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Nature_and_Environment.10 |
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Renewable Energy Living |
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{Nature_and_Environment.10.29}: Tom Elliot {telliot} Mon, 04 Apr 2005 17:17:53 CDT (HTML)
{Nature_and_Environment.10.30}: Tonu Aun {tonu} Mon, 04 Apr 2005 17:22:35 CDT (3 lines)
Hi Tom! Also have to add that the enviromental studies of the impact have mainly been discouraging. The tradeoff *might* be acceptable but there is considerable impact.
{Nature_and_Environment.10.31}: Tom Elliot {telliot} Mon, 04 Apr 2005 17:24:08 CDT (HTML)
{Nature_and_Environment.10.32}: Tonu Aun {tonu} Mon, 04 Apr 2005 20:24:23 CDT (2 lines)
Solar, no disagreement here --- that's why the * --- on balance going tidal and wave seems preferable IMO to current practice if we are careful.
{Nature_and_Environment.10.33}: ... {wren1111} Fri, 15 Apr 2005 02:51:57 CDT (HTML)
"http://www.marijuana.com/420/archive/index.php/t-32467.html"
{Nature_and_Environment.10.34}: ... {wren1111} Fri, 15 Apr 2005 03:12:32 CDT (HTML)
http://www.energybulletin.net/1330.html
ENERGY FROM ALGAE http://www.accesstoenergy.com/view/atearchive/s76a5002.htm
A more sophisticated way of collecting solar energy biologically is to grow algae that can be induced to form fatty substances suitable for refining into petroleum products.
Algae have been grown for some time as health food ingredients and in oxidation ponds for wastewater treatment. Under normal circumstances, algae contain mainly hydrocarbons and proteins; the fat content does not exceed 20% of the total dry weight. But in 1980 it was discovered that under nutritional stress¾limited nutrients or saline environment¾certain microalgae will accumulate up to 72% of their weight as lipids (fatty substances).
So by starving them you make them grow fatter? Only in a sense: by limiting their food, you make them form a higher percentage of their body weight as fat.
A typical algal mass has a heating value (heat produced by combustion) of 8,000-10,000 BTU/lb, which is better than lignite; but the heating value of algal oil and lipids is 16,000 BTU/lb, which is better than anthracite.
Another species of freshwater algae, Botryococcus, is thought to be
responsible for present petroleum reserves, for it is capable of
synthesizing hydrocarbons. It is hoped (but not yet certain) that the
hydrocarbons extracted from this and other species can be readily
processed by the present petrochemical industry to produce gasoline
and other petroleum products.
{Nature_and_Environment.10.35}: Karen Iwamoto {kai28} Fri, 22 Apr 2005 08:36:29 CDT (10 lines)
we recently moved to central Massachusetts (ok, 6 months ago now...i have to stop saying that) & found out an oil co-op that supplies a bio-diesel blend for home heating fuel. They have to blend it since at lower temperatures (i don't rememeber how low), bio-diesel apparently congeals. but the pricing is competetive with, if not cheaped that, regualr #2 fuel oil (home heating fuel). http://www.massenergy.com/MECA_BIOIL/index.htm its not a great solution, but its a start
{Nature_and_Environment.10.36}: James River Martin {rivertree} Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:48:41 CDT (3 lines)
Not our ass phalt. http://www.bikeforest.com/catastrophic_climate_change.jpg
{Nature_and_Environment.10.37}: ... {wren1111} Thu, 25 Aug 2005 11:59:03 CDT (HTML)
Peter Ash, of Lawford, Somerset, attached a generator to his hamster's exercise wheel and connected it to his phone charger.
Elvis does the legwork while Peter charges his phone in an economically and environmentally friendly way.
He came up with the idea after his sister Sarah complained that Elvis was keeping her awake at night by playing for hours on his exercise wheel.
"I thought the wheel could be made to do something useful so I connected a system of gears and a turbine," he said.
"Every two minutes Elvis spends on his wheel gives me about thirty minutes talk time on my phone."
The teenage inventor was given a C for his project and has been
awarded a D overall for the course.
{Nature_and_Environment.10.38}: Tom Elliot {telliot} Sun, 28 Aug 2005 13:43:12 CDT (HTML)
{Nature_and_Environment.10.39}: {bshmr} Sun, 28 Aug 2005 14:51:41 CDT (8 lines)
>"I thought the wheel could be made to do something useful so I connected a system of gears and a turbine," he said. > Based on the above quote, the student might be a problem. Alternator & generator would be typical terms for spinning thingies *g* which produce electricity. Turbine, as a term, denotes a bladed, wind-screw type of device explained by fluid dyanmics and the like, not magnetism or EMF. OTTOMH, that is.
{Nature_and_Environment.10.40}: Tonu Aun {tonu} Sun, 28 Aug 2005 15:36:55 CDT (1 line)
Yup, bshmr -- that might be the reason for the gentlemans' "C". :-)
{Nature_and_Environment.10.41}: Helge Hafstad {hhaf} Mon, 29 Aug 2005 05:14:42 CDT (6 lines)
The idea was excellent though! Think of all the energy being wasted around the (western) world in gyms where all kinds of exercise machines could be set to produce electricity... "Get you body in shape - create some current tonight!" :D
{Nature_and_Environment.10.42}: James River Martin {rivertree} Mon, 05 Sep 2005 12:25:09 CDT (1 line)
This looks good. http://www.localenergy.org/index.html
{Nature_and_Environment.10.43}: Richard Witty {gisland} Mon, 05 Sep 2005 15:31:24 CDT (1 line)
Don't you live in Santa Fe James?
{Nature_and_Environment.10.44}: James River Martin {rivertree} Wed, 07 Sep 2005 12:32:02 CDT (9 lines)
Yup. I have talked with Mark Sardella, Executive Director of Local Energy, a while back ... when he was working with Southwest Energy Institute. More recently, I've been trying to connect with him by phone, but the result is a game of phone tag, so far. Unfortunately, it isn't easy in SF to achieve a quick comprehensive overview of what's going on in SF regards "sustainability" matters and organizations. So I could live here and not learn of Local Energy until days ago.
{Nature_and_Environment.10.45}: James River Martin {rivertree} Sun, 11 Sep 2005 14:00:03 CDT (5 lines)
"The End of Oil : On the Edge of a Perilous New World" by Paul Roberts. {Currents.893.2874}
{Nature_and_Environment.10.46}: James River Martin {rivertree} Wed, 14 Sep 2005 14:01:53 CDT (1 line)
{Currents.2162.160}
{Nature_and_Environment.10.47}: Try Grass {bshmr} Sun, 29 Jan 2006 15:14:09 CST (10 lines)
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/March05/grass.fuel.ssl.html Don't let grass grow under your feet -- burn it as economical, environmentally friendly biofuel, Cornell expert urges ITHACA, N.Y. -- Grow grass, not for fun but for fuel. Burning grass for energy has been a well-accepted technology in Europe for decades. But not in the United States. ...
{Nature_and_Environment.10.48}: ... {wren1111} Fri, 01 Dec 2006 02:39:54 CST (HTML)
Quiet Revolution Wind Turbine
{Nature_and_Environment.10.49}: Tom Elliot {telliot} Fri, 01 Dec 2006 13:44:02 CST (HTML)
I'm checking with the wind folks now to see what they have to say.
{Nature_and_Environment.10.50}: ... {wren1111} Mon, 04 Dec 2006 14:07:23 CST (HTML)
There are practical ways in which we could immediately start to
save our species from ecological and social crisis and our planet
from being destroyed by our greed. So why arent we adopting them?
What prevents us from desiring a simpler and better way of life?
{Nature_and_Environment.10.51}: ... {wren1111} Sat, 13 Jan 2007 17:29:16 CST (HTML)
"http://www.dailynews.com/entertainment/ci_5002568"
Despite it's biggotted premises, this is a hopeful article about the
rise in solar use.
{Nature_and_Environment.10.52}: Tom Elliot {telliot} Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:37:34 CST (HTML)
But of course solar energy is about more than heat...
{Nature_and_Environment.10.53}: ... {wren1111} Sun, 28 Jan 2007 16:30:54 CST (HTML)
"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2007/01/26/AR2007012601896_pf.html"
Ethanol production has raised the price of a food staple in Mexico.
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