[Scpg] Eco Design News- Rainwater harvesting, Maruata, Principles of ecological design

[Santa Barbara Permaculture Network]

Contents:

~~~ Behind the scenes
~~~ Off to Maruata
~~~ Claves from Maruata
~~~ Rainwater harvesting in the San Juans
~~~ Principles of Ecological Design
~~~ Vote for new content
~~~ Unsubscribe info
_______________________________________

This newsletter on the web-easier to read and there's pictures, too:
http://www.oasisdesign.net/design/newsletter/2002dec.htm



~~~Behind the scenes~~~

Dear Ecological living enthusiasts:

Last month we sent an email to several hundred old e mail addresses just
before deleting them, giving the owners the chance to opt in to our
newsletter list. 

The response was very inspiring. We got hundreds of new subscribers,
many including glowing praise along with their subscription request, and
not a single flame--thanks!

The caliber and diversity of people receiving this newsletter is
mind-boggling. Top people working on the cutting edge of just about
every facet of green living, friends, family, writers of building codes,
numerous highly skilled authors, publishers, musicians...

If some sort of peculiar catastrophe happened and the recipients of this
newsletter were the only people left alive on earth, I think the 250 of
us not only could rebuild human society, but that it would probably turn
out better than it is now.

I hope you find the newsletter informative and entertaining, and that
you'll let me know how I'm doing:
<http://www.oasisdesign.net/about/contact/feedback.htm>



~~~Off to Maruata~~~

We'll be working in Maruata for the month of December. This visit I'm
going to be working on learning Nahuatl, safe local drinking water
supplies, urine reuse from composting toilets and the start up of local
cottage industry.

Check out past sustainable development work:
http://www.oasisdesign.net/design/examples/maruata.htm



~~~Claves from Maruata~~~

Last April we brought back a big box of claves (musical instruments)
made in Maruata from sustainably harvested tropical hardwoods. They are
exceptionally beautiful, sound great, and support the native people's
low impact, high yield use of their forest resources, and a new cottage
industry.

If you're looking for christmas gift for someone who already has all the
greywater books they need, check them out.

Cocobolo Claves: <http://www.oasisdesign.net/spirit/music/claves.htm>



~~~Rainwater harvesting in the San Juans~~~

While recently in Port Townsend, Washington, I took a side trip to San
Juan island to spend a day with Tim Pope of Northwest Water Source.

The San Juans feature critical water situations and an influx of
clueless rich people. San Juan is a clay covered rock receives 1.5"
average of rainwater recharge to groundwater annually. Wells typically
yield a fraction of a gallon of a minute until they go dry, or several
gallons a minute until they suck salt water. Lopez Island is a gravel
pile with a delicate lens of fresh water perched atop the salt water.

Tim has been setting up house after house to run exclusively on
harvested rainwater. This is pretty cool, but his most amazing
achievement is that he's got the county to approve new construction with
rainwater as its only water source, and gotten banks to loan money for
their construction or purchase.

Northwest water source: http://www.rainfallcatchment.com/



~~~Principles of Ecological Design~~~

The long-awaited principles of ecological design article, the massively
revised and expanded first section of the out of print "Living with
Nature" book, is available for download.
This article explains the design principles for redesigning our way of
life from the ground up, optimized for long term quality, not short term
profitability.

Principles of ecological design article description:
<http://www.oasisdesign.net/design/principles.htm>



~~~Vote for new content~~~

The vote for new content page has been somewhat streamlined...see
http://www.oasisdesign.net/catalog/vote.htm )


Ecologically yours,

Art

_______________________________________
To unsubscribe: reply with "unsubscribe" in the body of the message.

Santa Barbara Permaculture Network
(805) 962-2571
sbpcnet at silcom.com 

"We are like trees, we must create new leaves, in new directions, in order to
grow." - Anonymous

>
> May no bomb fall on your head
> or on your child's head or on your enemy's head
> or on his child's head
> or on the snail
> in his garden.

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