Photo by Bonnie Howard

SunRay Shire

WATER, PONDS & STREAMS.

LESSONS FROM NATURE.

Observe.

When Truth Is Spoken.

SunRay Kelley and I were so moved by the closing presentation Michael from Rain For Climate gave in Prague March 2018. We  never heard anyone create such clarity about the role our sewer systems play in climate change and rising ocean levels as well as individual and community solutions. Please check out their website and list of world wide affiliates at rainforclimate.com

Deforestation and CO2 emissions are well known contributors to global warming and the resulting extreme weather. The role of our sewer systems however is not always as well known or addressed in public policy solutions / changes.

Prepare.

To Change your practices.

Closing the loop, keeping water on the land and in our communities by not flushing rain water, gray and black water away through the sewer systems helps keep the soil like a damp sponge, more able to suck up rain water keeping it in place there by cooling the land.

When rain water is whisked quickly away through the sewer system the land heats up and dries out creating high pressure from the heat which effectively pushes out the low pressure that brings in the rain clouds. When it does finally rain the earth is so hard and dry that the rain water rushes too fast over the ground and little in water penetrates the surface.

Enjoy.

Our options and Choices.

SunRay and I are already vocal proponents of the living roof to address run off problems created by too many impenetrable surfaces.
Also by installing a little bit of irrigation, as easy as a soaker hose on a timer, we have not had trouble getting county officials in high risk fire zones to permit them.

We use pond liner that we cover with flakes of straw and sprinkle just a small amount of well composed lightweight soil to start the seeds and plants as well as accelerating the conversion of the straw to soil. The straw serves as an effective mat to keep the loose soil in place until the plant roots are established enough to stabilize the soil themselves. The straw also acts as a sponge holding water and slowing the runoff of rainwater.

Delight.

In the future outlook.

Planting water by making ponds, using septic systems, wet composting toilets, or dry composting toilets are not just ways to survive water shortages they in fact reverse the heating of the planet by reestablishing healthy micro water circulation systems thereby ending the draught / flood cycles we are now experiencing.

For cities where septic systems and dry composting toilets are not viable alternatives
Pete Janicki, SunRay’s cousin, has developed a system to close the loop of sewer water. He used a Bill Gates grant to develop the Omniprocessor that distills and recycles the sewer water into drinking water while also producing electricity from the steam. There are good articles and videos on line about the omniprocessor. Good news for a change!

Participate.

In the Change.

It is time to stop treating shit like shit! By imitating nature, we will use this valuable and abundant resource instead of trying to rid ourselves of this source of energy and fertilizer and with it the water that carries it away.