See https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDANIFA/bulletins/1577c06
As temperatures rise this summer, people turn to local beaches and lakes as a fun way to cool off. However, recent toxic algal blooms have hindered this experience for some in places likeFlorida, California, New York, and Vermont. |
July 23, 1800: French patent granted to James Smith, ‘Citizen’ Ciuchet and Denis Monfort for an elaborate filtration device consisting of layers of wool, 2 inches crushed sandstone, 12 inches coarse powdered charcoal pressed into a solid with river sand, and 12 inches of sand or crushed sandstone. “In 1800, the basic Smith-Cuchet-Montfort patent was […]
via July 23, 1800: French Water Filter Patent Issued — This Day in Water History
Swamps, marshes, and other wetland wonderlands… on this CurrentCast.
People once considered wetlands useless, as little more than soggy ground waiting to be drained and put to better use. Now we recognize wetlands as valuable.
Besides being quiet places of safety and serene seclusion for innumerable animal, bird, and plant species, wetlands function for people in amazing ways. They trap and hold raging floodwaters, replenish both groundwater and downstream water bodies, slow soil erosion, and filter out pesky pollutants.
Development projects have devoured millions of acres of wetlands over the past one hundred years, so it’s important that we preserve and protect the wetlands that remain.
CurrentCast is produced in partnership with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. Learn more online at CurrentCast.org.
Ensuring private water wells are safe and tasty… on this CurrentCast.
Approximately 43 million people in the U.S. get their water from private wells. And while most are safe, they should all be tested annually.
Cliff Treyens is with the National Groundwater Association.
Treyens: “Either man-made or naturally-occurring contamination can be a problem. For instance, arsenic and radon occur in the geology in many areas of the country and if it’s above a certain threshold, it could present a health risk.”
Household, agricultural, or industrial contaminants can also filter into the earth and end up in drinking water.
Working with a certified water specialist to test, treat and maintain a well will make sure the water is safe.
CurrentCast is produced in partnership with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. Learn more online at CurrentCast.org.
Let’s toast to more sustainable beer brewing… on this CurrentCast.
Ever been told that if you want to save water, drink ale instead? Unfortunately, there’s not much truth to the joke. A lot of water goes into making beer.
Christenson: “It can vary from about three liters to six liters of water per liter of finished product produced.”
That’s Tod Christenson, Director of the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable. He says water is used during the brewing process, as well as for cleaning and cooling.
But there’s change brewing! Christenson says by fixing leaks, recycling water used for cooling, and optimizing their cleaning methods, beer-makers in the Environmental Roundtable have increased their efficiency by fifteen percent in three years. Now I’ll raise a glass to that!
CurrentCast is produced in partnership with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. Learn more online at CurrentCast.org.
Using gravity to predict floods… it’s a weighty topic…. on this CurrentCast.
NASA satellites monitor changes in the earth’s gravity field. Yes – gravity changes! JT Reager of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory says shifting water masses play a role.
Reager: “If you have more water in a region, you have more mass there. And more mass is associated with more gravity. And therefore changes in water can cause changes in gravity.”
So think of river basins as buckets. When they’re almost full of snow, soil moisture, and groundwater, the NASA satellites will measure a small increase in gravity – alerting us that the system is saturated and more likely to flood with added precipitation.
Reager says that by combining gravity measurements with weather forecasts, we could see floods coming about five months in advance.
CurrentCast is produced in partnership with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. Learn more online at CurrentCast.org.
July 10, 1876: Birth of Earle B. Phelps. “Earle Bernard Phelps (1876–1953) was a chemist, bacteriologist and sanitary expert who served in governmental positions and as an academic in some of the leading universities in the U.S. He is known for his contributions in sewage disinfection, water chlorination, sewage treatment, milk pasteurization, shellfish control, and […]
via July 10, 1876: Birth of Earle B. Phelps — This Day in Water History
Greater Lakes: Reconnecting the Great Lakes Water Cycle is pleased to release A Practical Guide to Implementing Integrated Water Resources Management & the Role of Green Infrastructure.
Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc. developed this guide for our project. Its aim is to help municipalities that are considering implementing integrated water resources management to gain an understanding the value of and what is involved in creating an IWRM plan. The Guide provides a description of the planning steps to go through, a summary of the type of information that should be considered, and a series of questions that can guide a municipality to a logical position. The guide puts a particular focus on the role of green infrastructure in IWM. The Guide can be found on the Greater Lakes project at http://glc.org/files/GreaterLakes-ECT-IWM-How-To-Guide-Final-20160510.pdf.
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