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Pure water drop

Spring has arrived and is inviting us to connect with Mother Nature to reflect on the greatness of its creation. During this month, activists and organizations around the world have been inspired by one of the most precious vital-elements offered by Mother Nature: Water.

During this month, national and international campaigns are creating awareness of the importance of water and its impact on economic development, food and energy security, human health and the environment. Here I share some of their recommendations:

WATER PROTECTION

The National Groundwater Association estimates that 44 percent of the US population depends on groundwater for its drinking water supply. The first step toward protecting groundwater is to become aware of how it can be contaminated. The second step is to do your part to keep from contaminating groundwater. Here I give you some suggestions:

  • Properly store hazardous household substances like paints, paint thinners, petroleum products, fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides and cleaning products.
  • Do not mix hazardous chemicals for home use on the road, where they can be absorbed on the ground.
  • Eliminate toxic substances home use in specialized collection centers.
  • Do not dump hazardous household waste down the drain or toilet.
  • Be very careful not to overuse pesticides and fertilizers.
  • Do not throw cigarette butts down the toilet.
  • Do not throw medicines or pills down the toilet.
  • Do not throw garbage into rivers, lakes or oceans. Help clean up any trash you see on the beaches or in rivers and lakes.

WATER CONSERVATION

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, nearly three-quarters of water used inside our home occurs in the bathroom, with 41% used for toilet flushing and 33% for bathing. The rest of indoor water use is divided between clothes washing and kitchen use, including dish-washing. Moreover, household leaks can waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water per year across the country, so it is important to immediately fix any leak you make have in your home. You can take the following actions to save water waste:

  • Retrofit household faucets by installing aerators with flow restrictions
  • Install toilets with low water consumption labeled WaterSense.
  • Repair leaky faucets; one drop per second wastes 2,700 gallons per year
  • Operate the clothes washers only when full, or set the water level to match the load size.
  • Check your irrigation system, a leak in the water system can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month.
  • Use rain barrel water collected to irrigate your garden.

In this month of water awareness, I want to leave a message of reflection and an invitation to care for and preserve this valuable natural resource. Share this message with friends and family, so together we can create a sustainable future, ensuring the existence and quality of this precious liquid.

“Remember: All the water, we waste or pollute today might be need it tomorrow”

By: María M. Hernández, Líder en Energía y Diseño Ambiental (LEED AP)

Ciudad Weston Newspaper

Transformation of the gray, polluted town to a green, eco-friendly city with wind turbines and trees.

We end 2015 with optimism for the future! In a historical moment, one that can define the future of the planet and humankind, the whole world witnessed the negotiations on climate change in Paris. The future looks promising and healthier, thanks to the treaty made by world leaders at the 21st conference of the United Nations, COP21, where they agreed to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, thereby holding the increase in average temperature to well below 2°C which will reduce the risk and impact of climate change. The fate of our planet and humanity is already in the political framework. Now is the time to respond to the urgency to make a positive lasting impact.

 

UNDERSTANDING THE URGENCY:

To unlock the opportunities of the 21st century economy, we must understand the urgency and challenges we are facing today. All the sectors present challenges, but the construction industry is one of the sectors with the greatest negative impact on Climate Change, which in turn contributes to large economic losses due to extreme weather events.

Globally, buildings are responsible for over 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which would double by 2050, if we take no action to correct it. In the USA, more than 40% of the total consumption of energy is consumed in the residential and commercial buildings. But at the same time, these buildings have a great potential for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions which represents a great opportunity.

BUILDING’S HIDDEN VALUE:

Most buildings in the USA have been built without considering the impact of energy use on the environment. As many as  72% of the buildings constructed in the USA are completely outdated and inefficient. As a consequence, we waste billions of dollars in energy, causing a tremendous burden on the environment and climate change. By transforming these buildings into high-performance ones, their owners would benefit from the hidden value of its assets.

The Rockefeller Foundation and Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisers found that improving the efficiency of those buildings just by 30% with an initial investment of only $279 billion dollars would result in $1 trillion dollars of energy savings over 10 years, yielding a return on investment of 358% in a decade.

GREEN BUILDINGS:

After the meeting in Paris, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) will commit to scaling green buildings to more than 5 billion square feet (478 million square meters) over the next five years through the LEED and EDGE green building rating systems. It is predicted that by 2018, the construction of Green Buildings will represent a positive impact.

2016 TIME TO LEAD!

With the recent international agreement on Climate Change (COP21), the timing could not be better to aspire and commit ourselves to a sustainable new year to ensure the success and well-being of humanity. Climate change is the challenge of the 21st century but also the greatest opportunity for the global low-carbon Economy that will pave the way to the renewable energies and new efficient technologies.

For consultation about building transformation, Corporate Social Responsibility, LEED Certification, please send an email to: floridaleedap@gmail.com .

By Maria M. Hernández, LEED AP ID +C

Ciudad Weston Newspaper

Summer is here, a great time to go to the beach to have fun in the sun with the family and friends and the perfect time to remind you the importance of going GREEN on the blue sea.

In my recent participation with Great American Cleanup, Broward Beach Sweeps I was astonished with my findings while cleaning up the beautiful Beach of Fort Lauderdale. Eighty volunteers including myself collected 200 pounds of trash in 1 mile of beach. Accordingly with the data from the 2012 International Coastal Cleanup, 22,086 volunteers collected 428,962 pounds of trash

in 952 miles of shore in the Florida coastal and  more than half a million volunteers participated worldwide, collecting more than 10 million pounds of trash covering a distance of nearly 18,000 miles of coastline.

We have a global problem that we have to solve, a message from the ocean that we must listen. People around the globe are concerned and are looking for solutions. The use of disposable plastic in our beach represents a great threat to our shores, poison our oceans and land. We must shift our societies away from disposable habits that harm the environment by eliminating our consumption of throwaway plastics this summer and embracing a culture of sustainability

 

WHAT IS MARINE DEBRIS?

Marine debris is a major global pollution problem affecting every waterway. It is human created waste that has deliberately or accidentally been release on land, lake, sea, ocean or waterway. Researchers classify debris as either land- or ocean-based, but the 80% of the pollution is land based, the majority of this debris is plastic. This debris range from fast-food packaging; cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons, beverage containers, caps, lids, bags, syringes, condoms, balloons, six-pack rings, tampon applicators, among others.

Other types of debris come from the ocean like lost fishing line and nets, and various wastes from cruise ships.

THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH: A PAINFUL REALITY

I can’t talk about Marine Debris without referring to the Pacific Garbage Patch.  Also described as the Pacific trash vortex, is a gyre of marine debris floating in the central North Pacific Ocean. Studies had estimated that 80% of the garbage comes from land-based sources and 20% from ships. This Garbage Patch contains more than 100 million tons of plastic. The size of the patch is unknown. Estimates of size range from twice the size of Texas, up to twice the size of the continental United States. This is a painful reality that we must correct. The Ocean is screaming for HELP that we can’t ignore.

THE NEGATIVE IMPACT:

The Marine debris is a global threat with a wide range of negative effects like: degrading ocean habitats, endangering marine and coastal wildlife. Ocean pollution affects at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of sea turtle species, 44% of all sea bird species, and 43% of marine mammal species. Plastic is made from petroleum and toxic chemicals that are often not found on labels, but can be toxic to humans and animals. Marine Debris interferes with navigation impeding commercial and recreational fishing, affecting the aesthetic beauty and enjoyment of the coastal areas, thus negatively affecting tourism and as consequence resulting in economic losses. Also, pose a human health risk, medical wastes and drug ending up on beaches can carry diseases, and broken glass and other sharp objects can be very harmful to unsuspecting beach goers, including young children.

CONCLUSION:

Fighting against ocean pollution start with us this summer, small steps lead to big results. You can stop the waste when going to the beach; remember, what we use for a few minutes could pollute our oceans for hundreds of years. This is a problem we can solve together. Here I share some tips: REDUCE the amount of plastic you buy and the trash you produce, REUSE items instead of single-use products, RECYCLE as much of your trash as you can, proper disposal of Household Hazard Waste, join local efforts to pick up trash and  Spread the word.

Enjoy this summer, be part of the solution, not the problem!

For information about waste management, environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP), or how to join local efforts to clean up our beach, please, send me an email to: floridaleedap@gmail.com.

Ciudad Weston Newspaper