Energy Efficient Gardening – What about your soil

Posted on March 10, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

So you have your soil test back. Hopefully you have planted several plantings of your favorite stuff to eat so that they will continue to produce for as long as the weather will allow. In a totally fluke year I had some spinach that lasted for a year and well into the next spring.

It is time to start both improving your soil and planting your “main” crops. The soil test says that you “need something”. Now I am not going to cover all of the soil additives but usually there will be somekind of chemical deficiency. Here you run smack dab into your modern industrial farming dilemma. Don’t worry, this will only last for a year. At the end of World War II the world had a total surplus of explosives and poison gas. What to do? Well they converted the explosives to nitrogen fertilizer and they turned the poison gas into herbicides and pesticides. Farmers fell in love with them and well here we are no longer loving our food. NO2 (commonly called Nox) is a much more potent greenhouse gas than CO2 It is estimated that when farmers fertilize there fields they castoff more greenhouses gases than the entire world’s transportation fleet:

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/5/16/124957/304

Nitrogen bomb

‘Science’: nitrogen as important as carbon in climate change

Posted by Tom Philpott at 5:05 PM on 16 May 2008

Speaking of the troubles associated with industrial agriculture and its fertilizer regime, check this out:

“The public does not yet know much about nitrogen, but in many ways it is as big an issue as carbon, and due to the interactions of nitrogen and carbon, makes the challenge of providing food and energy to the world’s peoples without harming the global environment a tremendous challenge.”

The speaker is University of Virginia environmental sciences professor James Galloway (quoted in an AP piece), talking about his paper published (abstract here) in the latest Science.

According to Galloway, “We are accumulating reactive nitrogen in the environment at alarming rates, and this may prove to be as serious as putting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.”

Nothing new here that I can tell at first glance. (I’d love to read the paper, but it’s password-protected.) I agree, though, that nitrogen’s role in climate change is way under-discussed.

The same issue of Science also contains an article about how synthesized nitrogen affects the oceans — specifically their role as greenhouse-gas sinks.

So what to do about nutrients? Well it all comes down to crap. That’s right manure, excrement or poo. Not your’s. Though there is a case to be made for that, the small scale gardener is hard pressed to deal with human crap. In fact there are better fertilizers around. But lets take a step backwards, in the “old days” of sustainable farming the farmers had all kinds of animals, goats, cows, horses, mules, and chickens to name a few. They would collect this shit and straw from their animal’s housing and their yards and toss it in a pile. At the end of the growing season they would take all this manure and spread it on their field. Over winter it would break down. Then in the spring when they plowed they would turn it into the soil and “there you have it” fertile soil.

http://www.aces.edu/department/crd/publications/ANR-723.html

	ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION SERIES ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Agriculture & Natural Resources
EXTENSION ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, AUBURN UNIVERSITY, AL 36849-5647

Using Livestock Manure As Fertilizer

ANR-723, 1992. By Charles Mitchell, Extension Agronomist, Agronomy, Auburn University

Livestock manure is an excellent fertilizer for the soil, providing such nutrients as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Manure application can also benefit the soil’s water holding capacity and tilth. When using livestock manure, however, one should follow good management practices in order to avoid hazards to the crop and the environment. Sources Of Livestock ManurePoultry waste, cattle manure, and swine manure are all used as organic fertilizers in Alabama. They are all excellent sources for nutrients; however, nutrient compositions will vary among operations and over time. Users of manures from broiler houses, lagoons, or feedlots should have an idea of the total and available nutrient content before they are applied to land.Possible ProblemsBecause nitrate-nitrogen can leach into groundwater and both nitrogen and phosphorus can erode or runoff into streams, manure applications should be based strictly on the nutrient requirement of the crop. Therefore, the soil should be tested to determine nutrient needs for the crop to be grown.Good Management PracticesThe following precautions should be taken in order to prevent nutrient losses through leaching, erosion, and runoff:

Eliminate excessive applications.
Time applications appropriately, rotate crops,
and use winter cover crops. Apply manure when it will be utilized by the crop.
Incorporate or inject the applications into the
soil. Do not leave the manure on the soil surface.
Do not apply manure to steep slopes or during
periods prone to erosion and runoff.
Document the amounts and contents of material applied.
Protect soil from erosion.
Use filter strips or buffer zones between fields
and nearby streams

So when I end my growing season, I take a couple of big tubs to a local animal farm and I get free poo and straw from the farmer. Take it to my garden and toss it on. Big draw backs? It’s hard work and it stinks. But so what? Why did I say that this will be a problem for you only a year? Well because you have started a compost pile (hint hint) and you have located a farmer (hint hint). What to do now for you though. Well, you can go get fertilizer for one year and tell yourself everyone has to start somewhere. Or you can buy composted manure. Here again you have be to careful. Transportation and its oil use is the real issue so read the labels. Buy the composted manured produced the closest to you. If you are lucky you can find some poo from your own state. Now, if you have started your seeds inside and it’s time to plant YOUR plants. Or if you depend on a garden center it’s time to plant THEIR plants. Try to stagger them just like you did for your early crops so that they will produce for the entire growing season.

Oh, and for awhile you maybe a standard “row” gardener but there are more efficient ways to use your land:

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

The Official Site of Square Foot Gardening and Mel Bartholomew, Originator and Author

Welcome To My Garden

No Work, Organic Gardening the Square Foot Way

or french intensive gardening

http://www.learn2grow.com/gardeningguides/edibles/planting/FrenchLesson.aspx

A French Lesson in Intensive Planting

Linnea Thornton

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Barbara Wilde, L’Atelier Vert,Everything French Gardening, frenchgardening.com

This juvenile bed in a French garden shows how closely young plants are crowded together in intensive planting.

Crowding a bunch of plants in a narrow plot might not seem like a good idea at first. After all, it runs counter to everything you’ve learned about gardening. But this specialized method of planting – called French intensive gardening – is actually a tried-and-true technique to maximize your harvest in a small space. Even if you’ve only got a tiny plot, you can get amazing results if you develop it properly.
As you might’ve guessed by its name, French intensive gardening evolved in Europe. Its purpose is to make the most of limited growing space. Known as “square-foot gardening” in the US, it’s also the preferred method of many growers who want extra produce for themselves or to share with friends and neighbors.

What Is The Most Environmental Thing You Can Do Right Now – It saves energy as well

Posted on March 6, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

Plant a garden. You think I am kidding right. BUT if everyone on the planet who does not have a vegetable garden planted one, the world would change. Most products that you buy in the grocery store in America travel 1,500 miles…That’s a lot of gasoline products. All the produce, herbs and flowers you grow soak up carbon dioxide, especially sweet corn. Plus if you compost your garden waste you put that carbon directly into the soil where it will not be released. Plant a tree while you are at it. If all 7 billion people in the world planted a tree our problems would temporarily be over. Young trees soak up an incredible amount of carbon as they grow. Not to mention the health and well being benefits from working out doors and being away from modern stress inducers. Or the health benefits of eating good nutritious food. If you have kids teach them how to do it (it is no longer innate) and you will have passed along a valuable skill. Invest in an efficient refrigerator and a small efficient freezer to store your valuable products. This saves bunches too. If you are really adventurous invest in a dehydrator and a solar cooker or make your own. You save even more. By the time you are done heck you wlll amaze yourself at how much you have done. Seem impossible? NOPE, it starts with the first seed you plant. So lets get agrowing.

Getting Started:

Some of you are lucky to have year round growing conditions. As the world warms more of you will enjoy that perk. But where I live in Illinois it’s pretty much a 3 season affair. Today is March 6th and I plan on planting a row of peas and some lettuce and spinach. That will be dicey though and if we have an ice storm in April or early May it will be a wipe out. Such is life. If I get lucky I will be freezing sweet peas by the end of May. Here are some great sources for getting in the groove.

http://www.finegardening.com/

Planning Your First Vegetable Garden

March 5th, 2009 in Grow It, Live It

Ruth Dobsevage, editor

So you’ve decided to grow some veggies this year? Welcome to the club. Before you decide on what to grow or pick up a spade, you need to make some basic decisions about your garden’s location, size, and shape. Here are some things to consider.

Location
Walk around your property as you try to decide on a location for your garden-to-be.

Vegetables do best in full sun. You will get decent results with less than that, but in general strive for a site that gets at least six hours a day during the summer. Remember that sun patterns change dramatically with the seasons; a site that looks good in April may be too shady when the leaves come out.

Another factor to consider is proximity to your kitchen. You are more likely to check out your garden frequently if it is close to the house. My garden is maybe 30 feet from the kitchen door. When I need some parsley or mint, or maybe a few more tomatoes for a salad, it’s not a big deal to go out and get them.

If you have a choice, a flat area is better than a hilly one. A gently sloped site can work well, especially one that faces south or west.

What about water? You will most likely want a source close by, be it an outside tap, a rain barrel, or even a stream or pond.

Don’t despair if your lot is is very small. Even if you don’t see a way to create a separate garden area, you can probably tuck a couple of vegetable plants in somewhere: near the house or by the garage, perhaps. Or on the deck in containers.

Size and shape
For a garden of moderate size, aim for 400 square feet (20×20) to 625 square feet (25×25). You’ll have enough space to grow several different crops, but not so much that you’ll be overwhelmed. If even that seems daunting, start small. You can always enlarge the space later.

Gardens are generally square or rectangular, but they don’t have to be. You may want a different configuration to take advantage of sun patterns, to work around boulders, or just for artistic reasons. The plants won’t care if they are arranged in straight lines or curves.

Personally I pick any 10 x 20 ft area that is unshaded and jump in. Begginners should start smaller. But if you are going to grow peppers, squash, corn or tomatoes you need a lot of space. Just think, the bigger your garden the less grass to mow.

http://www.organicgardening.com/

The Beginner’s Guide to Organic Gardening

Gardening is not too complex. Almost all of us–probably in grade school–planted a seed in a cup of dirt, watered it, and watched it grow. But creating a garden that produces fresh food and flowers all season is not so elementary, especially to those who did not grow up gardening. So we’ve compiled this guide to the basics of organic gardening and the keys to success we’ve learned over the years. When you’re done reading, look at your thumb–you may see a tint of green that wasn’t there before.

No. 1 Plant Seeds

1. Make your bed. About three weeks before you are ready to plant, after the soil has dried so that it doesn’t clump when you pick up a fistful, sink a fork into the earth. Loosen it down to about 12 inches, add a half-inch layer of compost, and rake the surface of your garden until it has no weeds, dirt clumps, or big stones. Over the next three weeks, pull any weeds that come up. Raking and then letting the soil sit for a few weeks brings out weed seeds that were lurking in the soil.
For more information on garden beds, check out this article about raised beds and this video to see how to build a raised bed, or watch this video to see how to turn your lawn into a garden bed.

I am not going to copy all of this stuff. go and read it yourself. If you have never done it before this is essential reading:

Garden Design

Horticulture

Garden Design

Country Gardens

Gardening How-To

Herb Quarterly

Growing Edge

Water Gardening

Garden Compass

Don’t read too long though, that’s what winter or nightfall is for. Get out doors! NOW

To All Cubs, Sox, Bears, Bulls and Chicago Sports Fans In General – Mike Nadel needs your help

Posted on March 2, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

OK I know that since I scrapped Weird Bird Friday I have only posted about Energy and Environmental Issues…BUT I spent the whole day tearing out nasty 50 year old insulation. There were thousands of mud hornets nests and wasp nests, along with some real live wasps. This was because there was an unsealed vent behind this 1950 paneling and very nasty filthy insulation full of dust. So the problem is fixed after 10 hours work and I am whipped. Energy Tough Love is sometimes a very tough dirty work. So….

My favorite sports writer and number 2 funny man Mike Nadel got terminated by the pukes at GateHouse News. Please go here to protest that:

http://www.gatehousemedia.com/

Tell the jerk faces they made a mistake.

But you can also help Mike. He started a website or Blog and he needs our help and support SOOOO if you would go there and show your support that would be great. It’s:

http://thebaldesttruth.blogspot.com

Here is a sample that I think shows his wit and charm. Please football players stay out of ocean going fishing boats. NOTHING ever good comes from it:

What’s up, Chicago?

^Since, first and foremost, I’m still a Chicago sports hack, it’s time to return to my roots with an update on what’s going on around town …

NORTH SIDERS

Bloody-sock boy Curt Schilling is telling people he wants to pitch for The Team That Championships Forgot, prompting the Sun-Times to ask readers: “What would Schilling look like in a Cubs uniform?”

The obvious answer: He’d look like an old, broken-down Cub.

There would be a sentimental reason to get him, I suppose. After all, it would be nice to have a current player who was an active big-leaguer when the Cubs won the ’45 pennant.

SOUTH SIDERS

People are doubting and dissing the White Sox again, which means they’re a pretty solid bet. Seems whenever they are supposed to be bad they end up being good (and vice versa).

Still, Sox fans can’t feel too good about their heroes’ chances if they have to rely on a pitcher – Jose Contreras – who is old enough to be Schilling’s dad.

BEARS

Jerry Angelo has a funny way of backing up his declaration that he needs to “fix” the QB situation.

Matt Cassel could have been had for a first-round draft pick. And several other quarterbacks, including Kurt Warner, could be had for nothing more than a pile of McCaskey moolah.

But no!

Kyle Orton, the QB Angelo says isn’t good enough, remains a shoo-in to return under center.

Though Orton isn’t an All-Pro, maybe Angelo finally has realized that the Bears’ receivers rank just a tad behind those Cassel worked with in New England and Warner threw to in Arizona.

Not that Angelo plans to actually bring in guys who can get open and catch the ball.

Good news, though, Bear Country … the GM is making progress in talks aimed at bringing back John St. Clair.

Super Bears, Super Bowl!

BULLS

One need not read between the lines to recognize that John Paxson is getting tired of Vinny Del Excuse. All one has to do is read the lines.

After Del Excuse told a large media contingent that the new players Paxson acquired would need time and practice to fit in, the GM told the Tribune:

“I don’t see that as a big issue. It would be great to have some practice time … but that’s not the reason we didn’t play well in New Jersey and Washington. We didn’t come out ready to play.”

Paxson didn’t need to say whose job it is to get the team ready to play.

In their most recent game, the Bulls made an amazing fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Rockets. The most amazing thing: Del Excuse actually let his best player off the bench during crunch time, and Derrick Rose responded by leading the rally.

Interesting how that works.

BLACKHAWKS

Young. Exciting. Fun. Successful.

Oh, and on TV, too.

Who’da thunk it?

Power Shift 09 And The Climate Change March In Washington – I hope this all goes well

Posted on February 20, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

I am not sure how many youth focused websites have gotten the word however. More on the Youth Environmentalist Movement and their medium:

http://www.futuremajority.com/

Sarah Burris’s blog

“The Republican party isn’t exactly Internet savvy”

Bloguette Meghan McCain had an interesting article in the Daily Beast yesterday that addresses the techless nature of the GOP.

During the campaign season the only youth outreach I could find coming out of the McCain campaign was Meghan and her friends that traveled with the campaign and reported on the goings on.

Since this seems to be the week of children of the GOP coming out to tell all it is fitting Meghan wanted to talk about her experience as well. She says that the whole idea of the blog and project about being on the trail “was met with confusion and resistance” to begin with. “A few people even asked me what’s a blog.”

For the record, what you’re reading right now…. is a blog.

She also said that she got the idea that people thought she was wasting her time, “The Republican party isn’t exactly Internet savvy,” she says.

I would argue that there are many people in the GOP that are very tech savvy. The College Republicans developed a nice little social network site that no one really uses, if you’re a frequent reader of FM you know we know all about that site. And there are a hand full of remarkable tech savvy guys (sadly they’re all men) who do some good work for a party that has little to no support for them. Meghan’s lament isn’t an isolated one.

“Unless the GOP evolves as the party that can successfully utilize the Web, we’ll continue to lose influence. I think nothing confirms this fact to be more true than this recent election. I don’t claim to be an expert on mobilizing voters, but a significant number of the readers on mccainblogette.com, my blog, were between the ages of 18 and 30, a key demographic that either party would want. Many of the established Republican strategists told me that young people would not visit my web site.”

Though I am not sure that the Hip Hoppers are on board either:

http://hiphopcaucus.org/

Full Events Calendar »

Principles of Integrative Health: A Path to Health Care Reform 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC
February 23, 2009
The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress 216 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC
February 24, 2009
Addressing Underinsurance in National Health Reform 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC
February 24, 2009

It kills me to point out that the Illinois Math and Science Academy page hasn’t been updated since September 2008. What? Did school start or something?:

http://lorax.wordpress.com/

McCain and Obama: Energy Voting History

Posted by syntaxflute on Friday, September 26, 2008

Watching the presidential debate has pulled my vote in different directions – but I am weary of falling victim to the theatrical allure of words and public speaking when the position comes down to action. If you are interested in the green words the candidates have buzzed about in oration, have a bit of fun.

Past Action predicts present – 50 McCain No votes for energy policies and Obama’s short voting term as Senator.

the significance in voting

But when it comes down to it, policy and action are the skeleton of a candidate. Each offers an Energy Plan – Obama’s ‘New Energy for America’ vs. McCain’s Lexington Project. Obama’s backbone policy: eliminate foreign oil, 1 million hybrid cars by 2015, and a cap and trade program cutting CO2 emissions by 2050. McCain in short: increase off-shore drilling, open domestic natural gas, cap and trade system, construct nuclear plants, a clean car challenge. Refer to the policies and note the time lines and numerical promise as measure of policy strength.

You would think Solve Climate would be on board with it too. Well not exactly:

http://solveclimate.com/

February 20, 2009

Reid Plans Climate Change Legislation by End of Summer (AP)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the energy legislation expected to be taken up in the coming weeks will be limited largely to promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Transportation Secretary Eyes Taxing Miles Driven (AP)

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says he is considering taxing motorists based on how many miles they drive rather than how much gasoline they burn. A few governors are also floating the idea.

Scientists Map CO2 Emissions with Google Earth (AFP)

A team of U.S. scientists unveils an interactive Google Earth map showing carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels across the United States.

Cost of Solar Fell 27% in Past Decade (San Francisco Chronicle)

The cost of installing solar panels on homes and businesses fell 27.6 percent from 1998 to 2008, according to a new study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that questions some of the conventional wisdom about solar’s price.

These folks basically live in Washington. You would think they would be excited:

http://theusconstitution.org/blog.warming/

Oh Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy

Last night, the NY Times offered hope that the long-awaited endangerment for CO₂ finding may soon be near:

Lisa P. Jackson, the new E.P.A. administrator, said in an interview that she had asked her staff to review the latest scientific evidence and prepare the documentation for a so-called endangerment finding. Ms. Jackson said she had not decided to issue such a finding but she pointedly noted that the second anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, Massachusetts v. E.P.A., is April 2, and there is the wide expectation that she will act by then.

The article also notes that the endangerment finding “would set off one of the most extensive regulatory rule makings in history,” which may in turn “accelerate the progress of energy and climate change legislation in Congress.” This, of course, is exactly what we have argued should happen, if the Obama Administration is to succeed in bringing about its desired cap-and-trade bill in the near future.

These folks can be forgiven for not attending. They are in India attending there own conference:

http://www.whatswiththeclimate.org/

Gayatari Pariwar offer full-fledged support to IYCN

Kabir / 19 February 2009 / News

Shirdi/ Kabir Arora

The Divine India Youth Association, working under the leadership of Gayatari Pariwar (a Spiritual Organization), offered support to the Indian Youth Climate Network, at a recent conference in Shirdi. Members of the organization pledged to promote eco-friendliness at all of their religious gatherings. Proposals included the use of paper-bags instead of plastic ones, investment in solar powered energy systems, the replacement of plastic cups with traditional clay cups, and the promotion of organic farming as not only an ecological solution but a spiritual pathway as well.

At their gathering at Shirdi, two IYCN members displayed many of the small changes we can all make. People showed keen interest in the IYCN campaign.

Gayatari Pariwar was founded by Shri Ram Sharma Acharya and is now based in Shanti Kunj, Haridwar.

Yes, They Could. So They Did.

Kartikeya Singh / 14 February 2009 / Commentary, News

February 15, 2009

Thomas Friedman, New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/opinion/15friedman.html

So I am attending the Energy and Resources Institute climate conference in New Delhi, and during the afternoon session two young American women — along with one of their mothers — proposition me.

“Hey, Mr. Friedman,” they say, “would you like to take a little spin around New Delhi in our car?”

Oh, I say, I’ve heard that line before. Ah, they say, but you haven’t seen this car before. It’s a plug-in electric car that is also powered by rooftop solar panels — and the two young women, recent Yale grads, had just driven it all over India in a “climate caravan” to highlight the solutions to global warming being developed by Indian companies, communities, campuses and innovators, as well as to inspire others to take action. (more…)

They publish Hansen and he doesn’t even mention it. Whoa:

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/009432.html

Climate Change Demands a Transformative Change in Direction

WorldChanging Team
February 16, 2009 11:38 AM
Article Photo by James Hansen

Over a year ago I wrote to Prime Minister Brown asking him to place a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants in Britain. I have asked the same of Angela Merkel, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd and other world leaders. The reason is this – coal is the single greatest threat to civilization and all life on our planet.

Our global climate is nearing tipping points. Changes are beginning to appear, and there is a potential for explosive changes with effects that would be irreversible – if we do not rapidly slow fossil fuel emissions over the next few decades.

Tipping points are fed by amplifying feedbacks. As Arctic sea ice melts, the darker ocean absorbs more sunlight and speeds melting. As tundra melts, methane a strong greenhouse gas, is released, causing more warming. As species are pressured and exterminated by shifting climate zones, ecosystems can collapse, destroying more species. The public, buffeted by day-to-day weather fluctuations and economic turmoil, has little time or training to analyze decadal changes. How can they be expected to evaluate and filter out advice emanating from special economic interests? How can they distinguish top-notch science and pseudoscience – the words sound the same?

[:+}

Abraham Lincoln’s Favorite Energy And Green Blogs – Imagine things like “mulepoop.com”,

Posted on February 12, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

maybe “waterwheelsforprofit.net”, or “womensworkisneverdone.org”. So today we look at more blogs present and not that talk about energy and the environment. Here is one that has not been updated since 2006, but I like the phrase “After the Goo”.

http://postpetroleum.blogspot.com/

to oil.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

After the Goo

It is now imperative that we move to new sources of transportion fuels.

Even George Bush admits that we are addicted to oil.

This one is cute, funny and current:

7 Megawatts, Not for the Faint of HAWT

WRI (World Resources Institute) estimates that there would be 30,100 jobs and $450 million/yr energy savings created with every $1billion invested in green recovery. And, even the U.S. Department of Energy during the WPE error conducted a study that has recommended that a major source of investment in the near term be wind power.

This one is also cute, funny and up-to-date. Tyler Hamilton is a hunk too.

http://tyler.blogware.com/

LNG lobby’s “truth” about CO2 emissions smells fishy

February 11th, 2009 So, a Washington-based lobby group called the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas has come out with a study that analyses the lifecycle emissions of LNG versus coal. The aim of the study is to make sure U.S. legislators “know the truth” about clean-burning LNG as they consider climate-change legislation. Their conclusion — surprise, surprise – is that LNG for power generation contributes, on an apples-to-apples basis, about 70 per cent less greenhouse-gas emissions compared to even the cleanest coal technologies. Put another way, they say that an existing coal power plant in the United States produces two and a half times more greenhouse gas emissions than a comparable LNG power plant.

That sounds, well…. completely unbelievable. Read the rest of this entry »

But that is nothing compared to what the typical nasty industry player spends on the web. Just look at this disgusting site. You would think that the Canadians would be smarter than that:

http://www.coal.ca/content/

Home

We wish to acknowledge the generous support of our 2008 Canadian Conference on Coal Sponsors:

Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, The Coal Association of Canada represents companies engaged in the exploration, development, use and transportation of coal. Its members include major coal producers and coal-using utilities, the railroads and ports that ship coal, industry suppliers of goods and services, and municipalities that have an interest in furthering the objectives of the Coal Association.

47th Canadian Conference on Coal

The Coal Association of Canada would like to thank sponsors, delegates, guests and all others involved in making the 47th Canadian Conference on Coal, ‘Coal Renaissance: Affirming its Role Today, Determining it for the Future’, our most successful conference to date.

So to end on a less odious note, here is a practical, nonstudly, inyourownhome site:

http://www.energyboomer.typepad.com/

HOW TO ADD WINDOW INSULATION TO SAVE MONEY

Here are some inexpensive ways for you to add insulation to you existing windows that will save you money on your next heating or air conditioning bill.

Add clear shrink wrap on the inside

You can add a layer of clear plastic to the inside of the window. This seals off any air leaks and traps a layer of insulating air at the window. Being clear it still lets in light and lets you see out. I highly recommend the 3M Scotch Brand materials for cutting the energy waste at your windows.

It is easy. First sit down and read everything printed on the box. Remember, “if all else fails, read the directions.” The directions are an easy read and the illustrations are very helpful.

The first step of the job is to put their special two-sided sticky tape all around the window frame. What is special is that it sticks good, but you can peel it off easily too. If you put it on crooked, like I do, you can fix it without throwing it away and starting over.

Energy Blogs – The lighter greener side of things

Posted on February 10, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

OK so it is only fitting that I start this post with a site that isn’t a blog but well it is so warm and fuzzy:

http://www.globalgiving.com/

Spread the Love And You Could Win A Free Bouquet

Send a GlobalGiving Valentine With Any Donation Make a donation to any project and after you check out, spread the love with a GlobalGiving Valentine eCard. Enter yourself and your friends and family in a raffle to win one of five bouquets from Organic Bouquet.

This Blog is pretty cool and very topical:

http://www.energyrefuge.com/blog/

Renewable energy sector feels impact of economic downturn

February 6th, 2009 · No Comments

Two recent articles say that the renewable energy sector has been suffering from the effects of the credit crisis. The International Herald Tribune announced that “installation of wind and solar power is plummeting. Factories building parts for these industries have announced a wave of layoffs in recent weeks, and trade groups are projecting 30 to 50 percent declines this year in installation of new equipment, barring more help from the government. Prices for turbines and solar panels, which soared when the boom began a few years ago, are falling.”
[Read more ?]

This Blog ranges all over the place from serious to soft. It is generally accurate though, where some are not:

http://curtrosengren.typepad.com/alternative_energy/

Wind power forecasting in the US

As the prevalance of wind power increases, so does the importance of being able to answer the question, “Is the wind going to blow?” As this article on wind power forecasting points out:

An unexpected lack of wind in the US can cause blackouts. This is one problem that many regions in the United States of America may face on the short and medium term as a consequence of the country’s growing dependence on renewable energies, particularly wind power.

With that in mind, a project is underway to make wind power forecasting more accurate.

This Blog tends towards the financial, but has some real life applications as well:

http://www.alternat1ve.com/

Publicly listed Metrobank had partnered up with the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC) of Japan for the development of a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project in the Philippines. Based from our understanding of the deal, SMBC will tap Metrobank’s extensive client base in the Philippines for subscription into the Carbon Credit Market.

Both banks are looking to tap into the Renewable Energy sector that was recently spurred by the passage and signing of the Philippine’s Renewable Energy Bill that seeks to give incentives to businesses that will put up renewable energy projects in the country. These businesses therefore make money, not just from their regular business model, but from the trading of their excess carbon units.
Read the rest of this entry »

This Blog is Corporate I believe and very terse. It has useful articles though:

http://home.comcast.net/~energy-blog/home.htm

Alternative Energy Blog

Thursday, October 20, 2005

There looks like there’s been a breakthrough in the production of Solar Cells. At UCLA, Engineers have developed a method of making solar energy cells out of everyday plastic. The cells can be produced for 10-20% less than current cells and the engineering team at UCLA hopes to have the cell’s efficiency up to around 15-20%. These cells could be commercially available in just a few years.It seems that UCLA is in a race with New Mexico State University and Wake Forest University to create affordable solar cells using plastic. Using nanotechnology, NMSU and WFU have already achieved an efficiency level of 5.2 percent.

We end on this funny note…it hasn’t been updated since 2005! Apparently it’s just a “Google Scoop” to get Ad dollars with very little effort.

This I Believe – This is brought to you by a very inattentive listner

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

It’s true. I have been driving around in my car this week and listening to local Public Radio Station WUIS. They have been calling on people to write a This I Believe essay. The deadline was tomorrow.

http://wuis.org/

That generally does this:

Impact of Layoffs

February 3, 2009 — The Firestone Tire Company announced it would close its Decatur production plant back in 2001, displacing more than 12-hundred workers. Last week, another major employer, Caterpillar, announced it would be cutting jobs at its plants in Decatur, Aurora, and East Peoria. Robert Hironimus-Wendt is a sociology professor at Western Illinois University. He conducted extensive research on those Firestone workers in the months following their layoffs. In an interview with WUIS’s Jenna Dooley, Hironimus-Wendt says the experience of the Decatur workers provides some insight into the current state of the job market…

Was doing this:

http://www.wuis.org/artsentertainment/TIB_2009.html

Deadline for essay entries: Thursday, February 5, 11:59 p.m.

Entries can be delivered to:
WUIS – This I Believe
One University Plaza, MS WUIS 130
Springfield IL 62703

Or they can be e-mailed to:
WUIS@uis.edu
Questions?:
Call (217) 206-6403

March 9-20 Essays are broadcast at 7:55 a.m. & 4:45 p.m. on WUIS
WUIS encourages area high school seniors to enter the This I Believe essay contest designed to capture their viewpoints and share them with the community. During the spring 2009 semester, some area high schools have even used the This I Believe high school curriculum in their English classes.

In February, a judging panel meets to read the submitted essays and ultimately select ten winners, who will record their essays under the supervision of WUIS News Director Rich Bradley. The winners will each receive $100 scholarships from The Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise.

Listen to the winning esays on WUIS at 91.9 FM, 89.3 FM or stream them here at WUIS.org March 9-20, weekdays at 7:55 a.m. and 4:45 p.m.:}

Feeling like a fool because I had already written my essay and everyone will tell you I AM NOT a high school student, I went to National Public Radio:

http://www.npr.org/

Who normally does this:

U.S. To Cap Executive Pay
For Recipients Of Bailout Funds

President Obama announced rules limiting executive pay to $500,000 a year for companies getting taxpayer bailout funds. In addition to the salary cap, there will also be restrictions on bonuses, payouts or “golden parachute” severance packages for companies accepting taxpayer assistance.

So I scroll down past Arts and Entertainment, past Breaking News, Past a cute little article on Conquering A Baker’s Fear of Yeast, past Most Popular, past Listen Now – Helene Grimaud’s Bach, past an amusing little article – Obama Meets Spidey: The Intervention, past Sports (about a woman and her sail boat – whew hew) and there finally was This I Believe

Which is:

http://www.thisibelieve.org/index.php

What is This I Believe?

This I Believe is an international project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values that guide their daily lives. These short statements of belief, written by people from all walks of life, are archived here and featured on public radio in the United States and Canada, as well as in regular broadcasts on NPR. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.

So I submitted this:

This I Believe. We must love the Earth more than we ever love ourselves. Science fiction is a myth. We are stuck on this planet for the rest of our great great grandchildren’s lives. Yet we squirt poisons into the air and the water like it doesn’t matter. Like birds and fish are not food. We use poisons on our soil to plant food. If we are not very careful soon the Earth shall tire of this. A new dominant species shall replace us. This is a practical matter this love. Past generations of humans had their faults but they were not disrespectful of Planet Earth. They sailed its waters. They traveled its land. They enjoyed its wonders without plunder. Every child should be taught from the time they are born that walking is better then riding. That riding a bicycle is better than riding on mass transportation. That taking mass transportation is always better than riding in a car. That cars when used should have more than one person in them. Every Child should be taught that there is no Away in “throwing things away”. That litter is not tolerated. That recycling of everything is mandatory. That Garbage dumps are an affront to God.

We humans have depended upon the dead for our energy. That is all fossil fuels are. Coal, Oil and Gas are the products of long ago dead forests. That is why they stink. We can no longer release them into the air. We should leave the dead to rest in peace. Burning things up is a primitive behavior worthy of Neanderthal and early Humans. It is unworthy of us. We are surrounded by energy. Our World travels at 27,000 miles an hour causing Aurora Borealis to crackle at the poles. Our Moon exerts enough power on our planet to lift water 25 feet in the air. Our Sun Burns at 27 million degrees and plasma bursts forth at 2 million degrees. It inundates the surface of this planet with 27 gigawatts of power a day in photons. Our winds blow daily. Why in the stratosphere they howl as the Earth rotates. Humans burn at 98 degrees. With properly built homes and adequate nourishment we could heat our homes with ourselves. Ironically the earth is cool at a given depth and we can cool ourselves with it when it is hot. We are engulfed with resources that we squander daily while half the world’s population lives in squalor and ignorance. This will only truly change when we use the energy that we have been given, not what we can dig up.

We can begin this change by the simple act of not doing. If for one day everyone just stopped drinking gasoline the world would begin anew. If for just one day we did not throw anything away but our love for each other, and if everyone celebrated Earth Day in awe for all we have been given, the damage could be undone. This I believe.

Maybe someday you will hear it on the Radio, but I got my doubts. They said no rants…

Cisterns, Another Personal Story – A house that was meant to recycle water

Posted on February 2, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

I was reminiscing with a Guy who grew up in a rural Sangamon County household whose house was built to recycle water. I was telling him about my daily bucket brigade duty when I was staying at my great grandparents house. His name is David. He said, “OH yah well I had to do that everyday for almost 15 years”. He said that he grew up next to his grandmother’s house and she already had a well. It was hand dug by his dad and his grandfather. There was no way his dad was going to dig another well. So when they build his families house they put in a huge tile lined cistern feed from all of the downspouts off the roof. That was fed into a tank inside the house by an electric pump which pressurized the whole system. The holding tank fed a hot water heater and a cold water line. The rest of the house was plumbed like a regular house.

The reader is probably thinking that what we are describing is a classic quaint little farmhouse setting with the large kitchen with the little bedroom off the kitchen for the married couple. They had a slightly larger “sitting room” that had a couch, some over stuffed chairs, a desk and some pictures on the wall for more formal entertaining and the children lived in the cramped attic. Where they sweltered in the summer and froze in the winter. These house were usually all porch because folks spent most of their time outside. Well yes I am talking about those houses BUT these people have a cistern too:

http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~liz/home.html

That’s right please also note that there is a solar water preheat system (not shown) on the garage. This is a house in Floirda that is totally disconnected from any centralized distribution system, and they use a chemical composting toilet.

They did not drink cistern water mainly because of taste. Dave said the well water from his grandmothers house was so sweet it was like drinking candy. So that was his job as the little man in the house, he went to the well and filled up a 2 gallon porcelain bucket twice a day everyday until he went off to college. He noted that the job changed as he got older and so did his grandmother. He first started checking on her to see if she needed anything. Pretty soon he was getting water for her too. He said she had a reservoir on the back of her cob cook stove (which I had forgot about – my grannies did too). Eventually he was taking her ashes out for her too. The advantage was he got one breakfast from mom and then another from his grandma. 2 Breakfasts in one day. What a treat.

But the funniest stories were the ones about water conservation. He said repeatedly, “We were taught water was precious”. Those lessons have not changed:

http://www.charlottesville.org/Index.aspx?page=1681

He said, “You got whatever it was wet (teeth, body, dishes) and then you did whatever you needed to do. Then you turned the water back on BRIEFLY.” He said,”When you were in the shower if you heard the pump come on you knew it was time to get out of the shower no mater what because it was about to get real cold.” Laundry day was the toughest because his mother had a wood rod that she could stick in the cistern to measure its level. She knew that she could only use so much water washing clothes because they needed it for other things..the nearest water was 10 miles away.

Finally he said, “This was rammed home to us every couple of years because when it got really dry in some summers and falls we had to buy 500 gallons of water at a time. This guy from Sherman had a water truck and he would fill it up. He run a hose to your well or wherever you wanted it and dumped away.” It was kind of exciting when you were a kid. But, as he got older he realized that those gallons of water meant fewer new clothes for the school year, or that his shoes would have to last longer, or that maybe his sister couldn’t go to the Prom at school.” Then he said it again, “You know water is precious.”

These people think so too:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/30/MNC615JNHB.DTL

Severe drought expected after mild January

Kelly Zito, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, January 30, 2009

California teeters on the edge of the worst drought in the state’s history, officials said Thursday after reporting that the Sierra Nevada snowpack – the backbone of the state’s water supply – is only 61 percent of normal.

January usually douses California with about 20 percent of the state’s annual precipitation, but instead it delivered a string of dry, sunny days this year, almost certainly pushing the state into a third year of drought.

The arid weather is occurring as the state’s water system is under pressure from a growing population, an aging infrastructure and court-ordered reductions in water pumped through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta – problems that didn’t exist or were less severe during similar dry spells in the late 1970s and late 1980s.

“We’re definitely in really bad shape,” said Elissa Lynn, chief meteorologist with the state Department of Water Resources. “People can expect to pay higher prices for produce … and more agencies may be rationing … some raising fees. We just don’t have enough water.”

In Sonoma County, water managers are expected to take a bold step Monday – telling residents to prepare for severe rationing within weeks.

“We have entered uncharted territory,” said Pam Jeane, deputy chief engineer of operations at the Sonoma County Water Agency. “A 30 percent mandatory rationing order is just the beginning. Further decline in reservoir levels could necessitate 50 percent cutbacks.”

Should You Be Drinking Cistern Water – I am not sure it’s such a good idea.

Posted on January 28, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

Look if the world falls apart, like the survivalists predict. Civilization falls and the barbarians are at the gates. By all means drink any water you can get your hands on. But for day to day useage right now I would not. If you are seriously harvesting rainwater and recycling water your useage would be so low that sipping from the public water supply would be minimal. One of the problems is we so heavily pollute the air that you could never be sure that you were harvesting minute amounts of things like lead and mercury.

But if you must:

http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education2/9-cistern-water.htm

CISTERN WATER

In some areas there are attempts to collect rainwater in cisterns. In general, these cistern waters are harder and contain more total solids than rain. This is due to the accumulation of dirt and dust on the surface of the cisterns. One study shows that in 500 household cisterns, hardness ranged from 35 to 150 ppm. Further, cistern waters often have a high bacterial count and noticeable color. While in many cases the organisms found in cisterns are nonpathogenic, it is advisable to chlorinate this water where it is used for drinking purposes.

According to recent news and reports, most tap and well water in the U.S. are not safe for drinking due to heavy industrial and environmental pollution. Toxic bacteria, chemicals and heavy metals routinely penetrate and pollute our natural water sources making people sick while exposing them to long term health consequences such as liver damage, cancer and other serious conditions. We have reached the point where all sources of our drinking water, including municipal water systems, wells, lakes, rivers, and even glaciers, contain some level of contamination. Even some brands of bottled water have been found to contain high levels of contaminants in addition to plastics chemical leaching from the bottle.

A good water filtration system installed in your home is the only way to proactively monitor and ensure the quality and safety of your drinking water. Reverse osmosis water purification systems can remove 90-99% of all contaminants from city and well water to deliver healthy drinking water for you and your family.

Healthy and Convenient! Our Featured Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System

Indeed some claim that it could be real dangerous. If you have a weak stomach quit reading:

http://jeq.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/13/1/38

Atmospheric Deposition and Roof-Catchment Cistern Water Quality¹

Edward S. Young, Jr. and William E. Sharpe² ABSTRACT

The water quality in 40 roof-catchment cistern systems in ruralClarion and Indiana Counties, Pa. was studied to determine theimpact of atmospheric deposition. Roof-catchment cisterns areopen to atmospheric contaminants such as the toxic metals Pband Cd, and corrosive acid components present in acid precipitation.

Bulk precipitation samples failed to meet the drinking waterstandard for Pb on several occasions and were consistently quitecorrosive. Mean Pb, Cd, and Cu concentrations were well belowdrinking water limits for all cistern water samples. Cisternwater was corrosive in all but a few cases, as indicated bythe Langelier saturation index, although not as corrosive asthe bulk precipitation due to the dissolution of CaCO₃ fromcistern walls and floors. Vinyl-lined cisterns contained waternearly as corrosive as the incoming precipitation.

Seventy percent of the systems on one or more occasions exhibitedcistern bottom sediment/water Pb or Cd concentrations that exceededthe drinking water limits. This indicated that metals depositedon roof catchments were accumulating at the bottom of the cisterns.Standing tap water samples exhibited high Pb and Cu concentrations.Nine of the forty systems studied produced standing tap waterPb concentrations that averaged above the drinking water standard.The mean Pb, Cd, and Cu concentrations of running tap watersamples all fell below the drinking water standards. Atmosphericdeposition of Pb and its infusion into tap water as a corrosionproduct pose a significant health threat to users of roof-catchmentcistern systems in western Pennsylvania.

On the other hand after proper filtration and clorination these folks seem to think its OK. But I let you read it for yourself:

http://www.inspect-ny.com/water/WaterCisterns.htm

Gray Water VS Clean Water – OK so the water is in the tank

Posted on January 27, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

Now What? The first time you may run into the idea of Gray Water is in discussions of what to do with the water headed for your cistern when it first starts to rain. This is because that water could be polluted with natures by-products like leaves and dirt but more importantly bird poo, pesticides, and degraded gasoline products.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/1978-05-01/The-Homestead-Cistern.aspx?page=3

To aid in keeping their collected water clean, most cistern owners install a “shut-off” (or short length of movable pipe) in their systems’ downspouts. Then, during the first few minutes of a rain—when all the soot, bird droppings, etc., that have accumulated on the roof’s surface begin to wash away—the runoff can be diverted away from the cistern. (This tainted water can be shunted to the garden or used in any way you’d use “gray water”.) Shortly afterwards—when it has rained a few minutes and the water flowing through the downspout appears clear and clean—the shut-off can be switched back to direct the remaining portion of the shower or storm into the cistern.

The filter mentioned above is usually nothing more than a concrete enclosure (see diagram) that’s divided into two sections by a partition reaching two-thirds of the way to the chamber’s top. One of the two sections is left empty, while the other is layered full of filtering material(s) . . . usually gravel, fine sand, and/or activated charcoal. The idea is that as water flows from the downspout to the first (i.e., empty) section of the “filter box”, bits of leaves, dirt, etc., will settle out . . . then—as the collected liquid spills over the partition and begins to percolate down through the layers of filtering material—smaller impurities also will be removed. A screen prevents any remaining debris from flowing into the supply line that connects the filter box with the cistern.

Not to get too technical but water is usually divided into Black Water, Grey Water and White or Clean Water. Water is also heavily regulated. It is regulated by people who are interested in drinking water. It is regulated by people who are interested in pollution control. It is regulated by people who are involved in pest and animal control. If you are on an island or in a deeply rural area you only have to worry about your own personal health. If you are in the middle of Chicago, good luck.

But for simple presentations Black Water is what goes down the toilet. Some people use dry chemical toilets and they recycle there own human waste as soil enhancers. This is only for the very hardy right now. Other people use septic tanks to recycle at least the water and some nutrients back into the environment. This can be dicey at times. But hundreds of thousands use these devices. Most people would have to (yes say it) “let that go”.

OK so you have this tank full of rainwater. If you are smart and your storage is up in the air then all you need is a hose attached to it. Then using gravity you can direct that water where you like. If it is stored on the ground you may need a little pump to achieve that end. If your tank is below ground well you need a bigger pump.

Gray water is that water not considered good enough to drink. This is where the legal tussles began. To give an example, some people flush their toilets with spent dish washing water. They use a bucket and pour it in the toilet tank. Other people divert their clothes washing water to their garden by either running a hose there directly or by running the water into a tank. Why do I raise this? Can a person drink the water in your cistern?

For an EXTREMELY spirited discussion of all of this please see:

http://www.greywaterguerrillas.com/

The Greywater Guerrillas are a collaborative group of educators, designers, builders, and artists who educate and empower people to build sustainable water culture and infrastructure.

We teach about sustainable water use through hand-on workshops and presentations.

We recently published the anthology “Dam Nation: Dispatches from the Water Underground”

Available from 100 Fires. Read more about the book.

The politics of water – as this brilliant anthology makes clear – are the politics of human survival. Read this, and believe me, you’ll never flush with the same equanimity again.”

Mike Davis, author of City of Quartz and Dead Cities

A sweeping overview of water use issues. Dam Nation is an accessible and energizing resource for the next generation of activists and radical plumbers.

—Art Ludwig, author of Create an Oasis with Greywater

Dam Nation is a people’s history of water—and the water grid; a detailed accounting of the fallout from a century of Manifest Destiny’s attacks on wild rivers. The book traces how—across five continents—beleaguered commoners block the neoliberal makeover of the world and endeavor to restore balance between humans and watersheds. These strategists and innovators blow open the scarcity myth to show how local democratic control coupled with watershed restoration can provide water for everyone.

Check out dozens of greywater and composting toilet systems.