Wasting Food = Wasting Water

             Day 33: I learned this week that one third of the food produced around the world goes to waste. This means that the resources used to produce that food are also lost. Since 70% of our freshwater is used to produce crops think of not only food getting wasted but also trillions of gallons of water as well. I read this week that the average American family of four throws out around 100 lbs of food each month.

          This is picture of our scrap bucket, we fill one of these up once or twice a week. We then take it out and dump it in a pile next to our garden where animals eat on it and some decomposes back into the ground or we turn it over into the garden in the fall.  I used to have a type compost container, but a large animal kept tearing it down.  As many of you know, I don't even like the thought of having a bear anywhere in the area and I kept having to repair the container so now, we just throw it in a pile. We started this mainly because we wanted to decrease the cost of hauling our trash to the dump since they charge by weight. Having done some reading this week, We've been doing a good thing and didn't even know it! Yeah,  but we've been doing our share of letting too much food in our refrigerator go bad.... I  learned that wasted food in the landfill contributes to global warming.  Decomposing food produces methane, a large contributor of greenhouse gasses.
        So what are some solutions? Compost leftovers, freeze what you can't eat when you've cooked a large meal and plan your meals before grocery shopping. These are things we can do as individuals but what about the large grocery stores that throw away produce because they have a few spots? I've heard that there are regulations that won't allow some grocers to give foods away that are close or at expiration date to homeless shelters or food pantries. Even restaurants that have food left over from a slow night have to throw it away. We are such a suing nation! We will let a person go hungry but by Golly  we couldn't possibly take the chance of them getting sick! Regulations regulations regulations. I guess the intentions are good. Why do we feel like a piece of fruit has to be blemish  free to be good to eat?
       Here's a link to an interesting idea to reduce food waste, help those in need and support local economies. It's an online food exchange concept. Check it out. http://www.shared harvest.net.



Leviticus 19:9-10 Says:  "When you harvest your land, don't harvest right up to the edges of your field or gather the gleanings from the harvest.  Don't strip your vineyard bare or go back and pick up the fallen grapes.  leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am God, your God."

Chick-Fil-A's Cow Says " Eat More Chicken

But maybe they should say:    "Eat More Vegetables". 

          At the "World Water Day 2012"  held just a few days ago in Italy, the slogan that was used allot was:


      "The World Is Thirsty Because We Are Hungry."



                      



         According to an article from UNwater.org, it takes about 1500 liters of water to produce 1 kg of wheat BUT it takes 10 times more water to produce 1 kg of beef.  It is estimated that we eat about 37 kg of meat per person per year and our demand for meat goes higher each year, which means that much more of food for animal consumption will need to be grown and which means much more potable water will be needed to water and process our livestock.

         Are there solutions to these seemingly impossible problems? I would say Yes! definitely! I began this project believing this to be a problem that was over there...... but have found that maybe the water problems over there........ are coming over here.... faster than any of us care to think much about.  The money I have raised will definitely go to Blood:Water Mission for the building and restoring of wells in the African Nation because that is where my heart hurts, but that is just not good enough anymore.  As an individual I need to do my part in caring for the water that I come into contact with every day and so should you. We should stand up when individuals or corporations are mishandling our water sources, become educated about best water practices.  Here is an interesting video with some possible solutions you might like:

Fish harvesting from our rivers has increased about 6% each year since 1970.  Fish require a healthy environment to thrive in. ( I cooked my guppies one time because the water heater malfunctioned.) The importance of maintaining ecologically sound water sources are far reaching......

Fish, Meat, Vegetable

Genesis 1:28-30  God blessed (Adam and Eve) them and said to them,   "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue (manage)  it.  Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. "  Then God said, "I give you every seed bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.  They will be yours for food.  And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground, everything that has the breath of life in it , I give every green plant for food." And it was so.

Have we been good stewards of what God has given us to manage?

What Won't Kill You Will Save You

        Day 25:  A week or so ago I mentioned that the creek that runs along my home is sometimes full but most of the time it's pretty dry. Up above our property is a mountain and about a mile up is where the water of our creek originates from several underground springs. In between the spring head and my home lies a industrial business. As the water travels down,  first fresh and clean, it picks up microorganisms along the way such as giardia, amoebeosis, cryptosporidium from animal droppings or decomposing carcasses.  As it passes by the neighboring industry,  it may pick up dust and traces of oil and gasses from the heavy machinery they use. Fertilizers and pesticides that we use on our lawn may get washed down into the stream as well. In some neighborhood creeks, contaminants are more in the form of leads, chemicals, toxins and detergents, trash, etc etc.... This is what it looks like when it gets to my house.

                              

        Doesn't look so bad does it?  Care to take a drink?  Go ahead,   if you want a good dose of stomach cramps,  diarrhea and maybe a little fever to go along with it!  For a really long list of all the nasties that our local water treatment facilities screen our water for before it reaches our faucets,  visit:  http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/index.cfm

Now You See It.

Now You Don't

I sometimes like to think about the  "What If's" .  What if our well, which by the way produces around 30 gallons per minute and is fabulous in taste. What if,  the well runs dry with no possible way of getting it  fixed and we became totally dependent on the water out of our creek.  Remember, sometimes it runs and sometimes it doesn't.  Yikes!

Here in this country I would probably run to the nearest Walmart and pick up some charcoal filters or some iodine tablets with vitamin C treatment.  I may use ultraviolet filters to disinfect it or strain out the biggest particles and debris and use the most effective manner of making it safe,  boiling it.

Or,

I could pick up a case of bottled water........

Water facts:

97% of the water on earth is in the oceans.

Only 3% of the water on earth is freshwater.

About 2.4% of the water on earth is permanently frozen in glaciers and at the polar ice caps.

About 1/2 of 1% of the water on earth is groundwater.

Only about 1/100 of 1% of the water on earth is in the rivers and lakes.

It takes 39,090 gallons of water to make a new car, including the tires.

Over 17,000,000 houses use private wells for their drinking water supply.

A person can live about a month without food, but can live only about 1 week without water.

What Is All This Effort Worth?

 Day 22:

This is my piggy (Bear) bank.



          I did a little math yesterday and with the money I would  have normally spent on other beverages than water,  I figured that the savings will come up to around $129.00 at the end of the 40 Day Water Challenge. 

      Blood:Water Mission makes a claim that $1 dollar can supply one African with clean drinking water for an entire year.

    Is it possible then that the $129.00 that I will have raised in only 40 days of skipping my favorite beverages, will provide clean water to 129 people for 1 year?  Even if I couldn't have found anyone to participate with me or support me in this venture, Just the pure math of it would have compelled me to do it. It's not too late... Join me!

Why Do We Do The Things That We Do?

           Alright, so I had a little melt down the other day and  I whined a little.... OK, maybe a little more than a little! I'm back strong and with renewed purpose... maybe because tomorrow I can splurge! A banana milkshake it will be!
          This is what grabbed me this week:

          "The White savior industrial complex is not about justice.  It is about having a big emotional experience that validates privilege".

           That's what Nigerian born writer Teju Cole said about the grass roots campaign "The invisible Children" project that had raised awareness by blasting the world with a twenty minute video, highlighting warlord Joseph Kony, leader of the LRA, a guerrilla group that had and still is now on some levels kidnapped, raped and turned thousands of African children into killers for more than twenty years. The idea was to "make famous" this killer in an effort to unite the world in capturing this guy and making him stand trial for his crimes against humanity.

"Never Doubt That A Small Group Of Thoughtful, Committed Citizens Can Change The World; Indeed, It's The Only Thing That Ever Has.
Margaret Mead

         The video went viral and the co creator has since been arrested for unsavory behavior, the critics attacked the IC in huge waves saying that "the video was too simplistic and emotional", "We should seek a peaceful solution", "A major strike may cause more violence".  They were questioning IC"s motives and financial reports. The video became an instant motivator for many but mostly young college age kids who were exposed to the injustice of what they SAW before them.  I watched the video and had high hopes for it as well. I believe that bringing awareness to an issue will awaken our sense of justice and then guide us toward activism. But the critic that made me STOP EVERYTHING and examine my own motives for entering into this Blood:Water's Mission's "40 days of water challenge", was the statement made by Teju Cole which I posted at the top of this entry.  He is challenging their/my motives!

        What is my motivation for doing it?  Am I a white American (immigrant) desiring to be a hero to poor, helpless Africans?  Am I doing this out of guilt?  Not every question has an easy answer, but this one did.  I just needed to think about it for a few minutes.

 "Vision Without Action Is Merely A Dream.  Action Without Vision Just Passes The Time.  Vision With Action Can Change The World." 
Joel Barker

       As most of you know, I consider myself a follower of Christ and although a lot of times I don't much care for my fellow earth walkers, he says I should love and extend grace to all his children.  I do love Jesus and I think his teachings are sound and are truth. These verses are some of the reasons I am doing this.

The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:31-46

This is what God commanded the Israelites to do:
"If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.  Do not take interest of any kind from him". Leviticus 25:35

God says: "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?  Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the lord will be your rear guard.  Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: here am I.  Isaiah 58:6-9

Days is ADraggin..........

• SeSeriously the hardest day I've had yet.... How can that be.  I've had  terrible cravings all day long.... Today at work I felt certain that someone on our floor was making a fresh pot of Joe every hour on the hour..The aroma was almost more than I could take!  Visions of coffee beans dancing through my head! Oh my! Oh my! I'm at the halfway point of the 40 Day challenge! Has it really only been 20 days?

                                         

   So now the newness has worn off and it is amazing just how long 40 days can really be.....   I can tell you that it's never been this long before! I will never again take for granted all the glorious drink options that are mine to choose and partake from. I can make it through... I quit smoking so I know that I can do this.

                                                                          

Catching Rain Water

                                                          Day 16: 

Gary, my husband

So far so good, but some days are harder than others. I really miss the taste of orange juice and I  take advantage of drinking it on my weekly "day off". It is sooo good!

          Gary and I worked on our herb and vegetable garden this weekend. The weather has been so unseasonably warm that it has brought out the farmer in us. We planted more asparagus,onions,lettuce and I put some rhubarb in the ground. Worried about possible frosts, we covered the new roots with brush to protect them. We talked about finding a way to collect rainwater or rigging some sort of a pump that would allow us to draw some of our creek water for irrigating our little garden.....that is when the thing is flowing. You just never know when it will. 

        Blood:water mission takes donations for the purchase of concrete for the purpose of building wells and rainwater collection reservoirs. They usually have this campaign at Christmas time... Something you might want to consider if you are looking for a worthwhile Christmas present to give. I suppose that the collection of rain water seems like a simple enough project, that is if you have access to gutters, PVC pipe, spigot hardware and concrete. Building a reservoir is not as easy a project, unless your getting your building directions off the Internet or selfhelp books, have the ability to drive yourself to your nearest ace hardware, pay for the materials on credit or cash and can load up the stuff into your truck. The whole project could come to a stand still even if only one of these objects were not available to you. These people are not stupid, just poor, tired and they have not had the educational benefits such as learning mathematical problem solving techniques most of us in the western world have received. They can't just go to Lowes and whip out there wallet can they? I do however wonder how once a reservoir is built, they keep the water from becoming stagnant in those tanks. Sounds like more research is needed. I am including a video that isn't necessarily educational but I liked it any way. Till next time.