Richard Heinberg- whose latest book describes The End of Growth- isn’t looking for when the recession will end and we’ll get back to “normal”. He believes our decades-long era of growth was based on aberrant set of conditions- namely cheap oil, but also cheap minerals, cheap food, etc- and that looking ahead, we need to prepare for a “new normal”.
The problem, according to Heinberg, is our natural resources just aren’t so cheap and plentiful anymore, and he’s not just talking about Peak Oil, Heinberg believes in Peak Everything (also the title of one of his books).
Heinberg thinks for many, adjusting to a life where everything costs a bit more, could be very hard, but he also thinks the transition to a new normal might actually make life better.
“Particularly in the Western industrialized countries we’ve gotten used to levels of consumption that are not only environmentally unsustainable, they also don’t make us happy. They’ve in fact hollowed out our lives. We’ve given up things that actually do give us satisfaction and pleasure so that we can work more and more hours to get more and more money with which to buy more and more stuff- more flatscreen tvs, bigger SUVs, bigger houses and it’s not making us happier. Well, guess what, it’s possible to downsize, it’s possible to use less, become more self sufficient, grow more of your own food, have chickens in your backyard and be a happier person.”
This is not all theoretical. In the backyard of the home Heinberg shares with his wife, Janet Barocco, the couple grow most of their food during the summer months (i.e. 25 fruit & nut trees, veggies, potatoes.. they’re just lack grains), raise chickens for eggs, capture rainwater, bake with solar cookers and a solar food drier and secure energy with photovoltaic and solar hot water panels.
Their backyard reflects Heinberg’s vision for our “new normal” and it’s full of experiments, like the slightly less than 120-square-foot cottage that was inspired by the Small Home Movement. It was built with the help of some of Heinberg’s college students (in one of the nation’s first sustainability classes) using recycled and natural materials (like lime plaster).
Heinberg admits it’s not a real tiny house experiment since they don’t actually live in it- his wife uses it as a massage studio, he meditates there and sometimes it’s used as a guest house (though that’s hush hush due to permitting issues). But their tiny cottage points to the bigger point behind why a transition to a less resource intensive future could equal greater happiness.
“Simplify. Pay less attention to all of the stuff in your life and pay more attention to what’s really important. Maybe for you it’s gardening, maybe for you it’s painting or music. You know we all have stuff that gives us real pleasure and most of us find we have less and less time for that because we have to devote so much time to shopping, paying bills and driving from here to there and so on. Well, how about if we cut out some of that stuff and spend more time doing what really feeds us emotionally and spiritually and in some cases even nutritionally.”
First high gas prices, now water. A shocking new report about the nation’s crumbling drinking water system says that Americans should expect their bills to double or triple to cover repairs just to keep their faucets pouring. That means adding up to $900 a year more for water, nearly equal the amount of the newly extended payroll tax cut.
Fixing and expanding underground drinking water systems will cost over $1 trillion in the next 25 years and users will get socked with the bill, according to the American Water Works Association.
As with most infrastructure investments, spending heavily now means less costs down the road. But with little appetite in the country for even trickling taxes now, a delayed and more expensive fix is almost guaranteed. The association figures that spending to fix leaky water systems will double from roughly $13 billion a year today to $30 billion annually by 2040.
“Because pipe assets last a long time, water systems that were built in the later part of the 19th century and throughout much of the 20th century have, for the most part, never experienced the need for pipe replacement on a large scale,” said the report provided to Washington Secrets. “The dawn of an era in which the assets will need to be replaced puts growing stress on communities that will continue to increase for decades to come.”
What kind of stress? Families can expect to pay at least $300-$550 more for water in taxes and fees just to keep their current systems operating. Add growth and improved systems, and that bill jumps to $900 for a family of three, said the report.
Currently, Americans pay about $400 a month in water taxes and fees.
A Global Climate Change Remote-Viewing Study
Multiple Realities, Timelines, and Events
Introduction:We at The Farsight Institute are currently engaged in a fascinating study using remote viewing to study climate and planetary change between the years 2008 and 2013. The initial results appear dramatic on a global scale, and our research does indeed suggest that major global change is a possibility between now and 2013. However, web site visitors are reminded that this is research, not certitude. Remember what Albert Einstein once said, “If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called research, would it?” Web site visitors are encouraged to examine all of our results carefully, and learn with us as we complete this experiment in mid-2013. We will not fully understand these remote-viewing data until the experiment is completed at that time.
How we obtain these results is a bit complicated, but it is worth the effort to understand our methods. The actual types of global change is discussed in the second part of the video presentation below, but the first part of this presentation is absolutely essential to understand how these results were obtained. Web site visitors should watch both parts of the video presentation. This presentation was given during the 29th Annual Meeting of the Society for Scientific Explorationin Boulder, Colorado in June 2010.
This is the most carefully collected set of professional-grade remote-viewing data involving this time span that currently exists. This experiment is potentially one of the most significant experiments ever attempted using remote viewing as a data-collection platform.
Principal Investigator: Courtney Brown
Remote Viewers: HRVG viewers led by Glenn Wheaton and CRV viewers led by Lyn Buchanan.
Initial Results:
This project describes change between the years 2008 and 2013 across nine geographical locations with a global spread. The locations are
Vaitupu, Tuvalu
Fort Jesus, Mombasa Kenya
Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
United States Congress Building, Washington, D.C.
Malé International Airport, Malé, Maldives
KITV Building, Honolulu, Hawaii
The Vehicle Assembly Building at Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida
Key West, Florida
In general, these remote-viewing data suggest the following types of physical changes across many of the above geographical locations by mid-2013:
Impacts from what appear to be large meteors leading to tsunamis and possible volcanism
Extensive and forceful flooding of coastal areas
Excessive solar radiation
Storms and other severe weather
In terms of the effects of these changes on humans, these data also suggest:
Massive self-organized relocation from coastal areas (refugees)
The breakdown of rescue or other notable governmental functioning
These are methods that I have tried and tested in my own home. They work for me. Look over them and see if they are a viable resourced for you and your family. Only you know your circumstance, family needs and your shelter. Space, comfort and surroundings are very important. Do your research don’t just take my word for it. Your knowledge and the skills you acquire are more valuable than any amount of prep work you can do for any disaster scenario!
Rainwater
Rain Catchment System
Now if you have property then the smartest thing to do is to have a rain catchment system. This way you can always have a viable way to capture water when it rains and you do not have to go very far to replenish your supply. It can be as simple as purchasing some inexpensive plastic trash cans with lids that you can line with untreated plastic bags . Placed under a downspout from your gutters. Or all along the length of your roof right under the overhang where water collects the most. This is generally at corners or where there is a joint such as occurs in split level homes. They can be placed behind bushes so they are not easily seen. That way you avoid neighbors complaining. I use this method to collect water for my garden. Twelve- 30 gallon containers and I always have in excess of 360 gallons of water that can be used. If I needed to use it for drinking all I would need to do is filter and sterilize and I would have all the water I needed for as long as it rained.
If you have to leave your location for water reason then it would be best to have a large tarp. No matter where you go that tarp can be set out to catch rain water for you. Most o the time it is best to dig a hole and place a container ( as big as you want it to be anywhere from a 5 gallon bucket to a 30 gallon container. The choice is yours). A hole is made in the center of the tarp and that hole is placed over the container. Making sure all 4 sides are elevated enough to create a slant so the water will run towards the hole naturally. If you are unable to dig a hole to place the container beneath the tarp. Then you must find a way to fasten the 4 sides of the tarp securely above the container. Same as before the edges must be elevated enough above the container as to create a slant significant enough for the water to flow to the center where the hole is. Make sure that the tarp is well secured as in a heavy rain the weight of the water will surely pull it loose.
Hauling Water From an Outside Source
Streams, rivers, and other moving bodies of water
Ponds and lakes
Natural springs
Rainwater
Not having the ability to set up a rain catchment system or being faced with drought conditions where there is no rain then one must consider other sources. Nearby lakes, rivers or creeks that one can use 5 gallon buckets for transport. Using a wheel barrel , cart, wagon or any viable means of transport that would make it easier to haul the water back.
Fire hydrants nearby that can be opened to access water. Remembering that if the grid is down pressure will be low and if that hydrant happens to be on a lower elevation then gravity will be working in your favor and the water will flow.
Making the water safe to drink
There are many ways to make water safe to drink. You can boil it and then filter it to kill microbes and parasites that would make you and your family ill. You can buy a Berkey filter which many people swear by, although it is quite pricey. Not to mention having to purchase extra filter components for when they need replacement. After all, no filter can be used forever without replacement. Unless you have a bio filter.
Sand Filter
You can use a gallon bucket filled with sand to filter out all of the solids, so that the water is ready for disinfection. This will help by removing all solid matter and clearing up the water getting it ready for disinfection. If you are unable to boil the water due to lack of fuel then there are alternate solar methods that can . be employed to achieve the sterilization process. A solar distiller is easy to make and it utilizes the heat from the sun to distill the water no matter how dirty or contaminated it is, into safe drinking water
Slow Sand Bio Filter
You can also build a slow sand bio filter. Using a 30 gallon or so plastic trash can, fill it ¾ of the way with sand. A hole is drilled into the bottom of the plastic container and a spout inserted and sealed before the sand is added. Then the sand filter can be connected to receiving cans where you can have your filtered water for use. Or install a spigot where you can turn it on and off and add water as you need it to be filtered Always being conscientious to leave water in the filter. Allowing the filter to sit without water would kill the anaerobic beneficial bacteria( as they need to be in an oxygen deprived environment to survive or the bio filter will crash and become useless. As they take a bit of time to become established. You will know that your bio filter is established when you see the slime build up at the top of the sand. Yes I know that is gross and it sounds disgusting, however, nature has it’s secrets and this is one of them. The same process is used to keep the water in fish ponds and aquariums safe.
Biological water treatment involves the use of naturally occurring micro-organisms in the surface water to improve water quality. Under optimum conditions, including relatively low turbidity and high oxygen content (as occurs with rain water run off from let’s say a roof), the organisms break down material in the water and thus improve water quality. Slow sand filters or carbon filters are used to provide a place on which these micro-organisms grow. These biological treatment systems effectively reduce water-borne diseases, dissolved organic carbon, turbidity and color in surface water, improving overall water quality. Once the colony of beneficial bacteria is established it will take care of the most of the organisms that can make you sick. Biological treatment has been used in Europe to filter surface water for drinking purposes since the early 1900s and is now receiving more interest worldwide.
Quick Water Source for Immediate Storage
There are many ways to store water inexpensively without having to purchase cases of bottled water. They can all be used to hold ordinary tap water. Yes, tap water. At the risk of offending the health advocates out there. The true reality is that not everyone is able to afford to purchase many things. So in the spirit of being not only practical but realistic we will deal with that fact and address it accordingly. The alternative would be not having enough water causing dehydration, unsanitary conditions and possibly death. Tap water is the single most inexpensive source of water you have access to. Using tap water and the items I have mentioned can save you not only plenty of money , but it could mean the difference between life and death in a situation where there is no water readily available. Not to mention the simple fact that it has already been chlorinated and treated so that it is safe to drink. You need not add anything to it , just make sure that the vessels you use for the water are sealed properly to avoid contaminants from getting in. Saves you time in having to go out and look for it not to mention the fuel and time you would have to put into disinfecting it to make it safe to drink and use for personal hygiene.
*** I would like to add here that when water is collected for boiling disinfection it is best to make sure you have stocked up on paper coffee filters . They are excellent for filtering out the larger particles.
**** Throughout this blog I will be presenting diagram and schematics for DIY projects on survival and green items that will come in handy. Not only when the grid goes down but to save money as well as energy.
For that matter how many of you have heard a peep out of the mainstream media about Fukushima? Except of course the isolated mention of the island pf radioactive debris floating in the pacific that is finally washing ashore on the west coast. We have not been told the truth about the radiation dangers. We have not been given straight answers on the radioactive levels that have reached the US. Independent news sources report the radiation having been recorded all the way in Virginia. Main stream media reports radiation levels in Europe. OK, so how did it get to Europe without affecting the US……… a magic wind????
Come on now people who believes that load of nonsense? If elevated levels o radiation have been recorded in Europe then common sense should tell you that it passed over the US on it’s way there. Don’t believe me ? Then I suggest you go look at a map and find Europe then trace a line from London to the left over the Atlantic and you will find the US. Continue tracing that line over the US crossing over the Pacific and you will find Japan. Now who is going to tell me just how that radioactive wind hopped over all o the US and ended up in Europe. Took a detour through Canada you say ? Well, Canada is not fessing up to that reality either. The Canadian government has claimed no problem just as the US has. Not to mention all the radiation that has been dumped into the pacific. The sea life condemned to a horrific death and those who survive to produce mutated offspring if they are not rendered sterile.. The seas and everything in it contaminated forever.
Now how many nuclear power plants are here in the Us? How forthcoming do you believe the US government will be in letting the pubic know there is a problem with one of our nuclear plants here at home. We will explore that as well. The level of gross mismanagement of this situation would be laughable if it wasn’t so distressing.
Now Japan is reporting that the plant in Fukushima is in cold shut down. Hmmmmmm, really now? Nuclear experts claim differently.
Is the Japanese government and the IAEA protecting the nuclear industry and not the people of Japan by claiming that Fukushima is stable when it is not? Fairewinds’ chief engineer Arnie Gundersen outlines major inconsistencies and double-speak by the IAEA, Japanese Government, and TEPCO claiming that the Fukushima accident is over. Dynamic versus static equilibrium, escalated dose exposures to the Japanese children and nuclear workers, and the blending of radioactive materials with non-contaminated material and spreading this
contaminated ash throughout Japan are only a small part of this ongoing nuclear tragedy.
Radiation forecasts withheld by gov’t: “Ministry DECIDED such data would be unavailable” — Releasing it “would cause unnecessary panic”
and the usual problematic radioactive stuff.
As world marks the Chernobyl anniversary, many say that the world has failed to learn the lessons on nuclear safety that the tragedy provided. RT talks to Professor Christopher Busby, Scientific secretary of the European Committee on radiation risks, for a little more insight on 21st century’s most serious nuclear crisis at Fukushima.
With Chernobyl’s 25th anniversary reminding the world of the terrifying consequences of nuclear safety negligence, many eyes have turned to the continuing crisis in Japan. RT talks to Arnold Gundersen, Energy Adviser at Fairewinds Associates, from Vermont in the US.
Salem 1 is one of two reactors at the three-unit complex that relies on river water for operational cooling and safety systems. One circulating water pump was already out of service for maintenance and another for cleaning when problems developed in a third pump, leading to a sudden clogging of a fourth — a series of events that forced workers to manually “trip” control rods into place, cutting down reactor heat and stopping electricity production.
Salem 1 and its neighboring Salem 2 reactor together draw in and return 3 billion gallons of water from the river each day for cooling purposes. Hope Creek, the third reactor at the Artificial Island nuclear generating complex here, draws in only about 58 million gallons a day from the river because the plant has a cooling tower which recirculates cooling water. rsoe
There have been further meltdowns at Japan’s stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, according to Tepco, the operators of the facility. The firm has now confirmed that three of the six reactors suffered meltdowns within days of March’s deadly earthquake and tsunami.
Until now, Tepco had only admitted a meltdown at No. 1 reactor. But the revelation by the firm’s General Manager, Junichi Matsumoto, has only raised more questions about why the extent of the damage was not disclosed earlier.
Lethal Levels Of Radiation At Fukushima Infer Millions Dying
TEPCO has discovered locations on the Fukushima plant site with lethal levels of external gamma radiation. Fairewinds takes a close look at how this radiation might have been deposited and how similar radioactive material would have been released offsite.
“We use a Lagrangian particles dispersal method to track where free floating material (fish larvae, algae, phytoplankton, zooplankton…) present in the sea water near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station plant could have gone since the earthquake on March 11th. THIS IS NOT A REPRESENTATION OF THE RADIOACTIVE PLUME CONCENTRATION. Since we do not know how much contaminated water and at what concentration was released into the ocean, it is impossible to estimate the extent and dilution of the plume. However, field monitoring by TEPCO and modelling by the Sirrocco group in University of Toulouse, France both show high concentration in the surrounding water (highest rate at 80 Bq/L and 24 Bq/L for respectively I-131 and C-137) . Assuming that a part of the passive biomass could have been contaminated in the area, we are trying to track where the radionuclides are spreading as it will eventually climb up the food chain.
The dispersal model is ASR’s Pol3DD. The model is forced by hydrodynamic data from the HYCOM/NCODA system which provides on a weekly basis, daily oceanic current in the world ocean. The resolution in this part of the Pacific Ocean is around 8km x 8km cells. We are treating only the sea surface currents. Particles in the model are continuously released near the Fukushima Daiichi power plant since March 11th. The dispersal model keeps a trace of their visits in the model cells. The results here are expressed in number of visit per surface area of material which has been in contact at least once with the highly concentrated radioactive water.”
As I find myself gathering information to share with all of you on preparing for any disaster that may come to pass. Preparing and storing food and supplies needed for our well being and that of our families. It seems a bit ironic that I have stumbled onto an article that deals with the FDA their power over our food supply and their ideas as to where their power and our rights meet. Giving the very nature of our gathering supplies for our survival a possibly deeper dimension.
It seems to me that with all the frightening information that has come forward in the past few years on our food supply. The FDA has not done a very convincing job at keeping out food supply safe. They have approved , Sucrolose, GMO crops as well as GMO Salmon. Fluoride, heavy metals and chlorine in our water. All of these poisons have been allowed into our food and water supply. Gum, candy, drinks, even flavored waters are polluted with Aspartame or Sucrolose ( sometimes both). Formaldehyde as a preservative, wood pulp as a filler. So many more items that you could not imagine is allowed into our food and out water and deemed safe!
In this article they go over the idea that the FDA has states that we do not have the right to choose our food, because it is not a fundamental right! Now call me crazy but who has the right to choose the foo that is consumed by my children? Surely not an agency that agrees that labeling GMO ingredients would only serve to confuse the consumer. Labels do not serve to confuse they serve to educate and inform the public. Something the corporate bought bureaucrats don not want. An uninformed pubic is easier to manipulate.
Our rights are being eroded by corporate special interests. The top positions in the FDA are held by people who have held key positions in Monsanto. Who do you think they will choose when the moment comes to approve chemical nor additive to be incorporated into our food supply? The public or the corporations that put thousands of dollars in their pockets? It is truly sham that is being perpetrated in the name of the greater good.
My question is …………..The Greater Good For Whom???
America is not yet a dictatorship. The FDA in assuming dictatorial powers identifying itself as a terrorist organization and needs to be stopped!
You thought you had the right to choose what you eat? The FDA says you don’t. They claim that there is no fundamental right to choose your food or freedom to contract for it. Responding to a Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund lawsuit, the FDA clearly states that you do not have the right to freedom of choice in your diet.
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) Lawsuit Against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The FTCLDF is a 501(c)(4) organization, which means that it exists to promote the social welfare of its members and community. They define their reason for being in one sentence:
Sustainable farming and direct farm-to-consumer transactions further the common good and general welfare of all Americans.
Their Mission Statement says, in whole:
The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund is a 501 (c) (4) non-profit organization made up of farmers and consumers joining together and pooling resources to:
Protect the constitutional right of the nation’s family farms to provide processed and unprocessed farm foods directly to consumers through any legal means.
Protect the constitutional right of consumers to obtain unprocessed and processed farm foods directly from family farms.
Protect the nation’s family farms from harassment by federal, state, and local government interference with food production and on-farm food processing.
On behalf of its members and for all family farms in the US, the FTCLDF filed a lawsuit against the FDA, claiming “that the federal regulations (21 CFR 1240.61 and 21 CFR 131.110) banning raw milk for human consumption in interstate commerce are unconstitutional and outside of FDA’s statutory authority as applied to FTCLDF’s members and the named individual plaintiffs in the suit.”
The FDA responded by claiming a number of things, including the absurd idea that the FTCLDF has no standing to file the case! That is, they’re claiming that the organization that represents the people who have been harmed by the FDA’s actions does not actually represent them. They claim that no harm has been shown, in spite of the fact that the FDA’s actions have prevented farmers from producing and selling raw milk and their customers have lost the ability to obtain it.
The FDA’s Response and Claims
The FDA makes several statements in response to the lawsuit. The implications for personal freedoms are frightening.
No Fundamental Right to Raw Milk
The FDA claims that “…plaintiffs’ assertion of a new ‘fundamental right’ under substantive due process to produce, obtain, and consume unpasteurized milk lacks any support in law.” This implies that no rights exist unless they have been specifically granted. This concept runs completely counter to the basic concepts of the nation. The Declaration of Independence states:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
A basic notion in the founding of the nation is that rights do not have to be delineated. The rights identified in the Declaration of Independence clearly stated that they are merely “among” the obvious rights of people. How could anyone suggest that obtaining one’s food of choice is not an inherent right?
FDA Has the Right to Set the Rules for How They May Be Controlled
The FDA claims that, before filing a lawsuit, the FTCLDF should have filed a petition with the FDA. In other words, they’re claiming that they have the right to set the rules by which they may be accessed and controlled. If the FDA has such a right, then it is unaccountable to the people.
No Historical Tradition of Access to Food of Choice
The FDA states that “there is no ‘deeply rooted’ historical tradition of unfettered access to food of all kinds.” This implies that one does not have the right to a vegetable garden containing one’s choice of foods, or that choosing organic over petroleum-based fertilizer is not a right, or that one has no right to choose to eat a vegetarian diet.
“There is No Generalized Right to Bodily and Physical Health.”
This title quotes the title of a section of the FDA’s response to the lawsuit. If that doesn’t terrify you, then nothing can. The FDA is, literally, claiming that they have the right to take a person’s health if it suits them. The section uses specious logic, claiming that there is no right to bodily and physical health because, according to them, there is no right to food choice, which is a claim that only the FDA could make.
It’s interesting that the FDA is implicitly acknowledging that there is a connection between food and health, though they deny that one has a right to either freedom of food or pursuance of bodily and physical health.
“There is No Fundamental Right to Freedom of Contract.”
Another section of the FDA’s response is the above title claiming that individuals do not have the right to engage in contracts as they choose. This flies in the face of the basic right implied in the Constitution and strengthened by the 5th and 14th amendments. Limitations have been placed when contractual rights conflict with personal rights.
However, the inherent right to freedom of contract has not been abrogated, in spite of the FDA’s claims. Their reference to it as “anachronistic” says more about the FDA’s attitude towards the people than it does about the intent of the law.
“FDA’s Regulations Rationally Advance the Agency’s Public Health Mission.”
This statement by the FDA—again, the title of a section of its response—is made without a shred of documentation in support. It is nothing more than a self-congratulatory statement of opinion, one that a large section of the American public does not accept. Indeed, the illogic and arrogance of the FDA’s entire response to the FTCLDF lawsuit tends to deny their claim to rationality.
The FDA’s Logic
The logic the FDA is using seems to be: If it isn’t specifically named in the Constitution, then there is no such right. The absurdity of that logic is revealed by suggesting that you don’t have the right to breathe because it wasn’t specifically granted by the Constitution.
What could be more basic to life and the right to live than the right to eat as we wish and obtain the food we wish to eat? We have the right to free speech and assembly. In light of that, how can the FDA claim that we don’t, by definition, have the right to eat what we choose?
Could the Founding Fathers have possibly envisioned a government that would infringe on an individual’s right to choice in food?
Nonetheless, we need to understand that, in one sense, the FDA is right. Unless we act to stop their intrusions into our rights, then their claims will, effectively, become law. They’ve almost accomplished it now. Consider that the FDA’s claim that you have no right to choose what you eat isn’t front page news. The battle is almost lost already. It’s time…no, it’s past time to take action.
“But I Don’t Believe in Raw Milk”
Some readers may believe that pasteurized milk is better. That’s your right. However, does that give the FDA the right to enforce pasteurized milk on everyone? At what point will the FDA be infringing on your rights to food and health?
Many people have found that switching to raw milk has improved, and even cured, serious health problems. In light of the fact that the FDA has stated that you have no right to health, at what point will something you require be made illegal or difficult to obtain? Do you find that taking Vitamin C helps prevent colds? Are you aware that the FDA is planning to infringe on your right to take it? What about Vitamin D? Many people are finding that it improves their health, yet the FDA disagrees and wants to regulate it.
Do you want the right to eat organic food? That may be abridged, too, as the FDA is grabbing the right to define what organic means. What about genetically modified foods? Studies are showing that they cause tremendous harm, yet the FDA doesn’t even want you to know when foods have been created through GM processes.
The list can go on. If you’ve found that a certain food provides a particular health benefit, but someone has made a health claim for it, did you know that you can be denied access to it—simply because of that health claim?
This is not about raw milk. This is about your right to pursue health and the food of your choice. Please, don’t ignore this plea. Whatever your views on any particular food, it should be self-evident that each person should have the right to obtain it. The FDA’s intrusions on our lives are egregious, fundamentally evil, and outrageous. Please, take action now! There truly is no time to waste.
Take Action!
You can start by going to the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund’s action pages:
Help Congressman Ron Paul’s bid to overturn the federal ban on raw milk, HR 778. He needs cosponsors. Please go to FTCLDF’s Help HR 778 Get Co-Sponsors to End Raw Milk Ban page and follow instructions sign a petition on the subject.
Help defeat HR 2749, which would give the FDA even more power and put small family farmers out of business. You can simply sign the petition, or add a message to make it more personal and powerful. Your representative will get the message.
Then, start writing to your representatives in Congress, including your rep in the House and your senator. Write to the president. Then, write to your local state representatives. They’re under pressure from the federal government to go along with these abridgements of our rights.
We, the People, can stop this encroachment of our rights—but only if you speak out, starting now!
Rain Barrels will be a valuable source of water both for conservation/sustainability and for survival if the need arises. I have had a series of rain barrels that I have collected. A total of 12 – 30 gallon containers that will collect up to 360 gallons of water in a good downpour. As long as it rains I will have plenty of water to purify for drinking , bathing and cooking needs. Using t he greywater recovery technique I will also have plenty of water for my garden. It’s a win/win situation.
From harvesting rainwater in a rain barrel to composting your kitchen and yard waste in a compost bin, you can greatly increase your self-reliance by undertaking a few simple DIY projects.
Rainwater that is collected in a rain barrel before it hits the ground is free of many contaminants that water picks up as it filters through soil. This soft, warm (and free) water is perfect for plants, lawns, and many other outdoor applications. DIY Projects for the Self-Sufficient Homeowner provides a step-by-step plan to help you build a rain barrel, as well as many other DIY projects to increase your self-reliance.
COVER: CREATIVE PUBLISHING INTERNATIONAL
The following is an excerpt from DIY Projects for the Self-Sufficient Homeowner by Betsy Matheson (Creative Publishing International, 2011). This handy book is your first step toward participating in the fast-growing self-sufficiency movement. Even if you live on a small urban lot, you can take steps to gain a little more control over things you consume using the plans in this book. This excerpt is from Chapter 1, “Collecting Rainwater.”
Practically everything around your house that requires water loves the natural goodness that’s provided with soft rainwater. When you know how to make a rain barrel, you can begin harvesting rainwater to irrigate your garden or lawn, water your houseplants, or top off swimming pools and hot tubs. A ready supply of rainwater is also a reliable stand-by for emergency use if your primary water supply is interrupted.
Collecting rainwater runoff in rain barrels can save thousands of gallons of tap water each year. A typical 40-by- 40-foot roof is capable of collecting 1,000 gallons of water from only one inch of rain. A large rainwater collection system that squeezes every drop from your roof can provide most — or sometimes all — of the water used throughout the home, if it’s combined with large cisterns, pumps, and purification processing.
Sprinkling your lawn and garden can consume as much as 40 percent of the total household water use during the growing season. A simple rain barrel system that limits collected water to outdoor (nonpotable) use only, like the rain barrels described on the following pages, can have a big impact on the self-sufficiency of your home, helping you save on utility expenses and reducing the energy used to process and purify water for your lawn and garden. Some communities now offer subsidies for rain barrel use, offering free or reduced-price barrels and downspout connection kits. Check with your local water authority for more information. Get smart with your water usage, and take advantage of the abundant supply from above.
Rain Barrels
Rain barrels, either built from scratch or purchased as a kit, are a great way to irrigate a lawn or garden without running up your utilities bill. The most common systems include one or more rain barrels (40 to 80 gallons) positioned below gutter downspouts to collect water runoff from the roof. A hose or drip irrigation line can be connected to spigot valves at the bottom of the rain barrel. You can use a single barrel, or connect several rain barrels in series to collect and dispense even more rainwater.
Plastic rain barrel kits are available for purchase at many home centers for around $100. If kit prices aren’t for you, a rain barrel is easy to make yourself for a fraction of the price. The most important component to your homemade barrel is the drum you choose.
Obtaining a Rain Barrel
Practically any large waterproof container can be used to make a rain barrel. One easily obtained candidate is a trash can, preferably plastic, with a snap-on lid. A standard 32-gallon can will work for a rain barrel, but if you can find a 44-gallon can choose it instead. Although wood barrels are becoming more scarce, you can still get them from wineries. A used 55-gallon barrel can be obtained free or for a small charge from a bulk food supplier. Most 55-gallon barrels today are plastic, but some metal barrels are still floating around. Whatever the material, make sure the barrel did not contain any chemical or compound that could be harmful to plants, animals, or humans. If you don’t know what was in it, don’t use it. Choose a barrel made out of opaque material that lets as little light through as possible, reducing the risk of algae growth.
A barrelful of water is an appealing breeding ground for mosquitoes and a perfect incubator for algae. Filters and screens over the barrel opening should prevent insect infestation, but for added protection against mosquitoes add one tablespoon of vegetable oil to the water in the barrel. This coats the top surface of the stored water and deprives the larvae of oxygen.
How to Make a Rain Barrel
Tools and Materials
Barrel or trash can
Drill with spade bit
Jigsaw
Hole saw
Barb fitting with nut for overflow hose
1 1/2″ sump drain hose for overflow
3⁄4″ hose bibb or sillcock
3⁄4″ male pipe coupling
3⁄4″ bushing or bulkhead connector
Channel-type pliers
Fiberglass window screening
Cargo strap with ratchet
Teflon tape
Silicone caulk
Cut a large opening in the barrel top or lid. Mark the size and shape of your opening — if using a bulk food barrel, mark a large semi-circle in the top of the barrel. If using a plastic garbage can with a lid, mark a 12-inch diameter circle in the center of the lid. Drill a starter hole, and then cut out the shape with a jigsaw (see Image Gallery).
Install the overflow hose. Drill a hole near the top of the barrel for the overflow fitting. Thread the barb fitting into the hole and secure it to the barrel on the inside with the retainer nut and rubber washer (if provided). Slide the overflow hose into the barbed end of the barb elbow until the end of the hose seats against the elbow flange (see Image Gallery).
Drill the access hole for the spigot (either a hose bibb or sillcock, brass or PVC). Tighten the stem of the sillcock onto a threaded coupling inserted into the access hole. Inside the barrel, a rubber washer is slipped onto the coupling end and then a threaded bushing is tightened over the coupling to create a seal. Apply a strip of Teflon tape to all threaded parts before making each connection. Caulk around the spigot with clear silicone caulk.
Screen over the opening in the top of the barrel. Lay a piece of fiberglass insect mesh over the top of the trash can and secure it around the rim with a cargo strap or bungee cord that can be drawn drum-tight. Snap the trash can lid over the top. Once you have installed the rain barrel, periodically remove and clean the mesh.
How to Install a Rain Barrel
Whether you purchase a rain barrel or make your own from scratch or a kit, how well it meets your needs will depend on where you put it and how it is set up (see Image Gallery). Some rain barrels are temporary holding tanks that store water runoff just long enough to direct it into your yard through a hose and drip irrigation head. Other rain barrels are more of a reservoir that supplies water on-demand by filling up watering cans or buckets. If you plan to use the spigot as the primary means for dispensing water, you’ll want to position the rain barrel well off the ground for easy access (raising your rain barrel has no effect on water pressure).
In addition to height, other issues surrounding the placement of your rain barrel (or rain barrels) include the need to provide a good base, orientation of the spigot and overflow, the position relative to your downspouts, and how to link more than one rain barrel together. Tip: Wherever possible, locate your rain barrel in a shaded area. Sunlight encourages algae growth, especially in barrels that are partially translucent.
Tools and Materials
Drill/driver
Screwdriver
Hack saw
Rain barrel
Hose & fittings
Base material (pavers)
Downspout adapter and extension
Teflon tape
Select a location for the barrel under a downspout. Locate your barrel as close to the area you want to irrigate as possible. Make sure the barrel has a stable, level base.
Install the spigot. Some kits may include a second spigot for filling watering cans. Use Teflon tape at all threaded fittings to ensure a tight seal. Connect the overflow tube, and make sure it is pointed away from the foundation.
Cut the downspout to length with a hacksaw. Reconnect the elbow fitting to the downspout using sheet-metal screws. Attach the cover to the top of the rain barrel. Some systems include a cover with porous wire mesh, to which the downspout delivers water. Others include a cover with a sealed connection (next step).
Link the downspout elbow to the rain barrel with a length of flexible downspout extension attached to the elbow and the barrel cover.
Variation: If your barrel comes with a downspout adapter, cut away a segment of downspout and insert the adapter so it diverts water into the barrel.
Connect a drip irrigation tube or garden hose to the spigot. A Y-fitting will let you feed the drip irrigation system through a garden hose when the rain barrel is empty.
If you want, increase water storage by connecting two or more rain barrels together with a linking kit, available from many kit suppliers.
This is an awesome idea that I use at home. Although, instead of placing the bucket underneath the sink and messing with the piping to collect the water. I simply use dish totes ( the kind they use in restaurants for busing tables). I place them in the sink with hot soapy water and the other with hot rinse water. I wash the dishes in one tub and then rinse them in the other. No water is wasted and the water from the tubs are transferred to the 5 gallon bucket when the dishes are done. I wanted to share it with you. The more people start to conserve water then more fresh water there sill be. Not to mention learning to conserve water so that you already know what to do and how to do it when a disaster strikes and your life will depend on your ability to conserve.
It is important to make sure that the detergent you use is phosphate free and biodegradable. So that it is safe for your plants and the environment.
A simple, portable watering system for a small garden.
DANA COHEN
I’ve always wanted to do more with greywater (also spelled graywater, gray water and grey water) — waste water from dishwashing, laundry and bathing — but as a renter, I wanted to invest my money and energy in a way that was more portable than traditional systems. I started by looking into rain barrels as a way to cache water and was amazed at how expensive they were. Then I found a few 5-gallon buckets at a construction site, and came up with this simple greywater setup that has worked well for me for the past two summers.
The setup is a 5-gallon bucket with a tap inserted, hooked up to a commercial drip irrigation system in my raised garden beds. I use one bucket per 2-foot-square bed.I clean the buckets, drill a hole, and insert a garden-hose-sized tap. To keep the tap from leaking, I cover the thread with Teflon tape, put a washer on the inside of the bucket and use a plastic hose coupler to secure the tap. I hook this up to the drip irrigation system.The drip irrigation kit was the most expensive part of this system at about $25. The tap and accessories totaled a little less than $6. I live in northern Arizona, and during the heat of high summer I use a full bucket a day in my sunniest bed.The source of the greywater is the leftover water from washing dishes, which I collect in another 5-gallon bucket I keep by the sink.
Another route that some people are taking is the grey water diversion method. This entails rerouting the flow of grey water from main sewer piping established by the cities and counties to ensure that the grey water can be utilized in a more efficient manner. Although in some States this is illegal many are opting to the clandestine retrofitting to fill a need for conservation and the logical and ethical stewardship of natural resources and our planet.
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