David Saturday, February 23, 2008

Environment

WakeUp’s Will the Water Run Out? February 23rd

10 billion gallons down and only 5 left.. that gets us to, well, July.  WakeUp wants to help the populous get informed and they have put together a panel of experts to discuss how we got here and what we can do to help this very dry situation.

When Will the Water Run Out?

A community forum on water challenges for Wake County

Cosponsored by:  City of Raleigh, NC Conservation Network, Neuse River Foundation, Triangle Community Foundation, UNC Water Resources Research Institute, Wake Audubon, Wake League of Women Voters, WakeUP Wake County

9:30 am – 12 noon
Sat., February 23, 2008
NCSU McKimmon Center
1101 Gorman Street,  Raleigh, NC
A panel of academic and government experts will address water supply challenges for our rapidly growing region.

Mary Brice, Co-Chair                 Raleigh Water Conservation Task Force

Tommy Esqueada, Director           Wake County Environmental Services

Chris Goudreau                       N. C. Wildlife Resources Commission

Bill Holman, Senior Fellow             Duke University

Rob Jackson, Director                 Duke U. Center on Global Change

David Moreau, Director               UNC Water Resources Research Institute
Topics include:

  • Where our water comes from
  • Water supply needs for Wake County’s increasing population
  • Climate change and drought
  • What other communities are doing to conserve water
  • Who pays for water now, and funding options

Public questions and comments encouraged!


Forum Registration: (suggested, not required) Claire Vaeth, 919-676-5449 ; Questions re: forum, contact:  Jeri Gray, 919-832-8176

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  • Sam02/21 10:43 PM

    Conspiracy Theory 1 - We are 50-90% water, the rise in obesity is drying up the lakes.

    Conspiracy Theory 2 - We drained our own lake and put in foreign based petroleum products to
    sell back to ourselves.

    Likely - Excess then Waste then Global Warming then shifting weather patterns, then Drought!

    I’m no expert, but occasionally I put ice in my drinks, brush my teeth, bathe, and flush the toilet. Some more than others. It seems streamlining these practices is a start. I am not really convinced that policy can effect change to inspire individuals to conserve. Currently it seems removing the ubiquitous water glass from our place setting in restaurants, financial penalties and permitting that dismisses the issue all together aren’t shifting very many folks’ mentalities. Ultimately individuals have to change their habits. Europeans appear to have a different approach when it comes to hygiene and well - serving water and ice. Perhaps this is related to their affairs with freshwater.

    Think of all the water we freeze just to add an extra kick to our already cold fountain soda. The European is simply accustomed to not having ice and buying water. We are spoiled with excess.

    The bidet. A novel idea, just enough water to wash the parts that need cleaning. Widely used throughout Europe. We should bathe less, bidet more and learn to enjoy that musty B.O. aroma. The average suburbanite is driving to work alone and sitting alone at a desk. If no one has to shove up beside you on the subway, then who needs a rain shower 8 head steam bath anyway.

    “If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down” Here’s a rhyme that should be the new buzz phrase. Dare we discuss our excrement? We pretend as though our s*** doesn’t stink. Well it does and we are going to have to utilize some different systems to deal with it besides washing it away in potable water. Self composting toilets, waterless urinals, greywater collection in buildings to flush toilets and irrigate are few examples of the technological possibilities in being efficient in our water use.

    Ultimately our standards of living will have to shift. We could stand to flush the toilet only when absolutely necessary, collect the water as it is heating up to water plants. Perhaps a weekly bath or shower? Flossing is really more important than brushing, but you don’t have to let the water run the whole time you brush either. It’s the simple things that will save the most and the more people we can get to do these things.

    The next time someone has bad breath, smells, looks a little dirty. Don’t shake their hand, but definitely thank them, because it’s the smelly folks that are saving our water. Conserving is going to effect our lifestyle. The more we do now to save our resources, the less smelly we’ll be forced to be in the future.

  • HelenTart02/24 11:39 AM

    Very impressive event. Good information and great turn out. 

    The politicians were there to listen and citizens had a lot to say during the question period. The panelists were not in shy in calling on the politicians to respond when that where the answers were.

    New Councilor Nancy McFarlane proved voters made a good choice when called on to explain what Raleigh is doing. She is heading up a new committee to come up with more ways to deal with the drought and water conservation.

    The presentations and Q&A;were video taped by the RTN and should show up on the city streaming video web page soon and at the WakeUP Wake County webpage.

    They already have some of the network TV coverage posted at the WakeUp Wake County website:
    http://www.wakeupwakecounty.com/index.htm

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