D.I.Y Planet Cooling

[Michaelangelica]

 

I would support a campaign that would make underinflated tires a finable offense.

So . . .

1. how much can you push manufacturer's recommended tire pressures?

Mine are about 30-32 PSI

 

2. How many other DIY (Planet Cooling) ideas can you think of that evoke the same passion as your post?

[CraigD]

1. how much can you push manufacturer's recommended tire pressures?

Mine are about 30-32 PSI

Quite a bit, in my experience.

 

In the 1980s, I made several long trips (totaling about 8,000 mi) in 1979 2.6 L 5-speed manual Plymouth Arrow (non-stock rims and tires) with the tires pumped up to about 65 PSI cold (vs. their recommended 28 F/24 R). Looked at head on, one could see that the tires were riding on a reduced tread patch. The ride was harsh, and handling skittery, but my fuel efficiency increased from the mid 30 MPG range to 48 MPG. I also drove unusually slow, about 50 MPH.

 

The tires didn’t hold pressure well at the higher pressure, requiring me to reinflate them each morning. After each trip, I dropped the pressure down to recommended (or below – the car accelerated and handled better at a lower pressure, particularly in the rear), and noticed no unusual tread wear patterns, continued unusual pressure leakage, or other ill effects.

 

I wouldn’t recommend this for the unadventurous, however. By “skittery”, I mean increased breaking distance and a tendency to “get sideways” and “swap ends” while cornering (Arrows were known for a tendency to oversteer, even with sports tires at normal pressure). Unintentionally, I appear to have been an early experimenter in drifting. :)

[Michaelangelica]

Kitchen scraps usually go to the garbage and thence to landfill and thence to anerobic digestion =methane=greenhouse gas

So how about this:-

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_soil_water_mulch/article/0,1785,HGTV_3634_1382236,00.html

Clever Indoor Composting

or

http://www.naturemill.com/

or

http://greenyes.grrn.org/2002/09/msg00026.html

or

google "indoor Composting"

Its free plantfood. Why give it away?

[Michaelangelica]

There is a fight on in Tasmania at the moment about logging Old Growth Forests. "Gunns" the logging company seems to be winning. I saw semi-trailers in Tasmania completly full with just one bit of one giant tree that they are removing. It seems a great pity to remove anything that old and huge. It won't come back again for a long while.

 

Old-growth forest dirt might help cool planet

New science - A Chinese study finds soils capture carbon, which contradicts other old-growth research

Sunday, December 03, 2006

JEFF BARNARD

 

Researchers have found soils in an old-growth forest in southern China are storing carbon at a rapid rate.

 

If common to the soils of other old-growth forests, the finding could add combating global warming to the reasons for preserving them from logging, some scientists say.

 

The finding from soils in southern China goes against the generally accepted idea that old-growth forests are in balance, giving up as much carbon through decomposition as they take in from falling leaves and dying roots.

. . .

(Some are sceptical)

. . .

"This isn't business as usual for an old-growth forest," Aber said. "If this can be found to be generally the case in old-growth forests everywhere, it could have huge implications.

OregonLive.com: Everything Oregon

 

OCKHAM’S RAZOR – Apocalypse Now!

Sunday 10 December, 8.45am

Cognitive neuroscientist Dr John Reid is sceptical about the ability of

science to rescue humanity from its own folly. He says that by the time

there is a consensus for drastic action to be taken it could be too late.

Ockham's Razor

I tend to agree. I wonder what he will say?

[Michaelangelica]

This is an Advertisment

But the ABC needs your money (They do a great job)

True Green - 100 Everyday Ways You can Contribute to a Healthier Planet

Kim McKay and Jenny Bonin

 

Paperback Book

Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days (subject to availability)

$19.95

 

ABC Books

Description

 

You can save the world! Global warming, greenhouse gases, climate change … often the magnitude of the environmental challenges we face can leave us feeling powerless – but we’re not. In ‘True Green’, Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin, part of the Clean Up Australia team, suggest 100 small ways in which you can make a big difference, at home, in the garden, at work, while travelling or in your community.

 

* Put on a jumper instead of the heater – and lower carbon emissions

* Switch off electrical appliances at the power point – and lower your energy consumption (and bills!)

* Say no to plastic bags – and reduce waste

* Take shorter showers – and save water

* Walk or cycle to your local shops – and reduce pollution

 

Practical, positive and easy to use, this essential reference shows how making simple changes in your everyday life that can contribute to a healthier planet. Don’t be true blue – be true green.

 

Released: 2006

Available from

ABC Shop - True Green - 100 Everyday Ways You can Contribute to a Healthier Planet Kim McKay and Jenny Bonin

[Michaelangelica]

Is this true do you think?

What about Terra preta use of trees?

Especialy given CraigD's posts

eg

Trees – or any carbon sequestration medium – can’t and don’t store a greater mass of C than their total mass. From the quote, in the case of trees, they store about 45% as much C as they mass.

While they eliminate a much greater mass of atmospheric CO2 than their mass, the O remain in the air, ready to recombine with the C in the event of such likely events as the tree being burned.

Sci. & Tech.

Planting trees to save planet `pointless' say ecologists

 

By Alok Jha in San Francisco

 

GUARDIAN NEWS SERVICE: Planting trees to combat climate change is a waste of time, according to astudy by ecologists who say that most forests do not have any overall effect on global temperature, while those furthest from the equator could actually be making global warming worse.

 

``The idea that you can go out and plant a tree and help reverse globalwarming is an appealing, feel-good thing,'' said Ken Caldeira of the global ecology department at the Carnegie Institution of Washington in Stanford, California, a co-author of the study. ``To plant forests to mitigate climate change outside of the tropics is a waste of time.''

The Hindu News Update Service

[Michaelangelica]

This quote makes an interesting observation, but makes an obvious error, which it uses to suggest something mysterious about trees.

 

Trees – or any carbon sequestration medium – can’t and don’t store a greater mass of C than their total mass. From the quote, in the case of trees, they store about 45% as much C as they mass. While they eliminate a much greater mass of atmospheric CO2 than their mass, the O remain in the air, ready to recombine with the C in the event of such likely events as the tree being burned.

I am not yet convinced that trees don't help.

Bala’s study, the first simulation to link carbon dioxide and the heat-absorbing effect of trees, found forests had different effects on global warming depending on latitude.

 

“North of 20 degrees [latitude] forests had a direct warming influence that more or less counterbalanced the cooling effect of carbon removal from the atmosphere,’’ said Caldeira. Past 50 degrees, forests warmed the Earth by an average of 0,8°C. But in the tropics forests helped cool the planet by an average of 0,7°C.

Bala explained that forest canopies, because they are relatively dark, absorb most of the sun’s rays on them. Grassland or snowfields, however, reflect more sun, keeping temperatures lower.

 

Planting trees above 50 degrees latitude, such as in Siberia, could cover tundras normally blanketed in heat-reflecting snow.

 

In the tropical regions, though, water evaporating from trees increased cloudiness, which helped keep the planet cool.

 

John Coequyt, of Greenpeace USA, said: “We have always come down on limiting the credits you give to countries and companies that use forestry policy to mitigate climate change.”

Barking up the wrong tree : Mail & Guardian Online

Isn't water vapour a greenhouse gas?; or does it change when it becomes a white (& reflective) cloud?

Would trees grow in Siberia/Scotland etc?

[Michaelangelica]

Here is a great way to drastically reduce greenhose CO2- Don't exercise :Clown:

A 70 K human exhales 1 litre a minute of CO2. :)

 

When exercising vigorously this jumps to 2 litres!! :umno:

 

So halve your emissions; don't jog watch TV!:eek: (or write to Hypography) :smart:

 

SOURCE:

The ODD Body 2 S Juan:read:

[Michaelangelica]

Some good news

LED Lightbulbs

 

Light Emitting Diodes are already ubiquitous in our lives as indicators that our electronic devices are plugged in and sucking power, often on standby, from the grid. But they could be doing much more for us.

They could light up our lives with a fraction of the electrons used by old-fashioned incandescent bulbs that waste 90-95 percent of the expensive electricity we feed them, producing more heat than light.

Today, lighting uses about 25 percent of all the electrical power we generate. Compact fluorescent bulbs are currently the best option, but LEDs are catching up.

 

Researchers made a breakthrough this year that pushed white LED output up to 130 lumens per watt. By comparison, an incandescent bulb produces 15 lumens per watt and fluorescent bulbs range from 60 to 110 lumens per watt. The progress is so encouraging that some researchers expect to reach 150 lumens per watt with LED bulbs in the next few years.

more about new ideas comming on line here:-

2006 top green tech ideas | EnergyBulletin.net | Peak Oil News Clearinghouse

[Michaelangelica]

The news about climate change looks grimmer every day, alerting us to the fact that we have no time to waste and we can't afford to invest precious resources in false technology promises and energy dead-ends.

 

Fortunately, a lot of brilliant minds are at work on these problems, and a number of good ideas have surfaced in 2006 that are worth further investigation. Below I list five technologies that seem especially promising. I'll be keeping an eye on these technologies to see where they go in 2007.

1. LED Lightbulbs ( see above post)

Compact fluorescent bulbs are currently the best option, but LEDs are catching up.

Researchers made a breakthrough this year that pushed white LED output up to 130 lumens per watt.

 

2. Solar Photovoltaics

For the past few years, the solar photovoltaic (solar PV) industry has been growing like corn on a hot summer night, held back only by a shortage of its highly purified silicon raw material.

 

3. Wind Kites

 

Enthusiasts are working on several innovative concepts for flying wind turbines. One uses the tethered kite concept; one relies on a blimp for lift; one uses kites in a loop like a Ferris wheel; another is modeled on a merry-go-round. But none of this kite-flying is child's play. If any of these concepts prove workable, wind power could end up making a greater contribution to our energy needs than anyone has yet imagined.

 

4. Plug-In Hybrids and the V2G

 

 

5. Terra Preta - The Black Earth

 

Scoop: Kelpie Wilson: 2006 Top Green Tech Ideas

[Michaelangelica]

6. Talking ? (hypografing?)

Dr. Hansen strongly disagreed with this characterization, saying such procedures had already prevented the public from fully grasping recent findings about climate change that point to risks ahead.

 

"Communicating with the public seems to be essential," he said, "because public concern is probably the only thing capable of overcoming the special interests that have obfuscated the topic."

. . .

 

Since 1988, he has been issuing public warnings about the long-term threat from heat-trapping emissions,

Climate Expert Says NASA Tried to Silence Him - New York Times

[Michaelangelica]

Go to Carbon Pool Pty Ltd and also check out the project within called 'Minding the Carbon Store'.

They have purchased remaining clearing permits from Queensland farmers, retaining the carbon for 120 years. Rio Tinto Aluminium purchased most of the carbon credits. One of the landholders has just received a cheque for $1 million. They have saved about 10,000 hectares from the bulldozer.

The website will explain.

[Michaelangelica]

Australian of the Year Tim Flannery has some advice on how we can repair our damaged planet.

Foster pyrolysis-based technologies in Australia.

These technologies convert crop waste into fuel and charcoal (which can be used to enhance soil fertility and store carbon long-term).

Using this technology and natural gas, we should be independent of foreign oil imports by 2025.

This will involve the development of much infrastructure in rural Australia.

Tim Flannery in the Bulletin

The heat is on

 

Tim please go to Hypography Terra preta thread! We have been 'fostering'

or

Visit Best Energies at Somersby NSW. It is all ready to go!

[Michaelangelica]

DIY + friends

 

News

Sydney aims for climate change blackout

Monday, 26 March 2007

 

One thousand businesses have signed up in the biggest climate change awareness blackout ever attempted

 

SYDNEY: Australia's largest city will be plunged into darkness for an hour on Saturday in a world first blackout to raise awareness of global warming.

 

The lights will go out in landmark headquarters buildings in Sydney's central business district, on the iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House, and in tens of thousands of suburban homes.

 

If the switch-off is successful then it could be copied by major cities around the world in a symbolic drive to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions blamed for climate change, according to international conservation group WWF.

 

"Earth Hour", which begins at 7:30pm Sydney time (9:30am GMT) on March 31, has been planned for 10 months by WWF in partnership with the city authorities, businesses and a major newspaper group.

 

"We've been astounded at the level of support we've got," said Andy Ridley of WWF Australia in Sydney.

Sydney aims for climate change blackout | COSMOS magazine

[Boerseun]

Unfortunately, that will achieve nothing apart from the symbolism.

 

It takes so long for power companies to get their power supply up to the demand, that they will most likely still run at 100% of normal supply during the 1-hour blackout. Then, one hour later, when the demand pops back to 100%, the power will be there when needed. In other words, there will be no environmental benefit through not keeping the demand up at 100% for one hour - the power companies will still be chuggin' away at normal, spewing their pollutants all over the place.

 

What's needed, is a conscious effort to save power by all involved, so that the average demand drops over time, so that the power companies will gradually lower their supply. There's a general 'over-supply' of roughly 5% in any case, which simply goes to waste. And also keep in mind, saving power isn't really saving anything at all - the power generated *now* goes to waste at the very same moment if it's not used, there are no 'banks of batteries' to save the power not used. The only savings can come if average consumption goes down over time, which will prompt the power companies to lower their over-supply.

 

Also, a much bigger savings will come if power companies are given an incentive to change their long-distance transmission wires from high-loss aluminium wires to something else with a lower transmission loss. In SA, we have transmission wires running from Cape Town all the way to central Africa. They employed aluminium cables because of the light weight and (then) low cost, but those wires are now between thirty and forty years old, and a lot has happened in the metallurgical sciences since. They are running at a more than 60% transmission loss. If we can give them an incentive to replace those wires with something that has only, say, a 20% loss over distance, that'll increase the available power (or decrease the needed production) by a lot. A tax incentive should suffice, I would imagine. Besides, the price of scrap aluminium will also make it attractive to get those thousands of kilometers of aluminium off the poles. there are thousands of tons of aluminium there, wasting power, waiting to be replaced.

 

That's another simple DIY planet-saving power-reducing greenhouse gas emmisions reducing project that can be tackled right now without inventing any new technology or even intruding in the power companies' current dirty generating setup. It seems to me that globally, we're not lacking in ideas and/or planet cooling solutions. What is lacking, seems to be resolve.

[Michaelangelica]

Unfortunately, that will achieve nothing apart from the symbolism.

Yes I know.

But don't tell anyone

It's the thought that counts.

 

:naughty:

?Thinks. . .

Then again, when people realise they have been conned, perhaps they will ignore making real changes?

Bit like telling kids all drugs will kill them

 

I don't know what our wires are made from. Power stations all around me here. They don't look like aluminum. I will try and find out.

 

O for high or room temp. Superconductors hey!

That would change the face of the planet.

[Michaelangelica]

Should There be a Ban on Incandescent Lamps?

NOTE PLEASE NOTE: This is rapidly turning into a horror story. Only a short while ago, I thought that the power factor issue was important, but there is a far greater problem. The major downfall is that a vast number of enclosed light fittings (probably hundreds of millions worldwide) cannot be used with CFLs !

 

Power factor is still important ... while you only pay for the actual energy used (as shown on the packaging), power companies have to provide the full voltage and current (also shown on many packages and/or other literature). The relatively poor power factor increases distribution losses and therefore the cost of getting electricity to your house, but the light fitting issue is much greater.

 

Now, we also have the European Union (EU) singing the same silly song. On Friday (UK time) it was announced that the 490 million citizens of the 27 member states will be expected to switch to energy-efficient bulbs after a summit of EU leaders yesterday told the European Commission to "rapidly submit proposals" to that effect. I wonder just how much research was done before this piece of lunacy was announced? None, perhaps?

 

Nothing in this article is conjecture or CFL bashing (I like CFLs, and use them wherever possible in my home and workshop), merely simple facts that a great many people have overlooked. The reasons are described below (yes, it's technical), and for those who want to know more about power factor or the use of CFLs in existing luminaires (or any of the other factors involved) please read on ...

Ban Incandescent Lamps?