Blog Action Day – Algarve’s Water

Posted on October 15, 2007
Filed Under Environment

Today (October 15th) is the first annual “Blog Action Day”- where 15,000 bloggers from around the world will post on an important topic - “The Environment”.

For my part, I’m going to focus on a key issue of “water” here in Algarve.

Blog Action Day - 15,000 Bloggers. One Topic: the Environment

How many times have we prepared to travel by going to the doctor for shots, and the pharmacy for pills to ward off all sorts of traveling ills - lots of precautions just in case. Even seasoned travelers sometimes worry about that one thing they can’t control, Water. It’s in ice cubes, on lettuce, in our cooking – it’s everywhere and impossible to control every point.

Well now there’s one less thing to worry about when traveling or living in the Algarve. The water across the region was recently ISO certified for quality, making the Algarve one of the first regions across the globe to certify its tap water.

Algarve

But there’s more to Algarve’s water than just what comes out of the tap. Monchique (to see photos of Monchique, visit this flickr page), also in the Algarve is well known for its special water. High above sea level, the “Caldas de Monchique” have been know for their healing properties for centuries, and have enticed people from all over the world for treatments. The water of Monchique is also used in well-known cosmetics and therapeutic treatments.

So, not only does the Algarve have safe water for everyday use, it also has water recognized for its medicinal purposes as well. Now it’s up to the rest of us to make sure we do the best we can, to persevere and use this natural resource well.

Here are some quick and easy ways you can help the environment today:
Pick one, and start today.

Take a shorter shower.
If you take long showers, consider cutting it short by a few minutes. You’ll conserve water, and the electricity needed to heat up the water, lowering your utility bills and reducing your energy consumption at the same time.
Use a rag or hand towel instead of napkins or paper towels.
Reusing items instead of using disposable items is almost always a better thing for the environment. Reduce the need to cut down trees, the power needed to turn them into napkins, and the space in the landfill once you throw them away.
Don’t print at least once today.
Instead of automatically hitting the “print” button, think of whether you really need a hardcopy of that document. Can you email it instead? File it on your computer instead of your file cabinet? Read it on the computer instead of on paper? You don’t have to eliminate printing entirely, but holding off on that “print” button once in awhile could greatly reduce your paper consumption.
Carpool once this week.
Have a friend or family member or co-worker who makes roughly the same commute as you? Try riding together at least once. It save on fuel consumption, cuts your fuel spending, reduces greenhouse emissions, and you can get a good conversation at the same time.
Turn off the TV for an hour.
Reduce your energy consumption and get outside and play a sport. Or garden. Or just take a walk. You get healthy and enjoy the natural beauty of your surroundings.