We don't think much about it other than that we expect it to flow from our taps on demand. We leave the it running when brushing our teeth, cleaning our cars and homes, and doing our laundry. We use potable treated water for flushing our toilets, or pouring into the ground for watering plants, and washing driveways.
While the world’s water is stuck on the planet with all of us, the all of us part of the equation is increasing. Furthermore, fresh potable water is getting harder to find. There’s plenty of water, but only if you like it filthy or salted.
Almost half the world's people face serious fresh water shortages, and of those that do get water, only half again have access to truly potable water that doesn't cause disease.
The forecasts for water availability are appalling, but the problem is complex with no easy answers. The lack of water is a bigger problem than global warming, terror attacks and new diseases combined.
There are many proposals to deal with existing and looming water shortages, but too many focus on mega-engineering projects like dams and pipelines, and less on rebuilding natural systems like forest watersheds and wetlands to conserve and provide water resources.
Pahang State in Malaysia had a Eureka moment when it realized it could sell water from forest watersheds to adjacent Selangor State for 70 Million Ringgit (P980Mln) annually, ten times more than the 7 million Ringgit (P98Mln) it earns from logging. Ergo, Pahang is exiting the logging business and entering the water business, selling water to Malaysia's most populous state.
Unfortunately, many Philippine forests have been stripped bare by loggers in cahoots with corrupt government officials, and the small patches that remain are barely adequate for watersheds.
Replanting may help, but forest watershed ecosystems are not just ipil-ipil trees planted by politicians seeking photo opportunities, but complex systems of trees, shrubs, vines, and ground crawlers that have developed over hundreds of years.
These spongelike ecosystems capture water from rain, from dew, and mountain streams gradually releasing water into the environment as clean rivers and underground water reservoirs.
Sadly, our depleted landscape merely funnels muddy rainwater into the valleys, occasionally triggering landslides that kill hundreds, on its way back to the sea.
A research analyst points out that as much as we complain about the high price of oil, the price of potable water has risen at a faster rate.
We used to be able to stick a pipe into the ground and expect potable water, if we couldn’t, there was always cheap, potable NAWASA (the state water utility) juice.
Those days are long gone.
Many subdivisions have to rely on expensive trucked in water, and when was the last time you believed you could safely drink water from the tap? Don’t forget to buy a gallon of filtered water on the way back, wil’ya?.
Checked your water bill lately? It’s now around P26/cubic meter for treated water. Analysts say this could easily double or triple over the next ten years.
As recently as ten years ago, it was six pesos per cubic meter, and tap water was potable. If gasoline changed as much, we’d be paying P52/liter for dirty gas.
If we instead compared the price of filtered water and gasoline increased as much, we'd be paying five hundred pesos a liter for gas.
The truth is that we cannot increase the supply of fresh water, which is why it’s getting more expensive.
There are more and more people, and people are moving into areas that used to be sustainable watersheds. The human imprint on the planet is getting much bigger than the ecosystem that supports us.
Most fresh water comes from rain, which rushes down denuded mountains on its way back to the sea to become undrinkable seawater. Desalination plants work, but they are expensive to run and leave behind mountains of salt.
The only thing we can change right now is how we use water. Conserve water, close the faucet while brushing your teeth, use a pail, not a hose, to wash your car.
We all know the drill.
These little measures help, but are sadly nowhere near enough. The
global fresh water situation is already too grave.
Agriculture is the biggest consumer of fresh water, accounting for 70%
of consumption, yet offers the greatest potential for conservation.
Techniques pioneered in the desert regions of the midwestern U.S., and
the middle east show water savings of as much as ten fold for every ton
of produce.
In Asia, flood irrigation is most common--and most wasteful. It is
essential for growing rice in the developing world, but less essential
for other crops. Overhead and drip irrigators help conserve water (and
expensive fertilizer) when growing vine, shrub, and tree crops.
Harnessing what would otherwise become floodwater is another plentiful
source of agricultural water.
Several countries saw the sense of that decades ago and combined the
agency handling flood control with the one handling irrigation. It’s
all about water management: Control the huge volumes of floodwaters
and divert them to storage areas for distribution to agricultural
lands.
Industry and residential uses account for 30% of water consumption, but
there is so much waste of treated potable water for uses that simply
don’t require it.
Water engineers classify water into three categories: Whitewater,
which is treated and generally potable; Graywater, which has some
impurities and therefore not potable, but which has not come into
contact with food scraps and toilet waste; and Blackwater, which is
wastewater containing toxic chemicals or toilet waste destined for
septic tanks and other treatment facilities.
Re-using graywater offers the greatest potential for conserving water
at the residential and industrial sectors.
Sources are plentiful, and the uses are many: Stored rainwater,
condensate from airconditioners, rinsewater from the washing machine,
used water from bathtubs and showers are all forms of graywater that
can be used for flushing toilets, cleaning cars and floors, and
watering lawns.
There is no sense in wasting potable whitewater for flushing toilets.
If you’ve ever stayed at the Excelsior in Hong Kong, you’ve seen
graywater at work. Toilets at the hotel, and many others in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Middle East use graywater for flushing.
In California, “graywater” laws require buildings and apartment
complexes to install graywater plumbing for flushing toilets and
watering lawns. Countries in Europe, notably Germany, have similar
requirements.
Malaysia is currently debating laws requiring buildings and residential
apartments to catch and store rainwater for use in flushing toilets,
washing cars, and watering lawns. The laws limit use of treated pipe
water to drinking and personal hygiene.
Another plus is that with numerous rainwater catchments, there will be
less rainwater to drain away, alleviating city flooding.
We may not have these laws yet, but there is no reason why we can’t
build these systems into new homes or retrofit them into existing
homes.
Think of all the graywater sources in your home: Rainwater,
bathwater, airconditioners, and the washing machine. How much
additional plumbing would you need to store this water and divert it to
toilets and a faucet in the garage?
You may not even need plumbing: It could be as simple as placing your
washing machine near a frequently used toilet and diverting rinsewater
to the flush tank. Or placing it in the garage and draining rinsewater
into a bucket for washing the car or watering lawns. Or diverting the
drain hose from the airconditioner, or rainwater pipe, into a storage
pail or drum.
For more information on graywater and its uses visit this site. Waterwise promotes water conservation in the United Kingdom.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Sun Safety
SUMMER IS HERE and many of us are looking forward to spending days by the beach and under the sun.
While we all need some sunshine to help our bodies produce Vitamin D, too much sunshine can cause premature skin aging, eye damage, immune system suppression, and skin cancer. Even young people can develop skin cancer.
Most individuals get 25% of their total lifetime exposure to sunshine before the age of 18, and just two blistering sunburns are enough to double our lifetime skin cancer risk.
Repeated sun exposure can cause the skin’s outer layer, the epidermis, to become thick and leathery, with wrinkles and furrows, particularly on the face.
Compare the skin on your upper forearm with the skin on your lower forearm, and you’ll see the effects of prolonged sun exposure. Notice the difference in texture and skin thickness?
Not all individuals burn at equal rates. White and fair skinned individuals are in greatest danger of burning; their skin is unable to produce enough melanin even after several days of sun exposure. These are individuals whose skin quickly turns red, without tanning.
Darker skin produces enough melanin to offer some protection, but will still burn, dry, and peel off with too much sun exposure.
The culprits are the three types of ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun: UVA, UVB, and UVC.
UVA rays are not blocked by the ozone layer and account for most of our sun exposure. UVB, and UVC rays are mostly blocked by the ozone layer, but if you’re visiting countries in the north and south, note that the ozone layer has been thinning, resulting in increased cases of skin cancer.
Remember, sunlight,and the UV rays still get through even in winter and colder climates.
Here are some basic tips to protect yourself:
Limit your exposure between the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., when the sun is strongest. Play golf, tennis, and swim in the early morning or late afternoon.
Use a broad spectrum sunblock, with SPF of 15 or greater, particularly for children, who tend to stay out in the sun for longer periods.
Apply sunblock 30 minutes before venturing out into the sun and reapply every hour or so, particularly if you are swimming or perspiring heavily.
Use a higher SPF sunblock on areas that need extra protection like the tip of your nose, your ears, your shoulders and upper forearms and your back.
Babies below one year of age should stay out of the sun— period. Their little bodies cannot tolerate high-SPF sunblock lotions whose chemicals may be absorbed through the skin, so the best protection is to keep them out of the sun, and have them wear a small hat if you need to carry them under the sun.
Wear a good pair of sunglasses, one that specifically provides UV protection, to protect your eyes and wide-brimmed sun hats to protect your face and provide some shade from the heat.
Polarized sunglasses offer extra protection from glare, but should not be used for driving.
(The Polarization interacts with the glass of your car’s windshield creating false rainbows)
Encourage children, in particular, to wear hats when playing in the sun.
Check with your physician if you are taking certain drugs such as tetracyclines, diuretics, and tranquilizers which may increase your sensitivity to the sun. Birth control pills are also known to increase sun susceptibility.
Take multivitamins and extra doses of antioxidants a few days before planned sun exposure to increase sun tolerance.
An additional five hundred milligrams to one gram of Vitamin C , 400 I.U. of Vitamin E, and 5,000 I.U. of Vitamin A (or lots of carrots) a day for three days before, during, and after your beach trip will increase your sun tolerance and help healing of mild sunburn.
If despite these measures, you’ve developed some form of sunburn, estimate the extent of the injury with this guide:
If skin is deep pink, with sensations of heat and burning, the sunburn is mild and should be treated by applying cool towels and a cool bath.
If skin is red, with itching and stinging, with visible strap lines, the sunburn is moderate.
Aside from cooling down with cool towels and a bath, take an aspirin every four hours, and apply an aloe vera (sabila) based cream.
If the skin is bright red with blisters, and the patient is running a fever and nauseous, the sunburn is severe. Seek medical attention.
While waiting, cool down the patient with cool towels or a cooling bath. Pat skin dry, do not rub sunburned skin. Take an aspirin every four hours, and apply aloe vera gels. Cooked oatmeal also makes an effective balm for severely burned skin.
Excessive sun exposure may also result in sun stroke, a severe life threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body’s heat regulating mechanism breaks down or is unable to cope with excessive solar heat.
Young children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable, as are diabetics, and individuals under the influence of alcohol.
Symptoms of sunstroke include: hot, dry, flushed skin. A lack of sweating (due to the breakdown of the body’s heat control system).
Rapid breathing and/or pulse. High body temperature and headache. Mental disorientation, ranging from agitation to lethargy and stupor.
Severe sunstroke victims may convulse, lose consciousness, and even die if corrective steps are not taken immediately.
The primary treatment goal is to bring down the body temperature by immersing the victim in a cooling bath, applying cool sheets and towels, or sponging down the victim with cool water.
Apply ice packs, if available to the neck, armpits, and groin areas. Call a doctor or emergency medical services at your location.
Fan the person to increase air flow and evaporation. When some body heat has been dissipated, gently elevate the feet to increase blood flow to the head. Massage the arms and legs to encourage blood flow throughout the body.
If the person is conscious, have him sip a glass of cool water or soft drink. Do not administer liquids to an unconscious victim.
Continue monitoring the body temperature until medical help arrives.
The body temperature of sunstroke victims may fluctuate and rise again even after a cooling bath.
To avoid sunstroke, drink plenty of fluids and pace your exposure to the hot sun, particularly if you’ve spent most of your time in the office shielded from the sun.
With sun safety consciousness and awareness of emergency procedures for sun and heat related injuries, we can all safely enjoy the abundant summer sunshine.
While we all need some sunshine to help our bodies produce Vitamin D, too much sunshine can cause premature skin aging, eye damage, immune system suppression, and skin cancer. Even young people can develop skin cancer.
Most individuals get 25% of their total lifetime exposure to sunshine before the age of 18, and just two blistering sunburns are enough to double our lifetime skin cancer risk.
Repeated sun exposure can cause the skin’s outer layer, the epidermis, to become thick and leathery, with wrinkles and furrows, particularly on the face.
Compare the skin on your upper forearm with the skin on your lower forearm, and you’ll see the effects of prolonged sun exposure. Notice the difference in texture and skin thickness?
Not all individuals burn at equal rates. White and fair skinned individuals are in greatest danger of burning; their skin is unable to produce enough melanin even after several days of sun exposure. These are individuals whose skin quickly turns red, without tanning.
Darker skin produces enough melanin to offer some protection, but will still burn, dry, and peel off with too much sun exposure.
The culprits are the three types of ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun: UVA, UVB, and UVC.
UVA rays are not blocked by the ozone layer and account for most of our sun exposure. UVB, and UVC rays are mostly blocked by the ozone layer, but if you’re visiting countries in the north and south, note that the ozone layer has been thinning, resulting in increased cases of skin cancer.
Remember, sunlight,and the UV rays still get through even in winter and colder climates.
Here are some basic tips to protect yourself:
Limit your exposure between the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., when the sun is strongest. Play golf, tennis, and swim in the early morning or late afternoon.
Use a broad spectrum sunblock, with SPF of 15 or greater, particularly for children, who tend to stay out in the sun for longer periods.
Apply sunblock 30 minutes before venturing out into the sun and reapply every hour or so, particularly if you are swimming or perspiring heavily.
Use a higher SPF sunblock on areas that need extra protection like the tip of your nose, your ears, your shoulders and upper forearms and your back.
Babies below one year of age should stay out of the sun— period. Their little bodies cannot tolerate high-SPF sunblock lotions whose chemicals may be absorbed through the skin, so the best protection is to keep them out of the sun, and have them wear a small hat if you need to carry them under the sun.
Wear a good pair of sunglasses, one that specifically provides UV protection, to protect your eyes and wide-brimmed sun hats to protect your face and provide some shade from the heat.
Polarized sunglasses offer extra protection from glare, but should not be used for driving.
(The Polarization interacts with the glass of your car’s windshield creating false rainbows)
Encourage children, in particular, to wear hats when playing in the sun.
Check with your physician if you are taking certain drugs such as tetracyclines, diuretics, and tranquilizers which may increase your sensitivity to the sun. Birth control pills are also known to increase sun susceptibility.
Take multivitamins and extra doses of antioxidants a few days before planned sun exposure to increase sun tolerance.
An additional five hundred milligrams to one gram of Vitamin C , 400 I.U. of Vitamin E, and 5,000 I.U. of Vitamin A (or lots of carrots) a day for three days before, during, and after your beach trip will increase your sun tolerance and help healing of mild sunburn.
If despite these measures, you’ve developed some form of sunburn, estimate the extent of the injury with this guide:
If skin is deep pink, with sensations of heat and burning, the sunburn is mild and should be treated by applying cool towels and a cool bath.
If skin is red, with itching and stinging, with visible strap lines, the sunburn is moderate.
Aside from cooling down with cool towels and a bath, take an aspirin every four hours, and apply an aloe vera (sabila) based cream.
If the skin is bright red with blisters, and the patient is running a fever and nauseous, the sunburn is severe. Seek medical attention.
While waiting, cool down the patient with cool towels or a cooling bath. Pat skin dry, do not rub sunburned skin. Take an aspirin every four hours, and apply aloe vera gels. Cooked oatmeal also makes an effective balm for severely burned skin.
Excessive sun exposure may also result in sun stroke, a severe life threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body’s heat regulating mechanism breaks down or is unable to cope with excessive solar heat.
Young children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable, as are diabetics, and individuals under the influence of alcohol.
Symptoms of sunstroke include: hot, dry, flushed skin. A lack of sweating (due to the breakdown of the body’s heat control system).
Rapid breathing and/or pulse. High body temperature and headache. Mental disorientation, ranging from agitation to lethargy and stupor.
Severe sunstroke victims may convulse, lose consciousness, and even die if corrective steps are not taken immediately.
The primary treatment goal is to bring down the body temperature by immersing the victim in a cooling bath, applying cool sheets and towels, or sponging down the victim with cool water.
Apply ice packs, if available to the neck, armpits, and groin areas. Call a doctor or emergency medical services at your location.
Fan the person to increase air flow and evaporation. When some body heat has been dissipated, gently elevate the feet to increase blood flow to the head. Massage the arms and legs to encourage blood flow throughout the body.
If the person is conscious, have him sip a glass of cool water or soft drink. Do not administer liquids to an unconscious victim.
Continue monitoring the body temperature until medical help arrives.
The body temperature of sunstroke victims may fluctuate and rise again even after a cooling bath.
To avoid sunstroke, drink plenty of fluids and pace your exposure to the hot sun, particularly if you’ve spent most of your time in the office shielded from the sun.
With sun safety consciousness and awareness of emergency procedures for sun and heat related injuries, we can all safely enjoy the abundant summer sunshine.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Rabies Awareness
March is the (Philippines') Department of Health's Rabies Awareness Month.
Rabies is an terrifying and fatal neurological disease. Once symptoms are apparent, there is no cure and there is a rapid progression to death. Bring your pets in for free vaccinations at your local Animal Health and Safety Center, and consider vaccinations for yourself and your family if you live in an area with Rabies, or plan to go camping and mountain climbing this summer.
Spelunkers (Cave Explorers) beware! Rabies can be acquired by inhaling the virus laden air found in caves with large numbers of bats.
Because it is slow progressing in the initial stages, Rabies may start days or even weeks after exposure through an animal bite, lick on broken skin, or scratch or, beer drinkers beware, by eating parts of an infected animal. By then, it is too late.
Fortunately, vaccination is a simple and effective means of protecting yourself, your family, and your beloved pets from Rabies. Most towns and municipalities have a free rabies immunization program for domestic animals, all you need to do is bring your pet to a nearby animal health and safety center.
Metro Manila and the Bicol region are known to be rabies hotspots. Consider vaccination if you intend to visit places with Bats and stray animals, or go camping and mountain hiking. Even popular Boracay has had known Rabies cases in both people and animals.
The cost of a preventive Rabies vaccine is far less than the cost of post-exposure Rabies vaccination. Bat bites, for example, frequently go unnoticed. That bat that brushed against you during a hike may have just inoculated you with his Rabies-infected saliva.
All animal bites are a medical emergency. Seek treatment as soon as possible. Even previously vaccinated individuals will need follow on treatment following an exposure.
Thankfully, new Rabies vaccines are painless, requiring only short-needle injections to the arms or buttocks, unlike older types which required daily intra-abdominal injections.
Many towns and all hospitals have bite centers that can administer the initial Rabies shots, then refer you to another center or hospital for follow-on treatment, a series of hassle-free shots over a period of a month.
Rabies is an terrifying and fatal neurological disease. Once symptoms are apparent, there is no cure and there is a rapid progression to death. Bring your pets in for free vaccinations at your local Animal Health and Safety Center, and consider vaccinations for yourself and your family if you live in an area with Rabies, or plan to go camping and mountain climbing this summer.
Spelunkers (Cave Explorers) beware! Rabies can be acquired by inhaling the virus laden air found in caves with large numbers of bats.
Because it is slow progressing in the initial stages, Rabies may start days or even weeks after exposure through an animal bite, lick on broken skin, or scratch or, beer drinkers beware, by eating parts of an infected animal. By then, it is too late.
Fortunately, vaccination is a simple and effective means of protecting yourself, your family, and your beloved pets from Rabies. Most towns and municipalities have a free rabies immunization program for domestic animals, all you need to do is bring your pet to a nearby animal health and safety center.
Metro Manila and the Bicol region are known to be rabies hotspots. Consider vaccination if you intend to visit places with Bats and stray animals, or go camping and mountain hiking. Even popular Boracay has had known Rabies cases in both people and animals.
The cost of a preventive Rabies vaccine is far less than the cost of post-exposure Rabies vaccination. Bat bites, for example, frequently go unnoticed. That bat that brushed against you during a hike may have just inoculated you with his Rabies-infected saliva.
All animal bites are a medical emergency. Seek treatment as soon as possible. Even previously vaccinated individuals will need follow on treatment following an exposure.
Thankfully, new Rabies vaccines are painless, requiring only short-needle injections to the arms or buttocks, unlike older types which required daily intra-abdominal injections.
Many towns and all hospitals have bite centers that can administer the initial Rabies shots, then refer you to another center or hospital for follow-on treatment, a series of hassle-free shots over a period of a month.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)