 By Bob Barclay
In a London coffee house in the early days of 1749 a group of titled gentlemen sat around a table sipping their cups and playing whist at a shilling or two a rubber. The talk came around to practical jokes and japes, for which one of them in particular had a great fondness. John, the Second Duke of Montagu, is reputed to have said, "I wager that if somebody were to bruit it about that he could do the most impossible thing in the world, he would find fools enough in London to fill a playhouse who would think him earnest." His friends quickly asked him what exactly he meant, smelling a hint of one of his infamous japes. He picked up an empty carafe from the table and said, "If I were to tell people that I could climb into this bottle and be seen within it upon the stage of a theatre, I wager I could put a bum on every seat."
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by Adam Guzman-Poole  Have you ever thought, like I did, that the problem of climate change was so big you didn’t know where to start? Like a black cloud that just floated above you and might burst at any moment? For years I ignored the problem, because I didn’t have the slightest clue how I could make a difference.
Imagine how it would feel to be proud to contribute locally to an effort that will make a positive impact on the climate and on your community. And with concerted effort, to something that could spread worldwide. Well, come on down! (THIS POST INCLUDES UPDATES ON OUR WORLD WATER DAY ACTION ON MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2019) By Adam Guzman-Poole  It was just afternoon when I was faced with the question: “Will I live long enough to see my grandkids.” And if I do, what world will we they live in.” It seems a strange thing to ask at 27, but ever since hearing the results of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, the very near future looks like Armageddon. The 600-page report conducted by 91 scientists basically said that if we don’t do something, and now, the effects of climate change will be irreversible. If we continue to extract the earth’s resources at our current rate, constant hurricanes, massive droughts, food scarcity, and a world beyond repair is something we can expect in the span of 20 years. This looks like a pretty scary future for all of us. If we continue, one of our earth’s most important resources may be the first under threat - water.
By Eric Schiller
By Eric Schiller
By Adam Guzman-Poole
Do you know that one in five Canadians drink all of their water from throw-away plastic bottles? And do you know that despite the determined efforts to recycle these bottles most of them end up in landfills or are discarded into the environment? To address this problem, a group of concerned citizens in Ottawa has banded together to form the Ottawa Water Study/Action Group (OWSAG).
By Eric Schiller  Do you know that globally, for every minute one million plastic water bottles are sold?
Do you know that most of these bottles are not recycled, but instead end up in the environment? Do you know that vast ocean islands of plastic waste are accumulating in the oceans? The largest is estimated to be 1.6 million km2 in size. At present rates, by 2050, there will be more plastics (by weight) in the ocean than fish. Why is all this happening? Most of these discarded bottles come from rapidly developing countries. This is indeed strange because many of these countries have a better quality of highly regulated water provided by municipal water supply systems. And we should add, this municipal water is provided at a much lower cost than that of bottled water. |
AuthorSEric Schiller is a founding member of OWSAG and a retired University of Ottawa civil engineering professor. Archives
May 2020
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