Little changes really DO make a big difference: Farewell and keep the green movement going

With “green” cemented as this year’s buzz word I am confident that Americans are growing to be more aware of the environment and what we are doing to it. The past 12 weeks or so have given me a unique opportunity to be curious and explore various green technologies, government strategies to be more environmentally friendly and re-evaluate the way I choose to live my own life. Although I have not yet received any comments on this blog from outside readers, I am confident that it was well worth the effort. At the very least I have learned about myself and how I can lead a more environmentally friendly and sustainable life. My family and friends have also been influenced by my experience.

Whenever I see one of my friends of family members toss a recyclable in the trash…it sparks a conversation. I throw facts and figures at them about how long it takes that particular item to decompose in a landfill. Although I’ve had the privilege of spending an entire semester getting closer to our earth…I still feel like there is a wealth of information I have not yet been exposed to. I cant help but think about the rest of our population. It is crucial that we as a nation take notice of what we are doing to our environment and make changes in our everyday lives to live more sustainably.

I’d like to think that each and everyone of us can make a difference, but deep down I still don’t think the individual is that powerful. Of course, when we take those extra steps to be more environmentally friendly, we will also become more aware of our environment. But, alone those little things really just make a small, maybe even miniscule, dent in the problem. However, the individual changes help educate people about the issues at hand and together we, as a society, can call more attention to the issues and really make a big impact. The plastic water bottle you recycle is not going to change the world, the conversations you have attempting to educate others about recycling and the environment as a whole will foster education and will move us forward.

The first day of the semester when fellow catscanners were choosing their blog topics I began to think about how the class will actually help make a difference. Several blogs aimed to investigate organic foods and green travel…I couldn’t grasp how these mini-changes would really have an influence. After reading countless articles and educating myself about the issues I slowly began to grasp the importance of these mini changes. They facilitate the bigger changes and are the catalyst for big change.

I am excited to see what happens in the future and thank my readers for their interest and hope they go on to make small changes, have those conversations and be a part of the larger movement towards a more sustainable nation and healthier world. Hopefully I will be able to continue blogging in the future…maybe not every week…but I will definitely try to keep up with it if only for myself.

And, if this entire blog is not enough to convince you that doing something good for the environment is the right thing to do and well worth the effort...mabe these cute cuddly animals will change your mind.

Sweetwater Wetlands...not so sweet

TUCSON, Ariz. – Driving from Phoenix to Tucson is not the most pleasant or serene drive and the smell of sewage that fills your car once you hit Prince Rd. lets you know you’ve arrived in Tucson.


trust me it stunk!

This past weekend I found where that awful smell originates; the Sweetwater Wetland. Located between the I-10 and the Santa Cruz River just north of Prince Rd, the wetlands actually serve an environmental function. The Roger Road Wastewater Treatment Plant down the street feeds the wetlands its secondary effluent which includes shower and sink water. At first glance you wouldn’t guess that the water in the relaxing ponds is actually effluent, it’s the change in the wind that wafts the awful smell back to your nose that gives it away. Aside form the occasional stinky moments, the facility is actually one of the city’s greenest ventures yet.







The wetlands primary function is to treat the secondary effluent and leftovers from the water treatment plant’s reclaimed water system. You might be wondering why the water treatment plant doesn’t take care of this problem. Well they do but the wetlands can do it in a more eco-friendly, and not to mention, more aesthetically pleasing manner.

The City of Tucson’s explains:

”As a water treatment facility, the wetlands are designed to be one of Tucson's most important facets of the City's Reclaimed Water System. Water treated at the wetlands filters through sediments beneath the recharged basins and replenishes the local aquifer. This reclaimed wastewater is recovered by extraction wells during periods of high water demand and is distributed for reuse throughout the City's golf courses, parks, schools and other large turf irrigations areas. Using this reclaimed water means that we can have a "greener" community without using our drinking water to keep the grass and other plants alive.”

The Wetlands also serve as a nice green retreat from the expansive brown desert landscape that surrounds Tucson. It is like an oasis in the middle of the desert, a stinky oasis…but an oasis. Tucsonans come to the Sweetwater Wetlands to walk along the gravel paths and look for wildlife. Bird watchers can often be found here. Animals use the wetlands as a retreat from the hot and arid desert surroundings.


Check it out: Desert oasis fills a need Sweetwater wetlands Tucson Audubon Society Tucson Water

You can do it too.

As editor for the CatScan, an online eco-magazine run by senior journalism students at the University of Arizona, I come across a lot of interesting story ideas. Last week I heard about an online carbon footprint calculator. Some of the reporters plan to use the calculator to measure their footprints for an upcoming story and semi-experiment. I decided to see what my carbon footprint was like.

After entering the Web site I found the calculator hiding at the bottom of the page. With a few clicks and drop down menus I quickly determined my 'secondary' carbon footprint in less than 8 minutes. 5.528 tonnes. First of all, I dont know what a "tonne" is. Secondly, what am I supossed to do with that? Well, the Web site provides a link at the bottom of the results page that give you ways to reduce your carbon footprint based on your responses to the questions above.

As a poor college student I can hardly afford to feed myself let alone spend a lot of money to offset my carbon output. Being that I couldn't really answer all of the questions related to the regular carbon footprint, I answered the secondary footprint questions. It would cost me $84.74 to the Clean Energy Fund to offset JUST my secondary footprint. Unfortunately that's a little pricey for me. And the prices only go up from there. I could pay $114.45 towards reforestation in Kenya or $192.12 towards tree planting in the UK.

Feeling more guilty by the click I decided to just try to buy locally grown foods with less packaging, reduce the amount of driving and focus on encouraging others to do the same. That way I can maintain my routine without sending money halfway around the world. Maybe I'll plant my own tree.

Check it out!




The UK seems to be doing a lot to encourage its residents to reduce their carbon footprints.

EnviroSwim sinks with local government

As the summer months rapidly approach, Tucson, Ariz., is already feeling the heat. With the temperatures in the high 80’s I find myself coming up with excuses to study next to the pool. During this time of year I frequent the pool at the University of Arizona Recreation Center. But recently after a refreshing dip in the pool I noticed my skin began to itch. The strong chemicals used to clean the pool actually affected my skin. Well, I found a company trying to make its mark in Ariz., taking away the sting of harmful chemicals one pool at a time.

EnviroSwim is a company that uses alternative cleaning methods for pools. I know what you’re thinking, alternative cleaning methods…? Well, after talking with Kirs Newkirk one of the EnviroSwim owners working to bring the product to the US I learned more about how ‘alternative cleaning’ really works.

The product uses Copper and Silver to ionize the water, killing bacteria faster and more effectively than chlorine and chemicals. So, after a long conversation with Kris about the system and attempting to decipher a lot of technical jargon about ionization and electrodes, I gave up. Kris told me about government run facilities in Australia that use the system but also said that Maricopa County here in Arizona won’t use the system despite it being safer and cheaper than its chlorine alternative.

Apparently Maricopa County has laws regulating the amount of chlorine is used in public pools. After looking into it myself, the laws seem to talk only about Ph levels in the pool. So, why isn't Maricopa County jumping on board. The benefits seem to be pretty great:

• Reduces pump running times - some of our customers have reported a 50% saving in power consumption.
• Increases life of plant and equipment.
• Highlights water consumption and determine actual leakage.
• Reduces chlorine odour and corrosion indoor pools especially.
• Reduces the consumption of Chlorine and pH controlling chemicals whilst still maintaining Health Department guidelines.
• Highlights inefficient heaters, pumps etc and advise on most cost effective remedy (High cost centre)
• Eliminates the use of Aluminium sulphate and Stabiliser
• Improves water quality
• Improves safety for swimmers and staff.

Kris told me that the system pays for itself within the first two years. EnviroSwim is planning on opening offices in Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas and other cities in the Southwest. It is likely that this green technology will be heading our way soon, even if it isn't at our public pools.