Touch junk mail once

Do you ever get your mail and you receive junk mail or advertisements. I have learned to touch mail once. After picking up the mail, sort it on the spot, and put unwanted items in the recycle bin; junk mail with my name on it gets shredded right then. It keeps clutter to a minimum.

Colorado Water

Colorado receives less than 20 inches of natural precipitation each year most areas, so most of the state requires irrigation to grow crops or to support urban landscapes. In the high mountain areas, which generally receive more than 20 inches of precipitation, almost all of the precipitation falls as snow. Therefore, Colorado’s water supplies are primarily snow melt runoff.


Colorado’s major rivers include Colorado River, Rio Grande, Arkansas River, and South Platte River. Major lakes include Grand Lake, Blue Mesa Reservoir, and the John Martin Reservoir.


While the state’s river systems generate an average 16 million acre feet of renewable water each year, about two-thirds of this water is obligated to leave the state under various interstate compacts and agreements. In addition, of the 16 million AF, about 80% of the water is on the Western Slope, yet about 80% of the state’s population resides on the Eastern Slope. Most of the irrigated agriculture lands are on the Eastern Slope as well. Colorado also uses renewable and non-renewable groundwater to meet our water supply needs (CO Water Conservation Board 2011).

The Arkansas River Basin drains an area of 24,904 square miles of southeastern Colorado and has experienced growth and is expected to have significant increases in growth in the future. Demands on the limited water resources also will increase as changes in water storage, water releases, and/or transfer of waters within or outside of the basin are likely to occur to accommodate the growing population. Water use and quality within the basin can be affected by land-use changes associated with urbanization and agricultural practices (USGS 2009). Back in May 2011, temperatures heated up a snowpack that were two to three times its normal depth; flooding was "likely" in parts of the high country. Current precipitation is 0” (USGS 2011).

The Blue River drains approximately 680 square miles west of the Continental Divide in central Colorado before flowing northward into the Colorado River near Kremmling, Colorado. The Blue River watershed (BRW) is almost entirely located in Summit County and includes the towns of Breckenridge, Dillon, Frisco, Montezuma, and Silverthorne. Dillon Reservoir and Green Mountain Reservoir are major water storage facilities in the watershed. Ski resorts such as Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, and Keystone have brought rapid population growth and increased tourism and development to the area. In the last seven days, this area collected 0.28” of precipitation (USGS 2011).

The Eagle River drains approximately 970 square miles west of the Continental Divide in central Colorado before flowing into the Colorado River. The Eagle River watershed (ERW) is located primarily within Eagle County and includes the towns of Vail, Minturn, Avon, Edwards, Eagle, and Gypsum. The eastern boundary of the ERW is drained by Gore Creek, located at Vail Pass. Gore Creek flows along I-70 through the town of Vail before its confluence with the main stem Eagle River near the town of Minturn. The Eagle River continues to flow along I-70 to its western boundary near Dotsero. The annual precipitation for this area is 11” for rain and 54” of snow; town of Vail currently has 300” of snow (Eagle County 2011).

The Upper Gunnison River Watershed, located in the Rocky Mountains 150 miles southwest of Denver, Colorado, drains approximately 3,965 square miles. Forest and rangeland comprise 89 percent of land within the watershed, but the traditional western ranching economy is increasingly supplemented through a tourism economy centered around Crested Butte Mountain Resort and the Curecanti National Recreation area. Recreational development and population growth in recent years have the potential to affect both the quantity and quality of water. According to the Water Information Program back in June 2011, The Denver Post posted a report that the Rocky Mountains' winter snow is gradually being replaced by spring rain, and it's likely to get worse in the decades to come (Waterinfo 2011).

As large-scale energy development continues in the Piceance Basin, there is potential for changes in surface-water and groundwater resources. In the southern Piceance Basin, a water task force consisting of numerous local governments, municipalities, and energy companies collectively identified the need for a common data repository. In the northern Piceance Basin, similar efforts were underway in approximately the same timeframe. The outcome of these efforts is the combined northern and southern Piceance Basins project and data repository, referred to collectively as "the Piceance Basin."

The entire state of Colorado as witnessed a fairly warm summer with only 0’-2” of rain from September 15-22 2011 (Intellicast 2011). Colorado is split into two different climates due to higher plain and mountain regions. September will be warmer and wetter than normal and October will be cooler and drier in the higher plains. The mountain regions will experience winter temperatures of above normal, especially in the south, with the coldest periods in early and late December and mid- and late February. Precipitation and snowfall will be above normal in the north and below normal in the south. The snowiest periods will occur in early November, mid-December, mid-January, and early and late March. April and May will be much cooler and snowier than normal. Next summer will be hotter and drier than normal in the north and cooler and wetter in the south. The hottest periods will be in early July and much of August. Colorado is going through a dry year with not precipitation (Almanac 2011).

References:

Colorado Water Conservation Board. 2011. Water supply planning. http://cwcb.state.co.us/water-management/water-supply-planning/Pages/main.aspx (accessed September 22, 2011).

Eagle County. 2011. Quick facts. http://www.eaglecounty.us/localinfo/Quick_Facts/ (accessed September 22, 2011).

Intellicast. 2011. Weekly precipitation. http://www.intellicast.com/National/Precipitation/Weekly.aspx (accessed September 22, 2011).

USGS. 2009. Arkansas River water-quality data. http://rmgsc.cr.usgs.gov/cwqdr/Arkansas/index.shtml (accessed September 22, 2011).

USGS. 2011. Blue River water-quality data. http://rmgsc.cr.usgs.gov/cwqdr/Blue/index.shtml (accessed September 22, 2011).

USGS. 2011. Eagle River water-quality data. http://rmgsc.cr.usgs.gov/cwqdr/Eagle/index.shtml (accessed September 22, 2011).

USGS. 2011. NWIS. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/co/nwis/current/?type=precip&group_key=basin_cd&search_site_no_station_nm=Arkansas%20River%20&site_no_name_select=station_nm (accessed September 22, 2011).

USGS. 2011. Piceance Basin water-quality data repository. http://rmgsc.cr.usgs.gov/cwqdr/Piceance/index.shtml (accessed September 22, 2011).

USGS.  2011. Upper Gunnison River water quality data. http://rmgsc.cr.usgs.gov/cwqdr/Gunnison/index.shtml (accessed September 22, 2011).

USGS. 2011. Water storage. http://www.waterinfo.org/water-storage. (accessed September 22, 2011).

Triple Bottom Line:

Food and Agriculture (economic): Explore new economic models that support sustainable food and agriculture while raising public awareness of the value of organic and biodynamic farming.

Ecological Stewardship (environmental): Provide funding to organizations and projects devoted to sustaining, regenerating and preserving the earth's ecosystems, especially integrated, systems-based and culturally relevant approaches.

Education and the Arts (social): Fund education and arts projects that are holistic and therapeutic.

My dream for a vacuum to clean garbage patches around the world

Someday I would love to have a fleet of ocean vacuums that would filter marine life from plastic pollution and ship the pollution to civilization to be reused again for another product rather than having it go to waste, be eaten by marine life and humans.

CGI - Sustainable Consumption: Redefining Business As Usual

Sustainable Consumption: Redefining Business As Usual 

More than ever before, the world’s population – and its ever-increasing demand for products and services – is putting pressure on the planet. In an era of rapidly depleting and finite resources, businesses and society have the opportunity to reframe how value is created and how consumption acts as a driver for economic growth. At the most basic levels, companies must take responsibility for their environmental, economic, political, and social impact across their value chains and spheres of influence. Governments, businesses, and civil society must build participatory and accountable processes with stakeholders throughout their operations, and report on their impacts in a transparent manner. However, significant change can only occur if sustainability practices are incorporated into core business models, rather than simply remaining in the realm of corporate social responsibility. Design decisions at the highest levels will drive consumer choices, and innovative marketing and branding can encourage consumer demand to drive more sustainable supply. This panel will address these opportunities and challenges through the lens of the global food business. The current food system has resulted in high prices being paid by the natural environment and by consumer health; but the opportunity exists to redefine this system. How do we ensure sustainability in an unequal world? How can we evaluate what is driving consumption patterns to determine both ethical and profitable responses to these challenges?

Participants:
Gro Harlem Brundtland, Former Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway
Bob Diamond, Chief Executive, Barclays
Viviane Victorine Kinyaga, Director, Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo
Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer, Unilever

Clinton Global Initiative

Waste to Wealth

Every second, 52 tons of waste are deposited in landfills globally. This waste poisons the land and makes its way into the planet’s rivers and oceans, threatening wildlife and aquatic habitats. It creates toxic environments for the estimated 15 million people around the world who earn their living by gleaning recyclable materials from garbage dumps. Furthermore, the waste is largely comprised of finite resources that could have been exempt from extraction or otherwise repurposed after first use. This panel will reveal ways that organizations are leveraging their collective resources and influence to challenge current thinking on waste management and envision creative approaches to reduce the amount of material entering the waste stream. It will highlight efforts to incorporate material re-use into products and profit from waste-to-energy initiatives, as well as incorporate the recycling power of waste pickers into the formal economy.

Participants:
John F. Williams, II, Senior Vice President, National Director, Sustainable Development, HDR, Inc.
Klaus Kleinfeld, Chairman and CEO, Alcoa Inc.
Thomas Nagy, Executive Vice President, COS, Novozymes
Albina Ruiz, President, Ciudad Saludable
Vikki Spruill, President and CEO, Ocean Conservancy, Inc.

MRSA

Tonight I was informed that my aunt is passing away from MRSA; she is only 61 years old. She was full of piss and vinegar, along with tons of energy. She is such a great aunt, the best. I am awaiting to hear about her condition through the night.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a form (or strain) of S. aureus bacteria. This type of bacteria is common type that live ordinarily on the skin and also can be found sometimes in the nasal passages of healthy people. MRSA concerns to Staphylococcus aureus strains that do not respond to different types of the antibiotics normally used in treatment for staph infections.

Ordinarily bacteria causing infection in case when enter the organic structure through a sore, cut, catheter or breathing tube. The following infections are usually:

• local and minor such as pimple, or
• serious in case when involving blood,heart, lung or bone.

On severe staph infections mentioned above are more common individuals with weak immune systems, mostly patients in hospitals and long-term care facilities and individuals who receiving kidney dialysis.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus can be transmitted by direct (skin and body fluids) and indirect contact ( diapers, towels, toys) to healthy individuals. Some people have this strain on their body (on their skin , in nose or throat ) but shows no symptoms of MRSA infection. These people are carriers of MRSA and can transfer this dangerous bacteria to others. Some statistic data show that CA-MRSA is the predominant type of this strain found in the population.

This means anybody can get this bacterial virus.

Fall Season

Fall is a great time of year; the leaves are turning colors and beginning to fall to the ground. The temperature is slowly lowering to sweater weather. What a great time of year. Our planet needs help to keep it clean and pretty.

America's Dams

What do you know about the dams in your state? How old are they? Has any maintenance been done on them lately? Makes you wonder. Most dams in America are nearly 100 years old. Humans age, don't you think dams do? Think about it.

Bridges and roads

Watched Rachel Maddow Show night; Congress finally signed a Bill to help bridges and roads that were damaged by Hurricane Irene a few weeks back. It is rather sad when one party of our government is that selfish not to fix America.

Water and Food Sustainability

Well, my first week of class on water and food sustainability.

1.   In your view, what are the two most significant differences in the American public’s view of water management/utilization as described in the assigned reading (“Improving America’s Rivers”) and today?

The two most significant differences in the American public’s view is concern over economic and societal value in the early 1900s and environmental and safety hazards today.

Water management/utilization meant economic and societal value back in the early 1900s. This meant creating thousands of jobs to get people back to work after the Great Depression Era and being innovative to improve life. Dams were built to store water, avert and control floods, irrigation, soil conservation, improve navigation, and generate electrical energy. The “Big Dam Era” elaborates on the legacy of the Progressive Era water policy to maximize on the efficiency of natural resources. Flowing water could be manipulated to provide an abundance of water source for irrigation and urban use such as electricity. The Shasta Dam (1945) was built to control the temperamental waters of the Sacramento area, which meant supplying water to both agriculture and industrial empire in the Central Valley of California. Back in the 1950s Dams were “heroes”, a symbol of American achievement of the modern age of the West, American engineering at its best. Both the Hoover Dam (1930s) and Grand Coulee Dam (1938) are two examples of the seven civil engineering wonders of the United States. The Glen Canyon Dam was granted outstanding engineering triumph of the year in 1964.

Today there are international movements that oppose dams due to environmental and safety hazards. Flooding, displaced farmers, and block fish migrations. Dams reduce water quality and change the natural riverine flows forever. Dams are now considered to be short-sighted structures that drew fund away from other potential sounder technologies. Some people would like to destroy or decommission the dams and free the rivers. Unfortunately, people were not happy about water management system from the beginning and the negativity never ceased through the years. Several Indian reservations were impacted by the construction of federal dams on major rivers. Thousand of acres of Seneca land were taken along the Alleghany River for building of the Kinzua Dam; reservations in Arizona, Colorado, and California lost land to proposed flooding from dam building. The Bonneville Dam displaced Indian fishery and eliminated prized fishing site of Celilo Falls. Dams tend to create erosion of downstream channels, alter fish population and riparian vegetation, water evaporation loss, displacement of native people, dwindling scenic wonders, and urban sprawl. Another major issue of dams: age. Dam infrastructure is aging and raises concern about performance and safety. Water management systems were built over 50 years ago and need constant upgrading; unfortunately, America’s political system funds are given away elsewhere ignoring the original infrastructure that made this country thrive.

Times have changed for America also. Voters have changed their priorities and there is an increase demand on the federal budget and the role government plays on this country. After 50+ years the population is more concerned with political, economic, environmental, and social issues than building more power structures.

Reference:

Billington, David P., Donald C. Jackson, and Martin V. Melosi. 2005. The history of large federal dams: planning, design, and construction in the era of big dams. U.S. Department of the Interior. Bureau of Reclamation. http://www.usbr.gov/history/HistoryofLargeDams/LargeFederalDams.pdf (accessed September 11, 2011).

Today is about team work

Today I had the TV on most of the time, either listening or watching about the events of September 11, 2001. Tonight the Science Channel provided viewers with a detailed episode about the architects, plumbers, electricians, and various construction workers building and preparing the site for today's activities. It was fascinating to watch how all the workers were able to work as team members to have the memorial finished by the service. It makes you feel like team work can be a reality in any industry or group of people after the festivities are over.

Environmental research

I love to research companies; are they environmentally-friendly, greenwashing, or have a small ecological footprint. I enjoy posting the good, the bad, the ugly on companies.

Infrastructure

Tonight we learned that our President wants to grow and fix America's infrastructure. I hope it comes through. Our bridges, roads, lakes, rivers, and oceans need fixed and cleaned.

Save our water

Per EPA
Use nontoxic household products. Want to reduce the number of chemicals in your home and in your waterways? Start by purchasing nontoxic household products such as nontoxic cleaning supplies, laundry products, paints, insecticides, and pool chemicals. If your local store does not carry nontoxic products, ask them to start.

Dispose of hazardous household products properly. Don't toss hazardous household chemicals down the drain. Contact your local public works, sanitation, or environmental health department and find out if your city has a hazardous waste collection day. If your city doesn't have a local program, ask them to start one.

Save water. Don't let the water run while brushing your teeth or washing your face. Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full. Fix leaky plumbing fixtures and switch to low-flow toilets and showerheads. Changing small habits can save more than 100 gallons of water a week.

Recycle. Deposit waste in a trash can. Never flush non-degradable products or sweep debris into the street or storm sewer. Trash can damage city sewer systems and end up littered on beaches and in your water.

Don't flush old prescription drugs down the drain (unless directed). Wastewater treatment plants are unable to remove drugs from sewer system water and they end up in our rivers and streams.

Don't let pollutants go down the drain, inside OR outside. Urban waters take on large amounts of pollution from a variety of sources, including polluted runoff from urban landscapes, which creates public and environmental health hazards. Remember, what goes on the ground and down your drain eventually ends up in the water. Don't dump oil, gasoline, solvents, paint, or other household chemicals down your household drains or storm drain.

Recycle used motor oil and maintain your car. Throwing motor oil in the trash is illegal and harmful to your water source. Recycling centers and many service stations accept used motor oil for recycling. Also, be sure to keep up with regular car maintenance to prevent oil, coolant, antifreeze, or other hazardous chemicals from leaking onto the ground.

Take your car to a car wash. A commercial car wash reclaims its wastewater using special filtration systems. This not only conserves water, but minimizes polluted runoff entering local storm drain.

Credo smartphone

I received a Credo smartphone in the mail today. Works great. Even better, I can send my old cell phone back to them and they will reuse/recycle all the parts. Now, that's a great environmental solution.

Water and food sustainability

I am finally able to log into my last and final class at the University of Denver - Water and food sustainability. Wow, the syllabus looks busy but exciting. I will be learning about both U.S. and global sustainability. There is even a week long reading tour of India. Fun fun fun.

Water

Today's thought is about water. What do we know about water? We drink it, cook with it, grow food, clean, play in it; our bodies are made up of water; fruits and veggies make up water; our entire life is based on water. So why is it finite, not to mention unhealthy? How can we as a nation clean it up?

It is time to get innovative and creative.

Today is a great day to think about RE, CleanTech, and Innovation

Friday, nothing particular special about today, right? Well, maybe not.

Today I have I hopes that America will learn from past mistakes and get on with focusing on the important things in life like renewable energy, CleanTech, innovation, a few ideas to help the environment and make a better planet.

Domestic natural gas and oil reserves locked in shale rock

Today's topic is about natural gas and oil reserved locked in shale rock a mile beneath our feet. It is safe? It can if done correctly through hydraulic fracturing coupled with horizontal drilling - to safely recover vast supplies that before were out of reach.