Showing posts with label Water. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Water. Show all posts
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Thursday, June 16, 2016
The good, the bad, and the really radioactive
A self-sustaining neighborhood, taking care of its own power, food, and waste. Let's do this!
A sustainable cardboard house for the future.
Watching how climate change affects the world, one incident at a time.
A farmer's decades long love affair with soil.
80 percent of the ocean's plastic trash is from land-based sources.
Military veterans are urged not to tell the truth about their experiences to potential recruits.
How ISIS came to be.
Radiation in drinking water acceptable to the EPA.
The EPA proposed Protective Action Guides (PAGs) would allow the general population to drink water hundreds to thousands of times more radioactive than is now legal.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Tuesday Night News Dump
Warning signs of a mass shooting
Tom Tomorrow critiques 2015. Good guy with a gun or bad guy?
Robot water cleaner
Windy enough for ya?
Now we are back to self-induced abortions and desperate women. Guess the GOP wants back alley abortions and women bleeding to death all over again.
We're using up a non-renewable resource in ground water.
The oldest pants in the world.
Europe rejects GMO eco-farming.
Dealing with Isis means dealing with deep rooted causes.
Extinct squash plant's seeds grow again.
The California rich waste water because they can.
Tom Tomorrow critiques 2015. Good guy with a gun or bad guy?
Robot water cleaner
Windy enough for ya?
Now we are back to self-induced abortions and desperate women. Guess the GOP wants back alley abortions and women bleeding to death all over again.
We're using up a non-renewable resource in ground water.
The oldest pants in the world.
Europe rejects GMO eco-farming.
Dealing with Isis means dealing with deep rooted causes.
Extinct squash plant's seeds grow again.
The California rich waste water because they can.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Life goes on...
Undelivered letters shed light on 17th-century society: Thousands of pieces of correspondence, many still unopened, were stored away by Dutch postmaster and are now being examined by academics
Dispersants didn't disperse the BP oil spill in the Gulf. The chemicals just hid the mess from people and poisoned all the sea creatures.....
Global climate change is a hoax... or the hoax is a hoax.
What teachers do.
Edible water containers?
Richard Scarry's books for children are keeping up with the times!
Energy for free?! Oh the humanity!!... I mean, O the corporations!!
Dispersants didn't disperse the BP oil spill in the Gulf. The chemicals just hid the mess from people and poisoned all the sea creatures.....
Global climate change is a hoax... or the hoax is a hoax.
What teachers do.
Edible water containers?
Richard Scarry's books for children are keeping up with the times!
Energy for free?! Oh the humanity!!... I mean, O the corporations!!
Tuesday, July 07, 2015
Bangkok is one example to show what will happen with climate change
Bangkok is running out of water. Good explanation of the dangers we face with climate change:
Drought and flooding are two sides of the same climate change coin. As temperatures increase worldwide, water evaporates more quickly and dry spells become worse. At the same time, warm air can hold more water vapor, so rains can be heavier. In the past five years, Thailand has experienced its worst droughts and floods of the past few decades.
As if that weren’t enough, Bangkok, built on marshland and originally crisscrossed with canals — which are now mostly filled in — sinks nearly 4 inches each year, according to the Climate Institute. Coupled with rising sea levels, this means Bangkok could be underwater within 10 to 15 years, the group reported.
And cycles of intense drought and flooding can exacerbate that process. Just last week, Thai newspaper the Nation reported that roads are sinking and collapsing in the drought-stricken province just north of Bangkok.
While drinking water in the capital is running low, the whole country is facing damaging effects of drought. Thailand is the rice capital of the world, and the crop is expected to be low this year, after farmers have already been asked to delay their planting in central Thailand. The disruption could lead to protests and economic woes, farmers have said.
Thailand’s electricity system also depends on water supplies. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) issued a warning this week that the letting too much water out of dams would be problematic.
Sunday, June 07, 2015
Late Night Show
A new movie about women fighting for the right to vote... to educate those who don't know their history what it took for voting to be a right.
Weather whiplash... a great term to describe how our lives and our weather will be from now on out. And in the 80s in Alaska.
Sitting on manspreaders.
It's not the fat, it's the sugar.
It's not clean water, it's been fracked. And the lack of glaciers and snow pack has some people worried. Ya THINK?
Lobsters were once really really big. And probably still delicious....
Trans guy illustrates what male privilege is.
A school blackboard uncovered last written on in the year 1917.
A bible instead of a textbook inside of a science class?
The incompetence of Pluto's moons.
USA congressional districts
Global warming accelerating
Kitten discovers the pattern on the rug.
Weather whiplash... a great term to describe how our lives and our weather will be from now on out. And in the 80s in Alaska.
Sitting on manspreaders.
It's not the fat, it's the sugar.
It's not clean water, it's been fracked. And the lack of glaciers and snow pack has some people worried. Ya THINK?
Lobsters were once really really big. And probably still delicious....
Trans guy illustrates what male privilege is.
A school blackboard uncovered last written on in the year 1917.
A bible instead of a textbook inside of a science class?
The incompetence of Pluto's moons.
USA congressional districts
Global warming accelerating
Kitten discovers the pattern on the rug.
Tuesday, June 02, 2015
A little of this, a bit of that
Laser pointers and cat variations
Bed bugs and the psychological effects of coping with them. And ways to get rid of them.
Protecting our drinking water. Cleaning plastic from our oceans.
Monsanto working hard to discredit scientists.
Mark Ruffalo, a true hulk. Fear of powerful women.
Dutch sexuality education.
Interesting question and intriguing answers: What has the internet made obsolete?
The awfulness of the 2000 presidential election revisited.
How can you tell if rocks were tools in prehistoric times?
The dangers of coal to our climate. Ocean conservationist sounds a warning to Canada.
Eggs, chickens, and turkeys are going to become more expensive.
Wendell Potter explains the machinations of the health insurance companies.
Pesticides killing off the Monarch butterfly.
Ten poverty myths disproved.
New Bush, new lies about the Iraq War.
Bed bugs and the psychological effects of coping with them. And ways to get rid of them.
Protecting our drinking water. Cleaning plastic from our oceans.
Monsanto working hard to discredit scientists.
Mark Ruffalo, a true hulk. Fear of powerful women.
Dutch sexuality education.
Interesting question and intriguing answers: What has the internet made obsolete?
The awfulness of the 2000 presidential election revisited.
How can you tell if rocks were tools in prehistoric times?
The dangers of coal to our climate. Ocean conservationist sounds a warning to Canada.
Eggs, chickens, and turkeys are going to become more expensive.
Wendell Potter explains the machinations of the health insurance companies.
Pesticides killing off the Monarch butterfly.
Ten poverty myths disproved.
New Bush, new lies about the Iraq War.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Slow drip
Because it's Wednesday, have a laugh with this cute punkin discovering dandelions.
Saving California water and saving the Colorado River.
Saving California water and saving the Colorado River.
Wednesday, April 01, 2015
New mandatory water restrictions in place in California
To lower the state-wide usage of water by 25%.
(Update 4/3: more on California's drought. And the draining of our ancient and irreplaceable aquifers.)
It's about time. Because our state is beginning to look like this:
I wrote this post in 2008 but it still applies now:
Turn off your taps!
Finally! The California Gropenator has declared a drought. You know... not enough snow pack, no rain, no water:
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.)—Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a statewide drought after two years of below-average rainfall, low snowmelt runoff and a court-ordered restriction on water transfers.
Schwarzenegger warned that residents and water managers must immediately cut their water use or face the possibility of rationing next year if there is another dry winter.
"We must recognize the severity of the crisis that we face," the Republican governor said Wednesday at a news conference.
He signed an executive order directing the state's response to unusually dry conditions that are damaging crops, harming water quality and causing extreme fire danger across California. Many communities already require water conservation or rationing.
The statewide drought declaration is the first since 1991, when Gov. Pete Wilson acted in the fifth year of a drought that lasted into 1992.
[snip]
Snow measurements last month found that the Sierra held just 69 percent of an average winter. Runoff into California rivers was at 55 percent of a normal year. The state's major reservoirs are at 50 percent to 63 percent of their capacity at a time when they ideally would be full.
Conditions could be even worse next year if there is another dry winter, Water Resources Director Lester Snow said.
"We need at least above normal in terms of our snowpack, and then we're still going to be tight," Snow said. "The idea is to put programs in place now to soften the impact in 2008 and to prepare for a potential third year of drought in 2009."
California's population has mushroomed since the last drought, while the water supply has dwindled, he said.
An eight-year drought in the Southwest means California can't depend on Colorado River water to help supply Southern California. And a federal judge's order last year requires that more Northern California water be left in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to aid declining fish populations.
"We're suffering the perfect storm, if you will," said Timothy Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. "The purpose of the governor's declaration is to send a wake-up call."
California has never resorted to statewide rationing during droughts, Quinn said.
Worst-hit so far is the San Joaquin Valley, which could soon merit an emergency declaration because of crop damage, Snow said.
What people can do immediately:
# For indoor conservation High-Efficiency Toilets: EBMUD customers can receive rebates for purchasing qualifying WaterSmart High-Efficiency Toilets, which use less water and remove waste effectively. For toilets using 3.5 gallons per flush or more, devices such as displacement bags, toilet dams, or adjustable flappers save water and are a less expensive alternative to replacing your toilet.
# Shower head: Install a water-efficient shower head that uses no more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute. A standard shower head uses 5 to 10 gallons per minute.
# Energy Efficient Washing Machines: A high-efficiency machine uses 30 percent less water and 40 percent to 70 percent less energy. EBMUD customers can get rebates for purchasing and installing approved high-efficiency washing machines from a list of qualifying washers.
# Install Aerators: Low-flow aerators can limit flow rates of 2.2 gallons per minute for kitchen faucets and 1.5 gallons per minute for bathroom faucets. EBMUD provides its customers with free devices.
# Replace worn washers on faucets and look for hidden leaks. Check the reading on your water meter. Don't use any water for 30 minutes, then read the meter. If it shows water used, then you have a hidden leak that needs repair.
For outdoor conservation
# Water yards less frequently but more deeply. Watering to the root depth of your plants creates a healthier and more efficient garden. This means applying a half-inch of water to moisten the soil to a depth of 6 inches.
# Routinely check your irrigation system for leaks. Drip irrigation systems apply water more accurately and at a much lower rate than overhead spray. EBMUD offers rebates to customers who install drip irrigation systems.
# Adjust your irrigation controller according to the seasons. Add days to your watering schedule for the summer season and reduce the number of days as fall approaches.
Source: East Bay Municipal Utility District
Recalling the last time we went through a drought, I can add some simple suggestions:
# Don't automatically serve water at restaurants, make the customers ask for a glass.
# Turn off your faucet while you brush your teeth.
# Shorter showers or use the Navy Shower technique:
A navy shower (or "sea shower") is a method of showering that allows for significant conservation of water and energy. The steps in a basic navy shower are:
turn on the water
immediately wet the body
turn off the water
soap up and scrub
turn the water back on and rinse off the soap
The total time for the water being on is typically under two minutes.
[snip]
A ten-minute shower takes as much as 230 L (60 U.S. gallons) of water, while a navy shower usually takes as little as 11 L (3 U.S. gallons); one person can save 56,000 L (15,000 U.S. gallons) per year.[1]
# Do only full laundry loads, full dishwasher loads.
# Skip washing your car, and when you must, invest in a spray control for your hose or use buckets. Park your car on your lawn and use biodegradable soap.
# In more severe droughts, fine people for running water down gutters or late night extravagant watering. Let your lawn die. Better yet, pull up the grass and put in drought resistant plants. Start taking rinse water out to your garden. Make new housing complexes have some sort of gray water reuse system and restrict the building of pools.
This is the new reality, guys, not Bush's reality. We can do it, we just need to be wise. There's lots of ideas out there that will help us cut back our usage.
Because water wars are coming and we should be ready.
crossposted at American Street.
(Update 4/3: more on California's drought. And the draining of our ancient and irreplaceable aquifers.)
It's about time. Because our state is beginning to look like this:
I wrote this post in 2008 but it still applies now:
Turn off your taps!
Finally! The California Gropenator has declared a drought. You know... not enough snow pack, no rain, no water:
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.)—Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a statewide drought after two years of below-average rainfall, low snowmelt runoff and a court-ordered restriction on water transfers.
Schwarzenegger warned that residents and water managers must immediately cut their water use or face the possibility of rationing next year if there is another dry winter.
"We must recognize the severity of the crisis that we face," the Republican governor said Wednesday at a news conference.
He signed an executive order directing the state's response to unusually dry conditions that are damaging crops, harming water quality and causing extreme fire danger across California. Many communities already require water conservation or rationing.
The statewide drought declaration is the first since 1991, when Gov. Pete Wilson acted in the fifth year of a drought that lasted into 1992.
[snip]
Snow measurements last month found that the Sierra held just 69 percent of an average winter. Runoff into California rivers was at 55 percent of a normal year. The state's major reservoirs are at 50 percent to 63 percent of their capacity at a time when they ideally would be full.
Conditions could be even worse next year if there is another dry winter, Water Resources Director Lester Snow said.
"We need at least above normal in terms of our snowpack, and then we're still going to be tight," Snow said. "The idea is to put programs in place now to soften the impact in 2008 and to prepare for a potential third year of drought in 2009."
California's population has mushroomed since the last drought, while the water supply has dwindled, he said.
An eight-year drought in the Southwest means California can't depend on Colorado River water to help supply Southern California. And a federal judge's order last year requires that more Northern California water be left in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to aid declining fish populations.
"We're suffering the perfect storm, if you will," said Timothy Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. "The purpose of the governor's declaration is to send a wake-up call."
California has never resorted to statewide rationing during droughts, Quinn said.
Worst-hit so far is the San Joaquin Valley, which could soon merit an emergency declaration because of crop damage, Snow said.
What people can do immediately:
# For indoor conservation High-Efficiency Toilets: EBMUD customers can receive rebates for purchasing qualifying WaterSmart High-Efficiency Toilets, which use less water and remove waste effectively. For toilets using 3.5 gallons per flush or more, devices such as displacement bags, toilet dams, or adjustable flappers save water and are a less expensive alternative to replacing your toilet.
# Shower head: Install a water-efficient shower head that uses no more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute. A standard shower head uses 5 to 10 gallons per minute.
# Energy Efficient Washing Machines: A high-efficiency machine uses 30 percent less water and 40 percent to 70 percent less energy. EBMUD customers can get rebates for purchasing and installing approved high-efficiency washing machines from a list of qualifying washers.
# Install Aerators: Low-flow aerators can limit flow rates of 2.2 gallons per minute for kitchen faucets and 1.5 gallons per minute for bathroom faucets. EBMUD provides its customers with free devices.
# Replace worn washers on faucets and look for hidden leaks. Check the reading on your water meter. Don't use any water for 30 minutes, then read the meter. If it shows water used, then you have a hidden leak that needs repair.
For outdoor conservation
# Water yards less frequently but more deeply. Watering to the root depth of your plants creates a healthier and more efficient garden. This means applying a half-inch of water to moisten the soil to a depth of 6 inches.
# Routinely check your irrigation system for leaks. Drip irrigation systems apply water more accurately and at a much lower rate than overhead spray. EBMUD offers rebates to customers who install drip irrigation systems.
# Adjust your irrigation controller according to the seasons. Add days to your watering schedule for the summer season and reduce the number of days as fall approaches.
Source: East Bay Municipal Utility District
Recalling the last time we went through a drought, I can add some simple suggestions:
# Don't automatically serve water at restaurants, make the customers ask for a glass.
# Turn off your faucet while you brush your teeth.
# Shorter showers or use the Navy Shower technique:
A navy shower (or "sea shower") is a method of showering that allows for significant conservation of water and energy. The steps in a basic navy shower are:
The total time for the water being on is typically under two minutes.
[snip]
A ten-minute shower takes as much as 230 L (60 U.S. gallons) of water, while a navy shower usually takes as little as 11 L (3 U.S. gallons); one person can save 56,000 L (15,000 U.S. gallons) per year.[1]
# Do only full laundry loads, full dishwasher loads.
# Skip washing your car, and when you must, invest in a spray control for your hose or use buckets. Park your car on your lawn and use biodegradable soap.
# In more severe droughts, fine people for running water down gutters or late night extravagant watering. Let your lawn die. Better yet, pull up the grass and put in drought resistant plants. Start taking rinse water out to your garden. Make new housing complexes have some sort of gray water reuse system and restrict the building of pools.
This is the new reality, guys, not Bush's reality. We can do it, we just need to be wise. There's lots of ideas out there that will help us cut back our usage.
Because water wars are coming and we should be ready.
crossposted at American Street.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Mars and Ikea sitting in a tree
More proof that Mars had water... LOTS of water. OCEANS of water. And a lot of it was lost to space. Which is where our water is going if we keep on heating it.
We're going to check out Ceres and see if those lights were somebody's car....
The dumbest and the smartest presidents.
Medieval woman buried near where Richard III was found.
Stephen Hawkings upsets some Israelis by shunning science conference because of their treatment of Palestinian academics.
Booman on the Republicans cutting defense spending.
Plastics are harming us. And food additives are too.
Ikea furniture will soon be able to charge our phones.
Saturday, February 07, 2015
Writers, Trolls, Bedbugs and Reagan.
In response to the utterly awful obituary of Colleen McCullough, Alexandra Petri of the Washington Post tries her hand at some historical male figures.
Confronting an internet troll.
Dealing with bedbugs.
Is there Atrazine in your drinking water? Is there
The Supreme Court at stake.
Solar power our national roads!!
An adventure with Google's self-driving car.
Colorado: doing it right.
Reminding us what Reagan did.
Confronting an internet troll.
Dealing with bedbugs.
Is there Atrazine in your drinking water? Is there
The Supreme Court at stake.
Solar power our national roads!!
An adventure with Google's self-driving car.
Colorado: doing it right.
Reminding us what Reagan did.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Dry and getting drier...
And warm. I used the air conditioner in the car a few days ago because it was over 85 degrees F. The governor declared a drought emergency. (Although apparently the oil companies can still use tons of water to frack.) And it looks like we're settling in for the long term.
The Water Wars are here.
The Water Wars are here.
Sunday, January 05, 2014
Sunday flurries
Where we feel our emotions on our bodies.
They will keep your brain dead body alive even if you didn't want to be on life support just because you happen to be pregnant ... but will let you die because you aren't..
Why rejecting basic biology and logic is important to Republicans.
Reducing the thesis to one sentence.
Under-reported 2013 news.
Tumeric may be good for you. Really really good for you.
Robert Reich CRUSHES Paul Ryan’s Poverty Adviser for Stunning Ignorance on Inequality Issues
The year in archaeology.
This is hypnotically weird.
We waste a lot of water.
They will keep your brain dead body alive even if you didn't want to be on life support just because you happen to be pregnant ... but will let you die because you aren't..
Why rejecting basic biology and logic is important to Republicans.
Reducing the thesis to one sentence.
Under-reported 2013 news.
Tumeric may be good for you. Really really good for you.
Robert Reich CRUSHES Paul Ryan’s Poverty Adviser for Stunning Ignorance on Inequality Issues
The year in archaeology.
This is hypnotically weird.
We waste a lot of water.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Friday, November 30, 2012
Killing the world
With corn.
In growing it. Watering it from the ancient aquifer. Overplanting it. Making unnecessary ethanol with it. Poisoning people with high fructose corn syrup. Forcing grass eating cows to eat corn which does untold things to their physiology and to the meat we eat. Misusing the land. Creating the Gulf dead zone.
In growing it. Watering it from the ancient aquifer. Overplanting it. Making unnecessary ethanol with it. Poisoning people with high fructose corn syrup. Forcing grass eating cows to eat corn which does untold things to their physiology and to the meat we eat. Misusing the land. Creating the Gulf dead zone.
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
The French discovered how to do this
Wind turbine creates water from thin air
The company aims to start rolling out the giant products for sale later in 2012, initially focusing on remote communities in arid countries where water resources are scarce.
"This technology could enable rural areas to become self-sufficient in terms of water supply," says Thibault Janin, director of marketing at Eole Water.
"As the design and capabilities develop, the next step will be to create turbines that can provide water for small cities or areas with denser populations," he adds.
Eole Water is currently displaying a working prototype of the 24 meter tall WMS1000 in the desert near Abu Dhabi that has been able to produce 62 liters of water an hour, says Janin.We may owe the French a great deal for preventing world wide water wars in the future because of this....
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
I couldn't have said it better
Imagine a ship that is sinking and needs all the available power to run the pumps to drain out the rising waters. The first class passengers refuse to cooperate because they feel hot and want to use the air-conditioner and other electrical appliances. The second-class passengers spend all their time trying to be upgraded to first-class status. The boat sinks and the passengers all drown. That is where the present approach to climate change is leading.
From an article about the glacial recession in the Himalayas:
The debate about climate change is mostly conducted by people who live in cities, where everything is artificial. They don’t actually experience the changes that are taking place in the real world. The vast majority of Tibetans, Nepalese and Bhutanese who live on both sides of the Himalayas have never heard of global warming, as they have little or no access to the news media. Yet they all say that the ice is not forming as thickly as before on lakes and rivers, that winter temperatures are getting warmer and the spring blossoms are coming earlier. What they may not know is that these are symptoms of far greater dangers.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Science that leaves you aglow
MESSENGER delivers its first image from Mercury
Bug Highway:
And all things radioactive: Caesium fallout from Fukushima rivals Chernobyl.
Why are there so many different ways of measuring radiation?
Workers at Japan's quake-hit nuclear plant are trying to prevent radioactive water from seeping into the sea.
Tom Tomorrow helps explain it all.
The radioactive ocean that we've been using as a bomb site and dumping ground:
Bug Highway:
How much fresh water is left on earth?
Another video of the Japanese quake.And all things radioactive: Caesium fallout from Fukushima rivals Chernobyl.
Why are there so many different ways of measuring radiation?
Workers at Japan's quake-hit nuclear plant are trying to prevent radioactive water from seeping into the sea.
Tom Tomorrow helps explain it all.
The radioactive ocean that we've been using as a bomb site and dumping ground:
Radioactive pollution in the ocean is nothing new. We've been loosing the stuff offshore since 1944.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
I read the news today oh boy...
Daily Kos discusses the reason Citizens United included unions... so they could be attacked. (h/t to mahakal for the scary link.)
Koch brothers own America.
Glenn Greenwald on why the military and the media are attacking journalist Hastings for his reporting.
Think before you drink? Water?
The women of the legislature who are actually helping run the country.
How Gabrielle Giffords and husband Mark Kelly are doing.
David Corn exposes Fox News' Roger Ailes' lies: Roger Ailes' Sex-and-Lies Tale: There Is Something Different About Fox
Finally. Our national attention is caught by this fact: You Have More Money In Your Wallet Than Bank Of America Pays In Federal Taxes
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