Homestead mailing list

[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

On Jul 19, 2008, at 7:45 PM, Lisa K.V. Perry wrote:

> This is preaching to the choir, but still a good read.

> To read the rest of the essay:
> http://www.energybulletin.net/node/45926

How cool is that gentleman plowing with his horse, the reins under his  
arm and over his shoulder, his little cap on his head? I swear, he is  
wearing dress trousers and shirt. The partially rolled-up sleeves may  
be a concession to the photographer.

"Ecologists call such practices “self containment.” Each home  
recycles, and thereby consumes, its own wastes. No garbage problem, no  
pollution of streams. Nobody mentions it often, but a septic tank is a  
perfect example of self-containment. Septic tanks are a marvelous  
invention fallen into disrepute because half the time they aren’t made  
right or because thoughtless people flush into them too many laundry  
detergents and other chemicals that slow down or destroy the bacterial  
action that makes a septic tank work. It is much easier to put sewers  
in all over the country at $2,000 per house, and flush all that crap  
out to the sewage disposal plant. Then, during heavy rains, the cities  
throw open the storm sewers and the swill goes rushing untreated into  
our rivers. This is progress?"

Alas, Gene is still in the throes of septic tanks and leach fields. I  
must write him or call him and burn his ears. The piece is an ode to  
manure and he either does not know or will not accept that human  
manure is a valuable resource, not to be wasted in a septic system.  
What's the world coming to when you can't rely on Gene Logsdon for  
common sense advice?