PRIME Minister John Howard has announced an extraordinary crisis summit with three states, including Victoria, to thrash out Australia's dramatically worsening water shortage.
Victoria has started Stage 2 water restrictions. This means:
- Manual watering systems can only be used between the hours of 6:00 am and 8:00 am and between the hours of 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm on alternate days*.
- Automatic watering systems can only be used between the hours of midnight and 4:00am on alternate days*.
- Hand-held hoses with a trigger nozzle, a bucket or watering can be used at any time to water gardens.
- Watering of lawns is banned.
* Alternate days means odd numbered houses can water on odd dates of the month and even numbered houses can water on even numbered dates.
What does this mean for us? Well, our poor LL's newly planted turf has practically turned brown from the lack of rain, as we're not watering it on a daily basis. And when we do, we're using grey (recycled) water to do it.
When it rains and gets really cold (as it did a couple of days ago), we're reminded to thank God because every bit of rainfall means a lot to the farmers in remote areas whose crops are suffering from the effects of the drought. This morning at Service, we were led in a special prayer for rain. Amongst other things, we prayed that politicians would make climate change and global warming political issues and that governments everywhere would lead the movement to get everyone to be good stewards of the resources God has put at our disposal. We also watched a primer of Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, which will be out this summer. I think AG has really grown into his role as a leading campaigner for the green movement (as compared to when he was VP). Can't wait to see the doc!
1 comment:
I see individuals very very concerned about the environment and so am I. I have started a podcast about Water and need some advice. I want it to be a place where folks can gather and "add" their piece of information about the precarious and fragile nature of the earth's water condition at the present time. We are all living like there will be no end and if we're not careful there will be an end in the sense that many times more than the 1+ billion people that don't have access to clean drinking water will be without as well. Please tell me if I'm stepping out of line by posting the URL to the podcast. I've read and understood the concern for the earth (water) on this blog and I would like to extend an invitation for participation in creating content for the podcast. Search the site first and you'll see that I don't have advertising and will not accept advertising as the site is Not for Profit and Educational in nature. If you are not inclined to contribute your audio thoughts to the podcast can you maybe direct me to individuals that possible will? Thanks again and if I've stepped out of line in posting this or in posting it here please let me know,
sincerely,
Joseph Puentes
clean(at)H2Opodcast.com
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Joseph Puentes
http://H2Opodcast.com (Environment Podcast)
http://NuestraFamiliaUnida.com (Latin American History)
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