Water used to be free.
In fact, it still is -- at least in nations blessed with plentiful clean tap water like the U.S. -- but that doesn't stop the world from spending over $100 billion on bottled water a year.
This strange industry is exploding overseas as well.
Who got the idea to sell us something we can get for free? And how did it get so popular that now more than half of Americans drink it?
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Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Monday, 7 November 2011
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Acque perdure
Ridurre gli sprechi e assicurare che l'acqua utilizzata torni all'ambiente in condizioni tali da essere un problema ecologico. Il sistema idrico italiano entro tre anni deve dimostrare di essere in "salute" per non incorrere nelle sanzioni Ue. Il Paese però è molto lontano da questi obiettivi: mancano le fognature, i depuratori e il sistema in alcune regioni è in mano alla criminalità organizzata
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Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
“When We Speak about Economic Growth We Speak about Water Resources”
Report from GWP’s Side Event at Astana 2011
At the Seventh “Environment for Europe” Ministerial Conference in Astana, Kazakhstan, GWP convened a side event titled, “Economic Growth and Water: An Integrated Approach Helps” on September 23, 2011. GWP Chair Dr Letitia A Obeng emphasized that “When we speak about the economy and economic growth we speak about water resources.”
The Conference addressed two main themes: Sustainable management of water and water-related ecosystems; and Greening the economy: mainstreaming the environment into economic development. The GWP side event linked these two aspects: how to make water resources available and yet protected when countries embark on economic development. The Conference recognized the “hydro-centric” and “eco-engineering” themes are closely related.
Four of the speakers at the GWP side event illustrated why water is attracting more political attention, while highlighting water’s complexity and the need for an integrated approach to guide its use, management and development.
Prof. Nariman Kipshakbaev from GWP Kazakhstan presented their experiences of developing a National IWRM Plan (presentation). He made a brief summary of water resources policy reform and emphasized that “there is a need to balance multiple uses of water in a water scarce region.” He stressed the important role of newly established water councils, citing examples of water councils that have a transboundary character, for instance in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
GWP Georgia Chair Ms Nino Chkhobadze looked at role of civil society and non-governmental organizations in support of water reform in the Caucasus (presentation). “It is not well understood the role NGOs play in supporting governments to develop and implement river basin management plans,” said Ms Nino Chkhobadze, who was Georgia’s Minister of Environment for eight years. “Involvement of society is understood as the right of people to be informed, but participation in decision making is moved aside.” She said that stakeholders and the public ensure positive results when they participate in processes that introduce Integrated Water Resources Management principles at local level, and subsequently, better acceptance of future investments.
GWP invited speakers that do not belong directly to the “water family” because GWP acknowledges that for water management to be successful it must involve experts from outside the “water box.” Prof. Laszlo Miklos from the Technical University of Zvolen in Slovakia is a geographer by background and a politician by experience. Having been the Minister of Environment for two terms, and a member of the national Parliament, he reminded the audience of the political commitments made under Agenda 21, and the adoption of the principle of an integrated approach to the management of land resources (presentation).
Recognizing that “integrated management” needs to be understood, he asked, “What exactly do we want to integrate? Different understandings of integration resulted in a myriad of policy reforms that integrated institutions and agencies and administration but not the planning process itself.” He recommended making land use plans the legal, obligatory framework for each sectoral plan because how we use land takes into account every sector including water management.
Prof. Lučka Kajfež Bogataj, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize together with other climatologists, looked at climate change from a national and international security point of view rather than from the environmental perspective (presentation). A number of studies suggest that the worst effects can be avoided by keeping global temperature rise below 2°C. But Prof. Bogataj said that if current problems are not solved, they will be aggravated regardless of mathematical scenarios that predict a temperature rise. She showed the participants the map of continents originally developed by the Ministry of Defense to illustrate, in graphic terms, the security challenges posed by a warming planet. Climate change is likely to make essential resources (notably freshwater, arable land, crop yields and fish stocks) scarcer in many parts of the world, particularly in already vulnerable societies.
“Increased scarcity increases the risk of competition over resources within and between communities and states,” she said. “This can create instability, increasing vulnerability to conflict. On current projections, substantial parts of the world risk being left uninhabitable by rising sea levels, reduced freshwater availability and declining agricultural capacity. This will exacerbate existing migratory pressures from rural areas to cities, from unproductive land to more fertile land, and across international borders.”
www.gwp.org
At the Seventh “Environment for Europe” Ministerial Conference in Astana, Kazakhstan, GWP convened a side event titled, “Economic Growth and Water: An Integrated Approach Helps” on September 23, 2011. GWP Chair Dr Letitia A Obeng emphasized that “When we speak about the economy and economic growth we speak about water resources.”
The Conference addressed two main themes: Sustainable management of water and water-related ecosystems; and Greening the economy: mainstreaming the environment into economic development. The GWP side event linked these two aspects: how to make water resources available and yet protected when countries embark on economic development. The Conference recognized the “hydro-centric” and “eco-engineering” themes are closely related.
Four of the speakers at the GWP side event illustrated why water is attracting more political attention, while highlighting water’s complexity and the need for an integrated approach to guide its use, management and development.
Prof. Nariman Kipshakbaev from GWP Kazakhstan presented their experiences of developing a National IWRM Plan (presentation). He made a brief summary of water resources policy reform and emphasized that “there is a need to balance multiple uses of water in a water scarce region.” He stressed the important role of newly established water councils, citing examples of water councils that have a transboundary character, for instance in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
GWP Georgia Chair Ms Nino Chkhobadze looked at role of civil society and non-governmental organizations in support of water reform in the Caucasus (presentation). “It is not well understood the role NGOs play in supporting governments to develop and implement river basin management plans,” said Ms Nino Chkhobadze, who was Georgia’s Minister of Environment for eight years. “Involvement of society is understood as the right of people to be informed, but participation in decision making is moved aside.” She said that stakeholders and the public ensure positive results when they participate in processes that introduce Integrated Water Resources Management principles at local level, and subsequently, better acceptance of future investments.
GWP invited speakers that do not belong directly to the “water family” because GWP acknowledges that for water management to be successful it must involve experts from outside the “water box.” Prof. Laszlo Miklos from the Technical University of Zvolen in Slovakia is a geographer by background and a politician by experience. Having been the Minister of Environment for two terms, and a member of the national Parliament, he reminded the audience of the political commitments made under Agenda 21, and the adoption of the principle of an integrated approach to the management of land resources (presentation).
Recognizing that “integrated management” needs to be understood, he asked, “What exactly do we want to integrate? Different understandings of integration resulted in a myriad of policy reforms that integrated institutions and agencies and administration but not the planning process itself.” He recommended making land use plans the legal, obligatory framework for each sectoral plan because how we use land takes into account every sector including water management.
Prof. Lučka Kajfež Bogataj, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize together with other climatologists, looked at climate change from a national and international security point of view rather than from the environmental perspective (presentation). A number of studies suggest that the worst effects can be avoided by keeping global temperature rise below 2°C. But Prof. Bogataj said that if current problems are not solved, they will be aggravated regardless of mathematical scenarios that predict a temperature rise. She showed the participants the map of continents originally developed by the Ministry of Defense to illustrate, in graphic terms, the security challenges posed by a warming planet. Climate change is likely to make essential resources (notably freshwater, arable land, crop yields and fish stocks) scarcer in many parts of the world, particularly in already vulnerable societies.
“Increased scarcity increases the risk of competition over resources within and between communities and states,” she said. “This can create instability, increasing vulnerability to conflict. On current projections, substantial parts of the world risk being left uninhabitable by rising sea levels, reduced freshwater availability and declining agricultural capacity. This will exacerbate existing migratory pressures from rural areas to cities, from unproductive land to more fertile land, and across international borders.”
www.gwp.org
Friday, 23 September 2011
25 Signs That A Horrific Global Water Crisis Is Coming
Every single day, we are getting closer to a horrific global water crisis. This world was blessed with an awesome amount of fresh water, but because of our foolishness it is rapidly disappearing. Rivers, lakes and major underground aquifers all over the globe are drying up, and many of the fresh water sources that we still have available are so incredibly polluted that we simply cannot use them anymore. Without fresh water, we simply cannot function. Just imagine what would happen if the water got cut off in your house and you were not able to go out and buy any. Just think about it. How long would you be able to last? Well, as sources of fresh water all over the globe dry up, we are seeing drought conditions spread. We are starting to see massive "dust storms" in areas where we have never seem them before. Every single year, most of the major deserts around the world are getting bigger and the amount of usable agricultural land in most areas is becoming smaller. Whether you are aware of this or not, the truth is that we are rapidly approaching a breaking point.
If dramatic changes are not made soon, in the years ahead water shortages are going to force large groups of people to move to new areas. As the global water crisis intensifies, there will be political conflicts and potentially even wars over water. We like to think of ourselves as being so "advanced", but the reality is that we have not figured out how to live without water. When the water dries up in an area, most of the people are going to have to leave.
And yes, it will even happen in the United States too. For example, once Lake Mead dries up there is simply no way that so many people are going to be able to live in and around Las Vegas.
Right now, most of us take for granted that we will always have access to an unlimited amount of clean water.
But when you take a hard look at the data, it quickly becomes clear that everything that we have always taken for granted about water is about to dramatically change.
That following are 25 signs that a horrific global water crisis is coming. The first 12 facts are about the United States, and the last 13 are about the rest of the world....
#1 Today, the United States uses approximately 148 trillion gallons of fresh water a year.
#2 According to the U.S. government, 36 U.S. states are already facing water shortages or will be facing water shortages within the next few years.
#3 Since 1998, the level of water in Lake Mead has plunged by more than 50 percent. Lake Mead supplies about 85 percent of the water used in Las Vegas, and at this point the lake has 5.6 trillion gallons less water than it used to have. Lake Mead is falling so fast that some believe that the Hoover dam could actually stop producing electricity in a few years. Needless to say, that would be a total disaster for that entire region of the country. In addition, if things continue at the current pace, it is being estimated that Lake Mead will run completely dry some time around the year 2021.
#4 According to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. interior west is now the driest that it has been in 500 years.
#5 The Ogallala Aquifer, which is a massive underground lake that stretches from South Dakota all the way to Texas, is rapidly drying up. The Ogallala Aquifer is believed to be the largest body of fresh water in the world, and right now it is being drained at a rate of approximately 800 gallons per minute. Right now it covers approximately 174,000 square miles, and since the 1950s we have drained enough water from it "to half-fill Lake Erie". Once upon a time, the Ogallala Aquifer had an average depth of about 240 feet, but today the average depth is just 80 feet. If something is not done, we will definitely see a return of the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s. We need to start listening to the experts. Just consider what David Brauer of the Ogallala Research Service had to say when asked about the future of the Ogallala Aquifer....
"Our goal now is to engineer a soft landing. That's all we can do."
#6 A federal judge has ruled that the state of Georgia has very few legal rights to Lake Lanier. Lake Lanier is the main water source for the city of Atlanta. Millions more people are expected to move into the Atlanta area in the coming years, and this is creating an absolute nightmare for city officials.
#7 It is estimated that California only has a 20 year supply of fresh water left.
#8 It is estimated that New Mexico only has a 10 year supply of fresh water left.
#9 Things have gotten so dry in Arizona that now giant "dust storms" have been blowing through the city of Phoenix.
#10 Texas is has experienced one of the driest stretches that it has ever seen. Right now, approximately 81 percent of the state of Texas is experiencing "exceptional drought" conditions, and wildfires have burned an astounding 3.6 million acres in the state.
#11 Approximately 40 percent of all U.S. rivers and approximately 46 percent of all U.S. lakes have become so polluted that they are are now considered to be too dangerous to fish in, swim in or get drinking water from.
#12 Eight states in the Great Lakes region have signed a pact banning the export of water to outsiders - even to other U.S. states.
#13 It is being projected that by the year 2030, global demand for water will be 40 percent higher than it is today.
#14 Worldwide demand for fresh water tripled during the last century, and is now doubling every 21 years.
#15 According to USAID, one-third of the population of the earth will be facing severe or chronic water shortages by the year 2025.
#16 Of the 60 million people added to the world’s cities every year, the vast majority of them live in impoverished areas that have no sanitation facilities whatsoever.
#17 It is estimated that 75 percent of the surface water in India is now contaminated by human and agricultural waste.
#18 If you can believe it, according to a UN study on sanitation, far more people in India have access to a cell phone than to a toilet.
#19 In the developing world, 90 percent of all wastewater is discharged completely untreated into local rivers, streams or lakes.
#20 Every 8 seconds, somewhere in the world a child dies from drinking dirty water.
#21 Due to a lack of water, Saudi Arabia has given up on trying to grow wheat and will be 100 percent dependent on wheat imports by the year 2016.
#22 In northern China, the water table is dropping one meter every single year because of drought and overpumping.
#23 Incredibly, a new desert the size of Rhode Island is created in China every single year because of drought and overpumping.
#24 In China, 80 percent of all major rivers have become so horribly polluted that they do not support any aquatic life at all at this point.
#25 Collectively, the women of South Africa walk the equivalent of the distance to the moon and back 16 times a day just to get water.
Right now, more than a billion people around the globe do not have access to safe drinking water.
That number is going to keep increasing.
Without enough fresh water, people cannot grow enough food. Global food prices are already starting to skyrocket, and the coming global water crisis certainly is not going to help matters.
A massive, massive disaster is on the horizon. The era of gigantic amounts of cheap food and "unlimited" amounts of clean water is over.
A horrific global water crisis is coming.
You better get ready.
The Economic collapse 21-9-2011
If dramatic changes are not made soon, in the years ahead water shortages are going to force large groups of people to move to new areas. As the global water crisis intensifies, there will be political conflicts and potentially even wars over water. We like to think of ourselves as being so "advanced", but the reality is that we have not figured out how to live without water. When the water dries up in an area, most of the people are going to have to leave.
And yes, it will even happen in the United States too. For example, once Lake Mead dries up there is simply no way that so many people are going to be able to live in and around Las Vegas.
Right now, most of us take for granted that we will always have access to an unlimited amount of clean water.
But when you take a hard look at the data, it quickly becomes clear that everything that we have always taken for granted about water is about to dramatically change.
That following are 25 signs that a horrific global water crisis is coming. The first 12 facts are about the United States, and the last 13 are about the rest of the world....
#1 Today, the United States uses approximately 148 trillion gallons of fresh water a year.
#2 According to the U.S. government, 36 U.S. states are already facing water shortages or will be facing water shortages within the next few years.
#3 Since 1998, the level of water in Lake Mead has plunged by more than 50 percent. Lake Mead supplies about 85 percent of the water used in Las Vegas, and at this point the lake has 5.6 trillion gallons less water than it used to have. Lake Mead is falling so fast that some believe that the Hoover dam could actually stop producing electricity in a few years. Needless to say, that would be a total disaster for that entire region of the country. In addition, if things continue at the current pace, it is being estimated that Lake Mead will run completely dry some time around the year 2021.
#4 According to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. interior west is now the driest that it has been in 500 years.
#5 The Ogallala Aquifer, which is a massive underground lake that stretches from South Dakota all the way to Texas, is rapidly drying up. The Ogallala Aquifer is believed to be the largest body of fresh water in the world, and right now it is being drained at a rate of approximately 800 gallons per minute. Right now it covers approximately 174,000 square miles, and since the 1950s we have drained enough water from it "to half-fill Lake Erie". Once upon a time, the Ogallala Aquifer had an average depth of about 240 feet, but today the average depth is just 80 feet. If something is not done, we will definitely see a return of the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s. We need to start listening to the experts. Just consider what David Brauer of the Ogallala Research Service had to say when asked about the future of the Ogallala Aquifer....
"Our goal now is to engineer a soft landing. That's all we can do."
#6 A federal judge has ruled that the state of Georgia has very few legal rights to Lake Lanier. Lake Lanier is the main water source for the city of Atlanta. Millions more people are expected to move into the Atlanta area in the coming years, and this is creating an absolute nightmare for city officials.
#7 It is estimated that California only has a 20 year supply of fresh water left.
#8 It is estimated that New Mexico only has a 10 year supply of fresh water left.
#9 Things have gotten so dry in Arizona that now giant "dust storms" have been blowing through the city of Phoenix.
#10 Texas is has experienced one of the driest stretches that it has ever seen. Right now, approximately 81 percent of the state of Texas is experiencing "exceptional drought" conditions, and wildfires have burned an astounding 3.6 million acres in the state.
#11 Approximately 40 percent of all U.S. rivers and approximately 46 percent of all U.S. lakes have become so polluted that they are are now considered to be too dangerous to fish in, swim in or get drinking water from.
#12 Eight states in the Great Lakes region have signed a pact banning the export of water to outsiders - even to other U.S. states.
#13 It is being projected that by the year 2030, global demand for water will be 40 percent higher than it is today.
#14 Worldwide demand for fresh water tripled during the last century, and is now doubling every 21 years.
#15 According to USAID, one-third of the population of the earth will be facing severe or chronic water shortages by the year 2025.
#16 Of the 60 million people added to the world’s cities every year, the vast majority of them live in impoverished areas that have no sanitation facilities whatsoever.
#17 It is estimated that 75 percent of the surface water in India is now contaminated by human and agricultural waste.
#18 If you can believe it, according to a UN study on sanitation, far more people in India have access to a cell phone than to a toilet.
#19 In the developing world, 90 percent of all wastewater is discharged completely untreated into local rivers, streams or lakes.
#20 Every 8 seconds, somewhere in the world a child dies from drinking dirty water.
#21 Due to a lack of water, Saudi Arabia has given up on trying to grow wheat and will be 100 percent dependent on wheat imports by the year 2016.
#22 In northern China, the water table is dropping one meter every single year because of drought and overpumping.
#23 Incredibly, a new desert the size of Rhode Island is created in China every single year because of drought and overpumping.
#24 In China, 80 percent of all major rivers have become so horribly polluted that they do not support any aquatic life at all at this point.
#25 Collectively, the women of South Africa walk the equivalent of the distance to the moon and back 16 times a day just to get water.
Right now, more than a billion people around the globe do not have access to safe drinking water.
That number is going to keep increasing.
Without enough fresh water, people cannot grow enough food. Global food prices are already starting to skyrocket, and the coming global water crisis certainly is not going to help matters.
A massive, massive disaster is on the horizon. The era of gigantic amounts of cheap food and "unlimited" amounts of clean water is over.
A horrific global water crisis is coming.
You better get ready.
The Economic collapse 21-9-2011
Sunday, 24 July 2011
L'acqua è dappertutto nell'universo: scoperta la più grande riserva
Gli oceani? Grandi, vasti, addirittura smisurati. Così sono descritti dai viaggiatori e dai poeti e chi è stato in una spiaggia oceanica quest'impressione la capisce bene. Eppure di acqua non ne hanno poi tanta, almeno in confronto ad APM +5255 08 279 un ben strano corpo celeste, un quasar, che sta a 12 miliardi di anni luce da noi. Praticamente ai confini dell'Universo visibile, dato che pensiamo che la sua età sia di 13,5 miliardi di anni. Bene già allora, agli albori dell'espansione, di acqua ce ne era da vendere, dato che questo quasar attorno ne ha una quantità pari a 140 trilioni di volte quella di tutti gli oceani terrestri. E un trilione equivale a un milione di miliardi.
Quindi lontanissima, antichissima e abbondantissima. È la scoperta del giorno, molto sicura dato che è stata fatta e confermata indipendentemente da due gruppi di ricerca americani, gli astronomi del Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Jpl) della Nasa e del California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Un quasar è uno degli oggetti celesti più strani ed enigmatici, presenti fin dalle prime epoche dell'Universo, composto da un enorme buco nero che assorbe costantemente, e potremmo dire voracemente, materia da un altrettanto enorme disco circostante di gas e polveri.
Man mano che il materiale gassoso e le polveri vengono "catturate" dal buco nero, il quasar emette enormi quantità di energia e per questo è ben visibile anche da distanze per noi inimmaginabili, come i 12 miliardi di anni luce in questione. Questo quasar poi è effettivamente di grandi dimensioni, dato che ospita un buco nero almeno 20 miliardi di volte più massiccio del nostro Sole e produce tanta energia, ad ogni secondo, quanto un migliaio di miliardi di stelle simile alla nostra. Tutto insomma in una scala difficile da immaginare, da "Universo violento" come si legge in qualche testo di fantascienza.
...
read more
Quindi lontanissima, antichissima e abbondantissima. È la scoperta del giorno, molto sicura dato che è stata fatta e confermata indipendentemente da due gruppi di ricerca americani, gli astronomi del Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Jpl) della Nasa e del California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Un quasar è uno degli oggetti celesti più strani ed enigmatici, presenti fin dalle prime epoche dell'Universo, composto da un enorme buco nero che assorbe costantemente, e potremmo dire voracemente, materia da un altrettanto enorme disco circostante di gas e polveri.
Man mano che il materiale gassoso e le polveri vengono "catturate" dal buco nero, il quasar emette enormi quantità di energia e per questo è ben visibile anche da distanze per noi inimmaginabili, come i 12 miliardi di anni luce in questione. Questo quasar poi è effettivamente di grandi dimensioni, dato che ospita un buco nero almeno 20 miliardi di volte più massiccio del nostro Sole e produce tanta energia, ad ogni secondo, quanto un migliaio di miliardi di stelle simile alla nostra. Tutto insomma in una scala difficile da immaginare, da "Universo violento" come si legge in qualche testo di fantascienza.
...
read more
Friday, 1 July 2011
Water good idea
Biomimicry: An improved way to harvest drinking water from fog in remote areas takes its inspiration from an African beetle: this a good idea!
IN THE dry desert on the west coast of Namibia, where the annual average rainfall is a meagre 40mm, the Namib beetle (Stenocara gracilipes) has evolved a unique mechanism to drink. It collects moisture from the early morning fog that is produced when ocean breezes from the Atlantic collide with the hot desert air. Drawing inspiration from this fog-harvesting trick, Shreerang Chhatre, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his colleagues, have developed a simple and inexpensive way to produce drinking water.
The Namibian mist rapidly dissipates once the sun rises, so the beetle has just a brief opportunity to collect water. The insect typically finds a ridge of sand and faces the breeze, tilting its lower body upwards with its specially adapted wings outstretched. The wings have bumps made of a hydrophilic substance that attracts minute water droplets. As they accumulate, the droplets grow larger until their weight causes them to run off into troughs in the beetle’s wings. These troughs are covered with a waxy water-repelling substance which has the effect of rolling the droplets down the beetle’s inclined body and into its mouth.
Fog harvesting is not a new idea. FogQuest, a Canadian charity, has been installing devices using a metallic mesh to catch water droplets in developing countries for more than a decade. But Mr Chhatre says he and his colleagues have increased the efficiency of water collection using a variety of surface coatings.
Water droplets in fog are very small, typically between 1 to 50 microns (one-millionth of a metre) across. Hydrophilic surfaces gather and hold droplets with electrostatic attraction, which prevents them being picked up and carried away in the wind. As more droplets are attracted, they spread out and eventually join together and run off the surface—as they do on a pane of glass. Hydrophobic coatings, like Teflon, are then needed to repel the water and stream it as quickly as possible to a reservoir so it does not evaporate.
Mr Chhatre, a chemist, studied the so-called “wettability” of various coatings and found mathematical formulae which could determine the ideal combination of coatings for the different sizes of fog particles found in any particular region. The surface texture of the coatings also turned out to be important.
The ideal locations for fog harvesting are mountainous and desert regions where fog is present but water sources are far away. Mr Chhatre is setting up a pilot project in South Africa and hopes to organise another in India. Using a coated aluminium mesh, he conservatively estimates that it is possible to collect about one litre of water daily from a mesh of one square metre. Under ideal conditions, he says, that could increase tenfold.
The Economist 2-6-2011
IN THE dry desert on the west coast of Namibia, where the annual average rainfall is a meagre 40mm, the Namib beetle (Stenocara gracilipes) has evolved a unique mechanism to drink. It collects moisture from the early morning fog that is produced when ocean breezes from the Atlantic collide with the hot desert air. Drawing inspiration from this fog-harvesting trick, Shreerang Chhatre, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his colleagues, have developed a simple and inexpensive way to produce drinking water.
The Namibian mist rapidly dissipates once the sun rises, so the beetle has just a brief opportunity to collect water. The insect typically finds a ridge of sand and faces the breeze, tilting its lower body upwards with its specially adapted wings outstretched. The wings have bumps made of a hydrophilic substance that attracts minute water droplets. As they accumulate, the droplets grow larger until their weight causes them to run off into troughs in the beetle’s wings. These troughs are covered with a waxy water-repelling substance which has the effect of rolling the droplets down the beetle’s inclined body and into its mouth.
Fog harvesting is not a new idea. FogQuest, a Canadian charity, has been installing devices using a metallic mesh to catch water droplets in developing countries for more than a decade. But Mr Chhatre says he and his colleagues have increased the efficiency of water collection using a variety of surface coatings.
Water droplets in fog are very small, typically between 1 to 50 microns (one-millionth of a metre) across. Hydrophilic surfaces gather and hold droplets with electrostatic attraction, which prevents them being picked up and carried away in the wind. As more droplets are attracted, they spread out and eventually join together and run off the surface—as they do on a pane of glass. Hydrophobic coatings, like Teflon, are then needed to repel the water and stream it as quickly as possible to a reservoir so it does not evaporate.
Mr Chhatre, a chemist, studied the so-called “wettability” of various coatings and found mathematical formulae which could determine the ideal combination of coatings for the different sizes of fog particles found in any particular region. The surface texture of the coatings also turned out to be important.
The ideal locations for fog harvesting are mountainous and desert regions where fog is present but water sources are far away. Mr Chhatre is setting up a pilot project in South Africa and hopes to organise another in India. Using a coated aluminium mesh, he conservatively estimates that it is possible to collect about one litre of water daily from a mesh of one square metre. Under ideal conditions, he says, that could increase tenfold.
The Economist 2-6-2011
Thursday, 30 June 2011
Peter Gleick: Whither Bottled Water Sales?
A year ago, when my book “Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water” was released, new statistics had just come out revealing that annual sales of bottled water had declined for only the second time (2008 and 2009) in the forty-year history of bottled water sale in the United States.
Major public campaigns against bottled water had recently been initiated by students, activist groups, local communities, and even some restaurateurs, including several high-profile ones in the Bay Area and the two-year drop in sales after years of double-digit annual growth was perceived by some, including me, as an indication that the unchallenged claims of the industry were beginning to be met with skepticism, education, and consumer reaction.
Around the same time, the industry launched major pro-bottled water PR campaigns to counter the anti-bottled water movement, pointing to their efforts to go “green” by using thinner bottles, or bottles with more environmentally friendly materials, or touting the purity of their products. The industry also began a series of price cuts to win back customers and they launched new television and print advertisements, while publicly arguing that the drop in sales was simply the result of the bad economy, rather than any success on the part of the “ban the bottle” crowd.
Water Numbers: US bottled water sales in 2010 are up 3.5% from 2009, but still below 2007 levels.
A year has gone by, and new data are out from the bottled water industry showing a slight recovery in sales in the U.S. — up 3.5% from 2009. This is a relief for the bottlers, who are crowing “The Recovery Begins” and the “storm has passed.” Digging deeper, however, reveals that the “recovery” is weak. While the volume of bottled water sold in the U.S. in 2010 was up from 2009, per-capita consumption only rose 2.6%, which is less than it fell in 2009, and total revenue was still below the levels from 2006, 2007, and 2008 due to price cutting. There are no public estimates of profits, which could have been further reduced by increases in the costs of production (especially the high energy costs to make bottled water) and advertising.
Moreover, while sales grew worldwide in 2010, there were some pronounced regional differences. Indeed, according to the industry, four of the top 10 bottled-water consuming countries of the world (Italy, Belgium/Luxembourg, France, and Spain) saw reductions in the amount of bottled water sold per person in 2010 compared to 2005, and in Italy and Spain the total volumes are lower as well.
Like the tobacco industry when U.S. sales began to stagnate as the public became more aware of the adverse consequences of smoking, bottlers are moving offshore to new markets, especially in the developing world where the high-quality tap water here in the U.S. is typically unavailable. While sales stagnate in the industrialized world, they are growing rapidly in places like Mexico, China, the Middle East, and India — at least among the richer segments of those populations. The poor are still condemned to drink contaminated water, or to spend a hugely disproportionate part of their limited incomes on water from private vendors or bottlers.
There is no doubt that bottled water remains popular and it certainly is a big business. It will remain so as long as people don’t have access to reliable, safe drinking water from the tap and don’t know about, or care about, the environmental costs of drinking bottled water. But efforts to eliminate the reasons people buy bottled water should continue: we must reinvest in our superb tap water system to make it safer and better, eliminate false and misleading bottled-water advertising, and make access to public water easier by fixing our public drinking water fountains and expanding access to them.
read more
Major public campaigns against bottled water had recently been initiated by students, activist groups, local communities, and even some restaurateurs, including several high-profile ones in the Bay Area and the two-year drop in sales after years of double-digit annual growth was perceived by some, including me, as an indication that the unchallenged claims of the industry were beginning to be met with skepticism, education, and consumer reaction.
Around the same time, the industry launched major pro-bottled water PR campaigns to counter the anti-bottled water movement, pointing to their efforts to go “green” by using thinner bottles, or bottles with more environmentally friendly materials, or touting the purity of their products. The industry also began a series of price cuts to win back customers and they launched new television and print advertisements, while publicly arguing that the drop in sales was simply the result of the bad economy, rather than any success on the part of the “ban the bottle” crowd.
Water Numbers: US bottled water sales in 2010 are up 3.5% from 2009, but still below 2007 levels.
A year has gone by, and new data are out from the bottled water industry showing a slight recovery in sales in the U.S. — up 3.5% from 2009. This is a relief for the bottlers, who are crowing “The Recovery Begins” and the “storm has passed.” Digging deeper, however, reveals that the “recovery” is weak. While the volume of bottled water sold in the U.S. in 2010 was up from 2009, per-capita consumption only rose 2.6%, which is less than it fell in 2009, and total revenue was still below the levels from 2006, 2007, and 2008 due to price cutting. There are no public estimates of profits, which could have been further reduced by increases in the costs of production (especially the high energy costs to make bottled water) and advertising.
Moreover, while sales grew worldwide in 2010, there were some pronounced regional differences. Indeed, according to the industry, four of the top 10 bottled-water consuming countries of the world (Italy, Belgium/Luxembourg, France, and Spain) saw reductions in the amount of bottled water sold per person in 2010 compared to 2005, and in Italy and Spain the total volumes are lower as well.
Like the tobacco industry when U.S. sales began to stagnate as the public became more aware of the adverse consequences of smoking, bottlers are moving offshore to new markets, especially in the developing world where the high-quality tap water here in the U.S. is typically unavailable. While sales stagnate in the industrialized world, they are growing rapidly in places like Mexico, China, the Middle East, and India — at least among the richer segments of those populations. The poor are still condemned to drink contaminated water, or to spend a hugely disproportionate part of their limited incomes on water from private vendors or bottlers.
There is no doubt that bottled water remains popular and it certainly is a big business. It will remain so as long as people don’t have access to reliable, safe drinking water from the tap and don’t know about, or care about, the environmental costs of drinking bottled water. But efforts to eliminate the reasons people buy bottled water should continue: we must reinvest in our superb tap water system to make it safer and better, eliminate false and misleading bottled-water advertising, and make access to public water easier by fixing our public drinking water fountains and expanding access to them.
read more
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Water at 54th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia
These are extraordinary times for Iraq. The project to create an official country Pavilion for the 54th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia is a multiple and participatory work in progress since 2004. It is historically coming at a period of great renewal after more than 30 years of war and conflict in that country.
The Pavilion of Iraq will feature six internationally-known contemporary Iraqi artists who are emblematic in their individual experimental artistic research, a result of both living inside and outside their country. These artists, studying at the Fine Arts Academy in Baghdad, completed their arts studies in Europe and USA. They represent two generations: one, born in the early 1950’s, has experienced both the political instability and the cultural richness of that period in Iraq. Ali Assaf, Azad Nanakeli and Walid Siti came of age in the 1970’s during the period of the creation of political socialism that marked their background. The second generation, to include Adel Abidin, Ahmed Alsoudani and Halim Al Karim, grew up during the drama of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), the invasion of Kuwait, overwhelming UN economic sanctions and subsequent artistic isolation. This generation of artists exited the country before the 2003 invasion, finding refuge in Europe and USA by sheer fortune coupled with the artistic virtue of their work. All six artists thus have identities indubitably forged with contemporary artistic practice that unites the global situation with the Iraqi experience and they represent a sophisticated and experimental approach that is completely international in scope.
The six artists will execute works on site that are inspired by both the Gervasuti Foundation spaces and the thematic choice of water. This is a timely interpretation since the lack of water is a primary source of emergency in Iraq, more than civil war and terrorism. A special video section will feature artists living and working in Iraq today, curated by Rijin Sahakian.
The Pavilion of Iraq has been produced thanks to Shwan I. Taha and Reem Shather-Kubba/Patrons Committee, MerchantBridge Bank, corporate and individual contributors, various Iraqi government agencies and a major grant from the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture. Honorary Patron is the architect Zaha Hadid.
more info
more info 2
The Pavilion of Iraq will feature six internationally-known contemporary Iraqi artists who are emblematic in their individual experimental artistic research, a result of both living inside and outside their country. These artists, studying at the Fine Arts Academy in Baghdad, completed their arts studies in Europe and USA. They represent two generations: one, born in the early 1950’s, has experienced both the political instability and the cultural richness of that period in Iraq. Ali Assaf, Azad Nanakeli and Walid Siti came of age in the 1970’s during the period of the creation of political socialism that marked their background. The second generation, to include Adel Abidin, Ahmed Alsoudani and Halim Al Karim, grew up during the drama of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), the invasion of Kuwait, overwhelming UN economic sanctions and subsequent artistic isolation. This generation of artists exited the country before the 2003 invasion, finding refuge in Europe and USA by sheer fortune coupled with the artistic virtue of their work. All six artists thus have identities indubitably forged with contemporary artistic practice that unites the global situation with the Iraqi experience and they represent a sophisticated and experimental approach that is completely international in scope.
The six artists will execute works on site that are inspired by both the Gervasuti Foundation spaces and the thematic choice of water. This is a timely interpretation since the lack of water is a primary source of emergency in Iraq, more than civil war and terrorism. A special video section will feature artists living and working in Iraq today, curated by Rijin Sahakian.
The Pavilion of Iraq has been produced thanks to Shwan I. Taha and Reem Shather-Kubba/Patrons Committee, MerchantBridge Bank, corporate and individual contributors, various Iraqi government agencies and a major grant from the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture. Honorary Patron is the architect Zaha Hadid.
more info
more info 2
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Water carafes
German designer mark braun has created a collection of water carafes for the vienna-based glass and chandelier producer
J. & L. lobmeyr which emphasis the elements of water and glass.
exhibiting at this year's vienna design week as a part of the program passionswege, 'reichtum' (german for 'wealth')
is largely influenced by the characteristics and shapes of austrian bodies of water. using satellite images from google maps as a tool,
braun engraves the outlines of lakes, rivers and glaciers found in the country on the body of the glass using a copper wheel.
the finished carafes is then filled with the water of the respective body of water, resulting in a series that, for braun, symbolizes
the essential wealth of everyday life.
Passionsweg is a feature program of vienna design week where designers are paired together with vienna shop and manufacturers.
the outcome of the creative collaboration is objects or installations that are site-specific to the local establishment or store.
read more
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Water Solar Ball
While you might mistake designer Jonathan Liow’s Solarball for a familiar hamster’s toy, it’s actually a really cool new product for humans that purifies water using the sun. The Monash University graduate’s project is specifically geared towards aiding residents of underdeveloped areas with no clean drinking water, particularly small villages in Africa.
A trip to Cambodia spurred Liow’s desire to design a simple product that could help others, and that’s how the Solarball was born. Each ball can yield just over three quarts of clean drinking water each day if placed in the direct sun. Inside the ball, the dirty water evaporates away, separating the dirt and contaminants out. The resulting condensation is clean and drinkable. The small size is easy to carry, as well as affordable.
The design does pose a few problems. The size, although convenient and extremely portable, does not generate enough water for one person, let alone a village. Another factor is that the Solarball would need to be made of a durable plastic that can withstand constant exposure to the hot sun, and not become weakened easily. Although a great invention, it is not yet suitable to solve the water problem of an entire village.
A finalist in the 2011 Australian Design Award-James Dyson Award, the Solarball prototype will be on display at the Milan International Design Fair.
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Viviconstile l'acqua
Come usare meglio l'acqua in casa
Costa poco, vale tanto, e troppo spesso la diamo per scontata. Dalla doccia agli usi in cucina, dallo scarico del water all'irrigazione delle piante, senza tralasciare lavatrice e lavastoviglie, gli accorgimenti per fare un uso più attento dell'acqua di casa.
ABBIAMO 9 CONSIGLI PER TE
DIFFICOLTÀ
CONVENIENZA
1
Sostituisci le guarnizioni (oppure, se necessario, l'intero pezzo) dei rubinetti che perdono.
Costo indicativo: qualche decina di centesimo di euro.
2
Fai attenzione ai rubinetti aperti, chiudili mentre ti lavi i denti o ti fai la barba (in un minuto scendono anche 10 litri d'acqua).
3 Fai la doccia anziché il bagno: risparmierai più di 100 litri d’acqua ogni volta.
4
Se lavi i piatti a mano, evita di lasciare il rubinetto dell'acqua aperto mentre insaponi le stoviglie e riserva l'uso dell'acqua corrente al momento del risciacquo.
5 Usa lavatrice e lavastoviglie ad alta efficienza e falle partire solo quando sono a pieno carico.
6
Controlla lo scarico del WC. Il 30% dell'acqua usata in casa è per il gabinetto: se è a cassetta, vale la pena adottare il pulsante a doppio tasto (poca e tanta acqua).
7
Installa rompigetto areati all'interno del terminale svitabile dei rubinetti. Cambia il getto della doccia con erogatori “a basso flusso”. Si possono ridurre i consumi anche del 40%.
Costo indicativo: circa 1 euro ogni rubinetto, 25-40 euro ogni doccia.
8
Innaffia le piante nei vasi o nel giardino con parsimonia e sempre verso sera, usando l'acqua dei risciacqui e, se c'è bisogno di tanta acqua, installando impianti a goccia programmabili con timer.
Costo indicativo: 100-150 euro.
9
Per lavare l'auto, al posto dell'acqua corrente, usa il secchio. In alternativa, rivolgiti ad un autolavaggio assicurandoti che sia munito di impianto di trattamento e di recupero dell'acqua di scarico.
AGEVOLAZIONI E CONTRIBUTI
Sconti al consumatore sull'acquisto di riduttori di flusso possono essere praticati nell'ambito di campagne di risparmio energetico per concorrere all'acquisizione dei “Titoli d'Efficienza Energetica” (o Certificati Bianchi).
Lo spreco è dietro l'angolo
Ogni giorno in Italia si consumano circa 200 litri d'acqua potabile a testa (dai 104 di Ascoli Piceno ai 350 di Milano). Molto di più di quella che ci serve davvero. E' acqua che è stata prelevata da pompe, talvolta trattata in impianti, analizzata in laboratori sofisticati, distribuita in tutte le nostre case e che, infine, dovrà essere depurata prima di venire restituita ai fiumi o al mare. Sprecare questo bene prezioso è più facile di quel che si creda: un rubinetto che perde una goccia ogni 5 secondi, a fine anno ne ha buttati 2 mila litri! Se poi a perdere è il rubinetto dell'acqua calda, è come se avessimo sprecato anche una decina di metri cubi di metano. Ecco perché i consigli per non sprecare acqua e non sprecare energia si assomigliano così tanto.
Riduttori di flusso
In sostituzione dei normali frangigetto, si possono applicare dei riduttori di flusso (o rompigetto areati) ai rubinetti del bagno e della cucina. Si tratta di semplici e poco costosi apparecchi che miscelano aria all'acqua in uscita, consentendo di ridurre drasticamente i consumi, anche del 40%, senza diminuire la resa lavante o il comfort. Non tutti però sono uguali e alcuni permettono un risparmio molto superiore di altri: prima dell'acquisto, controllare bene l'etichetta.
Sciacquoni a basso consumo
Lo sciacquone a doppio pulsante permette di scaricare solo 3 litri invece dei 10-12 abituali. Per chi non vuole cambiare la vecchia vaschetta del WC a pulsante unico, è possibile ridurre l'afflusso d'acqua immergendovi una bottiglia di plastica piena chiusa o una busta (vedi www.studioinvenzioni.com/sacchetto-salva-acqua.html). In alternativa, per gli impianti di scarico a cassetta alta esterna si possono acquistare oggi apparecchiature che, a fronte di una piccola spesa e senza bisogno di lavori di muratura, trasformano il nostro sciacquone convenzionale in uno a doppio scarico (vedi www.casasoleil.it).
Lavatrici e lavastoviglie
I vecchi modelli di classe energetica bassa usano anche 25-50 litri a lavaggio, oltre a consumare costosa elettricità per scaldare l'acqua in più. Considerato che l'acqua adoperata per ogni lavaggio è la stessa, vale la pena farli funzionare solo a pieno carico.
Anche lavare i piatti a mano può non convenire: se si tiene sempre aperto il rubinetto si consuma più acqua, detersivo, energia e si inquina di più che usando la lavastoviglie. Meglio immergere le stoviglie in una bacinella d'acqua calda con poco detersivo e utilizzare l'acqua corrente solo per il risciacquo (leggi qui).
Risparmiare in giardino
Per chi ha il giardino i consumi, specie in estate quando i fiumi sono in secca, aumentano notevolmente. Innaffiare a spruzzo, con la canna o con automatismi, favorisce l'evaporazione (specie se si innaffia quando il sole è ancora alto) e non indirizza l'acqua dove è più necessaria. Meglio utilizzare impianti a goccia programmabili con timer: dotati di tubi con ugelli dosatori, sono molto comodi e consentono risparmi notevoli.
Per le piccole innaffiature, si può sfruttare l'acqua già usata per lavare frutta e verdura o l'acqua piovana raccolta con bacinelle.
Buona edilizia
Esempi di gestione sostenibile dell'acqua si stanno recentemente diffondendo in Italia sulle nuove costruzioni, grazie anche alla spinta di leggi e di regolamenti comunali. Le migliori esperienze ricorrono al recupero dell'acqua piovana, particolarmente adatta all'uso negli elettrodomestici, in quanto priva di calcare, e al trattamento e riuso delle acque grigie (le acque di scarico provenienti da doccia e lavabi) per scopi non potabili, come ad esempio l'irrigazione di aree a verde, il riempimento delle cassette di risciacquo dei WC, il lavaggio di aree esterne.
Adottando queste soluzioni in fase di costruzione o di ristrutturazione edilizia è possibile ridurre i consumi domestici di acqua potabile del 70% arrivando a consumare – a parità di comfort - circa 60 litri al giorno per abitante.
Costa poco, vale tanto, e troppo spesso la diamo per scontata. Dalla doccia agli usi in cucina, dallo scarico del water all'irrigazione delle piante, senza tralasciare lavatrice e lavastoviglie, gli accorgimenti per fare un uso più attento dell'acqua di casa.
ABBIAMO 9 CONSIGLI PER TE
DIFFICOLTÀ
CONVENIENZA
1
Sostituisci le guarnizioni (oppure, se necessario, l'intero pezzo) dei rubinetti che perdono.
Costo indicativo: qualche decina di centesimo di euro.
2
Fai attenzione ai rubinetti aperti, chiudili mentre ti lavi i denti o ti fai la barba (in un minuto scendono anche 10 litri d'acqua).
3 Fai la doccia anziché il bagno: risparmierai più di 100 litri d’acqua ogni volta.
4
Se lavi i piatti a mano, evita di lasciare il rubinetto dell'acqua aperto mentre insaponi le stoviglie e riserva l'uso dell'acqua corrente al momento del risciacquo.
5 Usa lavatrice e lavastoviglie ad alta efficienza e falle partire solo quando sono a pieno carico.
6
Controlla lo scarico del WC. Il 30% dell'acqua usata in casa è per il gabinetto: se è a cassetta, vale la pena adottare il pulsante a doppio tasto (poca e tanta acqua).
7
Installa rompigetto areati all'interno del terminale svitabile dei rubinetti. Cambia il getto della doccia con erogatori “a basso flusso”. Si possono ridurre i consumi anche del 40%.
Costo indicativo: circa 1 euro ogni rubinetto, 25-40 euro ogni doccia.
8
Innaffia le piante nei vasi o nel giardino con parsimonia e sempre verso sera, usando l'acqua dei risciacqui e, se c'è bisogno di tanta acqua, installando impianti a goccia programmabili con timer.
Costo indicativo: 100-150 euro.
9
Per lavare l'auto, al posto dell'acqua corrente, usa il secchio. In alternativa, rivolgiti ad un autolavaggio assicurandoti che sia munito di impianto di trattamento e di recupero dell'acqua di scarico.
AGEVOLAZIONI E CONTRIBUTI
Sconti al consumatore sull'acquisto di riduttori di flusso possono essere praticati nell'ambito di campagne di risparmio energetico per concorrere all'acquisizione dei “Titoli d'Efficienza Energetica” (o Certificati Bianchi).
Lo spreco è dietro l'angolo
Ogni giorno in Italia si consumano circa 200 litri d'acqua potabile a testa (dai 104 di Ascoli Piceno ai 350 di Milano). Molto di più di quella che ci serve davvero. E' acqua che è stata prelevata da pompe, talvolta trattata in impianti, analizzata in laboratori sofisticati, distribuita in tutte le nostre case e che, infine, dovrà essere depurata prima di venire restituita ai fiumi o al mare. Sprecare questo bene prezioso è più facile di quel che si creda: un rubinetto che perde una goccia ogni 5 secondi, a fine anno ne ha buttati 2 mila litri! Se poi a perdere è il rubinetto dell'acqua calda, è come se avessimo sprecato anche una decina di metri cubi di metano. Ecco perché i consigli per non sprecare acqua e non sprecare energia si assomigliano così tanto.
Riduttori di flusso
In sostituzione dei normali frangigetto, si possono applicare dei riduttori di flusso (o rompigetto areati) ai rubinetti del bagno e della cucina. Si tratta di semplici e poco costosi apparecchi che miscelano aria all'acqua in uscita, consentendo di ridurre drasticamente i consumi, anche del 40%, senza diminuire la resa lavante o il comfort. Non tutti però sono uguali e alcuni permettono un risparmio molto superiore di altri: prima dell'acquisto, controllare bene l'etichetta.
Sciacquoni a basso consumo
Lo sciacquone a doppio pulsante permette di scaricare solo 3 litri invece dei 10-12 abituali. Per chi non vuole cambiare la vecchia vaschetta del WC a pulsante unico, è possibile ridurre l'afflusso d'acqua immergendovi una bottiglia di plastica piena chiusa o una busta (vedi www.studioinvenzioni.com/sacchetto-salva-acqua.html). In alternativa, per gli impianti di scarico a cassetta alta esterna si possono acquistare oggi apparecchiature che, a fronte di una piccola spesa e senza bisogno di lavori di muratura, trasformano il nostro sciacquone convenzionale in uno a doppio scarico (vedi www.casasoleil.it).
Lavatrici e lavastoviglie
I vecchi modelli di classe energetica bassa usano anche 25-50 litri a lavaggio, oltre a consumare costosa elettricità per scaldare l'acqua in più. Considerato che l'acqua adoperata per ogni lavaggio è la stessa, vale la pena farli funzionare solo a pieno carico.
Anche lavare i piatti a mano può non convenire: se si tiene sempre aperto il rubinetto si consuma più acqua, detersivo, energia e si inquina di più che usando la lavastoviglie. Meglio immergere le stoviglie in una bacinella d'acqua calda con poco detersivo e utilizzare l'acqua corrente solo per il risciacquo (leggi qui).
Risparmiare in giardino
Per chi ha il giardino i consumi, specie in estate quando i fiumi sono in secca, aumentano notevolmente. Innaffiare a spruzzo, con la canna o con automatismi, favorisce l'evaporazione (specie se si innaffia quando il sole è ancora alto) e non indirizza l'acqua dove è più necessaria. Meglio utilizzare impianti a goccia programmabili con timer: dotati di tubi con ugelli dosatori, sono molto comodi e consentono risparmi notevoli.
Per le piccole innaffiature, si può sfruttare l'acqua già usata per lavare frutta e verdura o l'acqua piovana raccolta con bacinelle.
Buona edilizia
Esempi di gestione sostenibile dell'acqua si stanno recentemente diffondendo in Italia sulle nuove costruzioni, grazie anche alla spinta di leggi e di regolamenti comunali. Le migliori esperienze ricorrono al recupero dell'acqua piovana, particolarmente adatta all'uso negli elettrodomestici, in quanto priva di calcare, e al trattamento e riuso delle acque grigie (le acque di scarico provenienti da doccia e lavabi) per scopi non potabili, come ad esempio l'irrigazione di aree a verde, il riempimento delle cassette di risciacquo dei WC, il lavaggio di aree esterne.
Adottando queste soluzioni in fase di costruzione o di ristrutturazione edilizia è possibile ridurre i consumi domestici di acqua potabile del 70% arrivando a consumare – a parità di comfort - circa 60 litri al giorno per abitante.
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Water discussion at detour cinema, Roma 7.6.2011
ACQUA AZZURRA ACQUA CHIARA ACQUA PUBBLICA
20.30 Presentazione del libro "Acqua sporca - Il gorgo nero delle privatizzazioni" (Editori Riuniti, 2011) di Fulvio Di Dio. Interventi di:
Angelo Bonelli (Presidente della Federazione dei Verdi)
Fulvio Di Dio (Autore del libro "Acqua sporca", Editori Riuniti, 2011)
Giulio Conte (AmbienteItalia, Autore del libro "Nuvole e Sciacquoni", Ed. Ambiente, 2008)
21.30 WATER MAKES MONEY - Come le multinazionali fanno profitti sull’acqua di Leslie Franke e Herdolor Lorenz (2010, 82'). Circa 20 anni fa è iniziata in tutto il mondo un’ondata di privatizzazione dei nostri approvvigionamenti d’acqua. In molti paesi oggi l’acqua potabile è un lusso che i più poveri non possono permettersi. Ma anche in quei paesi, come l’Italia, nei quali non c’è ancora scarsità a quei livelli, gli effetti delle privatizzazioni sono sotto gli occhi di tutti : aumenti delle tariffe, nessuna riduzione delle perdite, drastico peggioramento della qualità del servizio. >continua
20.30 Presentazione del libro "Acqua sporca - Il gorgo nero delle privatizzazioni" (Editori Riuniti, 2011) di Fulvio Di Dio. Interventi di:
Angelo Bonelli (Presidente della Federazione dei Verdi)
Fulvio Di Dio (Autore del libro "Acqua sporca", Editori Riuniti, 2011)
Giulio Conte (AmbienteItalia, Autore del libro "Nuvole e Sciacquoni", Ed. Ambiente, 2008)
21.30 WATER MAKES MONEY - Come le multinazionali fanno profitti sull’acqua di Leslie Franke e Herdolor Lorenz (2010, 82'). Circa 20 anni fa è iniziata in tutto il mondo un’ondata di privatizzazione dei nostri approvvigionamenti d’acqua. In molti paesi oggi l’acqua potabile è un lusso che i più poveri non possono permettersi. Ma anche in quei paesi, come l’Italia, nei quali non c’è ancora scarsità a quei livelli, gli effetti delle privatizzazioni sono sotto gli occhi di tutti : aumenti delle tariffe, nessuna riduzione delle perdite, drastico peggioramento della qualità del servizio. >continua
Friday, 3 June 2011
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Saturday, 28 May 2011
Acqua, un bene pubblico anche con due no al referendum
Perché l’acqua deve stare fuori dal sistema dei prezzi?
All’approssimarsi della data di due tra i quesiti referendari più emotivamente caratterizzati ed altrettanto fuorvianti della recente storia italiana, una opportuna riflessione di Franco Debenedetti sul tema. Per la serie conoscere per deliberare, impresa ormai disperata in questo paese.
Come è (forse) noto, i due quesiti referendari riguardano essenzialmente la gestione della rete idrica e la tariffa dell’acqua. Nel primo caso, il comitato promotore intende abrogare l’articolo 23 bis della legge 233/2008, che “stabilisce come modalità ordinarie di gestione del servizio idrico l’affidamento a soggetti privati attraverso gara o l’affidamento a società a capitale misto pubblico-privato, all’interno delle quali il privato sia stato scelto attraverso gara e detenga almeno il 40%”. Osserva Debenedetti che il problema che abbiamo di fronte non riguarda l’assetto proprietario dell’acqua (che restrebbe pubblico), bensì i criteri per l’assegnazione delle gare di appalto per ammodernare e sviluppare le reti, ponendo tra l’altro fine all’indecente fenomeno della dispersione, stimata in media al 30 per cento ma che in alcune realtà è ben superiore. Sostituire l’appalto in house da parte dell’ente locale con una regolare procedura di messa a gara serve a contenere quei fenomeni di socialismo municipale che tanto hanno contribuito, sinora, a sottrarre efficienza al sistema economico.
Riguardo le tariffe, oggetto del secondo referendum, il “rischio” evidente è quello di un aumento vertiginoso delle stesse, per finanziare i nuovi investimenti. Per questo motivo, i proponenti del referendum intendono eliminare il comma del cosiddetto “codice dell’ambiente” che dispone che la tariffa per il servizio idrico è determinata tenendo conto dell’“adeguatezza della remunerazione del capitale investito”. Se vincessero i si, per tradurre, il costo degli investimenti finirebbe a carico della fiscalità generale, con effetti ulteriormente depressivi sull’economia dati dal fatto che nei prossimi anni nel settore idrico serviranno, come detto, enormi esborsi.
Sostiene Franco Debenedetti, una delle menti più lucide prodotte dalla sinistra italiana (ammesso e non concesso che la sinistra lo consideri un proprio “prodotto”):
«L’uno-due dei referendari è micidiale: col quesito numero uno vogliono che le opere pubbliche vengano pagate a piè di lista, con il quesito numero due vogliono che la gente non sappia neppure quanto questo le costa. Certamente esisteranno anche fasce di indigenza tali da non poter pagare neanche l’acqua per bere e per lavarsi – anche se in tal caso gli interventi per sopperire alle loro necessità e soprattutto per aiutarli a uscire dalla situazione di povertà dovrebbero essere ben più radicali e mirati -; ma come qualificare chi sfrutta questa indigenza per beneficiare anche chi l’acqua la usa per fontane e piscine, oppure per usi industriali? Perché costoro non debbono pagare l’acqua al prezzo giusto? I prezzi sono uno strumento per l’efficiente allocazione delle risorse, in particolare per decidere gli investimenti. Perché l’acqua deve stare fuori dal sistema dei prezzi?»
Già, perché? Eppure, sarebbe sufficiente lavorare su un welfare realmente dei bisogni, stabilendo esenzioni e sussidi a beneficio di chi è realmente in condizione di disagio economico, e porre a carico della fiscalità generale solo quella parte dell’intervento. L’obiezione più ricorrente all’eliminazione della riserva in house è che l’intervento del privato non è garanzia di efficienza, soprattutto in un paese come il nostro, dove connivenze tra appaltatori e committenti pubblici sono parte integrante del paesaggio. Ma identica obiezione può essere sollevata per l’esecuzione del servizio da parte dell’ente locale, in condizioni di splendida solitudine e di determinazione fantasiosa dei relativi costi. Insomma, serve comunque l’affermazione di una cultura del controllo da parte dei cittadini, che dovrebbe già esistere ma che auspicabilmente si rafforzerà con l’affermazione dell’idea federalista (anche se siamo destinati ad avere un federalismo “alla padana”, cioè molto italiano e gabelliere). Diversamente, i termini della questione non risiederebbero nella dicotomia tra statalisti e liberisti ma nel trasversale dualismo tra guardie e ladri, ed abbiamo non da oggi il sospetto che sia proprio questo il vero problema italiano.
Per questo dobbiamo convincerci che l’acqua è e resta un bene pubblico, anche votando due no al referendum.
more info
All’approssimarsi della data di due tra i quesiti referendari più emotivamente caratterizzati ed altrettanto fuorvianti della recente storia italiana, una opportuna riflessione di Franco Debenedetti sul tema. Per la serie conoscere per deliberare, impresa ormai disperata in questo paese.
Come è (forse) noto, i due quesiti referendari riguardano essenzialmente la gestione della rete idrica e la tariffa dell’acqua. Nel primo caso, il comitato promotore intende abrogare l’articolo 23 bis della legge 233/2008, che “stabilisce come modalità ordinarie di gestione del servizio idrico l’affidamento a soggetti privati attraverso gara o l’affidamento a società a capitale misto pubblico-privato, all’interno delle quali il privato sia stato scelto attraverso gara e detenga almeno il 40%”. Osserva Debenedetti che il problema che abbiamo di fronte non riguarda l’assetto proprietario dell’acqua (che restrebbe pubblico), bensì i criteri per l’assegnazione delle gare di appalto per ammodernare e sviluppare le reti, ponendo tra l’altro fine all’indecente fenomeno della dispersione, stimata in media al 30 per cento ma che in alcune realtà è ben superiore. Sostituire l’appalto in house da parte dell’ente locale con una regolare procedura di messa a gara serve a contenere quei fenomeni di socialismo municipale che tanto hanno contribuito, sinora, a sottrarre efficienza al sistema economico.
Riguardo le tariffe, oggetto del secondo referendum, il “rischio” evidente è quello di un aumento vertiginoso delle stesse, per finanziare i nuovi investimenti. Per questo motivo, i proponenti del referendum intendono eliminare il comma del cosiddetto “codice dell’ambiente” che dispone che la tariffa per il servizio idrico è determinata tenendo conto dell’“adeguatezza della remunerazione del capitale investito”. Se vincessero i si, per tradurre, il costo degli investimenti finirebbe a carico della fiscalità generale, con effetti ulteriormente depressivi sull’economia dati dal fatto che nei prossimi anni nel settore idrico serviranno, come detto, enormi esborsi.
Sostiene Franco Debenedetti, una delle menti più lucide prodotte dalla sinistra italiana (ammesso e non concesso che la sinistra lo consideri un proprio “prodotto”):
«L’uno-due dei referendari è micidiale: col quesito numero uno vogliono che le opere pubbliche vengano pagate a piè di lista, con il quesito numero due vogliono che la gente non sappia neppure quanto questo le costa. Certamente esisteranno anche fasce di indigenza tali da non poter pagare neanche l’acqua per bere e per lavarsi – anche se in tal caso gli interventi per sopperire alle loro necessità e soprattutto per aiutarli a uscire dalla situazione di povertà dovrebbero essere ben più radicali e mirati -; ma come qualificare chi sfrutta questa indigenza per beneficiare anche chi l’acqua la usa per fontane e piscine, oppure per usi industriali? Perché costoro non debbono pagare l’acqua al prezzo giusto? I prezzi sono uno strumento per l’efficiente allocazione delle risorse, in particolare per decidere gli investimenti. Perché l’acqua deve stare fuori dal sistema dei prezzi?»
Già, perché? Eppure, sarebbe sufficiente lavorare su un welfare realmente dei bisogni, stabilendo esenzioni e sussidi a beneficio di chi è realmente in condizione di disagio economico, e porre a carico della fiscalità generale solo quella parte dell’intervento. L’obiezione più ricorrente all’eliminazione della riserva in house è che l’intervento del privato non è garanzia di efficienza, soprattutto in un paese come il nostro, dove connivenze tra appaltatori e committenti pubblici sono parte integrante del paesaggio. Ma identica obiezione può essere sollevata per l’esecuzione del servizio da parte dell’ente locale, in condizioni di splendida solitudine e di determinazione fantasiosa dei relativi costi. Insomma, serve comunque l’affermazione di una cultura del controllo da parte dei cittadini, che dovrebbe già esistere ma che auspicabilmente si rafforzerà con l’affermazione dell’idea federalista (anche se siamo destinati ad avere un federalismo “alla padana”, cioè molto italiano e gabelliere). Diversamente, i termini della questione non risiederebbero nella dicotomia tra statalisti e liberisti ma nel trasversale dualismo tra guardie e ladri, ed abbiamo non da oggi il sospetto che sia proprio questo il vero problema italiano.
Per questo dobbiamo convincerci che l’acqua è e resta un bene pubblico, anche votando due no al referendum.
more info
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