Blog Action Day 2010: Water

Today is Blog Action Day, "an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day" to raise awareness and global discussion.  This year's topic is water.

As a resident of Southern California, water (or lack of) is often on my mind.  Whether it be news reports of drought or people complaining when we finally do get a downpour, water is a large topic of discussion here.  Water conservation is a part of our daily lives, right down to what times you may wash your car.  (I choose to just not wash it and let nature take it's course.  Unless I'm going on a job interview, I'm not worried about impressing people with my vehicle.)

Even with all the rules of how we use water in the US, we still have it.  This fact is not true for many people in other parts of the globe.  Here are some chilling facts about water worldwide, taken from Change.org's Blog Action Day site:

• 40 Billion Hours: African women walk over 40 billion hours each year carrying cisterns weighing up to 18 kilograms to gather water, which is usually still not safe to drink.
• 38,000 Children a Week: Every week, nearly 38,000 children under the age of 5 die from unsafe drinking water and unhygienic living conditions.
• Wars Over Water: Many scholars attribute the conflict in Darfur at least in part to lack of access to water. A report commissioned by the UN found that in the 21st century, water scarcity will become one of the leading causes of conflict in Africa.
• Water & Poverty: A lack of water contributes to poverty, with parents and children too ill or too busy collecting water to go to school and work. Water poverty also undermines progress poor countries are making on health - with half of hospital beds taken by people suffering with diarrhoea and dysentery.
• Bottled Water: Even though people in the US have access to clean water from their taps, they drink an average of 200 bottles of water per person each year. Over 17 million barrels of oil are needed to manufacture those water bottles, 86 percent of which will never be recycled.
• Uninhabitable Rivers: Today, 40% of America’s rivers and 46% of America’s lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life. That’s not surprising considering the fact that 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, storm water, and industrial waste are discharged into US waters annually.

So what can we do?  I for one will continue to stick to my "no washing my car" plan (no matter how much my dad may complain).  My family also owns a Brita water pitcher, which we use rather than drinking gallons of bottled water.  I am also working on taking shorter showers, something I'm sure my family will appreciate.

LIttle by little, we can ease the burden we force on our planet.  Small changes to our everyday lives can equal huge improvements.  

Earth Day 2010

I've been incredibly busy, so instead of writing a post about Earth Day, I've rounded up some great videos about "eco-art", recycling, and loving the planet. Enjoy!

Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change

Today is Blog Action Day, "an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day" to raise awareness and create global discussion. This year's topic is Climate Change, a subject that I am deeply interested in.

Artists can impact climate change in big ways, from choosing environmentally-friendly supplies to creating work that sparks meaningful discussion of how we treat our planet:




My current work reflects on climate change and responsible use of Earth's resources. I've been experimenting with recycled materials, specifically magazine pages:



I love making art from magazines that would likely end up in a landfill or consume energy during the recycling process. They are also one-of-a-kind creations, since I can never recreate the exact same combination of pages.



And just because I love it:



This Current pod is one of my favorites. Visiting other countries really makes one stop and think about how most Americans live their lives. If we all lived on a little less, we could make a big impact on climate change.

My (not so) Green Thumb

This past winter my sister brought home some very lovely smelling soaps by Pangea Organics. I love companies with a strong commitment to the environment, especially when "green living" is incorporated into something fun and interactive.



Each bar of soap's packaging is biodegradable, and full of plant seeds. Simply flatten and moisten the box, bury it in the soil, and tend it following directions on the packaging. After just a couple weeks, your plant will grow...



...ummm, sort of.

Unlike my mom I am not an avid gardener. I suspect the problem is a combination of the hot summer and occasional over-watering. While I think my little plants are quite cute, they look nothing like the Google images I've searched of Amaranth Cockscomb.



On a brighter note, my cactus is thriving! I acquired this guy on a walk with my sister and mom. Mom was nice enough to take a cutting for me after I inquired if such a thing was possible, and suffered tiny spines in her lips as a result (that's a very long, hilarious story).



I am worried that the cactus is developing a symbiotic relationship with the dead rose bush it shares a pot with. The plant should be moved into its own pot with cactus soil, but I'm too afraid to do that at this point. Best leave well enough alone if I want some gardening success.

Go Green!

Earth Day is April 22!

www.globalgreen.org
www.climatecare.org
www.treehugger.com