Homestead mailing list

[Roy Morgan <k1lky AT earthlink.net>]

On May 23, 2008, at 9:00 AM, Gene GeRue wrote:
> Now predict where those suburbanites will live. And how long will be
> the transition.
>
> Then invest.

(I'm normally somewhat rational, but not tonight):

Here's a factor that may not have been mentioned on the list since I  
joined: The Birth Rate.  Here's how it might go:  "All those  
suburbanites" finally get the message and stop having babies, or at  
least have way fewer.  They teach their children, the fewer and fewer  
that there are, not to have so many children.

Eventually in suburbia, one of every five houses is occupied.  The  
folks who live in the one are using the wood from the other four for  
heat.  (Hmmm... how long will that last till the four houses are  
reduced to nearly nothing and the grass and trees can take over.)  
Hey, what a concept.  Live in one house, not need more and more (Of  
everything) for more and more children, and plant some food on the  
lots that used to be the other four houses.

I just watched a tv show about how Japan developed a rocket that  
delivered a sattelite to orbit so we can watch the planet in higher  
fidelity.  The satellite cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The  
rocket cost as much.  The flames from the rocket were maybe a quarter  
of a mile long.  What is the "carbon footprint" of all that?  Oh, and  
the likely conclusion from the satellite data?  "Hey, this global  
warming thing may be real. We better launch more satellites to gather  
more data."  (What's wrong with this picture?)

Most people don't see things like this one:  a few days ago I drove  
across the bridge over the rail yard at Brunswick MD. That is between  
West (By God) Virgina where they dig coal and some other place where  
they burn the coal.  There was a coal train parked there.  I  
commented to folks in the car; "There is a mile of coal cars."  A  
MILE of them!  A couple days later the train was gone. Likely it was  
gone that day.  Where?  I dunno. But I bet the coal went into the  
atmosphere.  I wonder if we really need that satellite.

Maybe-related event:  I used to walk from my office to get lunch and  
pass the Hummer dealer.  One day they had a few original Hummers and  
some H-2's parked there. I looked at the price tags.  Original  
Hummer: $122,000.  (One hundred twenty two thousand dollars.) The  
H-2: $55,000.  I guess the milage on the original Hummer at 6-8 miles  
per gallon, and the H-2 maybe 12.  Now they have the H-3, I think.   
Lighter, smaller, ever ,more like a normal SUV.  I think this is  
going in the right direction.  But it won't be right till there are  
zero Hummers.  And kids have little wooden replicas only, and they  
toys are not made of plastic and  not brought here on a ship from the  
Pacific Rim in a ship that burns guess what: oil.

And what is the carbon footprint of an original Hummer.

I skimmed an article today in Mother Jones magazine.
http://motherjones.com/
The article was:  "The Seven Myths of Energy Independence"
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2008/05/the-seven-myths-of- 
energy-independence.html
One myth was "Once Bush is gone, change will come."
Others were: "Ethanol Will Set Us Free" and "Energy Independence Is  
Good"

One more random thought: What is the carbon foot print of a large  
pizza with extra cheese and sausage on half?

I plan to read The Myths article tomorrow. But for now, Off to sleep.

Roy

Roy Morgan
k1lky AT earthlink.net
Lovettsville, VA 20180