C5H2O – A Formula for Water Management
In scientific terms, C5H20 is a molecular formula. In human terms, however, it’s a formula that combines the human elements of creativity, communication, consultation, consensus, and collaboration with traditional approaches to maximize water management efforts.
The Dollars and Sense of Wetland Preservation
Wetlands are crucial for the maintenance of a healthy environment and the provision of clean, useable water for human and ecosystem use. They are incredibly productive areas containing an abundance of biodiversity. They are natural buffers that reduce the occurrences of floods and droughts. And, they are critical breeding and nursery grounds for aquatic and terrestrial species.
More People Are Hitting the Bottle
On the label there’s an image of a mountain glacier, snow capped mountains, or perhaps a pristine mountain lake. The label may also contain words like: clear, refreshing, healthy, pure, and natural. When you combine these images with aggressive marketing campaigns that promote the benefits of drinking their products, it’s little wonder the bottled water industry is seeing phenomenal worldwide growth.
Water is a Basic Human Right!
Lack of access to safe drinking water is a situation that plagues approximately 783 million people, many of them being among the world’s poorest. Additionally, 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation. The use of contaminated water causes many serious diseases, which results in the death of millions of people every year. The lack of adequate quantities of safe water prevents people from obtaining the basic essentials for living, such as proper hygiene, adequate food, and improved sanitation.
Women’s Involvement Key to Sustainable Water Management
Lack of access to safe drinking water is a situation that plagues approximately 783 million people, many of them being among the world’s poorest. Additionally, 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation. The use of contaminated water causes many serious diseases, which results in the death of millions of people every year. The lack of adequate quantities of safe water prevents people from obtaining the basic essentials for living, such as proper hygiene, adequate food, and improved sanitation.
“Ribbons of Life” Are Tied to Long-term Environmental Health
Every shoreline is a “living edge” or “ribbon of life” where land, water, and air meet. Healthy natural shorelines along lakes, creeks, rivers, ponds, canals, estuaries, and oceans contribute significantly to the overall health of our entire water system.
Lawn Perfection or Environmental Protection?
If you drive through many neighbourhoods, you are likely to see yards, parks, and golf courses sporting the so called ‘perfect lawn.’ It’s a large expanse of lush weed-free green grass that is the pride and even obsession of many homeowners. Although this form of landscaping may be aesthetically pleasing to many people, it’s often created with the extensive use of pesticides. The attempt to produce weed-free lawns and pest-free gardens is causing significant environmental contamination.
Water – the Molecular Masterpiece
Of course, most of us know water molecules consist of two hydrogen atoms bound to one oxygen atom – hence the chemical formula H2O. We also know some of the properties of water, such as its ability to act as a solvent for many compounds, absorb and release heat, penetrate into small spaces in soil and rock, form ice that floats on surface water bodies, transport nutrients and waste in living organisms, and act as a major force capable of changing the earth’s surface. But how is this simple compound able to do such amazing things? The answer lies in the structure of the water molecule itself – a masterpiece of simplicity that sustains the complexity of our entire planet.
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