Water and Heat: Without Them We Would Be Beat

You know I really feel like something, within the next two years, there’s going to pop.

The Hayward Fault is about to go any day now. You see, the Hayward Fault goes off, has been anyway for the last four times, between 139 and 140 years. And right now, we’re on the 141st year. It’s going to slip and slide sooner or later. The San Andreas Fault is only two miles underneath the Hayward fault line. There’s other small ones, scattered like veins and capillaries from the veins and arteries. They had a lot of information on this two years, when it was getting close to going off, they thought.

They would tell you things, off and on, during this two year period. They haven’t said anything all this year because that period has gone by. But that doesn’t delete or cancel the movement of the plates that moves mountains, land masses shifts unbelievable power surge that Mother Nature sneaks in. Sneak attack. The bad thing about the Hayward Fault is that its one of the biggest in the world. In the world’s top 10, and that’s big enough.

Those 140 years plus, they have built hospitals, old folks homes, many large structures, condos, whatever. Who’s going to worry about this 100 to 140 years from now?

Do you have an earthquake safety kit?

You know, like a flashlight, radio, wrench for your gas, water, candle, alcohol, bandages. It’s important to have a red cross spec group of essential items that would be very useful in an emergency. And it’s not much money.

I’m going to try to put one of these kits together and probably cost about $30-$40. In a couple weeks I will have an answer on my attempt to put these together. I could use the money saved for a room for winter, along with what side jobs I have at the Farmers Market—assistant to the supervisor, selling the San Jose Mercury News and also helping some of the farmers load/unload their trucks—for cash. It’s only one day a week, though.

At least, people, be smart enough to buy a lot of bottled water. Not only is it our most valuable resource but it will be like gold if we had an earthquake or disaster. Even though we have plenty of water from last year’s rain and snow, we can be a dry state just two years from this time.

Water is still very misused and overused.

Giving an example: When people go to take a shower, they put on the hot water, wait til it gets hot, then some cold water, to get it to jump in temperature. By the time you get through all that adjustment in feeling the water, you could have used 4-5 gallons of water. Weekly, times that by millions every day and that’s our country alone. You see the message that I’m getting across?

I think that our overall disaster situation is fires, mainly grass that turns into forest fires. After all, the biggest destroyer in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake was fire.

We need fire to make our lives more comfortable, as long as it's in a controlled environment. From matches to volcanoes, we are dependent on some heat. We absolutely needed, for business, home or pleasure. Back to the water, the other element that’s needed in our daily ritual.

Count the ways of how many times you may use that water:

1. toilet
2. shower
3. making your coffee
4. hot cereal
5. wash dishes
6. water to drink
7. radiator for your car
8. to wash your car
9. water your lawn
10. laundry
11. ice cubes
12. the cooking of most food

Well, that’s 12 things. If you didn’t have much water, or no water at all, just imagine that. Use water wisely and try not to waste. Even though we have more than enough for a couple of years, the price will always go up because the water company makes less money because people are not using enough. They will raise the water rates to accommodate their profit margin.

Its staggering the amount of water the Bay Area uses in just one day. With these numbers, you’d think we’d run out fast.

The opinions expressed here are the blogger's and not necessarily those of the local editor's or anyone affiliated with Patch.