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This year, I hope to better use the rainwater in my yard. Recently, I got a small rain barrel (about 60 gallons), which cost $65, including the class that helped me put it together and taught me to use it. But lo and behold, I brought it home and made two discoveries. First, our roof is not set up to channel all of the rainwater to one drainage location, making a large rain barrel currently impractical. Second, 60 gallons ain't much. You can get a 1300 gallon rain barrel - but it costs some $1300. There's much more you can do too to keep the water from running off your yard into the sewer system, and to help your soil better absorb water. Here in San Diego, where water is scarce and where a large percentage of household water use is in the yard, this is important. Additionally, a drip irrigation system would not only save water, it would save me the hassle of walking around the yard with a hose all the time during the long dry season. So that's my resolution.
Another, related goal involves the safety and quality of our greywater. I want to make sure that whatever goes into our shower and washing machine water is safe if we dispose of it in the yard (as we try to do and hope to do a better job of). I no longer want detergents going into our water. Castile soap is just fine to clean with. No more soaps with the generic term "fragrance" listed on the label, either, because that could mean anything. Meeting this goal involves finding products that are not only safe but also accessible, affordable, and effective. Believe me, I've certainly tried out "green" products that don't work before - or found other ones that work great but cost a fortune. And since I'll need to get the entire household (roommate, his kids) on board with this resolution, I'll have a much easier time if I'm not asking them to break the bank or use products they don't like.
What are your food, agriculture, and environment-related resolutions this year?
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