Change the World Wednesday – 23rd Apr

Update

A month ago in my Monday Moaning I wrote of the plight of São Paulo, Brazil’s biggest city.

They didn’t have water. The reservoirs that supply the city were down around the 30% mark.

Jaguari Dam – Responsible for 45% of Saõ Paulo’s water – image: Diario Central

A month later and the plight has become critical, the reservoirs have fallen to 11.9% of their capacity (last night’s news).

Now literally, they don’t have water.

The water company is pleading with people to save water, substantial discounts are being offered to those who reduce their usage by 20% from their previous average, those who use more than their previous average will be fined heavily.

Don’t say, “But that can’t happen here!” Because it is happening! NOW!

In some areas of the world the water situation has become serious, it’s up to you to see it doesn’t get worse.

Back to our regular programme…

The problem with rabbit food is that one good fart and I’m hungry again

The BIG question!

Did I go vegan for a day? The answer is no… I did two days. Nothing fancy, just simple salads and a home made garlic and herb vinaigrette.

I did it this time just to show you I could, normally I don’t plan them, they just happen, and normally they are more vegetarian than vegan; I do like eggs and cheese with my salad.

In my perambulations for last week’s post, I did fine this. Grateable and meltable vegan cheese on Bunny Kitchen. Just thought I’d say.

Without this fellow and his ilk, there wouldn’t be life on the planet

 Bees…

Yes, this week’s CTWW is about bees.

Click the banner for the full post

We’ve all heard that Bee populations are declining. Since bees pollinate the majority of our food crops, worldwide, their decline is a cause for great concern. Why are they in trouble? Research points to GMO agriculture and the use of pesticides. It’s time to take action! Here’s your challenge …

This week, take action to protect honey bees. Please choose at least one action from the following list:

• Plant at least one native, flowering plant in your yard. Avoid hybrid plants … they don’t produce enough nectar or pollen and are useless to bees and other pollinators.
• Plant a vegetable garden.
• Let pests live (natural pest controllers, like Lady Bugs, need them for food).
• Keep your lawn and garden pesticide-free.
• Eliminate chemicals in your home.
• Provide a year-round, clean source of water for bees (rainwater collection, a small garden water feature, bird bath, etc.).
• Leave some dead trees or plants in your yard … bees will nest in them. Or, place a bee house in your garden.
• Buy organic food.
• Take up beekeeping.

Well, let’s see how I stack up with that lot.

Attracts big black bees in the late afternoon. Honey bees are too small to pollinate these

My most prolific flower is the passion fruit; I currently have three that I am training along the house, fence and garage, and more in the plantling stage, three in the ground and about twenty saplings in a planter as standbys.

I have a few tomatoes and garlic around, mainly I have herbs and fruit.

The gulf fritillery caterpillars must be destroyed, or they eat the passion fruit vines to death. Other than that, insects are free to roam.

My lawn is pesticide free, in fact, my lawn is lawn free… I don’t have one.

We talked about harmful chemicals a couple of weeks ago. I am experimenting with orange and vinegar air freshener so that I have one less chemical.

Aedes aegypti plays Dengue once you’re sick, dengue twice you’re dead

Now the water feature here is a no – no.

Standing water is used by the Aedes aegypti mosquito to produce larvae, Aedes aegypti is the source of dengue fever, which is deadly, and seriously prolific here in many city areas.

Yes, lots of dead material around here, but not enough for natural beehives.

Buy organic, when I can.

Oh, the neighbours would be up in arms if I did that. My area is urban, the houses very close together. The authorities would pounce with a heavy pounce.

Well, there’s my summary.

Monday Moaning

One of the biggest eco-problems of today is the city.

The bigger the city the bigger the problem.

Apart from cities being so badly designed that you need a car or public transport to get around, there is a greater problem.

São Paulo in Brazil is a city of some 20 million. That number of people require two basic things water and power.

At the moment São Paulo is lacking the former, and heading for problems with the latter.

Why?

The city relies on the large catchment area of the state for water and hydroelectric power. Currently, the catchment area has a big problem, drought. The dams and reservoirs are only at a fraction of their capacity. Most down to 30% and some even down to 16% because of the lack of rain.

Where has the rain gone?

No, we are not talking global warming here, but rather the mass of concrete that is used in a city of this size. It has altered the heat rising properties, stealing the clouds from the catchment area so the rain falls over the city, creating a further problem, flooding.

There is a real probability that São Paulo will have water rationing and planned power cuts in the very near future.

The sheer size of the city is creating their own problems.

São Paulo is a huge city

We need to halt the ever expanding city. Better still, we need to dismantle the cities in favour of returning to a rural self-sufficient lifestyle.

If we don’t, we are creating more problems.

 

Visual Pollution

When we mention pollution our thoughts immediately spring to plastic bags, smog, rubbish and recycling. But pollution is not limited to these blights on humanity’s existence.

Visual Pollution

Pollution incorporates anything that impairs the natural order. Noise and the visual are also included, but often dismissed in favour of carbon footprints and global warming.

Advertising, billboards mounted at every turn in the city and along our highways are visual pollution. They are an eyesore, a corporate canker eating at our senses.

São Paulo, nary a billboard in sight

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“In 2006, Gilberto Kassab, mayor of São Paulo, Brazil, passed the ‘Clean City Law.’ Citing growing concerns about rampant pollution in his city, Kassab decided enough was enough. But this was no ordinary piece of pollution legislation. Rather than going after car emissions or litterbugs, Kassab went after the billboards. Yes, you read that right: Kassab wanted to crack down on ‘visual pollution.'”

Source: Good Cities Read more

Opinion:

It’s interesting to note the opinions of the corporations and companies, that before the ban they didn’t realise how ineffective billboard advertising was.

Pity more cities didn’t take the same stance.