tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221748.post6195020861931439809..comments2024-03-28T20:49:59.737-07:00Comments on Casaubon's Book: Living Off the Waste of Industrial Societyjewishfarmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17547121621115074866noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221748.post-49325754468409191482007-01-25T13:02:00.000-08:002007-01-25T13:02:00.000-08:00While I agree with the Ethanol comments, I disagre...While I agree with the Ethanol comments, I disagree with the pellet arguement. Harvesting wood will always occur and in certain areas it can be done sustainably. Pellets burn more efficiently than wood stoves so strategically placed mini-pellet mills in heavily timbered areas may be able to sustainably supply a fleet of pellet stoves off of local lumber waste (sawdust)and smaller un-sellable virgin timber growth ground directly up into pellets. I have no doubt such a strategy will work in the Pacific Northwest and rural parts of New England. Obviously you would want to pick another heating strategy if you live in Nebraska or New Mexico, but you get the idea.<br /><br />On the whole, pellets store easier, burn cleaner and better suited for urban (small town and city) locations. They can also be used to fire a boiler for heat and domestic hot water requirements. Plus their electrical consumption is relatively small compared to their heat output. Somewhere I read they are testing electricity free stove designs.<br /><br />Again, this isnt a solution for everyone, everywhere. But it doesnt need to be solely dependent on the waste of industrialized civilization either.<br /><br />Note, i am NOT affiliated with the Pellet Industry. I did own a pellet stove and was able to heat most of my home on a few pounds of pellets a dayunplannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13751279402310528565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221748.post-90217383594593675422007-01-19T13:28:00.000-08:002007-01-19T13:28:00.000-08:00I too have thought about this. I love your articl...I too have thought about this. I love your articles by the way. <br />I am not sure how to do the clothes thing though. I have no idea how to make a bra or underwear---nor do any locals that I know. Besides there is no organic/sustainable/local fibers being produced around me except my (and a few others) wool. O.K--great for a sweater but not my underwear thank you. And I know my kids will balk at it for pants :-)<br />This british link (www.green-shopping.co.uk ) has some good books including: A CHINESE BIOGAS MANUAL by Ariane van Buren<br />Now that's sustainable energy and you aren't dependent on anyone else for it. You can use as much as you can make.Dancingfarmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02542161200214992918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221748.post-10314732624861627712007-01-19T09:52:00.000-08:002007-01-19T09:52:00.000-08:00Speaking of unintended consequences and ethanol. ...Speaking of unintended consequences and ethanol. For years I have argued against ethanol and bio Diesel because of two things outside of the usual energy invested, energy returned arguments. One is that replacing other liquid energy sources will encourage significantly increasing the amount of land torn under and planed into another monoculture crop. <br /><br />The other is that we would then pit wealthy owners of personal transportation against the food needs of the less wealthy. From reading the news recently this last is starting to happen. Mexico has seen huge price increases of its low income staple, tortillas. The reasons are many and include local corruption taking advantage of a situation. Other major reasons are the demise of the local Mexican corn farmers who cannot compete with the energy intensive and heavily subsidized crops from the US and more of the US corn crop going into ethanol production.<br /><br />This is our and their future as peak oil takes is slow but unstopping toll.awlknotteduphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06021131571528251022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221748.post-68763930186011720892007-01-19T09:31:00.000-08:002007-01-19T09:31:00.000-08:00I don't see it the same way. I see it as me and my...I don't see it the same way. I see it as me and my family "cleaning up after industrial society". We use waste vegetable oil to fuel our vehicles and we feel like this is oil that will not be dumped into a landfill or poured into a city water system. There are other ways to recycle waste vegetable oil, but we are recycling it in our cars. <br /><br />We talk about when the waste veg. oil will "dry up". We know it will eventually for any number of reasons. In the meantime, we are not dependant upon the oil industry, we are recycling, *and* we are making plans for how we can use less fuel/energy. <br /><br />I do repair our clothing and make do with what we've got, but I see our purchase of used clothing as making certain that at least some clothing does not end up in a landfill. Again, cleaning up after other's mistakes and overconsumption.<br /><br />I admit to worrying about creating the need for used clothing, but I worry more that a child in another country may have made the clothing my children wear. I cannot bear the thought of that to the point that I often make my children's clothing. But, then I am creating the need for new fabrics. And what about the wasted remnants of fabric from my projects? Scrap knits become underwear; wovens become quilts and other projects; flannels become cloth menstrual pads and cloth wipes for the bathroom; scrap fleece becomes hats and mittens and so on.<br /><br />I guess I just feel that we can only do so much. We truly need more people out there to be as determined to "do the right thing" as we are. <br /><br />There is so much more to say on this subject, but I am having a "foggy mind moment" here. <br /><br />Great discussions, Sharon. You are really making me think (more).Kristiannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14639972251360282935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221748.post-63867181214322380372007-01-19T09:24:00.000-08:002007-01-19T09:24:00.000-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Kristiannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14639972251360282935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221748.post-136682770623823972007-01-19T07:30:00.000-08:002007-01-19T07:30:00.000-08:00Sharon,
I've been thinking along the same lines la...Sharon,<br />I've been thinking along the same lines lately, and have been beating my head against the wall trying to figure out some way of changing over to a system where I'm NOT so dependent on other's discards. For now, I see the fact that others are so wasteful as a boon to me (even though a harm to the planet) in that it enables a grad student on a low budget to get things I need but otherwise wouldn't be able to. (Like mason jars through Freecycle.) On the other hand I'm trying to develop long term plans to make me more secure.<br /><br />I'm also a member of The Compact and have been for about 8 months. It's not exactly about buying nothing new; underwear, socks, meds, food, etc, are allowed. As are local artisan products. The bigger purpose is to make us think about where everything we purchase comes from and what the impacts of that consumption on ourselves, others, and the planet.RAShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16264114986793504233noreply@blogger.com