What do you think of this, Hakan?
http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0302hsted/0302homested.html
Homesteading Catalog
Roberts, Rex. Your Engineered House. New York: M.C. Evans Company, 1964.
This book can't be praised enough! Roberts is both a master builder
and a master house designer; he takes the reader step by step
through designing and building a totally sensible wooden house that
defies all conventional approaches. Roberts will help you reconsider
which materials are most sensible, instruct you in design
principles, and to stand outside many building styles that aren't
really as sensible as the mass of people might believe. Sadly, after
the so-called energy crisis of the 1970s, the so-called
energy-conservation legislation in the United States mandated
national building codes that prohibited much of what Roberts
suggested in this book. Still, it is highly valuable, particularly
in places where one may freely design and build their own house
largely out of wood. OUT OF PRINT.
http://www.soilandhealth.org/copyform.asp?bookcode=030211
Best wishes
Keith
If I said to the group that we could replace 50% of the use of
finite and fossil fuels, I am sure that it is not many who see that
as both realistic and achievable. In fact, most people would see it
as a reasonable goal and it could even be done within a 20 year
period. This for at least tertiary buildings, domestic buildings and
transport. Brazil is already there or even at better numbers.
Electricity production from wind, solar, hydro and biofuels will
definitely be achievable at 50%, nobody doubt that at all.
This will help a lot and will not be any risks for not continuing
with any activity.
Hakan
At 11:15 PM 11/24/2004, you wrote:
I'd say that considering biofuels as a substitute for fossil fuels in our
current parrent of economy/society, Monbiot is right.
However, biofuels from waste material and small crop diversions, as a
means of keeping mechanically powered farming and a frugal local economy
functioning in a time of fossil fuel supply shortages and dislocations
which is fast approaching, has a crucial role to play in our overall
energy supply.
It may not be possible to continue mechanically powered farming in the
long term, but we will need to keep it going for some time; we can't
switch to animal power and gardening methods overnight.
Biofuel production and use will be developed by those who want to do it
for their own purposes, and I don't think it is very important whether
those uses are viable (e.g. McDonald's parasites) over the long term.
The important thing is that the technology gets developed and spreads.
As long as we have metals and reasonably accurate machining (and it may be
possible to replace a lot of metal with ceramics), I expect that biofuel
powered engines will have a place.
Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
On Wed, 24 Nov 2004, Myles Arnott wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> I'm pretty new to this group, and have been following
> most of what has been posited and discussed with much
> interest. However, I came across this article today
> and was made to feel a little uneasy.
>
> I believe there is a lot of good (both environmental
> and humanitarian) to be achieved throught the use (and
> governmental support) of this sort of renewable
> energy, and call upon those better informed than
> myself to put my mind at ease.
>
> Are we missing the bigger picture?
>
> Yours,
>
> Myles.
>
>
>
>
> "Fuel for nought"
>
> The adoption of biofuels would be a humanitarian and
> environmental disaster
>
> George Monbiot
> Tuesday November 23, 2004
> The Guardian
[snip]
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