Comments for ebmgh.com http://ebmgh.com/blog Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:21:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Uproar over Chloramines by Beth Nord http://ebmgh.com/blog/2011/01/uproar-over-chloramines/#comment-476 Beth Nord Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:21:13 +0000 http://ebmgh.com/blog/2011/01/uproar-over-chloramines/#comment-476 The one thing the Sedlak Science article did not mention were the health effects of chloramine. There are hundreds of people who have respiratory, digestive or dermal problems because of this chemical. I had terrible skin rashes and have had to stop using our tap water entirely. Please see www.chloramine.org for more information. The one thing the Sedlak Science article did not mention were the health effects of chloramine. There are hundreds of people who have respiratory, digestive or dermal problems because of this chemical. I had terrible skin rashes and have had to stop using our tap water entirely. Please see http://www.chloramine.org for more information.

]]> Comment on Uproar over Chloramines by Annette Smith http://ebmgh.com/blog/2011/01/uproar-over-chloramines/#comment-471 Annette Smith Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:06:44 +0000 http://ebmgh.com/blog/2011/01/uproar-over-chloramines/#comment-471 Are you saying that EPA should continue to ignore the very serious health complaints that people who live in chloraminated water districts are reporting? From San Francisco CA to Poughkeepsie NY to South Burlington VT, citizens who live in districts that have switched to chloramine are experiencing severe respiratory, dermal and gastrointestinal problems. EPA is well aware of these severe health symptoms, which go away when people stop drinking, bathing and cooking with their tap water, but rather than investigate the health issues, EPA went into high gear "messaging" mode to assure the public chloramine is safe. Health studies for the symptoms people are reporting have not been done, and CDC admits that. While it is important to disinfect water, chlorine is easy and inexpensive to filter while chloramine is creating a serious social justice issue because filtration of chloramine is technically difficult and expensive, and only the wealthy can afford it. Meanwhile, the many systems that are switching to chloramine are spawning a water filter industry claiming to offer products that filter chloramine, but the many people we know who have tried them say they don't work. I encourage you to do more research before reassuring your readers that they should ignore the problems with chloramine. Are you saying that EPA should continue to ignore the very serious health complaints that people who live in chloraminated water districts are reporting? From San Francisco CA to Poughkeepsie NY to South Burlington VT, citizens who live in districts that have switched to chloramine are experiencing severe respiratory, dermal and gastrointestinal problems. EPA is well aware of these severe health symptoms, which go away when people stop drinking, bathing and cooking with their tap water, but rather than investigate the health issues, EPA went into high gear “messaging” mode to assure the public chloramine is safe. Health studies for the symptoms people are reporting have not been done, and CDC admits that. While it is important to disinfect water, chlorine is easy and inexpensive to filter while chloramine is creating a serious social justice issue because filtration of chloramine is technically difficult and expensive, and only the wealthy can afford it. Meanwhile, the many systems that are switching to chloramine are spawning a water filter industry claiming to offer products that filter chloramine, but the many people we know who have tried them say they don’t work. I encourage you to do more research before reassuring your readers that they should ignore the problems with chloramine.

]]> Comment on Côte d’Ivoirienne Chanteuse Fely in SF by Paul http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/07/cote-d%e2%80%99ivoirienne-chanteuse-fely-in-sf/#comment-421 Paul Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:19:48 +0000 http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/07/cote-d%e2%80%99ivoirienne-chanteuse-fely-in-sf/#comment-421 Her music is great, actually. Should be a good show! Her music is great, actually. Should be a good show!

]]> Comment on Earth to EBMUD: Are you stupid, clueless, or what? by Landscape Gardeners Sydney http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/05/earth-to-ebmud-are-you-stupid-clueless-or-what/#comment-347 Landscape Gardeners Sydney Mon, 24 May 2010 16:18:54 +0000 http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/05/earth-to-ebmud-are-you-stupid-clueless-or-what/#comment-347 Thank you for a great post Thank you for a great post

]]> Comment on Earth to EBMUD: Are you stupid, clueless, or what? by Mokelumne River – Wild and Scenic | American River Rafting http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/05/earth-to-ebmud-are-you-stupid-clueless-or-what/#comment-337 Mokelumne River – Wild and Scenic | American River Rafting Wed, 19 May 2010 21:22:47 +0000 http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/05/earth-to-ebmud-are-you-stupid-clueless-or-what/#comment-337 [...] Earth t&#959 EBMUD: Ar&#1077 &#1091&#959&#965 stupid, clueless, &#959r w&#1211&#1072t? | ebmgh.com [...] [...] Earth t&#959 EBMUD: Ar&#1077 &#1091&#959&#965 stupid, clueless, &#959r w&#1211&#1072t? | ebmgh.com [...]

]]> Comment on Calling out water hogs by TTTE http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/05/calling-out-water-hogs/#comment-335 TTTE Wed, 19 May 2010 03:35:07 +0000 http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/05/calling-out-water-hogs/#comment-335 Hi Matt, The thing that gets me about the 'rich can pay argument' is that it is a truism, but who cares? They should pay more, increases prices will not hurt the poor, they don't have huge gardens and swimming pools. To the extent that water utilities have operating costs of 'x' split between all the users, if big water users are not paying much more, they are getting a subsidy from the poor. cheers Hi Matt,

The thing that gets me about the ‘rich can pay argument’ is that it is a truism, but who cares?

They should pay more, increases prices will not hurt the poor, they don’t have huge gardens and swimming pools.

To the extent that water utilities have operating costs of ‘x’ split between all the users, if big water users are not paying much more, they are getting a subsidy from the poor.

cheers

]]> Comment on Calling out water hogs by Matthew http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/05/calling-out-water-hogs/#comment-333 Matthew Tue, 18 May 2010 20:07:46 +0000 http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/05/calling-out-water-hogs/#comment-333 Thanks for the comment Thomas. I'm all for using appropriate pricing as a demand management tool. I'm a big supporter of base allocations and steeply tiered rates to target non-essential, discretionary use. But no matter how steep you make the tiers, you are still going to have some water users for whom price is no object, e.g. Omidyar, Gates, and their ilk. Maybe a few among the super-rich will be more concerned about their reputation than about a $30,000 water bill. So I'd like to see more articles like these. Plus, they're awfully fun to read! I wouldn't say that the Pacific Institute is obsessed with water efficiency as much as we are with sustainable water management. Smart economics will be an (indispensable) tool to get us there, and so will improved efficiency. Cheers and keep the opinions coming. Thanks for the comment Thomas. I’m all for using appropriate pricing as a demand management tool. I’m a big supporter of base allocations and steeply tiered rates to target non-essential, discretionary use.

But no matter how steep you make the tiers, you are still going to have some water users for whom price is no object, e.g. Omidyar, Gates, and their ilk. Maybe a few among the super-rich will be more concerned about their reputation than about a $30,000 water bill. So I’d like to see more articles like these. Plus, they’re awfully fun to read!

I wouldn’t say that the Pacific Institute is obsessed with water efficiency as much as we are with sustainable water management. Smart economics will be an (indispensable) tool to get us there, and so will improved efficiency.

Cheers and keep the opinions coming.

]]> Comment on Calling out water hogs by TTTE http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/05/calling-out-water-hogs/#comment-330 TTTE Tue, 18 May 2010 02:10:24 +0000 http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/05/calling-out-water-hogs/#comment-330 We sure do need to put the price of water up! Your Bill Gates example misses the point entirely. Look at fuel prices in USA compared to Europe or Australia. Cheap fuel leads to huge cars and people driving places rather than taking public transport, cycling or walking. Cheap water leads to wastage. Equitable pricing is not difficult to implement: http://thomasthethinkengine.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/this-is-serious-mum-%E2%80%93-a-new-model-for-urban-water-pricing/ Pathetic 'awareness campaigns', 'low flow shower head' rebates and 'efficiency case studies' (a Pac Inst favorite) have done as much for increasing water use efficiency as 'gas mileage targets' did for American cars. Nothing. We sure do need to put the price of water up! Your Bill Gates example misses the point entirely.

Look at fuel prices in USA compared to Europe or Australia. Cheap fuel leads to huge cars and people driving places rather than taking public transport, cycling or walking.

Cheap water leads to wastage. Equitable pricing is not difficult to implement:

http://thomasthethinkengine.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/this-is-serious-mum-%E2%80%93-a-new-model-for-urban-water-pricing/

Pathetic ‘awareness campaigns’, ‘low flow shower head’ rebates and ‘efficiency case studies’ (a Pac Inst favorite) have done as much for increasing water use efficiency as ‘gas mileage targets’ did for American cars. Nothing.

]]> Comment on Earth to EBMUD: Are you stupid, clueless, or what? by Matthew http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/05/earth-to-ebmud-are-you-stupid-clueless-or-what/#comment-317 Matthew Sat, 15 May 2010 22:33:34 +0000 http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/05/earth-to-ebmud-are-you-stupid-clueless-or-what/#comment-317 You think so? I think their staff get a water bill just like the rest of us. You don't get free beer if you work at a brewery do you? Wait, maybe I'm in the wrong line of work. The gardener on the other hand... You think so? I think their staff get a water bill just like the rest of us. You don’t get free beer if you work at a brewery do you? Wait, maybe I’m in the wrong line of work.

The gardener on the other hand…

]]> Comment on Earth to EBMUD: Are you stupid, clueless, or what? by David Zetland http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/05/earth-to-ebmud-are-you-stupid-clueless-or-what/#comment-306 David Zetland Thu, 13 May 2010 17:15:08 +0000 http://ebmgh.com/blog/2010/05/earth-to-ebmud-are-you-stupid-clueless-or-what/#comment-306 Nice post. Remember that EBMUC staffers (and gardeners) probably don't pay the water bill :) Nice post. Remember that EBMUC staffers (and gardeners) probably don’t pay the water bill :)

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