Confluences: Water & Justice

Water, air, food, and shelter. The four essentials of life. Also, four places for science, history, politics, law, and economics to intersect.

The University of Portland is hosting Confluences: Water & Justice, a three-day conference running March 26-28 (Friday afternoon – Sunday mornin) on the UP campus. that examines water from multiple, and sometimes conflicting, perspectives (it’s not just a matter of justice). You can register and attend almost all of the sessions for free thanks to the sponsors: U. Portland, Food & Water Watch, and the Oregon Environmental Council (the river boat ride on Friday requires an advance registration). Check the conference web site for more information about the schedule, locations, and speakers.

Get in touch with Green Science

I’ve just made some updates to the blog sidebar (yep, that list of items on the right side of the blog) to help you get (and stay) in touch with the rest of the group.

1. Mailing list. If you follow this link, you will be added to Reed’s Green Science mailing list. If you want to share information with list members, just address your email to “green science list” and we’ll all get a copy.
2. Subscribe. If you follow this link, you can sign up to receive every post on the Green Science Project blog by email. Never miss a blog post ever again.
3. Feeds. Two more ways to follow the blog. If you use an RSS reader (maybe these are getting old-fashioned?), you can watch blog entries, and comments on blog entries, as they appear. And they won’t clutter up your email.

So … lots of ways to stay in touch because everyone has a different mode of operating. Whatever your preference is, please get in touch (and stay in touch) with Green Science.

How far do YOU walk for water?

Did you know that many people in developing countries, usually women and children, must walk several miles each day to obtain water for drinking and cooking? Water collection (collection !!!) in sub-Saharan Africa consumes 40 billion hours each year, the amount of work that might be done by 19 million full-time employees. As a result, a typical African family uses only 5 gallons of water per day compared to the 100-150 gallons used by the typical American family.

If you would like to learn more about the water crisis in the developing world, visit World Water Day PDX 2010. This event, including the Walk for Water, is scheduled for Sunday, March 21, 1 PM at the World Trade Center opposite Waterfront Park in downtown Portland. The celebration will last from 11 AM to 3 PM, and it includes a concert the following day at the Aladdin Theater. Organizers hope that walkers will not only walk the 3.1 mile route, but they will also do a bit of fundraising (gather pledges).

Alan to Reed walkers: Since I will be in San Francisco for the entire weekend, you can put me down for a $10/Reed walker pledge right now (max 8 walkers). Now that I’ve got the ball rolling, hit up your friends for some more pledges and go take a walk.

Green your Spring Break

Spring Break is a great time to catch up.

Homework? Uh-huh. SLEEP. YES!!!

Why not also read something ‘green’? Here are some news articles that have been sent my way in the last week:

• Cleaning up the chemistry classroom. Some high schools have adopted ‘green’ lab curricula, but what does that mean. Check it out. (See also A Natural Approach to Chemistry)
• Learn about your water footprint. A cup of coffee, a pair of jeans, a cheeseburger. Each of these requires water for its growth and/or manufacture, but do you know how much? Hint: the right answers are  36, 634, and 2867 (yes, two thousand eight hundred and sixty seven) GALLONS of water, but I’m not saying which amount goes with which product. Take your best guess and then follow the link to EarthShare Oregon‘s water footprint poster to see how your guesses play out. And ask your friends to play too.
• How to cut carbon emissions. Since we don’t see much action at the international level, let’s get local. What can be done in our own household? On our own campus? Read this article from last October’s issue of ScienceNOW.
• A Toilet that Help Grows Food. How can undeveloped countries find a cheap way to reduce the spread of disease and grow food? The right kind of toilet might be part of the answer. Check out this article from the NY Times (Science section, March 1, 2010).

Maybe you’ve seen (or read, or watched) something green lately? Share it here (or send it to the ‘green science list’ and I’ll post it online. Julie and Alan are also looking for the next movie/event idea. Please make suggestions.

Have a great break.

Food, Inc. – come watch it with us

The Green Science Project is “going to the movies” on Friday, March 5.

We’ll gather in Bio 019 at 5:30 PM to watch Food, Inc.. The movie takes a close (and sometimes difficult) look at industrial food production in the U.S. and was nominated for an Academy award in the category of Best Documentary Feature.

Come join us. If you can’t make it, but would like more information about the Project, contact Alan or Julie. To get added to our mailing list, go to the College’s Green Science mailing list.