This week’s water-related news wrap-up has hopeful technology, a conversation about America’s water-wasting ways, struggles over who owns and controls water in Ecuador, and severe drought in Burma not being helped by the military junta.

clean water from common cactus

Treehugger brought an article about how the common prickly pear cactus could give us clean, safe, and cheap drinking water. The story was originally reported in the New Scientist. The process itself if quite simple: you just boil a bit of cactus and then drop it in the contaminated water. There’s more testing to do, but we think this is pretty cool.

photo: ah zut

america’s unquenchable thirst

Minnesota Public Radio program Midday recent guest Robert Glennon believes America’s thirst for water is “Unquenchable.” While we all think of Texas, California and Arizona, but even Minnesota other mid-west states have been facing water shortages. In fact, some cities in Minnesota weren’t able to supply enough water for ethanol refineries and Lake Superior is too low to float fully-loaded cargo ships. We’ve been using so much water that our groundwater pumping is getting out of hand. America is depleting its groundwater at a faster rate than it can be naturally replenished. Just last year, Atlanta was within 90 days of running completely dry. And that’s not all due to drought, but population expansion stressing water resources.

One of the biggest water wasters, according to Glennon, is our sanitation system. Each year America flushes 6 billions gallons of water down the toilet. This water is then sent back to the treatment plant to be used again. The problem is that downstream, say in New Orleans, their drinking water has been run through this cycle many times.

Glennon was also on The Daily Show last year where Jon Stewart points out that our energy policy, even moving to some clean energy technologies, could worsen the crisis.

protests prevent vote on water bill

Columbia University’s Earth Institute just posted an article about the growing water crisis in Ecuador. At the center of the problem is who owns the rights to the country’s water. In 2008, the constitution sited water as a fundamental human right. Since then many people feel this means that water should be a public utility and not privatized. As you can guess, that’s exactly what’s been happening. Over the years the people have been staging protests which have turned violent. Despite the outrage, the legislature has wanted to begin debate on a new “Water Act” that will give even more control to private companies with few guarantees for the population for continued access to clean, affordable water. Protests by Ecuador’s major indigenous organizations, however, seem to have resulted in the session coming to an end without a vote on the bill.

burmese drought

Once again the people of Burma are suffering. This time, record high temperatures and a late monsoon season have dried up wells and other drinking water sources. Some 60 villages are reported to be under severe water shortages. The drought is taking its toll in other ways as well. The severe heat and low water levels have caused some 100,000 fish deaths at fish farms in Rangoon. One article reported that while some local water bottling companies have donated some water, the government hasn’t responded to the crisis. In a related story, the Mekong River is at a 50-year low. Downstream countries are blaming China for building too many dams, but China blames mother nature.

What water stories are you following? Share them in our comments section below.

This week we noticed a press release from Sears Canada promoting their “Green Up/Power Down” sale, complete with sale prices. The release touts all the ENERGY STAR and Greenguard Certified products as eco-friendly choices, many of the brands are exclusive to Sears. Now, we suppose, if you’re in the market for a new lawnmower, washing machine, or other household appliance, it is better to buy the one that saves energy, reduces pollution, or skimps on water. But the sale made us wonder if Sears Canada is making a real commitment to sustainability or if this is just another example of greenwashing.

Turns out Sears Canada is doing more than finding a new way to market yet another sale, they have been working on improving their environmental record for a few years. Sears Canada is approaching the issue on three fronts:

• Make it easier for customers to “Live Green,” reduce their energy bills, and create a healthy home with an assortment of products that are better choices for the planet
• Reduce the environmental impact of Sears Canada operations, including recycling 90 percent of their waste and reducing energy consumption 20 percent by 2013
• Nurture a culture of sustainability with Sears Canada associates, customers, and the communities in which they operate

What we find interesting is that Sears in the U.S. is not following suit. Perhaps this is because 80 percent of Canadians are looking for ways to reduce their environmental footprint. While recent polls south of the border find that Americans are less concerned about climate change than just a few years ago. So, it just makes economic sense to be greener in Canada.

To serve their Canadian customers, in addition to putting some of their eco-friendly items on sale, Sears is offering a variety of eco-friendlier products throughout the store and tagging them as “Live Green.” There are energy efficient products such as tankless hot water heaters, to PVC-free choices for the home, items made from renewable resources, and water-saving devices. For example, Sears Canada offers Little Footprint pillows, made from recycled water bottles with covers made from unbleached cotton, to a new apparel collection called Attitude which incorporates Lenzing Lyocell and another line of organic cotton tees and dresses from the Jessica brand; to Portico’s line of certified organic cotton towels and bedding.

Plus, Sears Canada is a sponsor of World Wildlife Fund Canada’s (WWF-Canada) Earth Hour which encourages people around the world to turn off all their electrical appliances and lights for one hour each March in support of climate change action. Over the weekend, they turned out the exterior and any non-essential indoor lights.

Perhaps we were too quick to judge Live Green as more greenwash marketing. There does seem to be more here than just a springtime sale. What do you think? Post your comments below.

The third largest aquifer in the world straddles four countries in South America: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. There’s enough water under these countries to supply the planet’s population with fresh water for 200 years. Sounds like a fantastic resource, right? Unfortunately, many believe the aquifer is being used at a rate faster than it can be recharged and that it’s being polluted by reckless corporations and careless governments.

One would think that with such a large and vital body of water, we’d know quite a bit about it. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. It’s not that no studies have been done, they have. Back in 2000 the four counties directly over the Guarani Aquifer, got a loan from the World Bank to evaluate the aquifer. Research continued until last year when the governments denied an extension to the World Bank wanting to continue the research with their own. The World Bank published a report (download it here). But the report leaves a lot of unanswered questions.

Other than that, there’s not a lot of information available.

The aquifer may be news to us here in the United States, but within South America, there are many conspiracy theories surrounding the Guarani Aquifer. Some say that the U.S. has been buying up land to control the water supply (a la the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace). Others believe that paper mills and the soya farms are polluting the water supply beyond repair.

If a couple of independent documentary film makers have their way, we’ll know quite a bit about the Guarani Aquifer soon. Annabel Symington and Vasilios Sfinarolakis have begun researching the problems, causes, and solutions and hope to be filming soon. We wanted to know more about their project and they were delighted to share in hopes that more people will be aware of their efforts. Here is an excerpt from our email interview with Symington.

GforW: How did you learn about the Guarani Aquifer?

AS: I came across the Guarani Aquifer when I was doing some research for an article about water-related conflicts around the world. As a journalist, I have written extensively on water politics, and when I stumbled upon the Guarani Aquifer (which was being referred to by water academics as one of the biggest potential water conflicts of the future) I was amazed that this story had received so little coverage in the mainstream media.

GforW: When did you become passionate about water?

AS: It struck me about a year ago that water was not really being addressed in a climate change context: the hydrologic cycle is growing less predictable as climate change alters established temperature patterns around the globe. Water is, arguably, the single most important resource for life on earth, but it is usually treated as a infinite resource, and water shortages are usually thought of as a problem that only affects the developing world. That is far from the truth and people need to be aware of that: Australia has already run its natural fresh water reserves dry and the Ogallala Aquifer, which supplies water to 1.9 million people in central US is being rapidly depleted by intense municipal use. In my opinion, people need to know the facts: then they can act on them.

GforW: What do you hope to achieve with this project?

AS: We want to reach as big an audience as possible with the story of the Guarani Aquifer: It is one that will affect us all. Both Vasilios and I strongly believe that if the facts are out in the open regarding what is happening around the Guarani Aquifer it is much harder for governments and corporations to exploit the resource and the indigenous people who rely on it.

GforW: What do you think the local reaction will be when you are in South America?

AS: The Guarani Aquifer is a huge topic in South America. Ask any Brazilian or Argentinian and they will have an opinion on the matter. All the people I’ve spoken to in Latin America, from NGOs to eco-activists to other filmmakers, have been really excited at the prospect of an English-language documentary being made about the aquifer. There was a Spanish/Portuguese documentary made a couple of years ago called Sed: Invasion Gota a Gota (Thirst: Invasion drop by drop). We want to look at the social issues surrounding the aquifer: What’s happening to the Guarani people who have lived and relied on the aquifer’s water for thousands of years? And then look at the bigger picture: How is this going to affect us all?

GforW: From what I understand, the primary polluter are the paper mills, is that correct?

AS: The soya farmers in Brazil are another source of pollution. Soya is a very chemical-intensive crop to farm and the run off from the fertilizers and pesticides is polluting the aquifer. An aquifer is a very delicate system, and despite the Guarani Aquifer’s huge size, if it is polluted in one corner that will eventually percolate through and pollute the whole system.

To create this important documentary, Symington and Sfinarolakis need your help. They are asking for the public to underwrite the documentary by pledging support at Kickstarter.com. Their goal is to raise $14,500 by April 24, 2010 – that’s just over a month from now. They have, as of this publishing date, received $1,580. You can contribute as little as a buck to help make happen.

You can also help support the documentary by voting for it to be showcased at the Topanga Film Festival. See the trailer and vote for the Guarani Project documentary today at Suitable for All Screens. And that won’t cost you a penny.

Greenpeace’s ongoing efforts to pressure governments and companies to stop pollution paid off. Just last month, Chinese authorities blacklisted 20 factories that were spilling toxins into the Pearl River Delta. In fact, three of the offenders were part of an investigation Greenpeace conducted last year in their Poisoning the Pearl report. Which, no doubt played a role in the government’s action.

One of the companies blacklisted was a textile factory. The Qingyuan Top Dragon Textile Company was, according to the water samples collected by Greenpeace, discharging manganese at levels well above the allowed levels. Manganese exposure can lead to brain damage. In addition to the manganese, the factory was spewing arsenic and a whole slew of other metals and pollutants out with their waste water.

According to Greenpeace, “being blacklisted means greater scrutiny on these companies and their industrial discharges which could in the future translate to deadlines by the government for the companies to stop polluting the Pearl River Delta. This is a warning to the factories and it may also affect the company’s financial status in terms of ability to launch a stock market listing or apply for a loan.”

Of course, punishing these 20 companies is only a drop in the bucket. When over 70 percent of China’s water is polluted, it’s safe to say the government has been slow to set regulations and take action against the untold number of factories dumping millions of gallons of polluted, toxic waste into China’s water.

If anyone knows who contracts with the Qingyuan Top Dragon Textile Company, please leave it in the comments below. It would be very good to know if their garments were ending up on the shelves here in the United States.

Hopefully you recall our story last fall about the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) taking action against four retailers for falsely advertising their garments as bamboo. After the FTC had litigated several specific cases, they decided everyone must stop the deception.

In late January, 78 retailers received notice from the FTC to immediately cease labeling any clothing or other textiles, such as sheets or towels, as bamboo. Why? Because the fiber is actually rayon and no different than rayon made with other cellulose sources, such as wood pulp.

Who were some of these companies sited for selling mislabeled products? They range from little retailers such as Bambooya, to big-box stores such as Wal-Mart and Target, to high-end establishments such as Nordstrom and Barney’s New York. Even Zappos and Amazon.com received notice. You can download the full list from the FTC.

So what does the FTC want companies to do? Easy, label the garments and textiles for what they are. Here’s an excerpt from the letter sent to the retailers:

The term ‘bamboo,’ therefore, may be used in labeling or advertising a textile product (e.g., ‘bamboo shirt’) only to describe textile fibers taken directly from the bamboo plant without the type of chemical processing necessary to make rayon. Rayon, even if manufactured using cellulose from bamboo, must be described by an appropriate term recognized under the FTC Textile Rules. If rayon is manufactured using bamboo as the cellulose source, then you also may include that information in the textile label, for example, by describing the fiber as ‘rayon made from bamboo.’

As a team who’s trying to help bring sustainable practices to the textile industry, we’re pleased that the truth about bamboo is being discussed and it’s eco-friendly image is tarnished. There’s no dispute that bamboo is a great resource for the wood products like flooring or cutting boards. But the expensive, toxic, and wasteful process needed to take course bamboo and make it into a soft fabric is anything but good for the planet.

So, you can help, first, don’t buy bamboo rayon products. Or any kind of rayon product, not only is the process toxic, rayon is not very durable and requires dry cleaning (a topic for another post!). And if you happen to see a retailer claiming their product as bamboo, the FTC would like to know about it. You can report the company online or by phone. 1-877-382-4357. Companies found mislabeling their products face a $16,000 fine per violation.

photo credit: MikeLowe / Flickr