“Gaia’s Freshwater: An Oncoming Crisis”

By Barbara Harwood (Ajijic’s own Pia Aitken)

Excerpted, with permission of the author, from Chapter 9 in Eileen Crist (Editor), H. Bruce Rinker (Editor), Bill McKibben (Foreword), Gaia in Turmoil: Climate Change, Biodepletion and Earth Ethics in an Age of Crisis, MIT Press, 2010, pages 151-162. (Amazon Link)

Water versus Papayas

I stared for what seemed like hours at the beautiful young papaya tree of our family garden. Four years old already, it had four giant papayas ripening at the base of its leaves, and several other smaller ones draping around its core above. But it had planted itself in the wrong place—the only logical corner in our garden to put the three rainwater collection tanks above ground so they could gravity-feed our organic garden.

Despite our living 200 yards from Mexico’s largest inland body of water, Lake Chapala, we worry about water. The water table below us has dropped about 250 feet in the last five years from burgeoning development. We have an extensive rainy season each summer and fall—from four to six months long—and the rain pours off the mountains above and to the north of us and into the lake, replenishing it by several inches each season.

But there are still problems with the lake. First, it is long, wide, and very shallow. Because it is so shallow, more water evaporates from it each year than is removed by the city of Guadalajara for use as the sole water supply for its five million people. There is also tremendous waste of water as it is withdrawn. Guadalajara has such a leaky water system, experts say, that upward of 40 percent of the water it imports from the Lake Chapala drains away unused. Add to that the chemical contamination of the lake from heavy metals in industries that border its primary river source, the Lerma, and the pesticide contamination from farmers on its borders, and you have an endangered, polluted lake, unfit to serve the freshwater needs of the communities that now line its shores. As I contemplated our papaya tree, I realized that this is the same sort of water supply predicament nearly everyone on this planet is either already facing or will face within the next few years.

Water Challenges in China

On the other side of the planet from Mexico, in northwest China’s Shanxi Province, a farmer named Qiao Sanshi sits on a low wooden stool near his rainwater collection “cellar,” a tank barely below ground, patiently waiting for a visitor. He is clutching in his hand the most precious gift he can offer that person: a glass of water. Because over five thousand such cellars for collecting rain have been installed in his small Hequ County, he can provide to a guest something which most of us still take for granted. But in many parts of north China, where water tables are dropping by a meter or more every year, this is impossible. One in three people living outside cities in China have no access to safe drinking water.

Dropping water tables are also affecting China’s food supply. Its wheat harvest, grown largely in the semi-arid north, has dropped precipitously in this century. From 2002 to 2004 China went from being essentially self-sufficient in wheat to being the world’s largest importer (Brown 2005: 102). In a country where jobs created by industrial development barely stay ahead of population growth, farmers regularly lose the water battle with industry. As long as the world wheat supply can provide imports to feed the Chinese, this is viable. But with water tables falling worldwide and rivers being drained, China’s dependence on grain imports may not be sustainable over the long term. The country’s water emergency is dire. With 22 percent of the world’s population and only 6 percent of its water resources, China is among the world’s thirstiest countries. According to China’s own news organization, over 400 of China’s 699 major cities are water short and 50 of those are labeled “seriously threatened,” including Beijing, whose depleted groundwater led a Beijing wit to send relatives an email invitation to the 2008 Olympics with B.Y.O.W. at the bottom: Bring your own water.

Click to read the complete article (pdf).

ACÁ's Great Greens Organic Farm Closes March 31, 2011

Great Greens was Lakeside's first organic farm. It has been an inspiration for others and set the standard for organic farming in the region. It has reached its long term goals with extensive community activities and the many accomplishments of the ACÁ Eco Training Center. ACÁ's ambitious goals were underwritten by grants to its non-profit educational arm and donations and support from individuals many of whom volunteered tirelessly at the farm and events. Great Greens, which started as a demonstration garden 15 years ago, has become the premier organic label in the area.

Despite the many accomplishments, with the ending of their major grant support the operation’s resources have been pushed to their limit. The departure of Wendee Hill from the organization almost a year ago impacted administration and the educational mission of ACÁ had been put on hold.

In the past six months, with the help of the Friends of ACÁ, a serious attempt has been made to sustain the farm by planting more and selling more. The Adopt-a-Row project has resulted in a large increase in the number of rows planted and harvested. However, results indicate it is not possible to make the farm a self-sustainable operation with production and sales sufficient to cover its operating expenses.

"This is a great loss for Lakeside," comments Greg Ochs of the Friends of ACÁ. "For farmers in this area, ACÁ has been a source of training and information that enables them to farm without the dangerous chemicals frequently used here. For schoolchildren and their teachers, ACÁ's school programs have been the means for kids to learn how to grow their own vegetables and raise poultry and livestock while being good to the land and their animals. And for organic greens lovers like me, it has meant the freshest and finest of baby lettuce, arugula, cooking greens, green beans and much else."

ACÁ as a registered Mexican charitable organization (AC), and the Great Greens label will be maintained with the hope of resurrection in the future.—Judith Baehr.

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami: How to Give

Give what you can!

If you have iTunes on your Mac or PC, this is easiest. No forms to fill out. (100% goes to American Red Cross.)

Text REDCROSS (in all capital letters) to 90999 to give $10 (American Red Cross).

Salvation Army USA's Japan Donations Page.

American Red Cross at redcross.org.

Cruz Roja Americana. Forma en Español.

Canadian Red Cross at redcross.ca.

Canada: Text the word ASIA, in all capital letters, to 30333 to give $10.

ABC News list of relief organizations.

We're Organic!

Another Great Reason for Living by the Lake
By Lea Ament

If you sometimes wonder who is laying your eggs, if you suspect that your salad could kill bugs… or if you are simply hoity toity and nothing passes your lips but the freshest, most delicious foods. Chapala Lakeside community could be your retirement heaven.

Last year our first Organic street fair opened to eager crowds. Every Tuesday in the snazzy new Centro Laguna Plaza shopping mall farmers arrive with freshly harvested organic veggies. The location: across from Wal-Mart at the intersection of the Libramiento and the Carretera, centrally located in the Lakeside community. At 10:00 every week the rush starts for purple tomatoes, crisp parsnips, fresh wheat grass, home baked breads, and so much more.

Browsing down the aisles, you will find an amazing selection and variety of fresh and frozen meals. Often these are specifically prepared for specialty diets such as vegan, vegetarian and gluten free. They are ready to simply be heated or tossed in the freezer for later meals. Authentic international cuisine from Thailand, Mexico, India, Germany and North American is presented often by chefs who have lived and trained in the country of choice and are doing this for the love of food and a chance to try new recipes and talk to customers.

But, Where‘s the beef? They have that too; grass fed, humanely raised beef. And, if life gets boring there is also duck, rabbit, lamb, turkey, pork and even chicken. How great is that!

If you become exhausted from checking out sleep masks, homemade shampoo, fresh pressed seed oils, fur lined slippers, organic gardening supplies, the bee farm and eight kinds of sprouts then you may be ready to relax for a moment and meet Adrianna (or her able assistant Barbara). Known as the coffee lady, Adrianna is the Queen of the information table; the hub of the Ecotiangus. She has information on contests (yes, you could win something!). Including; Greatest Vegan Recipe, Most interesting dish made with (seasonal veggie will be selected), and a vegetable drawing contest for kids.  Adrianna has information about classes and demonstrations which are being planned  in cooking, gardening, preserving and other old timey skills and conservation techniques.

To complete you day of shopping for all the good stuff you can wind down at the chic new food court in the plaza. Starting February 15 there will also be helpers available to carry packages to your car.

Beyond the Ecotiangus new ideas are springing up everywhere. A grant has been obtained to develop a Mexican Medicinal Herb Garden in Ajijic. Volunteers planted an organic garden at the orphanage in Chapala. The Lake Chapala Garden Club has designed, and is in process of installing, a Culinary garden at the Wilkes Center. The garden will feature fresh herbs and spices which are used in traditional Mexican dishes.

There is discussion of a seed bank in Chapala. More than one group is seeking town lots for community gardens. Classes in organic gardening, rooftop gardening, seed saving and more are becoming available to those who want to step out the kitchen door and pick their own salad. Home gardens here range from an upside down tomato on the patio to conventional, in the ground, gardens. In between we have green houses, kitchen gardens, square foot, raised beds, automatic watering, hanging gardens, companion planting, worm farms and other specialties going on.

So whether you support your local organic growers or grow your own; Chapala Lakeside has a lot to offer. See you at the Ecotianguis!

Flood Catastrophe Prevention for Ajijic Homebuyers

By Barbara Harwood

A couple of springs ago, a student named Kevin came bounding into the studio: “I think I’ve found a site for my shelter. Can you look?”

One of our duties as Adjunct Professors at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture is to assist the students in designing and building a desert shelter in which they will live during their winters at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Sure,” I replied,” heading out onto the desert path that led to his newly chosen site.

“Look,” he said, using his hands to show me how the shelter would be set onto the site, “I’ll have the south open to the sun here so it can keep me warm in winter, and I’ll put up a stone wall here on the north to protect me from the winds . . .  “

As he continued, I could see his mastery of the concepts of passive solar heating and natural cooling.

But he had missed something vital. “Kevin,” I asked, “What do you see on the northwest edge of your site?”

“A dry channel . . . like maybe an old creek bed?”

“Right,” I said. “Now look northeast. What do you see there?”

“Another dry creek bed?” he answered.

“Right, and where do these two dry creek beds meet?” I asked.

The light was beginning to dawn.  “Oh, right in front of my site.”

“So,” I said, “in Arizona these dry creek beds, or arroyos, look dry and useless in the dry season. But if we should have a heavy rain, what do you think would happen here?”

“Well, I guess water would run down both of these and they would join right here, and if it got too deep, I guess I would get pretty wet,” he said.

“Right. So what does this mean for the site you have chosen?” I asked.

“I think it means that if there is a big rain I might be in serious trouble – like I might be washed away or even drown.”

BINGO!

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