MacArthur Foundation hands out genius grants to 23 ultra-talented people

“A phone call out of the blue; $500,000 – no strings attached” Reads the front page for the MacArthur Foundation. Sometimes called the genius grants, they are awarded to the ultra-talented in nearly any field – writers, scientists, photographers. Young and old, this year’s recipients range from 31 to 66 years old. And like the …

How does water get to my house?

Through a series of pumps and electricity, from the USGS Water Science School: Let’s assume that you get your water from the local water department through pipes buried below the streets. In other words, you don’t have your own well in your back yard. Chances are that you get your water through gravity and pumps. …

What uses the most water in your home?

The average person uses 80-100 gallons of water a day. But where is all that water used? Toilet – 27% Laundry – 22% Shower – 17% Faucet – 16% Leaks – 14%     Water stats: Showers – 2 gallons/minute – bathtub holds 36 gallons. Kitchen faucets – 2 gallons/minute. Bathroom faucet – 1 gallon/minute. …

Residential water trends for the United States

Here is a report that studied water trends from the past 50 years (pdf) and found both good/bad news. The good: A household in the 2008 billing year used 11,678 gallons less water annually than an identical household did in 1978. To investigate the causes of this decline, a local study of statistically representative households of …

How many baths could I get from a rainstorm?

From the USGS Water Science School: Let’s say your house sits on a one-half acre lot. And let’s say you get a storm that drops 1 inch of rain. You’ve just received 13,577 gallons of water on your yard. A big bath holds about 40 gallons of water, so if you could save that inch …

Become a water warrior – 9 recommendations for water conservation

It’s hard to commit to using less water because it involves everything fine and delicate: cleaning our bodies, our food, and our clothes. We have a level of comfort with cleanliness and nobody wants to be smelly. The United States is particularly obsessed with this (“Cleanliness is next to Godliness”). We use nearly as much water …

Stop wasting water in the shower! – Install a point-of-use tankless water heater

A great technology for water conservation is available called the point-of-use tankless water heater. These small box-like devices can be installed underneath the sink in a kitchen or bathroom. They offer a simple way to avoid running cold water for minutes while you wait for hot water. For showers, the EPA says the average output …

Cardiff Surf Classic & Green Beach Fair – Oct. 27, 2012, 8am – 5pm

Cardiff, a city just north of San Diego, is hosting an event guaranteed to be fun. There will be multiple surf contests, a green expo, tarp surfing (see picture below), musical entertainment, and a demo of various DIY surf toys (handplanes, paipos, etc.).   The Cardiff Surf Classic & Green Beach Fair Saturday, October 27 …

Trees are virtual air conditioners that save millions in electricity, water, carbon

  An article from The Atlantic focuses on the value of trees: I was approached by someone from an initiative called San Diego County Trees…(a project) extolling the benefits of urban trees. I just spent time on the website, where the coolest feature is an interactive map of the whole county showing very specific tree locations and information, …

Maps of Southern California’s – Marine Protected Areas

A map of all the Southern California MPA’s (marine protected areas), defined as: A space in the ocean where human activities are more strictly regulated than the surrounding waters – similar to parks we have on land. They are supposed to form a network of safe areas for marine life ro repopulate and bring back …