‘What’s in your Water?’

Earlier this year, tanks containing several hazardous material have somehow released into a near-by river about one mile from Charleston, WV.  This is what I listening to while I was driving home from class this afternoon, an interesting story on NPR (National Public Radio) highlighting undetected chemicals may have spilled into a river supplying drinking water to hundreds of thousands of residents in the state of West Virginia. According to a recent article published just 48 hours after the initial incident on the Washington Post digital newspaper, the tainted Elk River water contains a foaming agent used in the coal-preparation process — which is done to increase the heating value of the coal and also stripping it of impurities, thus prepping it to be transported to market — ,had leaked during the second week of January and had also left more than 300,000 people with restricted access to tap water.

Obviously, the “trickle down effect” works in more ways than one in this entire scenario.  However, how is it that our policy makers from state-to-state regulate something as serious as chemical storage that could possible contaminate the water supply to hundreds of thousands of people, yet in some of those same city/states people aren’t allowed to harvest rainwater into drinking water and positive water conservation? Only in America!

 

Rain Harvesting (How to Collect Rainwater)

In some parts of the world, collection of rain water is used as a main source of fresh water. In the United States, several states have been outlawing the practice and flushing away the rights of the land one incident at a time.

Figuring out how to collect rain water in an amount that would suffice your every day needs seems like a monumental task. According to Mike’s Backyard Nursery, it may not be as difficult as it seems.  Here are a few tips on how to collect rain water at home for both drinking and water conservation (D.I.Y):

1.) Research the Laws for Rainwater collection in your area

2.) Gather the proper tools & equipment.

3.) Separate your water supplies (internal from external)

4.) Seek professional assistance if the task becomes more of a burden than expected!

For more information and helpful tips, please click here!

the tips on how to collect rain water above should put you on the right path to start efficiently utilizing the most natural FREE water resource.  In future years, it is expected that methods of natural water collection will rapidly gain popularity around the globe as we shift towards a more green and self-sustaining Earth.  Be sure to check out more of the helpful tips posted up above; I’m sure once you complete this awesome project, you will become a pioneer in your neighborhood and an environmental maven in a growing global community!

Blue Gold: World Water War

“Wars of the future will be fought over water as they are over oil today, as the source of human survival enters the global marketplace and political arena. Corporate giants, private investors, and corrupt governments vie for control of our dwindling supply, prompting protests, lawsuits, and revolutions from citizens fighting for the right to survive. Past civilizations have collapsed from poor water management. Can the human race survive?”

Award-winning featured documentary narrated by Malcolm McDowell. Global Warming is an issue of ‘how’ we live, the water crisis is an issue of ‘if’ we live.

Biological Benefits of Water

Water isn’t just a global issue, it’s a health issue as well!

Yoko Ono Knows!

Thanks to @KendraxMaria on Twitter for retweeting this into my timeline! I see Yoko Ono has a series of inspirational one-liners, but this one in particular surely resonates with the global issue of water conservation.

Do you waste #water?

Everyday, users all around the globe have a daily ritual of wasting water during casual routines of various lifestyles. Whether it’s for personal use like health and vitality, or during leisure time like cooking and washing your vehicle, the economic/environmental balance is effected by a lifestyle we consider essential for survival!

So about how much water do you use daily? Don’t know? According to a new release published by the Save Our Water program in the state of California, Sacramento Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. issued a proclamation suggesting residents reduce their water use by 20%. Think of it this way, going about our daily lives each of us unconsciously contributes more and more to the problem of maintaining healthy and viable public/community water systems. But before you feel too bad, there are many things each of us, as individuals, can do to reduce our habits of wasting water.

Thanks to online resources such as the ‘Water Use Calculator’ , we can all take the time to learn more about the wasteful choices we make in our homes, yards, and businesses in an effort to save water each day. Learn more here.

Food for thought…

“There are places where TB is common as TV
Cause foreign-based companies go and get greedy.
The type of cats who pollute the whole shore line;
Have it purified, sell it for a dollar twenty-five.
Now the world is drinkin’ it!
Your moms, wife, and baby girl is drinkin it!
Up north and down south is drinkin it!
You should just have to go to your sink for it;
The cash registers is goin “cha-chink!” for it
Fluorocarbons and monoxide
Got the fish lookin cockeyed.
Used to be free now it cost you a fee
Cause it’s all about gettin that cash (Money)”

– Yasiin Bey [formally known as Mos Def] “New World Water” (1999)

Even though this song was released over 15 years ago, the message remains the same. Having been a fan of this artist since an adolescent, I assure you that these are some of the most potent socially-conscious lyrics you’ll ever hear. The metaphorical messages are rich and thought-provoking regardless of your socioeconomic backgound. Posted above is a link to a user created picture/lyric visual to Mos Def’s song “New World Water”. I suggest you take a listen and enjoy! #NewWorldWater

Pure Water Insanity!

Believe it or not, each and every day as a global community, we are one step closer to being in the midst of a water crisis. Now, for some people this might come as a complete shock, however for others its old news. My blog In Her Water We Trust will share several points and perspectives about how we waste water and are slowly moving towards the point of when we will regret our wastefulness. As a member of Generation-Y, I believe we are passionate about innovation, thus developing visionaries and social advocacy leaders of all cultures and creeds around the world. As far as the global community is concerned, I perceive this information will influence readers to not only do their part in increasing the quality of life as it pertains to water management, but also inspire those same individuals to seek out others to collectively take on the responsibility of pro-active service work against the Privatization of Water Supply and limitations in third world countries.

Without a doubt, next to oxygen, water is the most important resource people need to survive and not everybody knows only about 1% of the Earth’s is safe for human consumption (according to the World Water Organization [WWO]). We have to raise awareness. As Hollywood depicted in the 1979 feature film “Mad Max”, the original story was about a post-nuclear war in Australia, where the war had been caused by countries vying for dwindling oil supplies. But what if the same could happen all over the world – country by country, only the precious commodity was water? Some say this is exactly what we the global community is heading towards, minus the special effects but double the psychological terror. *cues dramatic music and thunder + lightning*