Monsanto’s Greenwashing More Outrageous than Ever

It’s a dubious honor, but one that Monsanto doesn’t seem too eager to refuse. The world’s most hated corporation has been aggressively greenwashing its reputation for years and has recently stepped up its efforts to claim that its earth- and people-unfriendly practices are “sustainable”.

In fact, Monsanto’s website is packed full of sickeningly misleading claims about how their iron grip on the world’s food supply is actually good for us and for the environment. There are dozens of different ways in which this is just plain wrong – but The Guardian has focused on one in particular: Monsanto’s thirst for water.

Monsanto trumpets its patented water-efficient seeds, so one would expect the company to be sensitive about its own water usage. However, on the Hawaiian island of Molokai – where Monsanto is the largest employer and does a lot of reseach into genetically modified crops – this corporate giant has caused water shortages.

From The Guardian:

Nature on Molokai has suffered badly from the invasion of Monsanto and other big-farm companies. In recompense, Monsanto puts money into a Nature Conservancy programme on the island to “preserve biodiversity and protect water sources”.

The company has nonetheless gained a bad reputation there as a water bully. As a local journalist wrote there last year in the Molokai Dispatch, “Monsanto’s thirst for more water” threatens its future on the island. “Like most large corporations, Monsanto’s number one priority is to maximise profits. In this case it means planting as many acres as possible, and using a lot of water,” wrote Todd Yamashita.

Recently, during a drought that emptied reservoirs and forced the local irrigation company to demand 20% water cutbacks from local farmers, Monsanto insisted on the right to take more water and lobbied for a new aquifer to be tapped.

Of course, this is only one small example of Monsanto’s jaw-dropping offenses. The capacity for evil that this company has is seemingly endless. Learn more:

Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear
Millions Against Monsanto Campaign
Monsanto – SourceWatch
MonsantoWatch
The World According to Monsanto (Documentary)

Link [The Guardian]
Photo credit: Greenpeace

Southwest Must Face Harsh Water Shortage Realities

Does it make sense to transport massive quantities of water to a desert, so that people can replicate the lifestyle of a lush, wet climate? Hardly, but that is what Southwestern states have been doing for years, relying on Nevada’s Lake Mead to support millions of people – and unnecessary things like green lawns and golf courses.

But soon, they’ll have to find another way. Lake Mead has dropped 28 feet in the past two years, and experts say it might be bone-dry by 2021.

From The Good Human:

While places like Las Vegas are giving money to residents to “de-grass” their lawns (which I think is a fantastic idea – who thinks its a good idea to use fresh water just to have a green yard?), replacing them with cactus and other drought-resistant plants, I don’t think it goes far enough. Seems that politicians don’t actually want to make any substantial changes to their water policies because they are afraid of the political repercussions – something I am getting very tired of seeing.

In L.A. for example, under a severe drought warning, the Mayor asked people to water their lawns “only” 2 times a week…I am not sure if the Mayor knows that L.A. is actually in the middle of a desert and maybe there shouldn’t be grass growing there anyway! We need real, heavy-duty water restrictions put in place everywhere in the Southwest that feeds off the Colorado River if we want to have water flowing out here in the next 50 years. If we don’t, we are going to look back with amazement at how we stupidly ignored all the signs pointing to a severe drought in the area.

So, does this mean that everyone living in these dry states should pack up and move? Not necessarily, but smarter water consumption is certainly in order, and people are definitely going to have to make some sacrifices. You live in a desert – deal with it.

The Good Human suggests a number of things that could help including allowing every citizen to harvest rainwater, limiting the watering of parks an golf courses, and allowing the use of graywater in every new residential building.

We can’t keep acting like fresh potable water is an unlimited, easy-to-access resource.

Link [The Good Human]
Photo credit: Marla Miller

California to Pay Residents to Rip Out Their Water-Intensive Lawns

When you live in an artificially lush desert environment where water availability is already a problem, is it smart to use what little water you have to keep pointless lawns green? Uh, no. As many of you already know, wasting water on lawns is a major pet peeve of ours here at EarthFirst – it just doesn’t make any damn sense.

So, we’re thrilled to hear that Los Angeles officials are finally waking up to the stupidity of such wastefulness, and giving owners of single family homes an incentive to stop. They’re going to pay LA residents to rip out their useless, water-intensive lawns.

From the Los Angeles Times:

Fast on the heels of the new watering ordinances that took effect June 1, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has begun a cash-for-grass program. Single-family homes served by the DWP will be eligible to receive $1 for every square foot of turf that they replace with less thirsty alternatives.

For years Southern California water managers paid scant attention to outdoor water conservation. Then they saw stunning savings achieved in Nevada. According to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, in the last decade, Las Vegas has removed more than 125 million square feet of grass, saving 7 billion gallons of water a year. That’s almost one-tenth of Southern Nevada’s annual water supply.

The rebate program will pay Department of Water and Power customers to remove up to 2,000 square feet of lawn and replace it with water-wise landscaping. Having a plan for the successor landscape is necessary to get the rebate, so people can’t just dig up their lawns and leave a big pit of dirt in its place.

If you’re going to use water, grow food. Otherwise, drought-resistant landscaping is the way to go. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has a ‘Be Water Wise’ website where residents can get ideas of what to plant.

It’s about time. We all need to start treating water like the precious resource that it is.

Link [LA Times]
Photo credit: Flickr user Jeremy Levine Design

How Much Water do you Really Use?

We’ve been warned that, as climate changes across the world, water will soon become a very scarce, precious resource – one that wars may be fought over. So, naturally, it’s incredibly important that we conserve as much as we can. But even if you take Navy showers and are otherwise super frugal with water use, you may be surprised by the real amount of water you need to get by on a daily basis. This chart by Good Magazine shows the real water cost of a number of food and beverage items, as well as the amount saved by low-flow toilets, shower heads and faucets. (Click image above to see full chart)

According to the chart, you can save 23.2 gallons of water per day by making the low-flow switch. Tea requires 28 fewer gallons of water to produce than coffee, and you can save over 32 gallons by choosing a glass of water instead of soda. It’s an eye-opener – especially when you see that it takes a whopping 1,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef. Add that to the long list of reasons to go vegetarian or cut back on the amount of meat you eat.

Link [Good Magazine]

Review: The Wonder Wash & Spin Dryer by Laundry Alternative

If you’re off-grid, living on the road or just trying to go green in as many ways as possible, you’ve probably grappled with the best ways to do your laundry without slaving over it for hours on end. Getting clothes and household linens thoroughly clean and dry while using as little water and energy as possible is challenging, to say the least – but two products from Laundry Alternative can help make your life a little easier and your laundry routine a whole lot greener.

The Wonder Wash is a compact, portable hand-powered washing machine that doesn’t even have to be hooked up to a sink. Here’s what the company had to say about it:

• Washes a 5-lb. load super clean in just a couple of minutes.
• Has a patented pressure system that forces detergent into the fabric at high speed for a fast, efficient, economic and very easy wash
• Is ideal for campers, single persons and even for the housewife with small frequent loads like hand washables and diapers.
• Is ideal for delicates such as woolens, silks, knitted dresses and cashmere garments.
• Uses far less water than even hand washing.

The Wonder Wash is essentially a plastic bin with a pressure lid, a stand, a handle and a drain spout. You put warm or hot water in the drum, add soap and then put in your laundry. Once the lid is properly in place, the air inside the drum absorbs the heat of the water and expands, creating pressure inside the drum. That pressure forces the detergent through the fabric, reportedly 100 times faster than you could do it by hand or in a conventional washing machine.

The Laundry Alternative website said that it can fit 7-8 dress shirts, 10 t-shirts, 30 pairs of socks or 2-3 pairs of blue jeans. I decided to test this claim and stuffed it with 3 pairs of my husband’s cargo pants, figuring they were the bulkiest items I had on hand and possibly the toughest to clean. They fit in pretty easily, and turning the handle was not exactly a Herculean task. I set the Wonder Wash up next to my kitchen sink and turned the handle for just three minutes. Then I drained it with the attached drain spout, filled it up with more water and spun the handle a few more times to rinse and drained it again. I must admit I was pretty surprised when the pants, which had been pretty nasty from yardwork, came out clean.

Of course, they were also sopping wet. The Wonder Wash doesn’t wring water from fabrics like a conventional washing machine does, so you’re either in for a whole lot of hand-wringing – or you can use the Spin Dryer, made by the same company.

From the Laundry Alternative website:

• Works in only 2-3 minutes
• 12.2 lb capacity for wet laundry, 5.5 lb capacity for dry laundry
• 3200 rpm spin speed
• Portable, only weighs 22 lbs
• Compact, only 13.7″ x 13.7″ x 24″ (lwh)
• Much gentler on clothes than a conventional tumble dryer
• Removes mineral deposits and detergents, rather than baking them on
• Can be used as a standalone dryer, or with a tumble dryer
• If used with a conventional tumble dryer, cuts drying time by 30 minutes or more, significantly reducing energy costs and prolonging the life of your dryer and clothing
• Connects to any 110V outlet, no installation required.

It did, in fact, get the pants even drier than they would normally be coming out of a conventional washing machine, and it only took three minutes. You can then either throw the load into your regular dryer for vastly reduced overall drying time or hang them up to dry (which is obviously the greenest solution).

These products are small enough to fit in your VW bus, tiny ass apartment or wherever you call home. While the size means you can’t do huge loads – forget fitting a comforter into either one – it does make them super portable. I find the size of the Wonder Wash to be just fine for the amount of laundry my husband and I produce (which isn’t much). The Wonder Wash would also be great for parents who’d like to keep their baby’s clothes – or dirty cloth diapers – separate from their own laundry, particularly since it’s so gentle on the clothes.

You can even use the Wonder Wash in your backyard and dump the grey water into your garden afterward (assuming you’re using phosphate-free laundry detergent or none at all, of course).

All in all, these are great products that make it much easier to have an eco-friendly laundry routine that doesn’t require a return to the methods of the 1800’s. Oh yeah, and the prices are super reasonable, too – $42.95 for the Wonder Wash and $134.95 for the Spin Dryer. You’ll make the money back in months with all the water and energy you’ll save.

Link [Wonder Wash] + [Spin Dryer]

Eco DIY Project: Make Your Own Rain Barrel

Why pay money to water your garden when you could simply harvest the free rainwater that runs down your gutters? Rain barrels are a great way to capture and store water, and while there are many (pricey) pre-made versions out there, it’s really easy to make one yourself. This DIY eco project is super easy, and 55-gallon food-grade barrels can often be acquired for free from restaurants. So, your total cost can be as low as $20!

The video below, by Penn State Cooperative Extension, illustrates the process – and you can get more detailed step-by-step insructions at DIY Life, Instructables or GreenTerraFirma.

Link [DIY Life] + [Instructables] + [GreenTerraFirma]
Photo credit: CasaSugar + Apartment Therapy

Urine Recycler Finally Passes Astronauts’ Test

Astronauts on the Endeavor have been testing a $154 million water recycling system for a week now, and after a few days of problems with the machine shutting down intermittently, it’s finally working. The urine processor is brand-spanking-new technology that NASA hopes will help them solve the problem of water availability in space. They need to be able to convert astronauts’ urine and sweat into drinkable water in order to double the size of the space station crew to six next year.

From MSNBC:

By early Tuesday, the machine had run continuously for five hours, well past the intended mark. Additional testing was ongoing, and hopes were high that more than enough samples of processed urine would be returned to Earth aboard Endeavour for safety tests.

Space station skipper Mike Fincke, who had nursed the urine processor along, yelled “Yippee” when he learned it was finally doing its job.

“You have to remember that this is serial number zero-zero-one for a brand new technology which we’re testing out here on space station, so you can expect to have a few hiccups,” said astronaut Donald Pettit, who also worked on the contraption.

No one will drink the recycled water until it’s tested for safety back on Earth, but the Endeavor will return this weekend with six one-liter containers of recycled urine and condensation, more than originally expected.

This kind of technology isn’t just helpful up in space – it could revolutionize our ability to provide enough safe drinking water for the growing population. We’re going to need to get very clever about water conservation, and this is a great step forward.

Link [MSNBC]

Starbucks Wastes 23.4 Million Liters of Water Daily

British newspaper The Sun discovered last weekend that Starbucks has been wasting millions of liters of water every day by keeping a tap running non-stop at all of its 10,000 locations worldwide. The amount of water wasted is enough to provide daily water for the 2 million drought-stricken Namibians or to fill an Olympic pool every 83 minutes.

Every single Starbucks store has a cold tap behind the counter for a sink called a ‘dipper well’ which is used for washing spoons and utensils, and staff are banned from turning the water off under the misguided notion that leaving the tap on stops germs from breeding in the taps.

From The Sun:

And the claim that running taps are needed for hygiene reasons was dismissed by experts as “nonsense”.

A single Starbucks tap left running for just over three minutes wastes the amount of water one African needs to survive for a day in drought conditions.

The Sun investigated after a Starbucks executive revealed the policy in a letter to a couple who complained about a tap left running at their local branch.

Lisa Woolfe, 39, of Cuffley, Herts, said: “I noticed a small sink behind the counter had its tap running. The assistant said the store was told to keep it running as it cleaned the pipes.

“I could not believe it but when we contacted head office, they confirmed that the taps were left on and the water was not recycled.

“It is an absolutely astonishing waste of water, especially for a company which prides itself on its green credentials.”

The Sun confirmed taps running at Starbucks all over the world, from Vienna, Austria to Cluj, Romania (there are Starbucks in Romania?).  It’s even happening in drought-stricken Australia, where water is currently a very precious commodity.  Check out video of the taps running at The Sun website.

Way to waste, Starbucks.  This is really an astoundingly stupid thing to do, especially for a company so conscious of its image – did they think people would forgive them because they claim to be doing it for hygienic reasons?

If you still frequent Starbucks, this is as good a reason as any to shift your business to other coffeehouses – hopefully local ones.  It’s an outrage that they would hold such blatant disregard not only for the conservation of precious resources but for the people who are desperately in need of water.

Link [The Sun]
Photo credit: EarthFirst composite/Flickr user mobilestreetlife

Orange County, California’s Sewage to Drinking Water Treatment Plant Finished

Here in America, we have a water problem – and I’m not just talking about shortages. We waste incredible, mind-boggling amounts of it. There are so many things we can do to use water more wisely, and in parched Santa Ana, California, officials are getting creative in a way that has some residents angry and disgusted. They’re recycling toilet water. Like it or not, people might as well get used to ideas like these – it’s wasting so much water that’s really disgusting.

From The New York Times:

When you flush in Santa Ana, the waste makes its way to the sewage-treatment plant nearby in Fountain Valley, then sluices not to the ocean but to a plant that superfilters the liquid until it is cleaner than rainwater. The “new” water is then pumped 13 miles north and discharged into a small lake, where it percolates into the earth. Local utilities pump water from this aquifer and deliver it to the sinks and showers of 2.3 million customers. It is now drinking water. If you like the idea, you call it indirect potable reuse. If the idea revolts you, you call it toilet to tap.

Recycling sewage into potable water was a no-brainer for Orange County; an ever-rising population meant that a new $200M sewage pipeline would have needed to be built, and they over-pumped their groundwater basin to the point of drawing seawater into their water supply. So, the sewage to water plan works out for a lot of reasons. It sounds gross at first, but the process used to clean the water really is incredibly thorough.

If you think about it, though, why are we flushing so much fresh, clean, potable water in the first place? Greywater systems that at least divert used water from the bathroom sink and/or shower could be used to flush toilets instead. It seems absurd to foul perfectly good drinking water in such a way. The way we use water is so messed up and backwards. Hopefully we’ll do a lot of catching up in the coming decades as people realize how precious a resource it really is.

To read about the full treatment process that transforms the sewage into drinkable water, read the full piece in The New York Times.

Link [The New York Times]
Photo credit: Flickr user Oracio Alvarado

Couple Fined for Letting Lawn Die During a Drought

On June 4th, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought, so Anne Hartridge and Matt George, a Sacramento couple who already lived a pretty green lifestyle, decided it was as good a time as any to let their lawn die in preparation for doing something more productive with it. Not long after the grass turned brown, a neighbor complained to the city and the Code Enforcement Department gave the family a citation.

From redOrbit:

Their small brick home was declared a “public nuisance” in violation of city code section 17.68.010, which states that front yards “shall be irrigated, landscaped and maintained.”

A $746 fine will be next unless they correct the violation.

“In order to make the lawn go, I would have had to keep watering it intensely, and since the drought was declared, I decided that wasn’t a good idea,” said Hartridge. “Honestly, I think there’s a disconnect within the city about priorities.”

Two weeks ago, The Bee reported that Sacramento’s per capita water use is among the greatest in the world. Later that week, the same day Hartridge got the citation, an audit revealed that the city has lost or misplaced nearly 5,000 water meters, out of more than 100,000 it must install citywide to comply with state law.

“On one hand they’re mislaying their water meters, and on the other hand they going out and putting enforcement on people who don’t have green lawns,” Hartridge said. “And there’s water running down the gutters of my neighborhood every day.”

Food, not lawns! Seriously, this is absurd. Messed up priorities, indeed – and most of it comes from the fact that the city Code Enforcement Department doesn’t communicate with the Utilities department about water usage. Well, that and douchebag neighbors. There’s a drought, and this person goes and complains about a lawn that’s less than perfect? Unbelievable. Our freshwater resources aren’t bottomless, and someday everybody’s going to look back on all of this lawn watering with disgust and disbelief.

Furthermore, $746?!?! Sacramento needs to get their shit together. I wonder how many more cities around the nation have the same stupid, backwards laws.

Link [redOrbit]
Photo credit: Flickr user james.thompson

Virginia High School Catches 280,000 Gallons of Rainwater Annually

While many of us have yet to even install rainwater barrels outside our homes, some people are saving a dramatic amount of water with giant barrels placed outside public buildings like schools and office buildings.  The Langston Brown Community Center and High School in Arlington, Virginia has two 24-ft tall 11,000-gallon cisterns to catch and store rainwater, which capture up to 280,000 gallons per year.  One tank is located at the back of the school and the other is in front, covered with panels to make it blend in seamlessly with the building.

Schools are such a great place to deploy this kind of green technology.  It teaches the kids early on never to let resources go to waste, and makes it such a normal everyday thing that they will hopefully grow up to use these resource-saving measures in their daily lives without question.  Way to go, Langston Brown!

Link [Metaefficient]

The Eco Drop Shower Invites Pain Into Your Daily Routine

I do my best to keep my showering times to a bare minimum. I’ve even installed low-flow shower heads to reduce waste — and sometimes I throw a bucket under the shower to collect the lukewarm water for plants while it heats up. I consider myself extreme. But the new Eco Drop Shower is too much for me. It’s like graduating from kinky sex to BDSM, Little House on the Prairie to Keeping Up With The Kardashians, or dating Natalie Portman to dating Amy Winehouse.

To put it plainly, it’s hardcore.

How does it work? When you first start to shower, your feet are planted firmly on a plastic mat of sorts with embedded concentric circles. As your water usage increases, the circles slowly start to rise, making it rather uncomfortable to stand in one place for long. Manage to continue enjoying yourself, and pointy mounds will also move upwards from the center of the circles. For anyone with foot issues (warts, corns) this would start to get painful. They don’t show what happens should you somehow avoid these obstacles, but we’re thinking electricity and burning sensations are next.

I love technology that reminds us we’re nothing but a plague upon the planet, but enjoying my morning shower is one of the few pleasures (next to Wii) that I thank modern-society for providing. I think I’ll pass on the Eco Drop and just continue working my water conservation the old-fashioned way. Although it would be entertaining to have one of these installed in the guest bathroom…

via Born Rich