Make Pollution History-Wed. Nov. 17, 7-8:30 PM Bass Lecture Hall, 26th & Red River
Have you or your organization had an experience with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) that you want to tell about?
November 15, 2010
Water, water everywhere… and not a drop to spare. It’s a saying for a reason, especially in Texas! That’s why we write stories about floods, droughts, water quality, and water quantity.
EPA Could Regulate Toxic Coal Ash, You Can Help
The EPA is holding hearings in 7 cities across the nation to determine future regulation of coal ash.
September 2, 2010
Microbial Earth Job Openings: Customer Service Reps
Customer Service Reps
Overview:
Microbial Earth is accepting applications for the part-time positions of Customer Service Representatives.
We have been loving our work at the farmer’s markets and so we want to go to more markets, but we can’t do them all. If you enjoy farmer’s markets and gardening, then this might be for you.
We are looking for about 10-12 people to work Saturday mornings as either a team or as an individual at the regional farmer’s markets. Other markets during the week, or on Sunday are also available. We have additional hours available during the week to help customers and do follow-up via telephone.
August 5, 2010
August 14th is not the End of Summer, ….but it is the Start of Fall [Garden Planting] –
Hello Austin & C-TX,
July 25, 2010
Austin Benefit for Gulf Coast Disaster Relief
Hotel San Jose and Jo’s to Host Shrimp Boil and Music Festival Friday July 23.
July 22, 2010
Award Winning Displays at 2010 Austin Green Living Expo
Announcing Award Winning Displays from the 2010 Austin Green Living Expo
Kudos to all the wonderful exhibits we had at last month’s Austin Green Living Expo. The event was so comprehensive and we were very pleased with all that the show had to offer. The event was educational, enlightening as well as fun! AND TASTY!! So much good food! Again thanks to all the vendors that came together to create such a wonderful event. We look forward to the 2011 event which will continue to grow and expand. (More on that in a minute)
May 17, 2010
Watering Once a Week – Why It Will Work
I’d mentioned previously that “Peak water use is what drives the supposed need for Water Treatment Plant 4,” and that modest conservation efforts could reduce water use on those few hottest days of summer when when we use – and waste – the most water.
In times of extreme drought (like last summer) the City’s rules call for once-per-week watering instead of twice-per-week. However, that schedule still had half of all residences watering on the same one day per week (and half of all businesses and apartments).
Peak summer water use could be further reduced by splitting a once-per-week watering schedule so that roughly one quarter of homes would be watering on any given day, instead of half of the homes. For example, houses with even addresses north of the Colorado River could water on Sunday, while even numbered houses south of the river could water on on Thursdays. Odd numbered houses north could water on Saturday, south could water on Wednesday. Same for businesses and apartments.
It is not only possible, it’s extremely inexpensive to reduce our daily summer water use to below 200 million gallons per day or MGD, which would be 85 MGD’s below our current treatment capacity of 285 MGD. If our most intense days of water use result in a cushion of capacity that almost doubles what Water Treatment Plant 4 would provide, how does it make sense to commit $1.2 BILLION to the Mistake on the Lake?
May 14, 2010
The One-Day-a-Week Solution to Austin’s Summer Water Use
Austin residents can water lawns two days per week from May through September, under water conservation measures approved in 2007.
May 10, 2010