Latest Articles
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding is being threatened – what can we do?
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) was launched in 2010 to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the largest system of fresh surface water in the world – the Great Lakes (source). Today, its’ very existence is being threatened by Donald Trump and his administration. They have shown that they do not think the Great … Continued
Read moreOfficial Statement – Climate Change and Water Stress: Locally and Globally
The Hydrologic Cycle To fully understand the relationship between climate change and water stress, you must first have a firm grasp on how the Hydrologic Cycle works. Whether you remember or not, most of us learned about this in grade school. However, it is not a concept we tend to frequently think about – sans … Continued
Read moreWorld Water Day 2017 Recap
Another Successful World Water Day with our Wavemakers! We hope you are aware that last Wednesday, March 22nd, was World Water Day! This year’s theme was Wastewater. For the seventh year, Drink Local. Drink Tap., Inc. rallied almost 300 Wavemakers to celebrate World Water Day with a variety of activities. We held the event in … Continued
Read moreSame Earth, Same Water Sources – How the new administration affects our water.
Read Drink Local. Drink Tap.’s Full Statement Here Generally speaking, Drink Local. Drink Tap., Inc. does not take a political stance on issues. Keeping with that tradition, we are not writing this to sway political support. However, due to recent actions being taken, we are compelled to shed light on those that threaten our water … Continued
Read moreStatement on Flint and Sebring Lead-Water Crises
As we all likely know by now, two cities in our backyards – Flint, Michigan and Sebring, Ohio – are dealing with the aftermaths of lead contamination of their water systems. We have received a number of quests and requests from supporters and partners to give our thoughts on these tragic events. Unfortunately, I am … Continued
Current Events: Great Lakes wetlands, California almonds & global water insecurity
Last week, people around the world commemorated Earth Day, which environmental activists established in 1970 as a response to continued degradation in the United States and beyond. Each year, the calls to make Earth Day an everyday event seem to gain a bit more steam, and now some people suggest that we celebrate Earth Week … Continued
Current Events: One fish, two fish, red paint, blue green algae
Last week, people all over the planet joined together to celebrate World Water Day 2015, which focused on the vital role that water plays in sustainable development. Here at Drink Local. Drink Tap., Inc., World Water Day is central to what we do. Our annual World Water Day activities began six years ago with a … Continued
Current Events: Great Lakes ice, pig poop & artificial glaciers
February may be the shortest month of the year, but it definitely doesn’t feel that way to those of us living in the eastern half of the United States. This month has brought record cold temperatures to much of this part of the country; last Friday, the thermometer dipped to -17ºF at Cleveland Hopkins Airport, … Continued
Road salt is costly & harms our environment. Here’s what can you do about it.
It’s been another wicked winter here in Cleveland. January’s average temperature was just 23°F, according to the National Weather Service, making the month 5.1°F colder than normal. February has been brutally cold, and we have already seen 7 days with sub-zero temperatures this year. The continued cold snaps have largely been accompanied by clipper systems … Continued
Is lax regulation enabling the energy industry to poison aquifers?
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has become one of the leading hot button issues of the past few years. Though fracking has been used to extract oil and natural gas in the United States for decades, it has dramatically picked up steam recently. The controversy and debate around the topic has evolved just as rapidly. Here … Continued
Current Events: Lake Erie’s algae, Yellowstone’s oil spill and Malawi’s floods
2014 was an incredibly eventful year for water. From the Freedom Industries chemical spill in West Virginia’s Elk River to the Duke Energy coal ash spill in North Carolina’s James River; from California’s historic drought to Kashmir’s biblical floods; from the ongoing saga of Detroit’s water shutoffs to the Lake Erie algae bloom that closed … Continued
Watch how sprawl transformed one watershed in Northeast Ohio
A few months ago, I looked at the root causes of Northeast Ohio’s recent flooding problems. I placed the blame largely on two culprits – a changing climate and land use changes. The latter cause is particularly acute in Cuyahoga County, where the overall population has actually shrunk since 1948, while the amount of land … Continued
Current Events: News from the world of water
Welcome to the December edition of “Current Events,” our new feature that gives you an update on what’s going on in the world of water, from Lake Erie to Lake Victoria, and everywhere in between. There has been a lot of important water headlines in the news the past few weeks, so let’s get started: … Continued
It’s time to talk openly about sanitation
Today is World Toilet Day, “a day to raise awareness about all people who do not have access to a toilet.” This year marks the second time that that United Nations has recognized this event. Now, some may find it odd that the world’s supranational governing body would devote an entire day to the symbol of … Continued
In the wake of the Detroit shutoffs, do Americans have a right to water?
In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly formally recognized there exists a human right to water and sanitation. The body called upon governments worldwide “to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all.” But, apparently, that right does not apply in the United States. You may be aware of the severe … Continued
DLDT Executive Director ‘Taking Cleveland International with Local and Nonprofit Leaders’ hosted by IPM at the Cleveland Foundation
On Monday October 13th, IPM will be hosting Taking Cleveland International with Local and Nonprofit Leaders. This panel aims to highlight the tremendous work that organizations are doing to maintain Cleveland’s active citizenship in global affairs. Their goals of inspiring engagement in international affairs through the creation of globally minded citizens aligns with IPM’s role in connecting Cleveland to the … Continued
Your driveway is making you sick: On the health risks of coal tar sealants
Coal constitutes a hellish cocktail of toxic substances, ranging from heavy metals like mercury and lead to known carcinogens like cadmium and arsenic. The utilization of coal for various purposes also creates a number of harmful byproducts. These include coal ash (also known as fly ash), which is left over after coal is combusted for … Continued
11 steps you can take today to fight harmful algal blooms
As we all know by now, at 2:00 on the morning of Saturday, August 2, officials in Toledo issued a do not drink advisory, depriving more than 400,000 people in the region of safe drinking water. Officials took action after tests revealed levels of microcystin, a dangerous liver toxin, reached 2.5 parts per billion (ppb), … Continued
Microplastics threaten ecosystems and human health in Northeast Ohio
Last July, I took part in my first beach cleanup with Drink Local. Drink Tap., Inc. This event was a truly eye opening experience for me, as I was able to get firsthand exposure to the scale of the trash problem on Lake Erie’s shores. But while most of the other volunteers focused on the … Continued
If you care about water, you need to worry about energy production
Saturday was World Water Day 2014. This year’s theme centered on the water-energy nexus, a topic which has become increasingly important in recent years. According to the United Nations, energy production currently accounts for 15% of global water use, a number which is projected to grow to 20% within the next two decades. In the US, this … Continued
The restoration of wetlands is a major victory for the Great Lakes
Given the spate of bad news for the Great Lakes recently – from declining lake levels to toxic algal blooms to microplastic pollution to the threat of an Asian carp invasion – it may be hard for people to find any good news on the health of these vital bodies of water. Fear not. The US Fish and Wildlife Service conducts a census of … Continued
Africa’s Great Lakes were central to human evolution
If you’ve ever felt inexplicably drawn to Lake Erie or any of the other Great Lakes, you’re not alone. In fact, that attraction is hardwired in your genes. Last month, two UK researchers published an article titled “Early Human Speciation, Brain Expansion and Dispersal Influenced by African Climate Pulses” in the online, open-source journal PLOS One. … Continued
Court Case Helps Address Toxic Algae in Lake Erie and the Country
The federal district court for the Eastern District of Louisiana issued a decision (PDF) on Friday, September 20 that could have wide-reaching implications for waterways all across the United States. The case, which pitted the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against a coalition of environmental groups, may change the way that surface runoff and … Continued
Tap Water and the Topics Missed by the Drink Up Campaign
Last week, First Lady Michelle Obama launched a new campaign to encourage Americans to drink more water. The campaign, “Drink Up,” is being advertised as “less a public health campaign than a campaign to encourage drinking water.” While the new effort to increase water consumption sounds like a good idea, it has come under considerable … Continued
Clean Water Builds Peace Across Cultures
In recent years, conflict over water has gained a substantial foothold, particularly within the media. A Google search for the term “water wars” returns 77.8 million results, including websites for prominent documentaries and books on the subject. This perception is hardly new, though. In 1995, former World Bank Vice President Ismail Serageldin told the New … Continued
Lake Erie Algae Can be Reduced by Going Phosphorus Free
For many, the Great Lakes are the pride and joy of our region. The lakes are key to our region’s access to freshwater and supports local industries such as tourism and fishing. Lake Erie has been in the news again this year because of the overgrowth of algae that threatens the lake’s ecosystem. Algae is … Continued
Runoff Promotes Pollution in Our Watersheds
Have you ever wondered why there is so much trash on the beaches and in our water? You may have participated in a beach clean-up or learned about the water cycle in school, but did you ever think about how the two are related? A watershed is the area of land that drains into a … Continued
Protect Water and Health From Antibacterial Contaminants
Triclosan is an antibacterial chemical present in some shampoos, toothpastes, soaps, cutting boards, and garbage bags. It is used in products where manufacturers believe that bacteria needs to be killed or to reduce odor. In such products as soaps, after use the contaminated wastewater travels to treatment plants but not all of the triclosan is … Continued
Huber Recognized for Providing Water Resources
“Water is life’s mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.” Albert Szent-Gyorgyi On December 14th 2012, non-profit organization, Circle of Blue, recognized Drink Local. Drink Tap.© ’s (DLDT) Executive Director, as an important “Action Figure.” DLDT’s Erin Huber, was given a one page tribute describing the good works she’s doing … Continued
Sustainable Living through Water Conservation
Water is the most basic need that we have on earth – and the most important. Without water, there can be no life. We rely on water for drinking, for growing plants and trees that give us fruits, vegetables, and cotton for clothes, and even for cleaning our bodies which happen to be 72.8% water! … Continued
