Today is Blog Action Day and the topic this year is water. This is a big deal. According to Blog Action Day, nearly 38,000 children under the age of 5 die each week due to unsafe drinking water. Overuse of water results in significant energy waste. According to the EPA, the insane demand for water in the United States means we need to build more dams that generate major pollution, dig more wells and make serious water withdrawals from our natural water bodies. Overall, the world's water supply is at risk and people suffer because of it.
Organics can play a large role in helping to protect clean water and in conserving water resources. For example:
American Rivers notes that a major water pollution threat to U.S rivers is runoff from non-organic farms such as harmful pesticides, toxic fertilizers and animal waste. Organic farming helps stop runoff that pollutes our water systems.
While NOP policy doesn't require that organic farmers or processors must conserve water resources, many organic businesses do go a step further and use sustainable farming and processing methods to try and conserve water. For example, many organic farmers spend time amending soil correctly and using mulch - both of which help conserve water.
Conventional cotton pollutes groundwater at a massive rate, while organic cotton production helps keep groundwater clean. Organic cotton also requires less irrigation, which helps conserve water as well.
To help conserve and protect water here are some actions you can take:
- Learn about conservation tillage (pdf) for your farm.
- Protect water quality on organic farms (pdf).
- How to conserve water at your business site.
- Low-cost water savers for your organic restaurant.
Head to the Blog Action Day website to learn more about the water issues the world is facing and learn how you can help create change.
Comments
Well бн all I can say is, wow. This is an impressive collection of resources, thank you for taking the time to put everything together.