Life Below Water and Fostering Sustainability
Life Below Water and Fostering Sustainability
My analogue ocean
sump pump tanks become biofilters
Life finds a way to be in the water
Life below water and fostering sustainability
A love shot in the pond at Mezzacello. Three generations of fish in one shot.
Recycling algae to the shock of kids
Algae ready to be harvested
A clean biofilter assembly
Bakki shower purification of pond water
Life below water and fostering sustainability
Water purified through a biofilter
My Algae Source
Life in and on the water
5 gallons of fresh ammonia, algae, and water from the pond biofilter.
Life below water and fostering sustainability is a critical component of the UN 17 SDGs. There is no hope for this planet without the water on this planet. This is true in a microcosm here at Mezzacello.
No other element brings as much to my success as this little oasis of water and life in my yard.
Jim Bruner
This entire endeavor I call Mezzacello would be completely unsustainable if there was no pond here. My pond is artificial - and deep. It is a microcosm of the value our oceans and fresh water systems bring to this planet.
So Much Value In So Little Space
At Mezzacello, much like on planet earth, I use every resource I possibly can from my pond. Unlike planet earth, my system must be maintained and managed if it is to survive. Unlike the people on planet earth, I know this is one of the most important treasures on this planet and I treat it with respect and dignity.
The ocean analogue of Mezzacello brings so much life to this Urban Farm. And it attracts and supports life in ways that I am often completely blind to. But I do see the effects of this integrated ecosystem.
All roads of sustainability come back to the pond and the rain. Everything depends on the water and the byproducts of the rain and pond water. Just like this planet.
Even the life in and on the water matters. Without the integrated network of fish, microorganisms and plants, this farm would become unaffordable and unsustainable in a hurry.
I didn't know that when I added the pond initially. But it is very obvious today. No other element brings as much to my success as this little oasis of water and life in my yard.
When Things Go Bad, And They Do
Because my "ocean" is an artificial one and so when it goes bad (and it has) I have to reset it. We do not get this luxury with our oceans. If we allow CO2 buildup to acidify our oceans and kill the life within, there is no external biofilter.
We are part of the biofilter of this planet's water, and right now we need to adjusted or replaced. Of all the global goals, this one is so super critical. From what I experience on my small urban farm, we are in big trouble if we do not manage this goal a lot better than we currently do.
We can do better and we know it. But we MUST start somewhere. The best place I know is to start with ourselves and try to influence outward.
So let's get started. Spend some time watching a pond. It's remarkable how much the air under there interacts with and influences the air up here.