The Legalities of Rainwater Harvesting

From the New York Times:

In Texas, incentives are offered to encourage the purchase of rainwater harvesting equipment, with up to $40,000 in rebates available to businesses that install collection systems.

In most western states it is illegal to collect rainwater that falls on your property.  Fortunately, Texas encourages the practive, and Hays County has more rainwater collection systems than any county in the state.

Symbol of Iranian Protests

 

 

In a Death Seen Around the World, a Symbol of Iranian Protests – NYTimes.com.

It was hot in the car, so the young woman and her singing instructor got out for a breath of fresh air on a quiet side street not far from the anti-government protests they had ventured out to attend. A gunshot rang out, and the woman, Neda Agha-Soltan, fell to the ground.

In an era of almost instantaneous communication, Neda has become a symbol of the anti-Iranian government protests.  Her sad and senseless death was recorded for posterity, much to the dismay of the Iranian government.

The Next Slum? – The Atlantic (March 2008)

Strange days are upon the residents of many a suburban cul-de-sac. Once-tidy yards have become overgrown, as the houses they front have gone vacant. Signs of physical and social disorder are spreading.

via The Next Slum? – The Atlantic (March 2008).

A shift in demographics, combined with the recession, is changing the way Americans work and live, according to The Atlantic.

Foreign Policy: Revenge of the Geographers

responses to Robert Kaplan’s recent article

Fights over geography have gone on ever since early man first dropped from the trees and started marking the territory he landed on. So it is little surprise that Robert D. Kaplan’s “The Revenge of Geography” has sparked some controversy and a number of smart responses.

via Foreign Policy: Revenge of the Geographers.