AyO KiTa HaRus SAdaR "AiR BErsIh Itu MAhal"

Water: One of Earth’s Most Precious Commodities
Posted by: emily on 02/28/2006 02:09 PM

Water is quickly becoming one of Earth's most precious resources.

The scarcity of water can be abated by various water harvesting methods. Below is a list of techniques that can be used to recycle and reuse water:

1. Water harvesting- This is the process of capturing storm-water runoff and rain water. Rainwater is usually harvested from rooftops, concrete patios, driveways and other impervious surfaces. Roof systems can be as simple as directing gutters to a lidded garbage can or as complex as a concrete cistern, roof washer and filtration system. But whatever your application, the water you retrieve will be some of the purest--and cheapest--water around.
Rainwater can be used for potable water (drinking, cooking, bathing) or non-potable uses such as landscape irrigation, livestock watering and washing. Collecting and using rainwater has numerous benefits, ranging from improved water quality to reduced stress on underground aquifers (Mother Earth News).
Buildings and landscapes can be designed to maximize the amount of catchment area, thereby increasing rainwater harvesting possibilities. Intercepted water then can be collected, detained, retained and routed for use in evaporative coolers, toilet flushing, pet and car washing, indoor plant watering, pet and livestock watering, and for lawn and garden irrigation.
Water catchment storage can sometimes satisfy Fire marshal permit requirements for tank storage.

2. Grey water- Grey water is any water that has been used in the home, except water from toilets. Fifty-eighty percent of residential “waste” water is comprised of dish, shower, sink and laundry water. This “waste” water can be reused for other purposes such as landscape irrigation. Some of the benefits of grey water recycling include: lower fresh water use, less strain on a failing septic tank or treatment plant, effectiveness of grey water treatment in topsoil, your ability to build in areas unsuitable for conventional treatment, less energy and chemical use, groundwater recharge, plant growth, and reclamation of otherwise wasted nutrients. All of these benefits provide us with great reasons to incorporate grey water recycling systems into our own homes (information taken from Oasis Design http://www.oasisdesign.net/. For further information visit our Green Directory on Grey Water

3. Black Water- Black water is any water that may contain sewage. Some states include any water that has compost particles such as from a garbage disposal as black water. Black water can be reused just like grey water, it just requires more filtration. Home filtration systems are easy to find and purchase, and it is even possible to have an all natural filtration system based on plants and charcoal. Examples of this can be found with the Earth ship houses in Taos, New Mexico. Visit www.earthship.org / biotecture@earthship.org

4. Desalinization- This process removes dissolved minerals (like salt) from ocean water, brackish water, or treated waste water. There are various different kinds of technologies that have been developed for the purposes of desalinization, including reverse osmosis (RO), distillation, electro dialysis, and vacuum freezing. Both RO and distillation are two technologies being considered by municipalities, water districts, and private companies for development of ocean water desalination in California. For more information visit http://www.coastal.ca.gov/desalrpt/dchap1.html.

5. Fog harvesting- This is an innovative technology that can collect water from fog. Full-scale fog collectors are simple, flat, rectangular nets of nylon supported by a post at either end and arranged perpendicular to the direction of the prevailing wind. For further information visit http://www.oas.org/dsd/publications/Unit/oea59e/ch12.htm.

6. Bioremediation- This is the technique that adds naturally occurring microbial organisms as well as accelerates the chemical environment of a body of water, such as a pond, in order to purify the water. Often times people use bioremediation when they are using greywater for irrigation. The level of purification depends on the amount of such organisms. Some use this technique so extensively that the water that comes out of their treatment area is cleaner than their tap water. For further information visit http://www.biocritters.com/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioremediation, http://www.nal.usda.gov/bic/Biorem/biorem.htm.

Both the United Nations and the United States government estimate that by 2015, at least 40 percent of the world's population will lack an adequate water supply. Water shortages will affect the livelihood of one-third of the world’s population by 2025, experts predict (Mairesse, 2005). Clean water is increasingly becoming scarcer as demand and contamination continue to plague our water supplies. In recent years, groups, associations and government agencies have begun to focus on the issues surrounding our earth’s water. The following is a list of some of the top groups trying to combat our water issues:
· International Water Resources Association- IWRA strives to improve water management worldwide through dialogue, education and research. The organization actively promotes the sustainable management of water resources worldwide. For more information visit http://www.iwra.siu.edu/.
· International Water Association- IWA aims to connect the broad community of water professionals around the globe in hopes of creating sustainable solutions. For more information visit http://www.iwahq.org.uk/template.cfm?name=home.
· International Water and Sanitation Center- aims to facilitate the sharing, promotion and use of knowledge so that governments and professionals can better support those most in need. For more information visit http://www.irc.nl/page/103.
· For information on water conferences worldwide visit http://www.conferencealerts.com/water.htm.

Jadi... Kita harus ingat bro/sist kalo aer bersih aja mahal. terkadang kita harus menghemat air yang kita pakai, ya ga usah yang susah2 misalnya irit-irit kalo mandi, irit air kalo sikat gigi, irit aer kalo cuci motor atau air. secara riil, daerah resapan air di Jakarta itu makin kecil karena pembangunan di Indonesia (mungkin juga di Indonesia) kurang sadar akan lingkungan. bangun sana bangun sini tapi ga dipikir daerah resapan air, atau juga malah nebangin pohon seenaknya (coba tanya temen2mu yang tinggal dijakarta dan harus bergantung ma PDAM, seberapa mahal air disana. Gue inget waktu masi tinggal dicengkareng emak gue harus beli air bersih buat makan, minum, mandi, nyuci, karena aernya uda asin kemasukan aer laut). sebenarnya penggunaan efisien air itu mudah, ya mungkin ga usah seribet artikel diatas kudu gini kudu gitu, tapi kalo air bersih pada akhirnya susah didapet langkah2 diatas harus dilakukan. berfikir lagi sebelum semua terlambat hehehe

Apa Itu GReeN ARcHitecTure??

Green building is the practice of increasing the efficiency of buildings and their use of energy, water, and materials, and reducing building impacts on human health and the environment, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal — the complete building life cycle.

A similar concept is natural building, which is usually on a smaller scale and tends to focus on the use of natural materials that are available locally.^[1] Other commonly used terms include sustainable design and green architecture; however, while good design is essential to green building, the actual operation, maintenance, and ultimate disposal or deconstruction of the building also have very significant effects on buildings' overall environmental impact.

The related concepts of sustainable development and sustainability are integral to green building. Effective green building can lead to 1) reduced operating costs by increasing productivity and using less energy and water, 2) improved public and occupant health due to improved indoor air quality, and 3) reduced environmental impacts by, for example, lessening storm water runoff and the heat island effect. Practitioners of green building often seek to achieve not only ecological but aesthetic harmony between a structure and its surrounding natural and built environment. The sustainable buildings are also environmentaly friendly in the fact that they are built out of materials that are good for the environment.The appearance and style of sustainable homes and buildings can be nearly indistinguishable from their less sustainable counterparts.

Green buildings are scored by rating systems, such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, Green Globes from GBI and other locally developed rating systems.

The environmental impact of buildings

Buildings have a profound effect on the environment, which is why green building practices are so important to reduce and perhaps one day eliminate those impacts.

In the United States alone, buildings account for:

• 39% of total energy use
• 12% of total water consumption
• 68% of total electricity consumption
• 38% of total carbon dioxide emissions^[2]

However, the environmental impact of buildings is often underestimated, while the perceived costs of building green are overestimated. A recent survey by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development finds that green costs are overestimated by 300%, as key players in real estate and construction estimate the additional cost at 17% above conventional construction, more than triple the true average cost difference of about 5%. ^[3]

Green building practices

Green building brings together a vast array of practices and techniques to reduce and ultimately eliminate the impacts of buildings on the environment. On the aesthetic side of green architecture or sustainable design is the philosophy of designing a building that is in harmony with the natural features and resources surrounding the site. There are several key steps in designing sustainable buildings: specify 'green' building materials from local sources, reduce loads, optimize systems, and generate on-site renewable energy.

Building materials typically considered to be 'green' include rapidly renewable plant materials like bamboo and straw, lumber from forests certified to be sustainably managed, stone, recycled metal, and other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable. Building materials should be extracted and manufactured locally to the building site to minimize the energy embedded in their transportation.

Low-impact building materials are used wherever feasible: for example, insulation may be made from low VOC (volatile organic compound)-emitting materials such as recycled denim, rather than the insulation materials that may contain carcinogenic or toxic materials such as formaldehyde. To discourage insect damage, these alternate insulation materials may be treated with boric acid. Organic or milk-based paints may be used.

Architectural salvage and reclaimed materials are used when appropriate as well. When older buildings are demolished, frequently any good wood is reclaimed, renewed, and sold as flooring. Many other parts are reused as well, such as doors, windows, mantels, and hardware, thus reducing the consumption of new goods. When new materials are employed, green designers look for materials that are rapidly replenished, such as bamboo, which can be harvested for commercial use after only 6 years of growth, or cork oak, in which only the outer bark is removed for use, thus preserving the tree. When possible, building materials may be gleaned from the site itself; for example, if a new structure is being constructed in a wooded area, wood from the trees which were cut to make room for the building would be re-used as part of the building itself.

To minimize the energy loads within and on the structure, it is critical to orient the building to take advantage of cooling breezes and sunlight. Daylighting with ample windows will eliminate the need to turn on electric lights during the day (and provide great views outside too). Passive Solar can warm a building in the winter - but care needs to be taken to provide shade in the summer time to prevent overheating. Prevailing breezes and convection currents can passively cool the building in the summer. Thermal mass stores heat gained during the day and releases it at night minimizing the swings in temperature. Thermal mass can both heat the building in winter and cool it during the summer. Insulation is the final step to optimizing the structure. Well-insulated windows, doors, and walls help reduce energy loss, thereby reducing energy usage. These design features don't cost much money to construct and significantly reduce the energy needed to make the building comfortable.

Optimizing the heating and cooling systems through installing energy efficient machinery, commissioning, and heat recovery is the next step. Compared to optimizing the passive heating and cooling features through design, the gains made by engineering are relatively expensive and can add significantly to the projects cost. However, thoughtful integrated design can reduce costs -- for example, once a building has been designed to be more energy-efficient, it may be possible to downsize heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment, leading to substantial savings. To further address energy loss hot water heat recycling is used to reduce energy usage for domestic water heating. Ground source heat pumps are more energy efficient then other forms of heating and cooling until you factor in the energy lost during generation and transmission if the project is on the grid.

Finally, onsite generation of renewable energy through solar power, wind power, hydro power, or biomass can significantly reduce the environmental impact of the building. Power generation is the most expensive feature to add to a building.

Good green architecture also reduces waste, of energy, water and materials. During the construction phase, one goal should be to reduce the amount of material going to landfills. Well-designed buildings also help reduce the amount of waste generated by the occupants as well, by providing onsite solutions such as compost bins to reduce matter going to landfills.

To reduce the impact on wells or water treatment plants, several options exist. "Greywater", wastewater from sources such as dishwashing or washing machines, can be used for subsurface irrigation, or if treated, for non-potable purposes, e.g., to flush toilets and wash cars. Rainwater collectors are used for similar purposes.

Green building often emphasizes taking advantage of renewable resources, e.g., using sunlight through passive solar, active solar, and photovoltaic techniques and using plants and trees through green roofs, rain gardens, and for reduction of rainwater run-off.^[4] Many other techniques, such as using packed gravel for parking lots instead of concrete or asphalt to enhance replenishment of ground water, are used as well.

Jadi Pada Intinya Green Architecture adalah arsitektur yang ramah dan memperhatikan lingkungan. Hal ini bisa terlihat antara lain dengan meminimalisasikan penggunaan lampu disaat siang hari karena penataan bangun dimungkinkan untuk menerima cahaya dari luar secara maksimal. Penggunaan AC juga dapat ditekan karena udara akan dimaksimalkan masuk sehingga tidak dibutuhkan AC untuk mendinginkan ruangan. Tapi yang harus dipahami juga adalah penyediaan taman yang berguna untuk penyerapan air hujan, karena disadari ruang serap di jakarta sudah sangat sedikit, hal ini disadari atau tidak air bersih adalah barang yang akan menjadi sangat mahal, kalau tidak percaya tanya aja yang pake air dari PDAM..... jadi mulai sekarang sadarlah untuk menjadi orang yang ramah dan peduli lingkungan mulai dari hal-hal yang kecil aja.........

Contoh Green Architecture