The Great John Muir

Oh, The Things People Say

     Former HP executive Carly Fiorina the other day blamed environmentalists for California's record drought. She said that environmental groups blocked the construction of new dams and reservoirs over the past decade or so, which has only made California's water shortage issue worse. Apparently, it has nothing to do with the lack of precipitation.

     I guess Ms. Fiorina (a potential presidential candidate) doesn't understand that if those reservoirs had been built, they too would all be low right now. You know, due to the lack of rain and snow which has lowered the water levels across the state. Reservoirs catch and hold rain water and snow melt...they don't make rain. To put it in laymen's terms: if you have 8 empty glasses outside and it doesn't rain, and you add 4 more empty glasses and it doesn't rain...you still have empty glasses! Someone should show her a poster of the Hydrological Cycle, which can be found in every 6th Grade Science classroom in the country.

(Illustration from Trenberth et al., 2007, Estimates of the global water budget and its annual cycle using observational and model data, Journal of Hydrometeorology.)

     The sad part is that some people out there will hear or read Ms. Fiorina's words and actually believe them. They will blindly support her and push for more reservoirs, so they can have more empty ones to be concerned about, without regard for the real facts and evidence. The MOUNTAINS of evidence! Facing and acknowledging climate change and the fact that humans are causing it is too much for many to face, because it means they have to change how they live, which many are unwilling to do, regardless if it means leaving this whole mess to their kids and grandkids to deal with.

     However, there is silver lining to what Ms. Fiorina said. She has graciously given me some really good material for this blog. If she believes that environmentalists are to blame for California's water shortage, I wonder what else she may believe:

- That Narcotics Anonymous is the main reason that there is a drug problem in the United States.

- That if there were no Gun Control Advocates, than there would not be a gun issue in this country.

- That coal ash and chemical spills are good for rivers and streams.

- That polar bears are to blame for the ice melting in Antarctica.

- That if the poor had more money, than they would make all of us poor.

- That since sea level is rising, there really isn't a drought.

- That if we put more cars on the highways, traffic would get better.

- That if we all held our breath, breathing would be easier.

     Good grief. It just goes to show you, even a former CEO of a Fortune 500 company can be completely clueless. Someone should hire her an adviser to prevent this kind of crap.

Myths and the Ease of Change

     Popular Mechanics released a great article about the myths of Climate Change. Some of the things being said are grossly inaccurate, so I was tickled that they shared. Yes, I said I was tickled. So what?
You can read the article here.

     To think, just by not throwing away that leftover meatloaf so the kids can eat pizza, you can reduce waste, reduce methane emissions and safe yourself some money too! I think that is one of the huge misconceptions about being "Green". Being more environmentally conscious isn't more expensive, it can save you money from the get go! Sure, solar panels, beefed up home insulation and LED lightbulbs cost more upfront, but that stuff pays you back pretty fast and then you're in the black! Green is the new Black!

      If you want to be more green, check out these websites and learn how easy it is to reduce your footprint on this lovely planet. Sometimes its as easy as having certain houseplants to clean the air or planting a tree in a strategic place outside. For real. You don't have to be a tree hugger to like trees.

Green Living Ideas
Sustainable Baby Steps
Earth Easy
Real Simple

     If you want to speak out and speak up to encourage our elected officials to take action and stop ignoring the cold hard facts, visit Citizens' Climate Lobby. You can make a difference. You just have to say something.

New House Update

     The new house is coming along. What you see here is the rainwater cistern. We will be using rain and snowmelt to flush the toilets. Drainage from the lot will be directed into the cistern, where there is a pump that will direct the water, through a filter and then to the service lines for the toilets. You can't see it, but the cistern is about 3 meters deep, which means quite a bit of water capacity.

     Not a big money saver, but it's a water saver. Reducing how much water we buy from the city was important to us. Utilizing rainwater helps reduce our impact on the environment and make our house a more sustainable domicile. 

     We will also use rain barrels at strategic downspouts around the house so we will be able to water the garden and plant beds.  The cistern and rain barrels will only save us pennies in terms of what we save from buying water from the city (which we still do for showers, sinks, etc.) but it helps save water resources going forward. We are just redirecting rainwater for our use. We will use less of the city's supply, which makes more available for others. The rain barrels will allow us to water where its needed without it flowing onto the street or other impervious surfaces where it can't soak in. 

     There are other sustainable things we have planned, so stay tuned and I will show them to you as we progress! Have a great weekend.