Local Solutions to a Global Water Crisis

    Articles and books that describe our current and future water issues are becoming as ubiquitous as water itself.  With articles like; “Drinking Sewage in Texas” on the cover of Discover and constant coverage of the local hydro-fracking debate, Charles Fishman's latest book, The Big Thirst, is a timely review of our current and historical relationship with water in the US and around the world.  An overriding question permeates the book: is clean water a human right?   Questions of water ownership are explored ( these seem particularly relevant to our local water struggles).  He focuses on individual, corporate, and agricultural water use, citing Barcelona's need for water freighters; Bridgeport , Alabama's fire truck water service; Australian cities working to help each other: one with excess water that needed to be disposed of and another that needs vast amount of (not necessarily drinkable) water to wash wool; India's continued struggle with 24/7 water availability; and other water "situations".  
     He addressed the “yuck factor” of recycling water head on, and describes how communities around the world have dealt with the politics of water.  Examples of people in the United States and around the world, prove that people can work together to find solutions to varied water struggles, enabling all people to have their need for clean water met.
      His ending remark rings true, “ Everything about water is about to change—except, of course, water itself.”  Just as the Earth will survive while its inhabitant will be impacted by climate change, so too, will water remain the same; humanity will change.  Rather that writing a discouraging view of our water crisis, he demonstrates that there are great opportunities to impact our water future, if we focus on the reality of the situation and put the technology that is already available towards simple, often local, solutions.

Homemade Holiday Gifts

     Our family opts for the orbital sander's roar; the sewing machine's rhytmic chug, chug, chug; the dehydrator's hum; and the food processor's high pitched grinding, rather than the constant droning of department store Christmas music. We stay home creating gifts with whatever talents we have to offer: wood working projects, quilts, and specialty foods. 

     During the growing season herbs are dried, fruits and vegetables dehydrated, jams preserved, and vinegar flavored. In December these are used to create specialty granolas, fruit mixtures, soup mixes, flavored sugars, herbed vinegars, herb mixes, and baked goods, to give as gifts during the holiday season.

     Food related gift ideas that can be created using information from previous blog entries are listed below:

• Flavored sugar: grind 1 tablespoon of dried culinary lavender with one cup of sugar in a small food processor. (Write the recipe for lavender almond biscotti on an attached card.)
• Granola created using a friend's favorite fruits and nuts.
• A jar filled with a mixture of home grown dried herbs:     
• tomato sauce herbs: basil, oregano, and parsley               
• omlete mix: chives, oregano, sage, and thyme             
• chicken soup herbs: bay leaf, sage, and thyme
• Jars layered with ingredients for soups, cookies, or muffins with a card attached with directions.
• A bottle of herb flavored vinegar.
• A jar of layered dehydrated summer fruit.
• Baked goods: cookies, cakes, and muffins                            (cranberry orange muffins are a seasonal favorite).
• Sachets filled with dried lavender.

      Some people love the excitement, crowds, bargain hunting, and even the sounds of holiday shopping.  If you're not one of them, creating gifts in the home during this season-of-giving may suit you.