Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Mark Nagel <activism98201@verizon.net>]

Well, I guess we'll just have to disagree.

Your discussion centers around mass production.  While mass production is 
efficient, it is so at the expense of needing to promote growth.

None of this is sustainable in a growth environment.  And seeing that the 
economic system that maintains these methods of production rely on growth in 
order to operate, it's not a workable system long-term.

Ethanol production (especially from corn) is going to ramp up big time.  And 
it's not because it's a good idea, but rather because of the existing lobby 
groups.

As to your statement "Properly processed, remaining solids could even provide 
direct nutrition for human consumption," there's that magic word- 
"processed."  At what cost is this production?  How much energy are we going 
to pump into this?

Just because something can be done doesn't mean that it should.

I'll forgo comments on the environmental impacts from  ethanol 
production/processing.


-Mark Nagel
Everett, WA


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From: Greg and April <gregandapril@earthlink.net>

Mark,After looking at this for a week, I have to say "I disagree". There are 
ways and means to' have your food and ethanol too '. Much of the corn that is 
used in the US, goes to feed lot production of beef, pork, and chicken.    
But, because the corn does not carry all the protein and other nutrients, 
they have to add protein fillers, such as soybeans and/or heaven forbid, meat 
by-products - mad cow disease anyone? The solids and liquids left after the 
ethanol is distilled from the beer, go allot further to providing a balanced 
ration than corn does.    Properly processed, remaining solids could even 
provide direct nutrition for human consumption.     There is a video, that 
shows spent grain ( from making beer ) being mixed with sterilized straw, and 
inoculated with mushroom spawn.    Once the mushrooms are harvested ( for 
human use ), the spent material is then vermicultured, and the worms produced 
are blended with aquatic plants to provide food for fish grown in a green 
house ( the vermicompost is used to raise the fertility of soil ).   The fish 
is then sold for human consumption.    The water full of fish waste is used 
to grow vegetables ( for human use ) in the same green house.    The water is 
then pumped into tanks with prawns ( for human use ) and aquatic plants ( to 
be mixed with the worms to make fish feed ).    The waste heat from a 
distillery, can be used, to provide heat for such a green house to keep 
things running even in the middle of winter. If anyone is interested, I can 
try and provide the video.    I can not seam to access it while I'm off line, 
but, I can't figure out the exact web address either.     Paul - does the 
list have a place for storage of various files?    If we do, we could try and 
store the video there for people to access. Greg H.