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  • From: Roy Morgan <k1lky AT earthlink.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] The future is here
  • Date: Sat, 24 May 2008 01:46:06 -0400


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







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