A Helpful Solution to Some of Our Problems: Pool to Pond

No doubt you know about the problems we face in the world today. A quick glance around the internet can be both depressing and enlightening. Whether you believe some or all of potential problems we face, you might fall into one of these three categories...

1) The Overly Optimistic - Everything is going to be fine. Somehow, someway we always figure it out. No need to worry or change our lives because technology, science, or somebody always solves our problems.

2) Doom and Gloom - Our problems are so bad we will never fix them. The day where we all see our demise is right around the corner. At this point, it is out of our control.

3) The Religious Literalist - These are both just religious extensions of the first two categories with added delusion.
A. In Gods hands - No need to worry about our problems, God will take good care of us. He always does. He loves us so much we just have to say our prayers and all will be fine.
B. The apocalyptic - God is going to make us pay for all the sins we commit. Armageddon is the punishment. It will happen sooner than you think. It is our fault because we are just lowly humans in God's eyes.

So who is right?

None of them. They are all just as good as saying, "I am not doing anything to help. You are all on your own. Good luck!" or "I don't give a crap. Screw everyone and everything." Take your pick, they are both equally lazy and damaging.

The Overly Optimistic - While it is good to be optimistic, you still need to take steps to help with our problems. Saying everything will be fine and doing nothing to help is a serious problem. Don't sit back with the incorrect assumption that everything will be fine. It will not, unless we all do our part.

Doom and Gloom - While I might agree that some problems are possibly beyond repair at this point, it doesn't mean we give up. Just letting things go because it's too late is what all good quitters do. I don't care if it's something trivial like a card game, or a real problem, you never quit until it is over, and the last I looked, it isn't over.

The Religious Literalist - Not only are these people batshit crazy, they are Loony Tune nuts. To the religious moderate: get these people under control, they give your religion a bad name. Personally, I am not religious at all. But even when I was religious(for about 25 years), I never believed that God would take care of us if we didn't help ourselves. As far as the Apocalypse goes, well, you might be beyond repair if you believe that nonsense.

I don't believe in fairy tales and Bigfoot, the same way I don't believe in Bible stories and a god. But my religious beliefs are irrelevant, as are yours. What I do believe is that as human beings, each of us must do our part to help ourselves, the planet, and each other EVERY SINGLE DAY. This isn't about religion, science, or your political party, it is about the reality of our problems and what we all should be doing to help future generations survive. Falling into any of the above categories isn't helping anyone, including you and your family. Becoming a burden to those trying to find solutions is just as bad as being a problem. Look at our problems, find a middle ground, and do what you can to help out.

What does any of this have to do with a swimming pool to pond conversion?

A lot.

Getting rid of a swimming pool that is bad for the environment is a good step in the right direction. Whether you convert it or just fill it, you will be doing us all a favor. Not only is a pool a large water wasting machine, it consumes mass amounts of energy. From filtering to chemical manufacturing, from construction to maintenance, the energy consumption is far too high.

Converting a swimming pool to something environmentally friendly is a good choice. Converting it to something that actually helps the environment is even a better choice. By providing a family with a continuous food source these conversions can help decrease the need for transporting food to supermarkets, decrease the land set aside for mass food production, and your trips to the supermarket will decrease. All of these things help with energy consumption. Also, there is little to no need for any chemicals of any kind so the food is better for you while you drop the need for chemicals such as chlorine. Water usage from growing vegetables with aquaponics can be as low as 5% of growing the same in soil, saving on our stressed water supply.

Speaking of stress... Have ever relaxed next to a stream or small water fall? Have you ever gathered your thoughts while picking or tending to vegetables in the garden? A peaceful and relaxing environment will reduce stress. Also, simply knowing you are doing something good for the planet cannot be overlooked as a great stress reducer. A society with less stress is a healthier society.

Ultimately, I realize larger solutions might have to be found. But just think of the impact this could have if 50% of all the swimming pools in the world were converted this way. The impact would be massive. Then imagine if 100% were converted and if it was a requirement for all new backyards to be equipped with a similar system. With a lot of data on the benefits of aquaponics, could it actually be a long term solution? It is debatable, but I do see some potential here.

In the meantime, if you have a swimming pool and you want to help yourself, the family pocket book, and the planet, an aquaponic pond is a great way to go. It is easier and cheaper than you might think.