Most At Risk States:

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Idaho
• Kansas
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Oklahoma
• Texas

Using data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the analysis looked at water supply, accessibility, and demand. This is 14 times the last water shortage estimates conducted. Whoa!

You can look at the County and State-Specific maps from the report:

• NRDC
• Tetratech

Learn more about water saving tips via these Pays to Live Green Quick Tips:

• Shower Water & Energy Use Calculator
• Delta Water Amplifying Showerhead
• Short Showers – Do the Math!
• 10 Ways to Use Less Water Everyday

Photo Credit: Get Milked.

Work it, baby, work it.

Simply fill the bottom with tap water, click it into place and you are ready for some heavy duty cleaning! You shoot the water out like a spray gun, then rub down the surface with a microfiber cloth (preferably) and Viola! Clean as a whistle. So how does it work? When you shoot the spray it runs through an area that electrically charges the water. Next, it is “ionized” meaning it goes through an ion exchange membrane that results in positively and negatively charged nanobubbles. Then once the water squirts out, it lifts dirt up (a la ions…kind of) just like a positive and negative magnet. Then your towel enters the picture, wipes away the water that has attracted all the dirt to keep those surfaces looking and actually being clean. Now what about those icky germs? This ionized water kills 99.9% of harmful germs when applied correctly. How about that? No chemicals that are harsh on us and our environment, just plan old ionized water to the rescue.

Don’t Believe Me? Ask Bill Nye, The Science Guy.

Now the ins and outs of nanobubbles, ionization, and dirt and water being mangnetically attracted to one another may be a stretch for most of us. So let Bill Nye, The Science Guy, help de-mystify how it works. He made an excellent video that goes into perfect scientific detail (for grade school students…smart grade school students that is) on just how this contraption works. Its so cool, you may find yourself watching the whole video just to learn more!

What’ll it Cost Me?

Well, take two major things into account. First, this will replace almost all of your other household cleaners for about 5 years. Second, this is new technology so just like the first iPod, it will cost you a little bit more. One Ionator runs for under $200 in the U.S. with most retailers coming in around $170. Now think off the variety of toxic products you buy to clean your house. The ones that claim to “Kill 99.9% of All Bacteria”, now take out these toxic products and replace them with this single machine that can do all of their jobs without threatening your respiratory health. If you have kids or pets at home, this green product can help keep everyone safe, especially during fragile developmental stages.

All in all this is a really unique product. I have witnessed its cleaning magic and tested it to the max: note that it does not remove 20 year old adhesives or mysterious carpet stains; also note that the water tastes delicious, and was even able to clean up thick body lotion. A Minnesota-based eco-retail store, Moss Envy, uses this throughout their entire store to clean shelves, products, clean up messes left behind by the little ones, and remove grease from stainless steel. So get activated, get ionated, and find out what this product can do for you!

Number 1 reason to visit? Solid information.

The OCA was formed in 1998 amidst the organic standards debate that seemed to favor industrial organic-types and cut corners in the eyes of veteran organic farmers. From that day forward, the OCA has organized many campaigns, collected and conducted research in the field of sustainability that includes ecological and social issues, and successfully fought legislation and companies aiming to diminish or downgrade organic standards and in many cases the standard of living in the U.S., where it is based, as well as abroad.

So I welcome you to dig-in to their site on food issues especially to learn what the organic take is on growth hormones, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), raw milk, and to demystify the meaning of ‘biodynamic’.

Happy Reading!

Is the U.S. A Climate Villain?

Yes and No. The United States is responsible for 25% of thegreenhouse gas emissions on an annual basis. This past month marked the first time China has surpassed the U.S. in energy usage, of course they also have a population that would morph the U.S. so it doesn’t keep them off the hook. The most proactive forces in the U.S. on Climate Change outside of advocacy groups have been state and local governments who inividually passed the Kyoto protocol and created the Chicago Climate Exchange as well as Government Agencies who are working to address the issue with or without legislative action. For instance the weatherization of homes that is being undertaken is going to significantly reduce energy usage nationwide, and since building inefficiencies are the single largest contributor to the U.S.’s emissions, this is important.

The real villain’s in this case are the politicians themselves.

With little to no discussion about climate issues, and more uncivilized cattiness surrounding the “debate” or lack there of, the true leaders had quite a road ahead of them. The fact that a few bills were formed is impressive given the concerted effort to continue to deny climate change’s anthropogenic source and to be accountable and responsible for the piece of the pie the U.S. makes up. No piece of U.S. legislation is perfect. It is touched by so many hands, special interests, and ‘deals’ that are irrelevant to the real legislation that the water-downed and battered version of a bill is at times utterly disgusting. Politicians who are supposed to be Civil Servants seem to have completely evaded that responsibility to pursue personal interests and gains.

The unfortunate part about this is two-fold.

First, the United States has once again failed to be a leader in the Climate Change arena, despite being its biggest negative contributor. Second, the United States will not feel, understand, nor suffer the consequences of climate change to the same extent as third world nations who minimally contribute to anthropogenic sourced climate change.

What we do know is that each of us through our personal actions, our professional life, and our political decisions can help guide better and more ethical decision-making into the future. Hopefully the disagreement next legislative term won’t be “if” something should be done on a national-scale, but instead “how” and “how soon”. If those questions come from a more honest place of understanding what sustainable living truly means and what being part of a global society really requires, then there is all the hope in the World to be had.

If not, then we better each use our individual voices and decisions to help create that world and environment if those representing us haven’t the sense, ethics, nor respect for all life on Earth to do so.

Photo Credit: Chris Madden.

Using a simple power strip for your most popular electronic devices can make the task much less painful.  All you have to do is switch off the power on the strip and each device is as good as unplugged.  There are even power strips like the Smart Strip that even will automatically stop the current from going to electronics when they are turned off.   By making the small investment, you can probably recoup the cost within a few months of use.

How does it work? Designed by Yana Tzanov, Elisa Makela, Stephanie Sauve and Olga Losak, the AquaRing is one of the most innovative and sustainable potable water solutions to date. The device is opened and spread out to collect rainwater, than using something called SODIS, or solar water disinfection, the water is cleansed by none other than the sun. Then the purified water circles are clicked together and can be rolled back to families. The rainwater could even be collected in their own backyard and stored.

What are the benefits? Other than safe drinking water available for large populations with access to rainwater, there are a great many. First, this is a low-cost solution to a critical issue for the majority of the World’s population. Secondly, it is highly portable so rural and nomadic populations along with city-dwellers can use the device. Lastly, it reduces the imports of plastic water bottles and ‘reactive’ solutions in place of proactive resolutions.

Isn’t rainwater pure enough? Unfortunately, these days the answer is: No. With airborne pollutants on the rise in many developing nations and a significant increase in man-made chemicals, the recipe for hazardous water has been written. Since water cycles across the globe, pollution is highly mobile, so protecting drinking water from your own or other’s hazardous byproducts is increasingly important. The purification process is also important not just for water pollutants, but also for diseases and bacteria that cannot survive high temperatures.

The device was originally designed for locations in the World with Wet and Dry seasons that could benefit from storing water for year round use. Safe drinking water continues to be a global issue, making inventions such as this increasingly important to support healthy development worldwide. Cheers to sustainable design, development, and living!

Photo Credit & Invention: TwentySomethings

And if you have a difficult time imagining what the BP oil spill would look like in your neck of the woods, the creators of the website If It Was My Home have created a clever means of illustration.  Simply enter your zip code into the search box and click “Move the Spill,” and you will immediately see what the BP oil spill would look like if it happened in your hometown.

I am not sure that I remotely understand the impact of the disaster in the Gulf – even after seeing that the spill appears to be over 100 times the size of New York City – but If It Was My Home also provides a list of things that we can do to help.