Bay Area Launches Water Saving Hero Campaign
Thursday July 3, 2008
Residents living in EBMUD zone -- East Bay water district -- are under mandatory water rationing. The same restrictions don't yet hold true in the rest of the Bay Area. But owing to our bona fide California drought conditions, 11 Bay Area water agencies are uniting under one, water-conservation banner: The
You Can Be a Water Saving Hero campaign.
The goal of the campaign is to get people reducing their water usage by 19 percent, to offset projected water shortages and mandatory rationing.
If you haven't been conserving water, you'll be amazed at the paradigm shift that happens when you realize how many gallons spew out of that shower nozzle, how much water you can collect while waiting for the faucet to get hot, how much water it takes to hand-wash dishes with the spigot open.
The quandary with population-wide goals is that the 19 or 20 percent usage cuts apply to those who've already maximized their water conservation -- families taking outback-style showers with cups of water (yes, some people do). It's a quandary water-savers hope will be resolved fairly in policy.
In the meantime, check out the Water Savers site, as well as some Water Conservation Tips here at the site.
Previous blog posts on Bay Area drought and water conservation:
Photo © Ingrid TaylarFireworks: Capturing the JPEGs
Thursday July 3, 2008
Liz Masoner, (About.com: Photography) put together a concise guide to
photographing fireworks -- in time to save at least a few readers the Independence Day heartbreak of camera shake, blur, and missed opportunity. Her two-part guide addresses optimal shutter speed, film speed and aperture settings, depending on which stage of the show you're shooting.
Another great way to optimize your own settings is by browsing fireworks photos on Flickr. Check EXIF/Properties files on images you like. Most Flickr users post their EXIF files, complete with camera settings.
More on photography light and exposure from About.com: Photography and Luminous Landscape
See the Fourth of July weather forecast for San Francisco and Bay Area.
Scott Robinson/Flickr
Still Time to Register for AIDS Walk
Thursday July 3, 2008
It's all a matter of perspective. You can see it as late registration -- or as 17 full days to raise funds.
In my previous post on the event, I wrote that AIDS Walk San Francisco has raised nearly $65 million for HIV programs in the Bay Area. Last year, AIDS Walk had 25,000 participants and raised $4.6 million. When the organizers say that no contribution is too small, they're speaking to this cumulative effect of community.
On July 20, 2008, thousands will convene again in Golden Gate Park to raise funds and raise awareness on behalf of 42 Bay Area HIV/AIDS organizations.
To take part in the event, you need to sign up and show up. And between now and July 20, get a few pledges for your pedestrian mileage (10K/6.2 miles).
The AIDS Walk San Francisco website has numerous fundraising tools and tips to help with the pledge part. Some walkers aim for Star Walker status (pledging to raise $1000 or more). But any amount you raise is needed and appreciated.
Be a part of AIDS Walk San Francisco -- get all of the details:
Where and When:
- Date: July 20, 2008
- Time: Sign In at 9:00am / Walk begins at 10:30am
- Location: Golden Gate Park - Mother's Meadow
Big Sur Fire Blogging
Thursday July 3, 2008
I was up late, looking at photos, reading personal blogs by Big Sur residents. For many of us in California, and even around the country, Big Sur is almost mythical. It's most certainly mystical -- in its desolate beauty along Highway 1, the magic evoked on the perches of Nepenthe, the living spirit of Henry Miller, the vast swaths of redwoods and wild lands that carpet the mountains and shorelines. Seeing so much of it burn is like a cruel capper to an already brutal (and early) fire season.
More than 60,000 acres have burned so far (8,000 more, just last night). And areas along Highway 1 are under mandatory evacuation as firefighters try to construct effective fire breaks. To get a sense of what life is like right now for our friends to the south, check out a few of the blogs and photos I've listed below.
To help: SurFire2008.org has information on a fire relief fund for those who've lost their homes.
Ventana Wildlife reports they were able to rescue their eight captive condors, but may have lost at least one of the female wild birds and a condor chick to this fire. They're also in desperate need of donations.
Big Sur Fire Blogs:
Previous updates on the Northern California fires
