Community Archives - Page 5 of 8

WILL LOW WATER USE REFLECT HIGHER RATES?

With many meeting statewide reduction goals and cutting their water use by more than 25 percent, water districts are looking to raise water prices up to 18% over the next 5 years in a bid to expand repairs of crumbling water mains and electricity infrastructure. Since water agencies rely of a certain amount to maintain infrastructure and customer service, the State Water Resource Control Board has opened discussion this week to investigate a way to keep water use low, but also help districts with budget issues. Water scarcity and the need to support these organizations are both teaming up to drive up prices.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) users could potentially see their rates increase 2.4 percent to 5.4 percent annually for five years under a proposal released this Wednesday. In order to keep up with rising power and water costs, LADWP would need to bring up more income – resulting in higher water rates.

This is just the start of the extensive conversation in regards to rates and water usage. This dialogue will need to involve different parties, including customers and feedback from the community. Nonetheless, the scenario is changing and we will have to adapt as it does.

What are your thoughts on this and do you see any immediate solution to the water district income issue?

CA REACHED GOV JERRY BROWN’S WATER TARGET

New numbers, released this Wednesday, show that the state’s ambitious conservation campaign is working, with statewide residential water use declining 28.9 percent in May from its baseline 2013 levels. The figures surpassed Brown’s order in April to cut water use statewide by 25 percent.

This is great news, and we know that motivation, simplicity, through easy-to-remember tips and “triggers,” reminding people have gone a long way! There is still a lot we can do in other areas, such as in commercial buildings. Let’s take a look at how much is used where in urban areas.

Knowing the facts and motivating change will get us on track and help us continue to strive for better water conservation technology.

Hope you have a great weekend!

WHAT WE’RE READING: PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY

“How can human communities sustain a long-term existence on a small planet?” This is the main question that resonates throughout Stephen M Wheeler’s book. We are all aware that many existing urbanization patterns are unsustainable in the long run, however our generation has pulled up their sleeves and has started to initiate a change. Green buildings and labels such as LEED (throughout the world) and EPBD (in Europe) have become a predominant building standard in many urban centers, expanding far beyond just skyscrapers and office buildings.

Planning for Sustainability presents a wide-ranging, intellectually well-grounded and accessible introduction to the concept of planning for more sustainable and livable communities. The text explores topics such as how more compact and walkable cities and towns might be created, how local ecosystems can be restored, how social inequalities might be reduced, how greenhouse gas emissions might be lowered, and how more sustainable forms of economic development can be brought about. Only by weaving together planning initiatives and institutions at different scales, and by integrating efforts across disciplines, can we move towards long-term human and ecological well-being.

Our favorite quote: “Moving towards a better, more sustainable future is above all a planning challenge, in the broadest, most creative possible meaning of the term. It is a challenge of envisioning future directions, carefully evaluating and studying them, and then working in a variety of creative ways to get from here to there.”

Here is to the challenge; we know we are up for it!

1,046 GALLONS OF WATER WERE USED – HAPPY FOURTH!

When we think about fourth of July, we think about meat. Hot dogs, burgers, ribs – a celebration of protein. We’ve always been told that our bodies need protein, and lots of it, and in the U.S.A., “protein” is synonymous with “animal products.” Not necessarily true. Our protein quota can be met very nicely by a whole food, plant-based diet, and even though it does not hurt to delight in a juicy burger every once in while, it’s worth looking to our plate to save a few gallons of water per day. Agriculture uses 80% of California’s water supply, and producing what you eat can require a surprising amount of water.

Let’s see how much water a plate containing a good 8 ounce steak, grilled potatoes and asparagus would require to produce:

The number next to the plate above represents the direct and indirect amount of water required to produce your food plate, based on U.S. data from the Water Footprint Network. (Images and data from LA Times)

Numbers aside, hope you enjoy the holiday weekend! And if you do go for a nice yummy steak, which we all know many of you will, take a shorter shower and or flush efficiently. Little steps can go a long way!

Cheers.

LATEST WATER USE REPORT IN LA COUNTY

According to California Department of Water Resources, Californians use an average of 196 gallons of water per capita per day, including all businesses except agriculture. But there are wide differences by community, and the moist coasts uses less water than the arid inland.

See below, water usage in Los Angeles County based on water districts, population and location for the month of April. Where does your city come in?

DIRTY IS CLEAN

On Wednesday, we took the time to celebrate Drought Day. It was a very successful online gathering and we discussed issues such as drought shamming, mandatory water restrictions and water dependency in Los Angeles. One thing that caught our attention during the ongoing conversation, was the motivation in people to change certain daily habits in order to save water. Things like eating less meat and taking shorter showers were mentioned several times, so we thought it would be cool to put a few graphics together to show how much we can save. By changing a few simple things in our daily routine, we can make a difference. You know your go-to pair of jeans? You don’t have to wash them every week.

Use them more, let them be as comfy as possible and you can reduce water usage by 77%! Who knew dirty jeans could go this far?!

How else can you save water? Share ideas on twitter and Instagram with #falconwaterfacts. Have a fantastic weekend.

WORLD DAY TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION AND DROUGHT

In December 1994 the United Nations General Assembly declared 17^th June as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. The UN acknowledged that problems associated with desertification and drought affect all regions of the world and the problem needs to be fully discussed world-wide.

This is why, today is such an important day for us. Today we are able to promote awareness through an international community that has been doing so for 18 years. Even though these issues go beyond our daily efforts in an urban environment, we embrace it full heatedly. And what better organization to partner with than DIGDEEP to celebrate this day?

Every human being has a right to clean water and they are doing something about it. DIGDEEP promotes a human’s access to water, transforming their lives by building clean water infrastructure therefore helping to safeguard human dignity. Each of their water projects is designed using a human rights-centric approach, a practical model that integrates efficacy and dignity into the plans and processes of development through community involvement and training. Read more about their organization and projects here.

If you want to be a part of this discussion, join us today at 11 am PST on twitter using #DroughtDay. Let’s get the conversation going. We are in this together and as a community we are able to push any change forward!

To see all other events taking place around the world head over to the United Nation’s website.

#DROUGHTDAY TWITTER PARTY

We are co-hosting a Twitter Party with DIG DEEP this Wednesday at 11 am PST. This one hour online engagement will be focused on celebrating the United Nations’ World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, and will give us an opportunity to connect and discuss the urgent need to protect water and fight the drought! The Twitter Party presents a unique opportunity to create a conversation surrounding the drought and how it affects the lives of people here in California and worldwide, on a daily basis.

If you care about the future, you care about the drought! So join us, DIG DEEP and other twitter friends on June 17th by using the #DroughtDay. Visit DIG DEEP’s twitter account and join the fun!

Tweet you later.

WHAT WE’RE READING: GLOBAL THIRST

On a crowded shelf of books on water, one name stands out – John R. Wennersten. In his new book, “Global Thirst” (SchifferBooks), this seasoned scholar of environmental history has turned his eye from local issues of the Chesapeake Bay and Anacostia River to water across the globe and throughout the centuries.

Global Thirst offers a critical perspective on water, its uses, and access, as a major global issue in the 21st century. John R. Wennersten turns an unflinching eye on todays global water problems, critically analyzing pollution, drought, dying rivers, and the privatization of water utilities. He also offers commentary on what kinds of sustainable water options we should be pursuing in the near future. The author also touches on some of the less conventional aspects of the history of water. For example, Wennersten provides an extensive discussion of water’s role in culture, spirituality and religion, mythology and human speculation of the origins of life. Water not only provides a mean of survival, but it is also ingrained our culture. “Rivers appear frequently in the world’s sacred traditions as symbols of divine influence and life’s interdependence. They evoke an image of spiritual-intellectual energies cascading through the manifold planes of cosmic and intellectual life.”

Wennersten is a bit more historical than most water writers that we have read, and a bit less concerned with policy recommendations, however this comes as a breath of fresh air. When our focus is primarily on consuming water as a way of survival, we forget how much it affects other aspects of our life. Humans have always used water as a part of religion, entertainment and relaxation, and this continues to be an important aspect in our culture. We shouldn’t shy away from this or hope water supplies will be enough for the rituals to continue. On the contrary, “hope is not a strategy,” but solutions that require planning and work is what we need to focus on. “Carelessness and failure to plan have been the biggest enemies in the face of natural weather events. Our water catastrophe (the complete global scarcity of water) will not be a product of Mother Nature – it will be human-made.”