Some of my friends understand my obsession about water, and some don't. Though our city water systems have evolved a very high quality of life, there is a fragility, and toxicity, to the system.
It may be impractical for everyone to become self-sufficient when it comes to water - but water quality, and sourcing, is worth investigating.
We get our drinking water from a fresh river source which is run through ultra-violet filtration - and there are several spring water sources like this around the island. It may seem like a lot of work to collect water - but with all the chemicals being added to city water, and the research on plastic leaching the carcinogen Bisphenol A - we are risking our health if we don't choose to pay attention.
An example of my ignorance on this subject is that I thought if you used a plastic water bottle enough times, it would stop leaching. But in fact, it is the other way around! The more you re-use plastic water bottles, the more little crevices form from which the toxins leach.
At Thanksgiving someone mentioned that I am not the only one who thinks water may be an issue in the future. Apparently large corporations like Coca-Cola are buying up water rights. (I've got a long string of four letter words about that - but I'll spare you).
If you are fortunate to live somewhere where there is ample rainfall, one option is catchment. Some people meaning well have unwittingly made themselves sick not handling their catchment correctly - so check out this guide if you are thinking to go that route:
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/RM-12.pdf
What ever solution you come to regarding water safety and sourcing - it's a good idea to think it through carefully.
Here is an interesting link to a West Michigan group that is helping people understand just one of the many water issues we are now faced with the environmental impact our modern cities have on delicate eco-systems. Just something to consider to see how varied the issues involved can be: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlScj9yN6Jw&eurl=http://www.urbanraincatchersgazette.ca/show2s/INSPIRING_VIDEOS
No comments:
Post a Comment