Minnesota has moved from drought to flooding. The drought was a problem, but now can we manage all this heavy rain? We have been trained to get this water away from our houses and off our land, but does flushing all this water down the storm drain help our yards and gardens? Some of the rain is absorbed, but most of this rain rushes into our storm sewers washing winter salt, and chemicals from our houses and yards into our lakes and streams. What can we do to slow water down and keep more water working to waterour gardens and yards? How can we keep our lakes and rivers clean?
You don’t want this water in your basement so it needs to be diverted 10 feet away from your foundation as you manage this water, and try to keep it from gushing down the street and alleys
A few things you can do to improve water quality:
1. Redirect downspouts onto your lawn.
2. Plant native grasses and deep rooted plants to absorb water
3. Use less winter salt and less lawn chemicals.
4. Learn about rain gardens and find out if one is possible in your yard. http://bluethumb.org/raingardens/
5. Keep sidewalks, driveways and streets free of leaves and debris.
6. Let your turf-lawn grow longer (3 inches)
7. Install a rain barrel to capture rain, and use this for watering plants.
Definition of precycle: Tomakepurchasingdecisionsthatwillreducetheneedtorecycleor throw into the landfill trash. You precycle so there is less trash to throw away.
Today I was at my local coop refilling my containers, reusing my produce bags, and reusing egg cartons for bulk eggs. #BuyBulk
My 5 ideas for precycling are first, and then five from David Suzuki’s Queen of Green
First, always bring your reusable bags.
Shop with your reusable bags
Second, choose products that use minimal packaging.
Third, carry your own reuseable water bottle, choose glass over plastic, and reuse glass containers and jars
Fourth, Bulk purchases allow you to purchase the amount you need. I fill my reusable containers with nuts, spices, oatmeal, tea, grains, beans, eggs, and soaps. Whole Foods and coops have recyclable/compostable brown paper bags for bulk items. Placing your bulk items in a “one use” plastic bag negates the environmental advantage of bulk purchases.
Fifth, use washable reusable cloth bags for produce purchases. Avoid products on Styrofoam trays wrapped in plastic film. If you purchase meat or fish, ask for a compostable wrapping.
Some co-ops have fabulous selections of soaps and lotions to refill your bottles
Below are ideas from David Suzuki’s Queen of Green and what prompted me to do this post. She has great ideas below to reduce our waste:
Five tips to recycle less http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/queen-of-green/2015/03/five-ways-to-recycle-less/
Tip one: Shop smarter. Beware of excess packaging from all consumer goods — food, personal care products and electronics, even organic, local, non-toxic and GMO-free stuff.
Tip two: Never recycle another glass jar!
Tip three: Reduce is the first “R”.
It’s time for a plastic diet! Buy fewer prepared foods, buy in bulk and pack waste-free lunches.
All water is connected. Even if fracking and the California drought seem far away from us, both have an impact on all of us!
Fracking, a process that uses large amounts of water, uses 700 chemicals in its process,, and causes earthquakes. This just can’t be good for us, for wildlife, or our earth. This should cause all of us to question the amount of gasoline and energy we consume. Watch this short video of a farmer making a very good point about fracking:
Watch Viral Video: Nebraska Man Asks Oil and Gas Commission One Simple Question: ‘Would You Drink It?’
Each day, the oil and gas industry uses more than 2 million gallons of water on average in California on dangerous extraction techniques such as fracking, acidizing, and cyclic steam injection. At a time when California is facing the worst drought on record, when farmers and cities are both struggling to find ways to conserve water, the oil and gas industry continues to use, contaminate, and dispose of staggering amounts of precious water resources each day.
Second, California is in a crucial drought stage and new procedures have just been announced by Governor Brown. Because we are so connected to California agriculture this affects everyone, no matter where we live.
The first two months of 2015 were the hottest on record globally. One place was a cold peninsula??
We are one day passed global earth hour sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund. Even if you could not participate, I hope you will think of ways to reduce the electricity you use. Working together to cut our use of fossil fuels(Most of our electricity comes from coal) can make a difference!
Like it or not the paradigm is changing. Some news from the week:
Take The Pledge to Use Less Plastic Every Day http://actnow.surfrider.org/app/sign-petition?0&engagementId=58936
Change Begins Onshore
Plastic lasts forever… our oceans are turning into plastic soup.
It doesn’t biodegrade and no naturally occurring organisms can break it down. Plastic photodegrades, which means that sunlight breaks it down into smaller and smaller pieces. Those small pieces drift in the ocean and are mistaken for food by fish and birds.
It is undisputable that plastic pollution is killing marine life through ingestion and entanglement in plastic marine litter.
Up to 80% of the plastic in our oceans comes from the land – us. Single-use is ocean abuse. So, make a pledge today to make these simple 5 changes, which will have a huge impact on our oceans health:
1) Use cloth shopping bags. For each reusable bag you use, it’s estimated that another 400 plastic bags will be kept from being used. 2) Forget bottled water and carry a reusable canteen. Every reusable water bottle will keep another 167 plastic bottles from entering the environment. 3) Bring a reusable mug when you go to your local coffee shop. 4) Skip the straw, which are one of the top 10 items found on beaches. 5) And, of course, Recycle!
TAKE THE PLEDGE: COMMIT to Rising Above Plastics! http://actnow.surfrider.org/app/sign-petition?0&engagementId=58936
Avoid plastic, fill your glass or metal bottles with water or other liquid
Talking Trash Tuesday
Please take a reusable bottle with you today, and say “No” to plastic!
Today I start my new series on trash that should be recycled! In 2015 there is no excuse that recyclables fill our landfill trash cans. I am guilting everyone into recycling more. Because this is World Water Week, I am worried about the plastic that fills our water bodies. Plastic makes up 80% of the trash found in the ocean. This plastic could be part of the ocean forever breaking into little tiny fragments ingested by fish and other sea life and eaten by us??
Living in the land of Ten Thousand Lakes and having a love affair with Lake Superior, I know first hand that clean water is important! I think of the West Coast of the United States and their severe drought every time I turn on the faucet. Below are water saving ideas from me and The World Wildlife Federation. This is serious. Water will be the next “most valuable resource,” and our survival as a people depends on adequate sources of clean water.
Ideas to help you protect the earth’s fresh water:
My List (doing one thing can make a difference!)
1. Reduce or eliminate all your use of chemicals in cleaning agents, and lawn and garden products. Tough I know, Read on…
3. Use plants in your yard that do not require chemicals(native plants) and reduce the size of your lawn. Most native plants don’t need to be watered! http://findnativeplants.com/
4. Install rain barrels under your drain spouts or put rain gardens in areas where your water drains. Use this water to water your plants. AND redirect your drain spouts so they water your lawn.
5. Install a septic holding tank if your sewage does not drain into a public sewage system.
6. Purchase as many products you can afford that are organic or GMO free to reduce the amount of nitrates running into our lakes and streams.
7. Adopt a storm drain, keeping leaves, trash and yard waste from washing into our streams and lakes.
9. Purchase products made from recycled materials. Recycled paper uses 60-70% less energy than virgin pulp and 55% less water.
10. Pick up after your dog, and never use salt on your sidewalk.
And from The World Wildlife Federation:
We all can do something to help fresh water. This World Water Day, March 22, you too can take action. Here’s how:
Raise a Glass…and Awareness
Express appreciation of fresh water by making a toast, taking a picture, and sharing it across social networks with #ToastToWater.
Crowdsource Scientific Data
Next time you’re near a river, stream or lake, take and pictures of the freshwater fish you encounter and upload them for conservation scientists around the world.
Adopt a Freshwater Species
Make a donation to symbolically adopt a freshwater species, such as a pink river dolphin or hellbender salamander.
Build a Rain Barrel
The average roof collects 600 gallons of water for every inch of rain. Capture some of that stormwater and help protect freshwater resources by building a rain barrel.
Learn about Unseen Water
Water is in almost everything. Take your average cotton t-shirt as an example: it can take 2,700 liters to produce the cotton needed to make a single t-shirt. While it’s important to fix leaky taps and buy efficient washing machines, we need to also be conscious of the unseen or “virtual water” we consume every day.
The International Day of Happiness is celebrated throughout the world on the 20th of March. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly on 28 June 2012.
Assembly Resolution A/RES/66/281 states in pertinent part:
Balloons of Happiness
The General Assembly,[…] Conscious that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal,[…] Recognizing also the need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness and the well-being of all peoples, Decides to proclaim 20 March the International Day of Happiness, Invites all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations and individuals, to observe the International Day of Happiness in an appropriate manner, including through education and public awareness-raising activities[…]
—United Nations General Assembly, Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 28 June 2012[1]
The International Day of Happiness Resolution 65/309 was the result of the effort the Kingdom of Bhutan and its Gross National Happiness Initiative. [2]
This UN resolution marked the historical milestone of globalizing the Happiness Development Movement that started in 1972. [3]
Today’s news on the Arctic from the World Wildlife Fund:
In response to today’s news from the National Snow and Ice Data Center about record low winter sea ice extent, World Wildlife Fund released the following statement from Margaret Williams, managing director of Arctic programs.
“Today’s news is not only about record low levels of winter Arctic sea ice, it’s about the unraveling of the Arctic and the impact of climate change on the wildlife and people that call the region home.
“This is yet another signal that bold leadership is needed to address the climate crisis. As the US assumes chairmanship of the Arctic Council next month, we need a vision that redefines business-as-usual in the rapidly changing Arctic — one that embraces renewable energy, sustainable development, and healthy communities.” http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/03/19/bcst-climate-cast
Today I am commenting on two items that surprised me this week.
Health4earth 