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.

Water: Our Scarcest Natural Resource Next To Oil

         I know I have been concentrating most of my efforts to the cause of the clean water crisis in Africa but I became curious about the rest of the World, in particular my World, the U.S.A.  Are we immune to water issues? We would like to think so but Oh Contrair! Some sources expect that 36 States will have water shortages by 2013 and already, the seven states, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California that share water from the Colorado river have begun negotiations on how to manage the river's limited and dwindling flow.

        This is my cat Tucker... We have a love/hate relationship but my daughter Ella says mostly love no matter what I say. He is like a two year old child, really... and I guess my husband and I have fed into that.  He does not like water from his bowl but begs for water from the tub. He begs for allot of other goodies which he often also gets but to save him from any embarrassment I did not picture his rotund little body! Sometimes we forget to turn off the tub water stream and find that it may have been running freely for hours at a time.  By the way..... I know I have the ugliest bathtub you have ever seen.

                  

         Allot of our rainwater here in the US falls to the ever growing concrete slabs and picks up bacteria, pollutants and chemical along the way.  It's not being absorbed into the ground but runs off into our water systems, streams, rivers and lakes.  A large portion of our water treatment facilities were built decades ago and were not designed to handle the volume of all the runoff and impurities we are now putting in our water.  For instance all the pharmaceuticals and pesticide's that are constantly being dumped into our drainage systems are some of the items that our treatment facilities have a hard time filtering out.  In some areas raw sewage and illegal dumping are contaminating streams, rivers and lakes.

         In our land of plenty I think we just don't think about it and take for granted God's blessings because water has always been plentiful for us. You can bet your bootie that if my family were living in Uganda today, We would not even consider running tub water for our cat.... no matter how precious.                          Just something to think about....

Day Eleven:

       The calendar says that I am a quarter of the way through the 40 day challenge and I have to say that it's true what they say about being able to think more deeply about things when you are deprived of something you are used to having.

       Today I have been thinking about an aspect of water that doesn't involve being thirsty. It is the problem of sanitation. Another byproblem of having a lack of accesible clean water.

       I am sure most of you have and I know I have experienced times when the power went out, sometimes for a few days at a time due to bad weather or a main power line beeing downed. How inconvenient when their is no electricity to pump water up to our faucets or toilets. I don't know about you, but at that time water and sanitation becomes a big part of my thought process.  This week I have been thinking about what it would be like to be in that situation permanently.  From the time we are in preschool here in the Western world, we are taught hygiene.  Everyone has sung the "Twinkle Twinkle little star" song while washing hands and the proper technique on how to do. We take for granted that the rest of the world has been taught the same thing.  What I have learned is that a lot of programs involved in the clean water campaigns are spending time, energy and money teaching water hygiene techniques to not only children but adults as well. Amazing... I had no idea!

The "tippy tap" is a low cost, low tech, low water, hands-free device to promote hand washing with soap.

         It baffles me to think that thousands of children die all over the world not only because they have no access to clean water, but the water that they do have available to them is so far away, scarse and not very potable. They skip sanitation practices because either it takes too much energy or due to ignorance and they end up getting sick or dying from diahrea, dehydration caused by gineaworm, disentary, cholera, trachoma which are all water born diseases. All this is so preventable with education and simple water saving techniques.

Day Eight:  Blessed

Blood:Water Missions has put together a journal for those who have chosen to take this 40 day water challenge. The journal is an assortment of verses, success stories, plain o'll facts and words of encouragements. I wanted to share today's journal entry with you.

       Slowly, the days when the sun would shine became fewer and fewer.  Everyone knew what it meant: life and death were coming.

       Sure, the water brings life, if, and only if, someone was lucky enough to catch it in a clean container.  It would water the plants. The gardens. The animals. For a short time, anyway.

       After a few days, the rain would continue and the roads would become nearly impassable.  As everyone went about their business, they would notice how deep the water would get.  Anything with value was placed as high as it could go: sometimes on the corrugated metal roofs.  Before long, in the deepest places, children were not allowed and adults trudged through the mud and streams as they went about their daily activities.

      Flooding was inconvenient and stripped away so much of what this village had.  But it wasn't the flood that did the most damage. It was cholera.
cholera spreads through water.  If one person in the village has it, everyone who touches the water is at risk.  And every year, thousands of people would die during the rainy season because of the cholera outbreak.  The overabundance of rain was their only supply for drinking water.  And it wasn't clean.  They were cursed and they were named for it.  The name of the village, Chapulu Kusu, means cursed in Bemba, the language of this area in Zambia.

      They may have been cursed, but they were not forgotten.  Seeds of Hope International, one of the partners of Blood:Water Mission in Zambia, took notice.  They built wells.  They provided bio sand filters.  They educated people on hygiene and sanitation.
Everything changed.

      The next rainy season came, and not a single person died of cholera.  It happened again.  Nobody died.  And again.  And again.  No deaths because of cholera.

      Realizing the life clean water brought, the people of Chapulu Kusu petitioned the Zambian government to have their name changed.  No longer would they be know as cursed.  A new name was on their lips:

Mapalo,  which means blessed.

      The government agreed with the petition and the village mane was changed.  Now when the rainy season comes, the only thing that washes away is the fear, and the life and the blessing of clean water stays.


                     

Reflection#8: What's in a name?  Dignity.....  Reflect on the freedom that is lifted when life replaces death.


"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."  Matthew 25:40

Day Seven:  I am posting a video on Bio Sand Filters, pretty interesting if you've never seen one. It amazes me that this simple device is such a lifesaver and so inexpensive to build. What is so great about this technology is that volunteers are working with the local population, teaching them how to build and maintain these things. Sort of like the old saying "give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach him how to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime." Apparently these bio filter boxes were invented by a professor in Canada in the 90's and are being installed by many humanitarian outreach groups. This video was made by a group called "All Hands" and was filmed in Haiti.

 I am having a serious debate about whether to drink coffee this Sunday since I had to deal with another day of caffeine withdrawals on Monday. Only time will tell if I will cave under the temptation.... will I be a glutton for punishment? I love the way people are interested in what I'm doing and they ask how my water journey is going.  It's very encouraging to know that people really do care about their world and the people in it.

"He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done".                  Proverbs 19:17

Who Is My Neighbor?

Day Six: After a break yesterday, it's back to drinking only water for 6 more days and though I really enjoyed my cup of coffee Sunday morning it made me a little jittery... I'm sure I'll get over that once I get back in the regular habit of it LOL! I am also eating more and I'm not sure why? I have heard that coffee will suppress appetite and maybe it's because my taste buds are bored..... Not good that I am probably gaining weight but still good that the money I am saving will go towards the drilling of wells and construction of bio sand filtering boxes.

                                       Who Is My Neighbor?

                          


        Luke 10:25-37 is the well known parable of the Good Samaritan who finds a man along the side of the road badly beaten and robbed and cares for all his needs until he can recover. Before the Samaritan found him, a priest and a Levite who were religious leaders in their time had seen the poor wretched man and had passed by on the other side of the road, ignoring the man's distress.

                                     Who Is My Neighbor?

       With mass media coverage we have awareness of the needs of others which was not so available 50 years ago. We have access to all sort of means of travel which was not so easy 50 years ago and we have the ability now with better equipment, medicines and new technologies which were not available 50 years ago. We have so much to offer in the 21st century.......... So why don't we?

Bono from the rock band U2 has been the voice for the poor in the World for a long time now and said these words which were sobering to me.



Anderson Cooper and Bono full lenght K'naan Samalia famine




        "15,000 Africans are dying each day of preventable, treatable diseases.  This statistic alone makes a fool of the idea many of us hold on to very tightly:  The idea of EQUALITY, there's no way we could conclude that such mass death day after day would ever be allowed to happen anywhere else.  Certainly not in the US,EU or Japan.  An entire continent bursting into flames?  Deep down, if we really accept that their lives, African lives are equal to ours, we would all be doing more to put the fire out.  It's an uncomfortable truth."

               

        Why is it that the crash of a single airplane makes headlines while the equivalent of one hundred planes, filled with African children crashing daily never reaches our ears? Because that is the reality folks!  Maybe it's because the child is not our own. Maybe if it were happening in our own neighborhood?



Beginnings

    Day Two:  No headaches today, but this is going to be harder than I first thought it would be. I will just keep in mind that Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days, Noah sat in that Ark for 40 days, Elijah walked to Mount Horeb for 40 days and not to mention the Israelites who wondered the desert for 40 years. 


      How do you Begin your day? Everyone by now knows how I start my morning and over 54% of Americans drink coffee daily as the start of their morning routine as well. In countries with little access to clean water, most women begin their day by taking empty water containers to the closest water source. In many areas in Africa, these treks can be five, ten, even twenty miles long depending on the region and the season. After hours of walking, these women will likely wait in line for another several hours to fill up their containers (usually 10-20 liters; which weigh 22 to 44 pounds) and carry them the long distance home.

This is a world vision sponsored video called "In Sabina's Shoes" where a journalist named Kari Constanza follows an African wife and mother for a day.  It's a little lengthy but well worth the watch!

    Instead of beginning their day at school, many children are also needed on these long journeys to provide water for the family. When it comes down to choosing between education or fetching water, water always wins. It’s needed for survival.

Water is a scarce and therefore an often exploited commodity in these areas. Because those responsible for gathering water – women and children – are also the most vulnerable, they’re subjected to sexual assault and robbery. The roads are almost always unpaved and the terrain can be dangerous due to landscape or wildlife. Over the course of time, carrying this amount of weight repeatedly causes various bone and joint issues that produce complications during pregnancies or later on in life, preventing these women from gathering water in the future.

    However, women and children have no choice. Their families need them to make these daily sacrifices in order to get water and survive.

      As you begin 40 Days of Water, think about how you begin your day. As you give your coffee pot a forlorn look as you pass it by, allow your mind to wander to the other side of the world. Imagine waking up and beginning the day with an arduous and dangerous task that you have no choice in doing. Think of the weight these women and children carry – not only physically, but emotionally as well.

Reflection #2: Today, be grateful that clean water is only at most, a few feet away from you and that you have the opportunity to help lessen the load these women and children bear. Pray for them today.

Written by Anne Jackson and Friends of Blood:Water Mission               

Day One

        So far so good, this morning was a little rough not getting to smell the familiar fragrance of my coffee machine's brewing timer turning on at exactly six oh five and the joy of sipping on a hot cup of Joe while getting ready for work.  I popped a couple of Ibuprofen's to subdue the inevitable coffee headache, drank 8oz of water instead and thanked God for the assistance he promises me in my time of need as I headed off to work. I keep reminding myself that this is a good thing.


        A few years ago I ran across this little book with a different take on the traditional nursery rhyme of Jack and Jill. I believe it's done by the UK,Australia and New Zealand's branch of Samaritan's purse called "Turn on the Tap" program.  I tried to order some to share with some of the kids (and adults) in my life but couldn't get through the international red tape. Could be I haven't tried hard enough.

Jack and Jill

So Seriously, Why would anyone voluntarily give up Coffee, soda ,beer, wine and did I mention Coffee for 40 days? There's also juice, milk and did I mention Coffee? During these winter months, there is nothing like relaxing with my hubbie, working on a good "Words with Friends" game and sipping on a hot herbal tea concoction.


         "Why Should I Care?"

I must have lost my Mind!.....Actually, I think I lost my heart......and hopefully I can get you to lose yours as well as you follow me through this Blood:Water Mission's "Forty Days Of Water" Challenge as I hope you will follow along with me. Here are some links for those of you that are not familiar with this Group. Check them out and see for yourselves if this is a group that you think is worth following and maybe even supporting. Check out the financial reports as well.


Blood Water Mission
40 Days

I will be starting this challenge on February 22, 2012 and will end on April 7th. See you Soon! Come join me! I challenge you!