Celebrating Water

"Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all." -Nelson Mandela

Happy World Water Day! March 22

People are celebrating all over the world, and there's much to be thankful for, whether for abundance or drought, storms or peaceful streams. Though 2.1 billion people live without clean drinking water [3], some of us (Seattle!) are fortunate to have relatively clean watersheds that reportedly don't need treatment [2].

How do I begin talking about something so essential or consequential as water? Wisdom tells us to begin where we are. Well my hometown is Seattle, WA, and despite having lived nearly 30 years of my life there I am amazed at how much I am still learning. I've always been under the impression that we are lucky in the Pacific Northwest--Seattle being the largest city--for how clean and delicious our water is. Now the older I get the more I learn about the effects of pollution, ecosystem damage, climate change, increasing population, water treatment--and the more water becomes one of the greatest treasures. It is kin to my life blood (after all, perhaps 55-60% of my body is made of water). Yet how wise is my relationship to water?

My personal water history: Seattle Public Utilities supplies water from the Cedar River and South Fork Tolt River watersheds. I estimate that I've lived in 15 different homes in Seattle and have visited 5 times that number to spend time with friends or acquaintances. Depending on my "needs", I have accessed water: to drink straight tap water, boil water for cooking or tea, draw a bath or shower, wash dishes, or run the washing machine. Virtually none of these homes I have visited have utilized greywater systems (I've heard Seattle municipal codes make it illegal to install such systems). Of the different garden irrigation systems I've worked with, both overhead and drip are common, which are generously used during our Mediterranean summers in order to maintain thirsty ornamentals. In fact from May to September it's estimated that up to 45% of our water resources go toward maintaining lawns and gardens [4]. I've truthfully contributed to this figure by not intentionally installing water-wise or drought tolerant plants. Also I will admit: sure, Seattle doesn't encourage graywater systems, yet I also haven't endeavored to develop DIY systems, so I too waste water, in order to clean my body, dishware and clothing. I also don't typically utilize additional filtering so I am likely harming my body with city-supplied treated water (as clean as it comparatively is). 

My story may be very similar to my neighbors; multiply my usage, and consider our population of 700,000+ people and we can barely begin to think about how much water we are using (or wasting) on a daily basis. Though we have issues with water usage and efficiency based on our current city-wide pipe system designs -- we are probably doing better than many other areas in the country (although some cities like Long Beach and Berkeley have been working to develop graywater systems as a response to long-standing drought problems--we should be following suit). Even though we are fortunate in our area to have an abundance of clean water--we need to think more long term and start planning, and making changes to increase our efficiency of water usage in order to preserve water as a resource in the long term. Today Seattle Public Utilities claims to provide 140 million gallons of water/day to 1.4 million people. That means we are each using 100 gallons of water/day. Does that number surprise you?

But let me back up a little; the way water moves into our city from our watersheds is an interesting story. I mentioned the two watersheds we pull from: Cedar and Tolt Rivers. Cedar River Watershed encompasses 90,638 acres of forestland and delivers 70% of our water; Tolt River supplies the other 30% [1]. Think about all the plant life our water is cycling through, and consider that natural system of filtration (can we mimic this natural system within the city with more financial investment? What's stopping us?) Additionally, the glacial moraine (soil left from glaciers) is a powerful enough filtration system that SPU does not need to filter the water (they claim they're only 1 in 6 major drinking-water systems in the country able to achieve this--perhaps demonstrating how lucky we are[1]). However, SPU does operate two treatment facilities, so they can control the taste and odor of our drinking water, while upholding health code standards--so they do treat it.

Anyway about the movement of water. Melting snow and rain collect and store in Chester Morse Lake and Masonry Pool reservoirs created by the Masonry dam (a little bit east of Iron Horse State Park). The water is conveyed into the Cedar Falls hydroelectric power plant, then released back into the river, flowing to the Landsburg dam. Here the water is diverted into two large pipelines, one that goes seven miles to Lake Youngs in Renton, and eventually pumped to the Cedar River Treatment Facility. The Tolt River is held in the Tolt Reservoir and is also channeled into a hydroelectric facility, where it is held in a regulating basin, then gravity fed into the Tolt Treatment Facility. From both treatment facilities, water is conveyed through "transmission mains" (sometimes as wide as 8' in diameter!), which eventually flow into smaller pipelines, storage tanks and reservoirs in the City and surrounding areas. This grid of pipelines is said to be 1,700 miles in all [1]. Our water goes through a lot to get to us!

Returning to the question of our collective water usage. What exactly is our 100 gallons/water/day/person being used for? And do we want to continue to be so reliant on  city water? These questions have been addressed by Seattle's Rain Garden Rain-Wise Program, with regards to stormwater management. The down side to our abundance is the tendency for oversaturation during winter months: when rain hits a large surface area of cement it runs off into our sewer systems. When our sewer systems overflow, they must open emergency pipelines that inadvertently allow raw sewage to be released into the Puget Sound. Today, 100 million gallons a year of polluted stormwater are managed through Green Infrastructure methods including rain gardens. But if you think about it, each person is theoretically consuming 100 million gallons a day, so really, the amount of stormwater being soundly managed is insignificant! But it's at least a step. Stormwater management is one part of wise use of water resources. If we can begin to develop more greenwater infrastructure, utilize graywater, and increase the amount of water collected and stored on individual housing plots, we might be able to reduce the 100/gallons/day/person usage. We also need to clearly discern where all those 100 gallons/day are going because it's definitely not to individual users (though we are all benefiting); most is likely going to businesses, industry and and so on. We need to clarify who is using what, and how much, and not place too much responsibility on individual householders.

But we can each play a part. For starters Seattle Public Utilities lists strategies for water conservation on their website indoors and outside [5]. When you look at their suggestions you might think they are not suggesting enough (as I do) and then you might follow the link to the Saving Water Partnership [6], where you can find more detail including rebates you might be incentivized by. Even on their website they still don't address water catchment and storage on small scales (mulching and planting at the right time is great and all, but what about all the run-off?). Do we really need to place so much emphasis on individual home practices for water conservation? How much of a dent in total water usage will that make? Again, who or what corporations are the largest offenders and how do we bring accountability into the picture?

But whatever, again, we can only begin from where we are (and control what we can control). From a permaculture perspective there is a lot we can do to conserve water around our individual homes and therefore influence healthier patterns of water usage on a larger scale. Something fun to do: search online for a contour map of your neighborhood, or Seattle at large, and determine what the existing drainage patterns may be. You can determine what the elevation is, look at soil maps to determine how fast or slow the drainage might be (ex. water moves slow through clay). Walk around your home and note where all the cement is, how much plant cover there is, where natural slopes are existing. You could even sketch up your own map depicting all of that, and begin to surmise how water is moving through your landscape, and if you can slow it down (reducing run off), and retain or catch water for storage during the dry summer months. If you are a keen gardener you might be attracted to the idea of thereby needing less irrigation (in addition to choosing the right plants). Check out the Rainwise Program for more ideas.

Why should we care about reducing our water consumption, reducing run-off, or maintaining clean water? Sometimes it seems that the argument of preserving resources for future generations isn't enough of a motivator. When we are just trying to take care of ourselves (oh those nice bubble baths) in an ever toxic world, we forget that we are causing more problems for ourselves in the future by not addressing real concerns. It's really difficult to visualize the state of our world 10-20 years from now, and we fear it's not pretty, and it's easier to let other trained people take care of it. Meanwhile we are complicit using 100/gallons/water/day/person while raw sewage and other pollutants run off into our Puget Sound. Let's not forget this is happening everyday and that we can make different choices.

Let me return to the quotation at the beginning of this post. We can rest in a certain amount of trust that Nature will take care of itself, within its own natural systems, and through negative feedback loops. But we can make things easier for ourselves collectively by making sure to conserve resources for ourselves, and future generations, while sharing resources fairly. Obviously this is an ideal, and our realities today do not measure up. But if we keep the ideal in mind and hold fast to creating cleaner water across the planet, the world will definitely be a better place! This is just the beginning of a conversation; let's talk!

Works Cited
[1] "Water System Overview." Seattle Public Utilities. Web. March 22, 2018. https://www.seattle.gov/util/MyServices/Water/WaterSystemOverview/index.htm
[2] "Watershed Protection." Seattle Public Utilities. Web. March 22, 2018. https://www.seattle.gov/util/MyServices/Water/WaterSystemOverview/CedarTreatmentFacility/WatershedProtection/index.htm
[3] "The Answer is in Nature." World Water Day 2018. Web. March 22, 2018. http://worldwaterday.org/
[4] "Third-Tier Water Rates." Seattle Public Utilities. Web. March 22, 2018. http://www.seattle.gov/util/MyServices/Water/WaterRates/ThirdTierWaterRates/index.htm
[5] "Reduce Water Use." Seattle Public Utilities. Web. March 22, 2018. http://www.seattle.gov/util/EnvironmentConservation/MyHome/ReduceWaterUse/index.htm
[6] "Rebates." Saving Water Partnership.Web. March 22, 2018. https://www.savingwater.org/

Permaculture Ethics: Dealing With Consumption

I am a human being therefore it's highly possible that I cause pollution through my lifestyle. This is not something I want to admit or face because I would rather think of myself as good or wholesome, someone who is mitigating the pollution of my fellow species. But if I don't examine that in myself than I risk perpetuating toxic patterns. I remember going through this process before during a breakup, where suddenly all my shortcomings reared their ugly heads laughing at me and pointing fingers. Not the most fun. But I'm probably better for it now, having made some changes, and coming through to the other side.

I am trying to develop more awareness around the ways I cause pollution - materially, energetically, spiritually and so forth. Not to justify my actions, hopefully, because I'm sure I'll want to negotiate the necessity of my polluting habits in order to keep my comforts. Pollution is probably a byproduct of my consumption habits.

At the NW Permaculture Convergence recently, I attended a workshop given by Jessi Bloom, author of Practical Permaculture, and I don't remember what she specifically said, but a nagging question came into my mind, "Do I consume more than I produce?". This workshop followed on the heels of a workshop given by Alexia Allen of Hawthorn Farm - who shared her family's year-long experiment of only "consuming" what they themselves had grown, or otherwise bartered from people they knew. She talked about tapping sugar maples, for example, in order to have a sweetener.

The truth is I currently produce very little. I have a full front yard where I've grown annuals like greens, garlic, potatoes, herbs and tomatoes - but I consume far beyond that. As a gardener, often times of ornamentals, I could say that I produce beauty. I also produce music, which I would like to think benefits others. But I did not produce the instruments I play. I enjoy producing my own herbal medicines, which I have either wildcrafted or purchased from bulk herb stores. Still I do not know exactly where those plants were harvested. It is hard to wrap my head around exactly what I am producing in this world. I feel out of balance, and therefore causing pollution.

Now fortunately my intentions to reduce waste, packaging, transportation costs, etc-for many years now-have caused my consumption to be lower than the average American. Yet that's not really saying much. Especially knowing that millions of people around the world are living on much less than I am (and are probably better off). In the very least, I would like to be able to say I produce more than I consume. If that's really true, than I have some changes to make.

Of course this "ideal" cannot just happen overnight. I will slowly need to increase production while decreasing consumption. I think both are possible. 

Perhaps in order to face my consumption patterns I can admit some of my most foul habits:

• Drinking coffee. Yes there's direct trade, and yes those beans come from far away. Also, Coffee is a metaphor for any exotic foods I purchase, perhaps from over 100 miles away. The issue with exotic foods, which is not just the pollution caused in the transport, but also my body may not be properly adapted to it's nutrition.
• When I graciously receive the food and drinks of my friends because I want to be nice, yet I inadvertently enable their bad habits, and by extension, my own.
• Buying food from supermarkets, cafes, or anywhere that's not out of a farmer's hands. 
• My computer usage, for listening to podcasts, doing internet research, learning new music, taking youtube yoga classes, using the internet-metronome.
• Being up past dark whether at home or playing music with friends, where electricity is utilized to light rooms. Like right now as I write this blog post.
• Borrowing my roommate's car for taking short vacations, for to go on beautiful hikes, or my recent trip to Portland and the Permaculture Convergence. I put bussing around in this category too.

Ok so my list is not terrible. In fact it's pretty darn normal. Yet on the other hand -- none of this is necessary for me to lead a meaningful life. I ought to question: am I making my life less profound while missing out on my fullest capacity, by often mindlessly engaging in these habit-patterns? 

I love how Alexia Allen and her family have been "experimenting" with their food consumption and I feel inspired to create my own experiment. I am not ready to commit to anything for a full year, but I like the idea of finishing my year off a little stronger (it's less than three months after all). Do I have what it takes to deal with my consumption addictions? 

Between October 7, 2017 - December 31, 2017 I commit to:

1. No more buying coffee. I can drink tea. I can use up all the bulk teas I have purchased in the past year that are sitting on the shelf. I can plant a Camelia sinensis in the front yard. I'll have my last cup of coffee tomorrow morning to celebrate! (Does that just show how deep the addiction runs?)
2. Boycotting supermarkets; buying food only from Farmers Markets, where I can trace the source. Otherwise the food is coming from my garden, client gardens, or wildcrafted by my own hands. The important thing is that I know the source. Yes this means foregoing a lot of food I might want, and forces creativity (no, it's a good thing!) 
3. No more hanging out late in bars; socialize during the day. This will be hard given that I live in a party house of musicians, and that I love a good night at the bar playing music with friends. But it also means more practice time, and getting to bed at a reasonable hour. Perhaps my last party until the end of the year is tomorrow night, for a friend's birthday. Perhaps instead of parties I can have meaningful one on one visits.
4. Severely curtailing my internet usage. I have sheet music, I have a mechanically operated metronome, and I have my own inner teacher. I don't need YouTube yoga videos nor Buddhist podcasts. I do have a couple gigs to prepare for and an independent study in Integrated Pest Management, as well as an online Permaculture Design Course (PDC) -- that definitely requires internet research. But if I only allow myself one hour a day, perhaps I will be more "productive". I'm not sure how to handle the Thursday night band practices though.
5. Stop staying up late; rest easy. Perhaps if I absolutely must be up late I can utilize candles. There is something deeply nourishing about the idea of going to bed with the sun, though.

I don't know what is going to happen for me in the next few months.This experiment will be around the same duration that I spend doing the online PDC. With permaculture ethics in my face constantly there is a great chance I will succeed with this experiment. It will be interesting to see where I end up by the end of the year, given that I plan to leave Seattle on January 13, 2018 - the day after my birthday - to transition into farming. 

Downshifting my consumption habits seems like the best way to transition into becoming more productive as I seek the farming lifestyle in my near future. Stay tuned!

Flower Moon in May: Columbines & Calendula

There are so many blooming ornamental plants in May: Cornus, Epimedium, Gaultheria, Grevillia, Hydrangea, Magnolia, Maianthemum, Rhododendron, Rubus, Viburnum, Wisteria, and so forth. In this case the best medicine is to go outside, get out of your head, take long walks in your local neighborhood or parks, smell flowers, and pay attention to the plants. Better yet - take your yoga mat to the park on a sunny day and set yourself up near some nice smelling flowers. My favorite place to see what's in bloom is at the Washington Park Arboretum - 130 acres and the second largest woody plant collection in the Western United States. (Don't harvest anything from there unless you are a rule breaker).

However you aren't going to make medicines out of those flowers. What flowers might you harvest in May? When considering what is abundantly available, you might try the more weedy flowers: Aquilegia (columbine), Calendula, Taraxacum, or Viola.

Aquilegia formosa

[Many colors of columbine grow in the arboretum at South Seattle College, May 10, 2017]

Western Columbine is in the same family as buttercup (Ranunculaceae) and is indeed beautiful, because it's flowering colors can be so varied within a small population - this is because they hybridize willingly [1]. The flowers can be eaten raw and added to salads, which apparently taste sweet because they are rich with nectar [1]. If you are going to eat the greens, they should be cooked [1]. Note that all parts of the plant contain cyanogenic glycosides so don't eat too much [2]. Although the body rapidly detoxes cyanides, they do inhibit oxidative cell processes, and with acute toxicity, can cause headaches, tightness in the throat and chest, and muscle weakness [3]. By comparison, bitter almonds are a high source of cyanides, which are commonly eaten.

Columbine was traditionally used by Native Americans as antispasmodic, diaphoretic, parasiticide, and salve, but is not used today in Western Herbalism. A decoction of the root was used for stomachaches, or mashed, fresh roots were rubbed on aching joints. Seeds were also chewed for stomachaches. A poulstice of chewed roots and leaves were applied to bee stings or sores. A decoction of the leaves was taken for sore throats, colds and coughs [1].

In addition, Native Americans would steep the flowers in hot water to use as a hair rinse [5]. So today I harvested a batch of flowers for making my own hair rinse. Since I haven't worked with this plant before, I feel like creating a hair rinse is a fairly safe introduction. The full moon PDT is at 2:42 pm today so I am harvesting as close to that time as possible, and processing immediately. Essentially I am steeping them in a decoction, after which I strain, bottle, and add a bit of apple cider vinegar so it lasts a little longer. Thank you beautiful plants!!

[Beautiful flowers in a pot that will receive some filtered water, May 10, 2017]

Calendula officinalis

I was first introduced to Calendula as an active ingredient in skincare products at the local market, and for a long time assumed it was only used topically, such as in salves. It was only years later when I started researching plants that I learned it is in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) and can cause a reaction for some people allergic to that plant family. Thank goodness I am not one of those people! The flowers are monoecious, which means either male or female, however they can both be found on the same plant [4]. (I am still learning how to tell them apart- see if you can.) Read my previous post about calendula here.

Calendula has a lot to offer for edibility: the leaves are nutritionally similar to dandelion, and the petals can be used as a saffron substitute [4]. The petals, high in carotenoids, are a good source of Vitamin A and C, and when dried, concentrate the flavor more [4]. Medicinally, they are antiseptic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, aperiant (relieve constipation), astringent, cholagogue (stimulating bile production), diaphoretic, emmenagogue, and vulnerary (wound healing) [4]. Calendula is most popular as a skin remedy for bites, stings, sprains, wounds, varicose veins, sore eyes, etc. A tea of the petals may be taken as an antiseptic to treat chronic infections [4].

It is a great plant for the garden - although a self-seeding annual that can get out of hand - because it is cheery and abundant. As a growing plant it can function to deter insects [4]. It has also been developed into a compost activator (dried and powdered with other plants) to speed up bacterial activity in compost piles [4] so you might explore that for yourself! You can use them to guess at weather forecasting, since the flowers close when wet weather is likely to occur [4]!

[Marigold in my garden, May 10, 2017]

I decided to add some petals of calendula to the Columbine Hair Rinse. The flowers are just starting to bloom now. As the summer progresses, and as they become more abundant, I am likely to experiment with food and salve making. As a gardener, my hands need all the help they can get.

Yoga for Inner Blooming

Practice chest and arm flowing exercises for a nice, gentle way to open your heart flower. Check out all the heart opening sequences on Yoga Journal. One way to discern if the movement or pose is safe is whether or not you can successfully achieve it without having to warm up. Warming up the body, such as with sun salutations, is great for getting deeper into poses - however your fascial framework is always functioning, no matter how cold your body is. To nurture more mindful opening, try working when you're feeling tight. Don't ever push. Just pay attention to where the tightness is and utilize easy, flowing movements to untangle stuck tissues. Borrowing from Traditional Chinese Medicine, the heart and pericardium meridians run through the core body and into the arms and fingertips, so you might focus on opening those channels. Or you might focus on the Anahata heart chakra, in the center of your chest, while you are moving, to give yourself something to stay present with. Most importantly, have fun!

[Really cool chart I found on the internet, May 11, 2017]

Works Cited

[1] Fisch. "Aquilegia formosa." Plants for a Future. May 10, 2017. http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Aquilegia+formosa
[2] Vizgirdas, Ray & Edna. Wild Plants of the Sierra Nevada. University of Nevada Press, 2009: p 62.
[3] Magnuson, Bernadene. "Cyanogenic glycosides." University of Idaho EXTOXNET. Summer 1999. May 20, 2017. http://extoxnet.orst.edu/faqs/natural/cya.htm
[4] L. "Calendula officinalis."Plants for a Future. May 10, 2017. http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Calendula+officinalis 
[5] Griffin, Judy. Mother Nature's Herbal. Llewellyn Publications, 1997: p 25.