This is a great article about the correlation of water and poverty.
humanosphere.org/
Showing posts with label Conservation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Conservation. Show all posts
Monday, August 24, 2015
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Meeting with the Oaxaca Finance Minister
Juan Jose (the director of INSO) met with the Finance Minister of Oaxaca on Monday night to discuss our proposal to help the State with some of its water and sanitation challenges. We have been working on this proposal for many months now and working hard to secure a discussion with Mr Cagija after we were hosted by him in earlier last Fall.
Our proposal is a four part plan to help the Minister better understand the water and sanitation situation in Oaxaca and proved him with sustainable solutions. Our proposal covers:
Our proposal is a four part plan to help the Minister better understand the water and sanitation situation in Oaxaca and proved him with sustainable solutions. Our proposal covers:
- Develop a strategy for water and sanitation for the central valley
- Review the existing wastewater treatment plants and determine if they can be brought up to federal standards.
- Provide the Minister with a framework (technical, economic, environmental, sustainability) to evaluate new water and sanitation projects.
- Plan the implementation of pilot projects to demonstrate the technology innovations outlined in our strategy.
Like many things in Mexico they move much slower than here in the US. Thus, we are cautiously optimistic that we can secure this contact within the next few months.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Saludos (Hi) from all of us at Water for Humans!
The families of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla and Victor Bravo Ahuja district of Oaxaca City have come to Water for Humans for assistance in securing clean safe water access.
Today, we are calling for your action to make a difference!
Imagine your child having to drink Coke in place of safe water.
That's what many Oaxacan families resort to.
The primary school in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla has foregone buying school supplies in favor of providing expensive bottled water for its students.
They've come to us to ask for help to install a water filtration system instead.
Meet the students of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla and Prof. Rosendo Barragan Mendoza
Professor Rosendo Barragan Mendoza teaches grade 6 at Valentin Gomez Farias Elementary School located in the village. Prof. Mendoza said, "Sometimes when we run out of water jugs and children are still thirsty, they have to drink water from the tap and this causes many diseases." He tells us that clean filtered water would allow the school to stop buying expensive bottled water - and spend the money instead on school supplies. How is Water for Humans helping the children, and the school?
In continuing collaboration with INSO, Water for Humans will install a water filtration-purification system on the elementary school's water tank.
Estimated Project Cost: $500
How to Help
1) Spread the word about our efforts:
via our new
site. Invite your Facebook friends and email contacts to join in our funding efforts (by clicking the icons to the left of the "Donate" button on the crowdrise webpage).Crowdrise is a fast growing engagement tool/network that is helping many great causes fund the work that needs doing. If you have any question about how to join or set up a Team on Crowdrise, please Contact Us.
2) Give to Water for Humans directly at our
site. Thank you!
You are a person who cares about the world we live in and you have demonstrated that by supporting Water for Humans. Our new friends in Oaxaca's Central Valley say, "Muchas gracias!"
PS: Learn how your generous support will impact lives in Oaxaca and elsewhere by following the Water for Humans' Blog, our You Tube Channel and looking for updates on Facebook. We invite you to join the nearly 300 people who are "Followers" of Water for Humans on Facebook!
You can always donate directly at
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Water for Oaxaca - Rain Catchment Campaign
Saludos (Hi) from all of us at Water for Humans!
Imagine only getting municipal water once a week for 2 hours!
Imagine not flushing the toilet for 2 days because there is no water!
Water for Humans (WFH) is taking action to help alleviate the life-endangering effects of major water shortages in Oaxaca City, Mexico. We are responding to the cries for help from numerous families in the besieged Victor Bravo Ahuja district of Oaxaca City. They are asking Water for Humans and you to help them gain access to clean, safe drinking water. Here is a first-hand portrait of the human toll severe water shortages are exacting from the perspective of one family in Victor Bravo Ahuja!
Meet Susana Eva Vazquez
Suzanna is a community activist in the Victor Bravo Ahuja district of Oaxaca City. She wrote to Water for Humans and the Institute for Nature and Society in Oaxaca asking for our help in solving her neighborhood's chronic water shortages.
This is what Susana told us: "Our neighborhood was a landfill and quarry before becoming a residential district. Originally, water service consisted of two spigots; over time, the delivery system was expanded. Now, due to population growth, it is extremely insufficient. Last year, during the dry season most residences received water only two times per week for few hours per day. The water ... is not potable." With your support, here is how WFH wants to help Susana and her family...
Together with INSO, we are building 8,000 gallon rainwater catchment systems - a pilot project to be tested in eight homes in the neighborhood. The community members are committed to solving their water shortage problem by putting in almost $9,000, toward the total of $31,000!
Will You Answer Susana's Plea for Help?
You can help Susana and her family in this life-saving effort by helping Water for Humans today with a $25 donation via our
site. Our financial goal is to collect $6,000 towards this cause. Your generous contribution will play a critical role in Water for Humans being able to implement this innovative, low-tech, sustainable solution. With your donation, Water for Humans will bring tangible and significant improvements to the lives of Susana and her family and so many others in Oaxaca City! How to Help
First, you can help us spread the word via our
site by inviting your Facebook friends and email contacts to join our funding efforts (by clicking the icons to the left of the "Donate" button on the crowdrise webpage). Your Confidentially is Guaranteed - Your personal information will not, under any circumstances, be shared with any third parties!Thank you!
You are a person who cares about the world we live in and you have demonstrated that by supporting Water for Humans in its effort to help Susana and her family in Oaxaca City. Susana and her family thank you for your support! "Muchas gracias!"
See the Difference Your Donation Will Make For Susana and So Many Others In Oaxaca City!
Learn how your generous support will impact lives in Oaxaca and elsewhere by following the Water for Humans' Blog, our You Tube Channel and looking for updates on Facebook. We invite you to join the nearly 300 people who are "Followers" of Water for Humans on Facebook!
You can always donate directly at
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Droughts threaten nation’s food supply in Mexico
BY VÍCTOR MAYÉN
On Sunday, Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) deputies said that the country’s food supplies may be at risk. Nearly 500,000 hectares of crops of basic grains may fail due to droughts.
In view of this situation, Manuel Humberto Cota Jiménez, the Secretary of the Agriculture and Livestock Committee, asked President Felipe Calderón to declare as disaster areas the states that have been affected by lack of rain. He added that the federal government must also send resources immediately to respond to the emergency.
According to Cota, the federal government’s attitude regarding this situation is regrettable.
“The federal government is not offering the necessary resources to assist the rural zones that have been damaged by this situation. The government must destine resources to the affected states, not only to the states that are holding elections,” Cota said.
The National Meteorological Service (SMN) said that the states that have been most severely affected are: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Durango, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Jalisco and Guanajuato.
The cold temperatures in northern Mexico earlier this year and the recent drought have devastated this region. If actions are not taken soon, Mexico’s food supplies may be endangered.
Cota said that the drought will have a higher impact than this year’s freezing temperatures. Droughts are more serious because they can cause wildfires and death of livestock, which would cause a food crisis in Mexico.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
World Water Week-- Update
I hope you all know that this week is World Water Week. For us the week started off with an event at Chief Sealth High School in West Seattle on Monday Evening. We had an information table where we met over 50 + new folks interested in our work in Oaxaca. We also had new promotional materials designed by Jeffrey Hostert Graphic Design. This was followed by a talk by Robert Glennon. Robert spoke about the current state of drinking water here in the US and how we are potentially headed for some challenging times with respect to access to adequate safe water.
Then on Tuesday we again hosted a table at Seattle City Hall. Again this event was a success in that we met a lot of new faces and we were happy to hear that some of the folks who came to the event already knew about us, but did not know exactly what we are doing. On the upside we had to print up more handouts as we almost ran out by 11am.
We now have a new sticker to help promote our work
Then on Tuesday we again hosted a table at Seattle City Hall. Again this event was a success in that we met a lot of new faces and we were happy to hear that some of the folks who came to the event already knew about us, but did not know exactly what we are doing. On the upside we had to print up more handouts as we almost ran out by 11am.
We now have a new sticker to help promote our work
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
IT's World Water Day :)
March 22 is World Water Day. Please swing by Seattle City Hall, as we will be there as part of the cities and county's efforts to support Water awareness. We will have an information table setup to help us spread the word about our work.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Gabino Cué, the new governor of Oaxaca state in Mexico
Gabino Cué officially took office as the new Governor of Oaxaca on December 1st 2010 (which seems like a long time ago already). Please see the attached link. This election has come at a critical time for us and INSO as there will be a significant power shift in our favor. Grabino is committed to sustainable development and is very concerned about water and sanitation in the face of climate change. He understands the importance or water productivity and some of the potential challenges Oaxaca faces in the coming years. INSO has already held several key meetings with the new ministers, and INSO is working hard to secure a personal meeting with Grabino and several of his ministers. The goal of this upcoming meeting is to help the new government formulate a sustainable strategy for water resources. We (Water for Humans) and INSO will hopefully be able to help formulate an overarching strategy that will allow us (WFH & INSO) will work closely with the new government and implement many new projects
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Mexican Farms Need a Water Revolution - IPS ipsnews.net
Mexican Farms Need a Water Revolution - IPS ipsnews.net
Mexican Farms Need a Water Revolution
By Emilio Godoy*
MEXICO CITY, Nov 17, 2010 (Tierramérica) - Without financing, many Mexican farmers cannot improve their ageing irrigation systems, which are essential if Mexico is to withstand the effects of climate change and reduce its emissions of greenhouse-effect gases.
Pressurised and drip irrigation are two leading-edge options that also make relatively efficient use of water and electricity, reducing power fossil fuel burning and greenhouse gases emissions.
These new systems are expensive, but "they would allow us to grow crops year-round and have more jobs and better incomes," farmer Oseas Espino told Tierramérica. He grows sorghum on about 30 hectares in the Yecapixtla municipality in the southwestern state of Morelos.
Espino is one example of the thousands of small and medium farmers who are unable to modernise their irrigation systems.
The most widely-used system is based on gravity, with electrical pumping equipment. But it "generates inefficiency in the use of water and electricity," Nemecio Castillo, an advisor with the National Institute of Forestry and Agricultural Research, told Tierramérica.
Seventy-seven percent of Mexico's piped water goes to agricultural use. There are some 118,000 wells for farming, but the authorities have rehabilitated just 6,000 of them.
Annually, operation of an inefficient well consumes about 200,000 cubic metres of water and generates 350 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the main greenhouse gases.
A well operated using modern technologies requires half the water and reduces greenhouse emissions to 98 tonnes of CO2, according to calculations by the non-governmental organisations El Barzón and Oxfam Mexico, which are promoting a plan to update the country's farm irrigation systems.
According to these organisations, inefficient water use in agriculture means that more than 80 percent of Mexico's 180 largest aquifers are overexploited and it is already difficult to sustain the total irrigated area.
The total farmed area in Mexico is more than 20 million hectares, with irrigation for 5.3 to 5.5 million hectares, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography. The most abundant crops are maize, beans and sorghum, which require a great deal of water to grow.
Maize -- used to make the tortilla, a staple in the Mexican diet -- requires 1,700 cubic metres of water per tonne produced, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. One tonne of sorghum needs 1,200 cubic metres of water per tonne.
Of the 630,000 registered farms in Mexico, just 16 percent have irrigation and 12 percent utilise unconventional techniques, report El Barzón and Oxfam.
There are 85 irrigation districts that cover 3.5 million hectares in hands of 583,000 users, particularly in central and northern Mexico, states the National Water Commission.
Those districts demand 30 billion cubic metres of water per year, 90 percent of which comes from reservoirs and 10 percent from underground sources.
From 2000 to 2009, agricultural electrical consumption jumped 17 percent. Government subsidies for energy purchases for farming -- about 50 cents on the dollar per kilowatt -- have cost 640 million dollars in public funds this year.
A traditional gravity-based system "irrigates one hectare in 24 hours, while a drip system does it in three or four hours," irrigation engineer José de Santos told Tierramérica.
According to Oxfam and El Barzón, the combination of an efficient well and modernised irrigation would be the equivalent of reducing CO2 emissions by 36 percent, energy consumption 40 percent and water use 50 percent.
Mexico emits 715.3 million tonnes of CO2 per year, six percent originating from agriculture.
Drip irrigation, which directs the water to the plant roots through soaker hoses, and pressurised irrigation, which uses closed pipes and sprinklers to create a directed precipitation, are the main alternatives to irrigation channels.
But their costs are quite prohibitive for small and medium farmers: 2,250 to 2,500 dollars to set up a system, according to figures from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
An additional obstacle is the government's slow action on the problem. The Ministry of Agriculture launched the Strategic Project for Irrigation Modernisation, with a budget of 52 million dollars for this year and the goal to update 22,000 hectares, benefitting 1,500 farmers. But the farmers have to put up another four million dollars to obtain the equipment.
"The cost is very high. The problem is that many farmers rent their land, and the owners aren't interested in adding the technology," said irrigation expert De Santos.
Since 2006, the National Water Commission has modernised irrigation on 599,000 hectares, with financing of 240 million dollars. The goal for 2012 is to reach 1.2 million hectares with irrigation.
In addition, "we have to move towards crops that require less water," like garbanzo beans, vegetables, fruits and oil crops. "The farmers need to be aware that water is a finite resource," said farming advisor Castillo.
In any case, there is no alternative to modernisation: one hectare yields 27.3 tonnes if it is irrigated, compared to just 7.8 tonnes without irrigation. And climate change will only intensify the droughts that are already taking a toll on Mexican farming, warns the National Institute of Ecology.
* This IPS story is part of a series supported by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network http://www.cdkn.org (END)
Mexican Farms Need a Water Revolution
By Emilio Godoy*
MEXICO CITY, Nov 17, 2010 (Tierramérica) - Without financing, many Mexican farmers cannot improve their ageing irrigation systems, which are essential if Mexico is to withstand the effects of climate change and reduce its emissions of greenhouse-effect gases.
Pressurised and drip irrigation are two leading-edge options that also make relatively efficient use of water and electricity, reducing power fossil fuel burning and greenhouse gases emissions.
These new systems are expensive, but "they would allow us to grow crops year-round and have more jobs and better incomes," farmer Oseas Espino told Tierramérica. He grows sorghum on about 30 hectares in the Yecapixtla municipality in the southwestern state of Morelos.
Espino is one example of the thousands of small and medium farmers who are unable to modernise their irrigation systems.
The most widely-used system is based on gravity, with electrical pumping equipment. But it "generates inefficiency in the use of water and electricity," Nemecio Castillo, an advisor with the National Institute of Forestry and Agricultural Research, told Tierramérica.
Seventy-seven percent of Mexico's piped water goes to agricultural use. There are some 118,000 wells for farming, but the authorities have rehabilitated just 6,000 of them.
Annually, operation of an inefficient well consumes about 200,000 cubic metres of water and generates 350 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the main greenhouse gases.
A well operated using modern technologies requires half the water and reduces greenhouse emissions to 98 tonnes of CO2, according to calculations by the non-governmental organisations El Barzón and Oxfam Mexico, which are promoting a plan to update the country's farm irrigation systems.
According to these organisations, inefficient water use in agriculture means that more than 80 percent of Mexico's 180 largest aquifers are overexploited and it is already difficult to sustain the total irrigated area.
The total farmed area in Mexico is more than 20 million hectares, with irrigation for 5.3 to 5.5 million hectares, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography. The most abundant crops are maize, beans and sorghum, which require a great deal of water to grow.
Maize -- used to make the tortilla, a staple in the Mexican diet -- requires 1,700 cubic metres of water per tonne produced, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. One tonne of sorghum needs 1,200 cubic metres of water per tonne.
Of the 630,000 registered farms in Mexico, just 16 percent have irrigation and 12 percent utilise unconventional techniques, report El Barzón and Oxfam.
There are 85 irrigation districts that cover 3.5 million hectares in hands of 583,000 users, particularly in central and northern Mexico, states the National Water Commission.
Those districts demand 30 billion cubic metres of water per year, 90 percent of which comes from reservoirs and 10 percent from underground sources.
From 2000 to 2009, agricultural electrical consumption jumped 17 percent. Government subsidies for energy purchases for farming -- about 50 cents on the dollar per kilowatt -- have cost 640 million dollars in public funds this year.
A traditional gravity-based system "irrigates one hectare in 24 hours, while a drip system does it in three or four hours," irrigation engineer José de Santos told Tierramérica.
According to Oxfam and El Barzón, the combination of an efficient well and modernised irrigation would be the equivalent of reducing CO2 emissions by 36 percent, energy consumption 40 percent and water use 50 percent.
Mexico emits 715.3 million tonnes of CO2 per year, six percent originating from agriculture.
Drip irrigation, which directs the water to the plant roots through soaker hoses, and pressurised irrigation, which uses closed pipes and sprinklers to create a directed precipitation, are the main alternatives to irrigation channels.
But their costs are quite prohibitive for small and medium farmers: 2,250 to 2,500 dollars to set up a system, according to figures from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
An additional obstacle is the government's slow action on the problem. The Ministry of Agriculture launched the Strategic Project for Irrigation Modernisation, with a budget of 52 million dollars for this year and the goal to update 22,000 hectares, benefitting 1,500 farmers. But the farmers have to put up another four million dollars to obtain the equipment.
"The cost is very high. The problem is that many farmers rent their land, and the owners aren't interested in adding the technology," said irrigation expert De Santos.
Since 2006, the National Water Commission has modernised irrigation on 599,000 hectares, with financing of 240 million dollars. The goal for 2012 is to reach 1.2 million hectares with irrigation.
In addition, "we have to move towards crops that require less water," like garbanzo beans, vegetables, fruits and oil crops. "The farmers need to be aware that water is a finite resource," said farming advisor Castillo.
In any case, there is no alternative to modernisation: one hectare yields 27.3 tonnes if it is irrigated, compared to just 7.8 tonnes without irrigation. And climate change will only intensify the droughts that are already taking a toll on Mexican farming, warns the National Institute of Ecology.
* This IPS story is part of a series supported by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network http://www.cdkn.org (END)
Friday, October 29, 2010
Another reason to attend the Global Washington Annual Conference: Dean Karlan, Yale University Economics Professor,
Global Washington
Conference 2010
November 15 & 16
Microsoft Campus, Redmond
Check out the conference agenda, submission and selection criteria for the Video Showcase, and register here!
CLICK HERE to access the social networking site connecting members of the development community! (If you'd like to join, but haven't received an invitation, email megan@glboalwa.org)
We are pleased to welcome Yale Professor of Economics Dean Karlan as a guest speaker at our upcoming conference!
In 2007, The New York Times listed Karlan as one of 13 young “Economists to Watch” for his work in microfinance. Times blogger Steven D. Levitt described Karlan as an economist who “has been doing important and innovative work, often using field experiments to answer questions related to financial decisions in developing countries.” Karlan is an expert in economic issues relating to charitable giving and global development methodologies—especially microfinance. He is President of Innovations for Poverty Action; serves on the Board of Directors of the M.I.T. Jameel Poverty Action Lab; and is Founder and President of stickK.com. He also received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2007.
At the conference, Dr. Karlan will share his thoughts on the challenges and successes in evaluation and impact assessment for global development work. He will provide an economist’s perspective on these solutions, particularly:
1) Evaluation matters. Wins and losses are not always where you expect them.
2) Methodology matters: Studying impact means answering a simple but elusive question: how have lives changed compared to how lives would have changed had the program not existed?
3) Design matters. The way products and processes are offered can have big effects on decisions people make.
4) The impact of mobile technology on development, highlighting examples and successful partnerships.
Sources:
Steven J. Levitt, “Congratulations to Dean Karlan”, December 5, 2007, http://freakonomics.blogs.
“Economists to Watch,” The New York Times, January 10, 2007, available from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Mexican farmers battle erosion and drought -- PRI the world
On PRI's show the World today (Wed Oct 20th). Our partner NGO in Oaxaca founder Juan Jose gave an interview about the work his team is doing at their pedregal (permaculture) site in Oaxaca Mexico. The story is here this link includes down-loadable MP3 and other information about the great work INSO is doing can be found here
Friday, October 8, 2010
Co-founder Rick McKenney to speak at the upcoming Global WA Conference Nov 15-16
Global WA is hosting its second major conference here at the Microsoft Campus
Redmond, WA on November 15-16.
Rick McKenney has been invited to join a distinguished group of experts to discuss:
Ensuring Environmental Sustainability: Stories of Successful
partnerships November 15, 2010
Other panelists for this session include:
To register please see this link Global WA Conference
Redmond, WA on November 15-16.
Rick McKenney has been invited to join a distinguished group of experts to discuss:
Ensuring Environmental Sustainability: Stories of Successful
partnerships November 15, 2010
Other panelists for this session include:
- Kari Vigerstol (kvigerstol@tnc.org). Kari can talk about the 'water funds' they've set up in Latin America to fund conservation of watershed lands - also an example of public/private partnership also.
- Marla Smith-Nilson, Executive Director , Water 1st International sustainability issues, specifically as they relate to water and sanitation projects MarlaSmith@water1st.org
To register please see this link Global WA Conference
Global Washington Conference--Bridges to Breakthroughs: How partnerships and innovation are changing the world November 15-16
Bridges to Breakthroughs: How partnerships and innovation are changing the world
Click here to register
November 15-16, 2010
Microsoft Campus
Redmond, WA
Microsoft Campus
Redmond, WA
Following 2009’s Blueprint for Action, Global Washington brings together innovators and thought leaders in Washington State’s global development community to set actionable goals towards establishing effective partnerships. By fostering these partnerships, we build bridges that lead to breakthroughs.
Keynote Speaker: Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues.
President Barack Obama appointed Melanne Verveer as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues. The President’s decision to create a position of Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues is unprecedented, and reflects the elevated importance of these issues to the President and his entire Administration.
Click here to read Ambassador Verveer’s Bio.
Register today!
Sponsorship packages are available; if you are interested in being a sponsor, please contact Bookda Gheisar at 206.547.9332 or bookda@globalwa.org.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Help in understanding your city's water quality
You may have recieved a reprot from your local city water department about the quality of your water service.
Below is a link to a great report and guide to help you understand what it all means to you.
Food and water watch tap water guide
Below is a link to a great report and guide to help you understand what it all means to you.
Food and water watch tap water guide
Monday, June 14, 2010
EXAMPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE WORLD.
KOREA.
South Korea is, in many ways, a model of reforestation for the rest of the world. When the Korean War ended, half a
century ago, the mountainous country was quite deforested. Since 1960, under the dedicated direction of President Park
Chung Hee, the South Korean government put into effect a national reforestation effort. Basing itself on the formation of
rural cooperatives, hundreds of thousands of people mobilized themselves to dig irrigation ditches and create terraces to
help the trees in the arid mountains. Today, the forests cover 65 percent of the country, an area that comes to
approximately 6 million hectares. When I drove through South Korea in November of 2000, I found it gratifying to see the
abundance of trees covering the mountains, which a generation ago were naked.
www.ecogaia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=306:recuperar-los-bosques-con-elcambio-de-habitos&catid=3:noticias-y-articulos&Itemid=4
NIGERIA.
In Nigeria, the farmers who encountered a serious drought and the desertification of the 1980s, began, while they were
preparing the land for their crops, to allow some acacia shoots that grew in their fields to emerge. When those trees
matured, they reduced the wind velocity, and with that, soil erosion. Acacia, a pulse, fixes enriched nitrogen into the soil
and contributes to increased crop yield. During the dry season, the leaves and the pods supply forage for livestock. The
trees also provide the farmers with firewood. This act of allowing 20-150 shoots per hectare to grow to maturity over
about 3 million hectares has revitalized the agricultural community of Nigeria.
DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE USA.
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/las-10-tendencias-mas-prometedoras/1480
ONE-EYED ARGENTINE DEER.
COSTA RICA AND THE IRIS.
www.tendencias21.net/innovacion/Papel-de-lirio-un-ejemplo-de-innovacion-para-la-sostenibilidadosustentabilidad_a16.html
USING THE IRIS
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2007/10/18/index.php?section=sociedad&article=045n1soc
www.pym.org/.../ewg/ gaviotas/200506image001b.jpg
www.yesmagazine.org/.../ 33/6_Gaviotas_wind.jpg
www.revistavirtualpro.com/.../ ejemplo.jpg
www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/espanol/buildings/gbsstoc.shtml
www.encolombia.com/medicina/materialdeconsulta/Admon_Salud/Hospital_Autosuficiente.htm
KOREA.
South Korea is, in many ways, a model of reforestation for the rest of the world. When the Korean War ended, half a
century ago, the mountainous country was quite deforested. Since 1960, under the dedicated direction of President Park
Chung Hee, the South Korean government put into effect a national reforestation effort. Basing itself on the formation of
rural cooperatives, hundreds of thousands of people mobilized themselves to dig irrigation ditches and create terraces to
help the trees in the arid mountains. Today, the forests cover 65 percent of the country, an area that comes to
approximately 6 million hectares. When I drove through South Korea in November of 2000, I found it gratifying to see the
abundance of trees covering the mountains, which a generation ago were naked.
www.ecogaia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=306:recuperar-los-bosques-con-elcambio-de-habitos&catid=3:noticias-y-articulos&Itemid=4
NIGERIA.
In Nigeria, the farmers who encountered a serious drought and the desertification of the 1980s, began, while they were
preparing the land for their crops, to allow some acacia shoots that grew in their fields to emerge. When those trees
matured, they reduced the wind velocity, and with that, soil erosion. Acacia, a pulse, fixes enriched nitrogen into the soil
and contributes to increased crop yield. During the dry season, the leaves and the pods supply forage for livestock. The
trees also provide the farmers with firewood. This act of allowing 20-150 shoots per hectare to grow to maturity over
about 3 million hectares has revitalized the agricultural community of Nigeria.
DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE USA.
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/las-10-tendencias-mas-prometedoras/1480
ONE-EYED ARGENTINE DEER.
COSTA RICA AND THE IRIS.
www.tendencias21.net/innovacion/Papel-de-lirio-un-ejemplo-de-innovacion-para-la-sostenibilidadosustentabilidad_a16.html
USING THE IRIS
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2007/10/18/index.php?section=sociedad&article=045n1soc
www.pym.org/.../ewg/ gaviotas/200506image001b.jpg
www.yesmagazine.org/.../ 33/6_Gaviotas_wind.jpg
www.revistavirtualpro.com/.../ ejemplo.jpg
www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/espanol/buildings/gbsstoc.shtml
www.encolombia.com/medicina/materialdeconsulta/Admon_Salud/Hospital_Autosuficiente.htm
Thirty Years of Government Irresponsibility Brought this Crisis
Gustavo Esteva:
Thirty years of irresponsibility by the Mexican government has provoked the crisis and made it even worse, and because of this an immediate solution from the society itself is required, assured Gustavo Esteva, director of the University of the Earth (Unitierra).
After learning about the activities during the “Gathering for an Autonomous Life”, he indicated that the crisis has a clear origin and corresponds to a series of political choices by the government itself, where decisions were left in the hands of private corporations.
He says it is obvious that this strategy, in which the government renounced its responsibility, hasn’t worked and now we are living the consequences of the State’s abandonment.
The investigator said that people have tried reacting “but are confronted with a combination of State and commerce that has not only caused the economic disaster, but also environmental degradation, contamination and lack of human development.”
He commented that this isn’t just a Mexican problem; it is a global problem, but in Mexico, there are exact dates: “for 30 years the government has not assumed its responsibilities, and instead, has sunk us.”
Because of this, the crisis must be faced head on before it gets worse, before we face further problems. Now, people are fighting to survive. They can begin acting and using practices to resolve this critical situation.
Along these lines, this Thursday at 4:30 in the afternoon the “Gathering for an Autonomous Life” will begin. It will end the 11th of April in the Juarez El Llano park and will have demonstrated that families to individuals can begin to act with a goal of achieving a satisfactory and autonomous life, meaning not being dependent on commerce or State politics.
“The concrete experience of those who have decided to change their lives or view them in another way drives these activities because we want to recuperate what we have lost.”
He reported that this isn’t something complicated. It doesn’t require a large investment, only an effort and decision.
He added that implementing these actions, in the case of water, has become a grave problem. “We should establish new relations because climate change should also be analyzed from this point of view.”
“We need to begin using concrete practices ourselves, like cultivating food on our patios in order to become less dependent on others,” he said. He commented that the tradition was to do things ourselves “and they [the government] took us down an inappropriate road.” Because of this, it is necessary to recuperate this tradition. “We can’t keep waiting… change is today. The solution comes from below, what we have to do is at the core. We have to be reasonable, no one ‘over there’ can fix this problem,” the investigator emphasized.
He reaffirmed that it is the people who must assume responsibility for the changes and not wait for the government or functionaries. “We are the base.”
Thirty years of irresponsibility by the Mexican government has provoked the crisis and made it even worse, and because of this an immediate solution from the society itself is required, assured Gustavo Esteva, director of the University of the Earth (Unitierra).
After learning about the activities during the “Gathering for an Autonomous Life”, he indicated that the crisis has a clear origin and corresponds to a series of political choices by the government itself, where decisions were left in the hands of private corporations.
He says it is obvious that this strategy, in which the government renounced its responsibility, hasn’t worked and now we are living the consequences of the State’s abandonment.
The investigator said that people have tried reacting “but are confronted with a combination of State and commerce that has not only caused the economic disaster, but also environmental degradation, contamination and lack of human development.”
He commented that this isn’t just a Mexican problem; it is a global problem, but in Mexico, there are exact dates: “for 30 years the government has not assumed its responsibilities, and instead, has sunk us.”
Because of this, the crisis must be faced head on before it gets worse, before we face further problems. Now, people are fighting to survive. They can begin acting and using practices to resolve this critical situation.
Along these lines, this Thursday at 4:30 in the afternoon the “Gathering for an Autonomous Life” will begin. It will end the 11th of April in the Juarez El Llano park and will have demonstrated that families to individuals can begin to act with a goal of achieving a satisfactory and autonomous life, meaning not being dependent on commerce or State politics.
“The concrete experience of those who have decided to change their lives or view them in another way drives these activities because we want to recuperate what we have lost.”
He reported that this isn’t something complicated. It doesn’t require a large investment, only an effort and decision.
He added that implementing these actions, in the case of water, has become a grave problem. “We should establish new relations because climate change should also be analyzed from this point of view.”
“We need to begin using concrete practices ourselves, like cultivating food on our patios in order to become less dependent on others,” he said. He commented that the tradition was to do things ourselves “and they [the government] took us down an inappropriate road.” Because of this, it is necessary to recuperate this tradition. “We can’t keep waiting… change is today. The solution comes from below, what we have to do is at the core. We have to be reasonable, no one ‘over there’ can fix this problem,” the investigator emphasized.
He reaffirmed that it is the people who must assume responsibility for the changes and not wait for the government or functionaries. “We are the base.”
Autonomous Life Conference --Oaxaca
Water is not a commodity; it is an asset; it is considered sacred, from the ground, from the gods or nature, assured the professor of Morelos University, Jean Robert, a participant in the seminar to rethink the relationship with water.
As part of the meeting for an autonomous life that initiated the investigation Juan Jose dictated the masterly conference. The tools of autonomous sustainability where he said: They removed from us the water and now pretend to return it as a commodity when water is a good, an asset that does not need to be sold because it is from nature and for those that require it.
He added that the first affected by the transformation of the water to an economic value is the poor.
The problem of the water should be the over exploitation of the aquifers, transference of the waters from another and the desertification stated the investigator. He considered that one has to look for alternatives before the water crisis that lives in the country and world. He mentioned the Federal District case, where it had the inundation, but it is where the water problem also exists.
The Swiss investigator, a nationalized Mexican, said it is characteristic of the society of that greater the abundance, that greater the scarcity.Jean Robert was collaborator of Ivan Illich—author of a series of criticisms of key instructions of progress of modern culture of 30 years duration and works on water themes, energy, habitation, city and transport. Actually he develops his reflections in the wheel of material culture.
The meeting for an autonomous life ends April 11th, and in those days in the El Llano Park will have diverse activities and samples that have to strengthen an autonomous life.
As part of the meeting for an autonomous life that initiated the investigation Juan Jose dictated the masterly conference. The tools of autonomous sustainability where he said: They removed from us the water and now pretend to return it as a commodity when water is a good, an asset that does not need to be sold because it is from nature and for those that require it.
He added that the first affected by the transformation of the water to an economic value is the poor.
The problem of the water should be the over exploitation of the aquifers, transference of the waters from another and the desertification stated the investigator. He considered that one has to look for alternatives before the water crisis that lives in the country and world. He mentioned the Federal District case, where it had the inundation, but it is where the water problem also exists.
The Swiss investigator, a nationalized Mexican, said it is characteristic of the society of that greater the abundance, that greater the scarcity.Jean Robert was collaborator of Ivan Illich—author of a series of criticisms of key instructions of progress of modern culture of 30 years duration and works on water themes, energy, habitation, city and transport. Actually he develops his reflections in the wheel of material culture.
The meeting for an autonomous life ends April 11th, and in those days in the El Llano Park will have diverse activities and samples that have to strengthen an autonomous life.
The Water Situation in Mexico is Devastating and Worrisome
In the current Mexican water situation round table, Jean Robert, an expert on the topic, pointed out that many of the projects implemented by organizations in power come to destroy the natural resources of the zones with rough richness using by utopian ideas that have nothing to do with the reality of the context in which they take place.
He explained, to the public and to the experts with whom he shared the analytical table in “Search for a sustainable life”, that the vital liquid situation in Mexico is getting more devastating and worrisome.
He pointed out that many of these utopian ideas are carried out by those who maintain political, economic and scientific power, who impose mega-projects on communities, greatly affecting the development of those same communities.
For his part, Roberto Romero of the foundation “Gonzalo Río Arronte,” maintained that Mexico needs to clarify points of analysis in its critical water situation. The culture that the Mexicans, he related, is seen with regard to water use and the integrated management of the basins. The afore-mentioned should be analyzed with a global vision in which the integration of the inhabitants, the authorities and the private institutions that want to support the emerging projects in the convergence of different sectors of society is dealt with.
The participants agreed on the necessity of starting from projects that take into account the current situation of the natural resources, in addition to the needs of the people, since often the governments don’t have a comprehensive vision for optimizing the natural resources and end up detonating important processes.
Finally, they discussed the need to return to pre-hispanic customs left by earlier cultures. The alternative water construction, cultivation and storage techniques are taken from ancestral practices that have been forgotten by Mexicans and aren’t being taken advantage of as they could be.
He explained, to the public and to the experts with whom he shared the analytical table in “Search for a sustainable life”, that the vital liquid situation in Mexico is getting more devastating and worrisome.
He pointed out that many of these utopian ideas are carried out by those who maintain political, economic and scientific power, who impose mega-projects on communities, greatly affecting the development of those same communities.
For his part, Roberto Romero of the foundation “Gonzalo Río Arronte,” maintained that Mexico needs to clarify points of analysis in its critical water situation. The culture that the Mexicans, he related, is seen with regard to water use and the integrated management of the basins. The afore-mentioned should be analyzed with a global vision in which the integration of the inhabitants, the authorities and the private institutions that want to support the emerging projects in the convergence of different sectors of society is dealt with.
The participants agreed on the necessity of starting from projects that take into account the current situation of the natural resources, in addition to the needs of the people, since often the governments don’t have a comprehensive vision for optimizing the natural resources and end up detonating important processes.
Finally, they discussed the need to return to pre-hispanic customs left by earlier cultures. The alternative water construction, cultivation and storage techniques are taken from ancestral practices that have been forgotten by Mexicans and aren’t being taken advantage of as they could be.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Collaboration with BOFISH
Over the past several months we have been researching potential partners for one of our social venture enterprises; aquaculture and hydroponics. This research has led us to the premiere provider of this technology in Mexico BOFISH. Our goal is to incorporate aquaculture and hydroponics into our sustainable sewage treatment system such that these enterprises will help generate revenue for the operations and maintenance of the treatment plant, high-value agricultural products, and local employment.
We are pleased to have this collaboration is this helps move our vision forward of making a truly sustainable wastewater treatment system, and turns a public health hazard into a major public asset.
We are pleased to have this collaboration is this helps move our vision forward of making a truly sustainable wastewater treatment system, and turns a public health hazard into a major public asset.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
8 March 2010 ---“Gathering for an autonomous life”
Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca (INSO)--(Major sponsor) and Water for Humans shared a table at this event (see image of the poster in a post below)
From the Oaxaca news.
To combat the crisis of negatives impacts to nature and society, it’s urgent to make transformations, and to mark these transformations the “Gathering for an autonomous life” begins on the 8th of April in EL Llano Park.
In accordance with the call to combat the changes in nature and society leading to repercussions in health, it’s necessary to adopt new attitudes and practices.
Through round tables, interactive games, projections and technology exhibitions for treatment of waste, organizers are looking to raise people’s consciousness so they will change the attitudes that harm the environment.
“Beginning with the autonomous action of people and groups, propelled by the dire necessity of survival, or due to old ideals, we can convert the disasters that overwhelm us into opportunities to reverse the phenomena that they create,” say the Center of Support of the Popular Movement Oaxaca.
More than the fact that these new attitudes and practices can enrich daily life, they create natural and social harmony, and stimulate forms of dignified life.
Teemed with the ensemble of these actions is the goal to exemplify another way of life that doesn’t affect the natural environment.
Organizations and communities of Oaxaca and of the country will participate in this gathering to share their experiences, knowledge, attitudes and various capacities to work on the construction of an economically feasible, ecologically sensible and socially just world.
Other events taking place are the 6th Congressional Expo -“Towards a holistic vision of health”, the 5th Expo Ecology Fair - “The sun comes out for everyone”, dialogue and climate conventions in the towns, Tianguis indigenous multicultural, Seminary “Rethink water from civil society” and the second national forum of
From the Oaxaca news.
To combat the crisis of negatives impacts to nature and society, it’s urgent to make transformations, and to mark these transformations the “Gathering for an autonomous life” begins on the 8th of April in EL Llano Park.
In accordance with the call to combat the changes in nature and society leading to repercussions in health, it’s necessary to adopt new attitudes and practices.
Through round tables, interactive games, projections and technology exhibitions for treatment of waste, organizers are looking to raise people’s consciousness so they will change the attitudes that harm the environment.
“Beginning with the autonomous action of people and groups, propelled by the dire necessity of survival, or due to old ideals, we can convert the disasters that overwhelm us into opportunities to reverse the phenomena that they create,” say the Center of Support of the Popular Movement Oaxaca.
More than the fact that these new attitudes and practices can enrich daily life, they create natural and social harmony, and stimulate forms of dignified life.
Teemed with the ensemble of these actions is the goal to exemplify another way of life that doesn’t affect the natural environment.
Organizations and communities of Oaxaca and of the country will participate in this gathering to share their experiences, knowledge, attitudes and various capacities to work on the construction of an economically feasible, ecologically sensible and socially just world.
Other events taking place are the 6th Congressional Expo -“Towards a holistic vision of health”, the 5th Expo Ecology Fair - “The sun comes out for everyone”, dialogue and climate conventions in the towns, Tianguis indigenous multicultural, Seminary “Rethink water from civil society” and the second national forum of
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