Showing posts with label drought. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drought. Show all posts
11/04/2009
2/17/2009
7/11/2008
NC Legislative Update from CCNC
Drought and Stormwater Meet the House and Senate
Support Drought Legislation. On Tuesday, the House Environment and Natural Resources Commission approved HB 2499, Drought/Water Management Recommendations. The bill now will be considered by the full House. This bill is a significant step forward for the State, specifying the governor’s emergency powers during water shortages and increasing the authority of state officials to impose restrictions on local water system during the increasing stages of drought.
The bill presented to the Committee was quickly criticized by legislators and environmental organizations because it failed to set uniform minimum conservation measures or set water-savings goals for counties across the state. Previous bill drafts had proposed such uniform conservation measures for all systems that required reduced water use by 10% and then 20% under the two worst levels of drought. But, opposition to such uniform measures quickly mounted and shamefully the mandatory minimum measures went by the wayside.
Local governments had already been charged with filing water shortage response plans with the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources(DENR) by the start of this month; however, prior to this session’s proposed legislation, no standards existed that these water shortage response plans had to meet. Section 5 of HB 2499 directs DENR to approve the local government or water system’s plan if it meets just three criteria, the two most descriptive criteria being that: the plan should includes a tiered level of water conservation measures or other response actions; and that each tier of water conservation measures should be based on increased severity of drought/water shortage that would lead to stricter water conservation measures. At Tuesday’s committee meeting, Representative Weiss wisely questioned if the current legislation by just stipulating a tiered system was adequate and expressed the need for DENR to amend this language. Much depends on these individual plans that DENR must now approve. Environmental groups on the NC Common Agenda 2008 remain strongly supportive of linking water conservation goals back to a specific, quantifiable savings for the state.
If the local government or water system fails to implement proposed restrictions during severe, extreme, or exceptional drought, this legislation allows state official s to force restrictions. Should these restrictions fail to minimize harm to public health, safety, and the environment, then even more stringent restrictions would be authorized by state officials. In a water shortage emergency, the governor is further permitted to force water sharing if the supplying system has excess water beyond their need.
On improving general state-wide efforts, Rep. Tarleton and Rep. Luebke further suggested that more public education and outreach to the public on water conservation was needed. Certainly, the public and the legislators have much to learn and do in order to prepare and manage the state’s precious water resources. HB 2499 is a welcome start. Please Support HB 2499. HB 2499 passed the third reading on the Senate floor yesterday. This afternoon, the bill was removed from the calendar, even after yesterday's unexpected caucus on the floor for amendments; but will be taken up as priority on Monday when the House meets again.
Support Stormwater Management Revisions. Stormwater regulations over this session have been rendered palatable enough to gain the “whole hearted” endorsement of the developers and general acceptance by coastal cities and municipalities. On Tuesday, SB 1967, formerly the “Disapprove Coastal Stormwater Bill” was replaced with the committee substitute, “Improve Coastal Stormwater Management,” which is the product of the series of eight negotiation meetings that began back in April. The environmental community supports the coastal stormwater compromise. The newest costal stormwater rules require stricter setback and drainage requirements for these 20 coastal counties; but some scientists and environmental regulators still think that this new rule is not enough. The environmental community believes more could have been done to protect our environment but recognizes that the “compromise” bill will protect the environment more than rules currently in place. The environmental community asks lawmakers to support the committee substitute of SB 1967. Further, the environmental community also encourages legislators oppose amendments that would upset the compromise reached at stakeholder meetings. Finally, legislators should reject efforts to disapprove or delay implementing the Coastal Stormwater Program.
We all have a responsibility to protect and enhance our state’s water quality. Chronic lowering of environmental standards and protections is a trend the State’s legislature should avoid at all costs. Great concern was expressed in the environmental community after the Honorables mentioned on Tuesday that the EMC’s authority might be repealed after, SB 1967 is voted on, to set coastal stormwater rules for a certain length of time. This pronouncement is disquieting for many outside of the legislature. If the EMC’s authority is tampered with, then those most experienced and knowledgeable on the impacts to state waters are effectively forced by the legislators to take the back seat to political considerations. Shouldn’t our water quality protection measures be based on pragmatic conservation approaches and sound science rather than political pandering?
Updates
Strengthen North Carolina's drought response.
SUPPORT H2499 (S1879)
Protect our coast from stormwater pollution.
SUPPORT the Committee Substitute for SB1967 (adopted 7/8/08)
Defend our shoreline from hardened structures.
OPPOSE S599
Stop global warming, start clean cars.
SUPPORT H 2526 and H1179(S1307)
The NC Common Agenda is endorsed by: Audubon NC / Conservation Council of NC / Environment NC / Environmental Defense Fund / NC Coastal Federation / NC Conservation Network / NC Sierra Club / Penderwatch & Conservancy / Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Legislative Summaries
H838 Ban Incandescent Light Bulbs
This legislation would prohibit the sale of general service incandescent light bulbs in the state. Support.
H1134 Cleanup of Abandoned Manufactured Homes
This legislation would protect public health and the environment by encouraging counties to develop plans for deconstructing abandoned manufactured homes and removing reusable or recyclable components. The legislation would impose an environmental remediation tax on the sale of new and used manufactured homes to fund the deconstruction of abandoned manufactured homes. Support.
H1154 Oak Island/Erosion Setback Line
This legislation, which applies to the Town of Oak Island, alters setback rules in cases of beaches that have undergone renourishment programs. Altering the setback rules undermines sound planning principles and prudent coastal management rules that have been in place for some time. Oppose.
H1179/S1307 Clean Cars Program/Funds
This legislation would establish North Carolina's low emission vehicle program. Support.
H1611 Stormwater Requirements' cost to County/City
This legislation requires the ERC to prepare and submit a fiscal note to the county or city detailing the costs of meeting post-construction stormwater management standards. Oppose.
H1834 Local Government Economic Impact
This legislation expands the Local Government Fiscal Information Act to require an economic impact statement (EIS) rather than just a fiscal note, similar to the EIS used in the rulemaking process. This act effectively alters the procedures for all parties of local governments who expect to experience substantial economic impacts (of at least $3 million in a 12-month period) from the costs of meeting State regulations and rules. Oppose.
H1889 Present Use Value System Modifications
This legislation would provide property tax relief to landowners who manage their lands for wildlife and other conservation benefits. The House passed H1889 by an overwhelming vote in the 2007 session. This bill awaits the Senate's ruling. Support.
H1997 Economic Impact/Regulatory Legislation
This legislation would require economic impact statements (EIS) for all bills proposing regulatory changes, similar to he fiscal notes agencies must prepare during the rule making process. Oppose.
H2499 / S1879 Drought/Water Management Recommendations
This legislation requires that surface and groundwater withdrawls and transfers (between river basins) of greater than or equal to 100,000 gallons per day be registered with the Environmental Management Commission. Support.
H2506 Sedimentation Ctrl/Local Gov't Envorcement
This legislation would clarify the process for appeals from civil penalties assed by a local government that have established and approved erosion and sedimentation control programs. In keeping with a recommendation by the Environmental Review Commission, this legislation would provide local governments with such programs to issue stop work orders. Support.
H2526 Motor Vehicle Emissions Study
This legislation would direct the Environmental Review Commission, in consultation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, to study the costs and benefits--economic and environmental--of adopting the California motor vehicle emissions standards for the State. This act further directs that a report of findings, recommendations, and legislative proposals be submitted by 1 April 2009. Support.
H2675 Adopt-A-Trail Funds
This legislation would increase the funds for the Adopt-a-Trail Program within the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources by $892,000 for the 2008-2009 fiscal year. Support.
H2709 No Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
This legislation would prohibit any public utility that operates a coal-fired generating unit in the State to generate electricity from purchasing or using coal extracted by mountaintop removal coal mining. This bill provides for cost recovery and appropriates funds for any utility's incremental costs of purchasing or using coal extracted by some method other than mountaintop removal coal mining. Support.
H2710 Income Tax Credit - Energy-Efficient Homes
This legislation would provide an income tax credit for builders of: state-certified energy-efficient homes, under the NC Healthy Build Homes Program, of $2,000; or the federally qualified energy-efficient home under the ENERGY STAR Program of $1,000. Support.
H2718 N.C. Green Business Fund
This legislation would change the NC Green Business Fund from a grant-making fund to a no-interest loan-making fund and would appropriate funds to the Department of Commerce for this purpose. Support.
H2720 Energy-Efficient State Motor Vehicle Fleets
This legislation would require every new passenger motor vehicle transferred to or purchasaed by the Department of Administration or by the Department of Transportation to have a fuel economy rating, as set by the U.S. EPA for the new vehicle's model year, in the top 10 percent for its class of vehicles. Support.
Support Drought Legislation. On Tuesday, the House Environment and Natural Resources Commission approved HB 2499, Drought/Water Management Recommendations. The bill now will be considered by the full House. This bill is a significant step forward for the State, specifying the governor’s emergency powers during water shortages and increasing the authority of state officials to impose restrictions on local water system during the increasing stages of drought.
The bill presented to the Committee was quickly criticized by legislators and environmental organizations because it failed to set uniform minimum conservation measures or set water-savings goals for counties across the state. Previous bill drafts had proposed such uniform conservation measures for all systems that required reduced water use by 10% and then 20% under the two worst levels of drought. But, opposition to such uniform measures quickly mounted and shamefully the mandatory minimum measures went by the wayside.
Local governments had already been charged with filing water shortage response plans with the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources(DENR) by the start of this month; however, prior to this session’s proposed legislation, no standards existed that these water shortage response plans had to meet. Section 5 of HB 2499 directs DENR to approve the local government or water system’s plan if it meets just three criteria, the two most descriptive criteria being that: the plan should includes a tiered level of water conservation measures or other response actions; and that each tier of water conservation measures should be based on increased severity of drought/water shortage that would lead to stricter water conservation measures. At Tuesday’s committee meeting, Representative Weiss wisely questioned if the current legislation by just stipulating a tiered system was adequate and expressed the need for DENR to amend this language. Much depends on these individual plans that DENR must now approve. Environmental groups on the NC Common Agenda 2008 remain strongly supportive of linking water conservation goals back to a specific, quantifiable savings for the state.
If the local government or water system fails to implement proposed restrictions during severe, extreme, or exceptional drought, this legislation allows state official s to force restrictions. Should these restrictions fail to minimize harm to public health, safety, and the environment, then even more stringent restrictions would be authorized by state officials. In a water shortage emergency, the governor is further permitted to force water sharing if the supplying system has excess water beyond their need.
On improving general state-wide efforts, Rep. Tarleton and Rep. Luebke further suggested that more public education and outreach to the public on water conservation was needed. Certainly, the public and the legislators have much to learn and do in order to prepare and manage the state’s precious water resources. HB 2499 is a welcome start. Please Support HB 2499. HB 2499 passed the third reading on the Senate floor yesterday. This afternoon, the bill was removed from the calendar, even after yesterday's unexpected caucus on the floor for amendments; but will be taken up as priority on Monday when the House meets again.
Support Stormwater Management Revisions. Stormwater regulations over this session have been rendered palatable enough to gain the “whole hearted” endorsement of the developers and general acceptance by coastal cities and municipalities. On Tuesday, SB 1967, formerly the “Disapprove Coastal Stormwater Bill” was replaced with the committee substitute, “Improve Coastal Stormwater Management,” which is the product of the series of eight negotiation meetings that began back in April. The environmental community supports the coastal stormwater compromise. The newest costal stormwater rules require stricter setback and drainage requirements for these 20 coastal counties; but some scientists and environmental regulators still think that this new rule is not enough. The environmental community believes more could have been done to protect our environment but recognizes that the “compromise” bill will protect the environment more than rules currently in place. The environmental community asks lawmakers to support the committee substitute of SB 1967. Further, the environmental community also encourages legislators oppose amendments that would upset the compromise reached at stakeholder meetings. Finally, legislators should reject efforts to disapprove or delay implementing the Coastal Stormwater Program.
We all have a responsibility to protect and enhance our state’s water quality. Chronic lowering of environmental standards and protections is a trend the State’s legislature should avoid at all costs. Great concern was expressed in the environmental community after the Honorables mentioned on Tuesday that the EMC’s authority might be repealed after, SB 1967 is voted on, to set coastal stormwater rules for a certain length of time. This pronouncement is disquieting for many outside of the legislature. If the EMC’s authority is tampered with, then those most experienced and knowledgeable on the impacts to state waters are effectively forced by the legislators to take the back seat to political considerations. Shouldn’t our water quality protection measures be based on pragmatic conservation approaches and sound science rather than political pandering?
Updates
Strengthen North Carolina's drought response.
SUPPORT H2499 (S1879)
Protect our coast from stormwater pollution.
SUPPORT the Committee Substitute for SB1967 (adopted 7/8/08)
Defend our shoreline from hardened structures.
OPPOSE S599
Stop global warming, start clean cars.
SUPPORT H 2526 and H1179(S1307)
The NC Common Agenda is endorsed by: Audubon NC / Conservation Council of NC / Environment NC / Environmental Defense Fund / NC Coastal Federation / NC Conservation Network / NC Sierra Club / Penderwatch & Conservancy / Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Legislative Summaries
H838 Ban Incandescent Light Bulbs
This legislation would prohibit the sale of general service incandescent light bulbs in the state. Support.
H1134 Cleanup of Abandoned Manufactured Homes
This legislation would protect public health and the environment by encouraging counties to develop plans for deconstructing abandoned manufactured homes and removing reusable or recyclable components. The legislation would impose an environmental remediation tax on the sale of new and used manufactured homes to fund the deconstruction of abandoned manufactured homes. Support.
H1154 Oak Island/Erosion Setback Line
This legislation, which applies to the Town of Oak Island, alters setback rules in cases of beaches that have undergone renourishment programs. Altering the setback rules undermines sound planning principles and prudent coastal management rules that have been in place for some time. Oppose.
H1179/S1307 Clean Cars Program/Funds
This legislation would establish North Carolina's low emission vehicle program. Support.
H1611 Stormwater Requirements' cost to County/City
This legislation requires the ERC to prepare and submit a fiscal note to the county or city detailing the costs of meeting post-construction stormwater management standards. Oppose.
H1834 Local Government Economic Impact
This legislation expands the Local Government Fiscal Information Act to require an economic impact statement (EIS) rather than just a fiscal note, similar to the EIS used in the rulemaking process. This act effectively alters the procedures for all parties of local governments who expect to experience substantial economic impacts (of at least $3 million in a 12-month period) from the costs of meeting State regulations and rules. Oppose.
H1889 Present Use Value System Modifications
This legislation would provide property tax relief to landowners who manage their lands for wildlife and other conservation benefits. The House passed H1889 by an overwhelming vote in the 2007 session. This bill awaits the Senate's ruling. Support.
H1997 Economic Impact/Regulatory Legislation
This legislation would require economic impact statements (EIS) for all bills proposing regulatory changes, similar to he fiscal notes agencies must prepare during the rule making process. Oppose.
H2499 / S1879 Drought/Water Management Recommendations
This legislation requires that surface and groundwater withdrawls and transfers (between river basins) of greater than or equal to 100,000 gallons per day be registered with the Environmental Management Commission. Support.
H2506 Sedimentation Ctrl/Local Gov't Envorcement
This legislation would clarify the process for appeals from civil penalties assed by a local government that have established and approved erosion and sedimentation control programs. In keeping with a recommendation by the Environmental Review Commission, this legislation would provide local governments with such programs to issue stop work orders. Support.
H2526 Motor Vehicle Emissions Study
This legislation would direct the Environmental Review Commission, in consultation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, to study the costs and benefits--economic and environmental--of adopting the California motor vehicle emissions standards for the State. This act further directs that a report of findings, recommendations, and legislative proposals be submitted by 1 April 2009. Support.
H2675 Adopt-A-Trail Funds
This legislation would increase the funds for the Adopt-a-Trail Program within the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources by $892,000 for the 2008-2009 fiscal year. Support.
H2709 No Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
This legislation would prohibit any public utility that operates a coal-fired generating unit in the State to generate electricity from purchasing or using coal extracted by mountaintop removal coal mining. This bill provides for cost recovery and appropriates funds for any utility's incremental costs of purchasing or using coal extracted by some method other than mountaintop removal coal mining. Support.
H2710 Income Tax Credit - Energy-Efficient Homes
This legislation would provide an income tax credit for builders of: state-certified energy-efficient homes, under the NC Healthy Build Homes Program, of $2,000; or the federally qualified energy-efficient home under the ENERGY STAR Program of $1,000. Support.
H2718 N.C. Green Business Fund
This legislation would change the NC Green Business Fund from a grant-making fund to a no-interest loan-making fund and would appropriate funds to the Department of Commerce for this purpose. Support.
H2720 Energy-Efficient State Motor Vehicle Fleets
This legislation would require every new passenger motor vehicle transferred to or purchasaed by the Department of Administration or by the Department of Transportation to have a fuel economy rating, as set by the U.S. EPA for the new vehicle's model year, in the top 10 percent for its class of vehicles. Support.
4/05/2008
Tough Plants for Tough Times
Master Gardener Dolores Muller
Southern Pines Public Library
April 13, 3-4 p.m.
Info about soil testing, site preparation, selection of drought-resistant plants
Plant Swap! -- Bring a plant and take home a different one. Label your plant with planting instructions.
(To attend the program, you needn't bring a plant -- only if you intend to swap.)
692-8235 for more info
Southern Pines Public Library
April 13, 3-4 p.m.
Info about soil testing, site preparation, selection of drought-resistant plants
Plant Swap! -- Bring a plant and take home a different one. Label your plant with planting instructions.
(To attend the program, you needn't bring a plant -- only if you intend to swap.)
692-8235 for more info
3/05/2008
Waterwise Workshop, Early April
http://www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum/calendar/event_details.php?ID=189
1/27/2008
Nuke-Plant Shutdowns
Drought Could Force Nuke-Plant Shutdowns
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/012408EC.shtml
Mitch Weiss, The Associated Press: "Nuclear reactors across the Southeast could
be forced to throttle back or temporarily shut down later this year because drought
is drying up the rivers and lakes that supply power plants with the awesome amounts of cooling water they need to operate."
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/012408EC.shtml
Mitch Weiss, The Associated Press: "Nuclear reactors across the Southeast could
be forced to throttle back or temporarily shut down later this year because drought
is drying up the rivers and lakes that supply power plants with the awesome amounts of cooling water they need to operate."
12/31/2007
12/22/2007
How to Conserve Water
Stretching Water
• To save both water and time, consider washing your face or brushing your teeth while in the shower.
• Instead of tossing dropped ice cubes, left over ice from takeout drinks and stale pet water, use it to water your plants.
• Likewise, when you clean your fish tank, use the nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich old water on your plants for a free and nutritional fertilizer.
• A bucket in the shower catches water you can use to flush toilets or water plants.
• Wash your produce in the sink or a pan that is partially filled with water instead of running water from the tap.
• Use the proper size cooking pots and pans. Cook food in as little water as possible to retain more nutrients. In both cases use the water again to water plants.
• Wash your car on the lawn.
Appliance Water
• Use water-efficient appliances, shower heads and toilets.
• Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full or, if possible, adjust the water level to the size of the load.
• Cut back on using the rinse-only dishwasher cycle and buy an efficient model. Newer models clean more thoroughly than older ones and they use less energy, water and detergent.
• Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost instead.
• Don't use your toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket. Reduce the number of flushes whenever possible.
• Make sure your toilet flapper doesn't stick open after flushing. Put aerators on all of your faucets.
Indoor Water Use
• Designate one glass for your drinking water each day to cut down on the number of times you need to run your dishwasher. Likewise, keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator to beat the habit of running tap water until it's cool for drinking.
• Don't defrost frozen foods with running water. Plan ahead by placing frozen items in the refrigerator overnight or longer or defrost them in the microwave.
• Wash dishes by hand by filling one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water instead of using running water to rinse. If you only have one sink, use a spray device or short blasts instead of letting the water run. In both cases, use less detergent to minimize the need for rinse water. Soak your dirty pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
• Take shorter showers. Let young kids double up during baths. While you wait for hot water to come down the pipes, catch the flow in a watering can to later use on house plants or in your garden.
• Turn off the water while shaving, brushing your teeth or washing your face. Turn it on to clean your blades and rinse. Or rinse with water in the sink. Turn the sink water off while you shampoo and condition your hair.
Outdoor Water Use
• Consider a water-efficient drip irrigation system for trees, shrubs and flowers.
• Aerate your lawn to allow better water penetration and less runoff. Add a layer of mulch around trees and plants to slow evaporation. Weed often so grass has fewer competitors for water.
• Water your lawn in the mornings on still days, rather than windy days, to minimize evaporation.
• Don't water on cool, overcast or rainy days. Adjust or deactivate automatic sprinklers.
• Don't water the sidewalks, driveway or gutter. Adjust your sprinklers so that water lands only on your lawn or garden. Water smaller missed patches by hand.
• Set your lawn mower's blades a notch higher. Longer grass. Less evaporation.
• Allow your kids to play in the sprinklers' shower only when you are watering the yard, provided its not too cool. Avoid hose play. Don't buy recreational water toys that require a constant flow of water.
• Don't run the hose while washing your car. Use a bucket of water and a quick hose rinse at the end.
• Sweep down the driveway to clean it instead of hosing it down.
• Use pool covers on pools to cut down on evaporation and energy spent cleaning it. Use a grease pencil to mark your pool's water level at the skimmer. Check the mark 24 hours later. Expect to lose no more than 1/4 inch a day.
• Drive less. It takes 44 gallons of water to refine one gallon of crude oil!!!
• To save both water and time, consider washing your face or brushing your teeth while in the shower.
• Instead of tossing dropped ice cubes, left over ice from takeout drinks and stale pet water, use it to water your plants.
• Likewise, when you clean your fish tank, use the nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich old water on your plants for a free and nutritional fertilizer.
• A bucket in the shower catches water you can use to flush toilets or water plants.
• Wash your produce in the sink or a pan that is partially filled with water instead of running water from the tap.
• Use the proper size cooking pots and pans. Cook food in as little water as possible to retain more nutrients. In both cases use the water again to water plants.
• Wash your car on the lawn.
Appliance Water
• Use water-efficient appliances, shower heads and toilets.
• Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full or, if possible, adjust the water level to the size of the load.
• Cut back on using the rinse-only dishwasher cycle and buy an efficient model. Newer models clean more thoroughly than older ones and they use less energy, water and detergent.
• Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost instead.
• Don't use your toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket. Reduce the number of flushes whenever possible.
• Make sure your toilet flapper doesn't stick open after flushing. Put aerators on all of your faucets.
Indoor Water Use
• Designate one glass for your drinking water each day to cut down on the number of times you need to run your dishwasher. Likewise, keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator to beat the habit of running tap water until it's cool for drinking.
• Don't defrost frozen foods with running water. Plan ahead by placing frozen items in the refrigerator overnight or longer or defrost them in the microwave.
• Wash dishes by hand by filling one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water instead of using running water to rinse. If you only have one sink, use a spray device or short blasts instead of letting the water run. In both cases, use less detergent to minimize the need for rinse water. Soak your dirty pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
• Take shorter showers. Let young kids double up during baths. While you wait for hot water to come down the pipes, catch the flow in a watering can to later use on house plants or in your garden.
• Turn off the water while shaving, brushing your teeth or washing your face. Turn it on to clean your blades and rinse. Or rinse with water in the sink. Turn the sink water off while you shampoo and condition your hair.
Outdoor Water Use
• Consider a water-efficient drip irrigation system for trees, shrubs and flowers.
• Aerate your lawn to allow better water penetration and less runoff. Add a layer of mulch around trees and plants to slow evaporation. Weed often so grass has fewer competitors for water.
• Water your lawn in the mornings on still days, rather than windy days, to minimize evaporation.
• Don't water on cool, overcast or rainy days. Adjust or deactivate automatic sprinklers.
• Don't water the sidewalks, driveway or gutter. Adjust your sprinklers so that water lands only on your lawn or garden. Water smaller missed patches by hand.
• Set your lawn mower's blades a notch higher. Longer grass. Less evaporation.
• Allow your kids to play in the sprinklers' shower only when you are watering the yard, provided its not too cool. Avoid hose play. Don't buy recreational water toys that require a constant flow of water.
• Don't run the hose while washing your car. Use a bucket of water and a quick hose rinse at the end.
• Sweep down the driveway to clean it instead of hosing it down.
• Use pool covers on pools to cut down on evaporation and energy spent cleaning it. Use a grease pencil to mark your pool's water level at the skimmer. Check the mark 24 hours later. Expect to lose no more than 1/4 inch a day.
• Drive less. It takes 44 gallons of water to refine one gallon of crude oil!!!
12/15/2007
Drought's End Unlikely, NC
Chances Of Drought Ending This Winter Less Than 4 Percent
From the climatologists at NC STATE UNIVERSITY
http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/clima...e.20071107.pdf
The predictions are made a few pages down...
In order to completely end the drought this winter, the state needs as much as 24 inches of rain over the next 3 months (35 inches over 6 months) and the chances of that occurring are less than 4 percent. The PDSI is a meteorological drought index which responds to abnormally dry or wet weather conditions and is calculated based on precipitation and temperature data, as well as the local available soil moisture. It is one of many indicators used to determine drought severity. To find out more about drought indices, access the Raleigh National Weather Service drought webpage
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/rah/drought
From the climatologists at NC STATE UNIVERSITY
http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/clima...e.20071107.pdf
The predictions are made a few pages down...
In order to completely end the drought this winter, the state needs as much as 24 inches of rain over the next 3 months (35 inches over 6 months) and the chances of that occurring are less than 4 percent. The PDSI is a meteorological drought index which responds to abnormally dry or wet weather conditions and is calculated based on precipitation and temperature data, as well as the local available soil moisture. It is one of many indicators used to determine drought severity. To find out more about drought indices, access the Raleigh National Weather Service drought webpage
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/rah/drought
12/09/2007
12/02/2007
11/07/2007
Water, Drought Issues, NC
http://www.ncconservationnetwork.org/issues/water_issues/water_resources
[from NC Conservation Network]
[from NC Conservation Network]
10/17/2007
Drought
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/16/us/16drought.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
ATLANTA, Oct. 15
For the first time in more than 100 years, much of the Southeast has reached the most severe category of drought, climatologists said Monday, creating an emergency so serious that some cities are just months away from running out of water.
In North Carolina, Gov. Michael F. Easley asked residents Monday to stop using water for any purpose “not essential to public health and safety.” He warned that he would soon have to declare a state of emergency if voluntary efforts fell short. “Now I don’t want to have to use these powers,” Mr. Easley told a meeting of mayors and other city officials. “As leaders of your communities, you know what works best at the local level. I am asking for your help.”
Officials in the central North Carolina town of Siler City estimate that without rain, they are 80 days from draining the Lower Rocky River Reservoir, which supplies water for the town’s 8,200 people. In the Atlanta metropolitan area, which has more than four million people, worst-case analyses show that the city’s main source of water, Lake Lanier, could be drained dry in 90 to 121 days. The hard numbers have shocked the Southeast into action, even as many people wonder why things seem to have gotten so bad so quickly. Last week, Mayor Charles L. Turner of Siler City declared a water shortage emergency and ordered each “household, business and industry” to reduce water use by 50 percent. Penalties for not complying range from stiff fines to the termination of water service.
“It’s really alarming,” said Janice Terry, co-owner of the Best Foods cafeteria in Siler City. To curtail water use, Best Foods has swapped its dishes for paper plates and foam cups. Most controversially, it has stopped offering tap water to customers, making them buy 69-cent bottles of water instead. “We’ve had people walk out,” Ms. Terry said. “They get mad when they can’t get a free glass of water.”
For the better part of 18 months, cloudless blue skies and high temperatures have shriveled crops and bronzed lawns from North Carolina to Alabama, quietly creating what David E. Stooksbury, the state climatologist of Georgia, has dubbed “the Rodney Dangerfield of natural disasters,” a reference to that comedian’s repeated lament that he got “no respect.”
“People pay attention to hurricanes,” Mr. Stooksbury said. “They pay attention to tornadoes and earthquakes. But a drought will sneak up on you.”
The situation has gotten so bad that by all of Mr. Stooksbury’s measures — the percentage of moisture in the soil, the flow rate of rivers, inches of rain — this drought has broken every record in Georgia’s history. Mayor Shirley Franklin of Atlanta, at a news conference last week, begged people in her city to conserve water. “Please, please, please do not use water unnecessarily,” Ms. Franklin said. “This is not a test.”
Others wondered why the calls to conserve came so late. “I think there’s been an ostrich-head-in-the-sand syndrome that has been growing,” said Mark Crisp, an Atlanta-based consultant with the engineering firm C. H. Guernsey. “Because we seem to have been very, very slow in our actions to deal with an impending crisis.” Mr. Crisp is among a chorus of experts who have warned for years that Atlanta is asking too much of Lake Lanier, a situation quickly being compounded by an absence of rain. Many had hoped that hurricane season, as it has in the past, would bring several soaking storms to the Southeast to replenish reservoirs that are at or near all-time lows.
But the longed-for rains never materialized, and now in October, traditionally the driest month, significant rainfall remains out of the picture. “We’re in a stressful situation now,” Mr. Crisp said, “but come next spring, if we don’t have substantial rainfall this winter, these reservoirs are not going to refill.”
That would leave metro Atlanta dry in the summer, which traditionally has the highest water use of the year.
Others pointed to the Southeast’s inexperience with drought and to explosive growth in population as complicating factors.
“In the West, people expect that it’s dry, and you’re going to have drought situations,” said Michael J. Hayes, director of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“In the Southeast, people think of it as being wet, and I think that mindset makes it tougher to identify worst-case scenarios and plan to that level.” “Here’s the fly in the ointment,” Mr. Hayes added. “The vulnerability in the Southeast has changed. Population shifts, increased competition and demand for water has increased, so that’s made this drought worse than it might have been.” Within two weeks, Carol Couch, director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, is expected to send Gov. Sonny Perdue recommendations on tightening water restrictions, which may include mandatory cutbacks on commercial and industrial users.
If that happens, experts at the National Drought Mitigation Center said, it would be the first time a major metropolitan area in the United States had been forced to take such drastic action to save its water supply.
“The situation is very dire,” Mr. Hayes said.
ATLANTA, Oct. 15
For the first time in more than 100 years, much of the Southeast has reached the most severe category of drought, climatologists said Monday, creating an emergency so serious that some cities are just months away from running out of water.
In North Carolina, Gov. Michael F. Easley asked residents Monday to stop using water for any purpose “not essential to public health and safety.” He warned that he would soon have to declare a state of emergency if voluntary efforts fell short. “Now I don’t want to have to use these powers,” Mr. Easley told a meeting of mayors and other city officials. “As leaders of your communities, you know what works best at the local level. I am asking for your help.”
Officials in the central North Carolina town of Siler City estimate that without rain, they are 80 days from draining the Lower Rocky River Reservoir, which supplies water for the town’s 8,200 people. In the Atlanta metropolitan area, which has more than four million people, worst-case analyses show that the city’s main source of water, Lake Lanier, could be drained dry in 90 to 121 days. The hard numbers have shocked the Southeast into action, even as many people wonder why things seem to have gotten so bad so quickly. Last week, Mayor Charles L. Turner of Siler City declared a water shortage emergency and ordered each “household, business and industry” to reduce water use by 50 percent. Penalties for not complying range from stiff fines to the termination of water service.
“It’s really alarming,” said Janice Terry, co-owner of the Best Foods cafeteria in Siler City. To curtail water use, Best Foods has swapped its dishes for paper plates and foam cups. Most controversially, it has stopped offering tap water to customers, making them buy 69-cent bottles of water instead. “We’ve had people walk out,” Ms. Terry said. “They get mad when they can’t get a free glass of water.”
For the better part of 18 months, cloudless blue skies and high temperatures have shriveled crops and bronzed lawns from North Carolina to Alabama, quietly creating what David E. Stooksbury, the state climatologist of Georgia, has dubbed “the Rodney Dangerfield of natural disasters,” a reference to that comedian’s repeated lament that he got “no respect.”
“People pay attention to hurricanes,” Mr. Stooksbury said. “They pay attention to tornadoes and earthquakes. But a drought will sneak up on you.”
The situation has gotten so bad that by all of Mr. Stooksbury’s measures — the percentage of moisture in the soil, the flow rate of rivers, inches of rain — this drought has broken every record in Georgia’s history. Mayor Shirley Franklin of Atlanta, at a news conference last week, begged people in her city to conserve water. “Please, please, please do not use water unnecessarily,” Ms. Franklin said. “This is not a test.”
Others wondered why the calls to conserve came so late. “I think there’s been an ostrich-head-in-the-sand syndrome that has been growing,” said Mark Crisp, an Atlanta-based consultant with the engineering firm C. H. Guernsey. “Because we seem to have been very, very slow in our actions to deal with an impending crisis.” Mr. Crisp is among a chorus of experts who have warned for years that Atlanta is asking too much of Lake Lanier, a situation quickly being compounded by an absence of rain. Many had hoped that hurricane season, as it has in the past, would bring several soaking storms to the Southeast to replenish reservoirs that are at or near all-time lows.
But the longed-for rains never materialized, and now in October, traditionally the driest month, significant rainfall remains out of the picture. “We’re in a stressful situation now,” Mr. Crisp said, “but come next spring, if we don’t have substantial rainfall this winter, these reservoirs are not going to refill.”
That would leave metro Atlanta dry in the summer, which traditionally has the highest water use of the year.
Others pointed to the Southeast’s inexperience with drought and to explosive growth in population as complicating factors.
“In the West, people expect that it’s dry, and you’re going to have drought situations,” said Michael J. Hayes, director of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“In the Southeast, people think of it as being wet, and I think that mindset makes it tougher to identify worst-case scenarios and plan to that level.” “Here’s the fly in the ointment,” Mr. Hayes added. “The vulnerability in the Southeast has changed. Population shifts, increased competition and demand for water has increased, so that’s made this drought worse than it might have been.” Within two weeks, Carol Couch, director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, is expected to send Gov. Sonny Perdue recommendations on tightening water restrictions, which may include mandatory cutbacks on commercial and industrial users.
If that happens, experts at the National Drought Mitigation Center said, it would be the first time a major metropolitan area in the United States had been forced to take such drastic action to save its water supply.
“The situation is very dire,” Mr. Hayes said.
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