Water Is Awesome

Water.

In my entire life, in all my days, I never thought I would spend the time and effort to tell people just how awesome WATER is.

But, here I am, doing just that.

Planning my trip to Hawaii, I contemplated doing a post-a-day series called "Notes from Paradise", and I'm still considering that. But after coming here, going to my hotel right on the shore, and staring at the magnificent Pacific Ocean from the cost of Oahu... my priority changed.

The water here is AMAZING. It is wonderful! It's clear, fresh, refreshing to swim in...

Water as Water should be.

Growing up in Philly, the idea of swimming in the water anywhere other than a pool was not an appetizing idea. The Delaware River is dark, murky, and reminds you more of a mud puddle than a river. Whenever I've gone to Atlantic City, the water was not much better. Yes, it's the Atlantic Ocean, but the idea of swimming or even coming close to a beach covered in broken shells and the occasional bit of trash... it was not very enjoyable.

Yet Hawaii is different in every way. Fresh water, beautiful water, blue as the sky above... It's wonderful, and it's amazing.

Everyone on this planet MUST have access to fresh water.

In many parts of the world, people must go without fresh water and simply settle for whatever they can find. People are getting sick due to dirty water, and people are dying without access to any water at all. More and more we need to clean up our water ways... and it's something I've only truly understood after coming here.

In Hawaii, the water is everywhere and is true to the poem; "Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink." It takes 25 years to take the water from the ocean and make it drinkable. In the end, maybe that's why they take such great care of it.

Facts And Help: PGW Can Shut You Off in the Winter

It was only less than a year ago that I wrote about this specific topic, and how no one was covering it.

They still aren't.

So, lets get some history and facts out there. First off, yes, PGW is legally allowed to turn off your heat in the winter. Not only that, but so can PECO and the Philadelphia Water Department.

In February of 2005, Governor Rendell passed the ironically named Responsible Utility Customer Protection Act. The law allowed for all utilities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to shut you off during the winter.

There was a loophole written into the law for just PGW Customers, but it isn't a big one:

PGW Specific

For PGW Only - Shut-Off of Utility Service - We have different rules for winter shut-offs. If your income is more than 150% but less than 250% of the poverty guidelines, PGW may turn off your service beginning January 1 unless:

• A person in your house is 65 years or older;

• A person in your house is 12 years or younger;

• A person in your house has a letter from a doctor;

• You have paid half of your last 2 bills or

• You have paid 15% of your household income in the last 2 months

For PGW Only - If your household income is low, we will turn on your service if you join PGW's Customer Responsibility Program (CRP). For example, this means if there are 3-people in your household your monthly income must be below $1,959.

For PGW Only - Based on your income, the amount of your deposit may be equal to one or two average bills. If you enroll in CRP, you do not have to pay a deposit.

So there are measurements in place to make sure you're OK with PGW during the winter. PECO, on other hand, doesn't. So if you're behind on those, you could face a shutoff. I talked to a few people about that, and they understood the PECO turning you off, despite the fact that you most likely will need electricity to turn on your heat.

My thoughts?

The fact that we allow this to happen in this state is APPALLING. The reason it shouldn't be legal is actually very obvious since, as I mentioned already, the toll on the person is astounding and the toll on the house or property can be incredibly costly. During the summer months it's not quite as bad, but winter is understood to be the worst time possible to carry out a shut off in this city.

At the same time, this effects the poorest of our friends and neighbors, and it's a devastating thing to happen to a persons emotional toll. I had my power turned off once and aside from the feeling of disappointment you feel in it happening, your angry and sad at yourself for falling so far from society. You feel like an outcast and a pariah.

The toll on the neighbors properties is debatable, but it is likely that a house that is flooding due to bad pipes in a row home will effect the neighbors.

In the end, this isn't helping anyone but the utilities and needs to go.



Photo Courtesy of I Am My Avatar

Bottled Water: Worse Than Tap!

I always laughed at people who thought it was "cool" or "hip" or whatever to buy and drink bottled water. "Well, it's better than Philly tap water!"

No... well, not by much.

Tests on leading brands of bottled water turned up a variety of contaminants, including cancer-linked chemicals three times higher than California's health standard, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental advocacy group.

The findings challenge the popular impression — and marketing pitch — that bottled water is purer than tap water, the researchers say.

In the Wal-Mart and Giant Food bottled water, the highest concentration of chlorine byproducts, known as trihalomethanes, was over 35 parts per billion. California requires 10 parts per billion or less, and the industry's International Bottled Water Association makes 10 its voluntary guideline. The federal limit is 80.

Water researcher Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment of the University at Albany, who had no role in the study, singled out trihalomethanes as the biggest concern because of strong research links to cancer.

"These are levels that should not be in bottled water," he said.

So you basically aren't getting a ton of difference between the tap and the bottle; just the convince of a bottle if you can't find a water fountain around and $1.50 less in your pocket.

Source: USA Today