The Wordsmith's Forge

I have compiled a bunch of different resources below.  Feel free to spread the word by linking or reposting.
( Read more... )

I have compiled a bunch of different resources below.  Feel free to spread the word by linking or reposting.
( Read more... )

I read this piece about efforts to turn lignicellulosic biomass into usable fuel.  It would be nice to generate fuel from nonfood sources.  The drawback, however, is that right now the biomass is decaying back into the fields.  If we remove even more  material from the fields, they will degrade a great deal faster than they are already doing.  It's important to think beyond the immediate goal (get more fuel) to consider possible consequences (rendering large swaths of farmland useless a lot sooner).  Americans have a very bad habit of thinking in fragments, because the education system trains people to think that way.  This occludes the solution to many problems.

For example, there's another problem going on, where we have huge lagoons of animal excrement from farming enterprises.  This spreads disease and drops property values; nobody wants live downwind from a lake of liquid pig shit.  However, the traditional destination of livestock manure was ... the fields.  You put the manure onto the topsoil and turn it under; that enriches the soil.  The manure is then no longer a problem, but rather a valuable raw material.  It is better for the soil than chemical fertilizers because it adds biomass.

Sound familiar?  Yes, biomass, similar to the stuff we could be removing more of to make fuel.  Livestock manure is just digested plant matter.  What it puts into the soil is pretty similar to what would be there if you turned under lots of raw plant material and let it rot for a while.  That's why manure is so good for soil that is used for farming, because the manure replaces what is lost when we take away fruits, vegetables ... or whole corn plants if it comes down to that.

Our planet is a complex system, every part connecting to other parts.  Disconnecting the parts makes it function less effectively.  Reconnecting  parts can make it function more effectively.  Earth has had several billion years to figure out how to make processes cycle themselves efficiently.  We've been diddling around with processes for a few thousand years.  I think we'd be doing a lot better if we cribbed from the expert more often.

I read this piece about efforts to turn lignicellulosic biomass into usable fuel.  It would be nice to generate fuel from nonfood sources.  The drawback, however, is that right now the biomass is decaying back into the fields.  If we remove even more  material from the fields, they will degrade a great deal faster than they are already doing.  It's important to think beyond the immediate goal (get more fuel) to consider possible consequences (rendering large swaths of farmland useless a lot sooner).  Americans have a very bad habit of thinking in fragments, because the education system trains people to think that way.  This occludes the solution to many problems.

For example, there's another problem going on, where we have huge lagoons of animal excrement from farming enterprises.  This spreads disease and drops property values; nobody wants live downwind from a lake of liquid pig shit.  However, the traditional destination of livestock manure was ... the fields.  You put the manure onto the topsoil and turn it under; that enriches the soil.  The manure is then no longer a problem, but rather a valuable raw material.  It is better for the soil than chemical fertilizers because it adds biomass.

Sound familiar?  Yes, biomass, similar to the stuff we could be removing more of to make fuel.  Livestock manure is just digested plant matter.  What it puts into the soil is pretty similar to what would be there if you turned under lots of raw plant material and let it rot for a while.  That's why manure is so good for soil that is used for farming, because the manure replaces what is lost when we take away fruits, vegetables ... or whole corn plants if it comes down to that.

Our planet is a complex system, every part connecting to other parts.  Disconnecting the parts makes it function less effectively.  Reconnecting  parts can make it function more effectively.  Earth has had several billion years to figure out how to make processes cycle themselves efficiently.  We've been diddling around with processes for a few thousand years.  I think we'd be doing a lot better if we cribbed from the expert more often.

Here are two interesting articles about alternative fuels:

Who Needs Gasoline if You Have Old Beer?
How would you like to have a fuel pump right next your house supplying "organic e-fuel" for your car made from old beer and wine? Well, that's exactly what inventors of the E-Fuel MicroFueler in California are providing. Sugar may be the key to fueling your car cheaply and efficiently, and the company will bring the brewery waste via truck to your home.

New Car Runs on Air
It's not every day that we get to drive a car that could change the world. This car runs on air, takes 2 minutes to fill up and gives a 100 mile range. Fuel cost is just 2 cents a mile and it emits zero pollution. Yes, it sounds like another one of those crackpot inventions, but after our exclusive test of the AIRPod it seems like the world's first "air car" may be more than just a bright idea. (Edmunds.com)

Here are two interesting articles about alternative fuels:

Who Needs Gasoline if You Have Old Beer?
How would you like to have a fuel pump right next your house supplying "organic e-fuel" for your car made from old beer and wine? Well, that's exactly what inventors of the E-Fuel MicroFueler in California are providing. Sugar may be the key to fueling your car cheaply and efficiently, and the company will bring the brewery waste via truck to your home.

New Car Runs on Air
It's not every day that we get to drive a car that could change the world. This car runs on air, takes 2 minutes to fill up and gives a 100 mile range. Fuel cost is just 2 cents a mile and it emits zero pollution. Yes, it sounds like another one of those crackpot inventions, but after our exclusive test of the AIRPod it seems like the world's first "air car" may be more than just a bright idea. (Edmunds.com)

I was pleased to see this example of a state taking the initiative against global warming:

California Approves Low-Carbon Fuel Standards
Kevin Yamamura, The Sacramento Bee: "California became the first state in the nation Thursday to mandate carbon-based reductions in transportation fuels in an attempt to cut the state's overall greenhouse gas emissions."

Go, California, go!

I was pleased to see this example of a state taking the initiative against global warming:

California Approves Low-Carbon Fuel Standards
Kevin Yamamura, The Sacramento Bee: "California became the first state in the nation Thursday to mandate carbon-based reductions in transportation fuels in an attempt to cut the state's overall greenhouse gas emissions."

Go, California, go!

If you have a fireplace or woodstove, now is a good time to have your chimney cleaned and inspected. These sources of heat use renewable fuel and lessen America's dependence on fossil fuels. The Chimney Safety Institute of America offers information on cleaning and inspection, general safety, and a guide to finding professional services in your area.

Do you have a fireplace or woodstove? If so, do you use it? If not, why not, and what could you do to change that?

Crossposted to gore_challenge

If you have a fireplace or woodstove, now is a good time to have your chimney cleaned and inspected. These sources of heat use renewable fuel and lessen America's dependence on fossil fuels. The Chimney Safety Institute of America offers information on cleaning and inspection, general safety, and a guide to finding professional services in your area.

Do you have a fireplace or woodstove? If so, do you use it? If not, why not, and what could you do to change that?

Crossposted to gore_challenge