© Tucson Arts Brigade / The Water Festival

JUMP TO:
DEC. 11
JAN. 14
FEB. 11

Nov. 19th Brainstorm:

Basically, we centered on what the perception of the water is, means and the problems surrounding it are.

We are deluded about the availability, sources and supply; is it never ending? Polluted or not? What are its` uses?

What are the different local cultures understanding of water? It would be important to include them to present their perspective on the issue. There are two main tribes: Tohono O`odham and Pascua Yaqui. (Hasan High-School)

There are 10,000 refugees in Tucson which add to problems in the use of water as they need to be educated as well.  [Source?]

We realize that other countries are as concerned about water as we are or even more and that water = development ****** The Greenbuild Expo had many foreign exhibitors of water management products.

There was talk about an intelligent aboriginal process such as bamboo planting.

There were comments on garbage in the water table, nuclear processes and local food production.

POSSIBILITIES FOR THE FESTIVAL:

- A tap that doesn’t have water (represent impact of actually REALLY NOT having water anymore)

- Water-bottle costumes

- A billboard at the festival asking “Where does the water come from?” NO ONE KNOWS is the sad part!!!!

- Make fun of the fact that Phoenix has 300,000 pools.

- Creatively acknowledge that there is a battle over water.

Age old water battle. In Tucson, the Black Base was a battle between the Tohono O’odham and Cattle Ranchers.

There seems to be a conflict on issues of drought, capture, storage, increase in temperatures and the extinction of species.

As far as challenges, US high-schools are 10 years behind on education in water problems and climate changes.

Mirage Pacific shower systems to use gray water to water plants – promote Mirage Pacific

Someone commented that it would be good to divert everyone’s gray water to fruits trees planted on the streets and that anyone could eat them !

There was talk about the draught in Australia and how they were restricting the use of water and that it might be a good idea to restrict use.

EDUCATION – understand what is happening and create awareness – there are too many people and not enough water!!!

15 minute shower is a waste.

There was talk about water bottles:

That as far as 2, 3 and 4 generations back, there has been fear of drinking from water fountains, that we have inherited death by plastic, that we should use stainless steel water bottles lined with bps and that we don’t need to buy water bottles. How did we survive before Evian came out???

What do the children/youth think and propose?

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JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
JAN. 14
FEB. 11

Dec. 11th Brainstorm:

Academic

• School collaboration
• Sky Island Alliance
• Survey Monkey
• Water Education
• No water day/hour at schools
• Educating teachers – water focused lesson plans/creative curriculum
• Open house for community encouraging group activities, raising awareness and interest of water issues & goals

Business

• Green Expo
• Arcosanti
• Awareness of different organizations perceptions of use and actual use of water (agriculture, corporations, developers, etc.)

Arts
Theatre – “Battle” for Water

• Fire/water with Flam Chen and possibly Society for Creative Anachronisms or another performing group
• Showing in a fun way how much water is used on a day to day basis, 2 gal jugs converted to 1400 gals, towing them around in a wagon
• “Water Bandits” – water guns, steal water & rights to water
• Crown H2O King/Queen, Water Nymphs & Drag Queens/Kings

Visual

• Call to community asking for pieces that fit water theme to be shown in a gallery
• Could be pieces created during the 3 days of festival displayed over the weekend
• Environmental art
• Note: time needs for creating pieces and potential for sales, % to fund Water Project

Media

• Viral marketing campaign
• On-line water game leading up to festival & at festival

Individual

• Address apathy – individuals want to help though they can’t do it alone
• Engaging peoples attention & giving an experience they can physically, psychologically, emotionally, socially relate to – IMPACT
• Over coming obstacles of people who want to take the “easy” way out, rationalizing, ignorance, naivety – give them facts
• Looking at blockages for potential change (ex: peeing on ground not seen highly, but it is really so bad, maybe in designated areas??)
• How to turn a “negative” perception into a “positive” perception?

Contextual

• International representation of water issues
• Give people experience of subsidence
• Moving people “through” a concept – past, present, future of water
• Virtual water – how much water goes into a “thing”, how much water is used in a day?
• Showing where water comes from and where it goes
• How to create the venue to represent contexts
• Controversy about purification process – water analysis
• Water systems – raising awareness of importance of investing in current water systems to keep them up to standard and prevent them from breaking down to create further problems
• Self contained composting toilet

___________________________________________

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
DEC. 11
FEB. 11

Jan. 14th Brainstorm:

1.  Refugees are NOT a problem and probably use less water than the average person.

2.  We want to make sure that people understand that water is a finite resource.

3.  How far down does water go?  How much is there?   Do we know?  Does it matter? We keep finding ways to use more water and the water table is also being damaged by med's and chemicals...The exploding population is making more and more demands on our water.

Performance idea:  Household - someone realizes water is not good to drink.  There are med's in the water.  Inspired by...

*In Albuquerque they know that there is an extreme amount of  me's in the local water but the city doesn't care.

There is a documentary about water.  Called End of the Line - about when no more fish.  Shows dried up water and fish.

All over the world there are places where cattle are dying.  There is no ore water.  Water is a global problem.

Performance idea: Someone tell a story of water and it's connections locally and globally.  Inspired by...

*People spend money on machines that clear and purify water.  Dasani gets water from other countries (and Atlanta city water).  There are places where there is no water.  People can't survive.  They commit suicide

Performance idea: Family 30 years ago, family now, family in the future.  Show how each generation uses water.  How do we live without water or when water just drips.  Show this in the future.

Performance idea: Take the film below but exchange "black people" for WATER inspired by the film, Day of Absence - what happens when black people disappear.

One person said "Don't make people think about the effects of no water...make them feel what it would be like to live in a world with no water.  We need to move people like our grandparents into buying products that don't use water.  They are a different generation and they don't understand when we tell them.  We need to say something that doesn't reflect leftist hippies or regurgitate the same ideas that haven't worked.  We need something new.  We don't want to preach to the choir but to the audience that hasn't heard yet.  Also target women.  Why?  Women will appeal to the masses of femininity about water and water issues.  There are lots of Latino Women in Tucson.  We need to reach them.

Performance idea: We use water in so many ways we don't think about.  A car uses water.  Have a demo of how water is used.  Represent it's uses.

Performance idea:

Story of Stuff/Story of Water

characters:

EVIL WATER WASTERS:

1.  those that water their lawns

2.  those with swimming pools in their yards

3.  those that leave the taps on

4.  water bottlers

5.  water hoarders

6.  water bandits/thieves

GOOD PEOPLE:

1.  water conservers

2.  water harvesters

3.  water crusaders

4.  water cleaners

5.  water cops

6.  water recyclers

7.  water lawyers

8.  farmers of food

IDEA:

have someone buying shots of water from the water bandit

show different economic systems played out in different characters

show a white female child dying of dehydration

Next meeting:  bring your own cup and plate

Performance idea: show the contrast between car washes running all day with lines of cars getting their car washed and then show people who have nothing to drink.

Iceburg lettuce...how much water is wasted to grow this?  Go for romaine lettuce.

Agriculture - what do we grow that uses the most water?  the least water?

Does the cost of the food in the stores reflect how much water was used to grow the food?

Performance idea:

Dead babies in a play.

Reveal the before scene - mom about to pour water for the baby.  She doesn't know the water is polluted but the audience does.  The audience is horrified.  Meanwhile mom preps for a party.  Baby ingests water and dies.  Twist of fate - last minute things go wrong.

____________________________________________________

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
DEC. 11
JAN. 14

Feb. 11th Brainstorm:

Maybe Mirage Pacific can be a sponsor  (uses shower systems to use grey water to plant water)

ACTION PLAN:

•  Water bottle art fest. Make costumes out of recycled water bottles.  Make a dog house out of water bottles and donate it to the Humane Society.  Or have a contest re-using water bottles - ideas of things to make include dog houses, bird feeders, cockroach catchers, bat feeders.  Have all kinds of wacky categories.

• Paulo Freire Freedom School - collaboration with Sky Island Alliance.  Environmental Education Exchange > collect water bottles and make costumes/sculptures/props for festival

• Collect Water Bottles for 2 weeks and make a recycled art water bottle exhibit.  Maybe a water bottle dunk tank.  Water bottle art festival.  Make it a theme - What happens to these bottles?  Reduce plastic consumption - what are the health benefits of water bottles and what are the drawbacks.  What are the origins of different waters? What are the off gases? What is the whole story about Petroleum to make plastic?

• Have a water tasting (like wine...a blind taste test)

• "Water Bandits" - have water guns, steal water and rights to water - name them after the water company - have people be these characters at the festival. Water battle of water bottles.

• Dasani comes from the Detroit river (and Atlanta city water purified with salt added and then bottled by Coca Cola).  It is banned in Europe

• Educate people about the impact of plastic.  Collect different brands of water bottles.  Have water bottle character costumes display

• Educate the youth and make them used critical thinking.   Have questions and surveys on Survey Monkey.  Have a report card on Survey Monkey and have the youth take the survey.

How to mobilize, motivate action

Fear yikes, juicy, bubblicious

Goal is to reduce water bottle consumption and define creative reuses.

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
DEC. 11
JAN. 14
FEB. 11

© Tucson Arts Brigade / The Water Festival

JUMP TO:
DEC. 11
JAN. 14
FEB. 11

Nov. 19th Brainstorm:

Water is the most valuable resource we have

Water should be appreciated

Water is sacred

Without water we would die

CLIMATE CHANGE:

1. Climate change in the southwest is directly related to water. The southwest is a targeted area for the worst impact due to depleted water resources

2. While we undergo droughts here in the southwest there will be extreme water disasters like flooding in other parts of the world.

HABITAT:

Canyons (example: Cienega Canyon, Davidson Canyon)

1. Canyons are the deliverers of water into the watershed that nourishes the aquifers. If the aquifer is not nourished then we don't have any recharge.

2. Off road vehicles go into the canyons and create ruts. Water can't follow the flow but erodes in ruts and builds pools so now plants and animals are affected.

Solution: Prohibit off road vehicles in the canyons

3. Davidson Canyon is no longer a Riparian environment.

Los Lomas by Gates Pass

1. The rivers are running dry and due to lack of water wildlife is looking for water wherever they can find it.

2. People were putting out pails of water for the wildlife. Is this good? The Department of Fish and Game says no food or water can be left out for the animals so now water pails are not put out for wildlife.

3. Swimming pools in the area are the major source of water for wildlife. Migrating ducks drink swimming pool water. This harms their health. There is no nutrition in the pool water and the ducks are malnourished.

Cottonwood Trees

1. Old cottonwood trees are breaking up due to drought and stress. There are no new saplings because there is no water.

2. Deer are eating the sprouts that do appear and the grasses too. This is their water.

3. Sides of waterways are eroding.

POLLUTION:

Questions:

What do we put down the toilets? What goes in the ground? What goes down the sink? What is toxic waste?

Answers:

Lead, paint, medications like Prozac...PROZAC is TOXIC WASTE!

And more questions:

1. Are there places to take your toxic waste? Reid Park?

2. Drug stores have places to recycle drugs

Water Bottles

1. This is a serious issue and it is not good. It takes 500 years to break down the bottles.

HUMAN IMPACT:

Biosphere 2

1. Their new mission is all about water. There is a column in their paper for students about the impact of medications going into landfills and down toilets and getting into the wells.

2. We should contact them about the festival.

The University of Arizona and other businesses

1. How much water does the University use or waste?

2. Businesses and the U of A all water green grass. In front of many schools there is green grass that must be watered. We live in the desert! Do we need green grass?

Human Life

1. An old hippie in Marin County in California lived in an isolated community on the coast. He lived there for 30 years, living what he thought was healthy lifestyle. When he got tested his body was full of toxins from the water.

2. Cell Phones and all electronics have metals that leach into our water when disposed of improperly.

ZPG - Zero Population Growth

1. There is only so much water.

2. The USA doesn't have population growth at this moment [CORRECTION: pop. increased from 2000-2005 by 5%, 8.6 million people- new census will be available next year-> increased death totals may be offset by immigration http://www.census.gov] but there are more developments in the desert.

3. Phoenix in 1950: 50,000 people; Phoenix today: 3.5 million

CREATIVE IDEAS:

Art - Comic Books - word and visuals together are simple, easy and quick to understand and make a great impact. The Owl and Panther are a group that has done comic books. Do we want to involve them or do something similar?

WHAT CAN WE DO?

1. Action and Education - engage what local systems are already set up and educate people about water issues. What is in place? Craigslist and Freecycle are great ways to get the word out about ideas and the resources we already have that many people in our community are unaware of.

2. What would be the possibility of curbside toxic waste pick up? It would work great for people who don't have cars. Is it safe?

3. "The Story of Stuff" on the internet is a great educational tool for people who are unaware.

____________________________________________________

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
JAN. 14
FEB. 11

Dec. 11th Brainstorm:

1. 2009 - Tucson is more than 5 inches short of last year's level of water

2. Tucson is in its 14th year of drought

3. The Colorado River has dropped 12 inches of water in the last 10 years

4. The economic advantage of de-salinizing water - New Technologies

5. New emphasis on conservation (Mexico is increasing water rates)

6. More opportunities for the use of
* Perma-culture
* Catchment basins - re-charge basins
* Xero-Scaping
* Pourous pavers for driveways and parking lots

7. DO NOT put toxins down the drain
grease hospital waste
pharmaceuticals auto fuels and oils
hair dye

8. Recycling pick-up in the county by the county
City has solid waste and water delivery
County has jurisdiction over water waste

9. Begin to identify and support vanguard technology that supports the efficient reuse of resources

10. Think outside the "plastic box" to look at old ways of recycling with a new perspective...ie. playgrounds that serves a useful function as well.

11. Standards applied to manufacturing companies that require them to think through to the re-use or recycle the products and the packaging
*Create a Christmas package recycling program

12. The water crisis needs a song and maybe a dance
(follow-up to Dawning of the Age of Aquarius)

13. Jingles and Images
* don't be a drip
* super heroes - water savers
* water tap - gigantic size faucet and wrench with lots of people together to turn the tap on and to turn it off
* multi lingual - multi cultural
* "La Llorona" image being scared if there is not more water

14. No more water bottles!!!
toxic plastic 100 years to biodegrade waste of oil

________________________________________________

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
DEC. 11
JAN. 14
FEB. 11

Jan. 14th Brainstorm:

-       Money for recycling plastics

-       Tax incentives to businesses to recycle/reuse

-       Plastic bottles are unsafe after 1 use and this needs to be told

-       County – ensure they recycle

-       Tax people with lawns

-       Recovery of water for reuse

-       Comic books for kids about the environment

-       Youth groups to speak about it

-       Engage graffiti artists

-       UA should exhibit their conservation efforts

-       Reduce the number of pools

-       Sharing pools

-       Washes used as capillaries

-       Refugees – approach and get opinion and educate

-       In-house water gauge, in real time

-       Outlaw misting systems

SUGGESTIONS FOR PERFORMANCE

A pollution monster that is killing/destroying fauna

Fasten plastic things, heavy metals, medication bottles, industrial waste, oil whatever, crating a vortex

Some people dressed as fish others as algae

The attachment that joins the junk is the monster

Someone comes with a net and cleans up

Little kids to carry signs to show to adults (wishes, facts) [THIS WAS PLAYED OUT AT THE GATHERING: A kid went from table to table with signs attached to him and held in his hands]

One sign with the water table through the years

Murals on butcher paper

Pollution monster being vanquished

Watershed as a character (Gaia)

Desert Water Spirit

As done in Chinatown festivals, instead of a dragon, a pollution monster or a stream of water

____________________________________________________

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
DEC. 11
JAN. 14

Feb. 11th Brainstorm:

Bottle/plastic bag recycle

• $.05/.10 on plastic/glass/aluminum cans and bottles. Deposit not refunded (unclaimed) goes to grant money fund
• Grant money fund – water project/cisterns/watershed/physical water projects
• Tucson local first, expand to Pima County, expand to state

Implementation

• Encourage use of reusable grocery sacks
• Eventual prohibition of plastic grocery bags
• Credit for use of reusable sacks at grocery stores
• Start at local level. Tucson/Marana/Oro Valley, Pima County >> State

Problem

• Where to get refund?
• Where does refund come from?
• Where does plastic go?
• People to handle account refunds?

Drug disposal

• Types: out of date/unused/Rx’s
• Place: pharmacy   Police: to accept
• Disposal: not to flush!!  Burn/smash, not landfills, not into water systems, must be local or people won’t use.
• Education/outreach: Local >> U of A, college of pharmacy
• Instructions on how to dispose ALL Rx’s
• Why can’t pharmacy take old Rx’s and dispose of them?

Problem: would have to approach on state level, would need state legislation

Pill destroying vehicle (or machine) available to dump pills in that smashes pills into unusable powder, at locations such as pharmacies.

“Do not flush” (with descriptive picture- big pill or pill bottle dropping into toilet in a circle with slash over it) on prescription bottle.

Need legislation to take back and destroy

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
DEC. 11
JAN. 14
FEB. 11

© Tucson Arts Brigade / The Water Festival

JUMP TO:
DEC. 11
JAN. 14
FEB. 11

Nov. 19th Brainstorm:

What is private water?

- Where does it come from and who pays for it?

How does Tucson Water work?

- How do they generate income?

How does CAP [Central Arizona Project] work?

- How is the water pumped? How do they make their profit? Who pays?

RIGHTS

WATER TREATMENT

WATER / ENERGY POTENTIAL

IMPROVEMENTS

Solar de-cell plants

Sonoran Institute

HOME IMPROVEMENT SYSTEMS

- personal grey water
- internal system, certain pipes cannot bring in grey water
- commercial pays for potable / non-potable
- regulation using black water (food H2O)
- what barriers exist in codes
- grey water laws
- general residential laws

Leaky faucets / education / conservation in general

CELEBRATE SUCCESSES!!

____________________________________________________

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
JAN. 14
FEB. 11

Dec. 11th Brainstorm:

What we know/want to know

• Water rights – privatization
• Policy – who sets & why?
• System dictated by where one lives, e.g. well, septic
• Economics – e.g. of access
• Public or owned by a corporation?
• Systems = distribution?
• Control/management of system in locality
• Corporation buying some water & bottling to sell us
• Private or privatized?
• Who owns water rights – public or private utility

Private – can be owned by users who must own land (renters no rights)
Green Valley – aquifer water, possible to have water and no rights
Some property owners have rights to do flooding
American Water (a huge company that operates in several states)

• Private ownership = right to do anything? Responsibility, sustainability
• Economics runs the US – but not sustainable
• Why use desert water??
• Pepsico uses aquifer or CAP – mixed, inappropriate
• The commons – what about this traditional concept?
• Tohono O’odham – inappropriate to raise cattle in So. AZ
• Won’t participate in use of water appropriately if it IS about privitization/NOT about privatization
• Allocations change how so its not just economics, if scarce…

Artistic Representation of Distribution

• Puppets & dance

• Building (block) - source aquifer/CAP to residential & commercial
• Using arms, legs, bodies, crawl through the interconnected web and showing leaks in the system
• Barriers (block)- e.g. golf course – dressed as golfers & grass, astro turf, plastic water bottles in huge piles
• Reclaiming and Resolution (block) – greywater back to plants, floodwater/rainwater
• Adaptation to minimize waste- low flush, infrequent flush, dual-flush, water-free urinals (costume/props?), reusing our bottles
• Rights of the Planet and the Commons
• Labels on personal water bottles “If you reuse it- flaunt it”- give out labels at the end of the performance piece

___________________________________________

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
DEC. 11
FEB. 11

Jan. 14th Brainstorm:

Compare water cycle- technology breaking the cycle?

Man-made storage like animal/plant storage

CAP- use solar power to pump water and cover canal to reduce evaporation

Total Water Available:
- More than one person, each person rehearse/represents unit of water
- Show who gets the water and where it comes from
- CAP
- Rainfall
- Other…

Show where water goes

Characters: different types of storage

SKIT:

People in large group representing CAP and other water resources, Agribusiness, household users, etc. and removed from the group in percentage of use until no one is left.

___________________________________________

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
DEC. 11
JAN. 14

Feb. 11th Brainstorm:

FAVORED IDEAS FROM PREVIOUS BRAINSTORMS AND OTHER THOUGHTS:

(water treatment): high cost filtration system, Active; low cost filtration system, Passive

(water bill- sewer output): charge for water (into?) sewer, volume charge

(watershed management): Tucson non-profit

(water protection ordinances, other ordinances): erosion

(Put a CAP on CAP): put solar panels over canal [too wide, too expensive]

(Business report of consumption): Public record. Monitor? Reduce? Research and education on commercial water waste.

(home improvement systems): regulation using black water (food h2o) sewage (not legal currently) to use for any agriculture......toilet to tap (reusable if properly treated) takes enormous energy.

PROJECT IDEAS:

Privatization- research and education.

Research and education on conservation.

Why sell precious desert water and then have to use treated sewer water?

If you reuse it, flaunt it.

Think outside the bottle (Women’s International League on Peace and Freedom)

Reclaiming the commons, right of planet to not be exploited- teach in schools and to the general public.

Pass law against all non-emergency bottled water

Contests to get laws passed

(Celebrate successes) Sonoran Institute, businesses report of consumption: educational and research project on commercial water waste.

Schools reuse and recycle water bottles, school names on reusable non-plastic water bottles

Competition for reuse

Prevent privatized water use for re-sale.

1. 'Pumping' as a bigger concept. When we use things, it generally pumps water somewhere. My favorite example is the computer keyboard. We use the computer to order a plane ticket---how much water did we just pump with the mere wiggling of our fingers on a keyboard (let alone all the other resources attached to such an act)?

2. How much water does a person need to live a healthy life, bottom line?

3. Camels: water banking--wouldn't it be amazing if we had the capacity to store extra rain from high-yield years like these only to be used in low yield years like 2009?

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
DEC. 11
JAN. 14
FEB. 11

© Tucson Arts Brigade / The Water Festival

JUMP TO:
DEC. 11
JAN. 14
FEB. 11

Nov. 19th Brainstorm:

The Water Supply? What happens after 2019?

What is the future of Tucson's water supply? What can we do?

WATER HARVESTING

TAP - Tucson Arizona Project - water harvesting - TAP Water

Budget for education on water harvesting and conservation

There is the heat island effect. Water harvesting + vegetation = lower temperatures and counteracts this.

Curb run-off with water harvesting going to nice home landscaping

French drains

THE IMPACT OF CHLORINATED WATER ON OUR HEALTH

Chlorinated water disrupts our body's ability to use our EFA's (Essential Fatty Acids). This contributes to thyroid issues competing with iodine. Do we need to chlorinate/purify all water to our homes or just at our homes for potable water. In Europe water is Ozonated.

IDEAS ABOUT EDUCATION and FUNDING:

Fund fun ideas

Should there be funding for harvesting rainwater?

Covering channels and lining areas with trees prevent 90% of water from leaving

Micro water - the kinesthetic nature of water.

On a tiny scale hydroelectric power captures energy.

Playing with water- Water is life!

Toilets with a top basin for hand washing- this is multi use. The water goes down with the toilet water.
At Arcosanti water has multiple purposes - sinks to pot

Earthship construction uses water 5x. They reuse grey water until it is black water.

Arcada is earthship on a mucicipal level.

North of Sonoita there is a guy with a 4,000 gallon hard water cistern. The neighbors did not go that way. The neighbors have had to replace their cisterns but he hasn't. Rainwater is more acidic. Pipes add lye. They do not like acidic water.

What are the federal, state and local initiatives or grants available? What about the University of Arizona???

Ideas for innovations in water - the Ford Foundation and the Tohono O'odham

WATER SOURCES

Desalination is expensive and a bad idea to take water out of the ocean

What about water from the moon? What is the effect of taking water from the moon? And what about the planets? People/planets will be travelling to have water.

We should look at how to save and wisely use the water we have before turning to the oceans and other planets.

Look at how water was here [in Tucson, Earth] before.

If there is no water we won't exist.

There is a movie on water that can be seen on You Tube and on DVD. The movie is 1 hour and 20 minutes. Scientists talk about one problem, one solution, one healing and energetics.

EDUCATION

Kids in in Tennessee and kids in Flowing Wells.

Tucson Hydroponic Gardeners - greenhouses, planting at the schools. This teaches math, science, emotional management and produces tomatoes. It took the kids off the streets and into science. They have work schedules. The kids are surrounded by beauty and nature as they work and pick the fruit that they then sell on Saturdays. This keeps the kids out of trouble and helps their self esteem.

Grant - Summer Service - National Corp with Service Innovation - Dec. 10th

ENCOURAGE THESE ASPECTS AND GROUPS

Sustainable Tucson - hydroponics in food - multi story - no water in and no water out.

Regional Food Project here in Tucson

Self sufficiency and regeneration.

Jojoba and grassfed beef at the Santa Cruz market instead of corn fed (and with no CLA - conjugated linoleic acid)

QUESTION??? WHY ARE WE STILL "PEEING" IN OUR DRINKING WATER?!

____________________________________________________

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
JAN. 14
FEB. 11

Dec. 11th Brainstorm:

Permaculture
Neighborhood empowerment such as gardens
(within communities vs. individually)

Macro vs. Micro Focus
Design principles
Not a hazard
Speaks to engineering
Water harvesting should be central to planning
On what scale - macro in conception
Apply technology and modify it to every design principle
Don't treat water as a hazard

What technology works and at what scale?
What technology is appropriate?
What is our capacity?

Identify and track what works
What has worked? Is our technology antiquated?
Modify infrastructure
Grey water from waste water
Water needs to be used multiple times & Tucson is low on recycling water
Grey water can be used for plants and vegetables, etc...
Domestic realm - awareness to conservation

Industrial areas need to clean up
Domestic practice as a model for public awareness
Re-use grey water (not human waste)
All sink and shower water, grease and toilet water is "black water"
this is well defined
new constructions must apply
commercial land must be half rainwater
infrastructure becoming more green

Address concerns about conservation and negative impacting infrastructure
How do we keep people's attention?
Add microbes into the pipes - lining pipes creates low friction and digest wastes
microbes naturally clean mechanic routing
construction accommodates this but experimenting is needed
we need to adopt this
Waste water generates methane which when not dealt with properly becomes an expense
Smell indicates unhealthy septic plant
Waste water for plants
Appropriate Technology
Most average people are not dependant on systems outside their control
The right tool for the right job is needed
don't create advanced mechanic machines the everyday person can't maintain (example: Yuma)
The cost of water has gone up - create more water through de cell/nation
Deal with pharmaceuticals. You're always downstream from someone
Drink toilet to tap water. It's already treated effluent water

Standards are Relative
What are the drinking water standards in Tucson? They are immeasurable really. What regulations exist for plastics, etc?
The elderly and infants are at higher risks for disease

Composting Toilets
These would take contamination out of water. We need to segregate waste - "Source Reduction” - surface preparation for waste that happens
What is more economical in higher target areas?
We need collection systems; combinations of advanced peroxidation and reverse
osmosis - would remove waste from the airport

Reverse Osmosis
Does it make sense in the desert?
Membrane technology is 95% efficient
"Technology Optimism" states "The most updated is the solution" but this is very dangerous. This is our cultural bias and what makes us less safe in case of dependency

Perceptions of Technology
Older technology is often the most useful.

ART IDEAS

Treatment of a molecule
Solid vs. liquid waste - composting toilet. The shovel vs. faster technology
In rainwater harvesting the 1st thought is a cistern - not passive
Make a hole - go back to the basics
Landscape vs. disengaging from the system
The visible connection is the shovel - "Homage to the Shovel"
We need a visual we can relate to
Beware of reducing technology and oversimplifying
An official science lecture translated and simplified to what everyday people can understand. Equate advantages with simplicity in relation to rainwater and composting toilets
Technology is reliance vs. resilience. With composting toilets we step outside the man- made cycle. Man made is ultra technology with constant up-keeping of needs. Get away from man's control and get back to nature's control. Another example of man-made vs. nature is rainwater vs. drinking water.
What is the difference between the perceived amounts of water used vs. the real amount used? We need a system of measurement. What types of technology slows us down in our goal? Earthships are a great model because with them water is used 8 times
An outdoor shower. This is an oasis for outdoor showers. Another idea for showers is timers that ding after 5 minutes. Integrate numbers and times into people's thoughts and ideas about water usage.

Technology is used in homes. Get people thinking "What can I do to help?"

___________________________

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
DEC. 11
FEB. 11

Jan. 14th Brainstorm:

- ways to manipulate water distribution

- new kinds of distribution

- small changes, how to make the community sustainable

- average citizen can do a lot more if they were educated

- everyone should be looking to harvest rainwater

- train and assist others

- education by example

- water harvesting needs to become mainstream

- start with buckets

- structured water, clearing water’s memory. It pickes up info wherever it goes and by the time it gets to us it’s de-energized

- pillar of light

- things watered with structured water grow better

- technology of how water gets to us

- through pipes that destroy water because it pressurizes it

IDEAS FOR PERFORMANCES:

Convey to the average person:

Moving buckets
Rhythmic aspects
Hoses

There is poetry in water – Rumy Lao Tzu

Water overcomes everything, it flows around, it absorbs

Show the amount of energy wasted in moving water by moving a big vat of water around in a circle, lots of chaos and noise while moving it around

Break this down in to activities such as showering, gardening, washing dishes.

SKIT:

Brainstorm Participants lifted a round table together and turned it to bring a water bottle around 360 degrees with much effort and spilling along the way, showing what it takes to get water from point A to point B [funny, and well done!]

___________________________

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
DEC. 11
JAN. 14

Feb. 11th Brainstorm:

What to do that is most effective?
How to appeal to the public?
Performance / technology – how technology can help us be more responsible

Key Technologies:

• Goals of technology – convenience of supporting the future, the earth, the wild
• Why do we develop technology – it can`t be just for making life more convenient anymore
• Plastic water bottles – an example of a breakthrough technology, but for what purpose? Just convenience?
• We have all sorts of technology – how to apply?
• Existing technology, cost & practicality
• Community gardens/passive water harvesting, permaculture & xeriscape
• Guide in kitchen w/suggestions and data
  1. don`t let water run
  2. turn off water
  3. meter in kitchen

Software – ask user about their water use, compare to worldwide statistics

“Futurism” – relying on the future to make life even more convenient – look at Disneyland`s futureland

Look beyond futurism

A paradigm shift away from technology just to make our lives easier – move toward protecting the planet, people, life…

Old technology vs new technology

“appropriate technology” that improves condition of planet for all sentient life forms

Bidet uses less water than what is needed to grow a tree for toilet paper

Carbon footprint calculator

Total gallon per day compared nationally/internationally

JUMP TO:
NOV. 19
DEC. 11
JAN. 14
FEB. 11