NEWSLETTERS

Modern Homesteading Movement

Newsletter 1-10-05

1) Happy New Year!

2) Feedback

3) Tsunami statistics

4) Fossil Fuel Depletion Chronology

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1) Click here for my New Year's greeting to you:

http://web.icq.com/friendship/swf/0,,16961_rs,00.swf

2) Feedback.

Here's what some of you wrote me in response to the last newsletter.

Donal wrote: "Great idea about the weekly newsletter, and excellent article on water! I
am increasingly concerned about the restrictions we impose on ourselves that prevent us (in some places) from using rainwater, greywater, and dry toilet systems. In fact, one of the criteria I have in looking for some land on which to build my ideal homestead is the ability to rely on such systems. I hope I can find some place like that! Keep up the good work."

Arlene J. wrote, "You can catch approximately 650 gallons of water per 1000 square feet of roof area. On our system we estimate 600 gallons per 1000 SF. We have a total of 26,600 gallons of storage and are considering a pond for the overflow. We have enough roof on the garage and house to catch 4600 gallons every time it rains an inch and we can use 4500 gallons a month for the 6 cool months and 8000 gallons per month during the months I need to irrigate gardens. On a year of 20 inches of rain (we average 32) we still have full tanks at the end of the year. Water storage capacity depends upon your desired usage, amount of catchment area, and estimated rainfall. If rain is your sole source of water you need sufficient storage for the dry years. Water storage tanks cost far less then drilling a well. My tanks are above ground black poly tanks—most located under my deck. A well allows you to pump what you need, when you need it, but rainfall comes when it comes, and every drop you don’t have storage space for is a drop you will never again have a chance to collect. Rain in Seattle comes in little bits over a long period of time. Rain in this part of Texas usually comes a lot at once. Both places average the same amount of rain yearly (that’s surprising, isn’t it??). If I have the roof area to generate 4600 gallons per inch and we get a 3 inch rainstorm in 6 hours, then I better have the capacity to store 13,800 gallons (approx 1/2 of my storage). If I could GUARANTEE that I could get .62 inches of rain per week, or at least 1.24 inches every 2 weeks or even 2.5 inches each month, then I wouldn’t need but half of the storage because the tanks would be replenished regularly (32 inches divided by 52 weeks per year equals .62 inches). Of course, if I got that kind of consistent rain I wouldn’t need to irrigate. My rain usually doesn’t come like that though."

Arlene J. directed us to this excellent website: http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/publications/reports/RainHarv.pdf. It takes you to an on-line copy of the best book on rainwater harvesting: Texas Guide to Rainwater Harvesting (2nd Edition, 1997, Austin). There you can learn how to calculate the needed tankage, make roof washing systems, and filter water. You can’t print it, but you can read it on-line. Topics include "How Does a Rainwater Harvesting System Work?" "Catchment Area," "Gutters and Downspouts," "Storage Tanks," "Filters and Disinfection."

3) The recent Sumatra earthquake displaced a section of the ocean floor over 700 miles long and 10 miles wide, nearly 100 feet upward. An equal amount of ocean water on the order of 135 cubic miles was moved violently upward and outward. This massive plunger type motion created huge tsunami waves that brought devastation to coastlines 4,000 miles away. On a map of the world it is hard to gain a sense of how big this thing was. So, on a map of the United States www.AccuWeather.com has placed the entire length of the fault segment that shifted. It stretches a distance equal to that from Chicago to Denver or from New York City to St Louis.

4) Here's an article I wrote on the fossil fuel depletion chronology. It's posted at my website. That's where this link takes you. http://www.carlaemery.com/fossil-fuel.htm