Blue Living Ideas

10 Irrigation Tips For Better Water Resource Management

Jake Richardson — Sun, 06 Mar 2016 14:09:28 +0000

Planting cover crops, trees, and complementary crops in the same field can help retain both water and nutrients in soil. Doing these things can also provide drought protection and help irrigation and farming be better at water resource management Gravity-flow systems and irrigation systems can be used for more efficient water use, depending on where they […]

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Drinking Water — Where It Comes From

Jake Richardson — Sun, 06 Mar 2016 12:08:36 +0000

Surface water — like lakes, rivers, and reservoirs — is one major source of our drinking water. Groundwater is another. The surface water comes from precipitation, like rain and melting snow and ice. Surface water moves over land to collect in lower areas, so it can contain chemicals it absorbs along the way. Some cities, like Los Angeles and […]

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How to Find Cheap Solar Thermal Panel Installers

Guest Contributor — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 20:51:03 +0000

Recent advancements in solar water heating technology, and its rising popularity, means that prices for solar water heating systems have become much cheaper. There are a couple of different systems that are available, and purchasers should do their homework before choosing. Flat plate collectors, developed in the 1950s, are the most common, and are comprised of […]

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Saltwater Pools as a Chlorine Alternative: Maintenance, Upkeep, Costs, and Sustainability

Guest Contributor — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 01:56:36 +0000

by Trisha Miller Saltwater purification lies among many effective methods of home pool purification. In current years eco-consciousness has come into the forefront of many homeowners needs. If you have considered altering your current pool detoxification routine please spend some time to educate yourself about a few facts in regards to saltwater pools versus one […]

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Understanding the Parts of Your Boat’s Propeller

Scott Cooney — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 21:47:07 +0000

Propellers are crucial for optimum performance on the water and to increase the lifespan of your boat engine (as well as the lifespan of the lake it’s used on!). The propeller is where the power of the boat meets the water, so it is important to have propellers with the right parts to achieve the […]

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Toshiba to Get Energy From the Ocean

Guest Contributor — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 12:00:27 +0000

The well known Japanese company Toshiba and its perhaps not as well known co-patriate IHI have been tapped to pilot a new ocean energy project that will deploy a phalanx of underwater turbines that float like kites. The project demonstrates once again how legacy companies are transitioning to new clean tech. At a little less […]

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SunPower is Giving Away a $16,000 Home Solar System

Jo Borrás — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 20:00:54 +0000

Founded nearly 30 years ago in California’s Silicon Valley, SunPower has manufactured more than one billion solar cells and installed more than 4.5 gigawatts’ worth of solar energy around the world. That’s enough electrical energy to power Paris, France- the city of lights!- for an entire year. This winter, SunPower wants to make it easy […]

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Avoid Disaster Blues with Wet-location Emergency Lights

Jo Borrás — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 14:00:09 +0000

Winter is already upon us in many parts of the US. Just because the threat of hurricanes and typhoons has lessened and thoughts have turned to holidays and new year’s resolutions, however, doesn’t mean that disasters can’t happen. Superstorm Sandy was a winter storm, as was Chicago’s famous snowpocalypse of 2011 (shown, above). In both […]

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Smart Sprinkler Promises to Save Water and Money

Guest Contributor — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 17:00:55 +0000

Over the years of writing for the Important Media Network (and its previous incarnation, Green Options), I have been instantly attracted to good consumer technology products that make the environment a priority. The Nest thermostat is a prime example of this, as are the various WiFi-controlled LED lights. So, when I heard about Blossom- a smart […]

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Water, From Thin Air: Atmospheric Water Generator

Jo Borrás — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:00:34 +0000

A few weeks ago, we covered a company called Molecule New Water Technologies and their EcoloBlue atmospheric water generator– a product that they claimed could pull pure, crystal clear water from the ambient air around it. As I type this, the company has plans to install 52 EcoloBlue atmospheric water generators in a first-of-its-kind, solar […]

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New Tool Quantifies Your Business’ Water Risk

Jo Borrás — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 21:00:17 +0000

In a time when we’re experiencing an increasingly drier climate, with a booming population and growing demand on water supplies, water scarcity is a very real risk, not only to individuals and communities, but also to businesses that require water in their operations. Water is all too often undervalued and its market price is very […]

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In Japan, They’re Farming With 99% Less Water

Jo Borrás — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 18:00:18 +0000

This hydroponic farm in Japan cuts water usage by 99%! The farm occupies an abandoned Sony chip manufacturing facility in Miyagi prefecture, near where the earthquake and tsunami struck the country in 2011. It is the brainchild of Shigeharu Shimamura, a plant physiologist who was inspired by a vegetable factory he saw at the Expo ’85 World’s […]

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When it Comes to Water, Don’t Waste What You Don’t Have

Jo Borrás — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 17:00:25 +0000

I’m still thinking about my 4 Liters Challenge from a few weeks ago – it’s amazing how much we take a resource like water for granted! While a number of things I learned stand out, I constantly come back to turning on the water without even thinking about it – I had to catch myself […]

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Did You Know: More Oysters Means Better Water?

Jo Borrás — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 15:00:35 +0000

Oysters are filter-feeders. That means they suck in the water around them, filtering out the plankton and bits of dead animals and waste that they eat, then spit the water back out, free of that waste. The process feeds the oysters, produces food for humans, and cleans the water around them. Exactly how much these […]

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Clean Drinking Water, From the Air

Jo Borrás — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 20:00:40 +0000

Originally published by Insteading. With much of California experiencing record levels of “exceptional” drought- and with what little water there is available being tainted by the fracking industry– water security has recently gone from a “prepper” topic to a mainstream concern for many people inside and outside the troubled state. For the guys behind Molecular […]

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EPA: Watersense Shower Heads Save 2900 Gallons Per Year

Jo Borrás — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 17:00:59 +0000

Back in 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created “WaterSense” as a label for high-efficiency plumbing products that not only use less water, but work as well as “conventional” fixtures like faucets, toilets, and shower heads. That means that shower heads labeled with “WaterSense” have been tested for both spray force and water coverage and […]

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The Liquid of Life: How Your Body Uses Water

Jo Borrás — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 14:00:03 +0000

Water is essential to life, as we know it, and while we all know we’re supposed to drink 6-8 glasses of clean water each day to stay “healthy”, we aren’t always taught about what those 6-8 glasses are really doing for us, or how our body uses water. Most of us, also, are totally unaware […]

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Sustainablog Takes the 4 Liter Challenge (w/ Video)

Jo Borrás — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 09:30:04 +0000

Hi, gang! It’s been a while since our last post, and since then this “4 liter challenge” thing has surged in popularity and then kinda died down. A few weeks ago, however, our good friend Jeff McIntire-Strasburg took on the challenge and documented his day in words and YouTube videos which he was kind enough […]

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World’s Strongest Waterproof Glue

Heather Carr — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 20:47:18 +0000

Anyone who has ever had to clean the underside of a boat knows that there are some sea creatures that are nearly impossible to remove. Now scientists have put that stick-to-itiveness to work by using mussels to create the world’s strongest waterproof glue. Mussels produce proteins in their feet that allow them to “glue” themselves […]

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Top Water Woes and Cures: Water Pollutants to Look Out For and Avoid

Heather Carr — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 01:00:04 +0000

If you are drinking your water from the tap, most of the water is safe to consume. A few water pollutants, however, can pose a risk to your health even if they are under the government’s legal limit. These chemical additives are especially dangerous to people with cancer and AIDS, small children and pregnant women. […]

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Efficient Wind Power Designs Advance Clean Tech Cause

Guest Contributor — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 07:00:29 +0000

So far, the story of the US renewable energy transformation has skipped a key chapter, which is the exploitation of our massive offshore wind power potential. In the offshore wind category, the US has been lagging far behind other nations. However, the spotlight is starting to swing out to embrace this wind power option, and […]

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Reducing water consumption in a business

Scott Cooney — Thu, 15 May 2014 01:34:57 +0000

There are two main reasons why you may wish to reduce the amount of water your business consumes: cost reduction environmental concerns Across the globe, water is becoming an increasing concern for entire countries and societies. So we need to be aware of the need to conserve it. Capital Investment and borrowing If your business […]

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West Virginia Water Woes – How You Can Help

Heather Carr — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 17:00:38 +0000

The West Virginia water woes continue, with more chemicals being discovered in the already contaminated Elk River. At least ten thousand gallons of MCHM leaked into the river upstream of Charleston’s drinking supply. No one knows the safe limit for MCHM, since the EPA grandfathered the chemical in when the Clean Water Act was created. […]

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What Does 2014 Hold for the Mining Industry?

Guest Contributor — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 09:00:26 +0000

The mining industry is one of the most established and multi-national sectors in the world and its importance to the global economy cannot be over estimated.

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Keystone Pipeline Delivers Oil

Heather Carr — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 09:00:11 +0000

A portion of the Keystone pipeline began delivering oil early Wednesday.

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West Virginia Water Woes

Heather Carr — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 09:00:35 +0000

West Virginia has had its share of water woes. The latest came last week from a leaky chemical storage facility when MCHM, a little-studied chemical, contaminated the drinking water supply of Charleston, West Virginia. Initially, residents were told not to drink the water, bathe in it, or wash their clothes or dishes with it. People […]

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DIY Drip Irrigation for Under Ten Dollars

Heather Carr — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 09:00:49 +0000

If you've ever come home from work in the summer and found your lovely garden wilted, this DIY drip irrigation system might be just the thing for you. Best of all, it costs less than $10.

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Northwest Passage Business Booming

Heather Carr — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 09:00:07 +0000

The Northwest Passage is open for business and shipping companies are ready to take advantage of it.

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Hand Washing with Hot Water Unnecessary, Study Says

Heather Carr — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 09:00:29 +0000

Hand washing with hot water is unnecessary, says a new study by researchers at Vanderbilt University.

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An Aquifer Under the Sea?

Heather Carr — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 09:00:04 +0000

Australian researchers have found evidence of aquifers under the sea. 120,000 cubic miles of fresh and low-salinity water might be stored and available for human use. “The volume of this water resource is a hundred times greater than the amount we’ve extracted from the Earth’s sub-surface in the past century since 1900,” said lead author […]

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Employee Dehydration: Affecting Your Bottom Line?

Heather Carr — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 09:00:10 +0000

Have you given any thought to how employee dehydration might be affecting your workplace? If not, you definitely wouldn’t be alone.

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Pilus Energy Bactobots Clean Wastewater, Generate Energy

Heather Carr — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 22:34:21 +0000

Pilus Energy has developed an innovative technology which cleans wastewater while generating electricity. Bacterial robots (Bactobots) consume pollutants from wastewater and create energy.

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Sahara Forest Project Produces First Crops

Heather Carr — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 21:24:18 +0000

The Sahara Forest Project has produced the first year of crops. The amount of crops produced by the setup in the desert of Qatar is comparable to commercial farms in more arable regions.

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Buying a Waterfront Home

Heather Carr — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 10:00:33 +0000

When buying a waterfront home, what should you consider? These nine pros and cons will help you with your buying decision.

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Recharging Springs in the Himalayas

Heather Carr — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 09:00:54 +0000

Recharging springs in the Himalayas holds a lot of promise for people who previously depended on glacier runoff and mountain springs.

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Tsunami Hits Fukushima Nuclear Reactor, Two Typhoons Coming This Weekend

Heather Carr — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 21:07:10 +0000

A 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit Japan today 26 Oct 2013 at 3:10 a.m. local time, sending a small tsunami to the coast. To make matters worse, two typhoons are headed for Japan this weekend. After the recent heavy rains, radioactive water is sure to keep washing into the ocean.

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End Water Poverty

Heather Carr — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 09:00:32 +0000

It's within our reach to end water poverty. What would it take?

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Saving the Earth's Water Supply – A Live Chat with Science Magazine

Heather Carr — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 05:06:10 +0000

Science Magazine sponsors live chats on important scientific topics and this week the topic is “Saving the Earth's Water Supply”.

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Aqualibrium – Aquaponics on a Home Scale

Heather Carr — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 09:00:08 +0000

The Aqualibrium Garden offers apartment dwellers and homeowners with limited outdoor growing space or season a chance to grow their own food with an aquaponics system that fits with most décor.

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New Island Forms Off Coast of Pakistan

Heather Carr — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 09:00:44 +0000

A new island formed off the coast of Pakistan in the Arabian Sea last week. The island showed up suddenly after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Pakistan.

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What Is a Dead Zone?

Heather Carr — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 09:00:20 +0000

The USGS recently announced they are monitoring nitrates in real time to help study dead zones. What is a dead zone and why does it matter?

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Nitrate Monitoring in Real Time

Heather Carr — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 09:00:29 +0000

Nitrate monitoring in real time along the Mississippi River basin helps determine the size of the annual dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico as well as how well efforts to reduce the dead zone are working. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) uses cutting edge optical sensor technology to measure nitrate levels across the watershed.

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Don't Drink From the Healing Springs

Heather Carr — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:00:38 +0000

Holy water and healing springs have long had a reputation for curing all sorts of illnesses. A new study suggests that era may be over.

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Fisheries Ranges Moving Due to Climate Change

Heather Carr — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 09:00:29 +0000

Fisheries ranges are moving due to climate change. Scientists had expected marine animals to move toward the poles to escape the warming waters. What they found is that many animals have, but animals along the California coast and in the Gulf of Mexico had headed south. How to explain this?

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Protect Your Groundwater

Heather Carr — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 09:00:03 +0000

Protect Your Groundwater Day only happens once a year, but it's important to understand how we impact groundwater all year long. According to the National Groundwater Association, 99 percent of available freshwater is taken from aquifers. So whatever we put in the groundwater is what we end up drinking and bathing in.

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Water Savings Kit: All-in-one from Niagara Conservation

Scott Cooney — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 23:31:06 +0000

If you’re a regular reader of Blue Living Ideas, you’re savvy about your water. But even if you are, and have done a full water audit of your home’s water consumption, you’re likely still missing a lot of easy water savings in your home, simply because it’s a lot of work to go to the […]

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Why Waste Water

Heather Carr — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 09:00:04 +0000

Why waste water? In many countries, including the United States, water is treated to be clean enough to drink no matter what use it will be put to. We’ve talked a bit on Blue Living Ideas about various ways water can be reused and recycled before being sent back into the environment. Toilet to tap […]

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World Water Week 2013

Heather Carr — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 09:00:20 +0000

World Water Week is here and this year, the focus is on water cooperation and building partnerships. The UN declared 2013 the International Year of Water Cooperation. World Water Week looks at addressing some big questions: Why do we need to cooperate? On what? For what aim? At what level? With whom? How? They seem […]

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Week in Water: August 23-29, 2013

Heather Carr — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 09:00:00 +0000

The week in water gathers the latest news in blue living from around the web.

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Ban Atrazine with Dr. Tyrone Hayes

Heather Carr — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 09:00:04 +0000

Amphibians as a group are declining in numbers. A number of reasons are behind this decline. Among those reasons is agricultural pesticide and herbicide use. Dr. Tyrone Hayes has been on the front line working against atrazine use in the United States.

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