Facts about waste water

World Water Day is held on March 22nd to raise awareness of the importance of freshwater. It helps bring attention to a crisis faced by millions around the globe – limited access to fresh, clean water.

This year's theme is 'why waste water' and focuses on getting people to stop wasting the valuable resource.

It is estimated that 663 million people live without access to safe water close to their homes. Instead, they must travel long distances or queue for hours to get it. Many also have to cope with contaminated water – and the associated health problems.

The United Nations General Assembly officially designated March 22nd as World Water Day in 1993. Since then, campaigns have focused on improving water quality and access to freshwater for people around the world. In 2015 – and as part of the Sustainable Development Goals – a UN Initiative set a target to make sure everyone on the planet has access to safe water by 2030.

It is estimated that by 2030, the demand for water will have increased by 50% – most of which will be from people living in cities. As a result, World Water Day organisers are calling for new approaches to wastewater management.

Facts about waste water:
- At present, more than 80% of wastewater produced is pumped back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused.
- Despite most of the world's population being expected to live in cities by 2050, most – especially in developing countries – do not have the infrastructure or resources needed to manage wastewater.
- 1.8 billion people (more than a quarter of the world's population) use a source of drinking water that is contaminated by faeces. This places them at risk of a host of deadly diseases including dysentery, cholera and polio.
- It is estimated that unsafe water and poor sanitation kills 842,000 people every year.
- An area of land roughly equivalent to the size of Sri Lanka is irrigated with wastewater or polluted water. This causes health problems in the farmers working on the land, and eventually the people who consume the products they produce.
- Water, sanitation and hygiene could prevent 9.1% of the global disease burden – and an estimated 6.3% of all deaths.
- Improved water sources reduces the number of deaths from diarrhoea by 21%, while improved sanitation can reduce it by 37.5%.
- According to the USGS, the average person uses up to 100 gallons of water per day. 95% of this goes down the drain – meaning each person wastes between 76-95 gallons every day.
- Despite most of the planet being covered by water, most of it is not available for human use. If the Earth's water fitted into a four litre jug, just one tablespoon would be available freshwater.

Facts about Earth Hour

Today is Earth Day, have you heard?

And with it comes Earth Hour.

But do you know where it all began?

Initially, Earth Hour was an ambitious publicity stunt to engage Australians on the issue of climate change. The first Earth Hour was held on 31 March 2007 in Sydney at 7:30pm local time.

A few months later, the people of San Francisco were inspired to do the same and carried out their own Earth Hour in October 2007. Since then, the participation had sky-rocketed!

What began in 2007 as one city’s dramatic stand against global warming has become a global movement. Sponsored by WWF—a conservation group that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation by 5 percent annually—Earth Hour has the official participation of a growing number of cities, countries, businesses and individuals worldwide.

Earth Hour 2008 saw 35 countries across all seven continents participate. And the trend of increased participation had maintained throughout the seven-year history of this global movement.

Earth Hour 2008: 371 Cities in 35 Countries.
Earth Hour 2009: 4,000 Cities in 88 Countries.
Earth Hour 2010: 4,616 Cities in 128 Countries.
Earth Hour 2011: 5,251 Cities in 135 Countries.
Earth Hour 2012: 6,950 Cities in 152 Countries.
Earth Hour 2013: 7,000 cities in 154 Countries.
Earth Hour 2014: 7,000 Cities in 162 Countries.

With more than 82% of the world's countries already participating in Earth Hour, you can expect 2015 to inch closer to a complete global participation.

Here's another fun fact: Earth Hour is held in late March because it is around the time of the Spring and Autumn equinoxes in the northern and southern hemispheres respectively, which allows for near coincidental sunset times in both hemispheres, thereby ensuring the greatest visual impact for a global “lights out” event.

The goal, of course, is to inspire people to reduce their energy consumption every day, not by sitting in the dark for an hour each night, but by taking simple steps that can have a dramatic effect.

So, make sure you turn off your lights tonight at 8:30 pm for an hour - if you wish - but most of all show your commitment by continuing at least one environmental action all year long that would help make the world a better place.

Celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."
Native American Proverb

Did you know that the first Earth Day was celebrated by the United States on April 22, 1970 to promote the preservation of the environment? Today, people in over 140 countries celebrate Earth Day.

Earth Day Network estimates that 500 million people from 4,500 organizations in 180 countries will participate in Earth Day events during the month of April.

You can teach your kids how important it is to care for our planet with some simple strategies. The book, Just a Dream, by Chris Van Allsburg (Houghton Mifflin, 1990) is a great story to use as a springboard for ideas. The main character has a dream about the future in a world where littering and pollution have become commonplace. Give your kids a copy of the Recycle reproducible and ask them to create environmental posters that promote respect for our Earth. Then, proudly display them in and around the house.

You can also brainstorm different ways to help the environment at home such as conserving energy by turning off the lights when you leave the room, recycling newspapers and soda cans, or composting. Share the Brainstorm House reproducible with kids, then give them time to draw pictures of different things they can do at home to help the environment.

Take small steps:
There are dozens of small things your kids can do every day to save energy and keep the world cleaner and greener. Here are some ways you can encourage your kids to go green during Earth Day and if your child develops good habits now, they’ll endure as he/she grows.
- Switch off the light when leaving a room and turn off the TV when no longer watching.
- Shut off the water when brushing teeth
- Walk, ride a bike or take the bus instead of traveling by car
- Take faster showers or baths in just a small amount of water
- Help hang clothes on the line instead of putting them in the dryer
- Choose products that are not over packaged

Recycle:
Explain to your kids that every bottle and can they use is waste that just sits in a big pile at the local dump if we don’t recycle. Get them involved by making it their job to sort recyclables and take them out for pickup.

Should any of my readers be homeschooling their kids, please click on this link by Carson-Dellosa Publishing about Earth Day which makes for a great lesson.

Another fascinating link is Earth Science enterprise: for kids only! NASA studies the earth, not just outer space, and has created this earth science site for kids and their teachers and filled it to the brim with information, lesson plans, and games.

If you are looking for a grooving Earth Day site to share with your kids, check out: Kaboose globe-rider link.

So tell me, what is your contribution to Earth Day?