Green Options » catchment

World’s Lakes: Sentinels of Climate Change

Michael Ricciardi — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:21:50 +0000

View of Blüemlisalp and Oeschinen lake, Bernese Alps

As climate scientists scour the Earth’s surface looking for indications of climate change impacts, freshwater lakes and reservoirs are becoming the sentinels of choice for many investigations. Although they make up a small percentage of the planet’s surface area, such bodies of water–small to large–are providing clues to past climate fluctuations, as their sediments and “catchments” (the total chemical and biological material that results from the presence of the body of water) often record ancient climate shifts and impacts and offer indicators of current climate change.

Greywater Guerillas Make Rainwater Harvesting Easy

Rhonda Winter — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:53:42 +0000

As another year of devastating drought stretches out before us here in California, saving our rainwater has never been more crucial. Greywater systems can take many forms, and now learning how to create your own rain barrel system has never been easier.

Greywater Guerilla Laura Allen demonstrates how to create your own water catchment system utilizing several recycled maraschino cherry containers

Last Saturday my husband Peter and I rode our bicycles to Visitacion Valley to take a workshop on rainwater harvesting given by the Greywater Guerrillas, a collaborative group of teachers, designers, builders, and artists who educate and empower people to build sustainable water culture and infrastructure.

Increasing Water Security with Rainwater Catchment

The Dave Room — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:24:48 +0000

By Dave Room and Ingrid Severson, Bay Localize

Rainwater catchment is an ancient practice used widely around the globe to harvest and store rainwater for human consumption and irrigation. Dating as far back as 4,000 B.C., it is now commonly used in Australia, New Zealand, parts of Europe, Japan, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand as well as the Caribbean, Central and South America.

With more than 250,000 practitioners in the U.S. alone, rainwater catchment is experiencing a revival in parts of North America including Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Canada. Hawaii, North Carolina and the more dry regions of New Mexico, Arizona and Texas already boast government incentive programs. Although maintaining water supplies for increasing population demands is one of the California’s biggest challenges, the Golden state does not have government-backed, financial incentives for rainwater catchment.

photo credit: Rumsey Engineers