agriculture

December 9, 2016

A Touch of Aluminum Sulphate, A Hint of Benzene: Tap Water C.O.D.B.

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The nose knows. Every time you sip a glass of tap, unfiltered, the smell (and taste) of chlorine might wrinkle your nostrils, or outright denude your hydration pleasure. It’s all good, though, or at least a snide better than a whiff of what the chlorine kills.

Yeah, if America knew as much about the contents of its municipal water supply as it does the surviving candidates of “The Apprentice,” or some other dumbass reality show, we could actually begin a dialogue on improving water infrastructure and safety controls.

But, as a water rights advocate-friend of mine said, “water is boring.” Until it’s not. Just ask the lovely folks in Toronto over the past few days, or the people of Flint over the past year+, or the gritty residents of Gendive, MT who dealt with a 50,000-gallon oil spill into the Yellowstone River within a 3-wood of the municipality’s intake valves.

It’s the curl of the constituents’ nose-hairs that finally gets some action.

Agricultural run-off, fracking wastewater disposal, and burst oil pipelines are now a daily occurrence in North American waters. And the incredible reality is how few people know about it. If it’s not happening in their backyard, it ain’t a problem.

Guess what, my friendly readers? The problem is everywhere. The EPA sets water quality guidelines for municipalities to follow. Chunky acronyms ( NPDWRs, CCLs, UCMs) that you’ve most likely never heard of represent measurements with significant meaning to your health.

Meanwhile,  EPA and DEP monitoring manpower is severely under-staffed, AND they can only test for “known” contaminants. That UCM measurement is all about the “unknown” or unregulated contaminants flowing into the water supply.

I’ve been saying for a decade-plus. Filters on your taps, including shower head filters, is the best defense. And over the next 4-years, I believe taking certain health decisions into your own hands is even more critical. Sadly, when it comes to water safety, it’s the Cost Of Doing Business, because your EPA will not have your back. Plus, it’s so damn boring.

‘Nuff said.

Photo Credits:

Evil Erin, “He nose if you’ve been bad or good,” December 12, 2008 https://www.flickr.com/photos/evilerin/

USDA NRCSTN83003-a, “Water Flows Off a Tennessee Farm After a Storm, April 25, 2013 https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/

 

 

 

December 5, 2016

Flint is Next Stop On The #NoDAPL Train

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We have the model for success. It’s here and it’s now. #NoDAPL, #StandingwithStandingRock, #WaterIsLife.

“Can we politely ask the Sioux of Standing Rock, and the 100s of Native American tribes who joined in solidarity, to strike the Oceti Sakowin camp and move to Flint for a few months?” This was my first thought upon hearing the news that USACE put a halt on that damn pipeline.

Since my full-day emotional hangover on November 9th, I’ve had a surge of multiple, POSITIVE, energies: empowerment, thoughtful resistance, elevate TRUTH, and PARTICIPATE. So thanks, DT, my one day of the DTs has created a surge.

I refuse to buy-in to “give it up, trump won.” Rather, I buy into joining the fight as best as I know how. I opened a twitter account: @nuffsaid_h2o. From my fingertips to your eyeballs, I can inform, spread the word, #TRUTH2POWER, resist the temptation of accepting a well-versed and well-spouted set of lies and manipulations.

I hold strong and true to the belief that we are a progressive nation. I also recognize that our young American Story has arrived into uncertain and unstable territory. I want our history to show that WE, the Progressive Resistance, stood tall to the tyranny of all money-owned limp-dicks in Washington. Yes, I realize there are a few women-pols who run with the money, but the majority of that crowd is the dying breed: white and male.

Thus, I say Onward Ho! Off we march in solidarity to Flint, MI, then to Hoosick Falls, NY, then to Hindman, KY. The model is set. In order to fix the MANY institutionalized atrocities of ethnic, racial, and gender origin, we might as well start with water. Because, as we all know by now: WATER IS LIFE.

‘Nuff said.

Photo: Thanks to Beatrice Murch! https://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/

November 30, 2016

Hard to Stay Focused

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How does one stay focused on the important stuff (#NoDAPL #WaterisLife #StandwithStandingRock #StopthePipelines #DivestfromDAPL) when the DT brigade is working the insane train?

Top trends on Twitter today:

#DumpKelloggs. The breitbart puke-fest is frothing a backlash at Kellogg’s today. Talk about food for thought! I’m trying to imagine reading “the news” over a frosty bowl of corn flakes. Kill the brain AND body in one fell swoop!

#BigMac pays homage to the creator of the Big Mac, Michael Delligatti, who passed on at the beefy age of 98. Seriously, that’s a good life, hope he ate his veggies along the way. I know, nothing to do with the DTs, but a leading twit-get none the less.

#Sarah Palin rounds out the list. Fully fathomable return of…her. Speechless, but certainly NOT surprised.

And then, there’s THIS. Big oil talking heads vs. historical context, regarding stuff like LAWS and TREATIES with our #NativeAmerican First Peoples. Thank you, Francesca Fiorentini (@franifio) for enlightening us with satire. It’s the ONLY way to stomach the fight forward. Cuz it’s gonna be a hell of a fight.

And who cannot love the Kellogg’s photo caption: “Here The Tiny Hearts Of Golden Corn Are Rolled Out Into Thin, Filmy Flakes.”

‘Nuff said.

Photo credits: thanks to Wystan: https://www.flickr.com/photos/70251312@N00/

 

November 17, 2016

Woke Up Thinking Wa.S.H.

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It’s how my mind works. Thought immersion will do that to an active brain. I often awaken with a song in my head. YES, I wake up singing! No wonder I’m single…;-)

I awoke this morning thinking Wa.S.H., the acronym for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.

I want everyone to know about it, memorize it, and DO SOMETHING about it. Every time you splash your face, brush your teeth, run the shower for 20-minutes, THINK about the 2+ billion people without a toilet, let alone a faucet or enclosed bathroom.

Rather than watching clips of Rachel’s quips or Hannity’s insanities, spend a few minutes researching solutions that uplift others. A few suggestions: water.org / @water, charity:water / cwtr.org/2bR1hWV / @charitywater, and worldtoilet.org  / @worldtoilet.

Now that we’ve arrived in the freak-zone of U.S. history, I recommit to the issues that move my heart & soul. In order to stay POSITIVE and engaged, I must turn off the noisy news (OK, a PBS News peek, periodically!), and focus on uplifting my fellow beings.

I ask you to join me. ‘Nuff said.

Attribution: photo by Ron Mader

November 16, 2016

Let’s Get Wet

Standing Tall

Water, water everywhere. Bathe, hydrate, sweat, REPEAT. Wash, cook, clean, REPEAT. Seed, soil, irrigate, grow, harvest, REPEAT. Capture, treat, deliver, use, flush, REPEAT. Rain, snow, ice, fog, evaporate, REPEAT. Salty, briny, fresh, REPEAT.

These cycles occur on a continuum – daily, or over millennia – barely recognized as a feat of human ingenuity or a gift of nature. Water is available in abundant supply, periodically, or not at all. Depends on where you live, where you were born. And it’s a safe bet that one’s water awareness increases as her supply or access decreases. Funny how that works.

Actually, it sucks how that works.

Today is the launch of my (hopefully) thought-provoking, eye-opening, heart-opening and dialogue-provoking blog on all topics water. I’m uncorking my brain spigot, letting loose the knowledge and passion I’ve absorbed over 15-years.

Topics on water run wide & deep. I plan a full immersion.

Let’s get wet!!