G'night

I arrived home to a quiet house. Kicked off my girlie shoes and warmed up a slice of pie from the fridge.

My cheeks hurt from laughing and my heart hurt a little from an evening with David Sedaris and the lovely Ms. B.

Sigh.

Weekend Numbers

Owls Encountered: 1 
Moon Views Admired: 3 
Laser Tag Tally: 209 points 
Traveled by Foot: 13 miles 
Traveled by Bike: 26 miles 
Tennis Matches: 2 
Wine Bottles Uncorked: 1 
Spent Herbal Tea Bags: 6 
Laundry Loads: 4 
Beds with Fresh Sheets: 2 
Anti-Wrinkle Treatment(s) Purchased: 2 
Time Spent Pajama-ed Up And Reading or Lolling Around: 8 hrs 
Homespun Costumes at Prescott’s Halloween Event: 13+
Hurricane Status Updates from My FB Friends: 42

Hardest Things to Realize

                                                                        Thanks, L. I needed this!

Peak Water

It’s no secret that 2012 was marked by a record-breaking drought in the United States. The drought first materialized as smear across the map along the southeast region this spring when the lack of snow made for low soil moisture levels. Ultimately the drought engulfed 80% of the contiguous United States.

Two years ago Europe saw some similar drought conditions which prompted a series of programs and policies aimed at conserving water. Irrigation was the biggest conservation target for European Union programs. Agriculture accounts for approximately 64% of water use on the continent, followed by energy (20%), public water supply (12%) and industry (4%). 

An annual international conference, held in Sweden this year, took place at the end of August just as drought cut its largest swath out of the United States. 

Crop yields across the Midwest of the United States shriveled up, barge traffic was limited along the Mississippi River basin because of low levels in-stream, urban and some rural water restrictions were put in place, and across the ocean this water conference took place. 

A lot of the international conference focused on agricultural water issues. Drip irrigation systems, food security, etc. But there was one term ‘peak water’ that began to bubble up from several presentations and out of the mouths of the participants.

The term ‘peak water’ refers to a turn of phrase coined by Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute, back in 2010 with his colleague Meena Palanippan. Gleick and Palianippan made the case that many areas of the world may have already surpassed the greatest possible rate of water consumption. 

The concept is focused more on the geographical issues related to water rather than actual water supplies. It's not that the world is running out of water but that water isn't located where people need it, or where it can be easily transported. 

The rapid population expansion in the desert southwest region of the United States along the Colorado River basin, for example, has grappled with this problem for almost years. 

The thought behind ‘peak water’ suggests that the world has surpassed the sustainable development of water resources, similar to oil supplies. For the time being  we make up the difference by pumping groundwater. As a resident that sits atop the Ogallala Aquifer, I'm no stranger to conversations about groundwater depletion. 

In the United States groundwater offers a source of drinking water for about half the total population and nearly all of the rural population, and it provides over 50 billion gallons per day for agricultural needs. Rainfall will replenish some of the water reserves, but not at the same rate they’re being depleted.

The 2012 Drought conditions shone a bright, hot light on the fact that water is essential to food security, public health, and promoting economic development. More than that water the underpinning of environmental sustainability.  

I'll be interested to hear more bubblings  about 'peak water'. I'll be more interested, however, in some of the solutions offered. 

Dia de los Muertos

Artwork by Jan Deetz

Clear your calendar because you won't want to miss this weekend's Dia de los Muertos celebration at Sheldon Art Gallery.

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a colorful celebration of late loved ones. One of the most important aspects of the celebration is feeling the presence of your loved ones both those living and those who have departed. 

The event is free and open to the public this Sunday from noon to 4pm with music, food, and performances. There will also be a community ofrenda, art-making stations, and a silent auction.

Abundance

Marinara Sauce - In Its Elemental Form

I've developed a weekday infatuation with my slow cooker.  The relationship is especially nice when daylight is short, the workday is frustrating or long. My slow cooker offers some comfort at that first push through the front door.  Somebody has already thought about dinner. The house already smells delicious.

Autumn Weekend

Arbor Day Tree Adventure, Oct. 2012

If joy can be imperially measured I would express it in the layers of mud caked against my shoes at the end of a day.

Paying for Green Energy Without Complaint

Last week I came across a news blurb about the German electricity tax rising 50% to support renewable energy. It's a green bump to the average cost of electricity. The cost to a family of four is about $324.00 (U.S dollars) annually.

The customer base, essentially, subsidizes green energy. Green energy providers (hydro, biomass, wind, solar, and methane gas systems) grab an above-market rate for their  electrical output in an effort to ensure their investment will be profitable.

The whole point of this renewable energy surcharge is to conserve fossil fuels and promote further development of renewable resources. The German Renewable Energy Sources Act (2000) aims to increase the share of renewable energy available as part of their national energy mix. And they attach numeric goals to the task: 35% of electricity production from renewable sources by 2020; 50% by 2030; and 80% by 2050. 

As a result Germany leads the continent in solar development, and they generate a surplus amounts of wind energy. Nuclear and coal-fired generation serve up smaller and smaller pieces of the pie.

It's no surprise to me that dedicated money along with a healthy set of measurable green energy goals has proven to be effective. But in the face of economic indicators that smack of a double dip recession I was expecting some, arguably well-deserved, consumer push back. 

But that's the gotcha data-set. 

On Sunday Focus, a German news magazine, published their survey findings that despite the rise in their electricity bills 72% of people continue to support the country's switch to green energy. 

The data indicates that even with a blow to a person's pocket book, the resolve to support greener energy options remains strong. And I thought...well...now we're talkin'.

Lake Street Dive

6.3-miles Outside

Rock Island Trail, 33rd & Sheridan

I went for a run this morning. Laced up my laces. Pulled back my hair. Flicked on the coffee pot to brew while I was gone. Threw the door open and ran, ran, ran outside.  

______________

Currently Reading: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett 

Recent Goodness: N gave public speaking a whirl last weekend. In Mandarin. 

Anxious to Attend:  Pirate Weekend at the Renaissance Festival in K.C.