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Braggi
11-11-2007, 10:21 PM
We just got back from the Green Festival. What an amazing event! Very stimulating, almost overwhelming at times. There were a lot of people there.

One of the best presentations we went to was given by Brad Lancaster on the topic of "Turning Water Scarcity into Water Abundance." Mr. Lancaster is from the arid Southwest (Tuscon, AZ). He receives only 12 inches of rain a year yet waters his abundant landscaping with only rainwater, which he captures with cleverly designed landscape features and in a cistern/water tank, and graywater from his home use.

His website is here: https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/
His book is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Rainwater-Harvesting-Drylands-Vol-Principles/dp/097724640X
With any luck, his highly informative and entertaining talk will be available on CD here: https://www.greenfestivals.org/content/section/14/111/

The talks from this event are not yet listed on that website, but they should be within days.

We saw some other good presentations which I hope to find time to write about tomorrow.

It was a very inspiring event. There actually is some good environmental news. Brad Lancaster's talk was at the top of my list and gives me hope that water shortages around the world can be turned into water abundance stories in very short time frames with minimal financial investment using low tech tools and technology.

Every city planner, civil engineer and politician in every city should read this book. Every homeowner should read this book. Every landscaper should keep this book in his or her truck for reference.

I think I'll buy a box for holiday gifts.

-Jeff

Zeno Swijtink
11-12-2007, 09:37 AM
Hi Jeff,

Great you're promoting water harvesting/rainwater catchment. The Water Institute at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (Brock Dolman) has given tours and classes about this.

https://www.oaecwater.org/roofwater-harvesting-course-description
https://www.oaecwater.org/roofwater-harvesting

The Bodega Goat Cheese dairy has a system like this as have some private folks.

They had Lancaster over last October for a presentation and also have worked with Dylan Coleman of Wonderwater Rain Catchment Systems

https://www.wonderwater.net/

A great local project is also at Lagunitas Elementary School in the San Geronimo Valley in Marin,

https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/nps/docs/success/r2_greengardens.pdf

We have been promoting this in Sebastopol in the report "Charting a Path for a New Energy Future for Sebastopol" we wrote for the City Council here.

https://www.ci.sebastopol.ca.us/pdfs/programs/CAGEReport04-03-07.pdf

At least 6.5 percent of the total electricity used in California is used for pumping water and treating waste water.

https://energy.ca.gov/pier/iaw/industry/water.html

Cheers, Zeno



We just got back from the Green Festival. What an amazing event! Very stimulating, almost overwhelming at times. There were a lot of people there.

One of the best presentations we went to was given by Brad Lancaster on the topic of "Turning Water Scarcity into Water Abundance." Mr. Lancaster is from the arid Southwest (Tuscon, AZ). He receives only 12 inches of rain a year yet waters his abundant landscaping with only rainwater, which he captures with cleverly designed landscape features and in a cistern/water tank, and graywater from his home use.
/snip/

-Jeff

nurturetruth
11-12-2007, 11:30 AM
Interesting that this subject matter was brought to surface!

Just 2 days ago, I had a vision and an extremely very strong "inner urge" to want to make a "rain catching" device on and with the new community I am now living at.

This urge was incredibly strong ...as if the device needed to be a "work in the progress" ASAP ! (wondering if i picked up on the vibes going on at Green Fest?)

Then last night at the community meeting at Andre's and Elenore's home (see thread: "We are better of together than Alone" ), the subject matter of water scarcity was a BIG TOPIC of concern.

So to wake up today and to discover and read this thread ..felt really good !!!

Thank you Jeff for attending the Green Festival and sharing some wisdom and thank you Zeno for offering further LOCAL information!!

I will be ordering Brad Lancasters book .. TODAY!

ALSO... in regards to "conserving water".....another great book I have just discovered and am reading is.. HUMANURE HANDBOOK by Joseph Jenkins! Very informative, well written and with humor! Easy to read, and shows you how to make an efficient odor free compost toilet for 25.00!!

:thumbsup: