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  • From: Strata R Chalup <strata AT virtual.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] peak oil was:Morning musing
  • Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:17:43 -0700 (PDT)


Several items to add to folks' considerations; no particular direction
desired, just adding data:

a) There's a new 'gold rush' on, to the Arctic oil reserves potentially
exposed by receding ice. Might create another economic 'advantage' (in the
eyes of idiot politicians) for warmongering with folks like Russia and even
long-time NATO allies like Norway and Denmark. Basically any nation that can
stake a geological claim based on continental shelf structure and undersea
ridgelines extending from their own landmass.

b) Biodiesel is totally a red herring. The 'washing' of veggie oil, and
treatment to remove the glycerine, is not only an energy-input step, but is
extremely wasteful of dwindling water resources. The good news is that
straight veggie oil is easy to burn.

c) Figures for energy conversion for ethanol and veggie fuel are indeed
generally tainted by petroleum-based agriculture. What the numbers do not
generally tell one is that there *is* a case for sustainable agriculture
approaches to some of these fuels.
- Can they keep the fleets of SUV's on the roads? No, not even close.
- Can they keep the best of the mechanized farm equipment running, so that
the nation can be fed? Yes, absolutely, as long as sustainable practices are
maintained and followed. The key is doing unprofitable and 'oddball' things
like building soil fertility at the expense of short-term gain.

d) There is a wonderful synergy out there between urban/suburban environments
and the waste stream: veggie oil can be leveraged, in conjunction with
electrical power (pumps, heat tape) for home heating and hot water. That
could make a significant difference for individual households who are willing
to convert their infrastructure. This is a great application for waste
veggie oil (eg, fryolater leavings), as the problems of filtration and
getting the oil warm enough to move are bypassed by being part of a house
infrastructure. The space occupied by a traditional hot water tank could be
converted into a veggie oil holding and filtering tank (using the same tank!)
and switched to an instant-hot style water system. Diesel hot water systems
for heating and instant hot water, such as Webasto, already exist in the RV
marketplace and can be adapted for homes.

e) The food we raise in our own backyards and on our own land keeps trucks
off the road and eliminates packaging waste. Buying things like grains in
bulk and raising as much of our own food as we can is an incredibly important
way in which we can live sustainably.
This assumes using sustainable agricultural practices (eg, compost and green
cover crops rather than dumping petro-fertilizer on the land, pasture-raising
animals rather than feedlot, etc).


f) Remember the importance of prayer, for solutions as well as for
thankfulness. The most polite deities wait to be asked. ;-)




  • Re: [Homestead] peak oil was:Morning musing, Strata R Chalup, 09/21/2007

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