| Fred Clay's Water Conservation Ideas |
[Oct. 27th, 2007|03:47 pm] |
Without spending a lot of money on Rain Barrels and New toilets, there are tons of ways each of us can conserve water and reintroduce existing water back into our individual landscapes.
Atlanta in particular does not have a closed system for water, so anything we put down the drain, a portion of it is lost in treatment and the rest is released down stream to other municipalities. This goes the same for storm water, it is all shiped south instead of being treated and reintroduced to our own water system.
Our environment is starting to suffer from the drought. Its not that a pine tree will die under these circumstances, they can live for years, but unlike a healthy pine that can fight them off, a drought stressed one is susceptible to pine beetles that can destroy whole forests in a month. This fact goes across the board for all plants, that when stressed are susceptible to insect and disease.
If we take the water we're not going to use, and instead of putting it down the drain, dumped it outside. It would stay in our area, nurish our drought stressed plants and recycle into our environment causing more rain events locally. its all a system, and as we humans continue to pull away from the system we're eventually going to cause a snap, and everything we know will have to be changed to survive.
now's our opportunity to support our ecosystem so it can continue to support us.
Water Recomendations:
Fill a Gallon Milk jug up with water and put it in the back tank of your toilet. It will act as a Low Flow toilet from now on and only use 1.5 gal per flush, as opposed to 2.5. That's a substantial difference.
Put buckets under water spouts. in the sink, in the shower, anywhere you're running water to do things like brush your teeth or wash a dish. Be diligent with artificial substances, only use organic biodegradable soaps and detergents if you put it into the water you throw outside. any hazardous chemicals you use should go back into the municipal system for treatment.
When you fill up the bowl or bucket, just open the window and toss it outside. If you have house plants, water them with that water, if you don't, just release it back into our environment to nurish the whole system.
Navy showers, Turning H2o off while brushing your teeth, Scraping plates rather than Washing them before putting them into the dishwasher; these are all pretty standard things you hear to save water. Saving water from boiling pasta or steaming vegetables.
If its Yellow let it Mellow, If its Brown flush it Down.
In the Land of Sun and Fun, Don't flush just Number One.
These are great practices to do at work, but be an agent of change. Write it on post it notes and hang it in bathrooms at work or the gym or restaurants. Shit, right that slogan on the wall in sharpie. We gotta start doing something about our practices now before its too late.
Don't be fooled into thinking that drinking bottled water or using paper plates will save water. It takes 3 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of bottled water. This practice of constant plastic production without recycling is going to catch up with us a lot sooner than we expect it to. Paper plates also require a large amount of water, more than the amount to wash your dish, to produce. It seems like a good idea, but it isn't. That isn't even figuring in the amount of energy it uses to transport these products to your local mega-lo-mart.
Home owners, ditch the lawn. Its a waste and there are other things that can grow with less water and look just as nice, and plus, you won't have to mow, and u know that gas lawnmowers produce higher concentrations of carbon emissions than the highly regulated automobile industry, we ust don't run them as often so they aren't regulated. If you have a house, you have to save water in rainbarrels to water your plants. There's no excuse wasting all of our collective water to water your plants when you're wasting naturally occuring runoff. If you have a rainbarrel, get a second one, or a third one. You can capture as much water as barrel space that you have. In a thunderstorm a chain of 10 barrels can fill in a matter of hours.
I don't have to tell you to recycle. Not recycling should be a crime. The same goes for composting, anything organic, non-meat product, from the junk mail that you get, to the packaging of any product we receive. To the kitchen scraps, coffee grinds, yard waste, lawn clippings.
EVERYTHING organic needs to be kept out of landfills and renurishing our own landscapes. If your lifestyle permits, an additional way to reduce water and reintroduce beneficial elements back into the environment instead of leaching it out through treatment is to collect urine for your compost pile.
Its easiest for guys, just piss on the pile. If you want to keep a bucket in the bathroom, bravo to you! they make those hospital urine collectors, bet u could find one on ebay.
Why is this a good idea? When leaves dry, and things turn brown the nitrogen is lost from the material leaving only carbon. To break down the carbon molecules you need nitrogen to allow bacteria to release those nutrients back into the environement. Remember also that compost is a soil improver, especially essential in our clay soils of the soil, it has a very low actual fertilizer content, but the benefits of tilth soil go further than fertilizer ever could.
Plant drought resistant. Plant Native. Plant the things you see that are pretty that grow in the wild or along highways. Plant variety. We need to combat our ever decreasing species diversity issue. The south is about to loose 3 major animal populations. Likewise the altamaha region is in dire peril, as the drough continues, and we continue to prevent water from flowing through this area, the last of georgia's true loblolly pine forests are sure to be destroyed by fire. A healthy loblolly forest thrives in fire, the nutrient rich soils providing nourishment for the trees. The thick bark, though scortched, protects the living tree from dying, without the water necessary to prevent burn, entire forests will go up.
Thats about all I got for now. We all need to wake up, get our heads out of the sand, and realize how we're aggresively changing our enviornment. And sure, nothings going to happen for 50, 100, 200 years, but think of your children, your grand children, they might just be ideas now, but one day they'll be here and you'll be responsible for ruining their environment. You don't want to do that to them? Do you? Lets wake up. Start doing something about it, now. |
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| i read 300 entries |
[Oct. 9th, 2007|01:01 pm] |
i haven't been on LJ in... 6 months probably.. except a second to make fun of Chris Crocker. its... the exact same.. the same people posting the same sorta stuff. i was bored, so i read and read and read, answered some unanswered gardening questions, and stalked a few people i knew when i was 5...
ah, good old internet..
incase u haven't been.. watersondesigns.com |
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| Do you remember when...? |
[Sep. 13th, 2007|09:08 am] |
I don't know if you all remember this art_fag member from 3 or 4 years ago. He was asked to leave the community around 2 years ago. Since then he's made a prolific career of these little video diaries. He performs these little skits in his bedroom.
Can I just say in response to Chris.. Get offline, Get a life, Have some FUN with your life.
This video made the news and a bunch of viral websites, like Perez Hilton. But lets get a clue, no one is laughing with you, everyone in the world is laughing at you, and at all gay people, because it is being portrayed that we are all crying sissies that want britney to make a comeback.
Personally, she could lick my shoe and I wouldn't give her a dollar. She's white trash, but this isn't about her, its about him.
Stop giving us all a bad name dude, Keep your videos to yourself, find a boyfriend, get laid, and stop obsessing. Oh yeah, and I know a good DR that can get you some meds on the cheap. |
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| i am the decider |
[Jun. 17th, 2007|12:24 pm] |
and i'm sick of it.
i'm blowing this popsicle joint and going to NC. i don't want to make any decisions, just want to tend to my garden. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 10th, 2007|11:00 am] |
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i think i've worn the same pants for the past week and a half. no plans to wash them in the near future. (i'm wearing them now) |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 22nd, 2007|04:23 pm] |
I had the house inspected today. I'll need to get a new roof in the next 5 years, which is quite an expense!!! like 4-5gs for a house as big as mine.
The thing that really burns my toast about this house, is that it is a federal law that all houses have to have a stove or something, so the owners went out and bought a gas stove, but its setup for electric. So this gas stove is going to cost 500 bucks to hookup to a new gas line. not cool.
So i have to find a new stove, and sell the gas stove on ebay/craigslist. I also need to buy a Washer/Dryer, since I don't have one. There are a ton of small things I have to do, grates and covered. |
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| they always said he was smart |
[May. 22nd, 2007|07:00 am] |
so i just looked out the window to see my dog running up the street while i was in a very skimpy pair of shorts, so i changed and go in the car, and realized my dog had opened the front door by himself and was running down the street.
he's such a sucker for the car, he thinks we're going to the cabin, i drove past where he was and he was like, oh crap, and ran to the car.
then get back inside and was like, ooh, u'r a bad boy, but was still petting him and stuff, and then told him to get on my bed, and he jumped, missed the bed and fell on the floor ontop of the cat, totally an accident.
how can he be so smart, and so stupid at the same time.
i feel like i'm raising a rusian double agent |
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| accepting their offer |
[May. 21st, 2007|01:19 pm] |
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originally i said i'd be happy with 155 going down to 142, original offer was 135 .. they offered 142, i countered 138.5, they said 142. so i'm accepting 142. i have my inspection tomorrow. i'll get keys to the house next week. |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 18th, 2007|04:44 pm] |
Hey, i'm launching my first draft of my website.
If you see spelling errors, please send me an email, tell me which section they are in. If you don't see spelling errors, tell me i'm an amazing speller, cause i don't have spell check, so what u see, i wrote myself.
Adam.
Watersondesigns.com |
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| do u think i can do this? |
[May. 17th, 2007|10:49 am] |
MASTER GARDENER
CITY OF AVONDALE ESTATES
POSITION TITLE: MASTER GARDENER (Independent Contractor),
City of Avondale Estates
REPORTS TO: Public Works Director; Liaison to Volunteer Tree Board
and City Manager
HOURS OF WORK: Approximately 700 hours per year. Schedule flexible
RATE OF PAY: Negotiable; present rate $13.50/hour (no benefits)
ASSISTED BY:
Two field workers from City Public Works, trained and experienced in grounds maintenance, planting and care of ornamentals, grass and flowers.
ABOUT THE CITY:
Avondale Estates is a city of 3,000 population in DeKalb County, near the City of Decatur with 1.12 square miles in land area, a City Lake, city parks (Willis, Fletcher, Windsor Terrace and Beech), green plazas (Sweet Gum Hollow, Christmas Tree Plaza, Church Circle, Glascoe Circle, the East and West Signs) and walking trails, Streetscape on North Avondale Road and at City Hall.
NATURE OF SERVICES REQUIRED:
1. Must have a Master Gardener certification with knowledge of and experience in horticulture, landscape design, tree care and identification.
2. Consultant to the City of Avondale Estates on landscaping, designing, installing and maintaining the trees, shrubs and seasonal flowerbeds on city-owned property.
3. Work in cooperation with City and its assigned employees in maintaining , fertilizing and pruning the trees, shrubs and seasonal flowerbeds on city-owned property.
4. Order the trees, shrubs and flowers for the City from wholesale or retail nurseries, providing the nurseries have the materials necessary for completion of landscape projects at the best prices available.
5. Oversee and assist in the planting of trees, shrubs and flowers in landscape projects in the City of Avondale Estates.
6. Cooperate with the garden clubs of the City in planting flowerbeds and landscape projects they wish to undertake with the approval of the City.
7. Meet with the Tree Board on issues that involve trees that are to be removed or to be planted in verge areas for private citizens of Avondale Estates.
8. Meet with citizens of Avondale Estates who wish to purchase Memory trees for loved ones, purchase the trees and oversee the planting of the Memory trees.
9. Work in solving the erosion problems on the banks of Lake Avondale.
10. Maintain the grass on the Lake Avondale dam and control weeds along the slope.
11. Prepare a schedule for city employees for weekly projects.
LIABILITY: Limited to $100 liquidated damages.
TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT:
Sixty (60) days notice without cause, either party. |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 16th, 2007|10:21 am] |
it might rain in the south today and tomorrow.
i duhno if anyone in the north has been tracking or care about at all, our extreme drought. its kinda scary. not for a planting sort of sense, but we southerners depend on rain fall for our drinking water. if we don't get rain soon, we're going to be on severe water bans.
there are fires all over the nation.
when are people going to stop and think.. hey, maybe if i stopped driving this hummer, i wouldn't release so many pollutants into the air, which would slow down the effects of global warming!!!
doubtful.
really though, it needs to rain. |
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| Everything's coming up Milhouse |
[May. 15th, 2007|08:03 pm] |
Last week really sucked, finding out that my roommate moved out while I was out of town, without telling me. Then there was drama and she was threatening to press charges for something i didn't do. It was just nuts all last week.
This week though, has been great. I got a new printer and printed the labels for my postcard that i'm sending to the landscaping industry. I got the coding for my website completed, so all I have to do is populate content and change the color scheme of the site.. if you'd like to see the rough edit it is... watersondesigns.com/index6.htm
Tomorrow my neighbor (the contractor) and I are going to look at my top 5 houses. Next week I will place a bid on one of the 5 houses. I'm really excited. He's going with me to tell me how much work I'd have to do to each place. I plan on doing all the work myself, but some of these places I have to know if there are foundation issues and stuff, I'm buying a foreclosure, so I need to do a little research, make sure that there aren't termites and such in the house before I spend 500 bucks for an inspection, only to find out it has termites, and have to inspect another house.
So, if you know anyone who needs any photography or design, I need money. I got bills to pay momma, need a little help!!! haha. Or just beautiful photographs, i'm sorta surprised more people aren't interested in the photographs, regardless.
Everything's coming up milhouse. Even got a new stove for the cabin!!! |
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| mother's day |
[May. 13th, 2007|03:07 pm] |
its been 5 years now since my mom died. last year i wasn't really sad on mother's day, we were drunk at the lake. this year i agreed to goto the lake on fri/sat.. then help maggie cook for 30 people on sunday. so i got up at 7am, ran the dog, took a shower, and was at her parents place before she was.
when was the last time a 4y/o had a crush on you? as soon as it started i knew it was going on. she was smiling at me, and kept hitting me and calling my name. then it was out of control. she wouldn't stop screaming my name. pulling my hair. hitting my ass. kissing my arm. climbing up ontop of me. aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
i can still hear her screaming.
this is why i don't have kids. |
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| i had a very aggressive, violent, testosteronie dream |
[Apr. 30th, 2007|07:45 am] |
Tons of stuff happened in my dream, something about being in Africa and floods or something... I don't really remember, I had quite the vivid night of dreaming.
For some reason we were getting onto a bus, like 50 people on a bus that count only take 35. I for some reason had this note for this guy, a straight guy, that he needed for whatever the reason, so I sneak it to him, and this too cool for school straight dude calls me a faggot. I turned around and looked at him in the eye... I had a bit of a soliloqui rant and said "I might be gay, but I'm no faggot, so if I have to turn around again, I'm going to start with the right cheek and smash it in, break your nose in 3 places and knock out no less than 20 teeth. You're going to have to spend 30gs in reconstructive surgery to get yourself looking like the hunchback so girls might call you back. Is that something you're looking to happen? I thought not... I'm just going to turn around now and pretend like nothing ever was said"... and as I settled back into my seat he called me a stupid fucking faggot. So i turned back around and beat the ever loving shit out of him.
Le sigh.. So much pent up aggression. I think 25 years of being gay sorta takes a toll, u know.. starts affecting your sleeping. I'm not really the one to start a fight, but I tell u what, if anyone ever started one, i'd damn well end it. |
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manofredclay's journal
