drinking water

Sandbranch: The Town Without Water

Posted by: Rhona Reid On December 7, 2017 12:00 pm

There has never been running water here.  Some of the dwindling number of residents, all of whom live in poverty, recall that there were wells up until around 30 years ago, where locals could draw water. Those wells are now dry or contaminated.  People who live here have to make a seven-mile journey to buy water or depend on donations made to the local Baptist church.

Welcome to Sandbranch, just 14 miles southeast of Dallas, the fifth wealthiest city in America.  

Welcome to Sandbranch.
Forgotten Community?

There hasn’t been any investment here for a long time.  The community doesn’t have trash collections, proper sewerage or street lighting – yet most of the residents don’t want move, or lack the …

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America Recycles Day 2017!

Posted by: Rhona Reid On November 28, 2017 7:00 am

November 15 marked America Recycles Day, a joint initiative with Keep America Beautiful.   Tens of thousands of people made a commitment to recycling and hundreds of events are taking place over the coming month to support this awesome cause.  

Let’s all try to reuse and recycle.
Make a Pledge to the Planet

Interested in joining in?  Why not make the America Recycles pledge to:

  • Learn.   I will find out what materials are collected for recycling in my community.
  • Act.  Within the next month, I will reduce the amount of waste I produce, I will recycle more, and I will buy products made with recycled content.
  • Share.  In the next month, I will encourage one family member or one
…
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The Future for Flint’s Children

Posted by: Rhona Reid On November 21, 2017 7:00 am

 
In 1990, the New England Journal of Medicine published the results of an 11-year study into the long term cognitive and neurobehavioral effects of lead exposure in children.  

What are the long terms behavioral effects of lead exposure for children?
What Does Lead Do?

The children had been exposed to lead during their childhood, in some cases relatively low levels.  132 test subjects were re-examined in 1988 and the following neurobehavioral traits were identified as being related to lead exposure during childhood:

  • School absenteeism
  • Lower vocabulary
  • Poorer hand/eye co-ordination
  • Slower reaction times
“No Safe Level of Lead”

Although some lead can be excreted by the body, children are more susceptible to long term effects from lead exposure, as their …

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Can an 11-Year-Old Really Change How Lead in Water is Identified? 

Posted by: Rhona Reid On November 14, 2017 7:00 am

America’s water system is undeniably in crisis.  The projected cost of fixing the miles of pipeline that criss-cross the country runs to $1 trillion, according to some estimates.  There’s no quick fix.

Our infrastructure won’t be updated any time soon…
Next Generation – New Hope

But where there is a future, there is always hope.  And where there is hope, there is a future.  Maybe the next generation will come up with some answers, determined to put right what is broken and unsustainable.  This possibility has been highlighted by eleven-year-old Gitanjali Rao, winner of America’s top young scientist award.

Mythical Inspiration

Horrified by the news of lead contamination in the water of Flint, Michigan, Gitanjali quickly realized the issue …

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Drowning in Plastic – The Ocean Story

Posted by: Rhona Reid On November 9, 2017 12:00 pm

The Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean is almost 7 miles deep.  Its perpetually black depths are commonly referred to as the most remote place on the entire planet.  Extraordinary creatures survive in the dark with water pressure of eight tons per square inch.  But something else has been discovered in this inaccessible ocean trench.  Astonishing levels of man-made pollution, along with plastic bags and soda cans.  

There’s nowhere left on earth that’s safe from pollution.
Plastics on the Menu

We’re steadily choking our planet with plastic, according to recent research.  Up to 13 million tons of plastic finds it way into our oceans every single year, where it can then be ingested by wildlife.  Of course, lovers …

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The 80-20 Rule For Weight Loss (Unique Ways To Improve Your Life Series – Part III)

Posted by: Rhona Reid On November 7, 2017 7:00 am

No matter how it’s dressed up or presented, successfully losing weight depends on eating the right things, in the right quantities for your body and level of physical activity.  If you are consistently consuming more calories than you burn, then you’re not going be dropping a dress size anytime soon.

Get smart about reaching a healthy weight.
Indulge and Still Lose Weight!

All very simple in theory, but it’s harder in practice to eat “right” the whole time.  Sometimes, a slice of pecan pie can reach places that a raw quinoa salad can’t.  

Wouldn’t it be great if we could be disciplined for – I don’t know – some of the time and allowed to indulge a little as well …

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5 Unique Ways to Improve the Way You Train (Unique Ways To Improve Your Life Series – Part II)

Posted by: Rhona Reid On November 3, 2017 12:00 pm

Understanding how your body responds to nutrition, rest and hydration is key to improving performance.  

Get your training/resting ratio right!

Our bodies are complex and yet some of the ways in which we can improve the way they function are simple.  We’ve rounded up 5 fantastic ways to make your training work better for you.

  • Train Smarter, Not Harder.   From the 1960’s until around 1990, Soviet weightlifters broke record after record.  Why?  Were they stronger?  Did they train more rigorously?  No.  They took home the medals because their training was subject to stringent analysis based around interval training, with individually optimized work/rest ratios.  Different forms of training vary enormously in terms of how they tax your body but generally, experts
…
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Imagine a Day Without Water?

Posted by: Rhona Reid On October 26, 2017 12:00 pm

The third annual Imagine a Day Without Water took place on the 12th October.  Schools and workplaces participated with utilities and water organizations to look at how much we depend on water.  

Can you imagine a day without water?
The True Value of Water

The recent hurricanes that have seen thousands of people having their access to clean, safe water cut off, highlight just how vital water is to our health and well being.  

Some communities in America already know how impossible it is to try to go a day without our most precious resource: Water.  Imagine a Day Without Water 2017 is the third annual day to raise awareness and educate America about the value of water.

~ …

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2017

Posted by: Rhona Reid On October 24, 2017 7:00 am

Thousands of people every year are affected by breast cancer, either directly or indirectly.  According to the Cancer Statistics Center, 255,180 new cases are anticipated during 2017, which are projected to result in some 41,070 deaths from breast cancer across America before the year is out.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2017
Can We Reduce Our Risk Factors?

Despite these statistics, deaths from breast cancer have been decreasing since 1989, largely due to better detection rates through screening, increased awareness and improved methods of treatment.  

So what can we do to help our bodies stay as healthy as possible and actively lower the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer?  

Diet is a vital factor.  Making your body as …

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Drinking Plastics – Why Our Water Infrastructure Just Can’t Cope (Plastics Series: Part III)

Posted by: Rhona Reid On October 19, 2017 12:00 pm

We recently looked at the plastics that we unknowingly drink when we crack open a fresh bottle of water or turn on the tap.  America is the world leader in plastic fiber contamination, with a horrifying 94% of nationwide samples testing positive.  India and Lebanon are the closest runners-up; but for now, the dubious honor of topping the plastic fiber contamination table belongs to us.  

Sometimes being first isn’t so great…
Plastic is Not Fantastic

Plastic fibers are expelled into the air and into our water supply all the time.  The problem is that our current methods of treating drinking water are inadequate.  That’s not a new fact; horror stories about the problems with America’s water infrastructure are …

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