Rainwater harvesting put simply means collecting and storing rain for future use. Uses depends on how far you go in purifying and cleaning the water, but could range from turning it into fully drinkable water to using it for cleaning and bathing to using it to water crops in a drought. The most common form of rainwater catchment system is a rooftop system, where runoff is directed into rainwater containers or tanks.
A close cousin of rainwater harvesting is called “groundwater recycling”. These systems also recycle rainwater but usually in order to concentrate it in a single area, like where crops are to be grown. This is also referred to as “groundwater recycling” and is common where wells provide enough water for the people and animals, but are strained to meet the needs of crops or other vegetation. The term for changing groundwater into a drinkable form is called “groundwater recharging”, and it is particularly common in areas that have rainy seasons.
Rainwater harvesting can provide water for human and animal consumption while at the same time reducing water bills, decreasing the costs of distribution, providing valuable reserves during times of drought, and saving some land that would otherwise have to be used for reservoirs. This can be vitally important in parts of the world where rain is scarce or the population is high, but in almost any area rainwater harvests can reduce costs and the strain on natural resources.
Rainwater harvests got their start in dessert or at least semi-arid locations. People in these areas often had limited, expensive, or strained access to regular sources of “potable” water. In these areas, rain harvesting provided drinking water, water for bathing and cleaning, water for livestock and pets, and of course irrigation and groundwater for crops and plants. The technology was developed and perfected out of need, but can now be more generally used. In fact, rainwater harvesting has now become more and more common in areas where the human population has outstripped natural resources.
Rainwater harvested from roofs can contain impurities picked up from the roof itself. In addition, some natural rain contains pesticides and other contaminants. Therefore, sometimes the water in rainwater tanks or containers has to be purified before it is to be used as drinking water, and this can be done through boiling, filtering, or through the use of additives like chlorine. Rainwater purification can also be done earlier in the process, quite simply by having filters in the tubing that directs the water into the storage tanks.
Rain collection systems are inexpensive, and can be built into structures so they are barely visible. Rainwater tanks or containers can be buried in the ground or located in a basement, again, invisible but highly useful. Rooftop systems can be made virtually invisible from ground level though sometimes they can be made to be aesthetically pleasing by choice. Look into rainwater harvests - it could save you money, help you reduce your impact on our environment, and bring you a stream of fresh water each day.
Particularly for large metropolitan cities, smog and poor air quality is a pressing environmental problem. Smog primarily consists of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds chemically interacting with heat from sunlight forming ground level ozone. Smog is that familiar haze most commonly found surrounding large cities, particularly in the summer time. Smog and ground level ozone contribute to all kinds of respiratory problems ranging from temporary discomfort, asthma, to long-lasting, permanent lung damage. The pollutants in smog come from vehicle emissions, smokestack emissions, paints, and solvents - most of which started out as crude oil.
Much of the eastern United States is affected by another environmental problem known as acid rain. Acid rain can damage crops, forests, wildlife populations, and cause respiratory and other illnesses in humans. When sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water vapor and other chemicals in the presence of sunlight, various acidic compounds form in the air and come to the earth as acid rain. The pollutants of acid rain are derived from coal fired power plants. Natural gas emits virtually no sulfur dioxide and up to 80 percent less nitrogen oxides than the combustion of coal. So the increased use of natural gas would provide for fewer acid rain causing emissions.
The source of energy to use for reducing pollution and maintaining a clean and healthy environment is natural gas. Natural gas is also domestically abundant making it a secure source of energy. The environmental benefits of using natural gas over other sources of energy, particularly other fossil fuels are numerous.
Since the use of natural gas emits only low levels of nitrogen oxides and virtually no particulate matter, it can be used to help combat smog formation in those areas where ground level air quality is poor. Electric utilities, motor vehicles, and industrial plants make up the main sources of nitrogen oxides. To combat smog production, especially in urban centers where it is needed the most, increased natural gas use in the electric generation sector, a shift to cleaner natural gas vehicles, and increased industrial natural gas use could all serve to improving the air quality. Summertime, when natural gas demand is at its lowest and smog problems are the greatest, would be a good time for industrial plants and electric generators to use natural gas to fuel their operations instead of using the more polluting fossil fuels. This would effectively reduce smog emissions resulting in clearer, healthier air around the urban centers.
A study conducted in 1995 by the Coalition for Gas-Based Environmental Solutions found that in the Northeast, smog and ozone-causing emissions could be reduced by 50 to 70 percent through the seasonal switching to natural gas.
Particulate emissions such as soot, ash, metals, and other airborne particles also cause the degradation of air quality in the United States. Natural gas emits virtually no particulates into the atmosphere. Emissions of particulates from natural gas combustion are 90 percent lower than from the combustion of oil, and 99 percent lower than burning coal. Increased natural gas use in place of other dirtier hydrocarbons can help to reduce particulate emissions in the United States.
Companies like Triple Diamond Energy Corporation are concerned about the levels of smog and acid rain. They look at increasing their supply of the more environmentally beneficial natural gas and to make it more accessible to the northeastern part of the United States.