trees, shrubs, ground cover and flowers to minimize water use. Native plants will also attract desirable wildlife like butterflies and hummingbirds.
• Use pesticides if absolutely necessary and apply them only to the affected plants or area of lawn.
• Use mulch in plant beds and leave grass clippings on the lawn after mowing. Mulching helps prevent evaporation of moisture from the soil.
• Use rain barrels to capture and store rainwater to water plants.
• Visit www.floridayards.org to learn more about landscaping techniques to protect springs and Florida's natural resources.

Indoor water use

• Check to see if your plumbing has any leaks. Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, you have a leak.
• Often, toilets have quiet leaks. To find out if your toilet is leaking, add a little food coloring to the tank. If the color appears in the bowl 30 minutes later, your toilet is leaking.
• Upgrade toilets and install low-volume toilets that use half the water of older models.
• Every drop counts, so turn off the faucet! Don't let the water run while doing the dishes, brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing your face and hands.
• Take shorter showers. You can save several gallons for every minute saved in the shower. Replace your showerhead with an ultra-low flow model. They're easy to install.
• Install aerators on all household faucets; they slow the flow of water.
• Re-use water. Catch water while you shower and use it to water plants. Try the same technique when washing vegetables or rinsing dishes.
• Insure that your septic tank and drainfield are properly maintained.

Recreational Impacts

• When visiting a spring, use established trails, boardwalks, and canoe launch ramps at all times. Foot traffic can damage native vegetation and hasten bank erosion.
• Avoid trampling underwater vegetation and stirring sediments when tubing, snorkeling, or swimming at springs.
• Use extreme caution when boating and anchoring in spring runs. Anchors, props and boat groundings destroy aquatic vegetation and increase the cloudiness of the water.
• Dispose of your trash properly. Cans and bottles, cigarette butts, plastic bags and other trash harm water quality and wildlife and destroy the natural beauty of the springs.
• Be a responsible steward of the springs and teach others how to protect our springs.

Help Protect Sinkholes

• Never discard trash or refuse into a sinkhole. This can introduce dangerous contaminants directly into the underground aquifer, our drinking water and the springs.
• Properly dispose of hazardous household chemicals such as industrial cleaners, solvents, automotive fluids and paints at an approved landfill facility. Never pour them down your sink or into a stormwater drain.
• Organize a community clean-up to keep sinkholes in your area free of household waste and other dangerous debris.
• Recycle or donate old appliances and other household items instead of disposing of them in a sinkhole.
• Educate your children and neighbors about the dangers of illegally dumping into a sinkhole. Illegal dumping should be reported to local law enforcement.

Take Action to Protect Springs

• Get involved in local planning and land use issues to protect sinkholes and other land in springsheds. Your voice counts!
• Encourage and support the county and city leaders to make stormwater and land use decisions that will safeguard the groundwater flowing to our springs.
• Support your water management district in protecting groundwater.
• Help teach others about groundwater issues and responsible landscaping. Volunteer and become an advocate for a spring.
• The next time you visit a spring with your children, explain the importance of protecting these beautiful natural resources.

For more info click here: http://www.protectingourwater.org/watersheds/
http://www.floridasprings.org/protection/

Power Guzzling TVs now banned in California

Energy-hungry television sets will soon be banned across California in a landmark move by state legislators to reduce energy consumption.

The state of California will be the first in the US to impose a mandatory energy curb on TVs, an often-overlooked power drain.

Supporters say the move will help save California residents more than $8bn over 10 years in energy costs. The California Energy Commission will require that all new television sets up to 58 inches (147cm) be more energy efficient by 2011, consuming 33% less energy than current sets.The standards will get even tougher in 2013, when regulators will require sets to be 50% more efficient. However, some consumer advocates and industry leaders opposed the move, saying it would limit consumer choice and increase the price of television sets.

For full article please visit : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8367545.stm

Itare Beach in Bahia Brasil

Itare Beach in Bahia Brasil is a Carbon-Free Destination!

Following a Carbon Free Tourism Certification Program directed by the movement Mecenas da Vida (Patrons for Life)

The Program aims to work in partnership with businesses, to develop the solution for two serious social-environmental problems in the country:

1 - The destruction of tropical forests resulting in reduction of biodiversity, degradation of natural resources and increase in carbon dioxide emissions;

2 - The exclusion of traditional communities living in precarious conditions and conducting illegal activities (cutting wood, hunting and sale of coal commercial) as their only alternatives for survival.

It includes eco-friendly lodging from bungalows, hostels, to camping catering to surf and adventure from water rafting to surfing along Brazil's world renown Itacare coast.

For more information please visit: http://www.itacare.com/itacare/ecotrip/index.php?lang=english

EXPO 2010, Shanghai, China

Energy is central to sustainable development and poverty reduction efforts. It affects all aspects of development -- social, economic, and environmental -- including livelihoods, access to water, agricultural productivity, health, population levels, education, and gender-related issues. None of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) can be met without major improvement in the quality and quantity of energy services in developing countries.

Recently, an independent report assessment of the environmental initiatives taken by Shanghai in its preparation for the World Exposition in 2010 (Expo 2010) in Shanghai, China aims to provide an objective appraisal of the efforts of Shanghai in improving its environmental quality and organizing an environment-friendly Expo. Measures and achievements are documented and analyzed and recommendations are made to assist the Shanghai municipal government to strengthen environmental initiatives for and beyond the Expo 2010.
"Like many rapidly developing cities, Shanghai faces enormous challenges in ensuring fresh air, clean water, sustainable energy, efficient transport and waste reduction for its population. The experiences of Shanghai in handling these issues provide valuable examples and lessons for other cities in China and worldwide."
The theme of Expo 2010 is "Better City, Better Life" and focuses on Shanghai, the environment and the concerns of our times: the sustainability of urban

For more information and what you can do to help visit: http://www.unep.org/

REDWOOD and DINOSAURS!!

In the past 150 years, 95 percent of all redwoods have been cleared. The 5 percent that remains are still being liquidated. Ancient trees that go back 2,2000 years old, sprouted well before the birth of Christ. The forest existed during the dinosaur era and contains more biomass acre for acre than the Amazon, yet it has been reduced to mere patches on a map. Redwoods rely on fog for up to 40 percent of their water, they never grow more than 50 miles from the coast. The tallest tree called "Hyperion" reaches 379.1 feet.

Please protect our trees!











For more information on Redwood National Park and camping please visit: http://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htmhttp://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htmhttp://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm

NO ORDINARY BOOT!

The Bugathermo is no ordinary boot.

Now we can dream, plan, and do arctic adventures comfortably. The power of design engineering at Colombia Sports-wear has introduced a new kind of boot that fits like a glove.
An innovative, rechargeable heating system keeps feet warm for up to eight hours. Three temperature settings adjust to the coldest conditions, and with waterproof, breathable Omni-Tech, feet stay dry. All this, plus Techlite construction, keeps the boots lightweight and comfy.

Design Technology allows for:

Temperature Control
Three temperature settings and an easy-to-use LED ankle button let you customize your heating system on the go.

Rechargeable Battery Pack
Internal lithium polymer batteries deliver lasting heating power and are easily recharged with the included adapter.

Dual Heating Elements
Integrated toe heating element and underfoot insulation combine for a
-25˚F/-32˚C rating.

Omni-Tech

Waterproof Breathable

Maximum waterproof-breathable protection keeps outside elements from getting in.

Lightweight Performance

Techlite is specially formulated to provide impact absorbing support and stability.
Once again design and science combine to give results to intelligent design.

For more information please visit: http://www.columbia.com/Bugathermo/Bugathermo_Landing,default,pg.html

The Least Sustainable Seafood in the World And Why You Should Avoid It

More and more people are getting out their handy pocket sustainable seafood guides and that's a great thing. For one reason or another these guys have been hit hard with overfishing or the methods in which they are fished have dire consequences for the planet. So if you see these fish on a menu skip them and if you see them at the fish market pass them by. Of course this list is subject to change over time, but for the time being, there are plenty of tasty, sustainable alternatives, so opt for those instead.

1. Blue Fin Tuna
The World Wildlife Fund recently warned that Atlantic bluefin tuna will be wiped out completely by 2012 if we don't halt the overfishing of it. According to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, bluefin's numbers have decreased an alarming 97 percent since 1960.

2. Swordfish
While this is number two on the list it is more commonly eaten than bluefin tuna in our country. The reason why these guys are in so much trouble is because swordfish, which can get up to a massive 2,000 pounds are often caught at a weight of 200 pounds.

3. Chilean Sea Bass
Chilean sea bass is caught with bottom longlines, which damage the seafloor and lead to high rates of bycatch, meaning the death of seabirds, turtles, and other nontarget species. The aquarium also points out that more than half of Chilean sea bass sold was caught illegally. They can live to be six feet long and more than 50 years old, but fishermen are reporting smaller and smaller weights and lower catches according to the Daily Green.

4. Shark/Shark Fin
Brian wrote about how everyday "fishermen" catch sharks, by pulling them out of the ocean, cutting off their fins, and throwing the still-living remains back into the ocean, where they slowly bleed to death. Forty million sharks are slaughtered in this barbaric manner for their fins every year, according to National Geographic. Shark populations are declining at a dramatic rate and without this natural predator the ocean's food chain will go completely out of whack.

For more information on how a red fish made a comeback please visit:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/feature/blue-august/sustainable-seafood-red-snapper.html

FIRST US ECO- EMBASSY in BULGARIA

AMERICAN EMBASSY-LEED CERTIFIED

In March 2007, the U.S. embassy in Sofia became not only the first building in Bulgaria, but also the first U.S. diplomatic compound in the world, to earn LEED certification. The State Department aims to complete 15 LEED certified embassies by the close of fiscal year 2009.
The plan for the Sofia embassy began with the Standard Embassy Design, a stock model developed in the wake of the 1998 al Qaeda bombings of the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Although dozens of embassies have since been based on this design, Sofia’s is the first to incorporate green strategies.
the project team was able to set aside four acres of wildlife habitat, twice the amount required by LEED. The team also planted 400 trees on the site. The project features several innovative strategies for water management and conservation. A sophisticated irrigation system and water-efficient fixtures inside the building contribute to an annual water savings of 136,000 gallons, about 20 percent less than a comparable conventional building. The project also uses electrical pulses instead of harsh chemicals to treat its water.
Sensors and timers ensure that lights are turned off when rooms are unoccupied or when there is sufficient daylight. Lightshelves contribute to the daylighting, and energy use is further reduced by a solar water heater and extra insulation. One third of the project’s materials were sourced from within 500 miles of the project site. Occupants are treated to superior indoor air quality via the use of HEPA filters, humidity control, separate ventilation for rooms with high chemical emissions, and a carbon-dioxide monitoring system. Green design is a national effort being carried over to global projects. Please support ecological design, policy makers and designers.

The LEED® Green Building Rating System™ is the national benchmark for the design, construction, and operations of high-performance green buildings.

For more information on LEED visit: http://www.usgbc.org/Default.aspx

UNIPOL: WORLD"S FIRST ANTI-AIR POLLUTION POLICE FORCE


In Abidjan, the commercial and cultural capital of the West African nation of Cote d'Ivoire, the potent odor of car exhaust permeates just about everything. Eighty percent of the country's vehicles are second-hand -- discarded cars shipped in from Western countries.
These are all cars that will leave u with lung cancer as they passed by.
Last year doctors began linking air pollution to rising rates of asthma in Abidjan for the first time. Due to the increase in air pollution related lung disease the worlds first "green cops" are out in the streets of Abidjan- a new anti-pollution police force in Abidjan called UNIPOL (l'Unite de Police Anti-Pollution). Currently resources are limiting with a mere nine officers and one patrol car, they monitor an expansive city of more than 3 million people.

Unfortunately Cote d'Ivoire -- which recently joined a World Bank list of the world's poorest and most heavily indebted nations -- relies on a significant amount of money from the business of importing used cars. It will take some time for "green cops" to fully ecompass the entire country but it is a stepping-stone towards a sustainable future.

E-Waste

Ghana's Biggest City Sits a Smoldering Wasteland

Life is really difficult for the people of Ghana; they eat here, surrounded by e-waste
Some of the boys burn old foam on top of computers to melt away the plastic, leaving behind scraps of copper and iron they can collect to sell. The younger boys use magnets from old speakers to gather up the smaller pieces left behind at the burn site.
Old computers first began arriving in West Africa a few years ago, people thought that they were donations. Little did they know what this would turn into a terrible environmental and health problem polluting rivers used for bathing, cooking, and drinking.
No later than sooner have exporters learned to exploit the loopholes by labeling junk computers as "donations."

AMAZONIAN DESTRUCTION

Chevron to Account for Destroying Amazonian Ecosystems!

Over the last 28 years, the company has dumpedmore than 18 billion gallons of toxic formation waters into the Oriente, a river that about 30,000 native people depend on for bathing, drinking and cooking, causing immeasurable damage to children.

In 1995, Chevron vowed to "clean up" the mess it had made, but the actual effort was pathetic. Less than 1 percent of the 350 drilling sites it had opened were adequately dealt with, and most of the others were simply covered with a thin layer of dirt. Studies have linked 1,401 cancer deaths, as well as an unusually high rate of miscarried pregnancies, to oil contamination. And across many villages, children endure a variety of birth defects and disfigurements.
For complete article and ways you can help please visit
http://www.alternet.org/action/142334/call_chevron_to_account_for_its_assault_on_the_amazonian_ecosystem/

Us and Earth

We all have heard of the Amazonian rainforests but there is other biologically diverse areas in South America being logged that also need your help and attention.

The Atlantic Rainforest / (Mata Atlântica) is the third

largest brazilian biome that stretches for about 4.000 km along the Atlantic coast between Rio Grande do Norte and Rio Grande do Sul.

It contains an estimated 250 species of mammals, 340 amphibians, 1.023 birds and approximately 20.000 trees. The site provides also an important refuge for jaguar and puma, the largest cats in the Western Hemisphere.
The Atlantic Rainforest Southeast and Discovery Coast Reserves were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1999.

Despite growing international concern, rainforests continue to be destroyed at a pace exceeding 80,000 acres (32,000 hectares) per day. World rainforest cover now stands at around 2.5 million square miles (6 million square kilometers), an area about the size of the contiguous 48 United States or Australia and representing around 5 percent of the world's land surface.

However, this destruction can be slowed, stopped, and in some cases even reversed.

The problem with this traditional park approach to preserving wildlands in developing countries is that it fails to generate sufficient economic incentives for respecting and maintaining the forest. Rainforests will only continue to survive as functional ecosystems if they can be shown to provide tangible economic benefits.
Five Basic Steps to Saving Rainforests
"TREES" is a concept originally devised for an elementary school audience but serves well as set of principles for saving rainforests and, on a broader scale, ecosystems around the world.
Teach others about the importance of the environment and how they can help save rainforests.
Restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests have been cut down.
Encourage people to live in a way that doesn't hurt the environment.
Establish parks to protect rainforests and wildlife.
Support companies that operate in ways that minimize damage to the environment

HOW ELSE TO HELP?

Funding rainforest conservation efforts
When out in travels always opt to support conservation efforts such as:
Ecotourism—Ecotourism can fund efforts both through park entrance fees and employing locals as guides and in the handicraft and service sectors (hotels, restaurants, drivers, boat drivers, porters, cooks).
Bio-prospecting fees—Rainforest countries can earn revenue by allowing scientists to develop products from the island's native plant and animal species. The pioneer in this area was Costa Rica, which entered into an agreement with the American pharmaceutical company, Merck, to look for plants with potential pharmaceutical applications. Under the agreement, a portion of the proceeds from compounds that do prove commercially valuable will go to the Costa Rican government, which has guaranteed that some of the royalties will be set aside for conservation projects. Similarly, in 2001 Givaudan, a Swiss fragrance and flavor company, sent a team to look for new exotic smells and flavors in Madagascar. Following their survey, Givaudan researchers "reconstituted" 40 aromas that could be used in commercial products.

THINGS TO DO WHILE ON VACATION

Turn down the heat and turn off the water heater before you leave.
Carry reusable cups, dishes, and flatware.
Make sure your trash doesn't end up in the ocean... don't litter beaches.
Don't pick flowers or keep wild creatures for pets... leave plants and animals where you find them.
Don't buy souvenirs made from wild or endangered animals.
Watch out for wildlife... give consideration to all living things you see crossing the road.
Build smaller campfires, and make sure they're completely out before you leave.
Stay on the trail... don't trample fragile undergrowth
For more information and to learn how you can help

please visit: http://www.ecotourism.org/

Alternative To Reduce C02

COCONUT AS FERTILISER

The government of the beautiful Maldives Islands nestled in the middle of the Indian Ocean has launched a project to tackle rising CO2 levels. Together with the UK based company, Carbon Gold, will be using "biochar", a charcoal made by bio wastes such as coconut shells. These shells are abundanent in the archipelago and will reduce costs from importing fertiliser from abroad. The Government plans to make the Maldives carbon neutral by 2020. The porposed project is set to be launched on three islands before it is carried over to other areas.

For more information please click link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8232535.stm

Clean Energy!

BAMBOO BETTER FOR BIKING?

Beats most bikes strength to weight ratio and it is made with one of the fastest renwebale materials out there: BAMBOO! California based Craig Calfee, varies the width of bamboo according to the rider's weight. Now how is that for ultimate made to custom. Bamboo is smoked and heat treated to prevent splitting and coated for water resistance. It also carries a bamboo 10 year longevity guarantee. Now you can ride with no worries. For complete article click here : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/active/5964913/Calfee-bamboo-racing-bicycle-review.html

Green home prototype according to MIT's and Tel Aviv leading engineers. It will be available as early as 2019.

SURF WITH A CLEAR MIND!!

Coastal Surf can be a great way to spend your outdoor adventure time. Recyclable materials like bamboo are used to create sleek modern eco freindly long boards and short boards. These boards have a non toxic foam core which reduces waste and prevents toxic leaks. Bamboo is more renewable than trees which can take up to 50 years to fully mature, whereas bamboo is fully grown in 3 to 5 years. Join the surf with a clear mind! GO GREEN!

Bamboo Surfboards Australia won the annual Australian International Award- Click below to see why!

http://www.designawards.com.au/application_detail.jsp?applicationID=2538

Courtesy of Obama is America:

http://www.surfrider.org/

Learn how to make you own Bamboo Board!

The Prince of Wales: On our "living hell" Tackling Renewable Income and Sustainability!

At this year's BBC's One annual Richard Dimbleby, Prince Charles held a lecture at St. James Palace in front of a live audience.

He referred to an earlier speech back in March, where we pointed out we had only 100 months to change our means of production before climate change is irreversible. Now we are down to 96 months. We have move to a "New Age of Sustainability", he added.

If you think of our global population last census July 2009 is 6.7 Billion people, one solution lies in the way we build and plan dwellings. This reduces co2 emissions buy using local materials and invests in job opoortunities for the people in the area. Sustainability creates a balance. harmony, with the enviroment or space around it.

For Full article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/5785442/Prince-Charles-Henry-VIII-was-an-environmentalist.html

ART AND ECOLOGY

James Acord, Mark Waller, Carey Young explored the economic and cultural legacy of atomic power in an exhibition of commissioned works shown in London 1998, Slovenia 1999, Nottingham 1999.

His argument is that ‘art is not frivolous’ and that scientists shouldn’t have a monopoly of access to nuclear technology.



His deadly serious ambition to build a 'nuclear Stonehenge' on a heavily contaminated site at Hanford - home of the Bomb - has led him through a tragi-comic dance with the US Department of Energy.

This man is wild. It is pushing the boundaries of what is art or rather dangerous and disastrous.

On the other hand, the Critical Art Ensemble he said was interested in ’stopping the abuse of information so we can make an intelligent decision.’


For full article:

http://artandsustainability.wordpress.com/

CLEAN ENERGY

Texas!

It Aint' just a Big Ol' Country Town After All


Just when we thought they had the biggest of everything! From the biggest people, biggest liars
(politicians), neverending roads, and biggest cow driven farms.




Ladies and genetlemen this is this the new age of awareness! Thank god! First we see it in Florida with its first compltetly soalr powered city approved in Fort myers. And now the largest US solar power facility approved for AUSTIN.

For Full article:

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/06/03/us-largest-solar-power-facility-approved-in-austin/

Fort Myers, Florida:

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/04/15/florida-announces-worlds-first-solar-powered-city/

ASSISTED MIGRATION

Assisted Migration!!!

Our current environmental situation affects us as people as well as everything around us. Annually thousands migrate down to South Florida and exotic islands to escape freezing temperatures. We have taken a step further at looking at life in other planets, as we realize that we in fact are eating our planet away. Now as if straight from the bible we have be come the wanna be Moses! Scientist and researchers are faced with the fact that climate change will force "managed relocation" of wildlife. Rare species are facing threat to their survival from temperature changes resulting in habitat loss. These animals that consist from fish to butterflies to the rare Spanish lynx will be transported to other parts of the world where they might escape extinction.

For Full Article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/5383976/Rare-animals-to-be-moved-from-native-habitats-because-of-climate-change.html

Please visit the National Science Foundation and find out how you can help!!

http://www.nsf.gov/

Featured Poster of the Week!!

The Interior Department is letting stand the Bush administration regulation that limits protection of polar bears from global warming.

Our irresponsible decisions will be landing at our doorstep! Fatal habitat loss continues to threaten our wildlife. Polar bears walk long distances to reach food and migrate to other ares in the North. With increasing climate tempreratures glaciers are melting forcing polar bears to plunge to their deaths. Act now! visit your local wildlife organization or send a letter to congress. This is one of hundreds of thousands of species now facing extinction.

Environmentalists have strongly opposed the rule as have many members of Congress. They argued the limits violate the Endangered Species Act because the release of greenhouse gases from power plants, factories and cars indirectly threaten the bear's survival.

For more information and complete article click below.


http://www.defenders.org/

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/05/08/polar-bear-emissions.html