From Beer to Water

Posted by GIL
Published on Sat, Nov 3 2012




An Anheuser Busch plant  in Cartersville, GA for one day cans drinking water to Super storm Sandy victims
http://www.11alive.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1943083486001

Fall Asleep to the Sound of Clean Water

Posted by ASHLEY
Published on Fri, Nov 2 2012




Can't go to bed? Then enjoy this hypnotic video of the waterfalls and streams of Yosemite National Park. Episode 18 of a 22 part video series that features Yosemite's astonishing natural elements and animals.



Besides beautiful imagery the park rangers express their mission to educate visitors about their role of preserving clean water. The water that flows out of the park goes on to irrigate the Central Valley of Southern California. Described as a "breadbasket of the world" this agricultural hotspot depends on the  park's water flow. From the video I pulled this cheesy, yet relevant quote about the individual responsibility for water security.

"No single raindrop thinks it's responsible for the flood."

Each of us will have to care about the state of our water. A single moment to consider and understand water scarcity might feel insignificant, but you need that strength in numbers to improve the health of our water. And seeing clean water flourish in a waterfall is awe-inspiring. 

Posted by ANGELA
Published on Thur, Nov 1 2012

Hey guys!

Hope everyone weathered the storm in a safe manner!

I was perusing the internet for articles detailing the aftermath of the hurricane, and came across a very interesting one on NASA's website. The article describes NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, or TRIMM satellite. The satellite was active during hurricane Sandy, taking measurements from outer space of the sheer amount of rain that deposited during the storm. 

The image below details the measurements through the path of the storm. The highest measurements of rainfall occurred over the Atlantic Ocean, not reaching land. Here in Baltimore we experienced roughly 120-130 mm of rainfall. This translates into about 4.75-5.15 inches of rain. 

NASA Adds Up Hurricane Sandy's Rainfall from Space

As we learned from our visits with Baltimore's own Waterkeeper, Tina Meyers of Blue Water Baltimore, such a rapid increase in rainfall can have devastating effects on the Chesapeake Bay, as well as the watershed's entirety. Storms often carry excessive amounts of rainfall that overwhelm the drainage systems in the city, often causing sewage to leak and pollute the environment. As well, the rapid water runoff carries bacteria and pollution into local waterways, which eventually lead to the bay.

There are several precautions that citizens can take prior to a large storm such as Sandy that will help to prevent this sort of occurrence. Tasks like collecting any visible litter from the ground in your neighborhood will keep this trash from being swept away, eventually residing in the bay. Clearing out storm drains clogged with trash helps as well, as this will prevent flooding, and the build up unsanitary water. For more information on what to do prior to a storm, you can visit Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper's Facebook page. ( Facebook - Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper ) They're very good at posting helpful reminders in a relevant time period.

Climate Change and the Water on our Planet

Posted by ASHLEY
Published on Mon, Oct 29 2012



In perusing the lastest news about Hurricane Sandy I've come across several articles that connect this "Frankenstorm" to climate change. In particular scientists predict that Atlantic storms will intensify due to warming oceans. It reminded of the swift melting of Himalyian ice because in 2007 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that at the current rate of climate change this body of ice will be gone by 2035. This overflow of water contributed to rising sea levels and salination of fresh ground in Bangladesh (Climate Refugees. Argos Collectif). It's amazing how this natural phenomenon alters the water on our planet.

For more on the link between climate change and Hurricane Sandy here's a curation of articles and videos:

• Slow-moving hurricanes such as Sandy on the rise - newscience.com
• Climate Change Feeds Hurricane Sandy - Science 20
• Bill McKibben on Hurricane Sandy and Climate Change: "If There Was Ever a Wake-up Call, This is It" - Democracy Now
• Hurricane Sandy: Climate Change Activists Offer Stark Reminder Before Storm Hits - Huffington Post

How a Hurricane can effect drinking water

With all this craziness going with Hurricane Sandy hitting the east coast, I was wondering is this a disaster our truck would handle. Every store I went this weekend was running out of bottled water. I thought why?

Article from WELOVEDC.com:

Sandy: Drinking Water

By Don, 1:40 pm October 28th, 2012

You can skimp on almost everything else (except a safe place to be) but you cannot manage without water. It’s also a huge boon to you in a lot of ways.

You need it to drink and you shouldn’t assume you’ll be able to drink what comes out of your tap. The safety of our municipal water supply depends on it maintaining positive pressure.  Meaning that your water company keeps sufficient power and resources to keep the system pressurized well enough that water seeps out of the system rather than in from surrounding ground… which may or may not be safe without boiling. Which, if you’re without power, you may not be able to do.

So fill some containers. You don’t need to brave the crazy grocery for bottled water. In some ways you don’t want to – fill some junky old containers, leaving some room for expansion, and put them in your freezer. They’ll help keep it cool for any period of time your power is out and you can drink it. You can survive without food for many days, but you need drinking water.

Out of room in the freezer? Put them in the fridge. Same principle. Your physicist buddies will tell you that it’s water’s high specific heat, allowing it to resist temperature changes, which helps you here. Once you cool it down it tends to stay at that temperature, keeping the things around it at a similar temperature.

Posted by Gil

Damaging, but Not Illegal Pollution in Perdue, Berlin Farm, and Waterkeeper Alliance Trial

This week testimonies wrapped up in the Waterkeeper Alliance Inc vs. Alan and Kristin Hudson Farm and Perdue Farms Inc trial. The case questions whether chickens or cows were the source of nutrient and bacteria pollution found in a ditch nearby the Hudson Farm in Berlin, Maryland. If the pollution came from the cows, then its not illegal because pasture runoff is not regulated. Yet if the chickens contributed, then the Hudsons and Perdue are in trouble.

Waterkeeper Alliance cites that the 80,000 chickens contributed to the pollution through fans used to vent the chicken houses. Thanks to a study which documented that 3 1/2 pounds of waste were blown from a flock of chickens much smaller than the Hudsons', they estimate that up to 10 pounds of dust streamed from the houses. This dust most likely contained nutrients and bacteria and those particles could have ended up in the ditch. In their defense the Hudsons and Perdue state that the Hudsons' 60 cows, which generate 3,000 pounds of manure a day, were the sole source of pollution. In Wheeler's report, they also argued that the grass between the chicken houses and the ditch would have absorbed most of the dust. A testimony from Virginia Tech microbiology professor Charles Hagedorn supported this claim and cited his own observations about the farm. But wherever Judge Nickerson decides the source of the pollution, this farm is still polluting the Chesapeake Bay. 

Map Credit: Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, INC

And as the Berlin Farm contributes to bacteria and nutrient pollution in the Lower Eastern Shore, the health of the Chesapeake Bay deteriorates. In particular, bacteria pollution hinders recreational usage of waterways because it can cause gastrointestinal problems and other health issues. The overabundance of nutrients sparks algae bloom and kills fish. So even if the judge rules that the cows were the sole source of pollution, it doesn't make the pollution less harmful. 

In their closing statement Waterkeeper Alliance stated they are confident about their case and cited that the Clean Water Act "empowers ordinary citizens to participate in the implementation and enforcement of the program, giving us all a chance for cleaner water". In their last comments, Alan Hudson and his wife are ready "to put this nightmare completely behind [them]".  A Perdue spokesperson said that the company hopes to be vindicated of any charges.

The post-trial statements are scheduled for November 14th and closing arguments for November 30th. Sometime afterwards Judge Nickerson will make his ruling.  

This post is the 3rd installment on the Waterkeeper Alliance, Perdue, and Hudson Farm trial. To read the other parts click the links below:

Part 1:  Perdue and Eastern Shore Chicken Farm Trial Begins 

Part 2: Farming, Pollution, and Animal Cruelty in Perdue, Hudson Farm, and Waterkeeper Alliance Case

Part 3: Damaging, but Not Illegal Pollution in Perdue, Berlin Farm, and Waterkeeper Alliance Trial 

-Ashley

An app for checking how clean the water is for swimming

Article from CNN shows the creation of a mobile app that uses GPS technology and information from the EPA to locate local waterways that are safe enough for swimming. Its seems cool but should include a way users can review waterways

Washington (CNN) -- Swimmers, if you want to know how filthy that lake or stream is before you jump in, there's now an app for that.

The Environmental Protection Agency launched its My Waterway app on Thursday, available through the agency's website.

By identifying the user's GPS location, the software allows swimmers and fishers to check the water quality in thousands of lakes, rivers and streams in the United States from their computer or smartphone.

A list of waterways within five miles of the user's search location is returned and includes details about the water condition. Users can also enter a physical address to get results.

CNN checked the app from its Washington offices near the U.S. Capitol. The My Waterway app identified 19 waterways within five miles of the nation's capital, all either listed as polluted or condition unknown.

One of those waterways near the capital, the Anacostia River, has long been plagued by pollution so bad the Natural Resources Defense Council deemed it a "poster child for America's tragically neglected, abused urban waterways."

The app's results showed the river had low oxygen, murky water, pesticides, toxic chemicals and trash, among other warnings about the river's condition.

The EPA's latest smart phone app was announced in conjunction with the agency's 40th anniversary commemoration of the Clean Water Act being enacted on October 18, 1972. The software is available through the EPA's website and not Apple's app store or Google Play.

Article posted by Gil