Tag Archives: water

The Horrifying World of Water

Access to clean, safe water is something most of us in the United States take for granted. Turn on the tap, there’s clean water. It’s not something you really have to think that much about. When you really look into things, however, the state of our water supply isn’t as great as you might think.

Privatization

The privatization of water supplies is a huge problem throughout the world. This article on Truthout is quite eye opening. The privatization of water in many countries has made water too expensive for many people and caused small farms to fail due to the lack of water.

Bit by bit, it’s happening in the United States too. There are some very interesting reports to read about this at Food and Water Watch.

Pollution

If you pay much attention at all, you know that water pollution is a big issue also. From the Pacific Garbage Patch to dead zones in the Gulf, to medications found in tap water, keeping our water clean is a major problem.

Water pollution isn’t just about having clean water to drink, of course. It’s about plants, fish and wildlife. It’s even about having water to play in. Ever hear about beach closures due to water pollution from storm runoff or broken sewer pipes? It’s perhaps a small part of the problem, but one you may have encountered in your own life.

Movies to Watch

If you want to learn more about what’s happening with our water supply, you should watch Flow or Tapped the Movie. They both get into the problems our water supply is facing, especially privatization and pollution.

Not that it’s just a problem in the United States, as some of the links I’ve provided show. Water privatization and pollution are global issues, and very much in need of your attention.

5 Easy and Natural Skin Care Tips for Winter

Winter hasn’t officially started yet, but plenty of places have cold weather now. The cold air outside and the dry, heated air inside can be really tough on your skin. There are plenty of products out there to moisturize your skin, but if you want to avoid long chemical names, you may be better off making your own products. Fortunately, that’s pretty easy.

1. Dry brush exfoliate


Dry brush exfoliation can help to get all that dead skin off. It feels pretty nice too. You need a soft, natural bristle skin brush for this and a gentle touch. It’s not about scrubbing yourself red, after all. Use circular strokes as you work up your legs and arms. This method isn’t for your face or other places where your skin is more sensitive or thinner, and avoid any injuries you may have at the time.

2. Jojoba oil

I like the way jojoba oil feels on my skin. It absorbs very nicely and leaves it feeling soft, and a little goes a long way.

If you want a pretty scent, add just a couple drops of your favorite essential oil. Make sure it’s safe for skin first. Lavender, chamomile and rose are good choices. Mix it in with your jojoba and it’s ready to go.

Other oils can work well, depending on your skin type. Coconut oil is another popular choice. It may take a bit more work to rub in when the house is cooler, as it solidifies when the temperature goes below 76 degrees F, but scrape a little off the top and rub it between your hands to take care of that issue.

3. Shea butter

Shea butter is another excellent moisturizer. You can mix in a little jojoba or other oil that’s good for your skin plus some essential oils to make a very nice moisturizer. Many sources recommend unrefined shea butter as the most effective. Some find shea butter to be on the greasy side, but that’s true for many oils. Give homemade moisturizers a little leeway while you wait for your skin to absorb them.

4. Drink lots of water

Drinking plenty of water throughout the year helps keep your skin healthier. Well hydrated skin starts from inside your body.

5. Avocado face mask

Mash one avocado until smooth. Add in one teaspoon of olive oil. Mix, then spread over your face. Relax for 20 or so minutes before cleaning off, then moisturize as usual.

How to Teach Your Kids About Conserving Water

Water is one of the most important resources we have. Here in the United States, most of us take for granted that we will have safe, clean water available for drinking, bathing, cleaning and watering. It’s very rare to have a serious water shortage here to a point beyond where yard watering is limited.

Our water resources aren’t infinite, however, despite that water goes through a continuous cycle on this planet. Fresh water can be very hard to come by, and many places are beginning to struggle with how to keep a sufficient water supply available.

This is why it’s important for you to teach your kids about water conservation. Helping them to understand the value of water will help them to think about how they use water.

1. Make a Rain Gauge.

You can make a simple rain gauge by placing a glass jar or plastic bottle outside to collect the rain, and then measuring how much rain it collects. The sides should be as straight as possible, and the opening should be about as wide as the rest of it.

Leave it outside when it’s raining, then measure how much rain it collects. You can chart it over several days if you like, noting either rain totals or dumping the jar regularly to measure the rainfall for a particular period.

This is a good lesson in how much rain falls in your area. You can talk about what’s normal for your area and how it effects the availability of water where you live.

2. Make or Buy a Rain Barrel.

The next step is to make or buy a rain barrel (if permitted in your area) to collect rain off your roof. Show your children how you can use this water around the yard. Install your rain barrel and take advantage of this free water.

3. Discuss Your Local Water Resources.

This is a good opportunity for a field trip. Visit a local dam or any local water resources open to the public. Tell your kids how the water comes to your area.

If water tends to run short in your area, talk to them about why water can be an issue and what you can do as a family to limit your use of water.

4. Don’t Use Pesticides or Fertilizers.

Explain to your kids that when pesticides and fertilizers are used, they get washed down into the gutters and can contaminate the water downstream, as well as the health issues involved in using such chemicals in the first place.

The Need for Clean Water – Blog Action Day 2010

This year’s Blog Action Day’s subject is water. Specifically, the need for more clean water around the world.

As a southern Californian, I have a lot of sympathy for those who don’t have water, even though we have plenty of water for our needs. We grumble about lawn watering rationing here, but that’s nothing compared to the desperate shortage of water others live with every day of their lives.

About one billion people on this planet don’t have access to safe, clean water. This results in 80% of diseases and kills more people weekly than war. This is hard to imagine, coming from a place where scarce water means to most people that their lawn turns brown – the horrors! But a lack of water is a harsh reality elsewhere.

A lack of water is a major contributor to poverty. You can’t do much if you don’t have water. You have to spend hours collecting water, and hope it doesn’t make you sick. The lack makes basic sanitation difficult.

Just think of all that water is necessary for on a daily basis. Drinking, growing food, sanitation, bathing. If you lack water, you have to prioritize which of these you can do when you get water, sometimes after walking miles to retrieve it.

There’s a question now about if access to water should be a basic human right. The UN says yes. Putting that into action and finding ways to supply water to those who don’t have it is going to be quite a challenge. It’s not a situation that can be fixed quickly, resolution or no. It’s going to take time and money to fix it. The problem has at least been recognized, and that’s the first step.

Those of us who have more access can help. First and foremost, look into charities and other organizations that are making water more accessible to communities that need it.

Also look at your own lifestyle. Water supplies are almost shamelessly wasted and polluted in many areas. That needs to change, for out own good as well as the good of others.

That means rethink your lawn. Is it the best choice and is it the right type of grass for your area? Are you using chemical fertilizers on it that wash off and end up in creeks and rivers?

Where does your water come from? Is the supply good now? Is it being overused to where there won’t be water available from that source in the future? Aquifers do dry up, as do other sources of water, when they’re overused. There are places in the United States where it’s not at all clear that water will continue to be readily available.

I Guess My Attitude Toward Watering Will Be Different from the Neighbors’ in Our New Home

According to the realtor managing the house we’re renting, there aren’t any watering restrictions in our new neighborhood. That surprised me, since it’s still southern California.

I could quickly see that many people there aren’t too worried about water. They were watering in the heat of the day, with lots of overspray onto sidewalks and the street.

The watering timer in our house was set to water twice a day, 15 minutes at each spot. Yikes! And the lawn still has brown spots because not all the sprinkler heads are adjusted right or working.

I’ve managed to fix the programming part at least. We don’t quite have the time yet to fix the broken heads.

Still, the idea that there aren’t any water restrictions amazes me. I still intend to limit our water use, no matter what the neighbors are doing. Even when you’re stuck with a lawn, there’s only so much watering needed.