Re-Hydrating the Earth: A Building Project I want to do: “The Soil Needs Moisture”
Problem Statement:
I believe our use of canals and cemented waterways, as well as tar and concrete roads with water runoff systems is resulting in us, human beings, drying out the earth like a desiccated coconut. I don’t know as yet, how to prove my belief – but I feel it. The cost of waiting for this belief to show itself and materialise is too great, by then the earth will be dead. So, we need to keep the earth alive, and the ground needs to hold the moisture our waterways so efficiently send to the sea. We cannot wait for scientists to somehow have a solution. I cannot wait. I’d rather do, and prove that my world is all the better because of my actions. Yes, I am a do-er.
Proposed Solution:
I’m going to figure out a system of how I can keep the soil moist, with water that I’ve tested and ensured its clean state. I’m going to show, how us human beings, can share our water supply with our nature and fellow earthlings. All of this of course, is based on the current parameters we find ourselves with.
Risks:
If I don’t manage all variables properly, there is a risk of contaminated water being shared with my land and fellow earthlings. Mitigation of risk: Containment and testing of water, before release. #to-do
As-Is Assessment:
Earth Care:
The Soil Needs Moisture
Soil: My home is in what was previously a wetland, the soil is clay.
Animals: I have eagles visiting my yard to survey the neighbour’s critters (this within the last two weeks as well as previous eagle visits), so there is still an abundance of natural life, even if its turning into a complete suburban extension.
Foliage: I have lawn and some trees, a few raised beds as well as some hugels, and hugels-in-progress.
Added to Soil: Household vegetable waste, in strewn composting (I keep orange peels separate for an area which I know needs the acid from the citrus, and is out of eye-shot. So far my garden seems to like the addition of banana peels, and apple cores. I have two apple trees in my garden due to this. The trick is to cover the waste with soil, mice don’t like it. Risk: Even vegetable waste could contain remnants of the chemicals used by farmers on produce. Mitigation of risk: Shopping organic. I grow some of my own vegetables which are chemical free. Washing off store bought veggies. Remnant Risk: Waste water will then still contain the chemicals that it is has taken off the vegetable / produce…
Added to Soil / Foliage: I use no chemicals in my little patch.
Water Care:
Current Watering Routine:
Evening watering every third day, using municipal water minimally. I only water plants, I refuse to water lawn. Younger plants get water every other day.
Animal drinking points, get topped with fresh municipal water daily – here when I say animal, I am including, the insects, bees, birds, rodents, cats, birds, bats and others I’m sure.
Our drinking water: technically, we filter our tap water using the clay pot system. I’ll add the details here later. #to-do. And before that, we boil and let the water cool before adding it into the clay filtration system – considering that our country has had Cholera scares.
What is in the water you currently use for your water routine? #to-do . Nobody ever asked a bee if it likes the chemicals we’ve used to clean and purify our piped in water. Technically my younger self might have once told our the then Minister of Water Affairs, that Jo’burg Water tastes like something died in it. I might be a bit spoilt. I come from an area of the country where the water tastes pure like the sun shine glistening on it. The piped water in that part of the country, use to taste like fresh mountain water dripping of the rocks. Almost. My dad use to stop at these points when we did roadtrips and weekends away, to let us have a drink, because he knew it was so yummy!
Animal Care
I’m not 100% sure how to check this, but for the moment I am going to assume that the creatures exposed to the newly hydrated soil, and plants will need to be monitored.
Issues
The issue is soap.
Once we utilise soap, we force water to have to go through some form of mass treatment processing. Soap – if left in the water – cannot then be used in the earth. It disrupts animal life, it burns plants, probably causing gi-normous harm to microscopic animals, and definitely screws the earthworm.
Eco sorta soaps on the market, are mostly just as bad, I haven’t read of one whose ingredient list doesn’t cause harm. Even if all natural, they have a high amounts of salt, which if fed into a garden is the equivalent of salting the earth. Nothing will grow there.
If houses were made with sinks taking water with different factors to different places, this perhaps could be a form of answer. A tap for only rinsing, no soap use. You then would only have to worry about the chemicals on the item you are rinsing, if any. A tap for soap use; that should go to a treatment plant, because you can’t use that water now.
You need so much space for a grey system – to filter out the water, and there are too many risks if you are close to the water table – I think. #to-do to investigate this more.
The issue is soap.