What To Do After The Fire
NBC San Diego created a to-do list on what to do after the ash stops falling; how to remove it, safely and with the environment in mind, from your home, yard, and car. Here are a few things:

# Determine if ash and debris can be contained and cleaned up without water
# Where it's practical to do so, wash ash and debris into landscaped areas
# Use a damp mop to clean ash and debris from small areas
# Dampen accumulated ash and debris and scrape or vacuum it up using a shop vacuum with adequate filtration
# Take vehicles to a or wash vehicles over a vegetated area, such as a lawn
# Redirect downspouts to landscaped areas when cleaning off roofs
# Use a highttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifh efficiency HEPA-type vacuum to clean indoor carpets
# Use a damp cloth to pick up dust from smaller surfaces, such as counters
# Use a damp mop for nonporous surfaces like tile or vinyl floors

The Politics of Bottled Water
Ira Flatow of Science Friday wrote about the negative environmental impact of consuming bottled water in mass quantities. This is what he reports:

. Worldwide, bottled water consumption nearly doubled between 1997 and 2005,with U.S. residents tipping back the largest share-nearly 26 gallons per person in 2005.

. Bottled water costs as much as $10 per gallon for bottled water compared to less than a penny per gallon for tap water.

. It takes three liters of water to produce a one-liter bottle of water.

. Worldwide, 2.7 million tons of plastic are used each year to make water bottles, but in the U.S., less than 20 percent of these bottles are recycled.

. The total estimated energy needed to make, transport, and dispose of one bottle of water is equivalent to filling the same bottle one-quarter full of oil.

. An estimated 40 percent of bottled water sold in the U.S. is just filtered tap water