permaculture

["Mike Snow" <msnow@mountainschool.org>]

I like to think I have a decent grasp on the need for compromise, and on
the point that "everything gardens".  But I do wonder about implementing a
plan, on such a large and potentially long-term scale, that takes an
element (the carbon chains that make up the ethanol) out of a system. 
Take carbohydrates out of a biological cycle?  What would that do (not a
rhetorical question).

I'm left wondering how to structure incentives for ethanol's use as a
transition fuel.  What might that look like in serious legislation?  Or
perhaps how might we decentralize the process, so we're transporting a
final product and not the basic materials... Perhaps the dailykos knows.

Mike




 > Dear Robert,
>
> Why does everyone think that making alcohol from something necessarily
> excludes it from then being used for compost? Anyone who ever made wine
> knows that the source material is not in the least consumed or exhausted
> by
> the fermentation process. In fact I would not be surprised if what is lost
> as sugar is not made up for by the dead remains of the yeast that do the
> work. Also, enzymes that break down cellulose will speed the transition of
> many of these things back into available fertility.
> The worms that turn organic material into high-value plant food must wait
> until bacteria, molds, fungi, yeasts, etc perform the initial
> decomposition
> anyway before they can consume it. This is win-win as far as I can see,
> and
> adds impetus to the argument that these items should be salvaged from the
> dead-end waste stream and taken full advantage of.   dylan
>
>
>
> From: "Robert Waldrop"
>> The issue with food wastes, lawn trimmings,
>> municipal tree trimmings and etc., is that all of
>> these items are needed to develop sustainable
>> fertility for gardens and agriculture.  That is,
>> they need to be composted and mulched and returned
>> to the earth.  If we rob the earth of these
>> nutrients for ethanol, then we are resolving one
>> issue only to develop another one.
>>
>>
>
> Dylan Ford is the author of the proposal at www.ideaforpresident.com , a
> website devoted to an idea that could provide an avenue to address
> pollution
> issues, food safety, social justice, prison reform and healthcare.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> permaculture mailing list
> permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
>