SURFACE TENSION - The Future of Water

The Science Museum, Dublin 21:10:11-20:01:12 

The future of water is the subject of tension. Water is both disposable and sacred, a muse for artists and a necessity for life – a source of healing and of conflict. The Earth has abundant water, but only a very small proportion is available for human use. How should this be managed and sustained, and what would a water-scarce future look like?

SURFACE TENSION brings together work by artists, designers, engineers and scientists to explore the future of water, playing on its physical properties, its role in politics and economics, and ways in which it may be harnessed, cleaned, and distributed.

 http://www.sciencegallery.com/

Reducing water use by your toilet without affecting efficiency

Flush-wiser™ by Salamander Engineering

All pre-2001 toilets hold between 7-9 litres of water depending upon age. To effectively flush, you only need to use 6 litres of water.

The devise pays for itself in less than 5 months, based on average water savings by reducing the amount of water per flush from around 9 litres per flush to just 6 litres per flush. Every person in the UK uses 150 litres of water a day and 60 litres of this are used on toilet flushing.

 It works by allowing your cistern to fill with air rather than water, 'conning' the system into 'thinking' it's full with water. Because the Flush-wiser™ is fixed to the siphon, it doesn’t interfere at all with the toilet's flushing mechanism and it’s totally adjustable - with five different settings - the higher the setting, the more water you save.

For installers and householders looking to save energy, save water and save money a Flush-wiser™ is an easy choice to make. As well as saving huge quantities of water - and the costs associated with that - the costs of disposing of a cubic metre of waste water include the usage of 0.905 Kwh of electricity which produces 0.404 kg of carbon dioxide - so using a Flush-wiser™ actually helps reduce your carbon footprint too.

http://www.flush-wiser.net/

hello water: After the hassle of installing this devise which includes drilling one 7mm hole into your cistern you don´t have to think of it ever again; at least not for the remaining life time of your old toilet. This is well worth the initial effort when you consider the long-term water and consequent energy savings. You may ask why not just put a brick in the cistern for free, like the old days? The bit about not interfering with your cistern is the answer. 

In effect this is similar to aerator for your tap. (see below)

http://www.wostech.com/prdview-21.html

 

Water Siphon Pump - recycle water into your garden

You can use the siphon to pump out water from the bath, water-butt or sink and can be used to empty cisterns, blocked sinks and dishwashing machines. Just put one end in your bath, water butt, or sink, connect the other end to a hose, squeeze the pump and let gravity siphon your waste water onto your garden. This is a way to avoid wasting water during a hosepipe ban or Drought Order.

http://www.nigelsecostore.com/acatalog/Water_Siphon_Pump.html


hello water: This could be indeed be a handy gadget, useful in some situations and it doesn´t require batteries or an electric pump.

Woah, wooah woooah, wait a minute…. before we go down the road of handy manual DIY Eco living devises, let´s zoom out for a moment and take a listen to Austin Williams from Future cities who in a stark contrast to this approach, does have an interesting take on the bigger picture of addressing sustainable living (see below).

Austin Williams comments on the event The Human Footprint -- has civilization gone too far? Presented by the NY Salon.

A take on Environmentalism


“From it being a discussion of a social nature where we are looking at maybe industry having to account for itself, or governments; it’s become much more the idea that we become empowered in our own everyday actions".

“It’s disempowering, a slightly parochial, incestuous, internalized level of debate. It avoids us being able to look at the bigger picture when we are all constantly got our own heads in our own garbage bins”.

“I am un happy with the message because I don’t think that the most we can actually expect is to constantly consider our everyday actions. I think that a part of the level of increased progress and freedom of the individuals is that we can move aside from pontificating about everyday activities”
“It’s a symbol of disengagement in politics”.

“It’s a good starting point to be able to come up technological and innovative solutions”

 
hello water: A macro perspective looking at the impact that the micro approach is having on politics.