Can you believe 2010 is half over already? I hope your New Year resolutions are going well — especially if you made a pledge to finally start toting a reusable bottle this year. If you’ve now made a water-wise habit of quenching your thirst without creating unnecessary plastic waste, I challenge you to set a mid-year’s resolution — to bring water-wise habits to other aspects of your life.

Water, after all, is a huge topic right now, especially with the crazy amount of ocean pollution from the Gulf oil spill. That disaster, combined with all the other sources of water pollution and global warming-caused droughts, has even non-environmentalists thinking about using water as wisely and conservatively as possible. And water really is connected to everything. In Los Angeles where I live, even clean energy advocates care deeply about water issues — because 20 percent of the energy we use is spent simply bringing clean water from far off places!

Many of us have already taken simple steps for water conservation, like taking shorter showers and turning off the tap when brushing our teeth. But this already hot summer’s a great time to start thinking about bigger water savings. And conveniently, Yes!** — one of my favorite green-minded magazines — has dedicated its latest issue to water solutions.**

This comprehensive issue lays out some big picture concerns,** from considering the challenges of desalination plants to converting our farmlands to use drip irrigation. But more to the point of personal lifestyle choices, Yes! also has put together a list of 6 simple ways to bring the water revolution home.**

These half dozen tips are indeed relatively simple — but are definitely more involved than simply turning off the faucet. Still, most can be tackled over a relaxing summer weekend or few, whether it’s revamping the garden to plant less thirsty plants, or figuring out how much water you’re using then shopping for less water-intensive appliances. The easiest tip is to capture your rainwater for reuse; all you have to do is put a big container under your downspout! And the most social tip’s to get to know your local waterway — a move that’ll likely help connect you with fellow water activists in your neighborhood.

I can attest personally to the fact that getting to know your local waterway’s an enjoyable form of activism. I took a tour of the L.A. River a while back, and from seeing it up close, feel I have a closer connection to and understanding of my city as a whole. As for Yes!’s other tips — Those are tougher to follow for apartment dwellers like me who have neither a downspout nor a real garden. I have, however, instituted a low-tech guerilla gardening system that conserves water. That would me me hauling out my dish rinsing water to water my balcony garden!

Want more water saving tips? Eco-bloggers have lots to share:

>> Use a soaker hose in your garden.** Re-Nest points out that this frugal watering method can save you up to 70 percent on your watering bill: “That number can be even lower if you’re recycling water collected from a rain barrel or additional collection system.”

>> Read a water-wise book.** Grist’s Umbra’s next book club read’s an ocean-friendly tome: The World Is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean’s Are One. “It’s a fact-filled, inspiring ode to the oceans. A page-turner. It’s also a very fine read at the beach!”

>> Take fewer showers.** Says plastic-free blogger Beth, a.k.a. Fake Plastic Fish: “Some people save water by taking quick showers. I save water by showering every other day instead.”

>> Travel with a reusable bottle or mug.** Tiny Choices recommends considering your real hydration needs to lighten your load: “If it’s hot weather maybe you don’t need your reusable travel mug, just a water bottle – or if you would rather, just bring your mug with and use it to fill with water in local bathrooms or at water fountains while you’re out and about.”

Got your own water-wise tip? Share it in the comments –

Photo by D Sharon Pruitt**

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Missed all the fun, green-minded beach activities on International Surfing Day** last weekend? Then put the beach in your planner for this weekend, when Hands Across the Sand** will bring environmentalists around the world out of their homes and onto the sand.

The purpose of Hands Across the Sand is simple: To gather to oppose offshore drilling. Planned in response to the Gulf oil spill, Hands Across the Sand is a peaceful stand against environmentally-destructive drilling for fossil fuels — and a call for clean energy solutions. This quiet event’s organized by a collective of environmental organizations — including FilterForGood partner Surfrider Foundation.**

All you have to do to be part of Hands Across the Sand** is get to the event nearest you on Saturday, June 26 at 11 am, whatever time zone you’re in. There, you’ll gather, meet fellow environmental activists in your neighborhood, and learn about offshore drilling and how to organize to oppose it. Then at noon, you’ll join hands with your neighbors to form symbolic lines in the sand against oil drilling.

For bonus points, make sure to walk, bike, take public transit, or at the very least, carpool to the event. After all, it would be ironic to burn fossil fuels by driving all alone to an event that’s trying to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. I also recommend taking your reusable bottle with you, to drink from plastic waste-free if the summer heat makes you thirsty.

I plan to bike over to the Hands Across the Sand event nearest me, happening right next to the famous Santa Monica.** Tourist season’s already in full swing, so I’m hoping that in addition to the locals, visitors will be encouraged to join the line and participate in this worldwide event. Where will you be June 26 at 11 am?

Image via handsacrossthesand.org

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Can big events be bottled water-free? Yes they can! Notice the complete absence of disposable water bottles on the speaker table below!

That photo was taken over the weekend, when I (far left) moderated a panel about green business and social media for a mini-conference put on by a local environmental group, Women of the Green Generation.** At that day-long event, no one drank bottled water — at least not the disposable plastic-wrapped kind. Instead, everyone drank water in reusable bottles — or biodegradable cups, provided for those who forgot to BYO bottle — filtered by a company that provides clean, bottle-free drinking water for events.

I’ve been seeing filtered water at more and more green events — though honestly, if filtered water isn’t available, I’ll simply fill my bottle from the nearest water fountain or tap. After all, a lot of bottled water’s really plastic-encased tap water anyway — and sometimes even contains dangerous contaminants. Tap water’s of course not perfect, but is at least required to undergo tougher testing criteria than bottled water is.

Plus, opting for tap’s a great way to save money, as many FilterForGoodians know — especially when you’re on the go. In fact, BYO-bottling’s the big money-saving tip that won the recent Get Rich Slowly video contest.** (via Lifehacker)**

The winner, Austin from Foreigner’s Finances,** explains in his sort video that buying a bottled thirst-quencher — whether bottled water, soda, or energy drink — whenever you get thirsty while out can mean a slow money bleed. His idea is to drink tap not just in lieu of bottled water, but for other drinks too.

“Avoid those little 2 to 5 dollar purchases when you’re thirsty and want a quick drink, like a Gatorade or a Coke,” says Austin, a self-described BYO bottler who makes use of both water fountains and bathroom sinks. Even if you only buy a bottled drink every few days, that habit likely costs you about $5 a week. Change that habit to BYO-bottling, and savings will add up to $250 a year, Austin points out.

A nice side benefit for those who are prepping for swimsuit season: BYO-bottling and filling up with water will also keep you from downing empty calories you don’t need. After all, if you pop into a convenience store every time you get thirsty, you’re often tempting yourself to buy sugary sodas, juice punches, and energy drinks. Did you know that a single can of Rockstar** has as much sugar as a half dozen Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts?

That means even if you avert your eyes from all the cheap chocolate bars, candy, and chips in the convenience stores and look only at the drink section, you can still pack on the pounds. I don’t keep junk food in the house because I know if I see it, I’ll eat it — which is why I stay out of convenience stores for the most part too! Don’t self-sabotage your health goals by letting a legitimate need (thirst) lead you into unnecessary temptation (empty calories in sugary drinks and junk food). Save your money and your waistline by BYO-bottling this summer.

Photo by anahr**

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Great thing about being an anti-plastic-waste, ocean-friendly environmentalist: Practically every weekend has an exciting eco-event. Just last Tuesday we celebrated World Oceans Day.** Now, oceans activists can look forward to International Surfing Day** celebrations, happening Sun., June 20.

Organized by FilterForGood nonprofit partner Surfrider Foundation** and SURFING Magazine, International Surfing Day unites everyone from famous surfers to eco-artists to environmental activists to simple beachgoers. The goal: To have fun on the beach — while pretty-fying that natural playground too. Some may come because they love to get in the water, others because they care about the beach. Still others will show up to their nearest International Surfing Day event to win prizes from surf-happy companies like O’Neill, Reef, Quicksilver, and many others.

Lest you think International Surfing Day’s a west coast thing, rest assured that 73 fun eco-friendly events are happening across the country — to add up to 200 events around the world. A preview of some of these events:

>> Near me in Huntington Beach, Calif.,** beachgoers will be able to watch the final hours of Project Save Our Surf SURF-24 — a 24-hour surf-a-thon, take part in a beach cleanup, do yoga, and even catch outdoor night screenings of The Cove and North Shore.

>> Across the country in Ocean City, N.J.,** beachgoers can compete in both a sand castle building contest and a paddle contest, take part in a surf clinic or drum circle, help out with a beach clean up, and relax to the musical sounds of a live band after that long day.

>> In the Midwest, beach activists can celebrate in Duluth, Minn.,** by listening to live music from a bunch of bands, taking a yoga class, seeing beach art, watching a local kiteboarding crew, and keeping fingers crossed for raffle prizes — all while enjoying wine, beer, coffee, and other yummies.

Check the main International Surfing Day website** to see where the surf’s up near you. Then, once the big day comes, remember to take your reusable bottle to quench your thirst on the beach — so you don’t add any disposable plastic waste to our environment!

Image via International Surfing Day’s Facebook page

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Clean, pristine, and fresh. That’s how many bottled water companies often advertise their products. But here comes yet another study that reveals bottled water’s dirty secrets. Canadian researchers found that some popular bottled water brands contain lots and lots of bacteria — bacteria that could sicken pregnant women, infants and the elderly.

According to the Montreal Gazette** which reports on this study, researchers from C-crest Laboratories found “revolting figures” of bacteria in bottled water (via Treehugger):**

More than 70 per cent of popular brands they tested did not meet the standards set out by the United States Pharmacopeia, a non-governmental agency that sets safety standards for medications and health-care products.

The bad news: The dirty brands were not named and shamed. Why not? Well, the researchers say the point of the study was not to shame any company in particular, but to prod the government into setting higher standards for bottled water. Neither the U.S. Food and Drug Administration nor Health Canada have set limits on the amount of bacteria allowed in bottled water.

The good news: All bottled water brands are easy to avoid — by simply opting to filter tap water and tote your own reusable water bottle. After all, you’d be doing your health a favor by BYOBottle-ing. According to one researcher behind the study, “some brands had as much as 70,000 [colony-forming units of bacteria] per millilitre – or 400 times higher than tap water.”

And if your own health isn’t enough to get you off the bottled water habit, make the change for the health of our oceans. World Oceans Day** is coming up on Tuesday, June 8! I actually got to celebrate this day a few weeks early, because Los Angeles had its Kids Ocean Day on May 27. About 5000 local students gathered on Dockweiler Beach to do a big beach cleanup — picking up everything from beer bottles to cigarette butts to, you guessed it, plastic bottles.

Disposable plastics, especially when broken into smaller pieces by ocean waves, often look like food to marine animals, who eat the undigestible stuff and often die. And of course, trash-strewn oceans make for unhappy playing grounds. At the end of the cleanup, the kids created a huge aerial art message to “Sustain Life.”

The first easy step towards that for FilterForGoodians: BYO bottle if you aren’t already!

Photos top to bottom: elycefeliz,** Pandiyan,** Siel

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I love living near Santa Monica beach, but never swim in it — not because the beach is too dirty (which it sometimes is) but because I’m a horrific swimmer. I think I learned to swim too late — so I content myself with walking and biking by the beach — and mostly, lazing on it.

But for the more active FilterForGoodians who can swim like fish, here comes a new eco event that will challenge you physically while fighting plastic pollution in our oceans and beaches: The OptimisSport Distance Swim Challenge.**

This first ever even will challenge athletes to swim 12.6 miles from Santa Monica Pier to Manhattan Beach Pier. But don’t write off the event as too daunting just yet! If 12.6 miles sounds like too much,you can sign up to swim as little as 1.2 miles.

Whatever distance you choose, you’ll be helping out some great local organizations. All proceeds from this Challenge will go to Exceeding Expectations,** a program in the San Bernardino School District that encourages at-risk kids through triathlon training and competition, as well as environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay.**

Heal the Bay’s been leading the local fight against plastic pollution in the oceans for 25 years now. The nonprofit supports legislation to ban disposable plastics at city, county, and state-levels, helping my city, Santa Monica, successfully ban styrofoam a few years back. More recently, Heal the Bay launched what it hoped to make a viral online campaign called Trash Your Friends** — a clever idea that unfortunately didn’t make a lot of waves on the internet, probably because the flash took forever to load.

But most of Heal the Bay’s efforts are much more successful. For surfers and swimmers, Heal the Bay publishes a Beach Report Card** (PDF) every year, grading the cleanliness of each beach — and continuously updates these grades** online so people can check them before going in for a dip. Hopefully, both the Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach piers will be graded As when the swimmers wade in on Oct. 16 for the OptimisSport Distance Swim Challenge.

If you sign up,** you’ll get to rub shoulders in the water with top open water swimmers from around the world, fellow oceans activists, neighborhood environmentalists, and your friends — if you can recruit a few to join you! You can even assemble 4 or 8-person teams to compete in relays.

I won’t be swimming this year, but plan to sign up to volunteer.** So come see me help out and enjoy a vacation on Southern California beaches — all while challenging yourself athletically and doing environmental good.

And if I hear that the event will happen again next year, I’ll sign up to take some swimming lessons in 2011!

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Disposable water bottle waste has many cities concerned about plastic waste — and trying to deal with the problem by making recycling easier and more lucrative while encouraging reusable bottle use. But Concord, Mass., has gone one step further, becoming the first town to outlaw bottled water altogether.

That’s right — Late last month, Concord residents voted to ban all sales of bottled water. According to the Boston Globe,** the ban comes thanks to the tireless work of a 82-year-old activist called Jean Hill, who’s been fighting against plastic waste for years.

The ban’s not without controversy — even among those who’d like to see less plastic waste. For one, Concord residents could easily buy bottled water in the next town over, making the ban pointless, in some people’s opinion. For another, many other beverages — like soda and juice — are packaged in plastic, which has some saying bottled water will simply have people opting for these other higher-calorie drinks without reducing much plastic waste.

But as Hill and other environmental activists have pointed out, bottled water’s just not the same thing as bottled juice or soda, since we’ve got an almost-free alternative for bottled water: Good old tap water. Alicia Graef at Care2,** for example, doesn’t think people will be forced to turn to sugary drinks:

A ban on bottled water doesn’t necessarily mean people will drink less of it, it just means they will have to be more conscientious about their drinking habits.

Considering the many people who’ve voluntarily signed the FilterForGood pledge — and otherwise decided to opt for their own reusable water bottles — I think many in Concord who haven’t already switched to reusable water bottles will finally make the change once the ban goes into effect in January 2011.

Of course, that’s assuming the ban actually does go through. One fear is that Concord may end up having to spend a lot of money to make the ban reality — since the $10 billion dollar bottled water industry’s expected to put up a big fight.

What do environmentalists think of Concord’s move? Many are quite supportive. At Treehugger,** Jerry James Stone points out that the ban could even bring some health benefits:

As the NRDC reports, water stored in plastic bottles for 10 weeks showed signs of phthalate-leaching. Phthalates block testosterone and other hormones! And keep in mind, while phthalates in tap water are regulated, no such regulations exist at all for bottled water.

And Ziggy at Sustainablog** sounds exultant:

Let’s hope that Concord’s ordinance holds up and is not taken down by the International Bottled Water Association. Bring on the ban!

Do any of you FilterForGoodians live in Concord? What do you think of the ban?

Photo by Muffet**

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Farmers markets in my neighborhood are open year-round, but I hear that in colder parts of the country, these temporary local produce heavens take a break during the colder months. If you live in a white winter town, I hope you’re now enjoying the warmer weather at your newly reopened farmers markets! These markets are where I get some of my favorite things: Peaches, plums and — pecan pie.

Yes, pecan pie — from Urban Green Cuisine’s booth at the Mar Vista Farmers’ Market,** to be exact. This market has a huge prepped food section, with a whole bunch of booths selling everything from kettle corn to burritos to barbecue, making the farmers market a weekly international food fest too!

Now, I usually can’t buy pecan pie, simply because they’re too big for a girl who lives alone. But Urban Green Cuisine sold little mini pecan tarts — yummy local organic delicacies for the farmers’ market shopper on the go. I nabbed one for $4 before browsing the aisles for healthier fare –

Why am I talking about a farmers market that’s probably nowhere near where you are? (Unless you’re a fellow Angelno — in which case, see you at the market!) I guess I’m curious what your particular farmers market is like too. What I love about these markets is that each one’s so different — and each one is also constantly morphing and changing, transforming itself with the seasons.

In fact, my “home” farmers market is actually the Santa Monica farmers market — which has the unfortunate distinction of having made national news due to an errant driver who sped through the market** a few years back. We’ve got much better barricades flanking the market now — and many more shoppers who come by for locavorian fare. In any case, this market’s very much a produce-centric affair, with most booths selling just fruits, veggies, and raw proteins (from free range eggs to grass-fed bison!) and just a couple stands offering hot eats.

At the Mar Vista market, in contrast, the prepped food stands get the bulk of the attention — or at least certainly have the longest lines, with people lined up eagerly awaiting chorizos, crepes, and cookies. A live DJ kept people entertained — and a green booth run by the Mar Vista Neighborhood Council’s Green Committee let people know about an upcoming green gardens tour that would show how pretty drought tolerant front yards could look!

I’ll actually be back at the Mar Vista market as a guest speaker at this Green Committee booth. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by during market hours on Sun., July 11 to learn about green fashions — and see some of the latest eco-friendly styles!

In the meantime, support your local farmers market — especially if you’ve got a neighborhood pecan pie baker! Remember to take your reusable bag and reusable bottle to quench your hot weather thirst — and share what makes your farmers market unique in the comments.

Photos by Siel

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I just watched a video that seriously scared me — even though it was just an animated short! Visit environmental nonprofit Surfrider Foundation’s Rise Above Plastics** page, and watch a gigantic whale swim through plastic debris — until it’s beached atop an ocean of disposable plastic goods. The message: 1.5 million marine animals die due to plastic debris each year!

Most of you FilterForGoodians have already pledged to nix the disposable bottled water waste — and tote reusable grocery bag to grocery stores too. But even more importantly, I hope FilterForGoodians are inspiring more people to reduce their plastic waste too. After all, the oceans and our environment at large belong to everyone — so everyone really has a stake at preventing the world from getting buried in one-use plastics!

Plus, thanks to FilterForGood partner Surfrider Foundation, becoming an anti disposable plastic activist isn’t just grueling work picking up trash at the beach — though beach cleanups can be fun too, since these volunteer events generally mean hanging out on a sunny beach with fellow fun environmentally-conscious do gooders. But in the next couple months as the weather warms up, oceans activists can go surfing — or even karaokeing — to benefit the environment with Surfrider.

That’s right, karaokeing — to all the greatest metal hits from Motley Crue, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden, no less — becomes an act of enviro-activism this Thurs., May 6. That’s when Surfrider Foundation’s second annual Blue Note Karaoke** event goes down at the OC Tavern in San Clemente, Calif. Not only will karaoke contestants get to perform like rock stars with the backing of a live band for a night, the revelers will learn and help raise awareness about the importance of clean and healthy coastal water. To get in on the karaoke for a cause, buy a ticket for the event.** A mere $10 — which will benefit Surfrider Foundation — gets you in to the evening of musical fun.

More of a surfer than a singer — or just can’t make it to SoCal for the Blue Note event? Then block out June 20 on your calendar, because chances are, an ocean-friendly day of fun will be happening closer to you that day. Better known as the sixth annual International Surfing Day,** this day will have surfers and oceans activists around the world heading to a beach near them for surfing competitions, beach cleanups, restoration projects, and all sorts of green-minded activities. Last year, 105 events worldwide celebrated International Surfing Day, and hopefully even more will participate this year.

Check back closer to date on Surfrider Foundation and its partner Surfing magazine’s websites to find out more about when and where the festivities will happen near you. In the meantime, find out at Rise Above Plastics** what 10 simple things you can do in your daily life to prevent plastic pollution. I’ll bet you’ll be able to pat yourself on the back for already doing the top item on the list –

Image via riseaboveplastics.org

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Want to see how green you are compared to fellow FilterForGoodians? Take Nalgene’s Least Wasteful Cities challenge quiz** to find out how your eco-creds stack up to other green-curious people taking the test. I’m proud to say that I scored greener than the national average — and even prouder that I beat my regional average too!

The quiz asks about simple lifestyle habits — like turning off the faucet when you brush your teeth or turning out the light when leaving the room — and as you may have expected, filling up reusable water bottles instead of buying disposable bottled water. The idea’s to show how collectively, these small individual choices can add up to save a lot of water, energy, carbon emissions — and often, your money.

Of course, I’ve got a few little quibbles with this survey. One question simply asked how often I take public transportation. I put about half the time — but if the question had asked how often I take public transportation, bike, or walk instead of driving, I would have put down about 90 percent of the time! Plus, as an apartment dweller, I’m not able to get a rain barrel — so I didn’t get points for that either.

Still, I’m glad those two issues didn’t hurt my score too badly. Los Angeles, where I live, actually ranked the 8th least wasteful city according to the study. Which city topped the list? Perhaps expectedly, it was my greener northern neighbor, San Francisco. Find out if your city made the top 25 list — and take the test** to see how your own habits score next to your neighbors.

Didn’t score too well? Here’s an incentive to change your wasteful ways — at least if you happen to be a straight woman. Footwear and apparel company Timberland conducted an “Eco-Love Survey“** (PDF) — to find that men prefer not blonds, but greenies.

Apparently, a whopping 54% of men would think twice about dating a woman who litters — and a full quarter of men don’t look kindly on women who don’t recycle. I guess guzzling down wasteful one-use bottled water and chucking it into the street just isn’t considered attractive behavior!

Of course, you could take the reusable-bottle-half-empty attitude and point out that almost half the straight male population’s down to date plastic-wasting litterbugs — but don’t let that discourage your less wasteful ways! It’s unclear why Timberland’s survey seems to focus almost solely on what straight men are looking for in women — but I can say that personally, I too am repelled by the thought of dating a Hummer driver who likes to chug bottled water and chuck it out the window as they drive on into the smog.

What about you?

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