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8/9/14

RED ALGAE BLOOM TIDE TOXIC TO MARINE LIFE - FLORIDA

NBC SCIENCE on the RED ALGAE BLOOM FLORIDA

"The patchy bloom stretches from the curve of the Panhandle to the central Tampa Bay region. It measures approximately 80 miles long by 50 miles wide. Red tide occurs when naturally occurring algae bloom out of control, producing toxins deadly to fish and other marine life. The chemicals can trigger respiratory distress in people, such as coughing and wheezing."

We often hear about man made chemicals and products polluting the ocean but in this case the algae is a natural living sea plant which can take over an area of the sea and kill marine life.  Last year manatees died from a similar bloom.

8/5/14

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SAVE WATER!

A you probably know already, there is drought and as a result in many places there is water rationing.

You can help save water by not wasting it.  Here is a list of things you can do that will help us save water so that there's enough for everyone for drinking and bathing, and so our farmers can water their crops.  You can probably think of other ways.

1) When you take a shower, after you're all wet and your hair is all wet, shut the water off while you soap up. Turn it back on to rinse.  YOU WILL SAVE GALLONS.

2) Don't use the water to heat a bathroom when it's too chilly to shower or bath.  Use a small portable heater to raise the air temperature first, shut it off, and then start with hotter water, and as the air temperature in the room rises, lower the water temperature.

3) Your dog and cat need to drink fresh water so you change the water in the bowl a couple times a day.  Don't throw that water down the sink.  Take it and water the vegetation that is on the "parkway" between the side walk and the street.  INSECTS NEED WATER and when they can't find it where they live they will come inside looking for it.  Then we kill them.

4) Consider changing part of your lawn from grass to a succulent or arid garden.  Put down stone for walkways around plantings. 

5) Be sure that your lawn and garden sprinklers are working and adjusted to not waste water that goes down the street to the sewer.

6) Toilets with low water flush are a puzzle.  Some of them have to be flushed twice to do the job.  However, you may have a toilet that would work just fine with less water.  Try filling a gallon water bottle, put the lid on it, set it down in the tank, and see what happens.  Displacing one gallon of water each time you flush will also save gallons.

7) Hand wash and hang to dry some of your clothing rather than put it through the machine. Hand washing is not only more gentle to fabrics but it also sometimes does a better job than the machine.  Over time you will save money and water.