The story of Tucson, Arizona-based, Brad Lancaster and his efforts to transform his own water use from one that drew on city sources to one that is entirely rainfed led to a process that ultimately set Tucson on a new path of water usage. While the technology used by Lancaster has been known for years, the regenerative innovation story in this video is all human. It is a vivid demonstration of what a single person can do to change one's relationship with nature and how it can be contagious and create a mindset of abundance and possibility in a community.

The story is remarkable not only for the dramatic impacts of an initiative undertaken by a single person on a critical (but in some ways easily addressed) environmental issue and the related benefits of adopting a natural rain-fed system. Doing so has helped Tucson -- which experiences many summer days well over 100 degrees fahrenheit -- to become more resilient, water self-sufficient, less energy-intensive, more biodiverse, and more livable with recovering shade plants. 

Related: Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond

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HT: David Witzel and Kathryn Alexander