It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas…Or Is It?

By Jennifer Wemhoff, Program Manager

Christmas is less than two weeks away.  All around our hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska you can see signs of the season – lights on houses, trees for sale, Salvation Army bell ringers, crowded stores.  The one thing missing is winter-like weather.  The extended forecast doesn’t have a high temperature below freezing, and there’s no snow in sight.  I doubt we’ll have a white Christmas, yet again. A couple Sundays ago I headed out to do some Christmas shopping…and I wore flip flops!

 

I admit, winter isn’t my favorite season.  I don’t love snow, but after the dry summer, bring it on.  Unfortunately, NOAA is predicting drier than average conditions for a good portion of the U.S.

 

 

I was looking back through posts to the Groundwater Blog from 2012 today, and the overall theme for the year was water conservation.  Posts like All I Want for Christmas is Precipitation!; Let's Be Honest Here; That's Your Excuse. Really?; My Water Conservation Challenge; Not About How Much You Use; Hot, Hot, Hot; Order of the Day: Conservation; and Use Your Time Wisely all preached about the importance of water conservation, particularly in light of the drought that continues to plague the U.S.

 

 

Future Christmases could also be impacted by the drought – from Chicago to Wisconsin, Iowa to Illinois, Tennessee and more – there could be a tree shortage in a few years due to the loss of newly planted trees.

In the mean time, let’s hope Santa brings some snow with him from the North Pole this year.

From all of us at The Groundwater Foundation, we wish you many blessings this holiday season and in the New Year ahead.  Cheers to groundwater!

 

 

 

TEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD SUPPORT THE GROUNDWATER FOUNDATION

By Jay Beaumont, Groundwater Foundation Board Member

TEN                  It cost 40 times more to clean up pollution than it cost to keep the water clean in the first place.

 

NINE                 What is an aquifer anyway?

 

EIGHT              Groundwater is the bottom half of the water cycle.

 

SEVEN              If it weren’t for groundwater, fracking wouldn’t be an issue.

 

SIX                   Can you spell Cryptosporidium?

 

FIVE                 Over half of the people in the US drink groundwater.

 

FOUR                Nitrates cause Blue Baby Syndrome.

 

THREE              Awesome Aquifers is a Science Olympiad event.

 

TWO                 No, most Groundwater doesn’t move in underground rivers.

 

ONE                  Its water!  You drink it!

 

Please join us as we educate people and inspire action to ensure sustainable, clean groundwater for future generations.  Donate now!

 

All I Want for Christmas is Precipitation!

When the sun is scorching and lawns are more brown then they are green, drought is a common topic of conversation. The seasons have change and one would think the topic of drought would taper off along with the scorching heat. However drought is still very much on our minds.

Looking at the state of the climate, drought is very apparent!

Will we have a wet Christmas? Experts say, no relief insight!

When it comes to drought, conservation of our water resources is even more important. What conservation measures have you taken that go beyond the more traditional measures such as lawn water restrictions or turning off the water when you brush your teeth?

Need some other water conservation ideas? Read this.

Written by Jamie Kelley, Program Manager, The Groundwater Foundation

Strategic Planning: What Lies Ahead?

By Cindy Kreifels

Strategic planning – one of those things it’s always hard to find time for – we know it is important and yet it always seems easier to put it off than to move forward on it.  As we prepare to meet with The Groundwater Foundation Board of Directors this week to take on this exact task or at least the beginning of it, one steps back and really thinks about what it is we do and why.  That has been an interesting thought process – one that has me thinking about:

·         Where do we want to see The Groundwater Foundation in five years?

·         What headline would we most/least like to see about The Groundwater Foundation?

·         What list would we like to see The Groundwater Foundation at the top?

·         What is the biggest gap between what The Groundwater Foundation claims to be and what it actually is?

 These questions are being asked of both staff and Board members.  How would you answer these questions about The Groundwater Foundation?  About your organization?  About your Groundwater Guardian team?  About your Green Site?

 Share your thoughts with us as we move through this process of strategic planning as the more information we have the better the process will be.

Election Day Survey

By Brian Reetz, Program Coordinator

Since it is Election Day, I thought I would give everyone an update on a survey that was recently conducted in Gothenburg. Nope, it’s not about the Presidential Election or about the Senate race, but about groundwater.

The Environmental Science Class at Gothenburg High School, taught by Maggie Tiller, conducted the survey at their school in late October. After students filled out the forms, they were rewarded with Let’s Keep It Clean pencils and bookmarks to remind them about ways to protect and conserve groundwater. Additional students also receive bigger rewards in the forms of a rain gauge or shower timer.

You can take the survey yourself by going here: http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e32gujk5gf8lxrxe/a02195h9782nq9/questions

Now that you’ve taken the survey, here are some of the results from the nearly 100 students that took the survey in Gothenburg.

·         83 percent of the students said that clean drinking water was important to them.

·         79 percent of students said that clean groundwater was important to them.

·         52 percent of the students didn’t know where they get their drinking water from (private well, community well) each day.

·         45 percent of the students said they were not informed about groundwater issues in their area.

·         40 percent said that they use groundwater every day.

We will be working with the class throughout the year to help inform the student body about groundwater. It should be a fun, educational year at the home of the Swedes.

Grab Some Popcorn

by Jennifer Wemhoff, The Groundwater Foundation

The Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition wrapped up this week in Los Angeles.  Groundwater Foundation President Jane Griffin served as a judge for the competition, sponsored by Rain Bird, which recognized a variety of filmmakers and their work promoting the value of water and water conservation.

 

Grab some popcorn and check out these winning short films:

 

Jury Award Winner: Isla Urbana

 

 

 

 

Audience Choice Award Winner: The Wash

 

 

Visit the contest's home page to see the other finalists' films: http://www.iuowfilm.com/.  

Sustainability Plan Includes Water Conservation

by Jane Griffin, Groundwater Foundation President

I was able to attend a Public Policy Forum the other evening. The topic was my home town’s (Lincoln, Nebraska) new sustainability targets. The City of Lincoln’s new “Sustainable Lincoln” plan, being put together by a citizen “blue ribbon” advisory committee, was the focal point of the discussion. Panelists included business and government representatives. Each spoke to their role in sustainability as a leader.  It was exciting for me to hear that water conservation is a top priority both for business leaders and government administrators. Energy also is a critical topic, and there are some lofty goals that have been set. But, given the efforts that the panelists highlighted, I believe we can do it. Collectively, we can meet the goals!

Does your town have a sustainability plan? Let us know what is happening in your hometown!

Water Conservation Challenge: UPDATE

In an August  blog, I wrote about my household water use. After learning my husband and I were using about 299 gallons of water each day I decided we would try to reduce our water use. After 60 days on our water saving plan, I am happy to report my husband and I were successful in reducing the amount of water we use.

Over the past two months we used 162 gallons per day, which would be about 81 gallons per person. We reduced our total water use in a 60 day period from 17,952 gallons to 9,724! That equals a total of 8,228 gallons saved!

While we are feeling pretty good about how much water we saved we still know there is more water conservation that can be done.

Here are some more water savings ideas for our home and yours!

Make Your Home Green

Make Your Landscape Green

Do you have more watering conservation tips? Post your water conservation practicies in our comment section.

DID YOU KNOW???

51% of the people living in the United States depend on groundwater for their drinking water needs.

This fun fact and others are included on our newest bookmark which reminds all of us that we need to help keep groundwater clean!  Each bookmark features a trivia question and a fun fact about groundwater.

Are you a teacher or environmental educator?  Then these bookmarks are for you!  They make a perfect tool to help students learn and understand just how important groundwater is and how they can be involved in protecting it. 

For this and many more cool educational tools, check out:  http://www.groundwater.org/sc/sc.html

                                               

Why I Believe Groundwater is the Right Choice!

You may have recently received a request to consider becoming a member of The Groundwater Foundation or to renew your membership if you have previously supported them.  Like everyone you probably receive several requests for membership this time of year and have to decide who you can support.  So as you contemplate where your limited support dollars go, let me share a few reasons why The Groundwater Foundation is a good, if not critical, choice.

The educational programs of The Groundwater Foundation inspire groundwater protection actions that will ensure:

·         Your two year old grandchild will have safe, clean water to drink.

·         Your dog, Fluffy, will have water to bathe and nourish her.

·         Your teenage child will be able to play in the local lake.

·         Your family will have food on the table that has been grown with groundwater.

For these reasons and many more, I make sure that The Groundwater Foundation is among the organizations that I support each and every year.  Make sure you do too!

Click here to join today and ensure sustainable, clean groundwater for today and for future generations.

Protect Your Groundwater Day & Water1der

 Protect Your Groundwater Day is coming up on Tuesday, Sept. 11. What are you and your community going to do to protect groundwater on that day and every day?

 

Here are some ideas from the National Ground Water Association...

http://www.ngwa.org/Media-Center/press/2012/Pages/2012-09-05-pygwd.aspx

 

And now that we have you thinking about this most precious resource, The Groundwater Foundation will soon be launching “Water1der”, a mobile groundwater awareness trivia game app, developed by SectorNow, which will be available free of charge from the Apple app store.

Through a fun educational game, players test their knowledge about groundwater, pollution prevention, conservation, irrigation, the water cycle, aquifers, recycling, water sheds, water use and wells. Players will “spin” a wheel on the app to determine the topic of the question. The formats vary from traditional ones, such as multiple choice, word scramble, matching and true/false to formats such as drag and drop, where players can move words to areas to label parts of the aquifer; moving, where players can select an item to be placed into the correct area; scrolling, where players can click their finger on the right answer as it moves across the screen; and timer, where players will touch the screen to stop a timer at the right number.

 

It’s coming soon. Follow Water1der on Facebook and you will be the first to know when it’s ready to be downloaded: https://www.facebook.com/Water1der

 

 

 

 

Let's Be Honest Here

By Brian Reetz, Program Coordinator

Water is sometimes a topic around the dinner table at my home and with the drought that we've been experiencing it has become a topic almost nightly. My daughter, Colbi, who is a senior at Lincoln Southeast High School, wrote this essay for her AP Literature Class.

            Let’s be honest here, usually national news or even local news doesn’t phase me beyond sports or the occasional major crime, but one thing that has gotten under my skin in the local news department is water. The water we drink, the water we use to water our lawns, the water we use to bathe: is being used up. Used up meaning close to 60 million gallons of water a day is being used. But, that’s about as much as we always have used in a day. So what’s the problem? The problem is we’re in a drought. One of the worst droughts in history and we’re still using the same amount of water we have been using in a day for a while.

            When mostly everyone’s lawns in the entire city have turned many shades of brown, a green lawn sticks out like a sore thumb. Since August 9^th, the Lincoln Police Department has been issuing warnings and now ticketing at every single offense they are brought light of, of a resident of Lincoln watering their lawn on a day that is not assigned to them. The city of Lincoln, Nebraska has major water restrictions that I can only applaud them for approving. Now, what gets under my skin are the offenders.

            The Platte River is drying up. I can see it with my own eyes every time I take a trip to Omaha. There are brown strips of dried up sand in the middle of the river that look like you could walk right across, the blue you see is in the minority. Yet, people in this city, a city that basically retrieves its water from the Platte, still do not believe that our water is on the verge of drying up completely if we don’t do something about it! These non-believers have been known to: water their lawns on days that aren’t assigned to them, or water 3x as much on days that are assigned to them. I am getting tired of hearing that so many people are getting ticketed and fined for pure stupidity and uniformity. If everyone knew just how much danger we are in at this time then I’m sure this mandatory water restriction would be receiving so many more benefits than just a few less gallons being used up.

            The offenders won’t be laughing anymore when they turn on their faucet to take a shower, or even press their cup against the water dispenser on the refrigerator and barely get a drip out of it. I hope I never have to see that day.

Also read this link from Lincoln's Public Safety Director that ties into what Colbi wrote about:

http://lpd304.blogspot.com/2012/08/explanations-abound.html

Green Team Lunch and Learn

by Jennifer Wemhoff, Program Manager

 

Yesterday I presented two "Lunch and Learn" sessions at Assurity Life Insurance in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Assurity's Green Team offers these sessions on a quarterly basis on various environmental topics.  As part of the Foundation's "Bridging the Gap" project, funded by the Nebraska Environmental Trust, I spoke to an engaged group of associates about groundwater and its importance, the need to conserve water in this time of drought, how Assurity is doing its part to be environmentally friendly, and how Assurity's efforts could be duplicated in their own homes.

 

I was blown away by the steps taken by Assurity in constructing their new facility.  They are in the process of applying for Gold Certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and they took extra steps to ensure the building is a pleasant place for their employees to work, such as ensuring over 90% of the interior spaces having a view of the exterior landscape.

 

Some of the unique sustainability features include:

• Water savings: The use of dual-flush toilets and low-flow faucets and showers add up to a 33 percent water use savings over the typical office building. 
• Stormwater collection: An abandoned public storm water pipe running along the east and northern edges of the property has been capped and used as a cistern to reclaim and reuse storm water for site irrigation purposes. Bioswales and a rain garden capture excess rain water to irrigate the site’s indigenous, sustainable landscaping. Reuse of large quantities of storm water runoff reduces heat island effects as well as impacts to downstream receiving waters.
• Landscape water use reduction: Alongside a reclaimed cistern, water for the facility’s landscape will be pulled from wells in the area instead of using public water for irrigation. Additionally, plants have been selected that are native or specifically adaptive to Lincoln’s climatic conditions, reducing reliance on additional water use while creating habitat within the city.
• Green roofs: Several of the building’s roof areas are green (living) roofs. Green roofs protect and increase the lifespan of the roof envelope by two to three times. They also reduce heating and cooling loads, mitigate the urban heat island effect, benefit storm water quality and reduce the quantity of runoff,
• Automated artificial lighting controls: The use of occupancy sensors and timed lighting reduces the impact on building energy consumption.
• Recycled content in materials: Over 20 percent of the materials of this building incorporate recycled content. This reduces the impacts resulting from extraction and processing of virgin materials.
• High-efficiency and low-emitting vehicles: Priority parking is given to users of highefficiency and low- emitting vehicles, providing a perk to building users who drive vehicles that are environmentally friendly. 

To learn more about the sustainability features of the Assurity Center and its lead certification, please visit http://www.assurity.com/AssurityCenter/Index.htm.

What environmental efforts are you taking at your worksite and/or home?

That's Your Excuse. Really?

Due to the extensive drought that has plagued a great portion of North America, the hometown of the Groundwater Foundation, Lincoln, Nebraska is under mandatory water restrictions.  But what is really needed is to change the mindset of people.  In general, people don’t really believe there will be a consequence if we do not limit our water use (“we won’t really run out of water”)  Or, they don’t see how not watering their little lawn will make a difference, or they expect someone else to limit their water use, or…the excuses go on and on.  Well, guess what, not recognizing the situation for what it is, and not being a part of the solution is unacceptable.

We all can use our water more wisely.  We can let our lawns go dormant a bit earlier than usual, we can and we must.  Let’s not sit around and hope for rain, or assume that sooner or later it will rain.  Let’s each make it our personal goal to do better.  

So, whether your community is suffering from the drought conditions or not, be part of the solution to ensure the resource is available today, tomorrow and for our future generations.  Make sure you are setting the example at home, at your workplace – it only takes one sparkplug to get the rest of the family or colleagues to rally. 

Water sustains life, water is a finite resource and to ensure its availability for future generations we must use it wisely. It is through individual actions that collectively we can make a difference.

For more water conservation tips, visit http://www.groundwater.org/howmuchamIdrinking.html.

My Water Conservation Challenge

by Jamie Kelley, Program Manager

You don’t have to look too hard these days to find an article about water. It seems every day there is a new article circulating that is related to water.

Most recently I have been hearing about the lack of water and the urge to conserve.

So am I doing my part? After reading and hearing and even talking about the need to conserve, have I used less water?

Our yard is covered with dry brown grass with a few spots of green. The grass doesn’t get watered much, if at all. Our planters once filled with luscious ferns and other flora, are empty, the dried out plants have since been removed. Only a few sturdy tall grasses, hostas, and succulents remain. It’s not pretty but I feel it is a sign we haven’t been wasting water. We have earned our “brown badge” as a co-worker referred to the brown state of once green lawns.

So should I get a gold star for my conservation?

Looking at our last water bill I find that we have used 24 units of water, that is 17,952 gallons (1 unit equals 748 gallons.) I am a person who pays attention to my water use, talks about conservation and I was shocked to learn, my household (which includes only my husband and myself) used on average 299 gallons of water per day in the last 60 days. That’s 149 gallons per person!

Can I do better?

Here is how I will improve my water conservation habits:

• I have a shower timer in my shower. When I first got it I used it quite frequently but not all the time. It was “fun” to see how much water I used in the shower. Now I will begin to use the timer for every shower. Did you know for each minute the shower runs I use 2 gallons of water? Reducing the length of my shower can save gallons.
• Loads of laundry, with just the two of us you would think laundry was a once a week chore but sadly I could do a load every day. I tend to get a little anxious as the laundry pile grows. But I will try to withhold the desire to have every article of clothing clean at any given moment and wait to fill up the washer with a full load. I can save 25-40 gallons of water per load.
• Watering our garden, my beloved plants…well really I was excited about growing sweet corn which has since been eaten and pulled. The broccoli didn’t do well. The peas are just some shriveled vines. (I apparently didn’t get my father’s green thumb.) But the thought of letting what is left, a few cherry tomato plants and some very overbearing squash plants, go without watering. Eeek, that will be the most difficult challenge for me. I pledge to only water the garden very early in the morning and only once a week. Our produce might not be so bountiful but our aquifer will be!
• Something else, which I haven’t yet done, is check for leaks. What if there was a little drip somewhere in my home. So what? Right? Actually, a leaky faucet or toilet can cause an extra 10,000 gallons of water to be wasted a year. I learned more about how to check for leaks here: http://www.epa.gov/watersense.pubs/fixleak.html. Now I will be on the hunt for those little drips!

Do you think my water savings will make a difference? If everyone does their part, small changes can add up and make a big impact. What other suggestions do you have for ways I can reduce my water use?

GO FOR THE GOLD!

What an exciting time of year—the 2012 Summer Olympics in London are in full swing!  If you are like me, you are drawn into the excitement of watching 10,960 athletes from 205 countries compete for the ultimate prize--a gold medal for their country.   Their preparation has been intense and has consumed not only the last four years but a major part of their lives.  It is an ongoing battle for them to stay diligent and focused on their prize.
Like the Olympic gold medal, groundwater is our precious prize that we need to protect and conserve everyday of our lives.  It’s the water we drink, it grows the food on our table and it nourishes our communities.   Individuals can do several things to protect and conserve groundwater: 

1)  Take short showers.

2)  Check for leaky faucets.

3)  Shut off water while brushing teeth.

4)  Dispose of chemicals properly.

5)  Limit the amount of fertilizer used on plants.

Get involved!  Join the team of individuals who are actively involved in their communities taking part in groundwater education and protection activities.  Visit www.groundwater.org  to check out opportunities to get involved and go for the gold—sustainable, clean groundwater for future generations!

Why Protect Groundwater?

This is a question that many people ask when I tell them what I do for a living.  Why protect groundwater?  It always amazes me that people don’t know or understand groundwater’s importance to both their lives and to their livelihood.  Of course as long as there are those who don’t know that may be job security for me.    

Right now as much of the country thirsts for water as is indicated on the National Drought Monitor, groundwater becomes even more vital.  I read in the local paper a couple of weeks ago a good representation as to why we need to protect groundwater.  I hope you agree.

So what are you doing to protect and conserve groundwater?  How can we make sure everyone knows not only why they need to protect groundwater, but also what they can do?

Not about how much you use

By Brian Reetz

This week I had the opportunity to get back on the road and travel to Western Nebraska. In my Growing Groundwater Awareness in Nebraska program, I am currently working with the community of Chappell. So while driving across the state, I was able to see and hear about different ways the drought is affecting the state. I could see it out of my hotel room window in North Platte, as a corn field had stunted growth in many different parts of the field. I was able to hear about it through talking with the Chappell Chamber as well as on many of the news stories that were aired on the radio.

As I returned home, I saw the way that my lawn looked. It’s no longer the green space that it was just a month ago. It is hanging in there but I know that it is the way that it will be.

We all need to do our part during this drought to make groundwater sustainable for future generations. It’s not always about how much water you use, but how to use it efficiently. Make sure that you are watering the proper amount for your lawn (it’s recommended to apply one and a half inches per week this time of the year, according to UNL Water) and water in the early morning (between 4-10 a.m.).

This way our lawns can continue to be a source of pride.

Hot, Hot, Hot

by Jennifer Wemhoff, Program Manager

It's hot.  The forecast calls for 103 in Lincoln, and we're in a heat advisory due to heat indices near 110.  I feel sorry for the guys shingling my neighbor's roof today.

However, the heat wave here is nothing compared to the heat and low humidity helping to fuel the wildfires in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.  There are at least 19 wildfires burning in the western U.S. today, with little relief in sight, and little containment of the raging flames.  

Conversely, parts of Florida are swimming in more than 20 inches of rain dropped by Tropical Storm Debby, resulting in flooding, high winds, and even tornadoes.

Disparity like this makes me think about the "haves" and "have nots" in terms of water supply.  They need the water to fight the fires in the west; they have more than they want or need in the southeast.  Parts of the world have an abundant, clean supply of water at their fingertips.  I'm fortunate enough to live in a place where I can turn on the tap and safe, drinkable water comes out.  Other parts don't have the water availability and/or infrastructure for this luxury.

I know I can't put out the fires or bring the necessary infrastructure to those that need it simply by conserving water, but I know my efforts certainly can't hurt.  As we enter the hot, dry summer months, we should all be cognizant of our water supplies, and be responsible in its use.  Even if water conservation isn't mandated or even encouraged, it's still a good idea to shut off the tap when you brush your teeth, check faucets and fixtures for leaks and have them repaired, skip watering our lawns or just water our lawns in the morning or evening rather than the middle of the day, reusing rainwater to irrigate plants, and being proactive in water conservation.

Get more water conservation tips here and here and here.

What are you doing in your homes this summer to help conserve water?  

Welcome Summer!

Summertime in my home is synonymous with backyard bar-b-ques!

Relax on the patio, heat up the grill, throw on some sweet corn and burgers, and invite over some friends. What can be better? At my house, a nice cool beverage, beer being the popular choice, also accompanies the feast!

Have you ever thought about your favorite beer and the water used to create it? Water is used in brewing beer and also plays a role in the unique taste of the local brew. I recently came across this article which explains more about this essential beer ingredient, water!

The next time I crack open a cool one, I’ll think about the importance of keeping our water resources clean and plentiful.

Let’s keep it clean!

Cheers to that!

Some other bar-b-que fun facts:

It takes 4,000+ gallons of water to produce a hamburger.
It takes over 100 gallons of water to grow an ear of corn.

Find out how much water it takes to produce one egg, an orange and other products here.

International Children's Groundwater Summit: Were You There?

In 1998, in celebration of its 10^th year of groundwater festivals, The Groundwater Foundation held a unique and most interesting event, the International Children’s Groundwater Summit.  Twenty-six children from around the world came to Grand Island, Nebraska to learn about groundwater.  The youth participated in hands-on education and made recommendations about groundwater and its relationship to global climate change, children’s health and wildlife.  The declaration these youth prepared as a part of their experiences is stated below.

But why you might ask am I writing about this now almost 14 years later?  Because last week while we were all going about our daily work here at the Foundation, one of the students who participated in the 1998 International Children’s Groundwater Summit contacted me and is very interested in locating the other youth who participated in the Summit.  She wrote:

“My name is Alaina and I was one of the attendees to the International Children's Groundwater Summit in 1998.  I have been trying for a number of years to locate those who were involved in that event as it and they impacted who I am today.  I wanted to inquire if anyone else has tried to contact you or your organization about the event.  I would also appreciate any information you could send me about the summit.  I wish I could go back to my 12-year-old self and let her know that the summit would be something to influence many of my life choices.  Maybe then I would have maintained contact with my fellow attendees.”

So if you participated in the 1998 Summit or know someone who did, please let us know as we would love to re-connect these youth who spent several days together and prepared a declaration that each of us should consider as we go about our daily routines.

International Children’s Groundwater Summit Declaration

WE the children representing the countries of the world, who have attended the 1998 International Children’s Groundwater Summit in Grand Island, Nebraska, from March 21-23, recalling the speakers, activities and the discussions on the environmental issues of all the countries of the world, considering the importance of groundwater and its importance to all people of all nations;

REQUEST that the people of the world all work together to solve the problems of groundwater, uniting as a community and not considering our differences; considering also that diseases are carried in contaminated water (surface and ground) and that children who have lower immune systems can drink the water and acquire health problems;

INVITE you all to take this issue into your heart and think about all the children that are suffering from water-related diseases; considering also that habitat for wild creatures is disappearing because of people’s needs for water and land;

REQUEST that the people of the world protect these wild places where wild animals and plants live, by making laws and by everyone respecting the laws and doing their part to keep water clean; considering also that the average global temperature is rising, this will result in the melting of polar ice caps that will cause sea levels to rise, resulting in flooding of low lying areas; considering further that increased global temperatures will also cause more frequent and severe droughts with less groundwater recharge affecting food production and water supply;

REQUEST that the people of the world recognize these issues and immediately take steps to reduce energy consumption and slow down the “greenhouse effect.”  By revolutionizing our prevention methods and power sources, we can prevent global warming and preserve this wonderful place we live in.

RECOMMEND that all the leaders of all the nations of all the world consider our recommendations and take them seriously as a major concern for the future of the world and its children.

See what is coming to NET Television

By Brian Reetz, Program Coordinator

One of our great partners in Nebraska is NET Television and Radio. Their coverage reaches across the entire state of Nebraska and promotes civic engagement and improves the quality of life in our state. We’ve been airing radio spots for quite some time and recently we completed a television spot that will begin airing soon. So be sure to tune in.

As one of our loyal followers, we are giving you a first glance at the new spot that encourages making groundwater sustainable for our future generations.