Embrace the Cloudy Skies

We all have those days. You wake up to the light pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof. Peering tentatively out the window, and all you see is a blanket of gray. You pull the covers back over your head and hope no one notices you straggling in several hours late for work. 

Last week, many of my Brisbane compatriots may have tried to pull off something along these lines, bemoaning the gray and rainy weather. Though I love the usually brilliant blue skies and sunny days of Brisneyland, I have to admit that my Seattle upbringing makes me crave dreariness and gloom (weather-wise) every now-and-again. But the lack of rain piques my interest (and concern) for another reason. It's indicative of a worrisome trend across the globe - one that is not just about how much water falls to the ground in a specific place, but at what time of year and how intensely. So, let's talk a bit about rain!

Queensland is home to the Great Barrier Reef and a belt of tropical rainforest. But it also seems to have a recurrent precipitation problem. During December, arguably the start of the wet season, rainfall and soil moisture were below average for most of the state. Here in Brisbane, like the rest of Southeast Queensland, we rely on capturing rainwater in reservoirs throughout the year to feed demands for drinking water, etc. While this is efficient during the frequent summer deluges, it leaves us at a bit of a risk when the skies are clear for too long.

Moving to a more arid region, Cape Town has made headlines repeatedly in the last week or two. This is because the South African city with a population of 4 million people is likely to run out of this year's water by around May. Growing water demand (i.e. more people) and record-level drought (potentially augmented by climate change) are being implicated in the urban water shortage. Ultimately, the city is drawing on its underground aquifers and rivers faster than rain can replenish. Indonesia's capitol city, Jakarta, also made headlines for unsustainable use of groundwater (caused by illegal well-digging), though the big concern here is the risk of land sinking and falling below sea level.

Our last case study of rain troubles is Seattle, WA. This is another story altogether. Here it rains. In fact, in 2017, Seattle got a year's worth of rain in just 5.5 months. Cool, so water shouldn't be an issue, right? Climate change predictions show Pacific Northwest of North America as getting wetter and warmer. Unlike arid Cape Town or sub-tropical Brisbane, much of Seattle's drinking water comes from spring snowmelt. And this, my friends, is reliant on the temperatures dropping low enough for winter snows to fall and remain in the upper parts of the watersheds. Or, if precipitation becomes more concentrated at certain times of year, when it is less likely to fall as snow, we are also likely to see water shortages.

So Brisbane is back to sunny skies, but rain should never be far from our minds. We had three different water supply stories, but a common thread of precarious precipitation ran throughout. It matters where, when, and how much, but perhaps we could still embrace those cloudy days just a bit more!

Of Earth, Wind, and Fire

Identity is a funny thing. Of course there is no doubt in my mind that I'm a Seattleite, born and raised less than 30 miles from the city. Despite not really having lived there in the last decade (we'll just ignore the nearly a year of underemployment spent at my parents' house), I still hold to very strong perceptions developed through the eyes of my childhood self. The emphasis on weather is particularly apparent, and perhaps explains the ease with which I have settled into a country with a decided preoccupation with commenting and speculating on the weather. These ingrained notions that a gray, gloomy, drizzle dominates for a solid ten months of the year, with a brief respite of brilliantly sunny and yet not-too-warm summer days, provide sufficient fodder for heated discussion when reality deviates from the norm. And yet, regardless of our green inclinations, this also makes it difficult sometimes to grasp that we may be facing a 'new normal'.

These days, when I read in the news about the droughts and fires taking place on the west coast of the US, this is exactly what comes to mind. It is temperate and humid in Seattle, and every now and then there is a slightly drier year in which we can't set off fireworks on the 4th of July. But this just demonstrates how removed and romantic I have become about the weather in Washington. Spring and summer have been dry, and likely to remain so. More record-breaking, wild fires this summer have made news (even in the Guardian) as the largest in State history. These are not your controlled burns to manage dead and dried understory brush. Winds have helped fires to spread, making them more dangerous and difficult to control. Even the wettest part of Washington, the rainforest on the Olympic Penninsula, the place of absolutely soaked childhood memories, felt the heat and burned this summer.

But it is not just about precipation, which many see as the defining feature of the Pacific Northwest. This year was the warmest winter on record in Washington State. Yes, it rained; but because of above-freezing temperatures, by April 1st snowpack in the Cascades and the Olympics was 25% and 3% its normal level, respectively. Timing is everything, as the western US relies on snowmelt to fill reservoirs and replenish streams. Combine unusually low stored water and a lack of spring and summer rainfall, and that makes for a dangerous situation. Fires, for one, destroying vast swaths of forest, threatening homes, and affecting air quality. But also, reduced stream flow hinders the spawning of salmon (the other PNW icon) and puts pressure on an already threatened group of fish. And of course, our agricultural systems need water. A $2.5 trillion irrigated agriculture industry at risk, in fact.

Stay tuned next week: how to make a vegan 'mud' pie

But let's take a small-scale example. Some farmer friends wrote a really telling blog post on what water shortages mean for farms in a State that takes abundant water for granted. Usually able to rely on a 'high water table' and the local rivers, farmers face elevated costs associated with more intensive irrigation. Water is also a limiting factor in good establishment of seedlings, particularly young tender vegetablets. What this post also alluded to were the extended economic implications - absence from markets and inability to meet demand for CSAs and restaurants during this usually bountiful period. It is in the nature of farming to require flexibility, versatility, and the capacity to shift from year to year to meet variability. But at some point, longer term and more drastic innovation is required to respond to what very much seems like a new normal. 

While we're stuck with some level of climate impacts, I think what people are currently experiencing is making the necessity of mitigating actions even clearer. Perhaps wishful thinking. So I will conclude this post with a dash of hope, as we start to see a bit more emphasis, a bit more urgency, placed on the serious challenge that climate change presents for our current and future ways of life.

Read More: 

Climate Impacts in the Northwest - US EPA

Pacific Northwest's Winter, Warm and Wet, is Climate Change Preview - Circle of Blue

Water Resources - Washington Department of Ecology

My Munchable Soapbox: Growing Where No Water's Flowing

While flood waters lapped at the boundaries of my little academic bubble (literally, parts of Oxfordshire were under water!), other parts of the world have the opposite problem. A recent New York Times article honed in on – where else? – California. It may be January, the wet season in Pacific Coast terms, but the Golden State is already suffering from drought and wildfires. More worrysome than the unseasonal dry spell is the lack of snow accumulation, and what that means for the dry summer months. Because California receives little precipitation between June and September, say, water resources rely on snowmelt to recharge. This year, it is only at 20% of the average. Not a good sign.

This concerns farmers and ranchers, who have let their land lay fallow or had to ship in fodder rather than graze their animals on rainfed pasture. The state is the number one agricultural producer in the Union and accounts for nearly half of US-grown fruit, nuts, and vegetables.  It's not news that California was destined for water scarcity problems, but reservoirs are at unprecedented and dangerously low levels. While this may not be "the norm" people are used to, perhaps it is the "new norm" people should expect.

If we take one UK Councillor at his word (in response to England's recent flooding), then California is likely experiencing such natural catastrophe because of legalising gay marriage. Phew. Apparently, there are crazies in every country. Better yet, maybe California should take some lessons from the growing number of innovations in agricultural water use!

Thirsty Thursday: Dust to Dust

The theme for yesterday's International Day of Biodiversity, which I failed to mention, was water. Now this is going to be a short post, but I just wanted to point people towards a recent article in The New York Times that describes how sucking the land dry hurts not only ecosystems and biodiversity, but also the ability for people to produce food and make a living. Specifically, the piece looks at groundwater aquifer, the water equivalent of a fossil fuel. These underwater lakes of sorts require thousands of years to regenerate.

Irrigated crops tend to be more productive, and particularly during heat spells or drought, they have a greater likelihood of making it through. But as these occurrences become the norm and groundwater levels continue to drop, farmers will have to turn to more innovative responses. Switching crops, from thirsty corn to something like sorghum. Perhaps our Midwestern farmers need to take a lesson from water-scarce areas in California or Israel, where there is innovation in irrigation. Or maybe working on building up the soil organic matter to hold more water. Regardless, this is something that has become painfully clear to most - usable water is running out, and it's either going to be adapt or so long.

Thirsty Thursday: Heating Up

So remember how we had a drought this summer? Remember how this water-scarce period was one of the worst we've experienced, comparable to the Dust Bowl of the 1930's? And now that we've closed the year out, it's official that 2012 was the hottest year on record in the contiguous United States. If you think we had it bad, just look at Australia! A recent Grist article points out that two new colors had to be added, beyond that deep burgundy, to the heat forecast maps in Australia...not too shortly after the end of the ten-year 'Big Dry' was announced.

Hotter conditions, particularly in areas not near large bodies of water (ie coastal areas), usually correlate with more frequent and severe droughts. This is no good for agricultural regions that rely on irrigation from rivers and groundwater to ensure crops survive sweltering summers. But we are also a wasteful species, and see a resource as one to be exploited. In fact, a study this summer showed that the world's groundwater aquifers that supply nearly 40% of the global irrigation are being severely over-drafted.

What can we (as a society) do? Well, for one, discontinue growing such quantities of water-intensive crops that don't provide food, like cotton. Second, take lessons from the Israel and other desert nations, which have learned to be extremely efficient about water use. Finally, stop screwing around with the climate and start being serious about reducing emissions! 

Drink up while you can :)

Food News: Sandy on the Farm

As most of you know, the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States is in the midst of a tropical storm. In Washington, DC we've had heavy rains and increasingly strong winds all day, while Delaware, New York, and New Jersey are all experiencing flooding and storm surges. And while farmers in the region face all the same threats as the rest of inhabitants - flooding and gusts - there actually could be some positive side effects from this particular storm. After a drought-ridden summer, the soils in the middle of the country are still very thirsty. This period of heavy rainfall may help to recharge some of the soil moisture in the eastern parts of the corn belt. However, there will need to be much more prolonged precipitation and good snows this year to allow water to penetrate deep into the ground. Regardless, right now all we can do is sit tight and see how Mother Nature will play this hand.

Fifty Second Friday: Without the Water

Dilip Vishwanat via New York Times

Summer may be over, but many farmers are still suffering the ill effects of an unusually warm and dry year. And when farmers should have experienced a bumper crop of corn this year, they instead faced a sharp loss of yields from high temperatures and lack of rainfall. According to an article in yesterday's New York Times, this drought, the most far-reaching in decades, may be threatening a rural way of life. 

Corn farmers' crop withered on the stalk, although crop insurance made up some the losses. Livestock farmers were hard hit, with the rise in feed prices from a poor harvest, and many were forced to sell or cull their herds. For some, the drought has undermined the very foundation and future potential of their business, and Congress' inability to reauthorize the Farm Bill is not making anything easier. The article goes on to mention off-farm incomes to supplement a struggling harvest year. It also addresses threats to future of the children on farms, with a reduction in funds available for education or for building up the agricultural ventures they would one day inherit. 

While not intending to paint too bleak of a picture, this article does touch on one of the fundamental issues with our current agricultural systems - lack of diversity. Crop insurance helps mitigate impacts of extreme weather events like drought, however, it's more of a band-aid than a cure. With a projected increase in these weather extremes, the reliance on one crop or one agricultural product does not leave much room for adapting to changes or spreading risk. Does this put our agriculture in a precarious position? Probably, but I suppose only time will tell. 

More light-hearted (and edible) musings to come next week!

Thirsty Thursday: The Power of Water

Yesterday was Yom Kippur, the day in which Jews around the world, often even if not religious, contemplate the past year and seek forgiveness for any transgressions. At the service I attended on Tuesday night, a question was posed for the congregation - if you were to die tomorrow, how would you like to be remembered? On this day, many observing the holiday also fast from just before sundown on the eve of Yom Kippur to sundown the following day (25 hours). One reason behind this ritual is the intention of bringing one's self face-to-face with death, allowing for some serious self-reflection.

But it's not just about food. Not eating for a day may be inconvenient, but a little growling in the stomach never hurt anyone, especially not when a meal loomed in the not-so-distant future. But a fast in Judaism also involves abstaining from liquids of any kind. Now that is a challenge - the inability to slake your thirst; the slightly detached feeling you starting to get as the day wears on; and at the same time a much more acute feeling of your own self. What's even more astounding to me is how millions of people around the world confront this very situation on a daily basis.

I've mentioned before the absurd numbers of people who don't have the ability obtain safe drinking water. Access to water has implications beyond just drinking, cooking, and washing. Where water is scarce, women and girls often must walk for hours to fetch and carry back water, carrying upwards of 50 lbs on their backs or heads. As a National Geographic article in 2010 put it, "in much of the developing world, lack of water is at the center of a vicious circle of inequality." One keeping women in a place of subordination.

Water is a basic human right, the foundation of life on this planet. But it can also do much evil. Where water mixes freely with sewage or animal waste, it can cause or spread disease, bearing responsibility for 3-6 million deaths per year. And, as is so often the case, the poorest are the most impacted as they are the least able to engineer a solution with limited resources. Projects by non-profits and grassroots organizations that are installing plumbing, hand or solar-powered water pumps, and water filtration technology are trying to amend this tragic situation ... ultimately working towards a world no longer thirsty/

Feeling inspired? Learn more and take action with WASH Advocates or Water for People.

Thirsty Thursday: Your Daily Dose

You might be surprised at how much water simple, everyday activities consume - like the food you eat or the electricity that powers your computer. GOOD has this great interactive infographic that sheds some light on the topic. Check it out:

Thirsty Thursday: Visualizing Thirsty Crops

Still recuperating from the trip, so I am just going post this nifty, interactive map from National Geographic.

Thirsty Thursday: A Dying Sea

I went to a talk on Tuesday about a sustainable future for agriculture. And while there are numerous concerns with agriculture - chemical and fertilizer usage, deforestation, etc. - water always surfaces as a critical piece in the puzzle. 

The first time that I saw this series of images, I refused to believe it. But it's true; in the 1960's the Soviet Union undertook the project that diverted water away from the two major rivers feeding the inland sea abutting Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. As with many diversion projects preceding and following, this supplied the water needed to irrigate crops, primarily cotton, in the surrounding desert regions.  By the time my sister hit her 20th birthday, the sea was a fraction of what it had been, the fishing industry had collapsed, and salinization/residual harmful chemicals made the soil untenable. Sound familiar? Well that's because humanity is withdrawing water at a rapidly unsustainable rate, and 70-90% goes toward agriculture! Even in the U.S., the Colorado River now stops 200 miles short of the Pacific Ocean, having been siphoned off to quench the thirst of crops in the Central Valley of California and the arid Southwest. Ok, maybe no absurdly toxic soil, but we have a serious water problem. 

But this inland body of water, once the fourth largest in the world, may be experiencing a revival. According to a 2010 National Geographic article, fish are starting to return to the North Aral Sea. There is also the hope of building this area up as a tourist destination. And while this is obviously an environmental tragedy on the brink of catastrophe, for me the most critical point to convey is that reviving the sea also makes economic sense. This is a classic example of where conservation is not just for well-to-do, tree-huggers, but is essential for the continued prosperity of local human populations. 

Maybe today should have been my soapbox!

Thirsty Thursday: The Importance of Water

Last week we covered some of the elements not included in my $1.50 daily budget, but that of course factor into people's needs. Access to safe water was one of the big issues; I couldn't imagine trying to function on this limited dietary intake without such unimpeded availability of water. Humans can survive for upwards of a month without food, but a mere 10-14 days without water. Besides being an essential resource for sustaining humans, water is the life support for the planet. I mean, why else do astronomers continue to look for signs of water on our distant planets?

The land-water interactions are pretty fascinating. What we do on land - farm, mine, graze livestock - has implications for downstream health. Improper management of animal wastes can contaminate waterways and cause illness to those who depend on that source for drinking water. Fertilizer runoff into the Mississippi River and its tributaries from the "corn belt" of the United States, has resulted in an area in the Gulf of Mexico devoid of any marine life - a dead zone. There are examples of indigenous Thai communities that recognized the importance of the watershed to their livelihoods, and banded together to reforest degraded areas and shift towards less chemically-intensive agricultural practices.

As I move into the fourth day of the Live Below the Line challenge, my thoughts turn to the organization for which I am raising funds. Rainforest Foundation strives to protect both the  rich biological diversity of South and Central American rainforests and the cultural integrity of the peoples whose lives and livelihoods are intertwined with the forests. One way they do this is by working to secure indigenous land tenure and natural resources rights. The health of water systems, as just described, depends largely on the ability to manage surrounding land uses in a responsible manner. With forest and other resources under the control of the local populations, rampant deforestation or resource extraction is unlikely to occur.

For more musings on water, check out some previous posts.

To support the Rainforest Foundation and Live Below the Line, click here.

Thirsty Thursday: Watering India

Water is the foundation of life on this planet. It is also in short supply as demands for agriculture, energy, and urban drinking water grow. Not to mention the impacts of climate change on shifting rain patterns, making some regions drier and others more variable. Like many countries, India  is starting to feel the force of this scarcity. According to a recent article in National Geographic Magazine, the wells that have been keeping India green are running dry.  And these are not some quaint little stone wells in a wood (my mind's idyllic image); reach up to 600 feet below ground level, the wells are tapping deep groundwater aquifers that take many years to replenish.

What does this mean? Besides taking a good deal of energy to pump this water out of the ground, loss of groundwater resources can hurt crop production and increase the salinity of the soil (also reducing crop production). Moreover, and as seems to often be the case, the poor rural populations are the most affected. The article calls for more accurate pricing of electricity (and therefore, water), to spur conscientious use of the resource. Agricultural techniques, such as using drip irrigation and better-adapted crops, will help improve efficiency in water consumption.

Columbia University's Water Center and the Stockholm Environment Institute cited in the article, both argue for breaking down the barriers between energy, water, and agriculture sectors. Unfortunately, operating in silos is not a new issue;, nor are the "water woes" in India. A New York Times article three years ago described the same scenario. Perhaps, the new policies and state government programs (like that in Gujarat) that focus on better energy and water management will be the first step in the right direction.

My Munchable Soapbox: The Price to Eat

Hello dear readers. The Live Below the Line Challenge is less than a week away! Whilst contemplating how to feed myself on $1.50 per day, it struck me that if this were a reflection of reality, that amount would have to cover much more than just food. 

So what other daily costs or amenities do we often take for granted but would need to factor into my $1.50 per day budget?

• Electricity and/or gas for cooking, refrigeration, heating, and lighting. Nearly 20% of the global population lacks access to electricity. This has implications for health, where burning wood for fuel to cook and heat often leads to poor indoor air quality and subsequent respiratory health declines (see Clean Cookstoves Project). Refrigeration also increases the shelf-life of food products and reduces post-harvest losses. And when about 1/3 of all food is wasted, this could be a big deal!
 

• Clean, potable, and readily available water. How amazing is it that we can turn on a tap and life-giving water comes flowing out. Over 780 million people are still using unsafe water. This leads to illness and poor health, requires that women often spend many hours out of the day fetching water, and ultimately contributes to the trap of poverty.
 

• Rent and transportation. Almost one billion people live in slums. Often in urban areas, the slums present appalling conditions - poor sanitation, little shelter, etc. Affordable housing projects can help. Transportation is critical for connecting people to their livelihoods - whether that is getting someone to work in the morning (like me and my bike), connecting communities to food shipments and medical services, or allowing a farmer or tradesman to bring products to a market. More than one billion people do not have access to roads!

• Time and access. It is a luxury that I have time to go scout out cheap(ish) grocery story. In fact, the presence of a grocery vendor where I can purchase food is phenomenal. This is not universal, and in the U.S. we refer to areas without such stores as "food deserts." But it's not just access to grocery stores. Access to information, education, financial and health services, a voice in government, the list goes on. All of things help end the vicious cycle of poverty.

"Well-fed people have many problems, hungry people have just one." The fact that I just spent time reflecting on all this additional costs may reflect this. Though all of these considerations are connected and have an impact, the fact remains that the poor spend as much as 70% of their income on food (FAO).

Blogging all next week on the challenge, so make sure to visit! And consider donating to the fight against poverty.

Thirsty Thursday: Water in the West

The Colorado River, which originates in Rocky Mountain National Park, no longer reaches the ocean.
Why, you ask? Well, by the time that Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming, and let's not forget California have their fill for drinking water, hydro-electric power, and irrigation, there is nothing left. Of any one natural resource out West, water has a long history of conflict, and poses the  greatest challenges as we move into an age of scarce natural resources. Agriculture, particularly the water-thirsty crops in Southern California and parts of Colorado, eats up the vast majority of the river's resources, about 78%. Pollution of chemical and nutrient run-off, as well as climate changes, exacerbate the issue. A new documentary (that I tried to see during the Environmental Film Festival...high demand for the star factor) covers this very issue:

Save the Colorado!

Thirsty Thursday: Visualizing Water in Ag

Infographic time: this looks at the use of water in agriculture - 70% of fresh water use!

Infographic by Seametrics, a manufacturer of water flow meter technology that measures and conserves water.

Thirst Thursday: World Water Day

Happy UN World Water Day! This year explore why water is important for food security.


Read more of my musings on water...

Thirsty Thursdays: Another Water Post

I have a thing with water. It is one of those all-important resources - essential to life, but finite on this planet. Well, an article in Science recently analyzed the water footprint of the human race. Apparently, the U.S., China, and India together use over one-third of the fresh water! Ok, we're only number three...despite having a mere 5% of the population. This analysis also accounted for "virtual water," or that used indirectly - such as the processing and transport involved in getting food to your table. While the article claims that agriculture uses "a whopping 92% of all fresh water" consumed annually, the UN FAO puts the figure closer to 70%. Either way, agriculture is a huge drain, so it presents an unparalleled opportunity to increase the efficiency and reduce the overall use of water.

My Munchable Soapbox: Wary of Warm Weather

Are you reveling in the warm, spring-like weather that has been occupying the Eastern United States? Yes, it was in fact nearly 70F and sunny today here in Washington, DC. And while it may be all sunshine and flowers right now, that could bear ill tidings for the coming seasons. A few years back, I mulled over the implications of an unusually dry, warm winter in Seattle. One of the worries that surfaced was that the temperatures were too warm for snow to accumulate in the mountains, which then feeds rivers and streams as it melts in the spring and summer. Reduced snow pack means less water when we really need it.

That's part of the story, although it is more of an issue in the West, where water supply is so tied to the amount of snow in the mountains (probably not completely unlinked to the fact that the West has mountains). On the Atlantic coast, we tend to get short, heavy precipitation events. While above-freezing temperatures may seem glorious, it means that we get rain instead of snow...rain that does not remain on the ground, but runs off almost immediately into waterways, carrying sediment and pollutants.

One Maryland farmer I spoke with this past weekend voiced concern about this phenomenon. Snow on the ground serves several purposes - 1) it insulates the ground for any overwintering crops; 2) it protects the soil from dessication and degradation, keeping moisture and topsoil where it is; and 3) it allows for the water to seep into the soil and recharge groundwater, rather than skipping town in a hurry.

So while you may be enjoying a bit of 'good' weather, consider this - will new buds still arrive in the spring? Will we face a serious drought from lack of winter snow? How will the crops fare? Where are we all going to get our skiing in????

Thirsty Thursdays: Water World

Woah, what happened? Just last week, Thursdays were only Thirty Seconds! Well, because of the Daring Bakers reveal date, I had to swap my usual Thursday and Friday themes. That said, I have to admit I kind of like the ring of this one. It has the fun connotation of a post-work happy hour, while playing on the idea of a thirst for knowledge. My non-recipe posts tend to have less traffic, and therefore I am a bit skeptical about having the middle of my weekly postings be these more substantive ones. However, I am open to suggestions and to giving this a shot.

In the spirit of this inaugural Thirsty Thursday, let's visualize how our daily decisions would fare at the bar counter. About 70% of the Earth's surface is composed of water, of which only around 4% is freshwater, and less than 1% is freely available for the biota. 70% of all water consumption by humans goes to agriculture. But the amount each of us uses is dictated by every step along the production of chain of our food items - growing, processing, packaging, transportation. Below are two examples of the water "footprints" for common products.

 

How much water do you use? Where can you reduce your food-water footprint?

Blog Action Day 2010 focused on water - read more about it here!