David Both

I found a very interesting web site today that is dedicated to helping Linux users tune the power usage of their computers. It does this with a program created by Intel, the maker of the processor chips that run most of our computers.

The program, called powertop, can be run on your Intel-based computer and will make suggestions for reducing power consumption, and even offer a one-keypress method for easily implementing the suggested changes. Each suggestion has an explanation of what change needs to be made and how it will save power.

Not all of the suggested changes are appropriate in all circumstances so you will need to use a little judgment. The program is primarily aimed at conserving power for laptops, but is useful for workstations and servers as well.

See LessWatts.org for details.

The powertop program is provided with some Linux distributions such as Fedora 8, which I use. It can also be downloaded from the LessWatts.org web site, but you will have to compile it.

Well, the Raleigh City Council adopted an ordinance calling for stage 2 water restrictions today on an 8-0 vote. Although the Green Industry Council had packed the council chambers – I think I was the only person there not working in some industry with outside water usage – there was no discussion except amongst the council members. However it was pretty clear from Mayor Meeker’s opening statement of the current situation that the council was going to pass the ordinance no matter what anyone said.

The only exception allowed by the ordinance is for flushing new water mains so long as the developer recaptures the water. Yeah, right. How you gonna do that?

I did not say my piece as there was no need. Darn!

It seems as if Falls Valley Drive in North Raleigh is the center of a great deal of water wastage these days. On the way home from work today at 2:30pm I saw the most egregious instance so far. It is so bad that I am extremely angry about it.

A company called Carolina Pavement Cleaning Services Inc. had a water tanker truck parked in the parking lot of some new commercial construction going on behind the Rite-Aid pharmacy at I-540 and Falls of the Neuse Road.

This truck was connected to the city fire hydrant on Falls Valley Drive and was apparently refilling. There was no person from the company to monitor this truck and one of its valves was open and spewing water onto the parking lot pavement. A tremendous amount of water had already been spilled.

In this photo you can see the connection to the fire hydrant and the open valve with the water pouring out. The pavement is also quite wet all around the area indicating how much water has been wasted.

While I was there taking pictures, someone who said he was “the manager” drove up and turned off the hydrant; I am sure it was only because I was there.

According to some folks I called at the City, under current regulations taking water from a hydrant is legal when using a hydrant meter issued by the city. I think this is a travesty at this stage of an extended exceptional drought. How absurd it is for this to be allowed!!

Everyone I talked to at the city agreed that the wastage was inexcusable. However there is apparently little that can be done unless one of the three city inspectors actually catch them in the act.

Considering that ordinary citizens are being called upon to reduce daily water usage to 25 to 35 gallons per person, this waste outrageous!

How you can help

Tomorrow (Tuesday February 5) at 1:00pm the City of Raleigh is having a council meeting to discuss moving to stage 2 water restrictions which would ban all outside water usage. I plan to be there.

The so-called Green Industry Council plans to be there to in an effort to block stage 2 restrictions or at least to obtain exemptions for some or all of its members. The council apparently represents builders, landscapers, and other outdoor and commercial users of water.

Please come and lend your support. Let us put an end to outside water usage until this drought is over and the reservoirs and lakes used as our water supplies have returned to normal levels.

The meeting is at 1:00pm at 222 West Hargett Street in downtown Raleigh.