Nov 22, 09
Net Zero Water
Designing water-neutral homes Water and climate change are inextricably linked. As the planet warms, weather patterns will shift, exacerbating drought in some areas and delivering more rainfall to others. Water itself requires energy to deliver, so excess use compounds our energy problems. And many renewable sources of power, such as solar, require massive amounts of water as an input, creating further pressure on limited resources. Net zero water is an analogous concept to net zero...
World Water Week Ends
More than a thousand people met in Stockholm this week to discuss the planet's most urgent water issues at the annual World Water Week conference. Near the end of the event, hosted by the Stockholm International Water Institute, the participants issued the following unanimous statement: water must be included in the COP-15 climate negotiations in Copenhagen this December. “Water is a fundamental element in economies, communities, and public health," said Anders Berntell, Executive...
What's Your Company's Water Footprint?
by Will Sarni Last year we heard a chorus of "water is the new oil," including a memorable BusinessWeek cover depicting oil baron T. Boone Pickens knee-deep in H20. This year the cry is "water is the new carbon" in response to a heightened awareness that resources such as water are more critical and valuable to a company's operation (and brand value) than previously assumed. If you are a water-intensive business such as the food and beverage sector, water is now at the top of your list of...
Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World’s Water
In Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World's Water, authors and activists Maude Barlow and Tony Clark aim to document the rapid privatization and commodification of water. Blue Gold tells the story of how recent international trade agreements are enabling big business to buy up the world's water, worsening the global water shortage crisis. Blue Gold also provides information and strategies for taking action locally and globally to become fresh water's responsible...
Saving Water Could Cut Water-Heating Emissions by 30%, Report Finds
by Alok JhaBritons could save 30% of the carbon emissions associated with heating water at home by following simple advice such as lagging pipes and using low-flow taps, according to energy experts.They estimate that installing just a few water-saving measures could save a typical household £225 per year on combined water and energy bills.In a joint report launched today, the Energy Saving Trust (EST) and the Environment Agency examined the carbon impact of domestic water use in the UK....
Ashley Murray: Wastewater is a Resource
Nominated by Zoë Chafe Ashley Murray's work is motivated by a simple conviction: human waste is a resource that should be reused. Her uphill battle: most sanitation systems have been built to dispose of (rather than reuse) wastewater and fecal sludge. Ashley uses her urban sanitation expertise -- and infectious enthusiasm -- to help local governments design and retrofit sanitation systems for waste reuse. Ashley is currently based at the International Water Management Institute in Ghana....
What Percentage of Water that Goes Down the Drain is Actually Lost Forever?
Last week, peer-to-peer network CurrentTV invited us to participate in their Earth Week special, where they asked their readers to pose their most burning eco-questions to a handful of savvy bloggers. We've been thinking a lot about the state of the world's water lately, so this question stood out to us: It's always considered a major no-no to waste water. But how is water used in a household wasted? Isn't it all just processed and reused? I understand that there is energy spent...
Obama Pressed To Increase Global Water Aid
In his inauguration speech in January, U.S. President Barack Obama mentioned four words that lifted the hearts of water advocates worldwide: "Let clean water flow." Although Obama has proposed doubling U.S. spending on foreign aid, his new budget, released last month, offers few details on whether the additional funding will support his inaugural vow, especially in the face of a debilitating financial crisis. Despite global economic uncertainty, sitting and former U.S. members of Congress...
World Water Day: Freshwater Roundup
Sunday, March 22, is World Water Day. The UN initiative began in 1993 as a means of celebrating freshwater resources around the world, and of raising awareness around the need to keep these resources clean and available to people everywhere who need them. World Water Day 2009 is focusing on transboundary waters with its theme, "Shared Water - Shared Opportunities." Although predictions about the growing danger of water-related conflict are a heightening concern in the face of global...
Let the Clean Waters Flow
Since January 20, the American people have been drinking from a fire hose. We are deluged with progress on issues that once seemed intractable - restarting the economy, safeguarding the environment, universalizing access to health care, and reasserting our good name abroad. As President Obama rounds the bend on his first 100 days, there feels like no limit tn the good that can be achieved. In this vein, the Administration should start to blaze new trails on even the most difficult topics....
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