Blog Action Day 2010 - An UnNatural State

The day is finally here. This isn't one of my usual posts, but it is an important one. As you probably know, nonprofits are very dear to my heart -- so much, that I want to spend the rest of my life working with them. Some of my favorites include Make-A-Wish Foundation (of course), the A21 Campaign (this is one of my ALL-TIME favorites...it's amazing, check it out), and To Write Love on Her Arms (a personal favorite that I would love to be more involved in). These are all large or growing organizations that all support causes you really can't ignore. However, what about water? "Sir, would you like to donate $10 for water?" It doesn't really sound as attention grabbing as the others. Maybe, psychologically this is why I never paid much attention to the need for clean water. I read about Matt Damon's plea for clean drinking water, and it really got to me, but something else grabbed my attention a little more...something a little closer to home...in the Natural State (for those of you possibly reading this from other states...that is Arkansas' official motto).

Growing up in Arkansas, my dad was always wonderful and "drinking it in" (pun intended). I've never been to Disneyland, or Disneyworld, or Universal Studios, or New England. My family packed up our 1970s camper and took off to various lakes or state parks across Arkansas. It is by far one of my favorite things about living here. I would hike (or camp at) Petit Jean Mountain, Canoe the Buffalo River, or Kyak at Wooley Hallow before I ever had a desire to visit New York City. Overall, my dad was wonderful at helping me grasp and appreciate nature. One of my favorite memories is hiking Petit Jean, and my dad letting us stop and get a drink in the clean river (he explained to us that the waterfalls served as a natural filter...judge me if you want...I would drink that water anyday). Now to the point....

At the rate we are going...how much longer til I won't be able to do that? Is that going to be the "back in my day" story? You know...."You youngsters don't appreciate anything. Back in my day I could drink from a river because my generation appreciated nature and took care of it!" That's a really scary thought for me. I'll cut to the chase and try to make this short: Here are some everyday things you could do to make sure this doesn't happen...because if it does, it would break my heart:

1. Correctly dispose of hazardous household products. Keep paints, used oil, cleaning solvents, polishes, pool chemicals, insecticides, and other hazardous household chemicals out of drains, sinks, and toilets. Many of these products contain harmful substances -- such as sodium hypochlorite, petroleum distillates, phenol and cresol, ammonia and formaldehyde -- that can end up in nearby water bodies. Contact your local sanitation, public works, or environmental health department to find out about hazardous waste



2. Use nontoxic household products whenever possible. Discarding toxic products correctly is important, but not buying them in the first place is better. Change all your house cleaning products to eco-friendly ones. For examples of safe substitutes for toxic household products, check EPA's EnviroSense website.



3. Recycle and dispose of all trash properly. Never flush non-degradable products -- such as disposable diapers or plastic tampon applicators -- down the toilet. They can damage the sewage treatment process and end up littering beaches and waters.



4. Conserve water. Use the most efficient plumbing fixtures. A whopping 73 percent of the water you use in your home is either flushed down the toilet or washed down the shower drain. Toilet dams or bricks placed in your toilet tank can save four gallons of water per flush, or up to 13,000 gallons a year for the average family of four. Low-flow toilets and showerheads also yield major water savings. Repair drips promptly; a dripping faucet can waste 20 gallons a day, a leaking toilet 200 gallons. Sweep driveways and sidewalks instead of hosing them down.

And a couple of tips while maintaing your vehicle:

1. Recycle used motor oil. Avoid pouring waste oil into gutters or down storm drains, and resist the temptation to dump wastes onto the ground. A single quart of motor oil that seeps into groundwater can pollute 250,000 gallons of drinking water. If you don't have a place to recycle used motor oil in your community, ask your local sanitation or public works department to create one. When you buy motor oil, ask if the store or service station has a program to buy back waste oil and dispose of it properly. Keep up with car maintenance to reduce leaking of oil, coolant, antifreeze and other hazardous fluids.



2. Be "green" when washing your car. Hand-wash your car on the lawn with a bucket of soapy water, rags and a hose. Just turning off the hose between rinsings can save up to 150 gallons. Or, if you don't want to do it yourself, choose a car wash that recycles its water

What's the verdict? Did this post inspire anyone? Did it startle you as badly as it did me?

***All Images were taken from the Associated Country Women of the World and "tips were found on the NRDC website.