permaculture

[BK <lildragon@saber.net>]

Hey folks,

I have seen the news clip on this gas from trash concept, seems interesting
a few points though:
Though the folks claimed that this process was alot better then incinration
because the contamiants didn't go into the fuel, if you break down PVC
you'll still have the clorine left even if you can break off and seperate
all the hydrocarbons from it. The clorine might bind together with sodim or
something an become inert salt, but there are other heavy metals and stuff
that would exist in ground up e-waste. You would be converting what would
otherwise be trash into a usable fuel, but you're now putting that carbon
that would've been locked in as a plastic, into the atmosphere as CO2. If it
system does work with organic wastes, you could have a short carbon cycle (a
few years) from CO2 --> plants --> animals --(?)> widget --> fuel -->
combustion --> C02, similar to what a biodiesel or methane cycle might look
like. Of course, this doesn't solve the problem of traffic, which a totally
different issue.

On a totally different topic, I had had a taro plant in a sawn off 5 gallon
water cooler container, which survived, but didn't do well. Now having
recently transfered it into a clay soil garden area, it's doing quite nicely
without any bog like conditions. Are there any varieties that are adapted to
a more dry growing environment?

Cheers,
B K