ecobriefs
Water Bubble Two Reports Project Fresh Water Scarcity by 2030
A recent report by the World Economic Forum warns that half the world’s population will be affected by water shortages within 20 years. Unsustainable conditions are headed toward what the re- searchers term, “water bankruptcy,” that could incite a crisis greater than the current global financial downturn. Crops and people are in danger, as geopolitical conflicts are expected to rise due to dwindling water resources. During the 20th century, world population increased fourfold,
but the amount of fresh water that it used increased nine times over. Already, 2.8 billion people live in areas of high water stress, according to the analysis. A concurring UN World Water Development Report adds that shortages are already beginning to constrain economic growth in areas as diverse as California, China, Australia, India and Indonesia. The Associated Press reports that the pivotal Ogallala Aquifer, in America’s Great Plains breadbasket, stretching from South Dakota to North Texas, continues to be drained at alarming rates, while the natural recharge rate is considered negligible.
Media Switch Digging Up Good News for a Change
Even though we hear a lot about what’s go- ing wrong with planet Earth, it’s good to know many things are going right. Good Dirt Radio, a volunteer-driven radio program based in Durango, Colorado, broadcasts inspiring stories about people working hard to bring about positive envi- ronmental change. The nonprofit show, founded in 2004 by producer Gary Lewin and co-hosted by
Tom Bartels, airs free, five-minute segments about topics as varied as zero waste, do-it- yourself solar, cold frames, fair trade, farmers’ markets and economic sustainability. It reaches 1 to 2 million listeners of 40 radio stations in the U.S. Southwest; others tune in online. Bestselling environmentalist Paul Hawken says, “Their news programs inspire
people to make informed choices, and that helps us all.” Listen in at
GoodDirtRadio.org.
The Natural Path Yoga Studio and Holistic Therapy Center
Reflexology • Reiki • Yoga • Hypnosis Massage • Life Coaching
790 S. Main St, Plantsville (Southington) 860-426-9766
“A journey toward deep relaxation and inner healing”
NaturalPathTherapies.com •
SouthingtonYoga.com 12 Hartford County Edition
www.NaturallyHealthyCT.com
Green Searching Eco-friendly Manufacturer
Turns Trash into Cash
TerraCycle’s award-winning entrepre- neur, Tom Szaky, is turning conventional manufacturing on its head. The com- pany now up-cycles consumer packag- ing waste into 186 products, available at retailers like Whole Foods Market, Petco, Home Depot, Walmart and Target. The National Geographic Chan-
nel’s Garbage Moguls, which debuted new episodes of the TerraCycle experi- ence this summer, illustrates such trans- formations as cereal boxes into note- books, newspapers into pencils, cookie wrappers into kites, and disposable pens into trash cans. Schools and com- munity nonprofits collect the materials for payment through eco-friendly local fundraisers.
For more information visit
TerraCycle.net.
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