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	<title>Blue Planet Green Living &#187; Water</title>
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	<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com</link>
	<description>Blue Planet Green Living - Earth Wise. Money Smart.</description>
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		<title>Running Out of Water by Peter Rogers and Susan Leal</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2011/08/05/running-out-of-water/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2011/08/05/running-out-of-water/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:46:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alenka Figa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slideshow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sustainability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Orange County]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Peter Rogers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Running Out of Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Susan Leal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water Conservation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/?p=15926</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is no secret that humankind is facing several environmental crises. Greenhouse gases are slowly cooking the earth, several of our natural resources are nearing depletion, and impending water shortages threaten our way of life.

Friends, news sources, and the Internet bombard us with facts like this every day. It’s hard to make sense of it all, and too easy to feel that there is no hope.

But, as the cliché states, knowledge is power. When you understand a crisis, you can do something about it. This idea is the driving force behind Peter Rogers and Susan Leal’s book, Running Out of Water: The Looming Crisis and Solutions to Conserve Our Most Precious Resource....]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Stop &#8220;Chocolate Milk&#8221; from Running in Iowa&#8217;s Rivers &#8211; Vote for Iowa&#8217;s Water and Land Legacy Referendum</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2010/10/22/vote-for-iwll/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2010/10/22/vote-for-iwll/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:08:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brigette Fanning</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[2010]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ecology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Erosion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recreation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slideshow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vote!]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wetlands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa Water and Land Legacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IWLL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soil Erosion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water Quality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/?p=14813</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Iowans have a crucial choice to make that will impact future generations: the choice between clean water and dirty water.

On November 2, Iowa voters will see a referendum on a constitutional amendment called Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy (IWLL) on the back of their ballot. If it passes, it goes into effect for the next sales tax increase. Three-eighths of a percent of all Iowa sales will go into the trust fund, which will be used for soil conservation programs, to improve water quality, and to promote outdoor recreation.

“This is a way to not have chocolate milk running down our rivers,” said Mark Langgin, campaign manager for Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy....]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>2010 Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone Among Largest Ever, Scientists Say</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2010/08/03/2010-gulf-dead-zone/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2010/08/03/2010-gulf-dead-zone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guest Post</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[2010]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chemicals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Louisiana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scientists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slideshow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dead Zone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dr. Nancy Rabalais]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dr. R. E. Turner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gulf of Mexico]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hypoxia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Louisiana State University]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NOAA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Research]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/?p=14396</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The delicate ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico was wounded long before Katrina stormed ashore, and her wildlife was poisoned by chemicals streaming down the Mississippi River long before BP stirred a few million gallons of crude into her waters. The Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) has been monitoring hypoxia — lack of oxygen — in the Gulf waters since 1985. Much of this hypoxia is caused by agricultural chemicals and farm animal waste products that flow into the Mississippi from 19 states to the north. (Iowa alone is estimated to be responsible for 25% of the farm chemicals and fecal matter pouring into the Gulf.) Efforts are underway to reduce the agricultural pollution that is contributing heavily to the Dead Zone, but more must be done to make a positive impact on the area.

Yesterday, Blue Planet Green Living received an email from Dr. Nancy Rabalais, Executive Director of LUMCON, with the group's latest report. The following information is reprinted from "2010 DEAD ZONE – ONE OF THE LARGEST EVER," dated 1 August 2010, from Cocodrie, Louisiana....

"The area of hypoxia, or low oxygen, in the northern Gulf of Mexico west of the Mississippi River delta covered 20,000 square kilometers (7,722 square miles) of the bottom and extended far into Texas waters. The relative size is almost that of Massachusetts. The critical value that defines hypoxia is 2 mg/L, or ppm, because trawlers cannot catch fish or shrimp on the bottom when oxygen falls lower...."]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Top Ten Must-See Environmental Films</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2010/05/21/top-ten-must-see-films/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2010/05/21/top-ten-must-see-films/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 May 2010 20:45:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guest Post</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DVDs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Factory Farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food & Drink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Garbage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Movie Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slideshow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sustainability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[An Inconvenient Truth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Avatar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Earthlings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fast Food Nation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[King Corn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Koyaanisqatsi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tapped]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The 11th Hour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Top Ten Environmental Films]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WALL-E]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/?p=13414</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are some fantastic films on the environment, but it can often be difficult to find the truly great ones. To make your life a little bit easier, here is a list of ten fantastic, eye-opening movies for any individual passionate about saving our planet. 10. Tapped, 2009 Director Stephanie Soechtig’s examination of the bottled [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Solving the Water Crisis Begins at Home</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2010/05/10/solving-the-water-crisis/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2010/05/10/solving-the-water-crisis/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 May 2010 20:06:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison Brinkman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Green Living]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slideshow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sustainability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dual-Flush Toilets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Low-Flow Shower Heads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roto-Rooter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ROTOGreen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water-Saving Technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/?p=13186</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[By now, the world water crisis shouldn’t be surprising news. Many of us already donate to clean water funds, well-building activities, and water-saving causes. But if we have leaky toilets, outdated plumbing, or wasteful faucet drips, we're actually contributing to the problem we're trying to solve.

The US Geological Survey estimates that leaking toilets can lose around 22 gallons per day. This translates into about 8,000 gallons of wasted water per year. To put that number into perspective, that’s enough water to fill a display tank at your local aquarium.

With so many stray drips and drops, it’s of little wonder that many American communities are experiencing water shortages. In 2009, the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) reported a drought throughout numerous Southwest and Great Plains states resulting in five billion dollars in damages. By 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 36 states will experience water shortages....]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Light the Way for Clean Water &#8211; But Hurry!</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2010/04/27/light-the-way/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2010/04/27/light-the-way/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Apr 2010 22:02:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julia Wasson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[2010]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nonprofits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Repurposing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slideshow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aveda]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Global Greengrants Fund]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Light the Way Candle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water Projects]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/?p=13128</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of every seven people in developing countries around the world does not have access to clean water.* It's a shocking statistic for those of us who take daily showers and use flush toilets with no thought at all. Women and girls, in particular, may walk miles to carry water back to their families. Try moving up on the economic scale when so much of your time is consumed with providing the basic necessities to your family. Not likely.

But organizations around the world are doing ambitious projects to change that. Global Greengrants Fund oversees many of these projects, with serious funding support from Aveda — a company best known for creating organic hair and beauty care products that are sourced from around the world. For the past three years in April, Aveda has been raising funds for Global Greengrants water-related projects by selling their Light the Way candles.

In addition to Global Greengrants, Aveda is supporting 21 regional partners through their Earth Month activities. According to the Aveda website, the projects this year include: "training 3,500 people in sustainable and organic agriculture methods [which keeps pesticides and herbicides out of waterways]; helping 20 communities implement local water resource management plans; enabling 100 communities to take action against toxic industrial pollution and hundreds of other projects that have helped protect water rights and water access around the world." ...]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Photographer Della Calfee Focuses on Green Clients</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/11/10/photographer-della-calfee-focuses-on-green-clients/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/11/10/photographer-della-calfee-focuses-on-green-clients/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:37:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julia Wasson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Artists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Certification]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ecopreneurs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LEED]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Natural Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slideshow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sustainability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Della Calfee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecopreneur]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[green business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[green photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photographer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/?p=9554</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When Blue Planet Green Living (BPGL) interviewed Bay Area artist and ecopreneur Della Calfee, we were intrigued by her self-description as a “green” photographer. How does that look in terms of her portfolio of images? we wondered. And, What kinds of clients hire a green photographer? We asked Calfee about these topics when we spoke with her by phone from her San Jose, California home.

CALFEE: I’ve been shooting pictures for decades, but it was only a couple years ago that I looked back at my body of work and realized that I was a “green” photographer. Once I realized that, something crystallized, and I have been able to move forward with much greater passion and direction and confidence.

To me, “green” means making environmentally conscious choices in every action taken. It means respecting life — including people, but not exclusively. So my photography focuses on clients working toward a better environment. Sustainably produced products; and green-minded services, leaders, and events would all be examples of “green” photography clients. ...]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Rescuing Hartland Marsh – A Six-Year Labor of Love</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/10/05/rescuing-hartland-marsh-%e2%80%93-a-six-year-labor-of-love/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/10/05/rescuing-hartland-marsh-%e2%80%93-a-six-year-labor-of-love/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:39:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julia Wasson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Volunteers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wetland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wisconsin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arrowhead High School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bark River]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buckthorn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hartland Marsh Restoration Project]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ice Age Trail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lake Nagawicka]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paul Mozina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waukesha County Land Conservancy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/?p=8757</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When Paul Mozina takes on a project, he doesn’t give up until it’s finished. That’s not an unusual characteristic, necessarily. Yet Mozina’s dedication is anything but ordinary.

For the past six years, Mozina, with the unfailing support and frequent help of his wife, Pati Holman, has been waging a battle against buckthorn, an invasive plant that once covered most of Wisconsin’s Hartland Marsh. Today, buckthorn is all but eradicated from the marsh, and Mozina and Holman are the team that did it.

Their work began on property owned by the Ice Age Trail, a 1,000-mile trail that follows the furthest edge of the glaciers that formed much of Wisconsin’s landscape. The glaciers pushed silt and debris ahead of them, then left behind their footprint, in the form of lakes and moraines, when they melted. The land is rich and fertile, providing healthy soil for the many forests that cover much of the state....]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Do You Know Where Your Flushes Go?</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/10/02/do-you-know-where-your-flushes-go/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/10/02/do-you-know-where-your-flushes-go/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:58:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julia Wasson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[E. coli]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Engineers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regulations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scientists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Craig Just]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa City Waste Water Treatment Plant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sewage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sub-surface wetland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[University of Iowa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste water]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/?p=8741</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Iowa alone has in excess of 600 unincorporated communities without adequate — or, more often, any — waste water treatment systems. Estimates by the American Water Works Association indicate that upgrading these Iowa communities to the same standard as a facility like  Iowa City's would cost in excess of $1 Billion. Yep. That's one Billion dollars. Fat chance of that happening in this economy.

But that may not be the only option, according to Craig Just, adjunct assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Iowa. Just is spending a rainy afternoon explaining an alternative system to a group of interested environmentalists.

Just and a team of university students have constructed a micro wetlands site on the grounds of Iowa City’s South waste water treatment plant. “Wetlands provide natural waste water treatment,” Just says. “If you don’t put too much [nitrogen and phosphorus] in, the system works by itself. It’s a slow process, but an effective one, until the numbers become overwhelming.” ...]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Indie Film Describes &#8220;Certain Adverse Events&#8221; from Antibiotic Use</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/08/31/indie-film-describes-certain-adverse-events-from-antibiotic-use/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/08/31/indie-film-describes-certain-adverse-events-from-antibiotic-use/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:27:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julia Wasson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Antibiotics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Drugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DVDs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Movie Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Certain Adverse Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fluoroquinolones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prescription Drugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Citizen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WorstPills.org]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/?p=8223</guid>
		<description><![CDATA["If you were to look at how prescription drugs are developed and marketed, you might never take a prescription drug again." So begins the film Certain Adverse Events. Reading the statement on the screen, I felt the first twinge of alarm that I was about to learn more than I might really want to know. And that's just what happened. The film showed how vulnerable we health consumers are when we take a prescription medicine. We can't know what the side effects will be — because even the FDA and the drug companies often don't know. A scary thought, indeed...]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Coolerado AC Units Excel at DOE/NREL Performance Challenge</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/08/25/coolerado-ac-units-exceed-doenrel-performance-challenges/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/08/25/coolerado-ac-units-exceed-doenrel-performance-challenges/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:52:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guest Post</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[2009]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DOE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electricity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[air conditioning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coolerado]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Department of Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NWREL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[University of California at Davis]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/?p=8157</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[University of California, Davis issued a challenge to manufacturers to build more efficient air conditioners for the Western U.S. The objective was to exceed the 2010 U.S. Department of Energy efficiency standards by an aggressive 40 percent. Coolerado Corporation, the first certified winner of the UC Davis Western Cooling Challenge, entered the program with its new hybrid commercial rooftop unit — a system using its proprietary indirect evaporative technology in concert with a traditional compressor and refrigerant system. DOE laboratory testing indicates that Coolerado’s new system, the Coolerado H80, beat the 2010 standards by 60 percent at peak demand and will use 80 percent less energy overall...]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/08/25/coolerado-ac-units-exceed-doenrel-performance-challenges/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Dispose of Fluorescents As If Your Life Depends on It</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/07/31/dispose-of-fluorescents-as-if-your-life-depends-on-it/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/07/31/dispose-of-fluorescents-as-if-your-life-depends-on-it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 01 Aug 2009 01:49:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julia Wasson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CFLs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Landfill]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mercury]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recycling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/?p=7763</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A few days ago, Joe and I were talking with the manager of a local discount store (part of a national chain) and asked what they did with their spent fluorescent light bulbs. She sheepishly hung her head and said, "Well, I know we should recycle them, but..." Our state doesn't require that fluorescent bulbs be treated as hazardous wastes, so the store manager isn't breaking the law. But it was obvious to us that she feels guilty about dumping them in the landfill.

Although the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has included fluorescent bulbs under  Universal Waste regulations since 2001. Although EPA considers fluorescent bulbs to be hazardous wastes, their disposal in landfills is permitted. But it's not the best policy. ...]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/07/31/dispose-of-fluorescents-as-if-your-life-depends-on-it/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>It Rained on Our Parade</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/07/07/it-rained-on-our-parade/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/07/07/it-rained-on-our-parade/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:57:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joe Hennager</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[2009]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Activists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[River]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Save The Iowa River (STIR)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Funeral Parade]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa River]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Save the Iowa River (STIR)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Volunteers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/?p=7266</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It had not rained in Iowa City for eleven days. We had been experiencing a cooler than usual June, with day after day of amazingly great temperatures and low humidity. I should have known it wouldn’t last.

Iowa weather usually acts like a spoiled child and demands constant attention. The minute you look away, it will catch you in snow without a coat or a thunderstorm without an umbrella. Or the temperature will rise 30 degrees in a few hours and put you in a dripping sweat because you're not wearing shorts. These are facts of life in Iowa. I forgot. I lowered my guard. I did not schedule a rain date.

For months, I had been focusing on creating a Fourth of July, New Orleans-style, second-line, jazz funeral march. This was to be a symbolic funeral for the Iowa River, held by volunteers from our Facebook group, Save The Iowa River (STIR). The planning went on: a casket, pallbearers, news coverage, musicians, music, marchers, signs, bottles filled with water from the Iowa River, parade permit, first aid kit, parking, tables, tent. When the word rain came to mind, I just told myself that there would be lots of umbrellas at the march anyway, in keeping with the motif; so, if it did rain, everything would work out just fine...]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/07/07/it-rained-on-our-parade/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>A Symbolic Funeral for the Iowa River</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/07/03/a-symbolic-funeral-for-the-iowa-river/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/07/03/a-symbolic-funeral-for-the-iowa-river/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:13:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joe Hennager</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CAFOs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[E. coli]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Factory Farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MRSA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[River]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa River]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sewage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[silt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water pollution]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/?p=7172</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every so often, an issue consumes me. I read as much as I can on the subject. I attend lectures. I join action groups. I get involved. This is one of those issues: my beloved Iowa River. The Iowa River isn’t dead yet, but, like so many other rivers, it’s heading that way. And I think it’s worth saving. So, I decided to do something about it.

Tomorrow, on the Fourth of July, the Save the Iowa River (STIR) group will hold a mock funeral for the Iowa River in conjunction with Iowa City’s annual jazz festival. We’ll be rocking a pine casket, loaned by Gay &#038; Ciha Funeral and Cremation Services, while playing “Down by the Riverside,” “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and other standards. We’ll march in true New Orleans style in a second-line, jazz funeral parade. We’ll have fun, while spreading the word — and water samples — to the public. And you’re invited to join us...]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/07/03/a-symbolic-funeral-for-the-iowa-river/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>Conserving Water, a Sinkful at a Time</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/05/22/conserving-water-a-sinkful-at-a-time/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/05/22/conserving-water-a-sinkful-at-a-time/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 23 May 2009 04:54:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julia Wasson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Drought]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Global Warming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sustainability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[greywater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste water]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/?p=6426</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Slowing global warming is a long-term process that requires efforts on a global, or at least a national, scale. What can Californians — or any other drought-affected people — do about the water shortage right now, on a local level?

One suggestion is to reuse the waste water generated by showering, washing clothes, and using the sink. These sources of waste water are called greywater, and though you won't want to drink it, you can easily reuse it to water some of your plants and trees...]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/05/22/conserving-water-a-sinkful-at-a-time/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Risky Runoff: From Fish-Roe to Ritalin</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/05/04/risky-runoff-from-fish-roe-to-ritalin/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/05/04/risky-runoff-from-fish-roe-to-ritalin/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2009 04:36:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael DeJong</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Natural Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slideshow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sustainable Living]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ecosystems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/?p=6141</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the recent PBS Frontline story "Poisoned Waters" so vividly brought home, once pure and pristine, our extraordinary natural treasure of beautiful shorelines, waterways, estuaries, lakes, rivers and ponds continues to be polluted by the home and industrial waste that we persistently both knowingly as well as unwittingly contribute to — so much so that it now severely threatens our own health and that of the flora and fauna with which we share our planet. Wreaking havoc on global well being, with animals and individuals becoming ill daily from contact with contaminated water eco-systems, without dramatic and fundamental action, it's a problem that'll only continue to grow exponentially. Point blank — our water systems are being altered to the point of no-return by our own selfish human impact....]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/05/04/risky-runoff-from-fish-roe-to-ritalin/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Take This House (and Float It Away) Flooding Play on Midwest Tour</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/04/13/take-this-house-and-float-it-away-flooding-play-on-midwest-tour/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/04/13/take-this-house-and-float-it-away-flooding-play-on-midwest-tour/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2009 01:55:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julia Wasson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disaster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Global Warming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Illinois]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Missouri]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[River]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slideshow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sustainability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wisconsin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Change of State]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flooding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Take This House (and Float It Away)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Theatre]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/?p=5642</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the heart of levee-protected suburbs along California’s American River, a middle-aged couple think they’re immune to anything nature blows their way — catastrophic flood included — only to find themselves terribly deluded. This original theatre piece, Take This House (and Float It Away), spirals into the tragicomic world of Stu and Marlene’s floodplain living room, where the couple is unable to comprehend nature’s effect on their safe, suburban sphere. As Stu hides behind “groundbreaking” research into bird gestures, Marlene extrapolates caffeinated solutions to newspaper headlines, conflating staying informed with staying afloat...]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/04/13/take-this-house-and-float-it-away-flooding-play-on-midwest-tour/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Coolerado&#8217;s AC Technology Consumes 90% Less Electricity</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/04/03/coolerados-ac-technology-consumes-90-less-electricity/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/04/03/coolerados-ac-technology-consumes-90-less-electricity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2009 03:20:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joe Hennager</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electricity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slideshow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Air conditioning system]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coolerado]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[M-Cycle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Maisotsenko]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/?p=5414</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An air conditioning unit that runs on a fraction of the electricity of traditional AC units? I was reading an article about Coolerado’s AC unit using 90 percent less electricity than the standard Freon-filled systems. 90 percent! My curiosity was piqued.

Air conditioning units are the primary power drains for utility companies during the summer nearly everywhere on the planet, but this drain is especially bad in some areas, like the U.S. Southwest. The article stated that there were some drawbacks, but for people in a dry climate with low humidity, this unit is the AC of the future.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/04/03/coolerados-ac-technology-consumes-90-less-electricity/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>16</slash:comments>
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		<title>Porked Off! A Critical Look at Iowa&#8217;s Water Quality</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/03/16/porked-off-a-critical-look-at-iowas-water-quality/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/03/16/porked-off-a-critical-look-at-iowas-water-quality/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:18:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joe Hennager</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CAFOs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heavy Metals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Natural Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pesticides]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[River]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slideshow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USDA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa River]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[non-point-source pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[point-source pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water pollution]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/?p=4999</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For 25 years, I've lived two blocks from the Iowa River. I used to water ski on, swim in, and fish from it. I don’t anymore. Twenty years ago, I felt safe including my children in these activities. We felt safe swimming in the river and eating bass, bullhead, catfish, and walleye from its waters. I had hoped I would be able to share the same experiences with my grandchildren someday.

Nowadays, you shouldn't just drop in a line and catch your dinner. You should check with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) before you eat the fish. The agency does federally mandated testing for pesticides at least once a year. They do periodic testing for mercury and PCBs, too. Their latest warnings are posted on their Fish Consumption Advisories page. You'll find warnings like this one:

"The Cedar River from the Highway 218 bridge at Floyd (Floyd Co.) to the Iowa/Minnesota state line (39 mile stretch): Eat only 1 meal/week of smallmouth bass, walleye, and northern pike due to elevated levels of mercury."

Sound healthy to you?]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/03/16/porked-off-a-critical-look-at-iowas-water-quality/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
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		<title>ANSWER — A Sustainable Future for Low-Caste Children</title>
		<link>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/03/10/answer-%e2%80%94-a-sustainable-future-for-low-caste-children/</link>
		<comments>http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/03/10/answer-%e2%80%94-a-sustainable-future-for-low-caste-children/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:56:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julia Wasson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ANSWER]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Front Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nepal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Orphans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sustainability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Volunteers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Earle Canfield]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kathmandu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NGO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Third World]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/?p=4855</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“We could see the end of the caste system in Nepal in our lifetime,” said Earle Canfield, addressing an attentive audience in Iowa City this past Sunday. Canfield had come to talk about an NGO he started in Nepal eight years before. American-Nepali Student &#038; Women’s Educational Relief (ANSWER) “places low-caste Nepalese children whose families cannot afford to pay for an education in private, high-caste schools,” according to Canfield.

Several members of the audience are ANSWER sponsors, committing to pay $5 a week to support a child’s education. Unlike many nonprofits that provide assistance to children in developing countries, ANSWER puts every single penny of a sponsor’s donation to work directly helping that person’s sponsored child. Joe and I were moved to hear Canfield speak about the work ANSWER is doing to help Nepal’s forgotten children, the impoverished, low-caste untouchables, earn their high school and college diplomas, then go on to jobs that will help them become productive members of Nepal’s emerging middle class.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
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