dagget,

anything we do will have an impact, so are you suggesting that we throw in the towel and return to the forests?

Water tanks mean that we reduce the load on our water system, water reclaimation and desalination means that we can put more back into our dams and water ways.

Relaxing the water restrictions now would be insane. Those who are advocating management via market forces are ignoring a very basic factor of human nature. People adapt, and for it to be a real inhibitor you would have to price water at a point which is garaunteed to see the government that brings it in thrown out.

>anything we do will have an impact, so are you suggesting that we throw in the towel and return to the forests?<

Are you implying that mass immigration is the only alternative to this? How about the middle ground of letting the population find its own equilibrium instead of being dictated to by greedy creeps?

Whether immigration has any per capita benefit or cost is far less certain than global warming, though I suspect that Bippo the Clown with a flashing "Immigration is Tops" sign is more than enough assurance for some. Why wouldn't it be? There wouldn't be a buck in flogging water without it.

James Purser,

Why does my simple point elude your understanding?

Obviously rain water tanks will reduce our load on our water system, and in and of it self that is a good thing.

But that is not the whole story. Manufucturing and installing a water tanks to give millions of Australian households water will necessarily deplete the earth's stock of non-renewable petroleum or mineral resources and add to global warming. Of course, as I wrote before, it would be better for resources to be used on rainwater tanks than on what they are largely wasted on at the moment, however ther can be no guarantee that even if we do this that our planet can sustain it.

Also, if more and more of us are crowded into smaller parcels of land, the capacity of each of us to collect rainwater will be diminished. As I wrote on an earlier occasion, this is what the Real Estate Institute of Queensland has plannned for our future (see, also, http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=4834#53620). An article in Brisbane's Courier Mail of 23 June 2006 described these plans:

" ... we will be living on smaller blocks as more people move to the southeast corner (of Queensland). ... The current water crisis will mean nature's drop will be rare, ensuring most houses will have minimal lawns and garden. ... A session in entertainment rooms will replace the smell of fresh air and a potter around in the vegie patch. Besides most workers won't be bothered about gardening at the end of a long day at the office."

... and that is if we still have the necessary natural resources left to allow the continuing manufacture of these marvellous electronic gizmos that the REIQ would have us believe will replace our need for fresh air, flowers and trees. I suspect that more likely many of us will have neither entertainment rooms nor outside gardens if the REIQ gets its way.

daggert you must see the world as it is and as it will be not the dream world you look for.
Man will continue to use machinery and build things he needs and things he thinks he needs, reality has a part to play.
Country homes on single house blocks or large farms have no other storage than rain water tanks, and mostly we live well.
Oh yes Christmas can be hard, city visitors who waste water just as they do every day.
But take my single block, one tank ,plastic, 3.000 gallons, all water recycled on the garden via a septic system.
No waste water, rare use of town water during very dry times, unless visitors stay for weeks.
tanks can be simple underground concrete or even plastic or steal ,and very large even the natural clay can make a well or tank, keep it safe however children die in such tanks.
City rain water should not be used for drinking ever it carries what is in the air.
The other impact is the better lawns and gardens ,they play a part in cleaner air and much more, more trees equal more rain.
The thought we should let the gardens die rather than try to use water better is at best childlike.
The thought that building rainwater tanks is further hurting the environment is hugely funny but sad too.

POint taken Daggert, I was looking at the endurance ability of the material.

As for those who would advocate letting gardens die, realise that this will result in increased energy usage? Why, because a shady garden with lots of plants and lawn has a cooling effect on the house in the middle of summer. Less airconditioning required (and lets face it, we get pretty hot in summer). The other thing to take into account is ground movement and its affect on buildings. Continuing to water your garden (as efficiently as possible of course), reduces the soil movement particularly on reactive soils, and cuts the incidence of cracking of walls and foundations. Wagga has had some houses condemned due to movement thanks to the drought and water restrictions. By all means use water wisely, but remember some of the flow on effects too.

Country Gal,
You always make sensible, interesting and informed points.
Good Work!