What's Your Water Footprint?

 

Hidden Water Usage Adds Up!

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

A lot has been written about our carbon footprint – the amount of greenhouse gas individuals or entities emit into the atmosphere. But not so much about something that could be even more important. Our water footprint.

 

In addition to the obvious water we use – to drink, cook, bathe, clean, and perform basic tasks each day – our water footprint includes the "hidden" water it takes to produce the goods and services we use, especially the food we eat.

While the average American uses about 80 gallons of water for daily activities, when it comes to hidden water for our consumption needs that easily adds another 2,000 gallons per day. 

For example, if you have a hamburger, it takes 462 gallons of water to produce the beef in your quarter pounder. For the water to feed and tend the cattle and get it to market. Add a slice of cheese and that's another 56 gallons of water. A tomato slice is just over a gallon and lettuce is half a gallon. The bun itself is 22 gallons. For a total of 541.5 gallons! 

But what if you chose a pork or chicken sandwich instead? It takes 180 gallons to produce the pork and 129 gallons for the chicken. So, swapping out the hamburger for a chicken sandwich could reduce your water footprint by 333 gallons. 

As you can see, choices make a difference. Are you a coffee or a tea drinker? The water needed to make the leaves in one cup of tea is 7 gallons. For the beans in one cup of coffee it's 66 gallons. 

 

We all know that fruit should be a part of our diets, but which ones? Pineapple uses 31 gallons/pound. Grapes over 100 gallons/pound and cherries soak up a thirsty 240 gallons/pound. 

 

As for veggies, cabbage needs 24 gallons of water/pound while corn needs 107 gallons/pound.

SurfWriter Girls learned that two popular indulgences – chocolate and wine – come with a big water footprint. It takes 450 gallons of water for one 3.5 oz. chocolate bar and 28 gallons of water for one glass of wine. 

Non-food items have water footprints, too. For a cell phone, the footprint is about 3,200 gallons. For a car it can be as much as 40,000 gallons. And when your favorite blue jeans need to be replaced, plan on a water footprint of 2,600 gallons. 

 

To find out more about what's adding to your water footprint, check online and compare your options. Swapping one item for another can make a big difference. And in the words of Benjamin Franklin, "When the well is dry, we know the worth of water." 

 

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Surfrider Chapter Leaders Protect Beach

 

Richard Busch and John Wadsworth Onboard

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

The Surfrider Foundation's North Orange County chapter, representing Huntington/Seal Beach and Newport Beach (homes to "Surf City" and the Wedge surf break), is lucky to have leaders Richard Busch and John Wadsworth onboard.  

 

With a shared commitment to protecting the beach environment, chapter chair Busch and former co-chair Wadsworth have guided and motivated volunteers to accomplish a long list of objectives to keep the beach safe and accessible to all while promoting the sport of surfing. 

Busch, with a B.A. in history from CSU Fullerton, puts his knowledge of human behavior to work interacting with members, organizations and surf industry leaders to coordinate beach cleanups and events.

 

Add in a background as a mortgage loan advisor and financial educator, and Busch is well prepared to put the chapter's resources to good use in achieving objectives.

Busch has "no memory of the beaches of my youth being dirty." But while riding his bike one day, he “saw all the trash being collected at a Surfrider beach cleanup and from then I started showing up to all cleanups and chapter meetings." Soon he was named beach cleanup coordinator and began learning about environmental issues and sharing his knowledge with others.  

USC grad Wadsworth, who is now the chapter's channel cleanup coordinator, has a commercial real estate background and knows how important it is to safeguard the Earth's natural resources. 

 

Looking beyond the coastline, Wadsworth would like the chapter "to get to the inland communities and raise awareness there" about protecting the beach. It was his idea for Surfrider to adopt part of the Santa Ana River channel to clean before the water drains into the ocean, bringing pollutants and debris.

Wadsworth is also active in Newport Beach's Water Quality/Coastal Tidelands Committee, advising the City Council on ways to protect water quality and habitat in the bay and ocean.

 

Avid surfers, who love nothing better than riding the waves, Busch and Wadsworth are giving up time in the lineup to ensure that the world's oceans, waves and beaches are protected for everyone to enjoy. 

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Dalai Lama Valentine to Planet

 Book Written with Mutts Cartoonist

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

His Holiness the Dalai Lama and celebrated Mutts cartoonist Patrick McDonnell might seem like an unlikely pair, but both are committed to protecting the environment and the future of our planet for all creatures large and small.

Together they have created a treasure of a book, Heart to Heart: A Conversation on Love and Hope for Our Precious Planet.

 

The duo is calling for a "compassionate revolution" in which we all come together to tap our feelings of compassion to stand up for the endangered species whose lands, and very homes, are being destroyed by unlimited development and pollution. 

In doing so, we will also be standing up for ourselves and the type of world we want to live in, filled with natural beauty and the sounds of birdsong.

The Dalai Lama says that he "welcomes everyone as a friend. In truth we share the same basic goals. We all seek happiness and do not want suffering." 

So, when a giant Panda shows up at his door the Dalai Lama is happy to see him and ready to accompany him on a life-changing journey. 

It's a journey of enlightenment that we all can go on through the pages of this book.

 

A beautiful book to read, share or give for Valentine's Day, Heart to Heart will touch your heart and remind you of the power of love and the positive impact that even one act of kindness can have on making the world a better place. 

 

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Surfrider Foundation - Friend to Ocean

Celebrating New Milestones in 2025

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

The Surfrider Foundation is entering the new year with a string of milestones to celebrate and a continuing commitment to protect the world's oceans, waves and beaches in 2025.

After nearly ten years of work, Surfrider helped establish the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, a 140-mile ocean stretch of California coastline between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara.

 

With a 4,543 sq. mile footprint, the marine sanctuary contains kelp forests and surfgrass beds and hosts a diverse array of fish, birds, marine mammals and other wildlife. The sanctuary not only provides a place of refuge, but will add 23 million dollars in economic activity to the area. 

Surfrider also launched its new Climate Action Program that protects coastlines through nature-based solutions, such as restoring coastal dunes, wetlands and mangrove forests.

 

The mangroves, which are saltwater-tolerant trees that grow in swamps and coastal areas, guard against erosion and improve water quality. Surfrider CEO Dr. Chad Nelsen calls them "nature's own storm surge defense system." 

 

Surfrider backed successful conservation initiatives along the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California this past year, as well. Dr. Nelsen says they're helping local communities "adapt to rising seas and safeguard the future of our cherished beaches." 

 

And Surfrider helped establish another marine protected area. The Submerged Gardens Natural Reserve of Vega Baja and Manati on the coast of Puerto Rico.

The new reserve is home to the largest Elkhorn coral assemblage in the Caribbean and protects more than 43,000 acres of pristine marine ecosystems. 

 

For the Surfrider Foundation, 2024 – its 40th anniversary year – was a big one!

And, with its motivated grassroots network of volunteers in 200+ chapters around the world, it's already setting milestones for 2025. Including welcoming new volunteers to become Friends of the Ocean.

 

With so many milestones accomplished and more on the horizon, for the Surfrider Foundation it's clear to see "Surf's Up!" 

 

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

 

Shaka to Me in 2025!

 

Hand Gesture Makes Friends Everywhere

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

There’s an easy way to share friendship and make friends in the new year. Just shaka it to them! Giving the popular hand gesture with the extended pinky and thumb.

 

The shaka sign, which originated in Hawaii, is so widely seen in the islands that on June 24th the state took legislative action to designate it as the official state gesture, a welcoming sign of friendship and aloha. 

Commonly used among surfers, the shaka is a friendly gesture that can mean anything from "Hello" to "Hang loose!" Or "Epic wave, dude!" It can also mean "Have a good day," "Sorry, my bad" or "Don't sweat it." The messages are virtually endless with this universal gesture of goodwill. 

 

Sponsors of the Hawaii state legislation making the shaka sign official say Hawaii is "lucky to have a visual sign for sharing aloha with each other."

 

It's a sign that has travelled far beyond Hawaii's shores, transmitting good vibes around the world wherever it goes. You can flash it palm out or in; hold it flat or shake it about. Just like riding a wave, the style is up to you. 

As for how shaka started, one story goes that it started in the early 1900s on Oahu's North Shore when a train guard named Hamana Kalili, who lost three fingers in a sugar mill accident, used to wave to passengers boarding the train. Local kids, trying to jump on the train, began mimicking his gesture - with thumb and pinky out - to let other kids know it was safe to jump on.  

 

Over time, the gesture spread throughout the islands and took on many meanings. No one knows for sure why it's called the "shaka," but many think it's related to Shaka, the Japanese historical figure associated with Buddha and enlightenment.

Whatever the name means, one thing is certain: the shaka is bound to put a smile on your face.  

 SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.