It’s rare that I will an article at Joe Romm’s George Soros funded Climate Progress that makes me bob my head in agreement, but, they usually avoid discussing real environmentalism, not too mention silly government laws
In a state where recreational marijuana was legalized two years ago and extreme weather has caused serious concerns, one mundane drought-fighting tool remains illegal: using rain barrels to catch rainwater from roofs for use in gardens.
Despite the fact that the American West is facing serious water shortages — Lake Mead, for example, is at its lowest recorded levels since the 1930s — recent proposals to legalize rain barrels in Colorado have been stalled or defeated.
But this could soon change. A bill to legalize rain barrels is making its way through the Colorado state legislature, which would allow homeowners to possess two 55-gallon rain barrels to be used to collect and store rainwater for use in gardens and yards. The bill overwhelmingly passed the Colorado state House two weeks ago on a 61-3 vote, but faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled Senate later this week.
It’s a silly law, and Republicans would be fools to stand against in the Colorado Senate, and some plan to block it, along with some ranchers and others, because, what should be a very simple issue, namely, rain falls on your property and you catch it for later usage, has become all sorts of complicated when Government gets involved. Quite frankly, limiting people to two barrels is silly. Most people do not need that many. My neighbors have one, for their nice little garden.
And this, water advocates believe, is key to making real, lasting change when it comes to water conservation measures: make environmentally-friendly policies available for consumers to choose to use them.
I’ll agree with that, rather than implementing top down, Big Government, domineering rules and laws.
It is also against the law to have a kitchen garden. In fact, if you look at our country you will find that we really do not have freedom. Own a house, wrong, it can easily be taken if you don’t pay your property tax. That is similar to the situation faced by the surfs in the Middle Ages. You don’t have possession of your money if the government wants it. And now doctors are being told not to give narcotics for severe pain, so you don’t have the ability to even get pain relief.
A criminal offense should be the EPA polluting the Animas River.
Hydraulic Despotism
Maryland recently had a “rain tax” that fined people for letting rainwater run off.
Lefist politicians and their infinite wisdom. What would happen if you put Colorado politicians in the same pool as Maryland politicians? They’d somehow manage to throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater, and vote to prohibit roofs on houses altogether.
That’s ridiculous, but I have to laugh because it’s the opposite where I live. We are surrounded by lakes, get tons of snow every winter, and long periods of rain. Yet the yahoos running my town spend tax dollars on “save the rain” projects. They put these expensive rain barrels at town properties, and those barrels just happen to be sold by the company run by our part time town supervisor. OK, maybe I don’t want to laugh.
Good Lord, what will happen to me in the Bluegrass State if I use the existing well on my property?
The house itself is connected to city water, but there is a working well available if I choose to install a new well pump.