Real talk about sprawl (Atlanta, Dunwoody: dangerous, agriculture, backyard)

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Add in consumer water conservation. Using native grasses that are drought tolerate, not watering lawns or watering during night hours to cut down on evaporation, car washing ban, and automatic sprinkler systems that are not running as it is raining. All these can reduce the wasteful use of water and conserve during non-drought events.

No argument there. That's why my bermuda is watered at 2am, and there's a rain sensor to keep the sprinklers from running if we've had enough rain.

Regarding car washes, there's a recent law that passed in the state requiring new automatic car washes to recycle a certain percentage of their water. Oddly enough, the recycling requirement doesn't apply to the car washes that you see at gas stations- where the car stays stationary and the equipment moves- yet these car washes use 50% more water than the ones where the car moves through the building. When our city planning commission (of which I'm a member) had to incorporate the regulations into our zoning ordinance, I suggested that we make the recycling requirement apply to both types of car washes, and it was adopted that way. See- I'm doing my part to help the environment......

[10 feet tall]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Having lots of private space is overrated. We're social creatures and NEED human contact.

So says the extrovert.

Some people get plenty of contact with others without living on top of them.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

Must be the methane gas from the cows causing a heat island effect in the fields and generating tornados....

If methane gas was causing them you'd expect Washington, DC, to be tornado alley.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Add in consumer water conservation. Using native grasses that are drought tolerate, not watering lawns or watering during night hours to cut down on evaporation, car washing ban, and automatic sprinkler systems that are not running as it is raining. All these can reduce the wasteful use of water and conserve during non-drought events.

No doubt, it is wise to be a good steward of what one is given. The point Bob is making is that no reservoir has been built to handle the increased growth in the last decades (save for the new one in Canton just coming on line). For the most part, we have a reservoir system that isn't much different in size than the 60s when Atlanta was barely over 1 million. Now we are 5 times that using the same system.

I am currently in the Dallas area which receives MUCH less annual rainfall than Atlanta, has drought conditions like the BIG one Atlanta recently came through on a much more regular basis, has over a million more residents in its metro area than Atlanta, but which planned for this growth decades ago by adding a large network of reservoirs all around the region. There isn't the panic here that Atlanta experienced recently about water. Seems like the situations would be reversed.

There, that is what Bob is talking about. Conservation is fine. But 5 million people using the water meant for 1 million? Drought resistant grasses, while a help, are just a drop in the bucket.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

I am currently in the Dallas area which receives MUCH less annual rainfall than Atlanta, has drought conditions like the BIG one Atlanta recently came through on a much more regular basis, has over a million more residents in its metro area than Atlanta, but which planned for this growth decades ago by adding a large network of reservoirs all around the region. There isn't the panic here that Atlanta experienced recently about water. Seems like the situations would be reversed.

It almost seems that Atlanta has lost its can-do attitude of a few decades ago. Back in the 60s and 70s people dreamed big and took prompt action. Unfortunately, we've devolved to the point where every little interest group is looking after itself and it's impossible to take bold, long-term action anymore. The squabbling over transportation improvements is a classic case in point.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

Dense concrete jungles are not natural and disrupt nature, just as much (if not more) than suburban subdivisions and strip centers.

Every coyote that is prowling the suburbs disagrees.

[cqholt]

It almost seems that Atlanta has lost its can-do attitude of a few decades ago.

Its all the damn yankees!

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by JPD

Every coyote that is prowling the suburbs disagrees.

Care to elaborate? Seems you are admitting that suburban growth patterns leave enough natural environment for wildlife to thrive compared to dense inner cities......

[10 feet tall]

Originally Posted by JPD

Every coyote that is prowling the suburbs disagrees.

LOL. I actually see coyotes, deer, and other wildlife in my backyard in Dunwoody all the time. No kidding.

[Box]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

Care to elaborate? Seems you are admitting that suburban growth patterns leave enough natural environment for wildlife to thrive compared to dense inner cities......

You mean encroached on enough of their natural environment to force them to end up having to prowl the suburbs?