this is the dawning of the age of Gaillardia

The perennial bed is going full force, and leading the charge is the Gaillardia (Gaillardia grandiflora.)
Gaillardias, or blanket flowers, are daisies with serrated tips on the ray petals. These plants are very tough and cheerful. Downy green leaves grow in low rosettes and have a hairy texture. The plants thrive in sunny gardens and even on sand dunes. Most types grow two feet tall with daisies about three inches wide. It's a no brainer for the LipsYard because it blooms continuously throughout summer and fall without deadheading.

Is this the dawning of another incursion into the Middle East?

The New Yorker's Seymour Hersh thinks the United States is conducting clandestine operations within Iran, and reports in this week's issue that Congress agreed to a request from President Bush last year to fund a major escalation of covert activity against Iran -- aimed at destabilizing the country's regime by backing minority groups like the Ahwazi Arab and Baluchi.

The story was knocked down quickly by the administration and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker. Hersh dismissed the denial, arguing that "when you run secret operations ... sometimes it's better not to have the ambassador know."

Hersh believes that President Bush and Vice President Cheney "do not want to leave Iran in place with a nuclear program.... They believe that their mission is to make sure that before they get out of offices next year, either Iran is attacked or it stops its weapons program."

If this story is indeed true, then we are clearly encroaching on the sovereignty of a nation. Moreover, what if US soldiers are captured by the Iranians? Then either we will get embarrassed by the Iranians or worse, things will escalate to an all out war involving Iran, Syria, Hizbuallah, Hamas, and Israel.

Not to mention that this kind of information drives the commodities market speculators crazy, driving up the price of oil even further.

A carpet of Geraniums

The Geraniums (Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’) are in bloom in both the front and back LipsYard. They are a very hardy perennial that grow 6-8” in height and spread with white blooms tinged with pink. The overall effect is a beautiful loose carpet of foliage. This is a naturally occurring hybrid that was discovered in the Biokovo Mountains in Croatia.

Wild geraniums were used by North American Indians and early settlers as an herbal remedy, being both safe and effective. The Chippewas used the rhizome, or underground stem, for sores inside the mouth, and other Indian peoples steeped the plant in water to use as an eyewash. Indians also ate the young green leaves as food. To this day herbalists recommend the plant, also known as Cranesbill, for many of the same medicinal purposes, with the fluid extract and powdered rhizome both widely available in herbal stores.

Not unlike our Geraniums, (or the Borg of Star Trek,) a loose carpet of pain, caused by rising oil prices is spreading across the globe. Michael T. Klare writes in The Nation:

"As the pain induced by higher oil prices spreads to an ever growing share of the American (and world) population, pundits and politicians have been quick to blame assorted villains — greedy oil companies, heartless commodity speculators and OPEC. It's true that each of these parties has contributed to and benefited from the steep run-up. But the sharp growth in petroleum costs is due far more to a combination of soaring international demand and slackening supply — compounded by the ruinous policies of the Bush Administration — than to the behavior of those other actors.

Most, if not all, of the damage was avoidable. Shortly after taking office, George W. Bush undertook a sweeping review of U.S. energy policy aimed at expanding the nation's supply of vital fuels. The "reality is the nation has got a real problem when it comes to energy," he declared on March 14, 2001. "We need more sources of energy." At that time many of the problems evident today were already visible.

...many energy experts urged the White House to minimize future reliance on oil, emphasize conservation and rapidly develop climate-friendly alternatives, especially renewables like wind, solar, geothermal and biofuels. But Dick Cheney, who was overseeing the energy review, would have none of this. "Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue," the Vice President famously declared in April 2001, "but it is not a sufficient basis...for sound, comprehensive energy policy." After three months of huddling in secret with top executives of leading US energy companies, he released a plan on May 17 that, in effect, called for preserving the existing energy system, with its heavy reliance on oil, coal and natural gas.

Because continued reliance on oil would mean increased reliance on imported petroleum, especially from the Middle East, Bush sought to deflect public concern by calling for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other protected areas. As a result, most public discourse on the Bush/Cheney plan focused on drilling in ANWR, and no attention was paid to the implications of increased dependence on imported oil — even though oil from ANWR, in the most optimistic scenario, would reduce US need for imports (now about 60 percent) by just 4 percent. But this produced another dilemma for Bush: increased reliance on imports meant increased vulnerability to disruptions in delivery due to wars and political upheavals.

To address this danger, the Administration began planning for stepped-up military involvement in major overseas oil zones, especially the Persian Gulf. This was evident, for example, when then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld gave early priority to enhancement of American "power projection" to areas of instability in the developing world. Then came 9/11 and the "war on terror" — giving the White House a perfect opportunity to accelerate the military expansion and to pursue other key objectives. High on the list was the elimination of Saddam Hussein, long considered the most potent challenger to U.S. domination of the Gulf and its critical energy supplies. But the invasion of Iraq — intended to ensure U.S. control of the Gulf and a stable environment for the expanded production and export of its oil — has had exactly the opposite effect. Despite the many billions spent on oil infrastructure protection and the thousands of lives lost, production in Iraq is no higher today than it was before the invasion.

...But the Administration's greatest contribution to the rising oil prices is its steady stream of threats to attack Iran if it does not back down on the nuclear issue. The Iranians have made it plain that they would retaliate by attempting to block the flow of Gulf oil and otherwise cause turmoil in the energy market. Most analysts assume, therefore, that an encounter will produce a global oil shortage and prices well over $200 per barrel. It is not surprising, then, that every threat by Bush/Cheney has triggered a sharp rise in prices.

This is where speculators enter the picture. Believing that a U.S.-Iranian clash is at least 50 percent likely, some investors are buying futures in oil at $140, $150 or more per barrel, thinking they'll make a killing if there's an attack and prices zoom over $200. It follows, then, that while the hike in prices is due largely to ever increasing demand chasing insufficiently expanding supply, the Bush Administration's energy policies have greatly intensified the problem. By seeking to preserve our oil-based energy system at any cost, and by adding to the "fear factor" in international speculation through its bungled invasion of Iraq and bellicose statements on Iran, it has made a bad problem much worse.

What can be done to reverse this predicament? There is no realistic hope of substantially increasing the supply of oil — drilling in offshore US waters, as favored by President Bush and Senator John McCain, will not reverse the long-term decline in U.S. production — so it is only by reducing demand that fundamental market forces can be addressed. This is best done through a comprehensive program of energy conservation, expanding public transit and accelerating development of energy alternatives.

It will take time for some of these efforts to have an impact on prices; others, like reducing speed limits and adding bus routes, would have a more rapid effect. And if this Administration truly wanted to spare Americans further pain at the pump, there is one thing it could do that would have an immediate effect: declare that military force is not an acceptable option in the struggle with Iran. Such a declaration would take the wind out of the sails of speculators and set the course for a drop in prices."

Green Thursday: The Big (Green) Gig

It's opening day at Summerfest, the World's Greatest Music Festival along Lake Michigan. They're actively trying to do their part in being environmentally conscious. Steps are being taken each day to raise awareness and to encourage “green behavior” among their patrons, plus a committment to "Practice what we preach."

Some of the initiatives already taken at the Big Gig include:
A new energy-efficient North Gate LED sign

Occupancy sensors in the restrooms of the Administration Building

Showerheads and sink aerators in the Marcus Amphitheater showers, and new water heaters in the Marcus Amphitheater

As reported by the City of Milwaukee, they recycled five times the amount of plastic in 2007 than in 2006. Please dispose of plastic bottles and cups in the recycle bins located throughout the grounds.

Eco-Crete™ misting tent sample project - Eco-Crete™ pervious concrete, a 100% permeable surface, allows 4" of rain through per minute!

MMSD/Milorganite Summerfest Planting Day 2008 was Thursday, May 22, from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. This annual event brought together dedicated volunteers and local students to plant over 60,000 annual flowers in 65 different varieties on the Summerfest Grounds in just four hours.

10,000 family fun bags used on Children’s Fest Day are made of low density 2.5 mil fold-over die cut containing up to 40% post-consumer and post-industrial recycled content and up to 20% non-petroleum based calcium filler. This reduces the use of petroleum based resins by as much as 60%.

As part of the newly-renovated Harley-Davidson Roadhouse project, several recycled materials will be used from demolition including concrete, steel, asphalt and copper. Other environmentally-friendly features will include reclaimed landscaping pavers and waterless urinals. Over 82% of the structural steel used in the renovation is recycled content, and Hunzinger through Waste Management and City Wide Recycling has recycled over 17 tons of general construction and material waste. Over 400 tons of recycled asphalt has been made. To date, over 1,100 tons of the materials used for the Harley-Davidson Roadhouse have been recycled, totaling 83% of the project recycled by weight.

Some of Summerfest’s “Green Partners” include:

Johnson Controls

Sunday, June 29 is Johnson Controls Goes Green at Summerfest Day

The first 1,500 patrons presenting a receipt along with identifiable product packaging of a multi-pack Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb (CFL) will be granted one (1) FREE admission ticket.

Anyone driving a Hybrid vehicle to Summerfest Thursday, June 26 through Sunday, June 29 can park for FREE in the Johnson Controls downtown parking lot, located at 630 E. Buffalo Street on a first-come, first-served basis. 25 parking spots will be available.

Focus on Energy – Children’s Fest Day - June 30, 2008

Visit The Energy Experience, sponsored by Focus on Energy. With an information booth, hand crank displays with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs, solar car races and other activities and giveaways, this will be a great place for kids to learn the importance of greening efforts. Located in the Children’s Theater and PlayZone.

Discovery World

Go Green with Discovery World! Stop by and learn new ways to be friends with the world. Located in the Target Kids Activity Tent in the Children’s Theater and PlayZone.

Kohler Co.

With the help of Kohler Co., we have been testing waterless urinals in several bathrooms throughout the grounds. Kohler cartridge-free waterless urinals can conserve 40,000 gallons of water per year.

Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

New in 2008, MMSD partnered with Summerfest as the sponsor of Planting Day. In addition to being the sponsor of Planting Day, an in-kind donation of Milorganite product will be used in the festival grounds planter beds.

Parking in the Summerfest bicycle park at the Mid-Gate is free at all times. Patrons are required to secure their bicycles at all times.

Click HERE for bike routes to Summerfest

Click HERE to download the PDF of the Focus On Energy Brochure that will be distributed on Children's Fest Day, Monday June 30.

Every Green Thursday we post items vital to the survival of the planet.

Poppy: In Memoriam

The Poppy (Papaver somniferum) is in bloom, and it's a spectacular flower.

Poppies have long been used as a symbol of both sleep and death: sleep because of the opium extracted from them (think "Poppies!" from "The Wizard of Oz,") and death because of their commonly blood-red color.

The poppy of wartime remembrance is the red corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas.) This poppy is a common weed in Europe and was one of the only plants that grew on the battlefield. It thrives in disturbed soil, which was abundant on the battlefield due to intensive shelling. During the few weeks the plant blossomed, the battlefield was coloured blood red, not just from the red flower that grew in great numbers but also from the actual blood of the dead soldiers that lay scattered and untended to on the otherwise barren battlegrounds. They were an inspiration to the poem, "In Flanders Fields"

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

This is why Veteran's groups sell paper poppies on November 11. It is truly a fitting remembrance.

A group in San Francisco is hoping to find a fitting memorial and legacy for our current leader:

"As we near the end of George W Bush’s presidency, we think it is important to select a fitting monument to this president’s work. On matters ranging from foreign relations to fiscal and environmental stewardship, no other president in American history has accomplished so much in such a short time.

To honor George W Bush for his eight years of honorable public service, the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco is sponsoring a ballot initiative this November.
It reads…

Should The City And County of San Francsico Rename The Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W Bush Sewage Plant?

We believe this is an appropriate honor for a truly unique president. If you think so too, join this grassroots movement to rename this important and iconic landmark in his honor."

Could we rename the deep tunnel after "W?"

Reigning in the Raspberries

It's time for the annual chore of raising the support fencing 'round the raspberries (Rubus strigosus.)

Job 1 is placing six 5' stakes around the perimeter of the patch, then placing two 7' stakes in the center of the patch.

Vinyl clothesline is strung round the outside at two levels to contain the long canes which will bear fruit later in the summer. The tall stakes will eventually act as tentpoles for cotton sheets to protect the fruit and plants from frost in the fall.

Here's a "fast forward to the past" shot of what we can expect in a few weeks.

Yum!

Raspberries of the Bronx Cheer variety to the Bush Administration.

Last Wednesday, President George W. Bush made an announcement about energy and called upon Congress to pass legislation lifting a ban on offshore oil drilling.

"With gasoline now over $4 a gallon, Congress needs to pass legislation lifting the congressional ban on safe, environmentally friendly offshore oil drilling."

Differences over energy policy has led to a political spat between Republicans and Democrats and emerged as a key issue in the presidential campaigns ahead of the November election.
Republicans have called for ending a ban on offshore drilling that has been in place since 1981, but Democrats have repeatedly rebuffed such attempts on environmental concerns.

In the race for the White House, Republican candidate John McCain supports ending the ban on offshore oil exploration and Democratic candidate Barack Obama opposes it.

What all the pundits on the Conservative Right fail to reveal about the "Drill Here, Drill Now" plan, is that we wouldn't see any new oil for 10, and possibly up to 20 years. Furthermore, it wouldn't reduce the price of oil, or gasolene. Why would the oil companies sell us the stuff any cheaper than the going price on the world market? Because they "love America?" Ha Ha Ha Ha!

What we need to do is get our energy sector to put all it's efforts into alternative fuels and get the oil monkey off our back. That doesn't sit too well with "W's" oil barron cronies, so don't hold your breath.

Honoring Terry Havel

Charmaine and I were in Sturgeon Bay, WI Thursday for an exciting event with the Wisconsin Broadcast Association Hall of Fame. Here's the scoop from the Racine Journal Times:

After more than 30 years as the founder and guiding voice of WBSD in Burlington,
Terry Havel is signing off at the end of the school year.WBSD (89.1 FM), is
Burlington High School’s radio station. Havel, one of the newest members of the
Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, is leaving the school at the
end of the month for Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.He will be
program director of Southeastern’s student radio station — KLSU — and is one of
four WBA Hall of Fame inductees this year.

Willie Davis, Jonathan Little and Mike McCormick are the others. Havel, 65, came to Wisconsin in 1965 from his hometown of Barrington, Ill. He taught speech and drama at what was then Salem Central High School (now Westosha Central) in western Kenosha County. He moved to Burlington in 1970. At BHS he also taught speech and drama. It was about two years later that broadcasting came to the school.“We started doing a 45-minute prerecorded program for broadcast in the lunchroom,” Havel said.“We went on a split shift — the upper classmen in the morning and lower classmen in the afternoon. We were asked to pipe in music. That lasted about two years and that was how student radio began in Burlington.”

WBSD-FM whose tagline is "Great Rock, Real Variety, 89 BSD" is a 300 Watt radio
station transmitting from the former Burlington High School (now Karcher Middle
School) with studios located in the new Burlington High School in Burlington,
Wisconsin.

The station broadcasts a "AAA" format and is on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week. WBSD also carries live play-by-play broadcasts of Burlington High School sporting events. It is owned by the Burlington School District from which its call sign is derived.

WBSD recently celebrated its 32nd anniversary under the direction of Terry Havel.
Havel was the founder of the station which was originally broadcast from a small
storage room in the former Burlington High School and limited to closed circut
within the school. Today, WBSD has a broadcast radius of approximately 25 miles
and can be heard worldwide via the internet.

Burlington High School has a number of Broadcasting classes that encourage students to study to gain the knowledge necessary to earn their FCC license and their first chance of being on
the air. These classes, along with skills gained through training at the radio station, allows students to develop the abilities necessary to become responsible for the day to day operations of WBSD.

I'm happy to say that I was one of several people who submitted letters to the WBA to induct Terry. Here's what I wrote:

To members of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association,

33 years ago, Terry Havel, as advisor, helped the radio club at Burlington High School plan a year of fund-raising and lobbying to make an educational FM station become a reality. Holding a part-time professional radio gig of his own, Terry also mentored us in the skills needed to make WBSD-fm a viable resource for the community. In the classroom as educator, Terry Havel taught broadcasting basics so the on-air product would be credible. Through the long after school and weekend hours, endless fund-raising dances with horrible local cover bands, and teen angst, Terry Havel was our friend. He never talked down to us, but encouraged us to do our best, and to his credit and honor, WBSD-fm continues as a model educational radio program today.

My own personal career path in radio was launched in those small studios cobbled out of extra janitor closets, and I can say with all honesty that I’d be doing something else today if it were not for Terry Havel (and it would probably be a job that’s not nearly as fun and exciting as broadcasting!)

Youth is the future of any vocation, and no one has nurtured it in broadcasting as much as Terry Havel.

No one is more deserving of induction into the WBA Foundation Hall of Fame, than advisor, mentor, educator, and my friend, Terry Havel.

Terry's program has turned out some prominent alumni:

Shad Brannen -- President of WIN TV, previously worked at WZEE 104.1 FM - Madison, WKTI 94.5 FM - Milwaukee, and WRKR 107.7 FM - Racine.

Dave Dickinson (AKA John Perry) -- Program Director for WIIL 95.1 FM - Kenosha.

Ted Ehlen -- Station Manager WZRK 1550 AM - Lake Geneva and on-air at WLKG 96.1 FM - Lake Geneva.

Duco Hasert -- On- air at WIIL 95.1 FM - Kenosha.

Erik Hellum -- General Manager KMVP 860 AM, KPKX 98.7 FM, KTAR 620 AM & 92.3 FM - Phoenix, AZ.

Brian Ingwell -- President of On The Go Audio, Milwaukee and Sound Engineer for Shank Hall in Milwaukee.

Kelly Kahl -- Senior Executive Vice President of Programming Operations, CBS Television, Los Angeles, CA.

Jeff Kerkman -- President of Adfiniti Advertising, Holmen, WI.

Tom Kief -- Morning Show Host, WIIL 95.1 FM - Kenosha.

Aaron Klug (AKA Aaron Roberts) -- Program Director WIOT 104.7FM - Toledo, OH.

Jim "Lips" LaBelle -- Afternoon Host, WKTI 94.5 FM - Milwaukee.

Jeremy Kuzniar (AKA Jerry Kaye) -- Production Director WMMM 105.5 FM - Madison.

Kelly McCahill -- Network Station Operations Manager for Relevant Radio, Milwaukee.

Ken Neuman -- Former Program Director WLUM 102.1 FM - Milwaukee.
Chris Weis -- TV Sales, Viacom

Congratulations Terry Havel! I wouldn't be where I am today without you.

Peony from Penny

A year or two ago, neighbor Penny begged us to take this beautiful Peony (Paeonia officinalis) off her hands.

It has become a beautiful part of our LipsYard Perennial bed,

and a nice companion for our existing white Peony. In some societies, a chain of beads cut from the dried root is worn as a protection against illness and injury, and to cure insanity.

Too bad our President hasn't been wearing one of those, because it seems the insanity thing has been with him for a while. Take the administration's policy on torture for example.

For years now, the Bush White House has claimed that the United States does not conduct torture. Prisoner abuse at places like Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, it has asserted, was an aberration- the work of a few "bad apples" on the night shift. When the CIA used "enhanced" interrogation techniques such as waterboarding (simulated drowning,) the abuse, according to Bush officials, did not add up to torture.

But as more and more documents from inside the Bush government come to light, it is increasingly clear that the administration sought from early on to implement interrogation techniques whose basis was torture. Soon after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Pentagon and the CIA began an orchestrated effort to tap expertise from the military's Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape school, for use in the interrogation of terrorist suspects.

The U.S. military's SERE training is designed to inoculate elite soldiers, sailors and airmen to torture, in the event of their capture, by an enemy that would violate the Geneva Conventions. Those service members are subjected to forced nudity, stress positions, hooding, slapping, sleep deprivation, sexual humiliation and, yes, in some cases, waterboarding.

SERE training has nothing to do with effective interrogation, according to military experts. Trained interrogators don't work in the program. Skilled, experienced interrogators, in fact, say that only a fool would think that the training could somehow be reverse-engineered into effective interrogation techniques. But that's exactly what the Bush government sought to do. As the plan rolled forward, military and law enforcement officials consistently sent up red flags that the SERE-based interrogation program wasn't just wrongheaded, it was probably illegal.

Yesterday, the Senate Armed Services Committee conducted a hearing on the evolution of abusive interrogations under the Bush administration. Through a series of memos and documents released by the committee, some old and some new, the following timeline has now been established. Committee chairman Carl Levin, the senior Democrat from Michigan, discussed this timeline at length in his opening statement.

See the Bush torture policy timeline for yourself HERE.

"How Can I Help? Flood Relief

Today 94.5 WKTI teams up with Today's TMJ4 and 620WTMJ to help those in our area affected by the flooding. 30 counties in Wisconsin have seen damage from the dramatic rains. From Noon to 6:30pm today (Tuesday,) we'll be hosting the "How Can I Help?" telethon to solicit donations. The Salvation Army will facilitate the effort, providing food, water, clean-up kits, and other assistance as needed. Cash is what is needed most, but volunteers are also welcome.

To make a donation call 414 967 5417
or
Toll Free 888 363-0023

Donate online HERE and enter "Wisconsin Flood Relief" in the 'specific use' field.

As a thank you in advance, I've posted a bit of video voyeurism:

Check out this footage of that incredible breach of the levee that held back Lake Delton in Wisconsin Dells. This is a view from further downstream and it's incredible!

A Rose By Any Other Name

The shrub roses (Rosa Meldomonac) out front in the LipsYard are just spectacular this year.

They will bloom continuously all summer.

Beware the thorns beneath the beauty. Our President, George W. Bush, on his European vacation, is now trying to put a better bloom on his legacy. Imagine, he now feels that by using the phrases "bring them on" and "dead or alive" about the US-led invasion of Iraq had given the impression he was "not a man of peace." Ya'll Think?

Allium

The Allium (Allium X'Globemaster' )have sprung up in the LipsYard Garden! They're a giant Onion.

These beautiful perennials have a bulb underground, that produce stalks up to 4 feet high, and these big purple puffball flowers. They grow in full sun in sandy, well-drained soil.

Also popping up, is yet another (this makes three) Supreme Court ruling rebuking the Bush Administration for its handling (trampling) of the rights of terrorism detainees held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, saying those in custody there have a constitutional right to challenge their captivity in federal courts.

I'm not saying release all the prisoners, but let's at least start sorting out the bad guys from the rest who were swept up in our "War on Terror." This is yet another step in healing the tattered world image of the United States.

Green Thursday: Your water footprint

Here I am, working to reduce my Carbon Footprint, when along comes this article about your Water Footprint. I've excerpted some key portions.

Everything You Know About Water Conservation Is Wrong
Forget short showers. Worry about the 6,340 gallons of "virtual water" in your leather bag.
by Thomas M. Kostigen

I’ve been mindful of the amount of water I use when making a pot of coffee ever since learning that one-third of the tap water used for drinking in North America is actually used to brew our daily cups of joe—and that if each of us avoided wasting just one cupful of coffee a day, we could save enough water over the course of a year to provide two gallons to every one of the more than 1.1 billion people who don’t have access to freshwater at all.

That is a stark statistic, when as many as 5 million people die unnecessarily each year because of lack of water and water-related illnesses; one-third are under age 5.

So for me that excess cold coffee at the bottom of the pot became a bothersome reminder. But I had never thought beyond that—about how much water it takes to actually grow the coffee. That amount is called virtual water (pdf), and it’s the kind of thing you don’t really consider until someone brings it to your attention: “Do you know how much water it took to make this?” Virtual water is a calculation of the water needed for the production of any product from start to finish.

Here’s how it is figured: It takes about 155 gallons of water on average to grow a pound of wheat. So the virtual water of this pound of wheat is 155 gallons. For a pound of meat, the virtual water is 5 to 10 times higher. There’s a virtual water count for everything. The virtual water footprint of a cup of coffee is 37 gallons; an apple, 19 gallons; a banana, 27; a slice of bread, 10; a sheet of paper, 3; and a pair of leather shoes, 4,400.

We are in an encroaching global water crisis. The world needs to increase its water supply for irrigation by 14 to 17 percent by 2030 just to meet its dietary needs. Virtual water is where major savings can accrue.

Right now we lose 30 to 50 percent of the food we grow—and all the virtual water in it—by the time it is ready for consumption. These losses come in harvesting, production, processing, transportation, and storage. Tossing out leftovers wastes every drop of water it took to grow the food (and think of all the times you don’t ask for a doggie bag). Indeed, the third most common refuse found in landfills is food. Sure, a few liters of water are saved when you take a shorter shower, but hundreds of liters of water are lost when you throw away food.

We use freshwater mostly for agriculture, not for drinking or bathing. Today agriculture accounts for about 70 percent of all water use in the world and up to 95 percent in several developing countries. So it makes sense to first start looking at savings via food production. And when I say savings, I mean efficiencies and better water management, not necessarily avoiding particular food groups altogether—although that isn’t such a bad idea once in a while either. Meat requires 5 to 10 times more water to produce than vegetables do. Swap the two in your diet and you will save up to 750 gallons of water a day.

It’s time to ask how we can make better use of our water supplies so that virtual water doesn’t remain the ethereal concept its name suggests. It can be a far bigger source of real-world savings. For my part, I now note waste in different forms. I try to plan or order meals more accurately so I don’t have leftovers, and I try to eat lower down the food chain. In short, I try to do what my mother told me as a child—“Eat your vegetables”—because I now know what went into making them: a lot of water.
Our Very Wet Footprint

The average person on earth has a virtual water footprint of about 328,410 gallons each year; that includes everything used to make the food, clothing, and other water-driven products we consume. In China the average footprint is only 185,412 gallons, while in the United States it is 656,012—the largest on the planet. You can measure your water footprint using a questionnaire at Waterfootprint.org.

There are 10,460 cubic miles of freshwater available on the planet as a resource each year, and the breakdown of worldwide access to it just isn’t equal. But understanding who has the good stuff and who is in need can allow us to maximize commerce in virtual water, helping balance things out.

Every Green Thursday we post items vital to the happy survival of Mother Earth.

Water, Water, Everywhere (Maybe)

Phantom Lake Dam Could Fail
Associated Press/Lauren Leamanczyk
MUKWONAGO - There are major concerns about the dam at Phantom Lake in Mukwonago. It could give way at any time, threatening everything down stream. “We're maintaining a monitoring plan to watch the integrity of the dam. It could be slightly weakened," said a DNR water engineer.

The dam became obstructed Tuesday morning when bog vegetation blocked it, causing water to pour around until it finally cleared. That created concern about whether the dam was structurally sound.

David Allen videotaped the bog getting lodged under the bridge. “The water was going around the dam because the bog was plugging up the top of it," he told TODAYS TMJ4 reporter Lauren Leamanczyk.

Charmaine and I did the only thing we could: Park as close to the pending disaster and hike in for a look-see. We were not alone. If I had an ice cream truck I could have made a killing.

Allen lives on Lower Phantom Lake. If the dam were to break, it's likely that lake would be emptied. “It’s a concern. That’s a lot of water to come out of this dam," he said.

Upper Phantom Lake feeds into Lower, so there is concern that both could drain. Within 100 feet of the dam is the power substation that feeds the Village of Mukwonago. As I understand it, if the the dam goes, so does our power. That's handy, sort of a disaster alarm clock, because we won't be able to stay and watch it like the TV crews. My guess is they're hoping for some incredible shot like the houses going into Lake Delton (which has aired a bazillion times so far, reminiscent of the 'Big Blue' crane disaster footage overload.)

We're a big deal to the Milwaukee media, as live trucks from Channels 4, 6, and 12 send pictures of the Dam back to the city. Not to be left out, Channel 58 pulled up as we were leaving.

Officials warned residents in Big Bend, the Town of Vernon, Tichigan and Waterford to watch for water problems.But Mukwonago Village Clerk Steve Braatz said that even if the dam fails, water would flow into the Fox River and no homes would be in harm's way.

Lauren told us that several 'locals' who knew 'someone' in Village government said "a break in the dam is going to happen." Our neighbor Dick, who is friends with our other neighbor, Arnie, who is a Village Board member, told us that "Arnie says it'll hold." I'm reminded of the scene from "Jaws" where the local mayor encourages tourists to "Go back into the water, it's safe. Really!"

Tuesday night state troopers were stationed at many area roads and highways. Highway 83 was blocked because if the dam breaks, the water would probably rise over the top of that road. Flood waters may also cover a portion of Interstate 43. By Wednesday morning, the water behind the dam had dropped about an inch, but officials were still on the scene inspecting the dam every 15 minutes.

Shoot, the water's receding! As soon as we're out of the woods, we'll be abandoned by the TV crews, as they search for the next great disaster video.

"When news breaks, we fix it!"

Irises springing up

After a fun "Guest Plant Week, we're back to the residents in the LipsYard. Out front we find the Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica) springing up to dazzle us.

The color is very intense with the purple flowers on the dark green shafts.

Our clump of Irises reminds me of the clump of faux pas springing from John McCain, the presumptive Republican Presidential candidate. Here's the latest:

John McCain: "Sen. Obama says that I'm running for a Bush's third terms. It seems to me he's running for Jimmy Carter's second. (LAUGHTER) "

Let's look at the latest poll (2007)
President Jimmy Carter Approve: 57 Disapprove: 34
George W. Bush Approve: 41 Disapprove: 59
Carter, in fact, is more popular than Bush Sr. or Bill Clinton. And that was a year ago, with a much more "popular" Bush than today. Now, he's mired in the 20s.

And what is with McCain and always looking back to the last century?

Stirring up the water

Have aliens landed in the LipsYard? In the birdbath???

Nope, it's the Water Wiggler.

A battery powered (2 D cells) motor turns a rotor in the water to create ripples.

1. to discourage mosquitos (Aedes albopictus)

2 to attract birds.

This reviewer from Amazon.com gave it 4 out of 5 stars:
I have owned this little unit for over a year and it works great. Why? It is hard for birds to judge the depth of the water when it is not moving so they may pass over your bath thinking that it is too deep. (this may sound silly to us, but it is true). I get 2-3 times more birdbath activity now. You still have to clean your water and I remove the Wiggler before winter. The batteries last many months. Honestly, the price is a little steep for what it is, but it is worth it for what it does - attracts more birds. It should last many seasons with proper care.

The jury is still out at our house, but we're keeping a watchful eye on the birdbath.

Perhaps "Wiggling the water" would be a do-able task for Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne (pictured above with our Commander in Chief) and Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley, since they didn't fare very well in charge of the our nations nuclear arsenol for the Air Force and were forced to resign last week.

Guest Plant Week: Korean Lilac

We wrap up Guest Plant Week with another stop in Dick's yard to the North. This fine specimen is a Korean Lilac (Syringa meyeri 'Palibin'.) This unique lilac is very useful for small gardens. The plant forms a compact, rounded mound of dense branches to 5' tall and wider. The small panicles of light pink, fragrant flowers are abundantly presented all along the stems. It is a satisfying plant that remains in scale in contemporary gardens. The plant is often grafted to a standard to form a somewhat awkward small tree.

As a bonus, mama Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)is setting on a nest in the small tree. Can you find her?

Next week we'll return to some more plants in the LipsYard.