Recently in Information Resources Category

Humans pee! Yep, and a lot.

And wastewater treatment has become BIG systems. But the story isn't a simple one. Sewer treatment is necessary because our urine collects all the waste chemicals from our medications and foods and drinks...and it goes back into our water system. Those New Yorkers are innovative! They are developing an open source innovation project that is crowd sourced to develop ideas on how to turn pee into hydroponic farming fertilizer.

To learn more about urban agriculture ... which doesn't require pee, here's an introduction to Window Farms and urban agriculture for food production.

Fixing Leaks Can Be Elementary, My Dear Watson

Learning about water efficiency can be as easy as 1-2-3 with WaterSense's recently released Fix a Leak Week curriculum by EPA's WaterSense water conservation program. WaterSense has developed lessons for grades 3 through 5 that focus on saving water through finding leaks. Nationwide more than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year. In fact, the average home can waste 11,000 gallons of water per year, enough to fill a backyard swimming pool. But students can learn about saving water and conduct fun science experiments by sleuthing out leaks where they live and helping parents find ways to fix them. The free resources offer step-by-step instructions for teachers and include ready-made worksheets for students. Parents and water conservation outreach coordinators may also find these materials and a corresponding family pledge to save water useful. While the curriculum is designed to be taught during Fix a Leak Week (March 15-21, 2010), the concepts are timeless and worthy of teaching any time of the year. Learn more about Fix a Leak Week 2010 and the teacher's curriculum.

SPLASH!: A Celebration of Water Conservation and Craft Brewing at Discovery World Museum,
Milwaukee,
October 26, 2009

Local "craft" businesses such as breweries and specialty cheese making and local restaurants can collaborate on local celebrations of "local business".  When combined around a water conservation theme, or an energy conservation theme...you can educate while providing valuable marketing opportunities for local businesses.

One such celebration is being developed in Milwaukee:

SPLASH!, a celebration of conservation and craft brewing, presents craft beer and cheese tastings and dinner catered by Bartolotta's at the Discovery World Museum, Pier Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, on Monday, October 26, 5-8 PM.

The event features representatives from leading conservation groups, artisan cheesemakers with sustainable operations, and craft brewers.

The special guest speaker is Jake Leinenkugel, president of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, WI, the Platinum sponsor of the Great Lakes Craft Brewers & Water Conservation Conference, with in-kind support from Beer Capitol Distributing, Inc.

SPLASH! is the public portion of the Great Lakes Craft Brewers & Water Conservation Conference, which brings together water policymakers in the Great Lakes and experts in water-saving systems from Bridgeport Brewing Co. (Jeff Edgerton), New Glarus Brewing Co. (Dan Carey), Odell Brewing Co. (Doug Odell) and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Fred Strachan). Guests at SPLASH! will be able to meet and mingle with the craft brewers attending the conference.

Artisan cheesemakers that will be present at the event include Crave Bros. Cheese Company of Waterloo, WI; Saxon Farmstead Creamery of Cleveland, WI; and the Cedar Grove Cheese Company, with a display about the biodynamic "Living Machine" wastewater treatment developed by cheesemaker Bob Wills.

Several conservation groups, such as Clean Wisconsin, Gathering Waters Conservancy, Milwaukee Riverkeepers, Shedd Aquarium's Great Lakes Conservation program Listen to Your Lakes, and the National Wildlife Federation, will showcase conservation tips and tools. The Shedd Aquarium will give away free shower timers made of 100% recycled plastic. This tool helps you shorten your morning ablutions to five minutes or fewer, to save water at home.

The event includes a buffet dinner catered by Bartolotta's Catering, with recipes from "The Best of American Beer & Food" cookbook (Brewers Association, 2007). Tickets for the event are $45 each; purchase with PayPal online, at http://www.conserve-greatlakes.com, or prepaid by check made payable to: F&B Communications LLC, and mailed to Lucy Saunders, F&B Communications LLC, 4230 N. Oakland Ave. #178, Shorewood, WI 53211.

Online registration and more conference details are available at http://www.conserve-greatlakes.com. For more information, contact lucysaunders@mac.com, or call 800-760-5998.

From Dust Bowl to Mud Bowl: Sedimentation, Conservation and the Future of Reservoirs
 Westin Crown Center
Kansas City, Mo
September 14-16, 2009. 

The Soil and Water Conservation Society and Kansas State University are organizing the conference.  An objective of the conference is to develop an agenda for research, education and policy actions on reservoir sedimentation.  Those attending the conference will participate in a facilitated work session to summarize expert opinion on the future or reservoirs and the likely impacts of climate change on sedimentation.  The anticipated product of the work session will provide a summary of issus, problems, and solutions; priorities for research, education and policies; and recommended actions.

               Even if you are unable to attend the conference, you can contribute your thoughts via a survey administered by the Office of Educational Innovation and Evaluation at Kansas State University.  The link for the survey is  https://surveys.ksu.edu/TS?offeringId=140046   The survey will close September 4, 2009.  Feel free to distribute the open link to others you believe would be interested in this topic.  If you receive more than one request to participate, please participate only once.

               If you are interested in attending the conference, you may register here.

Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment
785-532-7105
http://www.kcare.ksu.edu/  
K-State Research & Extension
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS

The American Society of Civil Engineers has given both systems a D- grade. 

In order to protect our essential water resources, create tens of thousands of green jobs, and safeguard public health, join us in urging Congress to create a permanent and dedicated federal funding source!  

On July 15, 2009, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3) introduced H.R.3202, which would create such a trust fund. While the bill is excellent in many respects, it should be strengthened to ensure public dollars go to public water systems, not to subsidize corporate profits of private water companies. You can show your support for a Water Protection and Reinvestment Trust Fund that protects and strengthens our publicly owned water and wastewater systems.
 
Urge Your Congressperson to Support The Water Protection and Reinvestment Trust Fund .

For more information on the water trust fund and how it will be paid for, see Rep. Blumenauer's Water Resources Protection Act Fact Sheet and Summary.

Sincerely,
Wenonah Hauter
Executive Director
Food & Water Watch
For more information, visit www.foodandwaterwatch.org.

Drought is a devastating natural hazard, affecting more people than any other natural hazard and costing the United States an average of $6 to 8 billion annually.

By being able to monitor droughts, society and its decision makers can take action early to mitigate the detrimental affects and thereby minimize costs.

VegDRI

The Vegetation Drought Response Index, also known as VegDRI, is a valuable addition to the field of drought monitoring.

VegDRI combines information to show drought's effect on vegetation.  Information is gathered from:

• historical and current satellite observations,
• climate indicators,
• ecological settings, and
• soil characteristics 

Agricultural Applications

This system is particularly important to the agricultural community and can provide detailed information over broad regions of land as it reassesses the entire conterminous 48 states every other week. Ultimately, VegDRI promises to make drought response and mitigation more effective. For more information, visit the Vegetation Drought Response Index Web site.
 

An estimated 20% of the world's coral reefs are damaged, perhaps irreparably.

They could be progressively lost over the coming decades as they continue to face harmful fishing practices, disease, coastal developments, pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, which lead to increased sea level, ocean acidification, and water temperatures.

Coral ecosystems are worth hundreds of billions of dollars to the global economy, and millions of people rely on healthy coral ecosystems for food, recreation, storm protection and more.


Additional research is needed to more accurately explain natural processes and forecast human-induced change. The USGS provides decision makers with assessments of coral ecosystem history, ecology, vulnerability and resiliency to help them develop mitigation and adaptation strategies.

As Coral Reef Awareness Week (July 20-24) approaches, it's the perfect time to learn more by viewing the USGS Coral Science Plan (PDF) or listening to a podcast interview on coral reefs.

Paddling for a Purpose: Tribal Journey in the Salish Sea

The Coast Salish Nation and the USGS will embark on their second Tribal Journey together from July 21-August 3 to study and improve water resources in the Salish Sea. The media are invited to attend a celebration of blending traditional knowledge with USGS science as canoes land on Lummi Shores, WA on July 26. Water quality has deteriorated significantly across the Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia in recent decades.

Last year, water quality probes towed behind canoes identified areas with unexpected water quality patterns, which may threaten many habitats and ecosystem functions.

This year, the project will study even more features and will collect information critical for identifying causes of water quality impacts and detecting trends during changes in land use and climate. Check out last year's maps, videos and photos by visiting the 2008 Coast Salish Water Quality Project Web site. 

Fresh water is essential for life and the world is running out of this precious resource at the same time we are increasing the population. A crisis is looming that could be averted...with your action and mine. Here are the succinct facts.

Plants in our cities are as environmentally important as those in our wild areas. They provide oxygen, homes to wildlife, and cooling without burning fossil fuels. Plants clean our air and water, prevent erosion, and reduce glare and noise pollution. On the most basic level our landscapes are a green urban ecosystem mitigating the effects of intensive urban and suburban living. As California grows, the environmental challenges will increase. Plants are our most important assets for protecting and enhancing our environment.

Urban plants provide many benefits such as:

Clean Air

Natural Cooling

Clean Water

Wildlife in our Communities

Quieting the City

Healing

The California Green Industry Council (CGIC) is a multi-billion dollar industry that not only provides a large percentage of jobs in California and contributes to the state's GNP but provides a more beautiful and healthy environment for California. The California Green Industry Council's member organizations all contribute to make California the beautiful and thriving state that it is today.

California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA)

California Assn. of Nurseries & Garden Centers (CANGC)

California Golf Course Superintendants Assn. (CGCSA)

California Landscape Contractors Assn. (CLCA)

California Landscape & Irrigation Council (CLIC)

Western Plant Health Association (WPHA)

California Sod Producers Association (CSPA)

Irrigation Association (IA)

Pesticide Applicators Professional Assn. (PAPA)

The professionals in the 'Green Industry' include sod producers, nurserymen, pest control advisers, pesticide applicators, landscape contractors, irrigation specialists, landscape architects, golf course superintendents, fertilizer and compost manufacturers and many others. Many of the professionals in the 'green industry' are required to have state licensing and certification and/or have professionally managed certification programs.

By working together in trade associations and councils of diverse trade associations, information about standards, issues of mutual interest or that cross multiple professions and multi-disciplinary working teams can be created.  And the more diverse the communications, the more likely our natural resources such as fresh water, native habitat, wildlife, and human communities can be understood and managed for sustainability.

California Green Industry Council

The environmental, economic and societal benefits of plants in our communities are profound. We need them to make it possible to live together in dense urban and suburban communities. As California's population continues to grow, we must increase the amount of plants making our human habitat habitable.