The Prose of Preservation

By Christine Olson, President, Alhambra Preservation Group

There is a growing awareness on the part of urban planners throughout the U.S. that historic preservation is closely tied to the conservation of natural resources.  In fact, some have referred to it as “the ultimate recycling strategy.”

Now that Governor Brown has formally declared a drought emergency in California, it’s time for us to flex our environmental muscles and do what we can to reduce our water usage.  Our target is a 20% reduction; together we can make a difference.  While not all of us can afford to spend money on landscape redesign, rain harvesting systems, tankless water heaters, or replacing our washing machines with newer high-efficiency models, we can all make simple adjustments that collectively will have a big impact.

Yesterday I placed a bucket in the shower, to collect the water that would otherwise go down the drain while it warms up.  That’s at least a half-gallon saved every day, which now goes to water my vegetable garden.  I challenge you to find your own water-saving strategies and share them here with us, to help inspire our friends and neighbors.