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Sydney has just gone onto level 2 water restrictions because of our drought.
So we can only water gardens with a bucket or watering can, before 10am or after 4pm.
Drip irrigation can be used for 15 minutes a day. Pools can be topped up for 15 mins a day.
Vehicles can only be washed with a bucket and sponge.
No hard surfaces can be hosed except for safety reasons.
It is requested that showers be limited to 4 minutes.
All this is needed but we are a city full of filthy dirty cars because of the massive smoke from bushfires that we had had for weeks. I just got back from Japan where the pristine black and white cars amazed me.
What is the purpose of the pools? Are they to be kept filled as water reservoirs in case of emergencies? If they are only being used for swimming in, which means they are chlorinated or have other chemicals in them then that is a terrible waste of precious water that could otherwise be used as potable or irrigation water.
Here in BC (western Canada) we have 5 drought level water restrictions. Our level 3 restrictions are basically the same as your level 2 only it isn't requested that there be only 4 minute restriction on showers. Also there is no watering allowed in public parks. We usually have level 3 restrictions in place every year for 3 or 4 months at the height of our summer droughts and extreme wildfire season, otherwise for the rest of the year it's usually level 2 when lawns can be watered by sprinkler for 1 hour on only 2 days of the week. (Level 1 means there are no water restrictions anywhere at all).
Level 4 means no car washing of any kind - not even with bucket and sponge, no grass or decorative plant watering at all in public parks or private residences, but only home vegetable/fruit gardens can be watered and must be rationed and done by hand. No private pools can be used or kept topped up except for farm pools for drinking water for livestock animals or essential crop irrigation.
We have guidelines in place for level 5 restrictions which are the most extreme restrictions and also effects household and business buildings use of water including restrictions on home appliances and utilities that use water, but so far there has never been a need to put level 5 restrictions into effect. Yet. But we are now getting a bit closer to it each year due to the progressive changes in our climate warming and no longer getting winter snow cover on the mountains as much as we used to, which recharged the rivers and lakes each year. And over the course of the past 10 years our forest wildfire season has now progressively changed from 4 months long every year (which is what it has been for hundreds of years) to now being 8 to 10 months long every year. It's a huge change in only 10 years.
I see many are putting they things they don't enjoy on the "Don't" list. Such as - Small appetite and they want smaller portions for everyone.
I agree with the stop watering the lawn, if it was meant to live it will live. I suggest taking that another step. Quit worrying about animal habitats. Extinction is part of the evolutionary process. 95%+ of all previous species are extinct. We are doing fine. By the time an animal is endangered it has already been replaced on the food chain. Think about it. Has any animal become extinct or endangered and all of the others fell like dominoes? Nope.
I feel the best thing a person can do as an individual is cut transportation costs. Live in a place where everything you need, most of what you want, and your employer is within 5 miles. You can use the google radius thing and start with where you work. I am sure there are nice areas inside the 5 mile radius. You will also improve the quality of your life when your total commute, both ways, is about 15 minutes a day. This is also a big money savings.
Get rid of the kitchen clock. You have one on the range and another on the microwave.
That's your area. That's why throughout these threads I talk about living in a less populated area of the US where there is still plenty of woods, ponds, wildlife, birds, frogs, toads, bees, etc. Live in a place where you can allow nice natural habitats, where you can encourage wildlife health and reproduction.
Except that living in less populated areas, you have to drive much further for commuting, shopping, and other reasons, and thus burn more gasoline, and pollute the air worse.
[quote=thinkalot;56813315]I see many are putting they things they don't enjoy on the "Don't" list. Such as - Small appetite and they want smaller portions for everyone.
I feel the best thing a person can do as an individual is cut transportation costs. Live in a place where everything you need, most of what you want, and your employer is within 5 miles. You can use the google radius thing and start with where you work. I am sure there are nice areas inside the 5 mile radius. You will also improve the quality of your life when your total commute, both ways, is about 15 minutes a day. This is also a big money savings.
That is all very well but in many places living near work costs a fortune. DD's workplace will always be in the central business district because of the nature of her work. A three bedroom simple house of about 12 squares costs perhaps $US2 million in our city if it is only 5 miles from her work.
Personal "green" crusade is utter futility. "Tragedy of the commons" make all those steps pointless. Your resource/energy savings will be appropriated by less concerned. Not only that. The appropriation will boost their wealth and power share in society thus further marginalizing those who care to the point where their consumption will be naturally restricted by Econ 101. There are no personal solutions really. Green living just pushes more conscientious folks to the social margin to bring trumps to the trough.
Except that living in less populated areas, you have to drive much further for commuting, shopping, and other reasons, and thus burn more gasoline, and pollute the air worse.
No, that doesn't have to be true at all. I use about 10-15 gallons of gas a month. I work 3 miles from home and have all the shopping choices I need in our little town.
I used to live in areas that had water restrictions. When we left, moving to a place without water problems was one of the things we looked at. Now we don't have to ever top off our pool, we don't have to water our grass or our garden, we can keep the A/C off and cool off in the pool instead, we can even take long showers if we wanted to.
While this thread is about little things, your big choices, like where to live, are even more important.
I don't go anywhere that involves stairs. You may understand why when you get to my age.
The t shirt that I am wearing is 19 years old, about worn out, but it is a souvenir.
19 years since I bought a new car, 3 used ones since.
I live in a condo, I do no exterior maintenance, planting or watering.
Not flushing the toilet is gross.
I sold my bicycle 20 years ago in a moving sale.
No way will I ever set a thermostat down into the 60s.
The Sheriff gets testy if anyone hunts within my neighborhood.
I am sure there are nice areas inside the 5 mile radius. You will also improve the quality of your life when your total commute, both ways, is about 15 minutes a day. This is also a big money savings.
Nope not here, except right in the city which is insanely expensive.
When we lived in California, I lived 1 mile form work. It was marvelous. I went home for lunch (or family came to me). If I forgot to bring something I needed, it was a simple jaunt back to get it. I rarely drove to work, but if I did, I could get out of bed ten minutes before I needed to be in the office. Wonderful lifestyle. but my house cost $757,000 and it was very cheap for our location. So not a very affordable lifestyle for most people.
We should all just do as we were taught as kids....at least I was. Don’t take more than you need, share, clean up after yourself, waste not, want not. The earth has a way of renewing itself, so I’m not worried about it.
I have never lived anywhere where there was a shortage of water or anything, so I imagine that is hard.
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