This summer has taken a lot of my time for food growing. I have spent most of it on a self watering system. This is because I hate wasting water even though I live in a place that has plenty of water and does not seem in danger of having water shortages soon.
It is distressing to see water problems getting worse in so much of the world. Places that already had difficulties with enough clean water to keep people healthy, are getting worse due to climate change. Places that never had water problems are now getting them due to climate change. It is obvious that these water problems will only worsen as climate change becomes worse.
My neighborhood is taking some steps to prevent future water problems. I am very proud that my neighborhood has people in it who are so aware and interested in taking care of our future and that of people who will live here after us.
One of these steps to prevent future water problems is the planning and installation of a system to melt snow and return it to our groundwater.
The normal method of handling snow is to scoop it up with heavy machinery, load it into lots of big trucks and haul it outside the city and dump it there.
A big advantage of the new snow melting in place system is that it will help to prevent saltwater intrusion into fresh water aquafers beneath us. We are very close to the ocean, so this could easily become a problem some day.
Not only does the snow melting system prevent saltwater intrusion into our fresh water, but it also saves a great deal on fuel for all of the snow hauling that now takes place.
They plan to dig a large hole under our recreation center parking lot and install a heater there. This system was planned by students at our local college. They did it free of charge. This is good for us because we get a system that we can more easily afford and it is good for the students, because they are gaining valuable experience that will give them jobs in the future. I expect they will get the first of those jobs designing more of these systems for the rest of the city.
My small contribution to water efficiency with my self-watering garden is not nearly as impressive as the snow melting. I hope that more people will learn a little bit from mine and increase the good effect, however.
The self-watering system that I used outside uses rain gutters to hold water with a float valve to control the amount of water that goes to the plants.
A man from the eastern part of the USA, named Larry Hall is the one who invented this rain gutter watering system. Thousands of people are already using his system and they are very generous in sharing their experiences and the modifications and improvements they make as well. He is on facebook and on youtube as well. Here are links to get you started with his system:
http://containergardening.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/self-watering-rain-gutter-grow-system-larry-hall/
https://www.youtube.com/user/larrylhall
The bottom one is for his channel on youtube. He has links to lots of videos about his system to show what he and others have done with it.
There is nothing like letting plants take whatever water they need, as they need it to make them healthy and beautiful. They make you the same when you eat them. YUM!
A local hydroponics store gave me a free system that I plan to keep inside. They told me that it is a $500.00 system. That is certainly a lot more than I planned to spend right off. I have not used it yet, but it is high on my list. I have to do a bit more with the Larry Hall rain gutter system first. It will be winter all too soon, so that will stop what I can do outside for a while, so I have to make use of outdoor growing while I still can for this year.
I also have plans to make several hydroponics tower systems. I have most of the supplies for some of those, but not the pumps. Those are the most expensive part of that system. Those have free plans and materials lists to make them. I already posted links for those, but will do it again, to make it easier for others to make those as well. Here is a link to that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTc6Sv2Gi3o
http://www.tomorrowsgarden.net/
This last one is a link to the plans to make your own rain tower hydroponics system. He even includes templates for cutting out parts for it.
The original inventor of those used a 5 gallon bucket as the base for his towers. This means that it will not take much more room in your home than a potted plant. You can get as many as 28 plants in one tower. You replace the plants as you use them, so this will make a big dent in your food budget. You will be much healthier as well, when you eat the food that you grow in your Rain Tower hydroponics system.
The knowledge that you are making the world a better place in many ways, should make you feel even better than the personal benefits to you, when you use your Rain Tower hydroponics system.
I hope that you will go make a rain gutter self watering system or a Rain Tower hydroponics system and benefit yourself and the world by doing so.
Showing posts with label climate change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label climate change. Show all posts
Friday, August 1, 2014
Thursday, June 5, 2014
A Chance To Help Save The World
If you are not hibernating, you have probably noticed that we have a problem with climate change already. This problem will get much worse. It will make it harder and harder for people to just stay alive as it gets worse.
Nothing much is being done about this problem and it is getting so much worse that we don't have much time to get to work on it before it is too late.
What is too late? We are constantly being bombarded with things that tell us we have to hurry before it is "too late". A lot of these are advertisements wanting us to buy something. This "too late" is different.
This "too late" could even mean that the human race will be wiped out in a few generations because the Earth will be changed too much for us to live on it any more. Those changes on the Earth because of climate change, are things like not having enough oxygen, or clean air to support us any more. They can also be huge natural disasters that are much bigger than the biggest record-setting tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and forest fires, etc. than anything we have seen on earth so far.
The United Nations is having a summit on Climate Change in New York City this September from the 20-21. There is a march being organized by a lot of people ranging from locals to international NGOs. It is called the People's Climate March. If you want to join something that already exists, this might suit you. Here is a link to a site to help you sign up or find out more about it:
http://peoplesclimatemarch.org/
If it is possible for you to participate in this march or do other helpful activities connected with the UN Summit on Climate Change in New York in September 2014, please do what you can to help save the world. We only have one and need to take care of it. It would be pretty hard to replace it if we wreck this one.
Nothing much is being done about this problem and it is getting so much worse that we don't have much time to get to work on it before it is too late.
What is too late? We are constantly being bombarded with things that tell us we have to hurry before it is "too late". A lot of these are advertisements wanting us to buy something. This "too late" is different.
This "too late" could even mean that the human race will be wiped out in a few generations because the Earth will be changed too much for us to live on it any more. Those changes on the Earth because of climate change, are things like not having enough oxygen, or clean air to support us any more. They can also be huge natural disasters that are much bigger than the biggest record-setting tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and forest fires, etc. than anything we have seen on earth so far.
The United Nations is having a summit on Climate Change in New York City this September from the 20-21. There is a march being organized by a lot of people ranging from locals to international NGOs. It is called the People's Climate March. If you want to join something that already exists, this might suit you. Here is a link to a site to help you sign up or find out more about it:
http://peoplesclimatemarch.org/
If it is possible for you to participate in this march or do other helpful activities connected with the UN Summit on Climate Change in New York in September 2014, please do what you can to help save the world. We only have one and need to take care of it. It would be pretty hard to replace it if we wreck this one.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Be Important To The World
Right now two things are being decided that will affect the whole earth, every person in the world, every person who will be born, and the future of us all.
You can be important to the world and our future. What you need to do to be that important is not even very hard.
You need to tell the President of the United States, Barack Obama, not to use the XL Pipeline and tell the Washington representatives and senators from all of the USA not to vote for the TPP, or Trans Pacific Partnership. I think you should do this even if you are not a US citizen, or voter. Public opinion matters a lot to him. If you are not a US voter and want to speak to a representative or senator, just pick the one you think it will do the most good for you to contact.
An example of ideas for this are: a state where you have a friend who lives there, or a state where you know someone from your area who does business there.
Here is a link to contact President Obama:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Here is a link to contact US representatives and senators:
http://www.house.gov/
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
I will explain the basic reasons for this first, then I will go into more detail.
The reason why President Obama should not start up the XL Pipeline is that the Canadian oil that will go into that pipeline is especially dirty. It must be refined twice to even be usable. Each time that dirty oil is refined, it spews bad stuff into our air that makes climate change worse. It make even more climate change pollution when that dirty oil is used in cars, and power plants, etc.
There is a huge amount of that dirty XL Pipeline oil. There is so much that the head of the United States' weather service, quit his well payed and important job over it. He testified before the US Congress before he quit. He told the US congressmen that, "if the XL Pipeline is used, it is all over for climate change".
In other words, if we use the dirty XL Pipeline oil it will be too much bad stuff in our air to fix and stop climate change from getting so bad that it will eventually make it very hard or impossible for people to stay alive on Earth any more.
The Trans Pacific Partnership is a sneaky scam by unscrupulous multinational corporations to get to do whatever they want even when it causes harm to the earth and all of the people and plants and animals on it.
If the TPP, or Trans Pacific Parthership, goes into effect, it will allow corporations to sue any government on earth for anything the government does that hurt the profits of the corporation. The court where the suit will happen is picked by the corporation and the corporations will hire and pay the judges.
It does not take a genius to know what will happen in a court like that. The giant multinational corporations will always win. This will allow them to bankrupt governments and cause even more damage that leads to climate change. One of these damages is clear cutting forests that make our air we need to breathe.
Another damages that giant corporations do to make climate change worse is strip mining.
These are only small parts of the climate change-causing damage we can expect a lot more of, if the XLPipeline is fired up, and the TPP, or Trans Pacific Partnership is signed.
Be sure to use the links I gave you to contact President Obama and US congressmen and senators. Tell them to help stop making climate change a lot worse by voting against fast tracking the TPP and evading the US Democratic process to get it signed, and tell them we don't want the XL Pipeline started.
Tell them that you want to stop making climate change worse. Say that it matters a lot to you that we take our chance to do this now before it is too late to keep the earth a safe, healthy place to live on.
Please pass this message on so more people will know about our chance to stop making the earth and climate change worse and about our chance to start making them better instead.
You can be important to the world and our future. What you need to do to be that important is not even very hard.
You need to tell the President of the United States, Barack Obama, not to use the XL Pipeline and tell the Washington representatives and senators from all of the USA not to vote for the TPP, or Trans Pacific Partnership. I think you should do this even if you are not a US citizen, or voter. Public opinion matters a lot to him. If you are not a US voter and want to speak to a representative or senator, just pick the one you think it will do the most good for you to contact.
An example of ideas for this are: a state where you have a friend who lives there, or a state where you know someone from your area who does business there.
Here is a link to contact President Obama:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Here is a link to contact US representatives and senators:
http://www.house.gov/
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
I will explain the basic reasons for this first, then I will go into more detail.
The reason why President Obama should not start up the XL Pipeline is that the Canadian oil that will go into that pipeline is especially dirty. It must be refined twice to even be usable. Each time that dirty oil is refined, it spews bad stuff into our air that makes climate change worse. It make even more climate change pollution when that dirty oil is used in cars, and power plants, etc.
There is a huge amount of that dirty XL Pipeline oil. There is so much that the head of the United States' weather service, quit his well payed and important job over it. He testified before the US Congress before he quit. He told the US congressmen that, "if the XL Pipeline is used, it is all over for climate change".
In other words, if we use the dirty XL Pipeline oil it will be too much bad stuff in our air to fix and stop climate change from getting so bad that it will eventually make it very hard or impossible for people to stay alive on Earth any more.
The Trans Pacific Partnership is a sneaky scam by unscrupulous multinational corporations to get to do whatever they want even when it causes harm to the earth and all of the people and plants and animals on it.
If the TPP, or Trans Pacific Parthership, goes into effect, it will allow corporations to sue any government on earth for anything the government does that hurt the profits of the corporation. The court where the suit will happen is picked by the corporation and the corporations will hire and pay the judges.
It does not take a genius to know what will happen in a court like that. The giant multinational corporations will always win. This will allow them to bankrupt governments and cause even more damage that leads to climate change. One of these damages is clear cutting forests that make our air we need to breathe.
Another damages that giant corporations do to make climate change worse is strip mining.
These are only small parts of the climate change-causing damage we can expect a lot more of, if the XLPipeline is fired up, and the TPP, or Trans Pacific Partnership is signed.
Be sure to use the links I gave you to contact President Obama and US congressmen and senators. Tell them to help stop making climate change a lot worse by voting against fast tracking the TPP and evading the US Democratic process to get it signed, and tell them we don't want the XL Pipeline started.
Tell them that you want to stop making climate change worse. Say that it matters a lot to you that we take our chance to do this now before it is too late to keep the earth a safe, healthy place to live on.
Please pass this message on so more people will know about our chance to stop making the earth and climate change worse and about our chance to start making them better instead.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Save Money And The Earth By Keeping Cool Without Air Conditioning
There are lots of things you can do to keep cool during hot weather without using air conditioning. If you live in a very hot climate and are used to air conditioning, you may have to reduce your use of air conditioning gradually. I quit suddenly, with at least once a month using air conditioning.
This is because I rented a place that had an air conditioner along with it. If you don't run an air conditioner at least once a month, without special preparations, the seals can go bad and even ruin the air conditioner.
The thing that makes the most difference in coolness is a combination of plants grown in front of the window, a mister on the plants at night, and a double fan with one set to exhaust warm air on top and the bottom fan to intake cool air. I kept the window shut during the day time. I closed the window right before it became hot outside.
This combination was enough to lower the temperature inside my home enough to make it chilly and necessary to use warm blankets and warm clothes at night. Getting it this cool at night made the coolness inside my home last most of the day, with no other things done except running a few fans, and shutting windows to keep the coolness inside.
Here is a link to a post about how to stay cool without air conditioning: http://www.energyconservationinfo.org/noacok.htm
There are a couple of things you can easily make that will help you to stay cool as well. They are known to me as, "Okie Air Conditioners". Both of them involve fans.
I have not made the more complicated version, but I have made the easier one. That one involves an insulated ice chest. Styrofoam is cheapest, but unless you can find one made of biodegradable styrofoam, it is not that environmental.
You also need a small fan, and something like a piece of pvc pipe with an elbow to direct the flow of cool air where you want it, like your face. I just taped a couple of used cardboard toilet paper rolls together at an angle, after trimming them to fit first.
You will also need ice for the inside of the chest to cool the air going out the elbow to your face. I get my ice by putting a plastic bucket with water into my freezer to make a large chunk of ice that doesn't melt too fast. If you live in a very hot place, you will probably want to have at least two plastic buckets so you can have an extra piece of ice ready when the first one melts. I refill my bucket as soon as I take out the chunk of ice and put it back in the freezer. It takes a while to freeze a big chunk of ice.
Ice cubes work also and seem to make cooler air come out the elbow, but they also melt faster.
I also wet a towel in cool water and wring it out pretty thoroughly. Then I put it on a hanger with built in clamps like a skirt or pants hanger or use a pin or clothespin. Then I hang the whole thing in front of a window that is open with a slight breeze coming through it. This does not work as well if a lot of sunlight is hitting the window. The air coming through the wet towel is cooler.
If the window has a lot of sunlight on it, you will need to re-wet the towel much more often.
If no breeze is available, I put a fan near the window so the air is directed into the room to be cooled.
My cats can seem pretty miserable in hot weather, so I usually direct my air flow out of the okie cooler where the cats can lay in the cool air right where it comes out. They sit and wait for me to put fresh ice in it and turn the fan back on.
I cracked the bottom of one chest by letting the chunk of ice hit it too hard. Since then, I take the lid off of the ice container and set a large dinner plate on top of the container with the ice in it. Then I flip it all over so the ice slides out onto the plate. Sometimes it is necessary to run a little hot tap water on the outside of the ice container to loosen up the ice inside in order to get it out of the freezer container. I use a large plastic bulk ice cream bucket for my freezer container. There are a lot of other things that can also be used, but this is what I had handy.
Next I turn the ice chest on its side and position the plate with the ice on it next to the open top of the chest. I scoot the chunk of ice into the ice chest very gently to avoid breaking the styrofoam. Last, I gently turn the chest upright with the ice chunk in it and take it back to where I use it and put the lid on and turn the fan back on.
I also bathe my cats' ears, faces, and necks with cool water to help them stay comfortable. They objected at first, but now they come to me to get it done.
There are lots of other things you can do to stay comfortable in hot weather without using an air conditioner. Even if you feel you absolutely have to use an air conditioner, you can do these things to reduce how much you use it. This will save both your budget and the Earth.
It is kind of ironic that we can be making the Earth get even warmer, by using an air conditioner to stay cool. lol. It seems a bit counter productive to me.
This is because I rented a place that had an air conditioner along with it. If you don't run an air conditioner at least once a month, without special preparations, the seals can go bad and even ruin the air conditioner.
The thing that makes the most difference in coolness is a combination of plants grown in front of the window, a mister on the plants at night, and a double fan with one set to exhaust warm air on top and the bottom fan to intake cool air. I kept the window shut during the day time. I closed the window right before it became hot outside.
This combination was enough to lower the temperature inside my home enough to make it chilly and necessary to use warm blankets and warm clothes at night. Getting it this cool at night made the coolness inside my home last most of the day, with no other things done except running a few fans, and shutting windows to keep the coolness inside.
Here is a link to a post about how to stay cool without air conditioning: http://www.energyconservationinfo.org/noacok.htm
There are a couple of things you can easily make that will help you to stay cool as well. They are known to me as, "Okie Air Conditioners". Both of them involve fans.
I have not made the more complicated version, but I have made the easier one. That one involves an insulated ice chest. Styrofoam is cheapest, but unless you can find one made of biodegradable styrofoam, it is not that environmental.
You also need a small fan, and something like a piece of pvc pipe with an elbow to direct the flow of cool air where you want it, like your face. I just taped a couple of used cardboard toilet paper rolls together at an angle, after trimming them to fit first.
You will also need ice for the inside of the chest to cool the air going out the elbow to your face. I get my ice by putting a plastic bucket with water into my freezer to make a large chunk of ice that doesn't melt too fast. If you live in a very hot place, you will probably want to have at least two plastic buckets so you can have an extra piece of ice ready when the first one melts. I refill my bucket as soon as I take out the chunk of ice and put it back in the freezer. It takes a while to freeze a big chunk of ice.
Ice cubes work also and seem to make cooler air come out the elbow, but they also melt faster.
I also wet a towel in cool water and wring it out pretty thoroughly. Then I put it on a hanger with built in clamps like a skirt or pants hanger or use a pin or clothespin. Then I hang the whole thing in front of a window that is open with a slight breeze coming through it. This does not work as well if a lot of sunlight is hitting the window. The air coming through the wet towel is cooler.
If the window has a lot of sunlight on it, you will need to re-wet the towel much more often.
If no breeze is available, I put a fan near the window so the air is directed into the room to be cooled.
My cats can seem pretty miserable in hot weather, so I usually direct my air flow out of the okie cooler where the cats can lay in the cool air right where it comes out. They sit and wait for me to put fresh ice in it and turn the fan back on.
I cracked the bottom of one chest by letting the chunk of ice hit it too hard. Since then, I take the lid off of the ice container and set a large dinner plate on top of the container with the ice in it. Then I flip it all over so the ice slides out onto the plate. Sometimes it is necessary to run a little hot tap water on the outside of the ice container to loosen up the ice inside in order to get it out of the freezer container. I use a large plastic bulk ice cream bucket for my freezer container. There are a lot of other things that can also be used, but this is what I had handy.
Next I turn the ice chest on its side and position the plate with the ice on it next to the open top of the chest. I scoot the chunk of ice into the ice chest very gently to avoid breaking the styrofoam. Last, I gently turn the chest upright with the ice chunk in it and take it back to where I use it and put the lid on and turn the fan back on.
I also bathe my cats' ears, faces, and necks with cool water to help them stay comfortable. They objected at first, but now they come to me to get it done.
There are lots of other things you can do to stay comfortable in hot weather without using an air conditioner. Even if you feel you absolutely have to use an air conditioner, you can do these things to reduce how much you use it. This will save both your budget and the Earth.
It is kind of ironic that we can be making the Earth get even warmer, by using an air conditioner to stay cool. lol. It seems a bit counter productive to me.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
One Way To Start Saving The Earth - Composting
I have been looking at videos about tumbling composters, especially ones that show you how to make your own. I would like one of those. I live in a very cold climate, Alaska. That means that composting can be less than rewarding here. It can easily take over a year to get composting done that only takes a season, or less in a more temperate climate.
I already compost some, but since I live in an apartment and share my yard with people who barely accept that climate change is happening, doing a lot can be difficult or impossible. I think it will be worth a try to make a compost tumbler, so I can compost more. I would like to be able to not throw out anything that it would be possible to compost.
Since I am trying this way to work on saving the Earth from further damage contributing to climate change, I thought some readers would also like to begin composting, or do more of it than they already do.
Here is a link to a youtube video about making a composter from used materials, which is even better than buying one or making one from new materials: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTj-kdYrQxU
A lot of tumblers are built so that they tumble end over end. This is good from the standpoint that it will mix up the compost inside better than a tumbler that tumbles sideways. It is not so good if you have a bad back or other problems that will make it a lot harder for you to operate.
If it hurts you to spin your compost tumbler, it will probably stop you from using it. I think it is better to take a little longer to finish compost inside an easier to operate compost tumbler than to end up not composting at all.
You can compensate a little for not spinning your composter lengthwise by putting pieces of material inside the tumbler. I looked at a video where they bolted them inside the tumbler to make it mix the compost materials inside better.
You could get something like it by flattening out a large tin can into a rectangle and then bending it diagonally at right angles. You could then drill through one side and bolt it onto the inside of the tumbler, leaving the other side sticking up into the tunbler.
It would then make the compost materials inside the tumbler break into smaller pieces faster and mix the compost materials better.
Here is a link to a set of plans with pictures for making a similar compost tumbler. I think it can be easier to make things if you have something you can look at while you work. I don't imagine that many people have the capacity to watch videos while they work in their workshop.
Plans link: http://www4.uwm.edu/shwec/composter/resources/Barrel%20Composter.pdf
The same site also offers plans for compost bins that sit on the ground and require you to turn the contents of the bin regularly. That means trouble if you have any problems with your back. I think that if you do the compost turning in a bin, you could end up with back trouble, even if your back is okay now.
If yo have read my posts about preparedness health, you already know that I think taking care of your health all the time is part of good disaster preparedness. I hope that you will consider this when doing things like making and using compost tumblers.
The simplest composter is a hole in the ground with a pile of dirt beside it. You just put in a layer of compost on the bottom and sprinkle some of the dirt on it. A problem with this method is that scavengers like neighborhood pets and pests like rats and mice can be attracted and get into one of these.
When you have a compost tumbler off the ground, it lessens the opportunities for pests and pets to get into it.
There are much more elaborate tumbling composters. I used to have plans for one that was raised high enough off of the ground to require a ramp up to the top to load more compost materials into it. You could place a wheelbarrow under the tumbler. It was very convenient to use. It also composted in as little as two weeks, according to the author.
The aforementioned tumbler worked so fast because it allowed a lot of air to get into the compost inside it. There were no solid sides or ends on that one, it was all made with wire mesh stretched between pieces of lumber. That tells you that if you want your compost tumbler to work faster, you need to find ways to get extra air into the compost.
I hope that lots of you start composting. Maybe making your own compost tumbler will make it easier for you to do.
I already compost some, but since I live in an apartment and share my yard with people who barely accept that climate change is happening, doing a lot can be difficult or impossible. I think it will be worth a try to make a compost tumbler, so I can compost more. I would like to be able to not throw out anything that it would be possible to compost.
Since I am trying this way to work on saving the Earth from further damage contributing to climate change, I thought some readers would also like to begin composting, or do more of it than they already do.
Here is a link to a youtube video about making a composter from used materials, which is even better than buying one or making one from new materials: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTj-kdYrQxU
A lot of tumblers are built so that they tumble end over end. This is good from the standpoint that it will mix up the compost inside better than a tumbler that tumbles sideways. It is not so good if you have a bad back or other problems that will make it a lot harder for you to operate.
If it hurts you to spin your compost tumbler, it will probably stop you from using it. I think it is better to take a little longer to finish compost inside an easier to operate compost tumbler than to end up not composting at all.
You can compensate a little for not spinning your composter lengthwise by putting pieces of material inside the tumbler. I looked at a video where they bolted them inside the tumbler to make it mix the compost materials inside better.
You could get something like it by flattening out a large tin can into a rectangle and then bending it diagonally at right angles. You could then drill through one side and bolt it onto the inside of the tumbler, leaving the other side sticking up into the tunbler.
It would then make the compost materials inside the tumbler break into smaller pieces faster and mix the compost materials better.
Here is a link to a set of plans with pictures for making a similar compost tumbler. I think it can be easier to make things if you have something you can look at while you work. I don't imagine that many people have the capacity to watch videos while they work in their workshop.
Plans link: http://www4.uwm.edu/shwec/composter/resources/Barrel%20Composter.pdf
The same site also offers plans for compost bins that sit on the ground and require you to turn the contents of the bin regularly. That means trouble if you have any problems with your back. I think that if you do the compost turning in a bin, you could end up with back trouble, even if your back is okay now.
If yo have read my posts about preparedness health, you already know that I think taking care of your health all the time is part of good disaster preparedness. I hope that you will consider this when doing things like making and using compost tumblers.
The simplest composter is a hole in the ground with a pile of dirt beside it. You just put in a layer of compost on the bottom and sprinkle some of the dirt on it. A problem with this method is that scavengers like neighborhood pets and pests like rats and mice can be attracted and get into one of these.
When you have a compost tumbler off the ground, it lessens the opportunities for pests and pets to get into it.
There are much more elaborate tumbling composters. I used to have plans for one that was raised high enough off of the ground to require a ramp up to the top to load more compost materials into it. You could place a wheelbarrow under the tumbler. It was very convenient to use. It also composted in as little as two weeks, according to the author.
The aforementioned tumbler worked so fast because it allowed a lot of air to get into the compost inside it. There were no solid sides or ends on that one, it was all made with wire mesh stretched between pieces of lumber. That tells you that if you want your compost tumbler to work faster, you need to find ways to get extra air into the compost.
I hope that lots of you start composting. Maybe making your own compost tumbler will make it easier for you to do.
Monday, April 1, 2013
The Future Can Be Great If We Live
There are all kinds of scientific advances that we are on the verge of. If we get all of them we can feed everyone good food without wrecking the Earth and have as much power as we all need and get it without harm to us or our environment.
The tricky part of getting all of that good stuff is whether we will kill ourselves off before they arrive.
Right now most people are spending our natural resources as if there is no tomorrow. That, of course, can mean there will literally be no tomorrow for the human race. This doesn't mean that we will literally die tomorrow or even next year. We may even get a decade or so before things get really bad.
That delay in consequences for what we are doing now may be our undoing. People are not generally thinking very far ahead. Most grocery stores only keep about three days of food on hand. Other kinds of stores may plan a little farther ahead, but a year ahead is long-term planning.
The worst problem with this short-term thinking is that we are doing damage that is about to reach a tipping point where it can't be fixed and the end after that, will be certain.
It is easy to think about what we want right now. It is harder to think about what we will have to have for tomorrow, next week, month, year, or a decade from now.
We need to think fast. We don't have much time to learn to do that. The sands in our hourglass are running out and most of us aren't even paying attention. Not paying attention can mean paying with your life later.
Now is our chance to reduce our carbon footprints to save our Earth and ourselves. We are starting to see how many lives climate change can take, and this is only the warm-up for it.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Alternative Fuels and Climate Change
Here is the US Department of Energy definition of an alternative fuel:
Alternative Fuel Definition
The following fuels are defined as alternative fuels by the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 1992: pure methanol, ethanol, and other alcohols; blends of 85% or more of alcohol with gasoline; natural gas and liquid fuels domestically produced from natural gas; liquefied petroleum gas (propane); coal-derived liquid fuels; hydrogen; electricity; pure biodiesel (B100); fuels, other than alcohol, derived from biological materials; and P-Series fuels. In addition, the U.S. Department of Energy may designate other fuels as alternative fuels, provided that the fuel is substantially nonpetroleum, yields substantial energy security benefits, and offers substantial environmental benefits. For more information, see the EPAct website. (Reference 42 U.S. Code 13211)
The last I checked, none of the plant derived fuels were produced very efficiently. The above definition of 85% alcohol mixed with gasoline is deceptive because it does not take into account the other fuels used to produce the 85% alcohol part. Not only does planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting the plant require fuel, but processing it into alcohol takes even more.
I don't think plant derived fuels mixed with petrochemicals are much of a bargain as far as climate change goes, so far. Anything that uses pure plant alcohol looks better to me, but most of those are going to come from factory farms. Factory farms are not a real bargain for climate change either.
It is ironic that factory farms will have an increasingly difficult time staying in business because of climate change, since they are contributing to it so much.
It takes real work to get oil out of plants, especially in large enough amounts to do any good for fuel. It is a whole different scale from producing enough sunflower seed oil to cook with than it is to produce enough to run a truck or generator on.
Running a still to produce alcohol for fuel does not seem that efficient unless you use solar or wind power or hydroelectric power.
Converting plants into something like oil or alcohol does not seem like a good thing to use for fuel whether you mix it with oil or gas or not. It seems to take too much energy to make it for us to come out ahead by using it for fuel. It seems better to just skip all the processing and burn the plant in the first place. Instructables has some plans for running vehicles on trash or wood.
Some internet posts mentioned that during WWII people converted vehicles to run directly by burning plant materials. It didn't sound as if the WWII plant fuel vehicles ran great, but they did run. We might have to do that again soon, since we are choosing to use up the easily available oil and gas right now.
I am trying to picture city buses and garbage trucks running around with someone shoveling wood into a furnace. Maybe we won't have to picture it much longer, but will get to see it up close.
Alternative Fuel Definition
The following fuels are defined as alternative fuels by the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 1992: pure methanol, ethanol, and other alcohols; blends of 85% or more of alcohol with gasoline; natural gas and liquid fuels domestically produced from natural gas; liquefied petroleum gas (propane); coal-derived liquid fuels; hydrogen; electricity; pure biodiesel (B100); fuels, other than alcohol, derived from biological materials; and P-Series fuels. In addition, the U.S. Department of Energy may designate other fuels as alternative fuels, provided that the fuel is substantially nonpetroleum, yields substantial energy security benefits, and offers substantial environmental benefits. For more information, see the EPAct website. (Reference 42 U.S. Code 13211)
The last I checked, none of the plant derived fuels were produced very efficiently. The above definition of 85% alcohol mixed with gasoline is deceptive because it does not take into account the other fuels used to produce the 85% alcohol part. Not only does planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting the plant require fuel, but processing it into alcohol takes even more.
I don't think plant derived fuels mixed with petrochemicals are much of a bargain as far as climate change goes, so far. Anything that uses pure plant alcohol looks better to me, but most of those are going to come from factory farms. Factory farms are not a real bargain for climate change either.
It is ironic that factory farms will have an increasingly difficult time staying in business because of climate change, since they are contributing to it so much.
It takes real work to get oil out of plants, especially in large enough amounts to do any good for fuel. It is a whole different scale from producing enough sunflower seed oil to cook with than it is to produce enough to run a truck or generator on.
Running a still to produce alcohol for fuel does not seem that efficient unless you use solar or wind power or hydroelectric power.
Converting plants into something like oil or alcohol does not seem like a good thing to use for fuel whether you mix it with oil or gas or not. It seems to take too much energy to make it for us to come out ahead by using it for fuel. It seems better to just skip all the processing and burn the plant in the first place. Instructables has some plans for running vehicles on trash or wood.
Some internet posts mentioned that during WWII people converted vehicles to run directly by burning plant materials. It didn't sound as if the WWII plant fuel vehicles ran great, but they did run. We might have to do that again soon, since we are choosing to use up the easily available oil and gas right now.
I am trying to picture city buses and garbage trucks running around with someone shoveling wood into a furnace. Maybe we won't have to picture it much longer, but will get to see it up close.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Your Legacy
I had a dream of the future. It was not good. I am going to share it with you here. I hope it will cause you to change some of what you are doing. This could give us a better future.
There is a city in the desert that looks like stacks of sugar cubes. It almost hurts your eyes to look at it in the bright light. It is full of people who live in very small cubicles inside that city. The people in there do not do much except eat, watch electronic entertainment and sleep. Some of them come out of their cubicles and walk around a little. Many, perhaps most of them, do not ever come out. Some do not even eat on their own, but have tubes that feed them and remove their wastes. These do not even quite wake up until they die.
The sugar cube city is a sort of mausoleum. It is a little bit alive, waiting until it is a completely dead mausoleum, with no mourners to come to it.
There is a quiet place with deep soft carpets and velvet ropes hung from black metal. The ropes direct lines of people. They are waiting for their turn. There are long lines of the people waiting.
There is a stone sarcophagus at the head of the line. The stone sarcophagus represents people who are alive now and who have been alive in the last generation. Those people represented are those responsible for climate change and the other problems that will come with it. They are people who know that what they have done and are still doing, to cause climate change could be stopped. They keep on doing the things that make climate change worse, even after they know about it.
The person at the head of the line walks forward between velvet ropes near the stone sarcophagus and spits on the sarcophagus. Only one spit per person is allowed. There are many more people who want their turn.
The people who are close to the head of the line do not talk. Their mouths are all full of spit.
There is a channel in the floor to drain off the spit so that it will not overflow onto the carpets and people can still walk safely.
There are guards standing close to the head of the line and at the corners of the sarcophagus. They are there to keep people from destroying the stone sarcophagus. It must be replaced once in a while in spite of the guards.
It is not that hard to find another body to put in another stone sarcophagus. There are lots more bodies available. It just takes some time to do it.
They have started keeping a few ready for replacements. They even have them in replacement stone sarcophagi. It makes people very angry not to get their turn. Everyone is afraid of what people will do if they do not get their turn.
This dream is not frightening like a movie. It is more frightening in a way. Some of that is because it is about the people who are alive today and people who will come after us, and how they think about us.
When I think about it, I often look for lights to turn off. I do not have a car, mostly because of thinking about this dream.
I hope that you will remember this dream and turn off lights and drive your car less. Maybe you will even get a car that uses less gas.
Those people in line may be your grandchildren.
There is a city in the desert that looks like stacks of sugar cubes. It almost hurts your eyes to look at it in the bright light. It is full of people who live in very small cubicles inside that city. The people in there do not do much except eat, watch electronic entertainment and sleep. Some of them come out of their cubicles and walk around a little. Many, perhaps most of them, do not ever come out. Some do not even eat on their own, but have tubes that feed them and remove their wastes. These do not even quite wake up until they die.
The sugar cube city is a sort of mausoleum. It is a little bit alive, waiting until it is a completely dead mausoleum, with no mourners to come to it.
There is a quiet place with deep soft carpets and velvet ropes hung from black metal. The ropes direct lines of people. They are waiting for their turn. There are long lines of the people waiting.
There is a stone sarcophagus at the head of the line. The stone sarcophagus represents people who are alive now and who have been alive in the last generation. Those people represented are those responsible for climate change and the other problems that will come with it. They are people who know that what they have done and are still doing, to cause climate change could be stopped. They keep on doing the things that make climate change worse, even after they know about it.
The person at the head of the line walks forward between velvet ropes near the stone sarcophagus and spits on the sarcophagus. Only one spit per person is allowed. There are many more people who want their turn.
The people who are close to the head of the line do not talk. Their mouths are all full of spit.
There is a channel in the floor to drain off the spit so that it will not overflow onto the carpets and people can still walk safely.
There are guards standing close to the head of the line and at the corners of the sarcophagus. They are there to keep people from destroying the stone sarcophagus. It must be replaced once in a while in spite of the guards.
It is not that hard to find another body to put in another stone sarcophagus. There are lots more bodies available. It just takes some time to do it.
They have started keeping a few ready for replacements. They even have them in replacement stone sarcophagi. It makes people very angry not to get their turn. Everyone is afraid of what people will do if they do not get their turn.
This dream is not frightening like a movie. It is more frightening in a way. Some of that is because it is about the people who are alive today and people who will come after us, and how they think about us.
When I think about it, I often look for lights to turn off. I do not have a car, mostly because of thinking about this dream.
I hope that you will remember this dream and turn off lights and drive your car less. Maybe you will even get a car that uses less gas.
Those people in line may be your grandchildren.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
More Ways To Keep Your Cool In Hot Weather
People die from the sudden onset of abnormally hot weather. If you are not used to hot weather you may not have much of an idea of how to stay cool, and therefore, alive.
Climate change is causing abnormally hot weather in many parts of the world already. We can expect much more of this and it will keep getting worse as long as we live and for unborn generations.
This means we need to consider ways to deal with unusually hot weather as emergency preparedness. Many people living in areas suffering from hot weather now are not used to it enough to have ever needed or even thought about getting air conditioners.
Even if you want an air conditioner, you may not be able to afford one and the steep rise in electric bills that come with them. It would make sense for you to learn how to deal with hot weather without an air conditioner. Even if expense is not a problem for you, it would behoove you to learn how to do without the air conditioner. You may have noticed that during hot weather there have been massive power outages. That means no air conditioning for most people.
Attic turbines activated by heat rising from the home are often used in hot climates and are not too expensive. Louvers at opposite ends of the attic are another helpful option. Whole house fans are expensive, but much cheaper than air conditioners.
Porches on the sides of the home facing the summer sun can help a lot. Awnings over windows can help also. Trees can be planted to block the sun on the hottest sides of the house. It is best to use trees that shed their leaves in the fall so that they let the sun in during colder weather.
Vines can be used for the same purpose as I mentioned in my previous post.
I like scarlet runner beans for coolness vines because they grow very fast, produce edible, attractive beans, and they look pretty. They are also very easy to grow in many places. They are a tropical plant, I believe, but will even grow well here in Alaska.
Here is a site that has things about choosing plants for coolness:
http://www.myorganicgardeningblog.com/lawn-landscape/climbing-plants-5-tips-on-landscaping-with-vines/
There are lots more sites that go into it in much greater detail, but that will do for starters.
I don't know how obvious this is, but have found some people don't know it. Drink lots of extra cool water. If I am feeling dangerously overheated, I drink ice water. Don't drink it too fast, however.
A cloth dipped in cool water and dabbed or placed on the forehead, temples, or nape of the neck helps. A spray bottle of cool water misted all over is helpful too.
When my cats get hot, I have dunked them in cool water and barely dried them off. I let them air dry. I did this to one cat when I moved through the desert. I stopped at a rest stop whenever she got too dry and drenched her under the ladies room faucet. The first time or two she protested. After that she sat willingly while I did it, to the amazement of the other ladies present.
Dogs will tolerate spray bottles better than cats, so you may not need to dunk them. If you have a water dog like a retriever you will get enthusiasm with the dunking. Prepare to be drenched when they shake.
This post is long enough again. If I get enough viewers I will write more on this subject.
Climate change is causing abnormally hot weather in many parts of the world already. We can expect much more of this and it will keep getting worse as long as we live and for unborn generations.
This means we need to consider ways to deal with unusually hot weather as emergency preparedness. Many people living in areas suffering from hot weather now are not used to it enough to have ever needed or even thought about getting air conditioners.
Even if you want an air conditioner, you may not be able to afford one and the steep rise in electric bills that come with them. It would make sense for you to learn how to deal with hot weather without an air conditioner. Even if expense is not a problem for you, it would behoove you to learn how to do without the air conditioner. You may have noticed that during hot weather there have been massive power outages. That means no air conditioning for most people.
Attic turbines activated by heat rising from the home are often used in hot climates and are not too expensive. Louvers at opposite ends of the attic are another helpful option. Whole house fans are expensive, but much cheaper than air conditioners.
Porches on the sides of the home facing the summer sun can help a lot. Awnings over windows can help also. Trees can be planted to block the sun on the hottest sides of the house. It is best to use trees that shed their leaves in the fall so that they let the sun in during colder weather.
Vines can be used for the same purpose as I mentioned in my previous post.
I like scarlet runner beans for coolness vines because they grow very fast, produce edible, attractive beans, and they look pretty. They are also very easy to grow in many places. They are a tropical plant, I believe, but will even grow well here in Alaska.
Here is a site that has things about choosing plants for coolness:
http://www.myorganicgardeningblog.com/lawn-landscape/climbing-plants-5-tips-on-landscaping-with-vines/
There are lots more sites that go into it in much greater detail, but that will do for starters.
I don't know how obvious this is, but have found some people don't know it. Drink lots of extra cool water. If I am feeling dangerously overheated, I drink ice water. Don't drink it too fast, however.
A cloth dipped in cool water and dabbed or placed on the forehead, temples, or nape of the neck helps. A spray bottle of cool water misted all over is helpful too.
When my cats get hot, I have dunked them in cool water and barely dried them off. I let them air dry. I did this to one cat when I moved through the desert. I stopped at a rest stop whenever she got too dry and drenched her under the ladies room faucet. The first time or two she protested. After that she sat willingly while I did it, to the amazement of the other ladies present.
Dogs will tolerate spray bottles better than cats, so you may not need to dunk them. If you have a water dog like a retriever you will get enthusiasm with the dunking. Prepare to be drenched when they shake.
This post is long enough again. If I get enough viewers I will write more on this subject.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Claims By The United States And Canada For The Northern Passage Between The Atlantic And Pacific
Claims by the United States and Canada for the Northern passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans can't both be right. Since each country is the other's biggest trading partner, both countries keep the competition friendly. Nobody is backing down, though.
If you need any more evidence that climate change is already here, the existence of this passage should be a good clue. It used to be frozen year round.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/opening-the-northwest-passage.html
The link below is to a National Geographic article from 2007 saying that a historic first had occurred that left the Northwest Passage open.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070917-northwest-passage.html
Feeling adventurous? They now have cruises to the Arctic. Here is a link to it:
http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/arctic-expeditions/arctic-passage/overview
The ship mentioned is called, "The Quark".
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about international claims on the Arctic region:
"Under international law, no country currently owns the North Pole or the region of the Arctic Ocean surrounding it. The five surrounding Arctic countries, Russia, the United States (via Alaska), Canada, Norway and Denmark (via Greenland), are limited to an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) adjacent to their coasts.
Upon ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a country has a ten year period to make claims to an extended continental shelf which, if validated, gives it exclusive rights to resources on or below the seabed of that extended shelf area.Due to this, Norway (ratified the convention in 1996), Russia (ratified in 1997), Canada (ratified in 2003) and Denmark (ratified in 2004) launched projects to provide a basis for seabed claims on extended continental shelves beyond their exclusive economic zones. The United States has signed, but not yet ratified the UNCLOS.
The status of certain portions of the Arctic sea region are in dispute for various reasons. Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United States all regard parts of the Arctic seas as "national waters" (territorial waters out to 12 nautical miles (22 km)) or "internal waters". There also are disputes regarding what passages constitute "international seaways" and rights to passage along them (see Northwest Passage)."
The above is from 2005. They already know there is oil in the Arctic region as well as other minerals. They expect there are a lot more unknown natural resources there. It is pretty obvious there is a lot of potential for disputes over it all. This has already started.
I don't believe much attention is being paid to the rights of other countries that don't have any property claims on the Arctic region. Since this area is a "weather factory", for the world, I believe other countries should have a big say about what happens there. This is regardless of whether the other countries have any particular property rights there or not.
One of the videos I watched on one of the links I supplied here was about an idea to slow down ice melting in the Arctic Polar region. This is in conflict with the wishes of the countries that are staking claims for mineral rights in the Arctic area. People who want to exploit minerals located in the Arctic region like the idea of the ice and snow going away so they can access the minerals. People who are worried about their weather might want to keep the ice and snow in the Arctic region as long as possible.
Discussion of this matter is not going to happen as long as people don't pay attention. I am not exactly CNN news here, but here is my little spit in the ocean trying to make a difference.
If you need any more evidence that climate change is already here, the existence of this passage should be a good clue. It used to be frozen year round.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/opening-the-northwest-passage.html
The link below is to a National Geographic article from 2007 saying that a historic first had occurred that left the Northwest Passage open.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070917-northwest-passage.html
Feeling adventurous? They now have cruises to the Arctic. Here is a link to it:
http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/arctic-expeditions/arctic-passage/overview
The ship mentioned is called, "The Quark".
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about international claims on the Arctic region:
"Under international law, no country currently owns the North Pole or the region of the Arctic Ocean surrounding it. The five surrounding Arctic countries, Russia, the United States (via Alaska), Canada, Norway and Denmark (via Greenland), are limited to an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) adjacent to their coasts.
Upon ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a country has a ten year period to make claims to an extended continental shelf which, if validated, gives it exclusive rights to resources on or below the seabed of that extended shelf area.Due to this, Norway (ratified the convention in 1996), Russia (ratified in 1997), Canada (ratified in 2003) and Denmark (ratified in 2004) launched projects to provide a basis for seabed claims on extended continental shelves beyond their exclusive economic zones. The United States has signed, but not yet ratified the UNCLOS.
The status of certain portions of the Arctic sea region are in dispute for various reasons. Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United States all regard parts of the Arctic seas as "national waters" (territorial waters out to 12 nautical miles (22 km)) or "internal waters". There also are disputes regarding what passages constitute "international seaways" and rights to passage along them (see Northwest Passage)."
The above is from 2005. They already know there is oil in the Arctic region as well as other minerals. They expect there are a lot more unknown natural resources there. It is pretty obvious there is a lot of potential for disputes over it all. This has already started.
I don't believe much attention is being paid to the rights of other countries that don't have any property claims on the Arctic region. Since this area is a "weather factory", for the world, I believe other countries should have a big say about what happens there. This is regardless of whether the other countries have any particular property rights there or not.
One of the videos I watched on one of the links I supplied here was about an idea to slow down ice melting in the Arctic Polar region. This is in conflict with the wishes of the countries that are staking claims for mineral rights in the Arctic area. People who want to exploit minerals located in the Arctic region like the idea of the ice and snow going away so they can access the minerals. People who are worried about their weather might want to keep the ice and snow in the Arctic region as long as possible.
Discussion of this matter is not going to happen as long as people don't pay attention. I am not exactly CNN news here, but here is my little spit in the ocean trying to make a difference.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Humans Fouling Our Nest With Climate Change
It is possible to use the strong instinctive desire of a dog to avoid pooping in its own bed to toilet train the dog. You use the dog's crate as a bed for the dog and shut the dog into the crate when you want the dog to not poop. You let the dog out to it's toilet area when you do want the dog to poop. The dog will hold it until it is allowed out of it's bed/crate.
It is too bad humans can not be trained by the same methods. Maybe it is because we think our bed is too big. We think we own the whole planet so we poop all over it. This is both a literal and a metaphorical truth.
In the literal version, we have laws in many places restricting where one may dispose of human wastes in relation to their location near drinking water. Since human E Coli is found in drinking water in supposedly pristine wilderness areas, humans are ignoring these laws. The laws would not be necessary if we had and used instincts, like those that make crate toilet training helpful for dogs.
The metaphorical version of humans pooping all over the planet is the damage that humans as a group, have done to the earth.
Let us count the ways we have done this.
We have changed the climate system of an entire planet that we need to live on. If you want to argue about this, ask most scientists on the planet. Only a few who have either been bribed or are expecting their investments in climate damaging technologies to pay them disagree with this.
Another thing you can do if you still have any questions about human involvement in climate change is come to visit Alaska. We have the most rapid rate of climate change on earth. We have over 180 villages that will be drowned by rising ocean waters. Two of these villages were supposed to have already been evacuated. The names of these villages are Shishmaref and Kivalina. They have sites on the internet to raise money to try to save their villages.
If you want to vicariously enjoy watching disasters, the two aformentioned Alaskan villages have videos of their buildings falling into the ocean. The villagers in these two villages do not want to leave and are still trying to find ways to stay.
Protective breakwaters are one way the villagers are trying to save their villages. In Kivalina this is not working, because they do not have a good place to put a breakwater and the one they tried to make fell apart right away. In Shishmaref they did better with their breakwater. It stayed up so far, and is protecting their village for a while longer. Their entire island is very low, so even the breakwater will not work for long.
There are a lot more climate changes in Alaska and I believe I will post about some of them. I think it is a good idea to make up somewhat for ex-governors of Alaska who claim that climate change does not exist.
It is too bad humans can not be trained by the same methods. Maybe it is because we think our bed is too big. We think we own the whole planet so we poop all over it. This is both a literal and a metaphorical truth.
In the literal version, we have laws in many places restricting where one may dispose of human wastes in relation to their location near drinking water. Since human E Coli is found in drinking water in supposedly pristine wilderness areas, humans are ignoring these laws. The laws would not be necessary if we had and used instincts, like those that make crate toilet training helpful for dogs.
The metaphorical version of humans pooping all over the planet is the damage that humans as a group, have done to the earth.
Let us count the ways we have done this.
We have changed the climate system of an entire planet that we need to live on. If you want to argue about this, ask most scientists on the planet. Only a few who have either been bribed or are expecting their investments in climate damaging technologies to pay them disagree with this.
Another thing you can do if you still have any questions about human involvement in climate change is come to visit Alaska. We have the most rapid rate of climate change on earth. We have over 180 villages that will be drowned by rising ocean waters. Two of these villages were supposed to have already been evacuated. The names of these villages are Shishmaref and Kivalina. They have sites on the internet to raise money to try to save their villages.
If you want to vicariously enjoy watching disasters, the two aformentioned Alaskan villages have videos of their buildings falling into the ocean. The villagers in these two villages do not want to leave and are still trying to find ways to stay.
Protective breakwaters are one way the villagers are trying to save their villages. In Kivalina this is not working, because they do not have a good place to put a breakwater and the one they tried to make fell apart right away. In Shishmaref they did better with their breakwater. It stayed up so far, and is protecting their village for a while longer. Their entire island is very low, so even the breakwater will not work for long.
There are a lot more climate changes in Alaska and I believe I will post about some of them. I think it is a good idea to make up somewhat for ex-governors of Alaska who claim that climate change does not exist.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
What Will We Tell Our Grandchildren?
I met some people from Tuvalu in New Zealand. The Tuvaluans lived in New Zealand because their island was underwater. Their island was a low coral atoll. The little bit of sea level rise that we already had at the time was enough to drown their island. The New Zealanders were on the nearest reasonably large body of land for the Tuvaluans, so they took them in.
That seemed like a nice generous thing for the Kiwis to do for the Tuvaluans. I think of that when I see something going on in Alaska in regard to the 180 + villages that are going to be underwater.
The Tuvaluans were experiencing things that will happen to the Alaskan Natives from the soon-to-be drowned villages here.
The Tuvaluans were having a feast and I somehow stumbled upon it. They invited me to join them. They were quite insistent about it, actually. I didn't have anything against joining them, but thought that it was a sort of mourning of their loss and maybe they needed some privacy for it. They saw it otherwise.
They considered what they were doing to be a celebration that they had started a new, hopeful life. They were celebrating their culture and trying to keep it going in their new home. They were delighted to have a chance to share it with someone who was new to it (me). Once I understood that I enjoyed it.
They are lovely people. They are Polynesians and beautiful to look at and they do the graceful hula. Their type of hula is more like the Fiji style, kind of fast compared to the Hawaiian hula and they like to juggle flaming objects in the dark too. It is fun to watch. They make delicious food for days ahead of time for their feasts and especially like to do fire pits and roast a pig for days to get it flavorful and very tender.
They were a little worried during the feast because they were waiting to see if some of their young men were ok.
Their island comes back above the ocean for a short while during the summer. Just the highest parts stick up. There is not much room there, but some of the young men miss it and went back to fish and just be there, I guess. I think there were three or four of them that went. A couple had left earlier before it got too risky that a storm would cover the island entirely again. At least one had stayed just a little longer.
They had not heard from him and did not know whether he made it out alive in time. I never did get to know how that turned out.
It is kind of like what is going on all over the world. We are going to have these sorts of things happening for all the rest of our lives. It will go on for at least ten generations. That would be if we were to immediately stop all the harmful things we are doing to make the climate change worse. We know that is not happening. That means more than ten generations will get this mess going on, and worse. A lot worse.
Ten generations is about two centuries. Have you ever tried to read something that was written two hundred years ago? They talk and seem to even think differently than we do now. It can be pretty hard work to figure out what they meant.
How are we going to be able to explain to people two hundred and more years from now why they have to deal with horrible disasters because of what we are doing now? It might be pretty hard to explain that to children and grandchildren about that. We won't have to look those people in the eye two hundred years from now, but that will happen with the children and grandchildren. I expect some of them are beginning to wonder about it already. Maybe we had better get our stories straight now. They will probably have to be pretty good. It might be a tough audience.
That seemed like a nice generous thing for the Kiwis to do for the Tuvaluans. I think of that when I see something going on in Alaska in regard to the 180 + villages that are going to be underwater.
The Tuvaluans were experiencing things that will happen to the Alaskan Natives from the soon-to-be drowned villages here.
The Tuvaluans were having a feast and I somehow stumbled upon it. They invited me to join them. They were quite insistent about it, actually. I didn't have anything against joining them, but thought that it was a sort of mourning of their loss and maybe they needed some privacy for it. They saw it otherwise.
They considered what they were doing to be a celebration that they had started a new, hopeful life. They were celebrating their culture and trying to keep it going in their new home. They were delighted to have a chance to share it with someone who was new to it (me). Once I understood that I enjoyed it.
They are lovely people. They are Polynesians and beautiful to look at and they do the graceful hula. Their type of hula is more like the Fiji style, kind of fast compared to the Hawaiian hula and they like to juggle flaming objects in the dark too. It is fun to watch. They make delicious food for days ahead of time for their feasts and especially like to do fire pits and roast a pig for days to get it flavorful and very tender.
They were a little worried during the feast because they were waiting to see if some of their young men were ok.
Their island comes back above the ocean for a short while during the summer. Just the highest parts stick up. There is not much room there, but some of the young men miss it and went back to fish and just be there, I guess. I think there were three or four of them that went. A couple had left earlier before it got too risky that a storm would cover the island entirely again. At least one had stayed just a little longer.
They had not heard from him and did not know whether he made it out alive in time. I never did get to know how that turned out.
It is kind of like what is going on all over the world. We are going to have these sorts of things happening for all the rest of our lives. It will go on for at least ten generations. That would be if we were to immediately stop all the harmful things we are doing to make the climate change worse. We know that is not happening. That means more than ten generations will get this mess going on, and worse. A lot worse.
Ten generations is about two centuries. Have you ever tried to read something that was written two hundred years ago? They talk and seem to even think differently than we do now. It can be pretty hard work to figure out what they meant.
How are we going to be able to explain to people two hundred and more years from now why they have to deal with horrible disasters because of what we are doing now? It might be pretty hard to explain that to children and grandchildren about that. We won't have to look those people in the eye two hundred years from now, but that will happen with the children and grandchildren. I expect some of them are beginning to wonder about it already. Maybe we had better get our stories straight now. They will probably have to be pretty good. It might be a tough audience.
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