Landscape Design and Saving Water on Two Sides of the Same Street

There are miles of turf used in landscaping along streets in the Coachella Valley. Sometimes I think I am in Kentucky, or Virginia, or Pennsylvania--anywhere but the desert. Occasionally there is a street where the contrast between what used to be customary (and many of us brought to the valley from the places we used to live a customary idea of beauty) and what is beginning to be recognized not only as suitable, but 'beautiful' as well, stands out in marked contrast. It is as if we have learned to see the beauty around us. And as a result, we promote it. This unnamed street in Rancho Mirage is one such street.

Turf

Turf

Waterwise

Waterwise

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Water Footprint? What could that be?

What is a Water Footprint?

There are a lot of conversations on how we as Americans can reduce our carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is, according to the UK Carbon Trust, "the total set of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event or product." A water footprint on the other hand is the “virtual” water needed to “grow, raise, or manufacture something.” Thomas M. Kostigen, author of The Green Blue Book: The Simple Water Savings Guide to Everything in Your Life writes about how much hidden water there is in everything we consume. He created an online calculator to help us understand how much water it really takes to brew that cup of coffee you drank this morning as well as many other everyday products.

Click here to access Kostigen’s water footprint calculator.
Posted by Moderator at 1:29 PM

1 comment:

  1. Mike GarveyMay 20, 2010 at 12:13 PM

    i think that this is a very interesting approach in understanding just how much water is used for everyday products.

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