"If there is magic on this planet, it is
contained in water." -Loren Eisley
// June 1st, 2009 // No Comments » // Wine For Water
The Wine for Water event has become one of the most magical experiences of my life. The outpourings of generosity and support for this project and this event have been so inspiring, I wake up every morning wondering if I made it all up in my head. (more…)
// May 28th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // First World Water, Water 101
11 total (most were 6 litres per flush, one was 3.5 gallons per flush – 13.25L)
73.25 litres or 19.36 gallons
1.65 litres or 0.43 gallons
2.1 litres or 0.55 gallons
70 litres or 18.5 gallons
7.2 litres or 1.9 gallons
19 litres or 5 gallons
1.7 litres or 0.44 gallons
177.6 litres or 49.91 gallons
// May 26th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // First World Water
One of the side-effects of becoming involved with the clean water cause is that I am now conscious, every time I turn on the tap, that kabillions of people in the world don’t have this luxury.
It’s been a bit of a wake-up call. I’ve started to notice how much I take water for granted. And how much I actually use.
But how much AM I using?
I tried to Google it, but every site I go to gives me a different daily average that ranges from 638 litres per day to 1,600 cubic metres per year. The only thing everyone agrees on is that the Americans use more than us Canadians. But it all seems like an awful lot.
So, there’s only one solution: MEASURE IT MYSELF.
Which I will do tomorrow. I will measure how much water I use in one day.
My equipment will be simple: a litre-sized measuring jug and a turkey baster. My goal will be to contain and measure as much water as I possibly can.
I’ll try not to influence the experiment by being overly pious and conservation-y. I won’t do anything out of the ordinary like washing my car (or, let’s face it, my clothes). I will also choose to believe the label on my toilet that reads ‘6 litres per flush’.
I will measure the water I use for drinking, bathing, washing (my hands, the dishes, etc.), flushing, cooking and – should any spontaneous water gun fights erupt – Super-Soaking.
And then, once I’ve measured and calculated the total, I will imagine CARRYING IT ALL FOR 6 KM like millions of women worldwide have to do every day.
I’ll be posting updates from Twitter throughout the day. (Twitter users: follow @waterloggd.)
// May 20th, 2009 // No Comments » // First World Water, WaterStories
As the honeymoon of ‘OMG I’M GOING TO AFRICA!’ wears off and the reality of ‘OMG How Am I Going To Pay My Mortgage While Working For Free?’ kicks in, my concerns strike me as a little tacky in light of people who DON’T HAVE HOMES in the first place.
Maybe I could take on some freelance work while I’m over there. Nothing says irony like writing about condo developments while living in a dirt hut in Zambia. (more…)
// May 20th, 2009 // No Comments » // Travel Planning
After weeks of backing-and-forthing with a guy named Blessed in Zambia and Mr. Vasamalai and Mr. Krishnamurthy in southern India, we now have a plan for our travel this summer. (more…)
// May 20th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Travel Planning
Today began with a meeting with the woman from the NGO, where my questions included: Did I just agree to work for free for two years…and will I get shot while I’m doing it? (more…)
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