Travel all seven seas, cruise the Mediterranean, and back again right from your computer, simply by clicking on our Flickr page.
At WaterWideWeb, we’re using social media tools to raise awareness about the importance of protecting and sustaining the world’s water resources.
Check out The Photo Journal of an Oregonian, which features pristine lakes and ponds in the Pacific Northwest.
You can also enjoy phenomenal shots of underwater life and coral reefs in the album Panama ICBG Program. This entire set of photographs was shared with WaterWideWeb by lead investigators in the Panama International Cooperative Program working on drug discover in Panama.
Currently, we have over 300 member in our Flickr Group, and we anticipate that these numbers will grow exponentially in the coming weeks.
Help us raise awareness about the significance of water resource stewardship. Join us on Flickr! Engage in discussion with professionals from around the world who are donating their artwork to make a stand about appropriate water stewardship.
Statistics and estimates about water insecurity can be mind numbing to some people. That’s why we are using creative art to reach all members of our readership.
A picture is worth a thousand words. And a good one, could be mean a thousand more supporters for the sustainable use of the world’s water resources.
If you would like to submit photographs for publication on WaterWideWeb’s Flickr account, please email photos and appropriate credits to: [email protected]
The photograph above was taken by one of WaterWideWeb’s biggest supporters, Daniel Graff
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Style Your Kitchen and Bath Sustainably
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]]>Shop for bathroom and kitchen fixtures responsibly. Ask your retailer the right questions. Be sure that the fixtures you select comply with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for water conservation.
Not sure where to begin with decorating responsibly? Always surf the website of your retailer and search for key words like “corporate social responsibility”, or “sustainability reports”.
Make every home purchase worth it with fittings that are good for the environment. If you’re searching for stylish new fittings for your bathroom, but can’t find a company with a good corporate social responsibility plan, start at ROHL.
Style and sustainability are two sides of the same coin with luxury kitchen and bath fittings from ROHL. ROHL designs showerheads that are sync with EPA guidelines for water use. ROHL also markets low-flow water saving aerators for your kitchen and bath.
Marketing water saving devices is not the only facet in selling high-end faucets, or other quality fixtures. ROHL has committed to reducing pollution in the world’s oceans by supporting Oceana, a non-profit headed by Ted Danson to save the world’s oceans.
Agreeing on the right look for your bathroom and kitchen is hard enough, especially if you’re arguing with a significant other about what finish to choose. Details like make and model are debatable. But, eco-friendly purchases are not.
Design your home with fittings worthy of a stamp of sustainability. Shop from retailers that don’t compromise on corporate social responsibility. Start your kitchen and bathroom on sturdy ground with quality bathroom fittings that you can feel good about.
The road to sustainable use of water resources is paved with seemingly small decisions from consumers, retailers, and end users like you. Make a difference and invest in water saving appliances for your kitchen and bath.
If anything, it’s a good story for your house warming.
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]]>In the Clackamas River of northwestern Oregon, water use multiplies by 2-3 times more water in spring months as compared to winter months. Additional water use is attributed to the increased landscaping and planting that takes place in early spring.
Cultivating a water efficient landscape in your home garden could protect your plants from root rot, or being over watered. For plants, there is a such thing as too much water leading to an early wilting. Water responsibly.
The city of Hayward, California and Corvallis, Oregon published guides for water efficient landscaping through their department of public works. Water efficient landscaping techniques and plants differ according to climate and region of the country.
Contact your local department of public works to find out suggested water efficient landscaping techniques and plants for your garden.
Choosing a water efficient plant doesn’t mean sacrificing a beautiful garden. After all, an eco-sustainable garden will last longer than all others anyway.
Reap a renewable garden by properly nourishing water efficient plants. Future generations will thank you.
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Happy World Water Day Everyone!
]]>AB InBev is the umbrella company that manufactures Budweiser beer. In a previous article published on 03 December 2010, WaterWideWeb interviewed Hugh Share AB InBev’s Global Director, Beer & Better World. Share said, “High quality water is fundamental to our business. It’s the principal ingredient in our beers and soft drinks”.
Water conservation efforts are vital to protecting the market for AB InBev products and ensuring that consumers can enjoy Anheuser-Busch products responsibly well into the future.
Brewing a beerable future is contingent upon the use of best practices in water conservation, cooperation with other leading industry experts in reduction goals, and implementing a comprehensive sustainable business plan.
“Our global water usage target is 3.5 hectoliters of water for each hectoliter of production by the end of 2012”, confirmed Share in the interview on 03 December 2010.
Reportedly, there was a 6 percent decrease in hectoliter water usage per hectoliter of beer production over the 2009 baseline. An AB InBev press release noted that the 6 percent reduction is out of a total 18.6 percent that the company aims to achieve by reaching its 2012 Better World target of 3.5 hectoliters of water per hectoliter of production.
For beer drinkers, news of successful water conservation efforts by AB InBev is a piece of good news indeed. In order for consumers to enjoy AB InBev products responsibly, it needs to be brewed sustainably.
Of course, keeping consumers happy is only half of the equation with respect to sustainable food and beverage products. Return on investment, protecting brand reputation, and increasing profit margins is the other half of the sustainable business equation.
The cycle of sustainability requires that buyers, sellers, and manufacturers commit to natural resource management. Without water, there can be no beer. Without beer, America would be a very different place.
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]]>Updating bathroom fixtures and installing more efficient toilets could save water and money spent on costly water bills. The EPA partnership program with WaterSense encourages end users to install updated toilets that would be a cost-efficient courtesy flush for water conservation.
According to the EPA, installing WaterSense Labeled toilets could save the average American home nearly 4,000 gallons of water per year. That equates to a total savings of $90 per year on water bills and $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilet. And in this economy, no one can afford to flush money down the drain.
New efficient toilets save up to 20 percent less water than stipulated by the current federal standard on water use in toilet flushing. Save the world’s water and a few extra dollars by retrofitting your bathroom with WaterSense label products or a waterless composting toilet.
The idea of installing a waterless composting toilet might be unsettling for the average home owner. But the company Biolet offers an array of waterless products that are environmentally and budget friendly.
End users and home owners need to understand that saving water is as important as saving every nickel and dime when financial times are taking a toll on the family budget. Since a penny saved is a penny earned, so is a gallon of water saved equal to a gallon of water earned.
Water use efficiency and updated bathroom fixtures should no longer be an option. If all households in America united in a courtesy flush movement, the total amount of water saved would equal 640 billion gallons, a tidy sum.
So will you and your family take the courtesy flush challenge? Will you retrofit your bathroom fixtures to use 20 percent less water than it takes to function now?
Of course, the courtesy flush challenge also includes making sure that every flush counts. Do not flush unconventional items or other garbage down the toilet. Flush responsibly.
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]]>Hugh Share is AB InBev’s Global Director, Beer & Better World. In an interview, Share told WaterWideWeb, “High quality water is fundamental to our business. It’s the principal ingredient in our beers and soft drinks”.
Water is used in the beer brewing process, for cleaning materials, and steam production. To ensure quality products and a future market for them, AB InBev must use water responsibly. The AB InBev company is a participant of the UN CEO Water Mandate. When it comes to saving water, they mean business—sustainable and profitable business.
AB InBev is taking concrete steps in order to fulfill their vision of becoming the Best Beer Company in a Better World. Reaching this lofty goal requires concentrated effort and consistent internal oversight of industrial water and waste water management policies.
Sustainability management practices are advised by the Voyager Plant Optimization (VPO) global management system. This three pillar plan aims to increase brewing efficiency while decreasing monetary and environmental costs. The VPO assures that water consumption levels are in sync with the Environmental Policy and Strategies adhered to by AB InBev.
“Our global water usage target is 3.5 hectoliters of water for each hectoliter of production by the end of 2012”, confirmed Share. AB InBev breweries are sharing best practices in water conservation to ensure that each brewery is consistently improving on water use practices.
Industrial waste water management is a key issue companies such as AB InBev must carefully consider. Treating industrial waste water is crucial to protecting local communities where breweries and plants are located.
Untreated industrial waste water that is released into the environment can have dire consequences for agriculture and livestock in communities close to industrial plants. When it comes to industrial waste water treatment and disposal, global corporations can never be too careful or responsible.
AB InBev utilizes either an on-site pretreatment followed by a municipal water treatment process or only a municipal water treatment to control its industrial waste water quality. Reliance on only municipal water treatment can be inconsistent and leaves quality control out of the hands of developers at AB InBev.
In 2010, AB InBev built or upgraded 12 biotreatment systems, with an additional 20 scheduled by 2012. Currently, 25 breweries use Bio-Energy Brewery Systems (BERS) that capture methane leftover from the brewing process. This methane is then used to produce steam needed in other facets of the beer brewing process.
A corporation is only as sustainable as its grassroots employees. “A key aspect of our water saving approach is engaging our employees at all levels to indentify water saving opportunities”, continued Share. Realistically, a corporation could execute innumerable sustainable development initiatives without making a single step of progress towards water conservation. Unless employees from the brewing process to the shipping department are educated on the best ways to conserve water, these efforts will be unfruitful.
AB InBev enlists the support of employees at all levels in the effort to save water. In 2010, the company celebrated the United Nations World Environment Day. Employees rolled up their sleeves and participated in over 550 facility and community projects. Over half of these projects were water focused and included a river cleanup program.
Thus far, progress has been measured in the decrease of water usage of AB InBev overtime. In 2009, AB InBev used 8.5 percent less hectoliters of water per unit than in 2008. The company has used 14.5 percent less water hectoliters of water per unit since 2007. The company will witness a 30 percent reduction in the company’s global water usage by the end of 2012.
In the world of corporate social responsibility and sustainability, terms such as water conservation and usage reduction can be nebulous phraseologies that should be qualified. When organizations assert that they have reduced water consumption, statistics should reflect if that number indicates a decreased level of initial water intake versus a decreased amount of water use from previous years.
AB InBev has an incredible opportunity to make a water world of difference in developing innovative strategies in water and wastewater management and conservation policy. In partnership with the UN CEO Water Mandate, AB InBev can further enhance the movement towards sustainability, bearing in mind the human right to water.
Standards established by AB InBev are rooted in global environment efforts to build a better world. Concrete action plans implemented by AB InBev can be enforced and steadily improved over time. Successful efforts by AB InBev and similar corporations will have a positive impact on local communities where breweries are located.
AB InBev encourages consumers to drink responsibly, and consuming water irresponsibly on their behalf would be hypocritical. From Bill in the brewery, to Sam in shipping, and the execs in global marketing, AB InBev can continuously reinvent the corporate sustainable wheel. Then, they will in fact provide better beer in a better world.
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Nestle produces bottled water along with other food products. To sustain both business enterprises, the corporation must implement water management practices and oversight. The goal of Nestle is to produce quality food products while decreasing their environmental and water footprint. So how does a major corporation like Nestle accomplish such a noble endeavor?
Water conservation and management is an integral part of ensuring future end profits for Nestle. Hence, investing in environmentally friendly business practices is essentially investing in their future success as a company.
Some experts suggest that a global water crisis could lead to a global food crisis if immediate action isn’t taken to conserve water and the environment. A crisis of this magnitude would devastate the global marketplace and negatively impact companies like Nestle that rely on agricultural and natural resources for production.
Recently, Nestle released their 2009 progress report that details their reduction of wastewater release into the environment and overall water consumption has decreased since their 2008 report.
This decrease may be attributable to the global economic crisis that has impacted sales and consumers the world over. Yet, the decrease may also be explained by Nestlé’s Water Resource Review Program (WRRP).
The WWRP le is comprised of several areas for addressing water management practices of the corporation. Efforts of the WWRP include an initiative to monitor water quality, water quantity, regulation compliance with local and state governments where the corporation operates, and site protection of Nestle facilities.
This stratified program represents a joint effort to decrease their water foot print, remain environmentally friendly, and maintain product quality.
To date, Nestle has conducted surveys of 65 water sites, representing more than half of their bottled water facilities. The WRRP will work in tandem with Nestlé’s food factories to indentify issues in water management practices and to develop sound solutions for sustainable water use.
Nestle operates the WRRP based on a Water Stress Index (WSI), a measure that calculates factors such as water poverty, water stress and other indicators of water misuse.
For a comprehensive approach to corporate stewardship and social responsibility, Nestle works in the public policy sphere to promote sustainable water solutions for the future. Nestle is involved in the CEO Water Mandate , a strategic framework developed by the United Nations to coordinate systems of water management between businesses and the international community. Also, Nestle advocates for a rebalancing of the environmental scales with respect to water consumed on a daily basis to the amount of naturally replenishing water sources available.
The Nestle Corporation is constantly improving and expanding their policies in water sustainability and monitoring practices. Their work in the public sphere and consistent improvement in water management offers a role model for other corporations who depend upon natural resources for their products.
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]]>The coffee business is dependent upon the world’s water supply in an enormous way. Water hydrates the soil on coffee plantations. It cleans utensils that baristas use to whip up the fancy drinks that hook coffee lovers everywhere.
Starbucks Coffee (Starbucks) is one of the most popular coffee enterprises across the world. Starbucks recognizes the importance of water conservation for the success of its business practices. The company is dedicated to environmental stewardship and is implementing a water conservation program which aims for a 25 percent reduction in water consumption by 2015.
WWW interviewed Dr. Michael Hopkins, C.E.O of MHC International Limited, a social enterprise that concentrates on corporate social responsibility and corporate sustainability, for his expert opinion on the effects of social responsibility on end profits for major corporations.
“[Major corporations] are here to make a profit but they need to pay attention to their bottom line. In the long run, corporate social responsibility will increase their bottom line, ” said Hopkins. Business practices that control the use of finite natural resources should sure that corporations do not deplete the products that yield end profits.
Starbucks has partnered with Conservation International, an organization that uses science, policy and field work to manage conservation development projects of the world’s natural resources. Together with CI, Starbucks monitors its coffee growing locations to use water responsibly, to preserve the natural landscape of these areas, and to sustainably produce the best coffee product.
In cafés, water is wasted in relatively unnoticeable ways if careful and consistent attention is not drawn to water management. For example, using the open tap water process to clean utensils and other coffee equipment requires large amounts of water. If occupied with several tasks at once, a barista could accidentally leave a tap running while tending to a customer. Meanwhile fresh and unused water is poured right down the drain.
To avoid unnecessary water waste, Starbucks has invested in a dipper well system to clean utensils. Starbucks cleans its blenders with a high pressure water system versus the open tap method, another way to preserve water.
The company uses dishwashers that take one less gallon of water per cycle versus the high pressure water sprays that consume much more water. Espresso machines are pre-programmed to dispense controlled amounts of water when sterilized instead of allowing for an unmonitored flow of water to run.
Imagine every Starbucks location across the world conserving one gallon of water per dishwasher cycle? The average African family consumes just five gallons of water per day. With each washing cycle, Starbucks has conserved enough water to provide several African villages with their daily water supply.
With water saving methods in full throttle at each location, Starbucks will essentially save gallons of water that otherwise would have been mismanaged. The fundamental commitment toward environmental stewardship makes a water world of difference after frenzied coffee fiends swarm Starbucks locations everywhere for their caffeine fix.
Thus far, Starbucks reports being on track with its water conservation goals. The company reduced water consumption by 4.1 percent in 2009. Fulfillment of the 25 percent water usage reduction by 2015 would be a major step toward corporate accountability and environmental stewardship.
Starbucks has the opportunity to exemplify environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility with its water conservation project. If successful, Starbucks could share best practices in water conservation with other coffee companies also committed to reducing water use.
Water brews the delicious cup of coffee that keeps crowds flocking to the Starbucks’ stands on every major city block. A gallon of water saved is a gallon of water earned. And increasing profit margins and a spike in earning potential is the ultimate goal for coffee distributors and consumer’s, right?
]]>Rafting is continuously gaining in popularity due to the fact that one does not need to be a real professional athlete to paddle down the waves. This unique experience intrigues many tourists that join crews lead by experimented guides who are familiar with the risks and the potential dangers of different rivers. In order to prevent dangerous accidents, rafting rivers are classified by experts in a scale that ranks from 1 to 6 indicating how demanding or risky some paths of the rivers. The more risky the river is the more likely it is that the paddlers will end up become swimmers for more than once.
The International Rafting Federation (IRF) defines rafting as a “human activity conducted on running rivers requiring physical skill using paddle and oar power in soft crafts and which is generally accepted as being a social, commercial and competitive sport” (Source: http://www.internationalrafting.com/?page_id=529). This world organization oversees rafting activities all over the world trying to advocate the need to preserve the social values associated with this sport. Perseverance, respect for other and team spirit are crucial to this sport. The mission of IRF is to maintain and promote the values and conditions to the safe practice of this sport at the competition or recreational level. In addition, the IRF is working hard in order to promote rafting as a safe sport defending its interest at a national and international level. Finally, one of IRF’s most important goals is to promote water conservation and the respect for the rivers and the wildlife surrounding them.
Many specialized travel agencies organize rafting vacations in breath take wild scenarios around the United States or Canada. This sorts of trips allow tourists to experience a unique adventurous experience while discovering the beautiful nature and wildlife in the most remote areas like the Firth River, a hidden jewel north of Canada. This river is situated deep in the northern Yukon Territory, close to Alaska. The Firth river “flows through the centre of Ivvavik National Park where the wildlife include muskox, caribou, wolves, eagles and falcons that can be observed in the rocky panorama of the Arctic scenery.
Another unique rafting experience that is perceived by the ultimate rafting experience by extreme water sports lovers and experts is the Patagonia rafting experience down the Futaleufu river, acclaimed as one of the most challenging rivers in the world. “The river’s name is derived from a local Mapuche Indian word meaning “big big river” and it lives up to its billing in every respect” (Source: http://www.exchile.com/fachome.html). Expediciones Chile organizes a series of different vacation tours that rank from a week of rafting down Futaleufu to a concentration of four extreme rafting days. An interesting alternative that combines nature to all sorts of sports is the Futaleufu Multisport Chile rafting week. This special excursion mixes the pleasures of rafting to the ones of mountain biking and hiking. This adventurous vacation is way to discover a beautiful country, meet no friends and overcome all your fears.
From a method of transportation to a recreational activity that unites people from all over the world, rafting is a sport that enables people to develop a close relationship with nature. Numerous rivers around the United States are a perfect scenery for tourists or beginners who strive to acquire expertise in this sport. For those who love risks and extreme adventurous the Futaleufu river is what of the most thrilling experience when it comes to rafting.
]]>His studies are driven by fish predation and community interactions as fundamental facets of biology studies. Fascinated by sharks, he is working hard at studying their behavior in order to come up with ways to protect this already endangered animal. His research currently focuses on anthropogenic impacts on shark population. In collaboration with the Conservation Program at the University of Miami: “assessing the impacts of catch-and-release fishing on elasmobranch species, the analysis of migration and behavior through satellite tagging of hammerhead, bull and tiger sharks” (Source: http://austingallagher.com/Research.aspx). These projects are centered with an analysis of behavioral and physiological ecology techniques.
His previous projects include the stress physiology of Sharks, positive impacts of southern California marine protected areas (MPA) on harvested reef-dwelling fishes and the effects of predator risks, resource availability and conspecific density on the growth of the Atlantic Dogwhelk. In order to better communicate the need to protect the environment and marine creatures, film production is a very strong medium for this young scholar that tell us: “Communicating science is a great way to make an impact, while inspiring people to make a difference themselves. I am driven to reach more people by producing short and full-length educational documentaries for various research projects” (Source: http://austingallagher.com/DocumentaryandFilm.aspx). For this reason, in 2009, Austin launched his own small production where he has worked for professionals, amateurs and well-known clients such as National Geographic and the Discovery Channel. Created by Austin Gallagher,“Inside the Lines” is a film that immerses you into the immense beauty of the marine wildlife on the coast of California. After three months of studying marine conservation biology, the young man spent many hours and days under water shooting footage of the marine wildlife. Despite his amazement, the sea creatures were not at all afraid of the human presence. After more than hundreds of hours spent under water the film produced is worth having a look at.
Recently Gallagher has been working as a research assistant to Neil Hammerschlag, studying the impact of the BP oil spill on sharks. These powerful animals are at the top of the ocean food chain but nobody has even considered studying the impact the oil is having on the sharks. Gallagher reminds us: “if you see a high levels of oil in a shark, you better believe it is in the whole food chain” (Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/06/28/oil.spill.sharks/index.html).
Austin Gallagher is a promising new asset for the world of marine biologist and scholars who are working for the protection of the marine environment and of all its species. He has demonstrated to have great passion, ambition and will as he founded his own production company in order to communicate with films his passion for the ocean and to raise awareness for the protection of the sea life.
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