Really.

With population growth, industrialization and limited resources, access to freshwater has become a crisis. 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water – that’s more than one out of six people. Every 20 seconds a child dies from a water-related illness. Water is such an issue that it is a key component in achieving the United Nation’s Millenium Development Goals.

These statistics are hard to grapple with, but for perspective, consider that this past weekend, a 30-second advertising spot during the Super Bowl ran for $3.5 million.

According to Water.org, the same amount of money it took to bring you a baby being catapulted to a bag of Doritos, could have been used to get 140,000 people water for life. For every 30 seconds of advertising, you could give hundreds of thousands of people around the world access to the one of the essential items that you need to survive.

Diverting Super Bowl advertising dollars to the water crisis may not be a viable solution, but it’s a start. Instead of being captivated by flashy cars and beer, imagine if just a percentage of those advertising budgets went to solving global problems instead of funding a vicious consumer cycle focused on buying more. One can dream.

Images: AngieSix [top left], hdptcar [right]

From a wasteful fashion industry emerges the Zero Waste movement.

It is said that the next great war will not be over oil, but water. So when it takes 1,800 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to produce a single pair of jeans, it is extraordinary that cloth has become a readily disposable commodity of little value. Indicative of this is the fact that on average 15 – 20% of cloth needed to produce a garment is wasted and the useless remnants are destined for the incinerator, landfill or occasionally as mattress filler.

In 2008 China, one of the world’s largest exporters of textiles and clothing produced 31.8 billion meters of fabric in January to July alone. You could reasonably estimate that almost 5 billion meters of that fabric was wasted. This astonishing wastefulness is caused by the entrenched traditions of the fashion industry, which separate the stages of garment design and production into hierarchies where the designers often work isolated from production. It is a system that fails to acknowledge that textiles are a finished product with energy invested into their design and manufacture and which seems primarily interested in the next new thing, forgetting also about what happens to garments at the end of their fashionable lives. So what’s being done about it?

Zero Waste cutting

Over the last couple of years I have had the privilege of working with Parsons Assistant Professor Timo Rissanen to bring together the work of 12 designers from all over the world in a zero waste fashion exhibition called Yield: Making Fashion Without Making Waste. All of these designers engage in some way with what has come to be known as Zero Waste Fashion Design (ZWFD). ZWFD involves designing clothing that in some way eliminates waste from the production or consumption of clothing.

This can be achieved in a number of ways and through various approaches; some designers use the left over fabric pieces to make other garments or products; others eliminate the creation of waste altogether when designing their patterns. Many designers use second hand clothing in order to remove waste from the post consumer end of the fashion consumption cycle, while others use innovative technology to make garments in completely new ways. All are in some way are addressing the huge volumes of textile waste contributed by the fashion and textile industry and consumers every year – a massive 30kg per person per year in UK and U.S.

Piles of second hand clothes for sale

Designing Out the Waste
Anybody who has cut out and sewn up a garment will be aware of the pieces between the pattern that are not incorporated into the finished garment. Many people save such offcuts for future projects, but there will typically be pieces that are either too small or oddly shaped to be of any use. These are routinely discarded, passing through the trash, en route to the landfill. In industry, markers are designed to eliminate as much of this wastage as possible in order to save money. However, the design of the garments is dictated by aesthetics and market alone, inevitably resulting in surplus pieces that cannot be used. The company can either creatively use this left over 15% to make different products, or by designing both the positive and negative spaces of the pattern it is possible to reduce this figure to zero. ZWFD aims to tick all the boxes of aesthetics, fit, market and zero waste.

The kimono as a historic example of Zero Waste cutting

These approaches, while sometimes appearing new, are in fact as old as clothing itself. For hundreds of years, aesthetics, and to a lesser extent functionality, have been the two pillars of fashion design, and when coupled with the slightly more contemporary desire for speed and change, has lead to the proliferation of too much fashion, too many collections, too often. Historically fashion was expensive because cloth was expensive and time consuming to produce. This meant it made sense to be careful about how you used the cloth you had and how you cared for the clothing you owned. Mending was common and using cloth frugally was standard practice – there are examples of “zero waste garments” from almost every continent and culture, and we’ve been practicing it for centuries.

Admittedly designing ZWF isn’t the easiest when first starting out. This type of design is not about numbers, it’s about experimentation, playfulness and taking a risk, all while being mindful of the impact of your actions. It slows the design of fashion down and forces many parts of the fashion chain to think about waste and material use from a design and production perspective. Many of the problems that exist in the fashion industry begin with ideas of separation, both geographical and hierarchical. Whether designer/producer, producer/consumer, consumption and disposal, the greater the distance and separation between the stakeholders in the fashion chain, the greater the likelihood of discordance and a lack of appreciation of what is really going on.

Holly McQuillan’s own Zero Waste Designs

Designing ZWF needs to be done with either a close relationship between designer and pattern cutter, or by a designer who is the pattern cutter, any other arrangement will be an exercise in futility. The change enables a close relationship between market, aesthetic and fabric yield to flourish, and from this, beautiful things are possible.

A designer attempting a zero waste garment design cannot simply ask, “have I used ALL of that piece of cloth?”

Doing only this would potentially result in garments that no one would want to purchase. So with ZWFD and indeed all sustainable design, aesthetics cannot be at the expense of the environment, just as the environment cannot be at the expense of aesthetics. There must exist a harmony between both.

Writer Holly McQuillan, is the Yield exhibit’s curator, and is also a designer and lecturer in the fashion design program at Massey University’s College of Creative Arts in Wellington, New Zealand.

Top image: McQuillan’s Yield Exhibit in Chicago

Column2012 is the year of sparkling water.

A new year, a new chance for greatness. You’re a couple of days into your resolutions by now, if you’ve made them. You open the refrigerator and glare at the reserve bottle of rosé. But no, you will not succumb to cravings, for in the new year, you’re going to want to skip out on the notes of raspberry and oak and opt for undertones of liquid and wet instead.

Recently, I found myself at a sparkling water party, featuring the bubbles of three different continents and some 10 countries. Though the event was to raise funds for a good cause, the environmentalist in me couldn’t help but cringe, and not just when the bubbles tickled my nose. On the other hand, or perhaps I should say in the other hand, the foodie in me giggled!

Specialty sparkling water has taken the same route as wine did in the days when shoulder pads were still acceptable in the workplace, leaving longtime favorites Perrier and San Pellegrino in the dust. Still on the green bottles? You might as well be chugging Two Buck Chuck.

It’s time for a change, and change this year is going to start with your sparkling water cellar. Isn’t that refreshing? It could also be cooling, or even energizing. At the very least, it will add some effervescence to your everyday routine.

The possibilities with sparkling water are endless, and unlike its sparkling alcoholic counterpart, it won’t leave you with a headache. It’s even good for your teeth. Besides, Paris puts it in their water fountains. Sort of socialist, really, but the idea is still nice.

With a nose for bubbling trends, trust Foodie Underground to guide you through the business of consuming packaged, pricey water with only the most prudent use of puns:

1. Start your research by consulting an expert.

Just as you wouldn’t pair your fennel filet mignon with an accompanying Cabernet without the guidance of a sommelier, consult a sparkling water expert until you feel comfortable navigating the carbonated world on your own. Feeling like I was drowning in a vast new pool of bubbly information, I did just that, speaking with sparkling water expert Michael Mascha. Says Mascha, “The good thing if you become aware of premium bottled waters is that you don’t have to choose one best water. You can enjoy many different waters for different occasions and food pairings. As always one should be aware if the water is naturally or artificially carbonated.”

2. Choose your regions according to personal taste.

Just like wine, the terroir of a sparkling water is so key, and you’ll have to decide if you’re more of an Alps kind of foodie or have a little more low-key, New Zealand style. Notes Mascha, “I love sparkling water and prefer it with tiny and small bubbles but sometimes a bold sparkling water can be the best match.”

3. Invest in the right stemware.

It’s just as rude to serve sparkling water in the wrong glass, like a tumbler or cup, as it is to pour someone a mug of wine. As Mascha has noted in a previous interview, you need a special glass: “A water glass needs a stem and straight sides to distinguish itself from wine glasses, though they should be of the same quality as the wine glasses used.”

4. Learn the correct vocabulary.

To fully understand the nuances of all sparkling waters, educate yourself in some the basic vocabulary, put together by Mascha on his site, Fine Waters:

Balance – Balance refers to the strength of your carbonation, and can vary anywhere from still to effervescent to bold. This is what you will want to consider when pairing with various foods, the bolder bubbles perfect for highlighting crispy pre-dinner appetizers.

Minerality – Amount of mineral dissolve in the water become the gauge for the water’s minerality. The higher a mineral count, the more distinct a water’s taste, making water with low minerality comparable to white wines and higher minerality similar to bold red.

Vintage – Unlike wine, sparkling water doesn’t need time to improve. But its age or vintage does affect its taste, with younger waters having less time to absorb minerals and therefore having a lower minerality, which in turn gives a lighter flavor.  Note however that age is less of an indicator of minerality than local geology.

5. Educate your friends.

You can’t enjoy sparkling waters from around the world in your bedroom alone, so ensure that you’ve got company by spreading the sparkling water word. You could become a water sommelier, though there’s currently no organization offering accreditation. Explains Mascha: “This is a project of love and passion and the best way is to experience as many different waters as possible. Being a foodie helps and being used to matching food and wine is a plus. It’s not a rocket science rather an opening of new experiences.”

6. Recognize the retail opportunity.

Mascha notes that sparkling water is popular in Europe but less so here in the States. It’s a problem of noise. “I see a huge potential in the U.S. with many people discovering sparkling water with smaller not so aggressive bubbles as Perrier. Right now Perrier is a synonym for sparkling water and most Americans don’t like the loud bubbles.” With many Americans catching on to the street food craze, one potential market opportunity might be to start a sparkling water food cart.

Editor’s note: This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’s weekly column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground, discovering what’s new and different in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to the culinary avant garde.

Image: EverJean

What you should know about collaborative hands moving mountains  – one volunteer, festival and tweet at a time.

As Japan’s global relief missions move quickly to aid the mind boggling earthquake and tsunami recovery, school students throughout the U.S. are holding bake sales to swap lopsided muffins and chewy brownies for the feeling of being part of the giant cog of good will.

In many respects, this is how the little guns that run lesser known nonprofits make a dent, using what fuel and funding they have to reach out and stir passions. In essence, it’s about changing the world via one dougnut, app or Tweet at a time.

Here are some of the little engines that could make a significant dent in aiding women, children and the planet at large.

1. Halting the Recruitment of Underage Killers

Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers

If war is hell for adults, you can imagine its toll on children. That’s what we’re up against in Uganda, Lebanon, Bosnia and elsewhere, where kids are forced under extreme duress to shoot weapons, plant mines or explosives and live under horrendous conditions without adequate food or healthcare. Despite global condemnation, hundreds of thousands of children have battled and died in world conflicts, and as many young girls have been subjected to rape and sexual enslavement. Desertion is often punishable by death.

Mission: Headquartered in London, its goal is to promote international and regional legal standards halting the military recruitment or engagement of any young person under 18 in hostilities. Through advocacy, research and monitoring, the coalition pushes for enforcement of the standard by all armed groups, governmental and non-governmental, and humanitarian organizations.

2. Power to the People

Ms. Foundation for Women

What has Ms. and Gloria Steinem done for you lately? While this foundation was started in 1972 at the height of the feminist movement, it has expanded by leaps over 35 years, growing seed funding from $87,000 in start-up grants to an endowment of $24 million. If money talks, then this effort is screaming about ending discrimination and inequity once and for all by giving women the collective power – and funds – to ignite change for generations to come.

Mission: Imbuing women with wisdom and tools to solve on their own problems of poverty, violence, discrimination and other forms of injustice; delivering strategic support to over 150 trailblazing organizations that are advancing women’s solutions for change at decision-making tables across the country.

3. Sew and Dress for Green Success

Clothing Matters

Founded by Martha Swain, who runs sustainability workshops to further her mission from a shop in Grand Rapids, Mich. which she opened with $400 to sell both apparel and ideas to a global community. The nonprofit connects companies and customers working to shift what we wear – from plastic materials cranked out in sweat shops to natural fibers of the highest quality and sustainability – amounting to one of the world’s best examples of socially and environmentally responsible manufacturing.

Mission: Work with domestic and overseas partners whose policies and practices exceed Fair Labor Organization standards. Commit to supporting practices that conserve natural resources, reduce pollution and promote social justice.

4. Food for Thoughtful Consumption

Food and Water Watch

Not so puny with 12 offices in the U.S., but not a household name either, this nonprofit cares about food, water and fish being safe, accessible and sustainably produced – in addition to monitoring abuses of farm workers such as the so-called “serfs or Arkansas” flocking to the poultry industry. The goal is to keep clean and affordable water flowing to homes, protect the quality of oceans and force governments to protect and educate their citizens.

Mission: Encourage a world where all people have access to affordable, healthy and wholesome food and clean water to meet basic needs – a world in which leaders take responsibility to manage essential resources sustainably.

5. Wind in Our Sails, Lower Utility Bills

American Wind Energy Association

They’re not just blowing hot air when it comes to this clearinghouse for communicating facts and ideas about alternative energy. The AWEA considers itself the hub of the wind energy industry with 2,500 members looking to promote, build and buy wind power technology around the world. Working with Congress, industry leaders and small businesses, the goal is to further U.S. leadership in the production of small wind turbines (100 kilowatts and less), generating power that reduces energy bills while protecting the environment.

Mission:Focusing on our economy, environment and energy security, AWEA seeks to power a cleaner America by promoting wind power growth through advocacy, communication and education.

6. Walk the Line

Rails to Trails Conservancy

Included in a read as one of the best 100 nonprofits to work for, this Washington, D.C.-based body promotes the development of thousands of miles of beneficial trails where old defunct rail lines once meandered through the national landscape. In doing so, it seeks to create a nationwide network of trails to connect corridors and build healthier places for healthier humans.

Mission: Attracting 150,000 members since its start in 1986, it looks to 9,000 miles of potential rail trails waiting to be built to span communities, regions, states and the entire country.

7. Stir a Cure

The Cancer Project

As we struggle to find holistic approaches to combating the disease that reaches one million more people each year, the project advances prevention and survival through nutrition education and research. Taking this new direction in the battle, the project provides classes, books, video programs, fact sheets and other educational materials on prevention and the value of health diet changes. Its hands-on nutrition classes are gaining increased popularity and helping survivors and families adapt to diets that have proven results.

Mission: Make cancer prevention a top priority and improve survival after a diagnosis by providing comprehensive information about the role of dietary factors in keeping people healthy.

8. Pleasure Principle

Clitoraid

If we have come a long way, then how does Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) affects some 130 million women in the world today? This horrific practice in Africa, Asia and the Middle East carries lifelong psychological and physical effects – and truly is a barbaric way to keep women down.   Clitoraid aims to correct the wrong through surgery while completing a $200,000 Pleasure Hospital in Burkina Faso, West Africa, offering free medical services for physical restoration and rehab for FGM victims.

Mission: Training and education for clitoral repair surgery for victims and empowering them to reach their first orgasms as a way of celebrating sexual freedom and pleasure for all women in the world. Promoting campaigns against female excision and sharing pleasure, hope, kindness and femininity.

9. Compassionate Nesting

Housing Works

The double whammy of AIDS and homelessness is too much for a civilized society to take. Housing Works is made up of a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS with advocacy offices in NYC, Albany, Washington D.C. Mississippi, Haiti and Puerto Rico. Through grassroots efforts it fights for funding and legislation to ensure people with HIV/AIDS have homes, healthcare and other life-sustaining services, and legal protections from discrimination.

Mission: To end the dual crisis of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, provision of lifesaving services and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain its efforts.

10. The Race to Somewhere Happy

Project Appleseed

Its website poses the poignant question: Why wait for Superman? When it comes to improving our dismal public school offerings, parents are now taking the initiative, spurred on by disturbing documentaries like Race to Nowhere, which bashes the daily grind with a refocus on the thriving child who is educated for the current age and allowed an elusive childhood in the process.

Mission: For parents, grandparents, schools, faculty or any other caring adult to pledge to help our community’s children achieve a truly independent future by reforming public schools, including district evaluations, fitness and nutrition, funding, green schools and technology and six slices of parent involvement and engagement.

Tell us about a nonprofit that deserves to be heard: tips@ecosalon.com.

Images:  Pink Sherbet Photography, Warchild; Saltysoul; Food & Water Watch; AWEA; The Cancer Project; Housing Works; Project Appleseed; Clitoraid; Black Sexual Politics

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Cell Phones
We’ve all heard the rumblings about the dangers of cell phone radiation. But it turns out, your actual cell phone might make you sick. As the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reports via Newsweek, the nickel in cell phones can lead to red, itchy skin.

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Water
Yes, some people are allergic to the wet stuff. Aquagenic urticaria is a disorder that gives people hives, rashes and even blisters when they come in contact with water. It is an extremely rare, temporary condition.

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Sex
Experiencing a burning, itching, or swelling in the genitals? You might be allergic to sex. Some women have an allergy to their significant other’s semen.

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Exercise
This might just seem like a good excuse to skip the gym for most. For an unlucky (or lucky) few, it is because they suffer from exercise-induced anaphylaxis. Nausea and vomiting are just some of the symptoms associated with this disorder.

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Soy
Soy is actually one of the most common food allergies in children, though some adults suffer from it. Symptoms include hives, swelling, wheezing, dizziness, and tingling in the mouth.

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Condoms
Latex allergies come from the proteins found in natural rubber, from which latex is derived. And since some condoms are made with latex, this can lead to a (pause) sticky situation for some. Symptoms include redness and itching, but trouble breathing is also possible.

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Sun
There are actually several different kinds of sun allergies. As The Mayo Clinic reports, these are “polymorphic light eruption (PMLE), actinic prurigo, chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) and solar urticaria.” Symptoms include hives, blisters, and painful rashes.

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Chocolate
Yes, an unlucky few are actually allergic to chocolate. This is common in people who are already allergic to other food items such as milk, nuts and eggs.

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iPod
Remember how cell phones can cause allergies? So can your iPod. It turns out that the nickel found in iPods can be just as irritating as some of your annoying neighbor’s musical choices.

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Alcohol
Yes, that glass of wine might be giving you more than just a hangover. However, it is not the alcohol itself which causes the reactions, but often the sugar and fermentation process used in creating it. So next time you break out in hives, you might want to put the glass of wine down.

Images: mcfarlandmo, compujeramey , darkpatator, wtlphotos, mikebaird, fotoosvanrobin, rorrororro, tambako, feastguru_kirti, nez
hlkljgk

If a tree falls in the forest does it still make a sound? Along those lines, if a bottled water company loses its namesake water source, will it still stick to the same exotic, yet bullshit, branding?

That’s the question we can all ask this week in light of the announcement that Fiji Water is closing its operations in, wait for it – Fiji. The company is allegedly “being singled out by the military appointed government for a massive tax increase.” Hmm, maybe Fijans are just a little smarter when it comes to understanding the nuances of the bottled water industry.

What kind of taxes are we talking about?

Fifteen cents per liter on companies extracting more than 3.5 million liters (920,000 gallons) of water a month. That’s up from the current one-third of one percent rate. Guess what? Fiji Water is the only company responsible for extracting that much liquid. Yes, that’s a hefty tax for a company to handle, and although it’s unclear exactly what that tax money would go to, it’s easy to posit that the Fijan government simply wants to make a decent profit off of what is already theirs. Private companies can only unabashedly profit off of a public resource for so long. At some point, someone says “stop.”

But politics aside, with their namesake facility shutting down, the real question is, does the name “Fiji Water” still hold or is a rebrand in order? I’m thinking “Crap Petro Product Drink That’s No Better Than What Comes Out of Your Tap” would be fitting.

Sorry for the bobo-types who were conned into believing that drinking water from the South Pacific would somehow make them healthier, smarter, and sexier. Give the Fijans their water and quit global marketing campaigns that glamorize a resource that most of us don’t need to be paying $4 plus for – a price tag that certainly isn’t internalizing the environmental and health costs that come from single-use plastics.

Image: Magpie372

Was it really that bad? You be the judge. As one commenter wrote, “And these same filth mongers wonder why disease’s are so abundant, you that dang important or special you can’t take three to five minutes to scrub your…” Others used the forum to discuss their own bathing habits, ranging from showering twice a day, to every other day, to lathering up with baby wipes after a strong run. Opinions and tempers ran high. It seems that people take their bathing habits with a defense that might have rivaled what the Japanese threw down at Iwo Jima.

Why? Well, because bathing is personal. People take it as a sign of class, culture, and identity. But as the NY Times pointed out, letting go of a daily shower is no longer for just people who like to chain themselves to trees. So as a shout out for the people who live among, who drive a Prius or a Hummer – here are five practical reasons not to wash daily.

1. You will strip your skin of natural oils.

Dry skin is sometimes caused when your skin’s natural oils are stripped off it like a bad wallpaper. Your skin naturally lubricates itself with natural oil. Yes, you still want to wash your body. But washing it too much could cause problems. Dr. Richard Gallo is chief of the dermatology division at the University of California, San Diego. As he told the NY Times, over-washing can cause eczema flare ups. According to Dr. Gallo, “It’s not just removing the lipids and oils on your skin that’s drying it out,” he said. It could also be “removing some of the good bacteria that help maintain a healthy balance of skin.”

2. Dry shampoo is awesome.

So maybe you’re too busy for a daily shower. Or you want a quick rinse but not the time investment of washing your hair. Dry shampoo has been used for centuries – essentially, it’s a fine powder or corn meal that can grab dirt and excess oil from your hair. Comb it through and you’re clean. Read our review of a great dry shampoo here.

3. Most of us can live a productive, fulfilling life without antiperspirants.

Antiperspirants are tricky because they contain aluminum chloride and aluminum chlorohydrate to stop you from sweating. Some worry that this is unnatural and worse, could cause cancer. While the NY Times points out that the National Cancer Institute and the Alzheimer’s Association don’t share those concerns, some are just reluctant to stop their bodies from doing what it’s designed to do – sweat.

4. Some natural deodorants really do work.

If you use a natural deodorant, odds are that you’re going to sweat a little. But consider taking a day or two without it. See how much you really sweat. You might be surprised. Recently, a friend gave anti-perspirant the heave-ho. As she wrote to me, “maybe I’m just more mellow lately, but I’m really not sweating all that much.” We’ve already covered natural and/or organic deodorants – if you’re interested in giving natural deodorant a go, try the sprays first.

5. You can conserve water.

Okay, so yes, this is a green reason to step away from the daily shower. But is that so terrible? As the EPA reports, a full bath tub requires about 70 gallons of water, while taking a five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons.” So if you’re able to sponge bath just once a week, you’re saving quite a bit of water.

Image: eelke dekker

Some of us like to shower. And some of us have long hair. This often leaves us with a dire dilemma. How long is too long to get all the shampoo out? How much water does it take to get clean hair? It’s enough to make you hang up your brush, take to the woods, and live a life of transcendental solitude with fulfilled souls and really stringy hair.

I just threw a Google on how much water we waste washing our hair. (You failed me this time, Google. This time.) But it doesn’t take a Google to know we use up more moisture lathering and rinsing. And we do advocate a good hair washing if a green girl wants it. But are there ways to make it a little less wasteful?

Cue fireworks and the Rockette’s kick line – there is! Dry shampoo is an age-old product that can grab onto dirt and oils from your hair, all H20 free. It’s not a substitute for an actual hair washing, but it can help extend the times between lathering up. And consequently, it can save a little water along the way and let those natural oils build up.

Dry shampoo is easy to make at home. One of the best homemade recipes calls for one tablespoon of fine corn meal combined with one tablespoon of corn starch. This combination apparently works best for absorbing oils and grabbing dirt. You pour the mixture on top of your scalp and work it in with your fingers. Then use a comb or brush to run it through your locks. You can use less for short hair and more for long hair. Just be sure to use it in an area that is easy to sweep up, as powder under any circumstances can fly about.

Recently, I had the pleasure of checking out skinnyskinny’s Black Pepper and Rose Organic Dry Shampoo ($32.00). (And yes, this is their grammatical preference, not a typo!) This product contains certified organic ingredients and is 100 percent vegan. The packaging also gets high marks for eco-friendly biodegradable labels. Its ingredients read almost like a baked good – it is made with cornstarch, brown rice powder, white clay, horsetail powder, baking soda, orris root powder, and essential oils.

How does it work? I have long hair and work from home, which means that I try to extend my hair washings for as long as nature and politeness allows. So I was good and ready for a dry shampoo-ing when I picked up this product. It smells lovely and works like a perfume for your hair. Be careful how much you use – I went a little overboard and had a George Washington powdered wig moment. (Not to be confused with a Mary Todd Lincoln penchant for hats and temporary insanity.) But want to take a break between shampoos? This is a great product to check out.

FTC Compliance

Image: mike baird

Here in Northern California we’re quickly sliding into the rainy season. I can tell this as much from the “what, that was summer?” look on people’s faces as much as I can from the weather itself. So here comes the rain again and in the name of keeping our chins up, we give you Clean Rain – or, a good way to make use of the wet stuff beyond an excellent reason to bitch and moan.

Clean Rain is a rainwater harvesting system that that hooks up to your gutters. It uses simple technology to filter out junk, including a “Smart Sense First Flush” water diverter that keeps contaminants contained in the first runoff of water from the roof (dirt, dust, and ew stuff like bird droppings and dead/not-dead insects) from making your water-storage cut. After that first round, the device’s stainless steel mesh screening prevents mosquitoes, bugs and vermin from getting through. (‘Cause who wants vermin in their water?) The device can be installed with a hacksaw and a drill and fits all common downpipes. You can even paint the thing to match your house’s color scheme. Oh, and its materials are all recyclable.

Clean Rain is made by Aussie-based Rain Harvesting, so we gringos have to work our own metric conversions on the following Clean Rain spec: For every 1mm of rainfall per square meter of roof, you can collect 1 liter or rain.

What can you do with a bunch of clean rainwater? Aside from watering gardens (which dig rainwater best) or put into a pond (this is water), says EnviroGadget, “due to its cleanness it can also be used in a pool, or set to be stored in a large water storage tank for use in toilets or such devices.” (That said, I do wonder how clean my toilet water really needs to be.)

Water: we bathe in it, wash with it, drink it, swim in it, and package it in ways destined to help kill the planet. Most of us even know it takes two hydrogen and one oxygen molecules to create water, but there’s lots more to the stuff that covers the majority of our planet. Read on to get wowed by six things you didn’t know about water.

1. Dating back as far back as 2006, several states have reported water shortages near water-bottling plants across the nation – including Florida, New Hampshire, Texas, and Wisconsin. Any chance the underground water situation has improved over the past four or five years? Not likely.

2. Less than one percent of all the world’s fresh water is available for human use in the form of lakes, underground sources, and reservoirs. The rest is soaked into the soil, too deep underground to reach, or manifests itself in the icecaps of the world’s polar regions.

3. Props to the folks that spend a long time tracking down clothes that are manufactured responsibly, but don’t forget that much of the environmental damage occurs after you’ve bought that gorgeous new dress. Between thirsty washing machines and the half-loads we throw in when we’re pressed for time, we send gallons of wash water down the drain every time we run the spin cycle. Let’s face it, none of us have time to scrub our clothes on a rock over a rain puddle, but do take a few steps to reduce the amount of water you use washing your clothes.

4. It may seem like there’s a new cure for whatever ails you but, in the end, water really is your BFF when it comes to battling everything from puffy eyes and insomnia to hangovers and candy overload.

5. Reports estimate the average person uses around 160 gallons of water per day. Where does it all go? Two-thirds literally gets flushed away, set aside two gallons if you leave the faucet running while you brush your teeth, and another 55 gallons for that 10-minute shower.

6. For a mere 20 bucks, you can join Charity Water in building the infrastructure necessary for clean water in developing nations where people often have to walk miles just to dip drinking sludge from a polluted swamp.

Now that you’re filled with information about water that you didn’t have 10 minutes ago, what are you going to do with your new-found knowledge? Pay attention to the way you use water and figure out where to cut back, even if you just shorten your shower by 60 seconds, or give your plants a drink with the water you just used to wash your lettuce.

Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking a global discussion and driving collective action. This year’s topic is water.

Images: FreeWine, mandiberg, reurinkjan, Shandi-lee, Conor Lawless, jeckert gwapo, Charity Water