Where do we find the main sources of fresh water on earth ? They are actually in rainforests ! Indeed, one hectare (around 2,50 acres) of rainforest emits 10 000 liters eau/year, through the biological functioning of trees. Those trees also fix the CO2 contained in the atmosphere and reject water and oxygen, which is why we often say that the rainforests are the « lungs » of the planet.


However, the phenomenon of deforestation is a well-known fact now, and every year, this is 13 million hectares (around 32 million acres) that actually disappear, this being equivalent to the quarter of France, and is at the origin of 20% of the global greenhouse gases. This amplifies the pressure on water, the oxygen we breathe and the biodiversity of those rich zones.


Quiksilver and Roxy act in collaboration with the association Coeur de forêt to set up local projects fighting against deforestation, just like the Water Guardians project.

UN-Water is dedicating World Water Day 2010 to the theme of water quality, reflecting its importance alongside quantity of the resource in water management. World Water Day 2010 activities will aim to communicate messages on water quality, ecosystems and human well- being.

 

Quiksilver and Roxy celebrate this worlwide day that which theme is cleraly put forward through the Green Campaign. They invite you to visit the UN Water page:  http://www.unesco.org/water/water_celebrations/index.shtml

 

Let's remember the French author Victor Hugo who once said: "This is a sad thing to consider that Nature speaks and human beings don't listen". Victor Hugo

 

It is for sure kind of fuzzy business trying to figure out how much water is available on Earth… But when we schematize it to the proportions of a 1,5L bottle of water, we can figure it out more easily.

Out of the total volume present on Earth, less than 3% is fresh water (here the water contained in the cap of the bottle). More than ¾ of this fresh water is “blocked” in ice (mountains, North and South poles), and so is not directly available for human beings.

Moreover, “available fresh water” doesn’t mean “drinking water”, as many lakes, rivers and more and more underground waters are polluted. The water extracted from those sources has to go through a special treatment before ending up at our faucets!

Waste life span indicates how much time it takes for the waste to actually « biodegrade », i.e. breaking down into very small pieces through the action of the sun, wind, and water. For instance, a cigarette butt will take 1 to 5 years to disappear. For a plastic bag, it will take 450 years. During all these years, turtles and dolphins may confuse them for jellyfish one of their favorite snacks…

 

Recently, scientists have found that when certain waste is degrading, they actually release more or less toxic compounds into the environment. This is the case with plastic bottles. More than an eye sore (visual pollution), our waste represents a real threat to our environment and biodiversity; hence the importance to reduce its volume (less packaging) and foster alternative forms of treatment (recycling, re-using, second hand markets, compost, etc.).

Who knows, the water in your glass could have crossed your skis one day, or even run onto your windscreen!

Knowing that the water course is a closed cycle and that not all waters are treated, polluting water is also polluting the water which may end up in your glass or your food. By the game of streaming, all waste left on the ground will possibly end up in a water course. By throwing a cigarette butt on the floor, you take the risk to find it again on your beaches!

The use of non-recyclable plastic bags plays a major role in our oceans’ pollution. Plastics do not biodegradable. They do however “photodegrade”, which means that they break down into smaller pieces under exposure to UV light. Over 100,000 marine mammals die each year because they eat, swallow, or get tangled up in plastics, confounding them with jellyfishes.

 
The question is: Do we really need those plastic bags? What about replacing the over-consumption of plastic bags by reusing and recycling?