Blue Planet Links does not guarantee the accuracy or objectivity of the information presented on listed websites or publications. We have attempted to present a variety of perspectives on the issues in the hope that the more you know, the more likely you are to influence and make wise public and personal decisions to promote healthy oceans and fresh water.
© 2012 Blue Planet Links
Home, garden & building tips
Links to a zillion things you can learn about H2O
Amazing water! It's probably our most valuable natural resource. Nothing can live without it. As the world's population grows, we use more, poison more, and waste more H20 every day. Learn more:
California Urban Water Conservation Council
http://www.cuwcc.org
Take a virtual house tour for tips on saving water, efficient appliance use, xeriscape gardening.
Canada Mortgage & Housing Corp. (CMHC)
http://www.cmhc.ca
Tips to help your lawn and garden cope with dry conditions. Also fact sheets on other facets of owning, maintaining or renovating your home.
Create an Oasis with Greywater
http://www.oasisdesign.net/greywater/cre...
By Art Ludwig (Oasis Design, 3rd edition, 2004). A 51-page booklet, "Your Complete Guide to Choosing, Buildig and Using Grey Water Systems". By the same author: "The Builder's Greywater Guide".
Evergreen Foundation
http://www.evergreen.ca
Waterwise gardening helps conserve water and keeps chemicals out of our groundwater. Canada-wide non-profit environmental group promotes the use of native plants, offers advice to keep homeowners "lawn and garden smart", helps build Learning Grounds for schools, Common Grounds ifor communities.
How to Get Your Lawn Off Grass and How to Get Your Lawn and Garden Off Drugs
You can still have a great garden without pesticides, fertilizer, grass seeds, or even much water! Carole Rubin's North American Guide to Turning Off the Tap and Going Native provides advice for conserving water and preventing chemicals from polluting groundwater.
Living by Water Project
http://www.livingbywater.ca/
Working towards healthier human and wildlife habitat along the shorelines of Canada, the Living by Water Project is a national partnership initiative with regional coordinators in several locations. Helps individual shoreline residents, groups and agencies with information about shorelines; resources; services and programs. Founders Sarah Kipp and Clive Callaway co-authored the book, "On the Living Edge: Your Guide for Waterfront Living."
Rainwater harvesting and storage tanks
Manufacturer of systems and equipment for capturing and sotring rainwater
Riversides Stewardship Alliance
http://riversides.org
"The path to clean water passes through your backyard." Information about salt on winter highways, how washing your car uses 440 liters of water, what happens to groundwater when it rains, even advice for urban developers.
Smart Steps
http://www.gvrd.bc.ca/smartsteps
Greater Vancouver Regional District offers assistance, tools and information help your business become more efficient: water leakage detection, water-saving toilets and taps, rainwater capture and more.
Water - Use it Wisely
http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/
Turning the tap off while you brush your teeth can save 4 gallons a minute. 100 good tips for house and garden water use. Conservationist groups can buy a ready-made campaign from this U.S. group sponsored by water companies.
Water Information Program
http://www.waterinfo.org
Look under CONSERVATION TIPS for information for farmers, municipalities and industries. Under PROJECTS, you'll find articles on cloud seeding, among others. WIF is sponsored by water agencies, districts and organizations in Colorado, U.S.A.
WaterCare
http://www.watercare.net/
Are you polluting without realizing it? Read "15 Easy Ways to Protect Water". Also FACT SHEETS and WATERCARE FOR BUSINESS. A comprehensive site aimed at South Australians.
WaterUseItWisely
http://www.wateruseitwisely.com
Lots of tips for homeowners and gardners, plus links to many individual State sites.
Well Aware
http://www.wellaware.ca
Well water in homes and cottages can be easily contaminated by run-off containing pet feces, manure or pesticides, or by things like mice or bugs that fall into the well and decay. This Ontario, Canada program advises homeowners how to keep their well water safe.
Quick Facts About Water
- Water covers 70% of Earth's surface. (That's why astronauts in space dubbed it "The Blue Planet".)
- Only 1% of this resource is drinkable. About 97% is ocean water: salty, unpotable and not usable for irrigation. The other 3% is fresh water, but nearly one-third of that is locked up in the form of glaciers and ice fields.
- The world's population more than tripled in the last century, but during the same time, our consumption of water increased six times. The U.S.A. and Canada, in that order, use the most water per capita.
- Agriculture is the largest user of water world-wide, consuming about 68%. Industry uses 22%.
- Water is life: we might survive a month without food, but less than a week without water.
- Water is weather: rain, snow, ice - and drought. It determines what we eat, what we grow, and what plants, animals and water life thrive.