Spring 2010 – Post your “WATER” topical homework here every week:
Find and read an article (online or in print) and post a link or citation, with a sentence or two summarizing the most useful points, for at least one item per week on your topic.
You may post additional links (with or without summaries) for some extra credit.
Note any important points from your book reading that connect with or inform your research topic.
Folks on other topic teams are welcome to make comments, suggest links, or anything else that would be helpful to this team (this will also earn you some extra credit).
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April 10, 2010 at 5:53 am
Pretty cool contest & design competition here from Dwell Magazine & Kohler to see who can create water saving devices in & around the home.
http://www.dwell.com/contests/water-wise-design-competition.html
Duncan
April 8, 2010 at 9:25 pm
SAVE ENERGY AT HOME TO REDUCE YOUR IMPACT CHECK LIST
BY ALEKZ LONDOS
INCREASE YOUR SOLAR GAIN BY 16-30%
[ ] clean roof mounted solar panels plus a visually check for any damage
REDUCE FIRE RISK
[ ] clean gutters and or debris from roof
[ ] inspect chimney for the need of a cleaning
[ ] inspect defensible space barrier surrounding your house
[ ] remove Christmas lights from roof
[ ] separate or remove any chemically reactant chemicals from your house Example-keep Ammonia away from bleach…
[ ] install or check batteries on existing smoke carbon monoxide detectors
[ ] plant drought tolerant and/or fire resistant vegetation surrounding property
SAVE WATER [ [ [ WATER USES ENERGY ] ] ]
[ ] Install a rainwater collection system
[ ] change shower head to a low flow shower head
[ ] add in a low flow water regulator to existing shower head
[ ] add a low flow aerator faucet to your kitchen and/or bathroom sink
[ ] adjust toilet water usage from 5 to 7 gallons to 2 to 5 gallons per use (or replace with a low flow or composting toilet)
[ ] adjust your watering schedule to match seasonal weather conditions and landscape requirements
[ ] install a rain sensor on your irrigation controller so your system won’t run when it’s raining
[ ] fix any leaky pipes, hoses, couplings, faucets, shower heads, water heaters, toilets, hot tubs or pools (one drop per second can add up to 165 gallons a month)
SAVE ENERGY
[ ] Install a solar system
[ ] replace all incandescent light bulbs with low wattage florescent light bulbs (they last 8-12 times longer that’s 9250 hours longer)
[ ] add motion sensors to wall socket powering lights or lamps
[ ] add (digital or analog) timers to wall sockets powering lights appliances or other house hold items
[ ] install remote controlled power strips to entertainment systems
[ ] install a programmable thermostat (set back the temperature 10 degree for eight hours every night)
[ ] adjust the timer on your water heater to accommodate your needs
[ ] adjust the temperature on your water heater to accommodate your needs
[ ] install new or replace existing insulation jacket surrounding your water heater
[ ] install new or replace the existing insulation wrapped around the hot water pipe to house (insulate your hot water pipes)
[ ] replace old heating elements on water heater
[ ] replace old (rusty or corroded) water heater with new water heater
[ ] remove old water heater and install a on demand water heating system
[ ] check wattage use and annual cost on any electronic device with a kill-o-watt wattage reader (minimize phantom loads)
[ ] remove and replace any large house hold appliance with new energy efficient appliance (with Energy Star logo)
[ ] replace outdoor flood lights with day-night activated or motion sensor lights
[ ] remove and replace walkway lights with solar walkway lights
[ ] clean the outside of your central air conditioner compressor
[ ] adjust temputure on fridge to 37 degrees and freezer to 3 degrees
[ ] check the gaskets around your refrigerator/freezer doors to make sure they are clean and seal tightly (refrigerator account for approx. 20% of your household electricity use)
[ ] clean or replace existing air filters as needed or recommended by model (energy is lost when air conditioner or hot-air furnaces have to work harder to draw air through a dirty filter)
WEATHERIZE
[ ] install new weather striping to all doors and windows
[ ] replace existing or damaged with new weather striping along door and window ceils
[ ] remove and replace single pain windows with double pain, double-glazed, triple pain or argon filled windows
[ ] use caulking or an expanding foam sealant to plug any air leaks through gaps or cracks
[ ] install window mounted air conditioner during spring
[ ] remove window mounted air conditioner during fall
[ ] check, adjust, replace or install attic insulation
[ ] check, adjust, replace or install basement insulation
[ ] install foam gaskets behind all outlet covers and switch plates and safety plugs in all unused outlets (to prevent outside air leaks into your home)
WASTE REDUCTION MEASURES [ [ [ RECYCLE ] ] ]
[ ] set up easy accessible trash separation bins
[ ] set up outdoor compost bin (limit the use of your garbage disposal helps save water)
[ ] remove pre-separated garbage from property sorted by corrugated cardboard, newspaper, mixed waste paper-milk cartons & drink boxes, glass bottles & jars, plastic bottles-tubs & trays, plastic bags & film, aluminum cans, tin cans-scrap metal-non-hazardous e-waste, household and auto batteries, used motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, household hazardous waste, video display devices, wood waste and yard waste, concrete, asphalt & baserock, mattresses, carpet & pad, sheet rock, tires
SHOW YOUR FRIENDS THIS LIST [ [ [ MAKE COPIES ] ] ] WE NEED TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT TO OTHERS!!!
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at 1.775.997.4401
April 8, 2010 at 8:22 pm
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/15/15climatewire-worlds-largest-beer-brewer-cuts-water-use-br-87431.html?scp=6&sq=Water%20issues&st=cse
Interesting article about a company responding to water scarcity reality. to continue making money, they need to reduce water consumption…
April 8, 2010 at 8:14 pm
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/science/earth/02coal.html?scp=8&sq=Water%20issues&st=cse
The EPA will be more strict on allowing permits to mining companies in the Appalachia region. A step in a positive direction to help regulate and hopefully improve watershed affected by mountain top removal.
April 8, 2010 at 7:29 pm
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/science/earth/31energy.html?scp=1&sq=Obama%20oil%20drilling&st=cse
Article from NYT about the proposed Plan to open drilling as a possibility for the US. There was a ban for a reason, the huge impact drilling has on water quality in the oceans, also effecting ocean ecosytems.
April 8, 2010 at 2:47 am
YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!!! Biosand Water Filter
Here are some good links if you are interested in Aquaponics
http://www.fao.org/fishery/culturedspecies/Oreochromis_niloticus/en
http://www.mixph.com/2009/02/tilapia-grow-out-and-costing.html
http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ista/new/Farms.htm
http://www.mainlycichlids.com/Fish_List.html
http://www.belthatchery.com/price.htm
http://www.jimsfish.webs.com
Mark blue beond fisherry 760-275-0762
Collen Bornia 760-354-1533
Tony Vaught proffesion aquculture 530-343-0405
April 5, 2010 at 5:10 pm
Interesting study by a group of civil engineers who created a computer model to “quantify the amount of water needed to generate every dollar that flowed from one sector to another”. They’re trying to find out exactly where and how public water is used, and from there where it can best be conserved.
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/04/that-tortilla-costs-more-than-yo.html
April 8, 2010 at 6:18 am
That’s a good article. I never would have imagined there would have been many hidden places that water is being consumed.
I imagine most of us are aware that beef production is highly dependent on great quantities of water from all the inputs that are necessary to create the product.
April 5, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Hey,
I found this article I wanted to share about a tree called the Moringa oleifera which produces seeds that have been found to purify water at a very effective rate. It’s actually already grown on 3 continents, but the information is not out there on the procedure for which to do it. The Canadian organization that publicized this thinks that it could be very beneficial as a way to purify water in developing countries where the bacteria in drinking water kills. It would also be a very inexpensive and sustainable way to get good drinking water. Of course it is not a total solution to all diseases found in contaminated drinking water, but I would like to know more than this article says about how it would work exactly…
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Worlds_Most_Usefull_Tree_Provides_Low_Cost_Water_Purification_999.html
April 5, 2010 at 9:36 am
http://goodtimessantacruz.com/santa-cruz-news.html
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/03/01/18639136.php
http://www.water-pollution.org.uk/
http://www.water-treatment.org.uk/
http://www.humboldt.edu/~ccat/waterconservation/karlaFA2003/
http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/surv/raincat.htm
http://santacruz.indymedia.org/feature/display/11570/index.php
http://www.feltonflow.org/
http://www.thirstthemovie.org/
April 5, 2010 at 9:35 am
I guess only the post that has all the links I need for my presentation is not posting. Why would this be?
April 5, 2010 at 9:31 am
arrgh
April 5, 2010 at 9:31 am
Here is a current article about the recent desalination Mar. 23, 2010 unanimously endorsed agreement by the Santa Cruz City council for desal. plant. “Decision gave green light for design and planning but does not commit city to construct plant.”
http://goodtimessantacruz.com/santa-cruz-news.html
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/03/01/18639136.php
http://www.humboldt.edu/~ccat/waterconservation/karlaFA2003/
http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/surv/raincat.htm
http://santacruz.indymedia.org/feature/display/11570/index.php
http://www.feltonflow.org/
http://www.thirstthemovie.org/