BOTTLED WATER – YOU WON’T BUY IT NOW!!!

 

The Story of Bottled Water, released on March 22, 2010 (World Water Day) employs the Story of Stuff style to tell the story of manufactured demand—how you get Americans to buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows from the tap.

Over five minutes, the film explores the bottled water industry’s attacks on tap water and its use of seductive, environmental-themed advertising to cover up the mountains of plastic waste it produces.

The film concludes with a call to take back the tap, not only by making a personal commitment to avoid bottled water, but by supporting investments in clean, available tap water for all.

The Story of Bottled Water production partners on the bottled water film include five leading sustainability groups: Corporate Accountability International, Environmental Working Group, Food & Water Watch, Pacific Institute, and Polaris Institute.

And, for all you fact checkers out there, http://storyofstuff.org/pdfs/StoryOfB…

http://www.queensu.ca/sustainability/initiatives/Water/bottledwaterfree/storyofbottledwater.pdf

http://storyofbottledwater.org

More than likely you find the taste of your municipal water or well water isn’t as good as it should be, and are concerned with your family’s health. Do yourself and your family a huge favour by adding our Rainsoft Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment System to ensure that all your water needs are met ~ refreshing pure tasting water for drinking or cooking, without the worry of unwanted chemicals and pharmaceuticals that are showing up in our municipal water systems.  This also eliminates the added cost and environmental impact of plastic bottled water use.
Here’s our informative video to help you with your choice:

Rainsoft Ottawa
Eternally Pure Water Systems, Inc.
5450 Canotek Rd., Unit 66-67
Ottawa, Ontario K1J 9G5
Tel – (613) 742-0058

CUT WATER BILLS BY $1OOO+ ~ INCREDIBLE INNOVATION!!!

The following excerpt is from CNN.com’s ‘Futuristic water-recycling shower cuts bills by over $1,000’, by Stefanie Blendis and Monique Rivalland. Youtube video, “Futuristic water recycling shower cuts bills by over $1,000”, published on Nov 12, 2013

In space, astronauts go for years without a fresh supply of water. Floating in a capsule in outer space they wash and drink from the same continuously recycled source. So why, asked Swedish industrial designer Mehrdad Mahdjoubi, do we not do the same on Earth?
This was the concept behind the OrbSys Shower – a high-tech purification system that recycles water while you wash. In the eyes of Mahdjoubi, we should start doing it now, before it becomes a necessity. 

So how does it work? Similar to space showers, it works on a “closed loop system:” hot water falls from the tap to the drain and is instantly purified to drinking water standard and then pumped back out of the shower head. As the process is quick, the water remains hot and only needs to be reheated very slightly.
As a result, it saves more than 90% in water usage and 80% in energy every time you shower, while also producing water that is cleaner than your average tap.
“With my shower, which is constantly recycling water, you’d only use about five liters of water for a 10 minute shower … In a regular shower you would use 150 liters of water – 30 times as much… According to research carried out by his company, Orbital Systems, these savings translate to at least €1000 ($1351) off your energy bills each year.
Mahdjoubi proposed the OrbSys shower while studying Industrial Design at the University of Lund in Sweden. His concept formed part of a collaborative project with NASA’s Johnson Space Center, which looks to drive design concepts that could potentially assist space expeditions…
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 1.2 trillion gallons of water are used every year for showering in the United States alone. And yet, rather disturbingly, across the world more than three times the population of the States lacks access to any clean water at all.
The concept of a water-saving shower is by no means a new one, but when CNN’s Blueprint team caught up with Mahdjoubi at his offices in Malmo, southern Sweden, he explained that because it doesn’t compromise on comfort, it’s different to the rest. It has a higher than average water pressure and a very stable flow because, unlike conventional showers, it works independently from other appliances …
At the bathing house, CNN introduced Mahdjoubi to Danish industrial designer Nille Juul- Sørensen, who recently designed Malmo’s Triangeln train station. Juul- Sørensen was keen to talk about the wider potential of Mahdjoubi’s design: “My interest is not in the objects but in the system. There will be so many applications for this.”
If deployed on a bigger scale, the purification technology developed for OrbSys could be used in taps and drinking fountains in the world’s developing countries, where water-related illness is rife. “Everybody should save as many resources as possible,” says Mahdjoubi, “but obviously these showers would be even more beneficial for people living in areas with water shortages.
“I want to get it to as many people as possible. That’s the next step. It’s not just about saving water. The motivation is to be smart about how we use our planet’s resources.”
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/11/tech/innovation/futuristic-water-recycling-shower-orbsys/index.html

CHLORINATED WATER ~ PESTICIDES ~ FOOD ALLERGIES ~ LINKED

Excerpts from, “Chlorinated water, pesticides linked to food allergies”, Friday, April 19, 2013 by David Gutierrez:

A chemical used in pesticides, antibacterial soap and water chlorination increases people’s risk of developing food allergies, according to a study conducted by researchers from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) and published in the college’s journal, Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

“Our research shows that high levels of dichlorophenol-containing pesticides can possibly weaken food tolerance in some people, causing food allergy,” lead researcher Elina Jerschow said. “This chemical is commonly found in pesticides used by farmers and consumer insect and weed control products, as well as tap water.”

Approximately 15 million people suffer from food allergies in the United States alone. The number increased 18 percent between 1997 and 2007.  “Previous studies have shown that both food allergies and environmental pollution are increasing in the United States,” Jerschow said. “The results of our study suggest these two trends might be linked, and that increased use of pesticides and other chemicals is associated with a higher prevalence of food allergies.”
The most common food allergies are to eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat. Reactions can range between mild (such as rashes or tingling in the mouth), moderate (such as hives, asthma or gastrointestinal problems) or extreme (such as anaphylaxis, which affects the whole body and includes a potentially life-threatening swelling of the throat and tongue). For that reason, ACAAI advises people who suffer from food allergies to carry two doses of prescription epinephrine with them at all times.

80 percent increased risk

The researchers examined data on 10,348 people who had participated in a U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Of 2,211 people who had detectable urine levels of the chemicals known as dichlorophenols, 411 suffered from at least one food allergy and 1,016 from at least one environmental allergy. The rate of food allergies among participants with high urine levels of dichlorophenols was 80 percent higher than in the general population.

The findings point to the need for more research into the health and environmental effects of pesticides, said Kenneth Spaeth of North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y., who was not involved in the study.

“The immune system begins developing in fetuses and continues its development through childhood,” he said. “Therefore, it is plausible that exposure to these pesticides during this development could alter the immune system in ways that could increase the risk of allergies.”

Avoiding chlorinated water could help reduce dichlorophenol exposure, but Jerschow warns that pesticides are probably a much more significant source. Therefore, he recommends eating fruits and vegetables that have been exposed to fewer chemicals.

Antibacterial products (such as soaps, toothpastes and cosmetics) containing the chemical triclosan are another significant source of dichlorophenol exposure for many people. Triclosan often breaks down into dichlorophenol.

The study is not the first to link chlorine chemicals to allergies. A 2010 study in the European Respiratory Journal found that exposure to chlorinated pools significantly increased children’s risk of respiratory allergies.

If you have concerns about your family’s exposure to chlorine,  other harmful chemicals, parmaceuticals, pesticides and herbicides that are present in your water, you would be wise to consider installing a Rainsoft Reverse Osmosis system. Not only will you enjoy the benefit of pure natural tasting water, but you will stop worrying about your family’s health.

Eternally Pure Water Systems Inc.
5450 Canotek Road, Unit 67
Ottawa, ON K1J 9G5
Phone: (613) 742-0058
Mon. – Fri. 9:00 – 5:00
http://www.naturalnews.com/039986_chlorine_food_allergies_pesticides.html

Sources:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121203081621.htm
http://www.cbsnews.com
http://www.dailymail.co.uk
http://www.naturalnews.com/028928_swimming_pools_chlorine.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/039986_chlorine_food_allergies_pesticides.html#ixzz2RDeqonbX

HAPPY TURKEY DAY 2013! ~ HA! HA!

We would like to share some Thanksgiving Turkey humour with you.

This Thanksgiving turkey has another idea about the dinner table. ~ Uploaded by Colt28683 on Nov 24, 2010

Gloria Gobbler is back and supremely funny! ~ Uploaded by killrace on Oct 13, 2008

HAPPY TURKEY DAY, EVERYONE!

GOBBLE, GOBBLE!

Please return for our next blog where we will share a special message with you and wish you a
‘Happy Thanksgiving Day’

WALK ON WATER ~ CAPTIVATING!!! ~ COMPELLING!!!

 

When a life-altering skiing accident left Greg Mallory’s legs paralyzed, he turned to kayaking to help him escape his wheelchair. Andy Maser and NRS Films presents this wonderful film ‘Walk on Water’ about this man now Class V whitewater paddler. A creation to discover in the article in video.

YouTube video, published on Feb 17, 2013 ~ ” Walk on Water: A Kayaking Film”

Some great insight into this memorable and inspiring man from a Q &A session of National Geographic article – “A skiing accident left Greg Mallory paralyzed. And though he lost the use of his legs, he did not lose his sense of adventure. Greg found new life on the river in kayaking—and the loyal friends who help him do it. He also returned to skiing and has competed in the Paraolympics twice.  Right now Greg is on a two-year road trip from Oregon to Patagonia with a bunch of friends. Their caravan consists of four luxe Sprinter vans with kitchens, queen-size beds, solar powers, outdoor showers, and, of course, kayaks.”

I urge you to read Greg Mallory‘s comments in an interview with Ralph Raymond of rollingpix.blogspot.com ~ enlightening!

Interview with Paralympian and adventurer Greg Mallory

http://rollingpix.

UPDATE TO THE U.S.A’S NORDIC SKI CAPTAIN’S GREG MALLORY INTERVIEW

http://rollingpix.blogspot.ca/2007/11/update-to-usas-nordic-ski-captains-greg.html

More Q&A links ~

http://www.fubiz.net/2013/06/03/walk-on-water/

http://adventureblog.nationalgeographic.com/2013/03/14/walk-on-water-film-greg-mallory-finds-kayaking-after-a-life-altering-accident/

OKANAGAN BASIN – GAME ABOUT DROUGHT

This article, The Name of the Game is Drought, appeared in the July/Aug. issue of WaterCanada.
The Okanagan Basin Water Board engages regional stakeholders in a tournament of thirst, by Kerry Freek

FACING DROUGHT IS A GROWING NECESSITY

In the United States, drought ranks second or third of natural disasters, depending on the year, in terms of economic impact. In Canada, dry periods—especially in the western provinces—are becoming more frequent and prolonged. It’s not news that severe water scarcity can devastate unprepared communities. But when people, nature, and economic activities share a watershed’s resources, how should local governments determine a pecking order in the event of an emergency? More importantly, how do they begin the tough process of creating emergency plans in advance?
The answer, some might say, is to make it fun, but keep it meaningful.

This past fall, the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) kick-started the drought conversation in its region. In partnership with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the B.C. Ministry of Environment, the organization brought together key players in government, as well as regional water suppliers, and reps from the agriculture, fisheries, and ranching communities to participate in a game about municipal thirst.
As part of the exercise, participants were divided into teams, given a drought scenario, and asked to identify and work through some of the issues anticipated with a drought, such as water reservoir management, the need for water for food production, and water for fish. The teams were given options for managing their water supply, and referees and other teams scored their decisions. Finally, the decisions were entered into a sophisticated computer program, known as the water evaluation and planning tool. With output from this tool, participants could understand and assess how their decisions would play out in a multi-year drought.
Teams quickly learned that any choice would impact water supply land, depending on how the scenarios were managed, they could increase or reduce conflict within the community. They also learned success comes down to collaboration, says Nelson Jatel of OBWB. “In these situations, it’s critical to communicate clearly and work together. The game allowed us to think through some of the complex partnerships that are key to surviving a drought.”
Gaming is gaining in popularity, and is beginning to be seen as a way to work through potential conflicts in the real world. “When we play a game, we tackle tough challenges with more creativity, more determination, more optimism, and we’re more likely to reach out to others for help,” says game designer Jane McGonigal in her June 2012 TED talk video – 

Osooyoos Mayor Stu Wells, who participated in the Okanagan game, believes drought in the region is a matter of when, not if. “To ensure the most positive outcomes, we need to know where the need for water is going to be, and what the consequences and trade offs of our decisions will be. “Our town has a drought management plan, but after this tournament, we need to review it and look at providing more incentives for water conservation. We want to prepare to be as resilient as possible.” The game has continued to improve. AAFC says it is working on a tool kit so people in other Canadian regions—and beyond—can run their own versions and have a bit of fun in the process.

HALT THE TOILET TOLL↓$$$↓

The following article, ‘The Toilet Toll’ is taken from the July/August issue of WaterCanada.  Sewer systems—and taxpayers—are paying the price for what confused consumers deem “flushable.”

If you work in a wastewater treatment facility, you know better than to flush a toilet containing anything that isn’t water, human waste, or toilet paper. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for the general public. Every day, material such as baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, condoms, dental floss, cotton swabs, diapers, hair, bandages, candy wrappers, kitty litter, syringes, rubber and plastic gloves, cleaning wipes, pantyhose, and even toothbrushes are ending up in the sewer system.

This garbage leads to blocked private drain connections, clogged sewer mains, and damage to wastewater treatment facility equipment. Those blocked sewers can also lead to basement flooding and raw sewage discharges into our streams, creeks, and rivers.

Why are toilets being treated like trash cans? There are a couple of key reasons.

Confusing terminology. Over the past 30 years, the demand for and development of personal hygiene products has increased substantially. According to the Freedonia Group, for example, demand for disposable wipes in the United States is forecast to rise 5.1 per cent per year to $2.5 billion in 2016. Wipes for personal care, household cleaning, and industry cleaning can be made from paper, tissue, or non-woven material. Manufacturers classify some products as “flushable” without a clear definition. There are also “biodegradable,” “eco-friendly,” and “natural” wipes. No wonder people are confused.

Garbage collection limitations. Until recent years, household garbage collection did not have limitations or bag limits for collection. Changes to solid waste collection, however, have resulted in user-pay bag fees and more recycling and composting education. But the education has stopped at the curb. Paying for bag fees has encouraged some people to turn to their toilets as disposal units.

The costs of toilets as trash cans:  The costs of clogging are enough to warrant the attention of every municipality across the nation. Clearing clogs could include flushing operations at the sewer main, emergency main blockage removal, damage to flooded residences and businesses, or raw sewage overflowing into creeks and rivers. At wastewater treatment facilities, workers may have to unplug equipment and remove unwanted, non-flushable material.

Turning these activities into duties can include preparing work orders, isolating equipment, cleaning equipment, and having maintenance personnel repair equipment, replace parts, and return the equipment to service—all of which take considerable time and resources.

According to the Canadian Gazette Part 2 Volume 146 Number 15, there are 3,700 wastewater treatment systems in Canada. A recent survey of some municipalities from across Ontario estimated that $80,000 is budgeted yearly for this type of operations and maintenance. Some municipalities have reported spending up to $5,000 per incident. That means, across the country, hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent fixing problems that, with a little education, could be avoided.

There are capital costs, too. Upgrading equipment like coarse screens comes at a much larger expense—usually hundreds of thousands of dollars. If municipalities think grinders are the solution, they should think again. A grinder is expensive to install and does not remove the garbage material. Instead, it creates smaller pieces of garbage that seem to collect in the most inconceivable locations. The result is unwanted surprises and removal challenges when the masses break free or grow.

Moving forward?  At a recent Municipal Enforcement Sewer Use Group (MESUG) meeting, members agreed to send letters to federal, provincial, and municipal officials identifying their issues and asking for assistance with the spiralling costs. Letters also went to major manufactures that label some of their products “flushable.”

The Canadian Standards Association hosted a meeting in February 2013 with major manufacturer members of the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), officials from MESUG, and the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association. This meeting identified issues that misleading labels are causing for wastewater systems, and MESUG argued a third-party, regulated standard should be created for Canada. Though many Canadian municipalities have spent time, money, and resources developing and delivering educational programs detailing what is and what is not flushable, INDA suggested the problem is related to a lack of public education and awareness.

It’s clear there is an enormous cost to using a toilet as a garbage can, but it’s even more evident that municipalities need to work together to serve the public and protect the environment. Manufacturers also need to provide the public with products that are safe for personal use and marked with proper disposal instructions.

Posted on July 15, 2013, written by Barry Orr.  Barry is the sewer compliance officer for the City of London, Ontario.

For comments see:
http://watercanada.net/2013/the-toilet-toll/

DREAMS ARE WHISPERS FROM THE SOUL ~ INSPIRATIONAL!

“Dreams Are Whispers From The Soul” video was uploaded by simpletruthstv on May 26, 2009.

Two of my favorite quotes from this lovely video are ~

“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations.  I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them and follow where they lead.” – Louisa May Alcott

 

“The future belongs to those who believe in their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

 

 

 

 

 

We have a dream inside ourselves,
A gift to us at birth,
To guide us and protect us,
On our journey on this earth. 

We all have something special,
Each one of us unique,
You have to find the courage,
To find the peace you seek.So dream your dream and live your dream,
Don’t be afraid to try,
Just take your soul by the hand,
And let your spirit fly. – Maureen Weiner, Australian poet

 

I hope that the video has inspired you and will lift your spirits and warm your heart.

WATER CRISIS ~ TO FLUSH OR NOT TO FLUSH?

    

The following excerpt is from a livingliberally.org blog, submitted by KAT on Mon,10/22/2007 http://livingliberally.org/eating/story__not_so_flush_oct_22_2007_id721

More and more of my friends are flushing their toilets less and less. In fact, some of us are even flushing each other’s toilets less and less. That may sound like a ghastly breach of etiquette to the vast majority of Americans, but when you’re as immersed in water issues as some of my friends are, you start to feel foolish about flushing away gallons of water just to disperse, say, a pint of pee.

Most of us have barely begun to size up our carbon footprint, and the concept of “peak oil” is just starting to seep into the MSM. But Jon Gertner’s chilling story on the cover of Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, The Perfect Drought, adds two new phrases to the lexicon of looming limitations: “peak water,” (critical water shortages in the future, or peak water), and “water footprint.”

This YouTube video is not part of the article, but I’ve included it to add impact to the severity of the drought situation –  “Desert Overtaking Inner Mongolia“, uploaded on Sep 23, 2011, by circleofblue ~
         

The West is dry as a bone, as Malibu’s transformation from hot spot to inferno so vividly illustrates, and the fires are spreading from San Diego to Santa Barbara. The drought is so severe in North Georgia that Governor Sonny Perdue has called on President Bush to declare 85 counties federal disaster areas.

All of which lends credence to Gertner’s claim that a severe water crisis is already in the pipeline. An extended drought compounded by climate change has left reservoirs at an all-time low just when more and more people are relocating to the increasingly arid West. There’s not enough water to meet the growing demands of agriculture and development, and the situation is only going to get worse—much, much worse, according to the experts Gertner interviewed.

Pat Mulroy, head of Southern Nevada’s Water Authority, told Gertner: “We have an exploding human population, and we have a shrinking clean water supply. Those are on colliding paths…the people who move to the West today need to realize they’re moving into a desert…if they want to live in a desert, they have to adapt to a desert lifestyle.”

Those of us who hail from the irrigated deserts of California are familiar with the water-wise mantra “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down,” or what Treehugger has dubbed “the selective flush.” But, as Treehugger noted, the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, caused a furor when he suggested that Londoners might want to think twice before flushing.

On this side of the Atlantic, the squandering of water is not only accepted, but expected. Ann Coulter decries the low-flush toilet as the epitome of liberal lunacy. Coulter once told Slate: … everything that is unpleasant in life has been brought to us by liberals. One of them is the fact that we can only have two tablespoons of water in our toilet bowls because of some idiotic conservation of water… You throw half a tissue in the toilet and you have to flush it 16 times… 

And then there’s the ubiquitous American lawn, utterly unsuited to much of the country’s climate, yet mandated by local ordinances… I was delighted by a Daily Kos diary the other day devoted to a Boulder, Colorado CSA (community supported agriculture) run by a farmer, Kipp Nash, who works with suburban homeowners to convert useless lawns into productive vegetable patches.

Lettuce in lieu of lawns? If our nation’s salad bowl turns into a dust bowl, we’re going to need a nation of Kipp Nashes to keep us in greens. The impending water crisis threatens the very foundation of our current agricultural system, which not only sucks up a huge percentage of the West’s water, but also spews copious amounts of chemicals back into our water supply, as Elizabeth Royte documents in her thorough–and thoroughly distressing–recent Grist feature, From Bad to Thirst.

Water’s been on the verge of becoming the new oil for awhile, now, but with the evidence mounting fast that we’re on the verge of being tapped out, maybe the need to conserve will finally sink in. Or, we could just keep flushing away. I’m sure Ann Coulter will.

MOTHERS DAY ~ A TRIBUTE TO MOTHERS EVERYWHERE

I thought it would be interesting to check into the history of Mothers Day and also thought it would be nice to create a YouTube video with inspirational quotes on motherhood. I’d appreciate you watching it on YouTube and ‘liking it’. I dedicated my Mothers Day tribute to my amazing daughter who is the fabulous Mom of my 5 year old grandson and is my inspiration, “my hero” and “the wind beneath my wings” ~ I hope you enjoy it and you are welcome to share with all the Moms near (or far) and dear to you.

EARLIEST HISTORY OF MOTHERS DAY:
The earliest history of Mothers Day dates back to the ancient annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to maternal goddesses. The Greeks used the occasion to honor Rhea, wife of Cronus and the mother of many deities of Greek mythology. Ancient Romans, too, celebrated a spring festival, called Hilaria dedicated to Cybele, a mother goddess. It may be noted that ceremonies in honour of Cybele began some 250 years before Christ was born. The celebration made on the Ides of March by making offerings in the temple of Cybele lasted for three days and included parades, games and masquerades. The celebrations were notorious enough that followers of Cybele were banished from Rome.

History of Mother’s Day in England:
The more recent history of Mothers Day dates back to 1600s in England. Here a Mothering Sunday was celebrated annually on the fourth Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter) to honor mothers… Custom of celebrating Mothering Sunday died out almost completely by the 19th century. However, the day came to be celebrated again after World War II, when American servicemen brought the custom and commercial enterprises used it as an occasion for sales.

Mother’s Day in the United States:
The idea of official celebration of Mothers day in US was first suggested by Julia Ward Howe in 1872. An activist, writer and poet Julia shot to fame with her famous Civil War song, “Battle Hymn of the Republic“. Julia Ward Howe suggested that June 2 be annually celebrated as Mothers Day and should be dedicated to peace.
Anna Jarvis is recognised as the Founder of Mothers Day in US. Though Anna Jarvis never married and never had kids, she is also known as the Mother of Mothers Day, an apt title for the lady who worked hard to bestow honor on all mothers… The hard work paid off. By 1911, Mother’s Day was celebrated in almost every state in the Union and on May 8, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day in Canada:
In North American country of Canada, Mothers Day is the most popular festival after Christmas and Valentines Day. Just as in USA, Mothers Day in Canada is celebrated in the second Sunday in the month of May. People pay tribute to their mothers on the day and thank them for their constant support and love.  Here in Ottawa we have the Tulip Festival which coincides with Mother’s Day.

http://www.conservapedia.com/Mother’s_Day