chinquapin The Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society Volume 16, No. 2 Summer 2008 What’s your water footprint? water is much more complex. Perhaps it’s because I live in the suburbs of Atlanta where we are enduring an ‘exceptional’ drought and have been under a total outdoor watering ban “Today, food ties the world together. We make choices every day— for nearly a year that this article from the June 22 Arizona Daily Star By Sarah hamburger or veggie burger, a baked potato or rice, an apple or Garrecht Gassen caught my eye. It seems to apply in the Southeast as well as banana, a glass of beer or wine—that have consequences across the Arizona. I’ve been collecting sink and shower water for other use for a year. globe. Wasting food, or even not finishing the whole pot of coffee, becomes a much bigger deal once we realize how much water goes into ater conservation can begin with your dinner plate. Sure, the things we consume. it looks like merely a hamburger with cheese, a baked potato and a cup of coffee. But look at it in terms of water: “And virtual water should play an important role in deciding what WIt took about 464 gallons of water to produce that quarter pound of industries a community wants to attract and support. The City of beef, 108 gallons to produce a potato, 37 gallons to make 1 ounce of Peoria in Maricopa County has developed a policy that requires the cheese and 37 gallons of water to create your 8-ounce cup of coffee. city to calculate the economic value, per gallon, of water when changes to land use are proposed. “This concept of calculating how much water goes into the production of food or other items is called ‘virtual water.’ Instead of seeing only “‘They’re saying, what if we have houses going on land versus some the item in front of you—say, a ribeye steak—you look at where it industry going on the land?’ said Sharon Megdal, director of the came from, how the cattle was raised, how many gallons of water were Water Resources Research Center at the University of Arizona. ‘It’s used in irrigation to produce the feed the cattle ate, how many gallons not the factor considered, but what does it mean for tax revenue, of water were used to create the fertilizer and pesticides used in raising jobs—not just look at this as the water used on the land, but the whole the feed corn, how much water was consumed by the actual animal, picture associated with water use.’ how many resources went into getting that animal from the ranch to the slaughter house to the packing plant to the store to you. “Seeing water in every action and in every product takes a change in thinking. But once the connection is made, it’s hard to ignore, espe- “Giant water problems involve regions, municipalities, states and tribal cially as food shortages around the world prompt riots and hunger. governments and are so involved and technical that they’re too huge Eating lower on the food chain—specifically, eating less meat—makes for many people to tackle. the biggest difference. “So we come back to the dinner plate. “‘I think people at the global level are talking about this with global trading in food, but it’s only now becoming a local issue,’ said Pat “Agriculture is by far the largest user of water in Arizona, and for the Gober, the co-director of the Decision Center for a Desert City at world, said University of Arizona Professor George Frisvold, who Arizona State University. ‘If somebody in Phoenix consumes a ham- studies resource economics. He has been talking with agricultural burger it’s not consuming much of Phoenix’s water, but it’s consuming producers about water policy for a research project. Brazil’s water, or wherever the beef was raised. It’s the globalization of our food supply. “‘People will say agriculture uses all this water, but they’ll say we’re not having swimming pools and using it up, we’re putting it into food that “‘Food as a way of conserving water,’ said Gober. ‘I think it’s an impor- people are using,’ Frisvold said. ‘A frustration for them is people don’t tant thing to think about.’” think, ‘I’m sitting down and having my dinner and I’m having my salad’ — they’re not thinking and not realizing how much water went Castanea Available Online for SABS Members into the lettuce you’re consuming.’ SABS members may obtain recent Castanea articles, Volumes 69-73 (2004-2008) at BioOne. Viewing and downloading Castanea articles “Water policy—even the words sound wonky—comes down to this: is free for SABS members with use of the proper username and How much do we have, who gets to say how it’s used, and when push password when accessed through the SABS website http://www.sabs. comes to shove who benefits and who loses? The tendency is to think appstate.edu. The username is sabs and the password is castanea, all about water in regional terms or as a hyper-local issue, about what we in lowercase. Thanks to our webmaster Charles Horn for making this can do to save water. Using low-flow toilets and desert landscaping are arrangement with BioOne. valuable things to do and they help conserve water. But the calculus of 2 Chinquapin 16 (2) The Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society SABS Officers & Editors Conley K. McMullen, President Department of Biology, MSC 7801 The President’s Perspective by Conley K. McMullen James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA 22807 (540) 568-3805 · fax (540) 568-3333 [email protected] reetings to all current members of are now submitted electronically through Howard S. Neufeld, Past President SABS (old and new), as well as to Allen Track, we still have an Editor-in- Department of Biology all potential members who may be Chief, a Managing Editor, and eight subject 572 Rivers Street Greading for the first time! Our matter editors who keep the ball(s) rolling. Chinquapin Appalachian State University newsletter editor, Scott Ranger, recently Among other things, the subject editors are Boone, NC 28608 asked that I provide some “presidential” responsible for selecting reviewers for our (828) 262-2683 · fax (828) 262-2127 comments for the summer issue. He didn’t manuscripts. And speaking of manuscripts, [email protected] specify whether they should be few or many, it now appears that the number submitted to Charles N. Horn, Treasurer so I’ll try to err on the side of few, as you’ll no Castanea by the end of the year will exceed Biology Department doubt want to direct most of your attention that predicted by Howie Neufeld in our last 2100 College Street to the many interesting, informative, and newsletter! This is exciting news, and the Newberry College entertaining articles that follow! direction toward which we have been work- Newberry, SC 29108 ing so diligently. We have Howie especially to (803) 321-5257 · fax (803) 321-5636 [email protected] This is my first opportunity to address the thank for this. But, once again, it does mean entire membership of SABS, and I’d like to that we will continue to recruit new editors. Patricia Cox, Membership Secretary share a few things that I’ve learned about our Please consider volunteering your talents in TVA Heritage Program Society since taking over as President at the this area as well, and give our Editor-in-Chief, 400 W. Summit Hill Drive end of April. First and foremost, my suspi- George Johnson a call. Knoxville, TN 37901 cions have been confirmed that an organiza- (865) 632-1635 [email protected] tion such as this doesn’t run itself! Indeed, Since these comments are being presented I’ve spent more time on SABS activities over in Chinquapin, I feel that I must make a few Ruth Douglas, Recording Secretary the past two months than I did during an special statements regarding our wonderful 108 Wildflower Drive entire year as President-Elect. Rarely a day newsletter. I recently noticed on our SABS Charlottesville, VA 22911 passes without some piece of Society business website that Chinquapin is defined as a (434) 293-6538 crossing my desk. As a result, I have a new Native American name for a smaller member [email protected] respect for our Past Presidents, the most of the genus Castanea. Well, that may be, but George Johnson, Editor-in-Chief of recent being Howie Neufeld. Fortunately, the in our Society the newsletter plays a huge role Castanea President isn’t required to do it all alone. By in our mission, which is to promote botani- Department of Biological Sciences my count, we currently have approximately 40 cal interest and to disseminate information Arkansas Tech University individuals directly involved in the operations concerning the flora and ecology of the Russellville, AR 72801 of SABS, including officers, editors, council southern Appalachian region and the entire (479)968-0312 members, committee members, and official eastern United States. For almost 16 years, [email protected] representatives to other organizations. And, Chinquapin has accomplished its mission by Audrey Mellichamp, Managing Editor this number doesn’t include our many mem- providing professional scientist and amateur of Castanea bers who review manuscripts for our official alike with the best in botanical news. Scott 3036 Ventosa Drive journal, Castanea! Equally important are Ranger, who became our Newsletter Editor Charlotte, NC 28205 those members who have not yet performed this year, is continuing this legacy of quality [email protected] any of the above-mentioned roles, but who newsletter items as can be seen through- Scott Ranger, Editor of Chinquapin will do so in the future.