Visualizing Transboundary Waterblogging

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When Daniel Collins over at Cr!key Creek suggested that water bloggers get in sync for World Water Day to write on the theme of transboundary waters, I was in an uncomfortable spot – I usually leave the tough topics to the smarter folks in my midst.

In the spirit of diversity in expression, though, I thought I might instead contribute a visual take on the issue. Following are “word clouds” for each of the World Water Day blog posts on transboundary waters. (This is for those of us who have to have a picture drawn for us!) The graphics represent the 100 most prevalent words used in the post, with their frequency represented by size.

I’ll continue to update as more posts become available. Happy World Water Day!

John Fleck (Inkstain) New Mexico, USA

Kwandongbrian from Korea discussing rivers crossing the Korean Peninsula’s DMZ.

Back in AZ, USA, Chris Brooks (Watering the Desert) focuses on the Colorado River, shared by seven US states and Mexico.

Noah Hall of Great Lakes Law lays down the law on management of the North American Great Lakes, from his home in MI, USA.

Ole Nielson from Denmark takes us to the Levant, via his blog Olelog, with a discussion of the Jordan River.

At WaterWried, Michael Campana (OR, US) stressed the importance of groundwater in transboundary water resources.

Daniel Collins at Cr!key Creek (New Zealand) looks for a big picture with the Tragedy of the Commons.

Kim Hannula writes about some realities of living upstream in Colorado, USA, with its world-famous body of water law.

UPDATE, March 23, 2008:

Abigail Brown of Water for the Ages (OR, USA) reviews an online film about the transboundary trials and tribulations of the Nile basin and its 10 riparian nations.

To Those Who’ve Received: Time To Give Back

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It’s World Water Day this weekend and like most special days, a gift or thoughtful gesture would certainly be appropriate! For those of us with the incredible good fortune to enjoy plenty of clean, safe water, here are two good “give back” ideas recently brought to my attention.

1. No excuses about the recession or being broke, because this won’t cost you a dime. All you have to do is click! The ONE DROP awareness campaign will be raising awareness for the global water crisis and World Water Day across blogs, Digg, Twitter, Facebook and many other networks in an comprehensive social media effort called Ripple. Get all the details here: http://www.onedrop.org/ripple

Right now, DO THIS TODAY! Friday March 20th is ONE DROP’s rally event on Digg: DIGG FOR WATER. The idea is for as many supporters as possible to “digg” the cause and get some world-wide-web attention for urgent global water issues. (ONE DROP is an NGO launched by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté that aims to provide improved access to clean water in many poverty-stricken parts of the world.)

2. The Fill The Glass campaign at GlobalGiving benefits international water-related projects and this campaign hopes to raise funds for 10 grass-roots water projects that you can view on their website http://www.globalgiving.com/water/

You get to pick the specific project/s you wish to support. But don’t expect any easy decisions, as the choices include:
Supplying critical water for a Hatian Hospital
Health care and water for 7,000 Gambians
Improved water access for rural Ethiopians
Clean water for Sudanese war refugees

Projects that raise over $10,000 between March 9 and March 30 will receive additional funding from GlobalGiving. Easy! Just divert some of those bucks you’ve saved by sticking with tap water!

Extreme Water Infrastructure Sports, Amateur Division

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Geo Contest! Where, oh where? There’s a (modest) prize and heavy praise waiting for the first reader/s who can identify these locations.

It looks like reservoir mis-use in the name of sport is an international phenomenon! In this clip from the land down under, our Oz sportsmen do without the fancy equipment and skilled videographers, but make up for it with a head-bangin’ punk rock track. Here, see “Aussie guys jumping off a huge tower at the res.”

A mere 5 seconds long, don’t blink or you’ll miss the action in “Water Tower Golfing.” This is strong evidence for the theory that “everything’s been done already.”

This one, aptly titled “Redneck Wakboarding,” depicts that memorable day when “Mitch went wakeboarding at the water treatment plant in the mud while it was freezing outside.”

Extreme Water Infrastructure Sports, Part I

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I know that dams, by design, often create recreational opportunities but I don’t think this was the water sport that designers intended . If you’re a kayak enthusiast with nerves of steel and adrenaline to spare, a trip to Wales for a ride down the 1:3 gradient of the Llyn Brianne Reservoir’s 300 ft. concrete overspill run might be on your “to-do” list. In November 2008, these sportsmen reached speeds of up to 45 mph. (This incident is by no means a first; do a Google video search for Llyn Briane and you’ll see what I mean!)

Officials were less thrilled, though the “dam perpetrators” were not caught. This entire fascinating story from WalesOnline includes the point/counterpoint opinions as well as some interesting insight into the important role of the videographer in these well-orchestrated stunts.

(more)
Back in the USA, these fellows are without fancy boats and gear…only what must be the best-quality pairs of shorts that money can buy. Sorta-professional cinematic music plays as aimless youth are “sliding down the spillway at Whitewater Memorial State Park in Liberty Indiana.” Apparently it was worth the risk as “anonymous guy” concludes, “This is so awesome and more fun than any amusement park waterslide that I’ve ever been on. Now this is the real deal!”

Finally, “Nikipedia” slides down the Kamas spillway in Utah with his incredulous friend behind the camera providing the laugh track. (The nameless cameraman seems to get a bigger thrill out of the stunt than the rider!)

Viral Challenge for Wastewater Maintenance Staff

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No, we don’t mean tiny virus contaminants, we’re talkin’ viral video.

If you’re among the millions of viewers who sent the hysterical “Will it Blend?” videos to the top of the viral charts, then you’ll realize that this video from St. Thomas is a low-rent copycat of the concept. St. Thomas Creations presents “Will it Flush?” to demonstrate the unprecedented power of their toilet by irresponsibly flushing voluminous amounts of items which have no business traveling down a trap. (A quick glance at the number of “views” for this video indicates that the me-too “Flushers” have been much less successful than the trendsetting “Blenders.”)

And not even a weak “don’t try this at home” disclaimer! So, wastewater professionals, if you’re ever been mystified by a mysterious, sudden spate of golf balls, chess pieces, whole hot dogs or carrots clogging your filters, now you know.

A few selected comments from the video’s YouTube page and featured Buzzfeed post:

I feel like this toilet could have saved many of the drug dealers in movies….Perfect for disposing of all those pesky chess pieces you’ve got lying around…it’s like the Will It Blend of Plumbing…let’s try Dad’s keys!!…well there’s only one way to find out for sure!…Can it flush the stimulus package?…Ok, this did not work with my toilet!! wtf do i do!?!?!…but can it flush another super toilet?…seriously hope they didn’t really flush all that down into the systems…you’re gunna get all these dumbasses seeing what they can really flush down it now…..who really has a crap the size of 18 hot dogs!!!

Advanced Technology Building Better Water Toys?

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Economic meltdown or not, progress shall continue unabated in the push for more technologically advanced Japanese toys. “Aqua Dance” from Bandai uses nanotechnology to create a special coating that makes water droplets take on mercury-like qualities. (From Crave on Cnet News.)

Using the same nanotech coating, “Aqua Drop,” also from Bandai, replaces those noisy, low-tech metal-ball choking-hazards of yesteryear. And by all reports, the new high-tech version is as frustrating as its predecessors. U.S. $27 from www.japantrendshop.com.

I hate to complain about such cutesy oddities, but this is a disappointing outcome; weren’t we led to believe we’d have lotus-leaf-inspiried self-cleaning bathtubs by now?

Water Quality Research for (and by) Dummies

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Taste: recent research conducted both in the U.S. and Europe has repeatedly shown that taste (along with safety and convenience) is a leading motivator for the use of tap water alternatives. But tastes like what, exactly? To find out, we’ve done some exclusive research of our own.

Because Thirsty in Suburbia has zero qualifications or credentials to conduct sound, serious research, this “study” is absolutely non-scientific. Plus, since our stimulus check bounced we’re unfunded too!

Never mind, we will press on. Presenting the Google-based Virtual Water Taste Focus Group.

Methodology: In February, 2009 the exact phrase “our water tastes like” was entered into Google Search. 35 total results were returned and 6 were disqualified for syntax, leaving 29 “participants.” (♪ ♫ Don’t know much about science books ♫, but do know our way around Illustrator–so we’ve made a snazzy chart for you!)

1. our water tastes like chlorine
2. Our water tastes like pure and delicious water
3. our water tastes like dirt.
4. Our water tastes like water
5. Our water tastes like the premier bottled drinking water it is
6. our water tastes like shiat
7. our water tastes like dirt
8. our water tastes like tap water
9. our water tastes like dirt
10. Our water tastes like sulphur
11. our water tastes like lake water
12. our water tastes like crap
13. our water tastes like nectar from the tap
14. Our water tastes like the chlorine from a swimming pool.
15. our water tastes like bleach
16. our water tastes like algae
17. our water tastes like chlorine
18. our water tastes like horse s**t
19. our water tastes like it was strained through an ashtray
20. our water tastes like chemicals from new pipes
21. OUR WATER TASTES LIKE SHIT
22. our water tastes like someone dissolved a nickel in it
23. Our water tastes like butt
24. Our water tastes like disinfectant
25. our water tastes like carrots
26. our water tastes like a swimming pool
27. our water tastes like something George Washington himself might take a sip of and die from
28. our water tastes like liquid gold
29. our water tastes like golden nectar

Look Closely: Water Transport is Booming

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Boston.com’s “The Big Picture” has gained a devoted following for its dramatic, superb photography presented thematically, somewhat like a digital version of the much-missed Life magazine. The Big Picture feature on Robots included this photo by Cherie A. Thurlby for the Department of Defense. The photo depicts,

“An Explosive Ordinance Disposal robot places an explosive device next to a suspicious package during a demonstration conducted by members of the Special Operations Command Central Command Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit for participants of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference 72, at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, Oct. 21, 2006.”

But wait a minute, we’re having a closer look at that “suspicious package” and of course we notice something of particular interest to us…that Emirates bottled water must be da bomb! (I should mention that you’ll never have to call a bomb squad to detonate your tap. At least I hope not.)

Attention Conspiracy Theorists: NASA Water Recycling

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Ordinarily, I’d post this photo of Vietnamese bottled water “purified by NASA’s award-winning technology” strictly for our amusement. (from the Picasa Web Album Hoi An, Vietnam by Mark)

But it reminds us of something we read on Engadget in the summer of 2007:

NASA drops $19m on Russian toilets
for American asstronauts [sic]

Super-good pun headline notwithstanding, our radar is up. NASA…millions of dollars…Russians…mysterious bottled water in a deprived country with scant government oversight of foodstuffs… Coincidence? Judge for yourself, but I am adjusting my tinfoil chapeau.

The July, 2007 Engadget story notes:

So apparently NASA has agreed to purchase toilet technology from the Russian company RSC Energia for the tidy sum of $19 million, to be delivered to the ISS in 2008 in preparation for a crew upsizing from three to six members. The previous system required that urine tanks be transferred to cargo ships and burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere, but the new toilets operate like a waste treatment center on Earth, collecting and reconstituting urine as drinking water — an unpleasant concept for a number of our readers, but a welcome relief for thirsty astronauts. The toilets are similar to normal models, though they employ leg restraints and thigh bars to hold the “user” in place, and high-powered fans to suck, um… waste into the commode. The system will be installed on the American side of the station, while the Russian-side will remain as is, resulting in extremely long lines to use the “good” bathroom.

Our stimulus check has arrived!

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The needs of the public for a steady stream of water weirdness greatly outstrip the resources of this little blog. Plus, as it is now, it only creates one part-time job–and not even a paid one! With this stimulus shot-in-the-arm, we’re laptop-ready to hit the ground keyboarding. The first 10 e-mailers are hired!

Actually, this check is some obvious fakery from www.bankofobama.org where you can send your friends and enemies free virtual “stimulus checks” or a snail-mail paper check for just a couple bucks. It took 2 MBAs and 1 Geek to conceive and launch the site, which declares:

Bail out a friend today! Bad mortgage, student loan, credit card debt, Vegas trip…you know someone who needs a personal bailout for it.  Bank of Obama believes everyone should get their share of the stimulus package.