7 Billion and Counting...

Some time on October 31, the 7 billionth person was born.  Although we will never know exactly who that person was, what we do know is that this marks an astonishing time in human history and in the history of this planet (well...as far as we know anyway...).  What this means is there are that many more people on this planet that will be adding to the human population and adding to the stress on our planet--especially our natural resources.  Especially water.

Here are some stats from a featured Rueters article ("Water use rising faster than world population") published on October 25:

• Water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century 
• Water use is predicted to increase by 50 percent between 2007 and 2025 in developing countries 
• Water use is predicted to increase by 18 percent in developed ones, with much of the increased use in the poorest countries with more and more people moving from rural areas to cities
• World population is estimated to reach 9 billion by mid-century 

What's scary is that there are currently over 1 billion people on the planet that lack access to clean drinking water supplies and over 2 billion people that live without proper sanitation.  These numbers are staggering--what will happen when the population continues to grow at such an exponential rate?  Children born in the next 10 years will have a higher chance of not living past the age of 5 than they did half a century ago.  Not only that but an estimated 1 million people die each year due to waterborne diseases, most of which are entirely preventable.  Is that what we want for the fate of humanity?

Not only does a rising human population stress our freshwater supplies, but the impacts of climate change (e.g., floods and droughts) will amplify the water crisis.  A large portion of my Master's thesis was on this topic as it relates to the Colorado River Basin--which has been identified as a water risk hot spot--and the future of the American Southwest.  This topic is too involved to write about now, so I will leave it for a future blog post...
This doesn't have to mean all doom-and-gloom, it just means we have to be smarter about our water use, more diligent about not polluting what we do have, and develop more innovative ways to reuse what we do have.  We have to be more efficient and conservative with all our water uses across all sectors--agricultural, industrial, and domestic.  We have to enact more stringent guidelines for point and non-point source water pollution, as well as ways to properly enforce these regulations.  We have to recycle and reuse reclaimed water, build constructed wetlands, install green roofs, harvest rainwater, just to name a few.  

Of course doing all this is easier said than done.  But it can be done.  At the risk of sounding cliche, you can make a difference.  As I've mentioned in previous blogs, I think if people are properly educated and learn that their actions have a direct impact on the health of the environment and in turn their own health, they are more likely to become stewards of our natural resources.  I think getting the word out--especially via video--and making powerful campaigns can have a huge impact on the actions of people.  If you saw that the paint you poured down your drain went into the nearby river from which your drinking water comes from, wouldn't you think twice about dumping paint down your drain again?  If you saw the cracked mud of a once flourishing Colorado River Delta, would you replace your water-guzzling lawn with Xeriscape (water-efficient, desert-appropriate landscaping)?...

Southern Vermont Post Tropical Storm Irene Part II

I was recently listening to Vermont Edition on Vermont's Public Radio, and the topic was rebuilding roads after the storm.  It was discussed how construction crews were hastily channelizing the river and putting in gravel and boulders to slow future water flows should there be another catastrophic flood event.  And how the state pulled together its resources and got roads fixed to keep the state moving and to make sure people weren't stranded.  However, in hindsight it was discussed that the construction workers should have talked with river experts to make sure that the efforts made would prevent future destruction as much as possible.  Nobody is laying blame since the state and its citizens were in such distress, something had to be done quickly.

But it's true.  Repairing the roads and bridges were the primary things that needed to be fixed, but channelizing rivers and changing other facets of the rivers could have waited until environmental scientists and river engineers could be consulted.  Lining inlets with rocks and boulders and scraping out displaced sediment might not have been the best decision for the fish and other aquatic and riparian flora and fauna that have had their lives destructed and displaced as well.  Something does need to be done to make sure the widespread destruction of people's lives and livelihoods doesn't occur in such magnitude in the future, but we shouldn't forget that other living creatures lost their lives and habitats as well.

Why the Next Generation Needs to Become Environmental Stewards

I have decided to pursue a career in which I can educate the public on our water resources so people have the arsenal of information they need to can become better stewards of our most precious natural resource.  As a society, we Americans tend to act only when there is a crisis.  Why have all the stress of trying to find a solution to a problem that could have been prevented in the first place?  To me, it seems like a no-brainer.

Most of the time people who live in developed countries don't think twice about where the endless supply of crystal-clear (well...most of the time) potable water that flows freely from the tap comes from. Or what it takes to get it to and from your house. Not only that but a lot of the time the same body of water that people use for boating, kayaking, fishing, or swimming, is the same source for their drinking water. It is one water. If people realize this they might be more receptive to protecting that source from pollution. If people realize that it takes water to produce energy and energy to produce water--ergo by conserving energy, one conserves water and vice versa--people might be more receptive to conserving water. Bottom line: Our water resources are important and if people are armed with the enough knowledge about their water resources, they will most likely be willing to do their best to protect that water for our environment and for future generations.  Or at least stop to think about it.

But for adults, it's difficult to change our habits.  It's much easier to teach kids how to become environmental stewards and good citizens--they're habits haven't been formed yet and they tend to be more observant and receptive to trying new and different things.  It turns out that a lot of the time kids influence their parents and before you know it, adults are recycling and turning off the lights when they leave the room.  I know this for a fact.  I taught my parents how to recycle and why it's important.

The sad thing is that kids are more apt to sit in front of the TV or computer and not get outside.  Outside is almost foreign to them, making the natural environment foreign to them.  If you were to teach them the importance of recycling or not polluting, they might not have that same connection I did when I realized that doing things to save the planet would make sure that the otters--my favorite animal--wouldn't go extinct or that Beaver Lake--the nature center my mom always took me to--would be around when I got older.  The sights, sounds, smells of nature that I have always been fond of are foreign to a lot of kids simply because they don't spend a lot of time outside.  My mom used to have to drag me inside when I was a kid.  I am an only child and when my neighborhood friends couldn't play, I would be out there regardless.  Even when it was a blizzard outside, I would be out there playing.  I'm not sure I can say the same for today's youth.  It's a sad state we're in.  If we don't lead today's youth to the path of environmental stewardship, who's going to take care of our planet?  Will anyone care?

Southern Vermont Post Topical Storm Irene

While on the road for work--I am an environmental educator and run a mobile nature center that travels throughout the Connecticut River Watershed--I had a day off and decided to tour southern Vermont.  I have lived in Burlington, VT for 7 years several years back and recently moved back after living in Maui, Arizona, and Florida.  I have traveled throughout northern and central Vermont quite extensively, but never much further south than Middlebury.  About a week before Tropical Storm Irene ravaged southern Vermont, I went to a friend's wedding near Rutland.  I actually stayed at the same hotel as I did for the wedding.  Let me say one thing--the area has forever changed.

Traveling west on Rt. 4 from Woodstock, the road winds along next to the river.  This is true of the roads for most of Vermont.  Since the state is so mountainous, the only feasible place to build roads is in the valleys, which is where the rivers are.  I did a loop on Rt. 100 to go for a hike and to explore a part of the state I have never been, but it ended up being more of a tour of destruction.

I saw displaced houses and cars, torn-up roads, mangled guardrails, dissolved black top, remnants of bridges, and thick river mud.  I could see where landslides had occurred with scars over 100 feet on the river banks.  And how the power of the river knocked down massive trees.  And just when I thought I saw the worst destruction, there was more.  It was utterly unbelievable.  Every road, every town, every property.  I couldn't even imagine what it was like for those people to have gone through that experience.  A lot of houses were abandoned with moldy furniture and personal belongings covering what used to be lawns.  Businesses closed down because half of the building was gone.  People moving out with devastation on their faces.

This was about a month after the storm hit.  Most of the roads were fixed and new guardrails put in.  At every bend in the road, I could see a fresh patch of asphalt.  It wasn't hard to see where the water had been and where the water had gone.  I also saw construction vehicles in the river and fresh boulders strategically placed on inlets to the river.

Since the storm, I have also traveled on Rt. 9 and driven through Brattleboro and Waterbury, two major towns that were hit.  I'm not sure if these towns will ever be the same.  Not to say that they aren't resilient and can't rebound, but that some of the history and character of the towns will forever be changed.

How I Became An Environmentalist

When I was in elementary school, I always looked forward to the book catalogs that were passed out a couple of times a year. I don't quite remember the purpose of them but I think they offered books by Scholastic Publishers and the like at lower costs to schools. I've always loved books and was excited to pick out some really cool ones. I would always pick out a bunch of books and my mom would tell me I could only order two so I had to judiciously narrow down my list. One of my favorite books I picked out (and I still have) was 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth. Having always loved the outdoors and nature, I was excited to crack open this book and get started!

When I first read the book, I picked out a couple of things to do. I thought, "Hey, this stuff is pretty easy!" That is when I became an environmentalist. From that point on, I became conscious of my consumption patterns. I turned out the lights when I left the room. I turned of the tap while I brushed my teeth. Instead of dumping half full glasses of water from dinner down the drain, I would dump the water in a watering can for our household plants. I learned about the county's recycling plan and recycled anything that could be. I even got my parents on board and they still recycle to this day. We filled milk jugs and put them in the toilet tank (these were the days before low-flow toilets). My parents even bought the flow-restrictor discs for our showerheads. These are a few of the things I did when I was 8 years old...and still do to this day (among many other things!) My question is if an 8-year-old can do it, why can't an adult?

From that day forward I have been doing my part to reduce, reuse, and recycle. It's become part of my life and most of the time I don't realize I'm doing something different than others unless I see someone else leaving lights on, throwing away a soda can, or letting the tap run while washing dishes. I know that most of the time they are doing it unconsciously because it's just habit. I believe that if people are educated on the hows and whys of simple things they can do to become more environmentally conscious, they are more likely to integrate those things into their lifestyle and change their habits. There's always something more you can do, but as long as you are conscious of your actions and try to do something to benefit our planet, you'll be making a difference!