Category Archives: outdoors

Going Off The Grid Used To Be Hard – And many times ugly

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I mean this for the average Joe. Going off the grid for rich people was always easy. You buy a solar designed house and attach generation too it. Done. But for anybody without an open checkbook, especially in the 70s and early 80s, you had to kinda make it up. And it almost always involved burning some sort of wood. Even in the southwestern part of the US it can get cold sometimes. Now there is a whole cottage industry dedicated to the stuff. Here is a part of a piece from one of those websites.

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2012/01/30/so-is-it-global-warming-or-an-approaching-mini-ice-age-some-scientist-say-the-sun-will-have-the-last-word/

Global Warming or Approaching Ice Age? Scientists Say the Sun Will have the Last Word

Jan 30th, 2012 | By Tim George

LONDON – Met Office and the University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit recently released data from 30,000 measuring stations that reveal there has been no global warming in the last 15 years. In fact, the findings suggest the earth might be headed for a mini ice age similar to one in the 17th century.

Several leading climate scientists told the UK Mail that the sun is transitioning from the unusually high levels of energy seen throughout the 20th century toward a “grand minimum” in solar energy output. Such a minimum promises colder summers, extended bitter winter, and shortened crop seasons.

The sun is entering the peak of another 11-year solar cycle. Termed ‘Cycle 24’ by solar scientists, this cycle continues a trend of lessening sunspots since a high in the 20th century. Experts at the University of Arizona and NASA have been studying magnetic-field measurements from 120,000 miles beneath the sun’s surface and predict ‘Cycle 25’ will peak in 2022 even lower than the current cycle.

Europe experienced such a lowered cycle of solar output from 1645 to 1715. The coldest part of that period, known as the “Maunder minimum,” came to be known as the “Little Ice Age”. This period causes severe disruption of crop growing seasons and occasional famines.

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I know, I know the article has nothing to do with going off the grid, but going off the grid does not mean losing touch with what goes on in the rest of the world.

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Go there and read a bunch. More tomorrow,

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Senate Trys To Pass Keystone – Dems can be environmentally unsound too

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This really needs no introduction nor comment by me. It is so sad though.

 

View a web version of this email.
Sierra Club - Explore, enjoy and protect the planet
Republican senators are trying to revive the Keystone XL oil pipeline proposal. Stop the Pipeline
Your senators have heard from Big Oil — now make sure they hear from you. Write them today to stop the Keystone XL pipeline!
Take Action

Dear Diane,

There’s breaking — and disturbing — news about the Keystone XL pipeline. Big Oil is bringing it back, and with a vengeance.

The Senate may vote as early as this week to force construction of the dirty tar sands oil pipeline — and once again, it’s up to you to stop this bill.

Last month, President Obama rejected the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, which TransCanada spent $1.3 million lobbying for in 2011.  We knew Big Oil wouldn’t give up, and sure enough, they’re still at it, using their money to force the pipeline down our throats, thwart the President, and pass this bill.

Email your senators today and tell them to oppose any legislation that would approve the Keystone XL pipeline.

With Big Oil and the lawmakers they’ve bought and paid for allied against us, we face a tough fight. This bill could pass. But by standing together, we beat their millions in round one, and we can do it again in round two.

It’s obvious that Big Oil will do almost anything to buy influence and get their way on Capitol Hill — they have to, since no project as dangerous as Keystone XL could ever pass on the merits alone.

This pipeline would carry the world’s dirtiest fossil fuel, tar sands oil, from Canada to Texas, where it would be shipped overseas. To build the pipeline, TransCanada has to seize private land from ranchers and farmers, and then expose what’s left to the threat of oil spills and leaks. Clean water, clean air, agriculture, and our shared climate would all be put at risk for what have been greatly exaggerated benefits.

There’s no reason the public should sacrifice so much just so Big Oil can increase their already-record profits. We may not have $1.3 million to lobby Congress — but we do have 1.4 million members and supporters like you.

Take thirty seconds to tell Sen. Durbin and Sen. Kirk — put our public health before Big Oil profits. Oppose this and any other attempt to approve the Keystone XL pipeline.

Big Oil is used to getting their way, no matter what that means for the rest of us. But together, we can send a powerful message — write your senators today.

Thanks for all that you do to protect the environment,
Sarah Hodgdon

Sarah Hodgdon
Sierra Club Conservation Director

P.S. Our senators need to hear from as many of us as possible. Please forward this email to your friends and family!

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Go there and read. More tomorrow.

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Russians Set Nuclear Sub On Fire – Nothing like ending the year with a bang

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I wanted to end the year with something positive like I did the Friday before Christmas. But this has been a meditation on national environmental events and it would be impossible no matter what the topic to not post about this. I mean how inept must you be to erect a WOOD scaffolding in a shipyard let alone one around a rubber coated nuclear submarine. A shipyard where they do things like weld, work with rivets and cut steel. How could they not start a fire. The good news is that no exterior fire is ever going to get inside an nuclear submarine. The bad news is that the rubber is probably filled with top secret exotic toxic materials which could kill or sicken the workers and people who live in nearby towns. Welcome to 2012 everyone.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/officials-say-russian-nuclear-submarine-on-fire-in-arctic-shipyard-no-leak-or-casualties/2011/12/29/gIQAd9YYOP_story.html

Jan M. Olsen contributed to this report from Copenhagen.

Russia says nuclear sub fire has been doused, no radiation leak

 

By Associated Press, Published: December 29 | Updated: Friday, December 30, 6:28 AM

MOSCOW — Firefighters extinguished a massive fire aboard a docked Russian nuclear submarine Friday as some crew members remained inside, officials said, assuring that there was no radiation leak and that the vessel’s nuclear-tipped missiles were not on board.

Military prosecutors have launched an investigation into whether safety regulations were breached, and President Dmitry Medvedev summoned top Cabinet officials to report on the situation and demanded punishment for anyone found responsible.

The fire broke out Thursday at an Arctic shipyard outside the northwestern Russian city of Murmansk where the submarine Yekaterinburg was in dry-dock. The blaze, which shot orange flames high into the air through the night, was put out Friday afternoon and firefighters continued to spray the vessel with water to cool it down, Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

Russian state television earlier showed the rubber-coated hull of the submarine still smoldering, with firefighters gathering around it and some standing on top to douse it with water.

Seven members of the submarine crew were hospitalized after inhaling poisonous carbon monoxide fumes from the fire, Shoigu said.

An unspecified number of crew remained inside the submarine during the fire, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. He insisted there never was any danger of it spreading inside the sub and said the crew reported that the conditions on board remained normal.

Konashenkov’s statement left it unclear whether the crew were trapped there or ordered to stay inside.

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Go there and read. More next year.

 

 

 

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So That Is Why They Call It Downunder – Australia loves to deface nature

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I had never heard of coal seam gas before so this is a real education for me. Thanks to The Wilderness Society for that.

http://www.wilderness.org.au/regions/new-south-wales/pillaga-coal-seam-gas-project-an-environmental-disaster

Pilliga coal seam gas project an environmental disaster

The Pilliga Scrub is one of Australia’s bush icons. At over 500,000 hectares – two thirds the size of Belgium – it is the largest temperate woodland in eastern Australia.

It is one of 15 national biodiversity hotspots identified by the Federal Government, and is home to threatened species such as the Regent Honeyeater and the endemic Pilliga Mouse.

Now mining company Eastern Star Gas wants to turn the Pilliga into a massive industrial development zone.

Eastern Star has plans for a huge 1100 well coal seam gas development in the Pilliga. The destruction of the Pilliga is the first big step to seeing our natural forests and rural land covered with gas wells.

This gas field will fragment 85,000 hectares of forest, including a protected area, and this is just the beginning.

The Pilliga project also involves gas pipelines sited along environmentally-sensitive travelling stock routes and across prime agricultural land, against the wishes of local farmers. The associated export terminal at Newcastle will threaten the Kooragang RAMSAR wetland.

Allowing coal seam gas developments in the Pilliga threatens the Great Artesian Basin with the existing dozen-well project already discharging waste water into the Murray-Darling Basin.

Communities across Australia are worried about coal seam gas projects polluting their local water supplies with toxins and salt. If the Pilliga project is built, there’s no telling what the impacts on water in north west NSW will be. The Pilliga coal seam gas project is an environmental disaster waiting to happen.

Take Action

Sign up to our cyberactivist list and receive regular updates on the Coal Seam Gas and other Wilderness Society campaigns.

For more information, please contact:

Campaign Coordinator

The Wilderness Society Newcastle Inc

Hunter Heritage Centre,
90 Hunter Street,
Newcastle, NSW, 2300
Phone: 02 4929 4395

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Go there and read. More tomorrow.

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Was 2011 An Environmental Disaster Or What – Brazil tosses oil in the ocean

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This all began as a lark. I was bored and could come up with anything interesting that I wanted people to see and think about so I typed in environmental disaster in the google field and picked the one that looked interesting. But it has turned out to be quite fun in a macabre sort of way. Look it is bad enough that Brazil is dozing the rain forest or planting crops in the pantanal; bad enough that they have dammed the Amazon and are running their surface fleet on ethanol. Now they are tossing oil in the ocean.

http://digitaljournal.com/article/314763

Oil spill disaster in Brazil: This time Chevron is to blame

Andre

By Andre C James

Nov 20, 2011 in World
+
In yet another environmental disaster, off shore oil drilling has caused 416,400 litres of oil to flood into the sea 370km (230 miles) off the Brazilian coast.
Chevron claims full responsibility for the disaster that occurred almost 2 weeks ago and has made assurances that the underwater rupture had been sealed although there continued to be residual oil leaking from undersea rock at the Frade Oil Project. The international environmental group Skytruth suggested the spill was 10 times larger than the official estimate and backed up its claim with satellite images.

The cause of the spill was put down to

underestimated pressure of underwater oil deposits while drilling, causing oil to rush up the bore hole and seep into the surrounding seabed.

Meanwhile, Head of the Federal Police Environmental Division Fabio Scliar voiced concern about the methods Chevron was using to clean up the spill. He said, Chevron was “pushing” the oil to the bottom of the sea, thereby putting corals in the area at risk of destruction.

Currently the oil slick originating from the drilling location has extended over 2,379 square kilometers but is dispersing in a clockwise eddy by the ocean currents as it drifts further out to sea.
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Go there and see the pretty pictures, play the video and read. More tomorrow.

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Ever Wonder What A Wind Turbine Looks Like ON Fire – Well look no further

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OK so this is not the one in Scotland. I tried youtube first and I couldn’t even get their search engine to respond. They gave me things like Bruce Springsteen singing Fire. So then I googled it and got boat loads of text, mainly borrowings from the article below and one video on youtube. Let us see, google’s search engine is smarter than youtube’s?? The article itself doesn’t have a picture either. Their picture is of an aircraft jetliner’s wobbly landing in the same winds. The pilot should be shot. First the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOfHxINzGeo

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Then the text.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/8944597/Blown-away-gales-wreck-wind-turbines-as-Scottish-storm-wreck-havoc.html

Blown away: gales wreck wind turbines as Scottish storm wreck havoc

Fears over the safety of wind turbines in high winds have been raised after one burst into flames and another crashed to the ground.

Donna Bowater

By , and Rowena Mason

10:02AM GMT 09 Dec 2011

Gusts of up to 165mph were recorded in the Cairngorms in Aberdeenshire as gales brought travel chaos to Scotland and the North.

A 100-metre tall wind turbine burst into flames in North Ayrshire, and in Coldingham in the Scottish Borders, a turbine crashed to the ground yards from a road.

The £2 million turbine in North Ayrshire was not believed to have been spinning at the time. Fires can occur if extreme wind loosens or breaks electrical connections, whether turbines are rotating or not.

Fraser McLachlan, the chief executive of GCube, a wind turbine insurer, said he was expecting a rise in turbine failures due to the “exceptional” weather in Scotland.

“We see turbine fires around the world when it gets very, very windy,” he said. “They usually shut themselves off as a safety feature if the wind gets too much. But sometimes there is another failure.

dot dot dot as they say

Modern turbines usually have a safety braking mechanism that turns the blades off if wind speeds reach 56mph.

The turbine in North Ayrshire was believed to belong to the renewable power company Infinis. It was one of 15 built to supply 20,000 homes.

In a statement, Infinis said: “Infinis confirms that a nacelle on a turbine at its Ardrossan wind farm, Ayrshire, Scotland, caught fire this afternoon in extreme stormy weather conditions. The fire had extinguished itself before the fire services arrived and did not result in personal injury.

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More next week.

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Humans Are Literally Space Hogs – Living little is a valuable lesson

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When I first started talking about living in small spaces, the idea was for the space to be portable. Some houses were built on truck beds, some were built on trailers and some were easily dismantled. The idea at the time was to live where you wanted to live but not be tied down. Some of the attraction was that you could have the amenities of home without the RV costs. The craze caught on and people began to build them into a fixed space in a conventional setting. Now they have moved into the wild. Very cool idea.

http://www.mnn.com/your-home/remodeling-design/blogs/tiny-give-big-to-a-short-film-about-small-houses

NN.COM›

MNN BLOGGERS

Matt Hickman

‘TINY’: Give big to a short film about small houses

Now that the season of giving is officially upon us, find out how you can chip in to help make the short documentary, ‘TINY: A Story About Living Small,’ a well-polished reality.

A very happy [insert non-shopping-related descriptor here] Tuesday! Hopefully you aren’t too entirely burnt-out or broke as a result of yesterday’s responsible gift-buying bonanza because a great new Kickstarter fundraising campaign worth showing a little financial love to has recently come to my attention. And the topic of this creative project is a great one: dramatically downsized living.

Filmmaking team Merete Mueller and Christopher Smith have taken to Kickstarter to raise post-production funds for their short documentary: “TINY: A Film About Living Small.” The film (watch a teaser clip below) follows Smith as he attempts, with no previous building experience, to erect a 130-square-foot cabin in the Colorado mountains while also profiling similarly small-minded Americans. Explains Mueller on the project’s Kickstarter page: “Rather than an informational documentary about tiny houses, the film will explore the idea of ‘home’ and what makes us feel comfortable in a particular landscape or building. The film will be a meditation on the relationship of home to environment, of quality and simplicity to a life well lived.”

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Go there and read. More tomorrow.

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The Next Annual Climate Summit – Same as the last one

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They hold these every year and every year they get nowhere. The worldwide oil, natural gas and coal interests are just to strong for them to come too an agreement. But take heart, they are meeting in South Africa, the leading polluter in Africa bar none. Geographically their proximity to Antarctica is frightening. Not only that but they are the leading proponent of coal gasification. One of the nastiest 19th century practices still in use. Then there are the Canadians and their oil sands.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Durban+Dummies+What+stake+international+climate+change+summit+South/5774871/story.html

Durban for Dummies: What’s at stake at the international climate-change summit in South Africa

By Mike De Souza, Postmedia News November 27, 2011

???OTTAWA – A two-week United Nations climate change summit in the South African coastal city of Durban begins Monday with nations far apart on negotiations to achieve a binding treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent dangerous changes in the atmosphere.

Governments from around the world have reached a consensus, based on the latest scientific evidence, that global warming is being caused by human activity and that it will lead to a range of consequences such as melting ice sheets, rising sea levels, and more severe storms and weather. But they believe they can reduce the impact of climate change by taking action now.

Here is some background on what’s at stake:

What is the Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement that updates the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The original convention was signed in 1992 and came into force in 1994. The nations that signed the UN treaty, both developed and developing nations, agreed on the necessity to take measures to prevent human activity from causing dangerous interference with the climate. It also recognized that rich countries produced the emissions in their industrial development which are causing the changes in the atmosphere and must do more than their counterparts in the developing world.

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Go there and read. More tomorrow.

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Canadian Park’s Service Celibrates 100 Years – Way to go gang

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Not much to say here except HOORAY.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/progs/celebrations/index.aspx

Come Celebrate!

Come Celebrate! Come Celebrate!
© Parks Canada

Experience the unforgettable as you join in the celebrations of the centennial of Parks Canada, the world’s first national parks service! Throughout the country and throughout the year, Canada’s historic and natural treasures are hosting special programs and activities put on to celebrate this special anniversary.


Theme Months
November 2011
Partners and supporters

Centennial Events

Centennial Events

Centennial Booklet

Centennial Booklet – Our Story

To keep up with all that’s going on and to not miss anything, follow us on Twitter, “Like” us on Facebook and come back to this site frequently!

Date Modified 2011-11-03

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More tomorrow.

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Here I Was Set To Post A Nasty Description Of The Fukushima Site

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But then I got this nice request from Alison Richard to post a website I like called SolarPages, so without further ado I give you:

http://www.solarpages.co.uk/

SolarPages UK – Information about Solar PV Installation and Solar Panels Cost

Here at Solar Pages you will find the answers to all your Solar PV and renewable energy needs. Find local Solar Panel Installers, information about photovoltaics, Solar Power news and much more.

Free Home Survey Request

Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Panels – Generating Electricity from sunlight.

With ever increasing energy costs Renewable Energy is becoming a very popular and practical option for homeowners in the UK. Solar Power from Photovoltaic Solar Panels are the most popular choice.

More Solar PV Information

Thermal Solar Panels – Collecting heat from sunlight to power your hot water system.

Either installed on it’s own or as put of a complete solar power system Thermal Solar Panels are a great way to reduce energy bills and with the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive are becoming very popular.

More Solar Thermal Information

UK Solar Feed in Tariff Scheme – Part of the Clean Energy Cashback Scheme.

They say money doesn’t grow on trees but with the introduction of the Feed in Tariff in the UK money can grow on your roof. PV Solar Panel Installations carried out by MCS accredited installers are entitled to cash for the solar power generated.

More Feed in Tariff Information

Tab 1 SolarPages.co.uk
For all things Solar PV

Tab 2 PV Solar Panels
Part of the Eco puzzle

Tab 3 Solar Thermal
Solar Water Heating Panels

Tab 4 Feed in Tariff
Money doesn’t grow on trees

Solar PV Cost

 

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Go there and have fun. More tomorrow.

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