Weather Whiplash
Mar. 17th, 2019 07:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithWeather whiplash happens when places go from drought to flood. This can cause agricultural runoff to contaminate drinking water.
Wow, people are stupid. This problem is very expensive to fix at the far end, so not everywhere will even have that option. But there is a lot that could be done to prevent the problem.
1) Obviously, start by reducing the causes of climate change that are causing more extreme weather.
2) Restore wetlands and other natural water-storage areas. Other habitats such as forests and prairies are good too. These help soak up water and release it slowly, reducing the tendency to flood.
3) Install green borders around fields, fencerows between fields, and especially marsh filters between fields and waterways. The more plants between the fields and the waterways, the less contaminants will make it into the rivers and thence the drinking water supply.
4) Install catchment systems to collect rainwater from roofs and other areas. This water can be stored for later use such as watering outdoor plants. Doing this both reduces the amount of floodwater and minimizes demand on tapwater later.
5) Alter methods of agriculture to minimize runoff. Multiple options exist, so people can explore what works best in their area.
When a problem is getting worse, for fucksake don't wait for it to hit the end of the line! Start fixing it immediately and include prevention as much as possible. Otherwise it may become unfixable while you are faffing around not fixing it.
Wow, people are stupid. This problem is very expensive to fix at the far end, so not everywhere will even have that option. But there is a lot that could be done to prevent the problem.
1) Obviously, start by reducing the causes of climate change that are causing more extreme weather.
2) Restore wetlands and other natural water-storage areas. Other habitats such as forests and prairies are good too. These help soak up water and release it slowly, reducing the tendency to flood.
3) Install green borders around fields, fencerows between fields, and especially marsh filters between fields and waterways. The more plants between the fields and the waterways, the less contaminants will make it into the rivers and thence the drinking water supply.
4) Install catchment systems to collect rainwater from roofs and other areas. This water can be stored for later use such as watering outdoor plants. Doing this both reduces the amount of floodwater and minimizes demand on tapwater later.
5) Alter methods of agriculture to minimize runoff. Multiple options exist, so people can explore what works best in their area.
When a problem is getting worse, for fucksake don't wait for it to hit the end of the line! Start fixing it immediately and include prevention as much as possible. Otherwise it may become unfixable while you are faffing around not fixing it.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-03-19 03:54 pm (UTC)... I really need to go figure out what's feeding the marshy patch of my land, and try to encourage it.