New Conservation Genre

The drought of 2012, which continues to spread westward, is making its mark on the national consciousness in many ways. Rising food prices. Interrupted livelihoods. Fields of stunted, desiccated crops.

All of this dryness has resonance in our video culture. Just go to YouTube and look at the proliferation of public service announcements on water conservation. Making one of these seems to be the school project du jour. But in this array there are some standouts, like Oklahoma City’s recent offering, above, or this one from students at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

Often, contributions to the art form show someone cavalierly overusing water in the sink or shower and are supplemented by statistics about the amount of water wasted every year. One variant features water wardens — like the “Saturday Night Live” comedians Horatio Sanz and Rachel Dratch — dropping in on the bathrooms and kitchens of unsuspecting water spendthrifts.

Cute toddlers are enlisted for a French offering and another from Malaysia. Others incorporate music — pitting Pachelbel’s Canon (a stately tone, amid water waste) against “I Don’t Want to Lose Your Love Tonight” (an upbeat tone, for greener water habits).

The water skits on “Sesame Street” include a video in which an animated fish’s pond is drained as a little boy runs the tap while brushing his teeth. Then there’s the sadistic approach, in which profligate users face retaliation from a garden hose and a miniature poodle.

School competitions to develop these public service announcements are common in the United States and in places like Singapore, where water scarcity has led to a national program for recycling water. Competitors tend to cast toothbrushes and faucets in leading roles. Toilets can be harder to work with tastefully, but it’s not impossible (see here and here).

Some entries have the cadence of biblical commandments (“I should not take more than five minutes to shower”). But given that they were produced by primary schools, they might be excused for being a bit didactic. A few Australian offerings are a little more free-form.

Then there’s this production from the guys at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, who seized on an instantly recognizable cultural meme and ran with it. They should enter this in some contest.

green.blogs.nytimes.com

China to Subsidize Energy-saving Home Appliances

China will subsidize the use of energy-saving desktop computers and air-conditioners in its latest effort to save energy and boost domestic demand, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) told Xinhua on Sunday.

The country will earmark 14 billion yuan (2.22 billion U.S. dollars) in subsidies to encourage the purchases of six types of energy-saving products, including desktop computers, air-conditioners, fans, water pumps, compressors and transformers. 

The subsidy program will last for one year and is expected to raise the market share of the energy-saving products to more than 40 percent, the ministry said, without disclosing when the program will start. 

"The move marks the government's effort to combine stabilizing economic growth and stoking domestic demand with promoting energy savings and emission reductions," an official with the ministry said. 

The subsidies may give a boost to the slowing economy, which grew 7.6 percent in the second quarter of this year, marking the slowest pace in three years. 

The country has currently 130 million desktop computers, which consume 31.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year. The annual power consumption of air-conditioners reach 350 billion kwh, data showed. 

In 2011, the power consumption of fans, pumps, compressors and transformers accounted for 40 percent of the country's total, but they were only 80 percent as efficient as those in developed countries. 

"The subsidy program will help save 31.3 billion kwh of electricity every year and drive sales of the energy-saving products by 155.6 billion yuan," the official said. 

The MOF, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will release the detailed rules on the subsidy program soon, according to the official. 

China started subsidizing energy-saving products including light bulbs and automobiles in 2009. From June 1, 2012, the country provided subsidies for purchases of five types of energy-saving home appliances, including air conditioners, flat-panel televisions, refrigerators, washing machines and water heaters. 

"The subsidy policy has yielded remarkable results," the official said, as such programs have boosted sales by over 600 billion yuan and saved 28 billion kwh of electricity each year since 2009. 

The new subsidy program is also believed to be the government's latest effort to lift consumption amid a slowing economy. 

In recent weeks, China has adopted a series of measures to prevent economic growth from sagging further. 

The NDRC, the nation's top economic planning agency, announced in the past week the approval of 55 infrastructure projects ranging from subway lines to highways, which could be worth more than one trillion yuan in total, in a sign that the government is ramping up spending to boost the weak economy.

The government has set a target for economic growth of 7.5 percent for this year, down from actual growth of 9.3 percent last year.


english.cri.cn

Don't Worry, There's Plenty of Oil

In recent months we've seen a spate of articles, reports, and op-eds claiming that peak oil is a worry of the past thanks to so-called "new technologies" that can tap massive amounts of previously inaccessible stores of "unconventional" oil. "Don't worry, drive on," we're told.

But as Post Carbon Institute Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg asks in this short video, what's really new here? "What's new is high oil prices and … the economy hates high oil prices."

We can fall for the oil industry hype and keep ourselves chained to a resource that's depleting and comes with ever increasing economic and environmental costs, or we can recognize that the days of cheap and abundant oil (not to mention coal and natural gas) are over.

Unfortunately, the mainstream media and politicians on both sides of the aisle are parroting the hype, claiming — in Obama's case — that unconventional oil can play a key role in an "all of the above" energy strategy and — in Romney's — that increased production of tight oil and tar sands can make North America energy independent by the end of his second term.

The script

Our civilization runs on oil.

It’s the cheapest, most energy-dense and portable fuel we've ever found. Nature required tens of millions of years to make petroleum, and we've used up the best of it in less than two hundred.

A little over a decade ago, eminent petroleum geologists calculated that global oil production would soon hit a “peak” and begin to decline, no longer meeting ever-rising demand. But oil industry spokesmen countered with the message, "Don't worry, there's plenty of oil!" and assured us that everything would be just fine.

So what actually happened? World crude oil production flat-lined in 2005, and oil prices went crazy. Wars erupted in the oil-rich parts of the world, and the global economy went into a tailspin. The term "Peak Oil" entered the lexicon.

The oil industry is now staging another PR counter-offensive. They're telling us that applying "new" technologies like hydrofracking to low-porosity rocks makes lots of lower quality, unconventional oil available. They argue we just need to drill more to produce more. Problem solved!

But wait. What's actually new here? Most of this technology has been around since the 1980s. The unconventional resources have been known to geologists for decades. What's new is high oil prices.

It’s high oil prices that make unconventional oil worth producing in the first place. It takes lots of money and energy, not to mention water, to frack low-porosity rocks. And the environmental risks are staggering.

How does the economy handle high oil prices? Well, it turns out the economy hates high oil prices and responds by going into recession. Which makes energy prices volatile, rendering the industry subject to booms and busts.

So, what’s the bottom line here?

Yes, there's still oil in the ground. We just can't afford it. In broad terms, the peak oil analysts were right. But the fossil fuel industry is winning the PR battle.

What really matters, though, is not who wins the debate, but how we prepare for the inevitable. We’ve got to wean ourselves off our high-energy lifestyle.

We'd be foolish to wait for events to settle the debate once and for all. Let's say goodbye to oil. It's saying goodbye to us.

By Asher Miller@postcarbon.org

Water Conservation: Save Water, Save Money

Conserving water is easier than you might think. Take a look at these quick tips for saving water in your daily routine.

For the indoors: nearly 60% of all household water use happens in the bathroom

·               Install an aerator to your faucets

Aerators mix air into the water stream, providing just as much pressure while using a lot less water.

·               Install a low-flow shower head

Installing a low-flow shower head can save you up to 20,000 gallons per year and cut up to 10% on the cost of heating your water.

·               Take showers instead of baths 

Showering uses much less water than filling up a bathtub. Try cutting 2-minutes off your time. If you have kids (teenagers) have them listen to music to help them gauge the amount of time they are in the shower. Typically they should finish up within 2 songs. Give it a try yourself.

If you do take a bath, make sure you don't over-fill it – you can always add a little water once you get in.

·               Use less water with your existing toilet

Place a half gallon milk jug filled with rocks into your toilet tank to displace water, this will save you water on each flush. Also don’t use your toilet as a trash can by flushing misc. items.

·               Turn off your faucet 

Don’t run the water while you brush your teeth or shave. Similarly, using half a sink of water to wash your face is more economical than using running water.

·               Check for dripping taps
Fix leaky faucets, one drop per second can waste up to 3,000 gallons per year.

·               Consider Installing Tankless water heaters

Tankless water heaters provide endless hot water and can save you around 20% on energy costs. Also note – a family of 3 using 1-minute less hot water can save up to $75 and nearly 2,700 gallons a year.

·               Consider a low-flow toilet. 

Low flow toilets can use 1/3 less water than typical toilets

·               Use a bowl for washing vegetables and fruit
Leaving your kitchen tap running while you wash vegetables can waste a large amount of water. Instead, fill a bowl with water and use this to wash your vegetables. Then you can use that same bowl of water to water any household plants you may have.

·               Fill your washing machine and dishwasher completely before running

For the outdoors: 30% of household water usage can come from outdoor use

·               Invest in a rain barrel
Rain barrels collect and store rainwater, so you'll have less need to use tap water to water your garden. Prices can start from approximately $50-$75.

·               Water your plants in the early morning or evening
During warm weather; try to water your garden during the early morning or late evening, when the temperature will be slightly lower. At this time of day, you'll lose less water to evaporation.

·               Drought tolerant landscaping 
Choosing plants that require little water will help you keep your garden looking healthy, even during periods of drought.

·               Don't water your plants unnecessarily
Always check the weather forecast before watering your garden. If rains predicted, hold off. Also remember to only water plants if truly necessary – grass, trees and shrubs usually don’t require watering.

·               Use a bucket to wash your car or go to a car wash
Most hoses use 10 gallons per minute, while car washes typically use 35 gallons per wash. Instead of continually running your hose, use a bucket and sponge to wash your car. Use to hose to rinse.

 By Shawn Longson@homechanneltv.blogspot.com

Saving China's Largest Freshwater Lake

Poyang Lake is China's largest freshwater lake, covering 4,000 square kilometers. It is home to more than 300 species of birds and 120 species of fish. Zhang Haiyan / For China Daily

Fisherman Zhang Qiulin said he has been anxious following the dramatic decrease of water levels on Poyang Lake over the last two weeks, despite the fact that the area is still in its rainy season.

Zhang said he fears a repeat of last year, when a historic drought killed many fish in Poyang, located in central China's Jiangxi Province.

Data from the provincial hydrographic bureau showed that the lake's water level had plummeted to 17.71 meters as of Sunday morning, down from this year's highest level of 19.65 meters on Aug. 13.

"Poyang has been drying up over the past decade, particularly from 2003 to 2008. During that time, its annual runoff was 23.2 billion cubic meters, or 15 percent, less than the average of previous years," said Wang Hao, a water conservancy expert with the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research.

Wang said the situation is likely to worsen due to the growing threat of climate change, which has been blamed for the lake's decreasing water level alongside human activity.

The average precipitation in Jiangxi in 2011 was 21 percent lower than the annual average for the past several years, the bureau's statistics indicated.

Reduced rainfall, rampant sand dredging and tourism-related exploitation have reduced the lake's size from 4,000 square km to about 200 square km.

The Three Gorges Dam and other projects built in the upstream areas of the Yangtze River caused the lake's dry season to arrive earlier than before, Wang said.

"A water conservancy project is needed at the mouth of Poyang, where water from the lake flows into the Yangtze River. The project could maintain water levels during the dry season and won't disturb water flows during the flood season," Wang said.

The lake's water volume and quality have a significant impact on Yangtze, as the lake's water discharges account for 15.6 percent of the river's annual runoff.

Moreover, the lake is a key water supply source for about 1 million people and an important home for numerous migratory birds and aquatic species.

A decline in the lake's water quality and degeneration of its ecology have worried environmental experts as well. Marion Hammerl, president of the Global Nature Fund, said urgent action by the international community is needed to halt the contamination of freshwater lakes, including the Poyang.

The Jiangxi provincial government has made some efforts to limit the exploitation of the lake, including shutting down construction cites and encouraging the development of a "recycling economy," said Hu Zhenpeng, vice chairperson of the local legislature.

The government has also moved to treat water on the branches of the Yangtze and prevent pollutants from entering the lake, Hu said.

Hammerl said the way water resources are managed should be transformed and existing water facilities should be upgraded.

Obsolete irrigation equipment should be replaced so as to facilitate water-saving agriculture and achieve sustainable development for the lake, she said.

xinhuanet.com/english

Waterkeeper Alliance

Who We Are

Founded in 1999 by environmental attorney and activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and several veteran Waterkeeper Organizations, Waterkeeper Alliance is a global movement of on-the-water advocates who patrol and protect over 100,000 miles of rivers, streams and coastlines in North and South America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa.

Waterkeeper Organizations combine firsthand knowledge of their waterways with an unwavering commitment to the rights of their communities and to the rule of law. Whether they are on the water tracking down polluters, in a courtroom advocating for stronger enforcement of environmental laws, at a town meeting rallying community support, or in a classroom educating young people, Waterkeeper Organizations defend their communities against anyone who threatens their right to clean water—from law-breaking polluters to unresponsive government agencies.

Made up of more than 190 local Waterkeeper organizations—employing more than 400 full-time and 200 part-time environmental activists, educators, scientists and attorneys— Waterkeeper Alliance keeps Waterkeepers connected, provides them with legal, scientific and communications support, and unites their voices as they take on major global water issues together.

What We Do

Waterkeeper Alliance is among the world’s fastest growing environmental organizations, with nearly 200 local Waterkeepers patrolling rivers, lakes and coastal waterways on six continents.

Waterkeepers defend their communities against anyone who threatens their right to clean water.  Through Waterkeeper Alliance, Waterkeepers speak with a single, powerful voice as they tackle the world’s most pressing water issues. The Alliance stands behind every Waterkeeper, increasing their ability to function as community defenders in their efforts to protect the world’s waterways.

We connect individual Waterkeepers to each other, and support them by providing expertise in science, law, strategic planning and communications, making them more effective in their communities’ courtrooms and classrooms, and in the media.   

Our proudest accomplishment is the depth and breadth of our member organizations and the unity of their vision for clean water and strong communities.

waterkeeper.org

$80 Million in Everglades Project Funding

The Obama Administration today released a report outlining the historic Federal investments and progress made in Everglades restoration under the leadership of President Obama, and announced $80 million in additional funding to support farmers and ranchers who voluntarily conserve wetlands on agricultural land in the Northern Everglades Watershed.   This new investment, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), will restore an additional 23,000 acres of wetlands vital to water quality and wildlife habitat in the Everglades system.

WRP is managed by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Learn more about NRCS' efforts in the Everglades.
 
President Obama has made restoring the Everglades a national priority. Using the partnerships and community-led approach that is a hallmark of the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, the Administration has reinvigorated Federal leadership in Everglades restoration, investing $1.5 billion in Everglades projects and initiatives that will make a measurable impact on the ground, including nearly $900 million to jump start key construction projects that will restore water flow and essential habitat.  These projects already have generated 6,600 Florida jobs and are expected to generate more.  President Obama also has requested an additional $246 million in the Fiscal Year 2013 Budget to build on this progress and continue the investments, partnerships and projects that will return the Everglades to health. 

Senior Administration officials including U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, U.S. Department of Interior Assistant Secretary Rachel Jacobson, and Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy released the report and made the funding announcement today in Kissimmee, FL. 

“The Everglades are an icon, an American treasure, and essential to the health and economy of Florida communities,” said Sutley. “With the President’s leadership, we are making real and measurable progress in Everglades restoration, dramatically increasing Federal funding, launching key construction projects, and working with the State and other partners to deliver results on the ground.  There is much more to do, and we are committed to returning this majestic natural resource to health.”

“President Obama has made restoring the iconic Everglades a national priority,” Vilsack said. “Restoring these wetlands demonstrates a strong commitment to partnerships with ranchers and farmers to improve water quality and habitat protection while supporting Florida’s strong agricultural economy and ranching heritage. These investments are paying off, creating nearly 7,000 jobs in Florida’s economy and preserving thousands of acres of precious wetlands for future generations to enjoy.”

“The Everglades are one of America’s most treasured places – for the people of Florida and for visitors and tourists from all over the world,” said Ken Salazar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. “By working together in pursuit of President Obama’s vision for a renewed and healthy Everglades, we honor the stewardship of generations of Florida cattle ranchers and other landowners who understood that we all have a stake in preserving the health of our land, water, and wildlife. Under the President’s leadership, our commitment to restoring the Everglades is benefiting the environment and the Florida economy – creating jobs, while protecting this unique place for years to come.”

"The Everglades are essential to the environmental and economic strength of so many Florida communities. The health of this ecosystem affects everything from water quality and biodiversity to tourism, an industry that supports thousands of jobs across the state,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "The success we've already seen in restoring the land, water and wildlife of the Everglades shows how investments in America’s extraordinary outdoors are also investments in our health and our economic future. Thanks to the additional funding announced today, we can expand our efforts to protect this vital watershed and build upon the progress that's already been made."

"In the last three years there has been unprecedented restoration progress in the Everglades,” said Darcy.  “President Obama has invested more than $130 million to restore flood plains and waters that flow from the Kissimmee River.  The Kissimmee River restoration project is the largest restoration project undertaken by the Corps to date and the benefits are already being realized.  Since 2009, the federal family and the State of Florida have invested in and broken ground on seven restoration projects.  We have seized the opportunity for stakeholders to work together toward common goal of restoring the Everglades."

Working in partnership with the State of Florida, Tribes and local leaders, since 2009, the Administration has restored more than 3,000 acres of the floodplains along the Kissimmee River; worked with landowners to improve habitat and water quality on more than 400,000 agricultural acres;  begun constructing the first mile of bridging for the Tamiami Trail to restore water flow to Everglades National Park;  begun implementing key components of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan to make more water available for environmental, urban and agricultural use; and reached an historic agreement with the State of Florida to make essential water quality improvements, including $879 million in State commitments for water quality projects. 

Today’s investment in the WRP also builds on other significant Obama administration accomplishments to conserve habitat in the greater Everglades ecosystem.  Earlier this year, the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) established the 150,000-acre Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area. Assistant Secretary Jacobson today announced that FWS has received $1.5 million in reprogrammed 2012 funding to begin securing additional conservation easements on priority parcels of some of the last remaining grass-land savannahs in the Northern Everglades – working with private land-owners to conserve the land, water and wildlife of the Everglades Headwaters.
 
NRCS: National Resources Conservation Service

Restored Watershed and Rivers that can Sustain Aquatic Life

                                                                       Leisure and fishing on a river that was once heavily polluted.

As they now see more blue-sky days and clear rivers, Shandong residents are finding that their living environment has greatly changed.

The province has put great effort into improving the environment while developing its economy. Combined energy consumption per unit of GDP during the five years from 2006 to 2010 fell by 22.1 percent, while sulfur dioxide emissions were reduced by 20 percent and chemical oxygen demand decreased by 18 percent.

"The province's aim is to make the sky blue and the rivers healthy enough to raise edible fish," said Shandong Governor Jiang Daming.

To meet those goals, the province jointly issued a protocol on environmental protection with China's Environmental Protection Ministry last year that calls for Shandong to be a demonstration base for rehabilitating lakes and rivers.

Shandong has shut down out-of-date shaft kilns capable for producing 75.96 million tons of cement, furnaces that before made 8.2 million tons iron annually and equipment that generated 7.17 million kW of electricity.

According to Zhang Bo, head of the Shandong Environment Protection Bureau, the province built 211 treatment facilities by the end of 2011 that can handle 90.4 percent of the sewage produced in urban areas.

Partly due to the efforts, all 59 rivers under the province's control were able to sustain fish by the end of 2010.

Last year, the State Council listed Shandong at the top of eight provinces and cities that contributed the most to the country's work on cutting emissions.

The Nansi Lakes Project - which includes Weishan, Zhaoyang, Dushan and Nanyang lakes - in southwest Shandong is a model of lake rehabilitation, the local government said.

Dozens of years ago, more than 4,000 factories in the Nansi region discharged 540,000 tons of untreated effluent every day.

Conditions began to change in 2000 when the Shandong government began rehabilitation efforts.

The province has since shut down 500 factories lining the lakes that made products ranging from paper to starch and monosodium glutamate.

Since 2005, Shandong has spent 500 million yuan ($78.7 million) on lake wetlands, which now stretch across 10,000 hectares.

Due to the efforts, the ecosystem in Nansi has been restored enough that pollutant-sensitive freshwater jellyfish can be found.

This year, Weishan Lake is listed as one of the top priorities for protecting lakes in China, while the province will emphasize managing the 11,000 square kilometer Xiaoqinghe River basin.

Shandong is also moving to improve air quality.

The provincial environmental bureau will include PM2.5 readings - particulates smaller than 2.5 microns, which are considered even more dangerous - in its daily monitoring of air quality.

The province also plans to intensify control over waste gases from manufacturing and other industrial processes, vehicle exhaust and dust in urban areas.

Shandong now has 41 national-class ecological zones, one national-class ecological city, 217 national-class ecological towns and 6 national-class ecological villages. 

ChinaDaily.com.cn 

"Hope in a Changing Climate" demonstrates that it is possible to rehabilitate large-scale damaged ecosystems, to restore ecosystem functions in areas where they have been lost, to fundamentally improve the lives of people who have been trapped in poverty for generations and to sequester carbon naturally. This approach has been dramatically proven on the Loess Plateau in China, the highland area spanning some 640,000 square km in north central China. It is the birthplace of the Han Chinese, headwaters of The Yellow River and home to a new environmental and economic paradigm: A degraded ecosystem of more than 35,000 square km of land now teems with life and supports the sustainable economic, social and agricultural activities of its people.

"Hope in a Changing Climate" is the latest documentary produced by the Environmental Education Media Project (EEMP), an organization dedicated to placing ecosystem restoration at the center of the global discussions on climate change, poverty and sustainable agriculture.

 

A New Vision for Saving the Mississippi River Delta

Every hour in Louisiana, an area of coastal land the size of a football field vanishes under water. Since the 1930s, almost 1,900 square miles of wetlands -- an area almost the size of Delaware -- has disappeared from the Louisiana coast.

For over 35 years, Environmental Defense Fund has been working in the Mississippi River Delta, advocating for large-scale restoration projects to restore and revitalize the region. We are working to instill a sense of urgency and a national commitment to a bold restoration plan for the area.

Working as part of a national coalition, our mission is to secure the funding, governance and political momentum necessary to support and maintain a healthy and self-sustaining Mississippi River Delta. We are working with state and federal governments to champion support for large-scale restoration projects and to secure the necessary revenue streams. Our goal is to implement a self-sufficient multi-agency, multi-disciplinary governance structure capable of putting in place a self-sustaining public works program for the delta.

Visit our website www.edf.org/restoring to find out more about vision for saving the Mississippi River Delta.

Every Drop Counts - The Water Challenge

The 12th edition of Green Week, the biggest annual conference on European environment policy, will take place from 22 to 25 May 2012 in Brussels. This year's theme is "Water".

Over some 40 sessions, the conference will focus on water. This valuable resource needs to be used properly and sparingly, making sure that we have enough for all of its uses, and avoiding polluting our rivers, seas and oceans. Along with all other natural resources, this is one of the most vital for our continued existence on this planet.Green Week offers a unique opportunity for debate and exchanges of experience and best practice.

Over the past decade, the conference has established itself as an unmissable event for anyone involved with protecting the environment. The 2011 edition attracted some 3 160 participants from government, business and industry, non-governmental organisations, academia and the media.

Experts Warn of Climate Change Threat to NZ Coastal Communities

New Zealand government scientists warned Tuesday the country needs to plan around the threats of more severe floods as sea levels rise with climate change.

The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) said storm surge flooding was starting to occur more frequently on king tides.

Sixty-five percent of New Zealanders including those in 12 of the country's 15 largest towns and cites lived within 5 km of the sea and the country had to plan to manage the growing risks, said NIWA principal scientist Dr Rob Bell.

"Rises of more than a meter by 2100 can't be ruled out, and should at least be considered in assessing the vulnerability of our existing development at the coast," Bell said in a statement.

"New Zealand's Coastal Policy Statement directs that we also avoid further increasing risk in the future. So for large new subdivisions and developments, we should be building into this new development sufficient capacity to absorb even higher rises in sea level, given the permanent nature of subdivisions."

As sea-levels rose, low-lying coastal areas would face an escalating risk from sea flooding, with a present-day 100-year flood event occurring every year if the sea level rose by half a meter, said Bell.

Higher storm surges could damage beaches, seawalls, buildings, roads and other infrastructure, and affect drinking-water supplies in lowland rivers and groundwater.

Scientists are to present a synthesis of projections for sea- level rise and its impact on the coastal environment at a New Zealand Climate Change Centre (NZCCC) conference in Wellington on May 10 and 11.

"Planners and engineers here in New Zealand need sound guidance on what sea-level rises are expected along our shores, working around the key uncertainty about how quickly the polar ice sheets may melt in future," said Bell.

The NZCCC is a joint initiative by New Zealand's government research institutes, including NIWA, and Canterbury, Victoria and Massey universities. 

Handprinter Helps You Know and Grow Your Handprint

First, Handprinter lets you calculate your environmental footprint based on your country, income, and air travel habits.

Second, it offers suggestions for simple actions you can take to lower your impact on the planet, and gives you the ability to suggest new actions for our collection.

Finally, Handprinter lets you spread your ideas and actions around the world, and measure their progress. When you refer your friends to Handprinter, and when their friends sign on, their handprints will become part of yours. Inspire enough people, and your handprint eventually outweighs your footprint.

                                    Try Handprinter Now!

 

Handprinter from Avenue8 on Vimeo.

5 Ways to Conserve Water at Little or No Cost by Courtney

One of the biggest roadblocks to water conservation is the perception that it will cost money, either in actual dollars or as a matter of time invested. The truth, however, is that there are several ways to save water without spending much of either.

Some of the best water-saving ideas are a matter of changing habits and increasing knowledge rather than spending money. Even better, saving water often leads to saving money, making what little effort that is involved doubly worthwhile.

Listed below are five ways you can conserve water at little or no cost to you. 

1. Wash and Rinse Reduction

Everyone has their own methods for washing dishes, but everyone knows there is one way that wastes more water than any other — letting the faucet run while washing and/or rinsing.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that it takes an average of 20 gallons of water to wash dishes by hand. You can reduce this by stopping the drains — one side for washing and the other for rinsing — and limiting your water use to what it takes to fill half of each basin.

2. Save on the Shave (or Brush)

Many people may not even realize that they leave the faucet running when they shave or brush their teeth, but doing so can waste countless gallons of clean water.

A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) quiz reveals that brushing your teeth without the water running can save as much as three gallons of water at a time, which can really add up in households with many members — or when 311 million people (the U.S. population) brush their teeth twice a day.

3. Toilet Training

The EPA reports that the biggest water waster in any household is the toilet, accounting for as much as 30% of water use in American homes. Newer toilets do typically use less water per flush and lose less water through leaks, but not everyone can afford a new toilet.

The next best thing to help save water in the bathroom is to craft a homemade displacement device for your toilet tank. Simply fill up an empty soda bottle or milk jug with water and sand (or other weighty substance), cap it, and place it in your toilet tank. The next time you flush, the container will cause less water to run into the tank, thereby saving you water and money.

Read more@thegreenists.com 

Keep Shell Out of the Arctic!

Help Stop Shell from drilling in the Polar Bear Seas!

The Obama Administration has tentatively approved Shell’s plans to drill this summer in both of Alaska’s Polar Bear Seas. Tell Secretary Salazar to deny the company the final permits it needs to drill in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas.
Follow this link to sign the petition

“Saving Water” Suggests the Suwannee River Water Management District by David Still

Your Jan. 19 editorial, “Saving Water,” suggests the Suwannee River Water Management District “should be leading Florida's water conservation efforts” and should ensure that “agriculture and all water users employ best practices and the latest innovation techniques to use as little water as possible.”

Those who live outside of our boundaries may be unaware of our many efforts to do just that. To highlight a few:

Since 1998 the district has led the effort to promote efficient agricultural water use in our region. We formed the Suwannee River Partnership (SRP), a model coalition through which government and the agriculture industry work together to improve water quality and reduce water use.

The district has provided more than $1.5 million to 252 farmers and producers for irrigation system retrofits, other water-efficient equipment and techniques, and evaluations. The estimated savings in water annually: 1 billion gallons.

The district has provided nearly $7.25 million for reuse projects to the communities of Lake City, Live Oak, Monticello, Alachua and Cedar Key, resulting in a potential savings of approximately 6.7 million gallons of fresh water per day.

The district has worked with The Ichetucknee Partnership to introduce a Water CHAMP? pilot program in Columbia County, with hotels and motels close to I-75 participating in the towels and linens water conservation/reuse program. We hope to expand the program to other counties.

To help raise public awareness of water supply issues, the district again this year is asking county commissions and local municipal governments to follow the lead of our governing board by adopting a resolution officially proclaiming and celebrating April as Water Conservation Month. 

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Why Planting Mangroves is Good News for Whale Sharks

 

With the help of almost 300 volunteers, 10,000 mangroves were recently planted in Donsol in the Philippines. Mangroves are vital for Donsol's wildlife - providing homes for fireflies, indicators of healthy ecosystems, and fuelling the growth of plankton, which in turn attract whale sharks.

‘Whale sharks congregate in Donsol because of all the plankton,' explains WWF-Philippines Project manager Raul Burce. ‘Plankton consume nutrients discharged by Donsol's still-healthy rivers, one of the few habitats where fireflies still thrive. Remove mangroves and the fireflies shall be driven off.

If whale sharks disappear it could be catastrophic'Without the healthy rivers needed by fireflies, plankton populations cannot bloom - and the whale sharks will migrate elsewhere. If one component crashes, the others follow suit. This could be catastrophic for the people of Donsol.'

Wildlife tourism has transformed Donsol - a total of 24,191 local and foreign visitors swam with the gentle giants from December 2010 to June 2011. Donsol's Municipal Tourism Office estimated that the 2010 season alone generated over $2.3million from transportation, food, lodging, registration fees plus whale shark, mangrove and firefly tours. 

Mangroves generate 500kg seafood per hectare each yearNow the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) has spearheaded a vigorous reforestation drive to plant 10,000 mangrove seedlings in Donsol's Barangay Sibago last month.

Known in Tagalog as bakawan, mangroves constitute one of the most productive of marine habitats - able to generate 500kg of seafood per hectare annually.

They absorb significant amounts of carbon dioxide- the major culprit for climate change. The thick onshore hedges protect coastal communities from violent gale winds and waves caused by typhoons. Labyrinthine roots shelter fish and invertebrates while stabilising sediments and absorbing heavy trace metals to minimize coastal erosion and prevent inland salt-water contamination. Even fallen leaves are used by some animals for food and shelter.

Nearly three-quarters of original mangroves have been destroyedAs well as threatening the tourist industry, loss of mangrove forests expose coastal communities to increased flooding, faster beach erosion, saline intrusion and severe damage from intensifying storms.

Up to 75 per cent of the original cover has been lost as a result of programmes to develop seemingly-idle mangrove forests into fish and shrimp ponds for profit. Mangrove planting drives have been attempting to remedy this.

WWF-Philippines vice-chairman and chief exectuive Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan said: ‘The key here is balance. Without it, the productivity of our natural systems will crash. Strike a balance between conservation and development and we can ensure sustainability.'

From a great site wildlifeextra.com 

Protecting Marine Protected Areas

Years from now, Southern California's new marine sanctuaries might be as popular with fishermen as they are with environmentalists. Once populations of fish have a chance to recover from years of depletion, these protected areas off the coast are expected to become incubators of sea life that will then expand into unprotected zones as well, meaning not only an enhanced environment but better fishing.

All that will take time, though — a study of a similar preserve off the coast of Baja California found that sea life there quintupled over the course of a decade — and for now these Marine Protected Areas, where restrictions took effect this month, are seen by fishing groups as intrusive and downright confusing. Limited fishing is allowed in some areas, none in others. The 50 sanctuaries form a patchwork that covers 15% of the coast.

The state doesn't have nearly enough enforcement staff to ensure compliance, so various environmental groups are gearing up to watch over their local waters. Their presence isn't welcomed by fishing groups, which predict nasty or even dangerous confrontations. But if the volunteers take the right approach — acting as monitors and tipsters, not as law enforcement officers — they could help the new sanctuaries get off to a good start.

In many parks and cities, volunteers patrol trails and streets. Along the coast, volunteers monitor tide pools and inform visitors about laws against harming animals or taking them from those areas. Sometimes just knowing that others are watching is enough to deter would-be lawbreakers. Some people honestly aren't aware of the laws or of the reasons they exist. It will take time for fishing enthusiasts to fully comprehend — and accept — which rules are in operation where in the ocean.

But many people don't like being approached and told they're breaking the law, especially by someone without a badge or uniform. Volunteers have to keep interactions friendly, brief and informal, avoiding ugly situations. They shouldn't lecture, scold or threaten to inform authorities; rather, they should back off when their efforts meet with resistance, move away and then call in a tip.

California's Department of Fish and Game could make this effort more successful by creating a semi-official cadre of volunteers. The state should provide those well-meaning environmentalists with ID cards to indicate some level of official status, but more important, it should standardize their training. It would be a shame to see a disagreement over fish become a danger to people as well. 

From the LA Times 

US Energy Production Facing Limits of Water Scarcity by Zulima Palacio

Scientists, climatologists and energy experts share a growing concern: the need for water in the production of energy, especially in regions that are experiencing serious drought.  Generating power - whether it be from fossil fuels or renewable energy sources - requires large amounts of water.

Nearly all forms of energy production use large amounts of water.  Coal, which generates nearly 50 percent of the electricity in the U.S., needs water for mining and transport, and to cool and lubricate equipment.

Water is also used to cool fuel rods at nuclear plants and to generate steam to power  turbines. The biofuel industry needs water for irrigation, fermentation and the production of ethanol and biodiesel fuels.

Alexander Ochs, director of climate and energy at the Worldwatch Institute, says that adds up to a lot of water.

“Per megawatt hour, coal uses 500 to 1000 gallons of water for the production of just one megawatt hour of electricity," said Ochs. "If we look at all the plants combined in the U.S., all the thermo-electric plants [powered by steam] in the U.S. in 2008 alone, they drew 60 billion to 170 billion gallons of water, per year.”

Without water, most types of energy could not be produced. Even renewable energy, like geothermal and solar, use water to cool equipment and to clean the collector panels.  

Those requirements have led California, Massachusetts and several Midwestern states to halt the operations of some power plants.

“Places like the Midwest where water is a very scarce resource already today, a number of power plants have actually been halted, and this is actually true for across the United States," said Ochs.
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