don’t be tricked by the rain

 

California is still expected to have its worst drought in history, despite the rain we are seeing over this weekend.  A warning this week by Energy Secretary Steven Chu was quickly followed by statements from farmer’s that they are abandoning their crops due to water shortages.  

Please remember to turn off your sprinklers during this rainy time, as well as continue to conserve water as much as possible.

And as another reminder, we found this quote that is thought to be appropriate:

“Angelenos committed communal suicide by watering lawns as usual … The taps remained open, trickling away the life blood of the desert paradise.” Robert Heinlein, 1952

water loss

New research is indicating that California is on its way to its worst drought in history due to the increasing tropics, according to the New Scientist.

Climate scientists have documented a slow progression of low-latitude weather systems towards the poles, and this has been matched by rising temperatures in many temperate regions. Deciding whether this broadening of the tropical belt is linked to the greenhouse effect has been difficult, however.

The scientist studied the tropopause, which is the part of the atmosphere where weather forms.  They have found that it is widening.  This means that the tropical boundaries are expanding at a rate of 70 kilometers per decade.

The expansion of the tropic is not as detrimental as the expansion of the subtropic. The subtropic is defined as having drought and dryness, which Southern California is a part of during the summer months.  As that expands into Northern California, the state will be under severe water stress.

water woes

Produce in California may see a price increase related to water issues in the state, according to the Associate Press.  In fact, farmer’s in Central California are abandoning their fields, leaving them to turn to dust, because of the plight caused by water shortages.

The most interesting finding in the report is that the limits in produce will not all be caused by the drought, but subsequent legislation that was put in place in anticipation of the drought.  Most prominently, the decision that ordered state water managers to expedite requests to move water so high-value crops like wine grapes, almonds and pistachio trees would stand a chance of surviving.

Federal water reserves are at their lowest since 1992, and unless California gets more rain, reserves will get slashed to nothing.

Obviously, in an already suffering economy, this is not good news.  It means that Californians will have to spend more money to get healthful food and their will be less jobs up and down the coast and central valley.

file under: what in the F*@K?

I love this! Leave to LA to be the example of absolute hypocrisy.

We are in the middle of a drought. Check.
The mayor has asked us to do “whatever” we can to conserve water. Check.
The Public Works department is citing people for planting drought resistant plants. Chec…. WHAT?!?

Yep. You did read that correctly.

It was also after Krieger and his wife Sandy faced a supervisor and two Public Workers inspectors over the citation they were given ordered to immediately remove their drought-resistant plants and replace them with grass or pavement or leave the parkway as dirt — or face prosecution.

You can read the whole article HERE.

water rationing predicted for Cali

California Department of Water Resources announced that water rationing is our likely future, unless we get some heavy rain and lasting snowfall this winter. And, at this point, that is not predicted. What is expected drought and increasing temperatures.

Things can change rapidly but for now there is a call for extra effort in conservation and to keep it as a habit.

I have posted this before, but in LA, it is illegal to:
• Use water to wash any hard surfaces such as sidewalks, walkways, driveways
or parking areas, unless flushing is needed to protect health and safety;
• Use water to clean, fill or maintain decorative fountains unless the water is
part of a recirculating system;
• Serve water to customers in eating establishments unless requested;
• Permit leaks from any pipe or fixture to go unrepaired;
• Allow for the washing of a vehicle without using a hose with a self-closing,
shut-off device;
• Permit watering during periods of rain;
• Irrigate landscaping between the hours of
9 a.m. and 4 p.m.;
• Water outdoors for more than 15 minutes per watering station, 10 minutes for
other irrigation systems;
• Allow runoff onto streets and gutters from excessive watering;

Starbucks: an update

A few weeks ago, I posted about a big expose that Starbucks wastes millions of gallons of water because of some stupid policy. Go HERE for the first story.

Well, YAY! Good news to be told. They changed their policy!!

You can go HERE for the announcement.

drought 101

In case there is anyone out there that does not know… Los Angeles is in a DROUGHT.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power says very clearly on their website that certain actions are “illegal” and will be cause for a heavy fine. The list is posted in their website, but I am posting it here, as well.

In Los Angeles, you CANNOT:

*Use water to wash any hard surfaces such as sidewalks, walkways, driveways or parking areas, unless flushing is needed to protect health and safety;

*Use water to clean, fill or maintain decorative fountains unless the water is part of a recirculating system;

*Serve water to customers in eating establishments unless requested;

*Permit leaks from any pipe or fixture to go unrepaired;

*Allow for the washing of a vehicle without using a hose with a self-closing, shut-off device;

*Permit watering during periods of rain;

*Irrigate landscaping between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.;

*Water outdoors for more than 15 minutes per watering station, 10 minutes for other irrigation systems;

*Allow runoff onto streets and gutters from excessive watering;

*Install single-pass cooling systems in new buildings;

*Install non-recirculating systems in new car wash and commercial laundry systems;

*Permit large landscape areas to water without rain sensors that shut off irrigation systems

If you see someone breaking any one of these, you are HIGHLY encouraged to rat ‘em out!
Drought Busters at 1-800-DIAL DWP or droughtbusters@ladwp.com

could I have a latte and a chance at saving my planet?

Yep. It’s easy. Stop going to Starbucks.

Case and point… did you know it is their policy to have a sink with running water on AT ALL TIMES??? Well, you do know. Go HERE.

“The giant coffee chain has a policy of keeping a tap running non-stop at all its 10,000 outlets worldwide, wasting 23.4 MILLION litres a day. That would provide enough daily water for the entire two million-strong population of drought-hit Namibia in Africa or fill an Olympic pool every 83 minutes.”

Maybe you should consider going somewhere a wee bit more eco-friendly.

Or better yet… YAY! for this idea… instead of getting your coffee drinks at an average of $35 a week, but a pound of beans at $12, which lasts about two weeks, and make your coffee AT HOME. This way you can be assured you are buying fair trade coffee, using the minimum of water required, not supporting a store that creates waste, runs water and electricity, etc., etc., etc.

disposal or dispose

Really interesting quandry posted on Slate today…. to disposal or dispose? What is better for the environment?

click HERE for the summary. But, here is the conclusion:

The research is unambiguous about one point, though: Under normal circumstances, you should always compost if you can. Otherwise, go ahead and use your garbage disposal if the following conditions are met: First, make sure that your community isn’t running low on water. (To check your local status, click here.) Don’t put anything that is greasy or fatty in the disposal. And find out whether your local water-treatment plant captures methane to produce energy. If it doesn’t—and your local landfill does—you may be better off tossing those mashed potatoes in the trash.

Los Angeles….WE ARE IN A DROUGHT!!

conservative

and no I am not talking about politics. I am talking about water usage. This is the only time in my life where I may extol the virtues of being conservative….

A great article from Planet Save was posted this morning that I want to make sure you all see. Click HERE.

In Los Angeles, we are in drought!!!!! It is easy to forget sometimes, with our well manicured lawns, but we do live in a desert and are very lucky that our neighbors in Colorado are sharing their supply with us. But that too is limited. Read the article and CUT BACK!!

Here are some excerpts on how you can reduce:

Bath

* 15 gallons (21 less)–Take showers instead of baths.

5-minute Shower

* 5 gallons (20 to 30 less)–Use the water to get wet and lather up, scrub with it off, and turn it on again to rinse off. Replace your shower head with an ultra low-flow version (I use one–there is no noticeable difference in shower quality at all!). Put a bucket in the shower to catch some of the water and use that water to water thirsty plants. Consider going gray.

Brushing Teeth

* .5 gallons (1.5 less)–Turn the water off while you brush.

Shaving

* 1 gallon (19 less)–Use only a bowl. I use a cup–then again, I’m not the hairiest man in the world.

Toilet

* 2 gallons (3-5 less)–Buy a low-flow model. Put a jug of water in the cistern (I use a large glass pasta sauce jar, filled with water). This reduces the amount of water lost with each flush (amount depends on the size of the container). Don’t flush every time. If it’s yellow let it mellow–if it’s brown flush it down. Finally, don’t use the toilet simply to dispose of tissues; put them in the trash.

Dishwasher

* 7 gallons (8 less)–Use the “short cycle”.

Washing Machine (front loading)

* 24 gallons (16 less)–Only run machines when they are full.

Washing Dishes by Hand

* 5 gallons (15-25 less)–Use a wash sink and a rinse sink. Also, replace the washers on dripping faucets. One drop per second wastes 27,000 gallons per year!