Hold Your Water 68 Things You Need to Know to Keep Our Planet Blue

by Wyland; Creech, Steve; The Wyland Foundation

• ISBN13: 9780740756825
• ISBN10: 0740756826
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-04-01
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Summary

Hold Your Wateroffers insight into the water and world around us. Taking a conversational approach to conservation, it dives into simple ways that even little old you can make a difference--all with a witty, and at times whimsical, slant on the world in which we live.The Wyland Foundation is widely lauded by politicians and scientists alike for its practical insight and positive impact on our planet. Former Vice President Al Gore praised the group, saying, "Your organization makes an invaluable contribution to the effort to promote environmental awareness."Hold Your Wateris the latest in the organization's legacy of arming everyday people with straight-ahead insight and simple tips for keeping our planet blue. Written by two members of Wyland's staff, the book provides countless fascinating facts about our planet. For instance, did you realize that while two-thirds of the earth's surface is covered by water, only 3 percent of that water is safe to drink? And of that 3 percent, nearly two-thirds is locked up in polar ice caps?The book offers easy ways for people to help preserve water and other related precious resources. Divided into more than 30 sections, this compendium illustrates how everyday activities such as car washing, showering, fertilizing--even 'pet poop' cleanup--can negatively impact the environment. It then delivers more than 100 tips and tidbits that will help you protect your planet.Whether you are one of the nearly three-quarters of Americans who consider themselves environmentalists, or you just want to know more about the world in which you live,Hold Your Wateris a book worth holding on to.

Author Biography

Wyland is the world's premier marine life artist. Through sculpture, painting, photography, and education, Wyland encourages responsible stewardship of our world's oceans and marine life. His work includes eight previous books, more than 90 Whaling Wall murals, the nonprofit Wyland Foundation, and the Wyland Ocean Challenge, an arts and science curriculum intended to get children involved in saving our water. Wyland calls Laguna Beach, Calif., home.



The Wyland Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting conservation through education programs, community service, and environmental art. The Foundation supports up to 100 conservation, scientific research, and education groups each year. Its founder, known simply as Wyland, is the world's premier marine life artist. He lives in Hawaii and California.

Table of Contents

Foreword	ix
Preface	xi
Acknowledgments	xiii
Introduction	xv
Part 1 Getting Your Feet Wet... 1
1 It's So Big	2	(2)
2 It's So Wet	4	(2)
3 Now That I'm on the Water Cycle, How Do I Get Off?	6	(2)
4 Even the Trees Are in on It	8	(2)
5 What Is a Dead Zone, Anyway?	10	(2)
6 Only Chumps Dump	12	(2)
7 Shower Power	14	(2)
8 The Car Wash Blues	16	(2)
9 The Inside Poop on Pet Waste	18	(2)
10 How Does Your Garden Grow?	20	(2)
11 Wanted: More Graffiti	22	(2)
12 Jellies on a Roll	24	(2)
13 Bottle Bashing	26	(2)
14 If You Love It, Set It Free	28	(2)
15 The Great Weight Debate	30	(2)
16 Start a "Pee Outside" Day	32	(2)
17 A Cure for Buildup	34	(2)
18 Beat the Wrap	36	(4)
Part 2 What Are You Calling a Bad Habit?... 39
19 Hold on to Your Butt	40	(2)
20 Beware of Things That Go Drip in the Night	42	(2)
21 Fish Don't Get Depressed, So Why Are We Giving Them Prozac?	44	(2)
22 Seconds Anyone?	46	(2)
23 Water Color: The Politics of Conservation	48	(2)
24 Try Green Cleaning	50	(4)
25 Colonel Halibut in the Library with a Fishing Pole	54	(2)
26 I'm Melting in the Rain	56	(2)
27 How the Other Half Lives	58	(2)
28 Letting Creativity Flow	60	(2)
29 Whose Water Is It, Anyway?	62	(2)
30 A Thirstier World	64	(2)
31 Shouldn't I Know Something About the Greenhouse Effect?	66	(2)
32 Grab Bag	68	(2)
33 Small Car, Big Savings	70	(2)
34 Fishometers	72	(2)
35 Breeding Goodwill	74	(3)
Part 3 Go with the Flow...	77	(26)
36 Welcome to Disposable Island	78	(2)
37 A Stranger in Your Tank	80	(2)
38 Make Your House a Home	82	(2)
39 Smart Dinner Talk	84	(3)
40 Watered-Down Techno Trash	87	(3)
41 The Trouble with MTBE	90	(2)
42 Hooked on Dry-Cleaning	92	(4)
43 Wild, Wonderful Wetlands	96	(2)
44 Power of the Pen	98	(2)
45 Watchdog for Water	100	(3)
Part 4 A Global View...	103	(40)
46 Unsafe Water: The Human Cost	104	(2)
47 A Head Start on Innovation	106	(2)
48 People, People Everywhere–and Only So Many Drops to Drink	108	(2)
49 Vanishing Act	110	(2)
50 Where's Your Next Drink Coming From?	112	(2)
51 Are You Retaining Enough Water?	114	(3)
52 A Big Dip in the Great Lakes	117	(2)
53 Debt for Nature	119	(3)
54 Buy More! Save Less?	122	(4)
55 Drops for Crops	126	(2)
56 Sharing Scenarios	128	(2)
57 Big Blue Battery	130	(2)
58 Winds of Climate Change	132	(2)
59 What's in a Name?	134	(2)
60 A Tip About Aquaculture	136	(2)
61 Trawling for Dollars	138	(2)
62 A Dry Look at Toilets	140	(3)
Part 5 Strange Weather Ahead...	143	(16)
63 Negative Flow	144	(2)
64 View from the Greenhouse	146	(2)
65 Desert by Numbers	148	(2)
66 Making a Stink About Methane	150	(3)
67 Express Yourself	153	(2)
68 Holding Back a Flood	155	(4)
Appendixes ...	159	(12)
Appendix 1 Quick Tips for Water Conservation in the Home	159	(2)
Appendix 2 Quick Tips for Smart Seafood Dining	161	(1)
Appendix 3 Pathogens—When Good Water Goes Bad	162	(1)
Appendix 4 A Look At Your Water Bill	163	(2)
Appendix 5 Solving the Water Crisis?	165	(1)
Appendix 6 Sample Advocacy Letters	165	(3)
Appendix 7 Getting to Know the Clean Water Act	168	(1)
Appendix 8 Fifty Environmental Organizations Worth Supporting	169
Appendix 9 Start Now: Water By the Numbers	110	(61)
Glossary	171
Resources	115	(67)
About the Wyland Foundation	182	(1)
About the Authors	183