I don't know whether this has been discussed much, but how can USMS support "going green," promoting and/or being supportive of being environmentally responsible for clean water to swim in as well as to drink?
Open Water swims, of course, are the perfect venues to remind us all to keep our waters clean for swimming. The Boston swim focuses on this; do other Open Water swims promote cleaner water? What do they do?
Can pool Masters swimmers, clubs, LMSCs promote being "greener"? Encouraging people to take shorter showers is one way. What are other ways?
I think it is a fine idea and good opportunity for USMS to promote this particular aspect of the environment. By the way, all the Great Lakes are down several inches, except for Lake Superior (where, at the moment, we don't have Open Water swims...but who knows, in the future???).
Jennifer Parks, Michigan Masters
Oil $117 a barrell today. What about tomorrow???
It is easy to stop this.
1. Walk instead of drive for short trips.
2. Ride a bicyle instead of drive.
3. Don't buy gas.
Hi -
Those are all good things to do, but I don't think high oil prices can be stopped. There is a large consensus that we are at peak oil right now (meaning we are about to start on the downslope of using up the world's nonrenewable supply, remaining oil becoming increasingly costly to get, whatever) or peak oil is right around the corner. I do expect some ups and downs - gosh, oil could creep down to $89 a barrel - but I expect increasingly costlier oil as both a long- and short-term trend.
And there are ever more of us driving cars, using refrigerators, flying planes, throwing out plastic bags.
Regards, VB
Just to add a note: I was out taking a beach walk along southern Lake Michigan this morning and talking with geezers about water levels over past 25 years. I remember when the lake was ca. 5 feet higher and the now exposed sandy beach was a sandy bottom underwater. The lake is used for domestic water, and the enormous growth around Chicago, especially in the southern suburbs, has created a demand that has lowered lake levels permanently. (They say.)
Oil $117 a barrell today. What about tomorrow???
It is easy to stop this.
1. Walk instead of drive for short trips.
2. Ride a bicyle instead of drive.
3. Don't buy gas.
Hi -
Those are all good things to do, but I don't think high oil prices can be stopped. There is a large consensus that we are at peak oil right now (meaning we are about to start on the downslope of using up the world's nonrenewable supply, remaining oil becoming increasingly costly to get, whatever) or peak oil is right around the corner. I do expect some ups and downs - gosh, oil could creep down to $89 a barrel - but I expect increasingly costlier oil as both a long- and short-term trend.
And there are ever more of us driving cars, using refrigerators, flying planes, throwing out plastic bags.
Regards, VB
Just to add a note: I was out taking a beach walk along southern Lake Michigan this morning and talking with geezers about water levels over past 25 years. I remember when the lake was ca. 5 feet higher and the now exposed sandy beach was a sandy bottom underwater. The lake is used for domestic water, and the enormous growth around Chicago, especially in the southern suburbs, has created a demand that has lowered lake levels permanently. (They say.)
