Green Forward

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 8:58 am

What are "you" doing today to green forward to reduce "your" footprint left, when your gone?

Today I'm mixing my music into a incoder.. It is a very low voltage user. Run on rechargable batteries.. I will be playing the music through a solor powered pre-amp. The solor panel will also charge the incoders batteries.

What can "you" do "Today"?. Can we dedicate are efforts forward to Burning Man 07?

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 9:06 am

Where did you get your solar panel?

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 9:18 am

skygod wrote:Where did you get your solar panel?

/
Harbor Freight, 45 watt.

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 5:35 pm

When it says you can charge a 12VDC battery with it, does that mean a Car Battery?

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 5:43 pm

skygod wrote:When it says you can charge a 12VDC battery with it, does that mean a Car Battery?

I retired into a RV. I'm useing solor to charge the batteries.. The lights and computer monitor are 112volts.. Works for me..

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 6:12 pm

Do you plug it into your cigarette lighter or attch it to your battery somehow?

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 6:18 pm

skygod wrote:Do you plug it into your cigarette lighter or attch it to your battery somehow?

/
I believe your talking about those 19$ trickel chargers. I'm talking about the $200 three panel 45 watt ones.

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 6:29 pm

Well, you've certainly got me thinking about it. Thanks, buddy! Solar Charging some deep cell batteries out there gives me some options.

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 10:19 pm

I recycle as much as I can. I'm buying locally-produced food whenever I can too, to cut down on national distribution miles (and gas). I'm going to look for companies that have either converted their truck fleets to biodiesel or utilize trucking companies that have done that. Buying local is a relatively easy, and effective way to green your life.

Pretty much every municipal population centre has at least one farmers' market. Find out when/where yours are and buy there! If you can swing it, consider buying a farmshare. Your local newspaper want ads should have listings.

I know not everyone here is into horses and aren't aware of the PMU farms that supply pregnant mare urine to make the drugs Premarin and Prempro. I won't go into that here. But lately, I've been talking up the possibility of converting those farms to grow biofuel crops, organic compost and/or methane generation plants.

In the future, I'm looking at solar shingles for my roof, as well as solar fabric for my patio awning. The Army uses it now for desert operations and I'm watching for it to be made available to the civilian market. Makes one hell of a lot more sense than buying a Hummer. I'm also going to drill a well and make use of geothermal-passive solar heating. I'm installing wood stoves instead of fireplaces and plan to use field rock from the site to include in my house.

Post by **AntiM** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 8:28 am

I'm talking about the $200 three panel 45 watt ones.

We have the same set, but our power needs have been low lately, so while we've take them to the playa to charge up our deep cells, we've yet to use them. I'm sure if we hook up all the bike lights we'd need them after all.

Ran a flourescent fixture in camp off a 12v battery all week. It was nice to have actaul light instead of flashlights or a hot lantern or dim solar candles.

I recycle art, does that count?

chup · Post by **chup** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 2:04 pm

I walk around the house 8 times a day turning off every god-damned light in the house that the kids leave on ! Does that count ?

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 2:49 pm

I must say that I have totally overlooked the potentials of pregnant mare urine!!!
Hmmm, i guess I could go biodiesel in my VW camper. Costco soybean oil is cheaper than gasoline.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 6:07 pm

My GReen Forwad for today was to take my son on a round trip to the stores we needed to go to.. The car has been siting all week. Waiting for enough places to go at one time. Saves burning gas and money.
Over the last week I have built a covered porch/mud porch. Roof,door, siding and trim all "salvage". Out of pocket, $20 for nails and studs.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 1:58 am

skygod wrote:I must say that I have totally overlooked the potentials of pregnant mare urine!!!
Hmmm, i guess I could go biodiesel in my VW camper. Costco soybean oil is cheaper than gasoline.

I so want to go biodiesel! Do VW campers even come in diesel? I tried looking online and didn't see any. (I've been thinking about getting an old school bus, but would need somewhere to convert it-- the apartment building's parking lot is just a little too small!

)

B.

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:20 am

I know a bunch around here that do, but they're '68 to '71 models. I see 'em on Craig's List all the time, mostly Vanagons and Westfalias.

From what I understand now, new diesel camper vans go for $70,000!

I just scouted down a decent Chevy van conversion, diesel, for $2000. I saw another one yesterday for $16,500 but it was tricked out to a faretheewell. Solar, toilet, three beds, galley kitchen, tons of storage space.

We got lucky, though. I mentioned we have a biofuels station in south Eugene. One of my fellow Marketeers has an Explorer and he converted it to bioethanol burning. He told me it actually gets BETTER mileage (and for a start, Explorers sucketh not in terms of mileage for their class) and is cheaper than gasoline. I'm going to my mechanic tomorrow and ask him to get a flex fuel pump, then getting it installed next week. Now that I know it'll work in the Nephthys Navajo I am SO gonna jump on this.

The solar shingles can wait, I continue to shop local and recycle today, but I'm going to be running on biofuels by this time next month!

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 11:56 am

I'm going to need a new engine soon for my VW. I'm gonna have to start looking around. I'm thinking it can't be that hard to convert a '90 Vanagon to a diesel engine. I would have to spend 3-4K to put a rebuilt gasoline engine in it anyway. I understand VW diesels don't need much modification to run bio. It's a Syncro Westy and I love it and want to keep it.
I saw an article some people traveling the country in a truck that runs biodiesel, and has a press and processor to extract the oil from corn or soybeans!

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 5:42 pm

Green forward for today, I use a candle to simer the grains I eat for brackfast instead of the stove. I do this dayly. Also sip tea and other foods that are simered. But not just "a" candle. I use a floating candle. Floatimg in olive oil. this is a fine renewable.

how?

Use a tuna can to float the candle. Place the tuna can in 5"dia X 2 boiling pan. Place a small wire trivit over the boiling pan. One tlb spoon of olive oil burns for about six hours. Great for soaking beans.

helitack · Post by **helitack** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 7:01 pm

I used an obsidian knife to clean the road kill antelope on 267. The meat is drying in the sun. Gonna drive the Suburban up and fetch another when the time comes.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:18 pm

I know a bunch around here that do, but they're '68 to '71 models. I see 'em on Craig's List all the time, mostly Vanagons and Westfalias.

From what I understand now, new diesel camper vans go for $70,000!

Anyway, I haven't been seeing any second hand diesel VW vans for sale around here. Maybe it is the reputation for not starting in the winter made them unpopular in Wisconsin? Or I haven't been looking in the right places? (I only recently bookmarked the regional Craig's list.)

Supposedly there is someone making and selling biodiesel in Racine county, but I think he may be out of business (his website is down, and the national locator which pointed to his website had a months old inquiry about his status sitting unanswered).

Darn. I think that there was more I wanted to say, but I am really tired at the moment and not thinking straight.

Good night!

B.

we0ne · Post by **we0ne** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 11:11 pm

We sold both our vehicles a few months ago and have commtted to at least 6 months car free. We walk, bike or bus it, no taxi's either. When we do re purchase, we will be buying something, used, diesel and converting to drive partially on veggie oil. We live north of 60, so doing veggie/bio all year round is not an option.

We have started plans to divert the grey water from our kitchen to use in our toilets for flushing and watering flowers etc outside.

I continue to offer my services for free for woman who are having difficulty with breastfeeding, to help them over come problems and to continue to feed their children with breastmilk only for the first 6 months, which is a pretty green thing to do for your baby and the environment.

Thanks for some more ideas.

Cheers

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:13 pm

Way to go WeONE.

/
Got my electric bill today. It looks like I save 20bucks by installing a clock on the water heater.. I have a hot shot water hearter on the kitchen counter. It heats water for coffee, other cooking and dish washing.. The timed water heater is set to heat just before I get up.. Can jump in the shower and still have hot water for breakfast dutys.. The clock cost $6.

chup · Post by **chup** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:04 pm

OK,
I am feeling Guilty.

I am coming to Burning Man in a Motorhome. It is aprx 2800 miles each way so rounding up to 6000 Miles round trip at 8mpg that makes 750 gallons of gas. Plus maybe another 25 for generator use to keep the batteries charged.

Thats 88,427,500 BTUs of energy used not including any cooking, water heating for One person to attend.

This Translate to 15,500 lbs of Carbon Dixoide in the air for just me...
Me...

See Below...

It seems impossible that a gallon of gasoline, which weighs about 6.3 pounds, could produce 20 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) when burned. However, most of the weight of the CO2 doesn't come from the gasoline itself, but the oxygen in the air.

When gasoline burns, the carbon and hydrogen separate. The hydrogen combines with oxygen to form water (H2O), and carbon combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide (CO2).

A carbon atom has a weight of 12, and each oxygen atom has a weight of 16, giving each single molecule of CO2 an atomic weight of 44 (12 from carbon and 32 from oxygen).

Therefore, to calculate the amount of CO2 produced from a gallon of gasoline, the weight of the carbon in the gasoline is multiplied by 44/12 or 3.7.

Since gasoline is about 87% carbon and 13% hydrogen by weight, the carbon in a gallon of gasoline weighs 5.5 pounds (6.3 lbs. x .87).

We can then multiply the weight of the carbon (5.5 pounds) by 3.7, which equals 20 pounds of CO2!

From: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/co2.shtml

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:28 pm

I think keeping the big picture in mind is important. Replacing a clean burning Civic with a huge 30 year old diesel beast that MIGHT run on biodiesel isn't necessarily a win. Finding a way to simply not drive so much will provide the biggest savings. Carpool, live closer to work, telecommute, bike, ride a bus.

Driving an RV to the burn by yourself is a waste. Take 5 passengers with you and the average footprint goes down to about the same as 2 people per regular car.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 8:42 pm

I think keeping the big picture in mind is important. Replacing a clean burning Civic with a huge 30 year old diesel beast that MIGHT run on biodiesel isn't necessarily a win.

Any diesel enginge WILL run on biodiesel. With older models the concern is with the hoses, since biodiesel can dissolve rubber. Converting a diesel to run on biodiesel mainly involves replacing rubber hoses with more modern compounds (IIRC Teflon is preferred).

B.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 8:12 am

Yesterday was my 69th.. Took the day off from greening.. Figure I'm nearing the ultimata of returning to the earth.. So I can rest one day.

But today when I go to the market, I will take my own zip-lock plastic for the balk food. They can be reused many times for this.

Stay with the theme, go green.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:35 am

BAS wrote:Any diesel enginge WILL run on biodiesel.

But not all diesel owners will go through the trouble of replacing the hoses (if applicable) then track down commercially available biodiesel or make their own on a regular basis.

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 12:39 pm

I just heard back from my mechanic. They won't touch the job. They said the EPA claims that ethanol conversion jobs increase tailpipe emissions and they will fine any shop that does an ethanol conversion job on a stock gasoline-burning vehicle. The fine is massive: $50,000.

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I didn't call "Bullshit." I said, "I'll talk to my friend this Saturday and ask him where he got his job done." And then my mechanic said, "Yes! Do it! The little independent shops won't be as heavily under scrutiny as we are (they're a national chain). And tell me what you find out, because it's obviously the next wave of things and we'd LOVE to do it."

As soon as I heard "EPA.gov" my Bullshit Light™ came on. It's the Bush Administration, someone high up greased their palm and they're protecting Big Oil. The fact is, if ethanol gives converted vehicles better mileage, costs less, and therefore lightens up on the economy. You can travel farther on a tankful, for less money, and burning ethanol decentralizes the industry, bringing it closer to the local level. Big Oil wants to keep drivers paying into their pyramid scheme so they got the EPA over a barrel (excuse the pun).

The EPA actually sued the government to excuse them from complying with THEIR OWN groundwater quality standards for arsenic because compliance is "too expensive." They actually want to relax the standards so we'll have more arsenic, a known carcinogen, in our drinking water, and watering our crops. They aren't protecting the environment or the people, so I'm suspicious of anything they say.

On a brighter note: Thanks for the Ziploc for bulk groceries idea, Unjon. I get a lot of bulk foodstuffs. I'll be doing that from now on.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:44 am

diane o'thirst wrote:On a brighter note: Thanks for the Ziploc for bulk groceries idea, Unjon. I get a lot of bulk foodstuffs. I'll be doing that from now on.

Out here in the Michigan sticks, I always get weird looks when I bring a grocery bag from home...Even when I bring returnables back in milk crates! (The deposit law has really helped clean up our roadways, but there's STILL no deposit on bottled water or many sports drinks. Idiotic.)
I've been racking my brains trying to come up with an art project that uses those flimsycrappy supermarket bags, which decorate many a tree in these parts...Maybe shredding them and blending 'em with oak leaves or other major Michigan exports. (Like Republican yard signs.)

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:57 am

We have canvas shopping bags which always go to the commissary with us. Some of the baggers hate them because they don't fit the bag stand, but they get over it. I love the blank look I get when I reply "canvas" to the "paper or plastic" question. Some of my bags are approaching 20 years old, the oldest from Japan are still going strong.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 8:53 am

robotland wrote:
diane o'thirst wrote:On a brighter note: Thanks for the Ziploc for bulk groceries idea, Unjon. I get a lot of bulk foodstuffs. I'll be doing that from now on.
I've been racking my brains trying to come up with an art project that uses those flimsycrappy supermarket bags, which decorate many a tree in these parts...Maybe shredding them and blending 'em with oak leaves or other major Michigan exports. (Like Republican yard signs.)

/
I have a paper shredder this hand cranked..JUnk mail never gets in the house.. It is shredded in the shop. Recycle companys will take this type of paper.

Shred those bags and give them to the worms, they love paper/wood all cut up for them. The bags can go with the news print also.

The grey cardboard from breakfast foods, tissue boxs and the likes have no fiber. So they have no value in recycle. The can go into your yard shredder for compost or worm bed.

Slick paper in magazines and Sunday adds from stores are another story.
. The slick is clay. The recycle companys have to fish it out and burn it. "Compost this shit" it will rot down.. With one of those electric lawn clippings shredders in your shop,!! Recycle ever day.

Staying Green? Use less plastics