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GBlist: Yard Waste?



Hello GBListers:

I have a client who has raised an interesting question.  She is building a
new house in Los Angeles to specifications for chemical sensitivity and is
concerned about the environment in general.  She has three large dogs which
she keeps in a special area of the yard.  She has 6 cats which stay in the
house, in a special area with its own air handler and ventilation, using a
"green" brand of cat litter.  Her concern is that these animals produce a
large volume of "waste product" manifesting several problems:

1. Storm drainage from the dogs' yard may be damaging the surrounding ground.
 Can anything be done to protect groundwater, air and soil?  What ecological
or health hazards are involved?

2. LA can be very hot and odors can be quite strong.  Are there any
environmentally sound ways to reduce the steaming stench?

3. Flushing dog and cat waste down the toilet uses a lot of water.  Can it be
composted or otherwise utilized?

4. Placing such a large volume of this "product" in the trash not only
produces odor problems, but seems wasteful if there is a constructive use for
the material.  Are there any environmentally sound alternatives to the usual
means of disposal?  Can this waste stream act as "resource" for some other
useful process?

I throw out this challenge in hopes that some of you may have already
discovered design or mechanical solutions for this problem. Several of you
have discussed alternative waste systems, Permaculture, composting, and other
related issues.  There are pets in many homes and this seems important not
only to the health and well being of the residents and neighbors, but to the
larger environment as well.   

Thanks in advance for your thoughts,

David Kibbey, Environmental Building Consultant
1618 Parker Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
phone/fax:  510-841-1039
email:  IAQKibbey@aol.com



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