Forced Green

Well, after a month of fighting the weather, the frame of the RV cover, and just
plain physical stamina, a conclusion has been reached.

At first, the selection of pvc was made due to the pricing, cheap!  However, after
you go above 10 feet, it becomes pretty useless to handle a load, muchless wind.
There have been 20 - 60 mph winds here for the last 5 months and the frame is not
handling it well.  Have tried every which way possible to brace the top to handle
the tin but no matter which way was tried, a bow would appear or the connections
crackled with threat of coming apart.

So, today a decision was made to tear down what we have and start anew.
Needless to say, all of the effort expended has be good in one sense as it taught
a good lesson on construction.  If your gut says do not do it, don’t.  At the same
time, in trying to be different….. yes!  almost a reality but strength was not
there.

With the heat fast approaching here in Texas, we are on the move to get this
accomplished as fast as possible.  This weekend will be tear down mode and next week
will start again with hole digging to handle 4 x 4 x 16 poles.

Will keep you updated on how it goes!  Dadgumit!

I do not know about you, but here in East Texas, they have been advertising about
the transition to digital signal for your TV in February, 2009.

So your analog TV will not receive a signal from your local channels with an
antenna.  You will have to purchase a digital converter for $50.00 in order to see any
of your favorite shows.

With this transition, there could be more than 80 million analog tv sets thrown away
due to this conversion.  TV’s are considered hazardous waste as they contain lead,
mercury and other contaminants.  So major cities are setting up recycling centers as
fast as they can.

Once the TV gets to the recycling center, they can be broken down by taking out the
plastic, boards and tubes.  But they are having problems of what do to with some of
the toxic parts.  Some dump sites are set up for the toxic waste but not all.

If you are hooked up to cable or satellite, you are ok with your analog tv set.  These
options take care of converting the digital signal for you.  If you lose these
services, you will not be able to view TV with the free airwaves you have today.

As technology progresses, everyone is trying to keep up with all of the changes.  This
includes the local stations.  From High definition to wireless, soon there will be
nothing you can take from the air like we have for many, many years.  I am sure that
the next item to go will be the radio.

Are you ready for this?

This is a definition of “Necessity is the mother of invention”

With gasoline prices continuing to soar and no apparent relief in the future, one
Texas man has come up with his own solution.  He built his own electric car.  It
has a travel range of 35 miles and uses no gasoline. Gordon Cooper, wanted to
economize, so he converted a 1992 Ford compact to electricity.

Now he’s whats called a “shade tree mechanic”!

He says, “As fuel has continuously gone up, it seems like every week, it’s real
economical especially now,”.  It runs on twelve, twelve volt spiral cell batteries
and takes six to eight hours to charge at a cost of approximately $1.

He also says, “I can get anywhere from 50 to 70 miles an hour, I just put it in
overdrive and go.  I think the car operates at least the same, or better than it did
with the four cylinder gas engine that was in it.”  Cooper converted a truck to
electricity, and was so successful he sold it, and started on the Ford car.

“I go down the road and I see $3.69 for regular gas, yeah we don’t need to stop there
we can just keep going, I just pass the gas station up and wave.”  Cooper says the
conversion process costs around $5,000 to $7,000. This seems to be
the going price for conversion, there’s got to be a cheaper way.

I’m gathering data on the the steps to convert combustion engine cars to alternative
fuels like this one and will pass it on in later blogs. Also the cheapest way or
ways possible. In other words, “the best bang for your buck”.

For those of us going green, this is a win-win proposition. Good for the planet,
good for your check book, and good for sticking it to big oil, all rolled into one!

Stay tuned!!

What to do with your old cell phone.  Folks are getting new ones everyday and have not
done anything with the old ones except throw them away.

There are a couple of ways to dispose the old cell phones. You can donate them but
be sure to remove your personal information.  When you donate, for instance, the
cell phones will be re-furbished and given to charities like Domestic Abuse or
retirees.

You can get cash for your old cell phone.  There are sites that will buy them and they
will re-cycle from there.

I even heard of a company that is making cell phones out of bamboo.  Yes, they are.
When you are ready to get a different one, you simply remove the battery, the card and
throw it into your compost and it will degrade organically.

There are lots of options out there.  Please do not just chunk you old cell phone into
the garbage as they are considered hazardous waste.  Do something by going green, recycle, donate
or whatever.

This is win-win!

There so many fire ants on this acre it is ridiculous. Have tried amdro to no
avail.

Have tried the boiled water trick……. still no joy of getting rid of these
pesky little biting varmints.

Have tried the gasoline solution but there are many things wrong in doing this. Not
only the vapors but damaging the soil as well.

I thought about vacuuming, like the commercial, but that is absolutely crazy! And
blowing them up on just spreads them across the acre unnecessarily. And if you are
standing closeby when the explosion occurs, well, get ready to be covered, bitten and
just plain miserable!

So my quest begins! Does anyone know how to get rid of these pesky fire ants in an eco
friendly way? I am on the search cause once I find a good solution, I will let not
only you know but everyone in East Texas because the fire ants have a real hold on this
land!

I know at one point, Texas A & M was working on one solution but it was not ready
for market yet. Unless that has changed, please let me know.

So, come on folks, got any ideas? I am willing to try them.!

Have you heard of Spicypage?

I signed up for this FREE service that you can list your blog
or website. As soon as I signed in, I had people already voting
for my blog. You vote by giving a thumbs up, make friends, post
an article, etc.

The neat thing is that you get an immediate backlink to your site
within 24 hours. Being a going green site, I was amazed how fast
I was listed.

So when you sign up, place the widget to vote on your blog and watch
the traffic build. In fact, on my blog in the left hand
side panel…. VOTE for me. I certainly could use it!

Spicypage was founded in September of 2006 and is a social online
community, a friendly community that allows everyone opportunities to
find a way to spread notable sites or blogs. It is a new way
of web-ranking and is 100% powered by its members.

Take a chance and vote! I am giving this a thumbs up!

Well, the last 20 hours have been just as fun as it can be!  Lost power last night due
to a tremendous spring storm.  Lots of wind (60 mph), lots of rain, a little downburst
about 100 feet from us and lots of trees going down.

So, out comes the generator, heavy with a tank of gas, hook it up and got power to the
RV so life was aok after it got going.  Got to sleep around 1:30 a.m.

Got up at 7 a.m. to see what kind of damage was done.  Well, this little acre was
completely covered with limbs, leaves and 1 tree on the fenceline.  Checked the
generator and it needed more fuel.

Went to take the garbage to the local trash receptacle (no garbage pickup out here!).
Before I could get there, I had to move 3 tree remanants out of the way to get down
the road and 3 more trees were just out of the way.  Got rid of the trash, got some
gas and came back home and started clean up….

Found out that 3 trees had hit the powerlines about a mile down the road, so needless
to say, the generator had to stay noisy for a while longer.

Yeah!  Power is back! I gotta tell ya, it is time for solar and/or wind energy on this
place!  Just have to find some money to get it rolling so I am not at the mercy of
this power company and a gasoline generator.  Any one know how to convert a gasoline
generator into anything besides gas?

First things first.  The RV cover is about 1 week from being finished (yahoo!) and
then the next project will either be solar or wind.  Have not decided yet but will let
you know!

What a day!

Hydroponics, simply put, is the process of growing plants in water and not soil. The
nutrient rich water circulates around and saturates the seed or plant root.  The root
does not have to “hunt” around in the soil for the nutrients, ergo, stronger, faster
growing plants.  No need for the environmentally toxic pesticides of commercial
growers.

I have always had a keen interest in hydroponics.  But I never had the time or the
know how to pursue it. That changed last December when I saw an ad for Aerogarden.
A revolutionary, self-contained, hydroponic device, that does all the work for you.
It grows a variety of herbs, fruits, vegetables, and even flowers, simply, easily,
and naturally, right on your kitchen counter, year round.

So, I bought one (about $150.00), It came with everything you need plus a Gourmet
Herb Seed kit that has pre-seeded grow pods for basil, Italian basil, thyme, dill,
mint, chives, and parsley.

Oh brother, did that stuff grow!! I made my friends and neighbors pretty happy, the
herbs flourished so well I was giving it away. And you can’t get any fresher than
reaching over and picking the herb of your choice right off the still growing
plant.

This went on for the last 5 months. Just yesterday, I took the system down and
cleaned it to get ready for the next “crop”. I’m going to try the Salad Greens
seed kit this time.

Plus, I did NOT notice any significant increase in my electric bill with the
Aerogarden either. Because of the grow lights in the system, I was watching
the usage pretty close.

Now just imagine, Aerogarden for your herbs and vegetables, along with that
trash composter (Nature Mill), that turns the bulk of your bio trash into
rich compost, you are working towards green self suffiency, even if you live
in an apartment or condo.

It may not be Bio-Domes, but hey, we’re getting there, kids!

Luke Parket has done it again! People are buzzing about his
new free report about any online marketing campaigns that do
not do the following:

- Take less time to create content
- take less trouble to submit
- Give your blog better Search Engine rankings
- And even pay you money back!

Sound hard to believe?

Get your free report today and see what folks are talking about!

Ink cartridges have been part of computer waste for a while now.  However, you can
join some of us greeners and re-cycle. There are companies out there that give
discounts for bringing in your old cartridges and giving a discount for a new one.
They are then responsible for taking care of the waste responsibly.  One of the very
first companies for starting the recycling of ink cartridges is Hewlett-Packard Co.
They ran with this idea many years ago and have been recognized for their efforts.

Another method is to do your own ink refills. It is not too bad but it is cost saving
and certainly not a contributor to waste.

Either way, you have options and please choose one.

At least one power plant cares enough to do something about
their greenhouse emissions.

In Arizona, the Red Hawk Power Generating Station owned by
Arizona Public Service (APS), is a large combined cycle
natural gas power plant. It burns natural gas to turn large
turbines which generates 1,000 mega watts of electricity
(enough for about 250,000 homes). The major emissions from this
process is water and CO2, (of course).

But, smart folks that they are, they know that when you combine
water, CO2 (carbon dioxide), and lots of Arizona sunshine, you
get the majic of photosynthesis. Now add a pinch of specially
selected algae.

That’s right kids! Algae! That great green stuff eats CO2 and
spits out oxygen!

So APS teamed up with Green Fuel Technologies in an experiment
to capture a portion of the plant’s greenhouse gases and waste
water, piping it to the bio-reactor tanks, which proportionally
distributes the CO2, sunshine, and water to the algae. Which in
turn eats the CO2 to it’s hearts content and grows until ready
for harvest.

At a certain concentration the algae is harvested. They are
looking at a three step process for the harvest:
Step one: Oils from the algae makes bio-diesel.
Step two: The algae starch makes ethanol.
Step three: Algae protein for cattle feed..
You can also make paper, plastics, and food products, (yuck!
I don’t know about that one!)

Capturing 100% of a power plants emissions takes 2 acres of
the algae tanks per mega watt. For this plant, they will eventually
have 2,000 acres of bio-reactor tanks surrounding it.

A power plant surrounded by green, how appropriate!

Inventor Angelo Dipletro in Melbourne, Australia is about to blow conventional power
vehicles right out of the water!

Right now, he has converted a form of a trolley (powered cart) that is being used at
Commerical Wholesale Markets.  It takes 2 or 3 minutes to fill it with compressed air
and runs for about 2 hours.  The remarkable thing about this engine is that it weighs
just 13 kgms (28 lbs). You can literally hold the engine in your hands.  It is an
ingenious design that does not play off the piston powered engine of the air powered
car in France (see last blog), or the internal combustion engine.  In this one, the
compressed air moves a single rotorary piston around to power the central drive shaft.

The beauty of the design is that the engine parts hardly touch. A layer of air
cushions the rotation of the piston.  Which means, there is very little loss of energy
to friction, so very little lost of power.

In a normal car, much of the engine power output can be lost running the engine itself
and things like the transmission.

Angelo’s rotorary engine will be much more efficient because there is no transmission,
few moving parts, and the engine is incredibly light.  So most of the power goes
straight to the wheels.  It’s size to power ratio is outstanding.

Plans for an engine that weighs only 6 kgm (13 lbs) are in the works.  Less that half
of the original.

The engine works in boats, cars, and is powerful enough to pull heavy loads.  When it
is ready for the market, it will be easy to refill and no more dangerous fumes.

I really like this one!  Uh OH! There goes those goose bumps again!

No, not like the Jetsons, but cars that run on compressed air.  Like power tools have
done for decades.

Two companies, one in Nice, France and one in Melbourne, Australia.

First the one in France, MDI, is developing the first commercial air driver car. They
are experimenting with taxis, vans, and people movers that could one day go non-stop
for 4500 kilometers (2996 miles) on one tank of fuel (air).

Compressed air pushes the pistons up and down, rather than tiny explosions of
gasoline, which leaves the only emission of plain breathable air.

The engine is a regular 4 cylinder piston engine just like normal.  The difference is
the weight is less than half, because the components can be made of aluminum, no
combustion, no heat.  If you hold your hand on the running engine, it barely feels
warm.

There are 3 compressed air cylinders in the aluminum chasis, under the seats.
Compressed to 150 times the air in car tires.  So, the cylinders are made of carbon
fiber in case of an accident, they just split open instead of exploding shapnel
all over like metal cylinders would do.

When they finally go to market, the top speed will be about 110 kph (68.35 mph) and
200 kph (124.27 miles) before you have to refill the tanks.  Great for city driving.
It will take 3 minutes to refill the car at a compressed air service station.  Or
plug into an electrical outlet at home, the on board compressor will do the job in
about 4 hours for about $2.00 of electricity.

For rural driving, they plan a hybrid engine (petro or bio-fuel, for faster speeds
and longer distances.  The hybrid would use a small amount of gas to compress air as
you go.  One tank of gasoline would take you from L.A. to New York.

They will be available in 2, 4, 6 cylinders and cost less than $15,000.

What if you had a car that made its own fuel?  Dr. Jerry Woodall at Purdue University,
accidentally found a way.  One day while doing semiconductor experiments in his lab, he
melted aluminum and gallium.  When he added water to clean the melt out, he got a big
poof of steam and hydrogen.

Hydrogen on demand!

With this alloy you don’t have to worry about becoming a flaming rocket on the highway.
This stuff is safe to move around and has a high energy content and can be converted
into hydrogen when you need it.

You will just buy a tank full of pellets and plug it into your car.  Add water and
away you go.  It will reduce our dependency on foreign oil.  The raw materials
(aluminum ore) is located in the United States. For instance, the southwest.

Dr. Woodall is now working on getting golf carts running utilizing this method.

Man, stuff like this just gives me goosebumps!

If you have not signed up for Blogrush, do so.  I know, I know, you have heard
some crazy things about them but hey! it is free, you do get some traffic and why not

utilize a free service to help your blog get out there on the web?

It will also help in discovering other blogs that may bring a new experience to you or
adds a little step in your day with something funny.

Either way, give Blogrush a chance and go sign up.

You know what, I think Entrecard is a pretty good little system.
My site has been up about a month now and joining this program has been
very good for building up my traffic.

I have also been able to see blogs with many different themes, ideas, and
opinions.

There are alot of other programs to join to build your traffic but I truly
like Entrecard and cudos to them for putting out there for all of us to use.
The best part is that it’s free to join.

Just my 2 cents worth.

About 40% of the world’s population lives in adobe homes.  The thermal mass properties
are really good. Warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Environmentally friendly, an earthen product, that has been around for more than
10,000 years.

You can make your own adobe bricks with a mixture of 30% clay and 70% sand.  If not
sure about the mixture, put some in a glass jar, shake vigorously for 2 minutes, let
settle overnight, the sand will settle at the bottom, clay in the middle, and water
on top.

Typical mix is 5 gallons of water, 28 shovelfuls of adobe mixture and 2 shovelfuls
of cement.  It is a stablizer and adds durability to the bricks.  If you do not have
one, rent a cement mixer.  A 2.5 cubic foot mixer holds 70 liters or around 19
gallons.

You can make your own molds or buy them.  There are 3 basic types of molds. Standard
is a solid square.  O-brick is a hole in the middle and a U-brick for a u-shaped curve
on one end.  This allows for structural support like steel rebar and services
(electrical, plumbing).  Weed mat or weed fabric works best to lay your molds on, not
plastic as it creates too smooth of brick.  Make sure you are on level ground.  Wet
down the molds before pouring in the mix to keep the adobe from sticking to the molds.
Use a shovel or concrete rake to spread the mixture over and into the molds.  Work
the mix into each mold with your hands to get rid of air bubbles and remove any clay
clumps larger than 1/2 inch.

It takes 28 days for the bricks to cure properly.  So take a break, or a vacation.  A
properly cured brick is lighter in color and weight and when tapped, has a hollow
sound.

When ready to lay, make up another batch of mix just like you did to make the bricks.
Add 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid to this mortar batch and let mix for 2 minutes
to help it aerate.  It is better to already have a level concrete footer solidified
with vertical re-bar about 3 feet high and 3 feet apart unless your wall is not going
that high.

With your hands, rubber gloves work great, lay 2 strips of the mortar 2 inches high
on the footer and lay your brick, wiggle into place.  Butter the side of the next
brick and touches the first and wiggle into place.

Build your corners first, staggering the levels up.  Stagger by using half bricks. Use
a line level, laser level or board with a level on top to keep the corners level with
each other.  Then fill in towards the center.  Fill any unused O or U bricks with
motar.  To give that smooth finish, hand rub the wall with water and a little of the
adobe mix.

Oh, by the way, Adobe means “Sticky Pig” … do not ask me why.

Remember that trash composter mentioned a couple of blogs ago? Well, here is
is the scoop.

I found it at Greenfeet, a great site! They sell all kinds of green products.

Anyway, back to the composter: Nature Mill Plus Composter - $299.00
Fully automatic and odor free. The perfect solution for those who want to compost
but don’t have outdoor space for a pile.

It produces a batch (about 10 lbs/4.5 kg) of rich organic fertilizer every 2 weeks.
A red light will tell you when to empty it. Just open the door and remove the
compost. You can add waste items at any time up to 120 lbs (55 kb) a month. Talk
about recycling!

Waste items are processed continuously. Every 4 hours, a small electric motor mixes
the compost, which breaks into clumps, compacts the waste and improves the air flow.
The computer controller determines the frequency and duration of mixing. The internal
reactor chamber maintains a true “hot composting” temperature of 140 F (60C) for
several days. The heat neutralizes pathogens such a e.coli and prevents seed
germination. It exceeds US EPA PART 503 guidelines for compost safety. It is
believed to be the only compost machine, tumbler, or other home use device which
complies with the EPA rules. The cure tray is no more than 100 degrees F (38C) about
body temperature when you empty it.

The unit runs on either 110 or220 volts, plugs into a standard wall outlet, and it UL
and CE compliant. It draws about 5 kwh per month, which costs approximately $0.50
a month. About as much energy as a night light. In comparison to what the diesel
truck uses hauling the same amount of waster to a landfill —- PLEASE!

The average American home emits about 23,000 lbs of CO2 and spends over $1500
in utility bills yearly.

One man has a house that emits no CO2 and has not utility bills.  It is the first
solar hydrogen fuel cell house in North America.  Hydrogen is non-toxic,
non-polluting, and is less flammable than gasoline.  Hydrogen has three times as much
energy as natural gas.  With 10 storage tanks, which holds 19,000 cubic feet of
hydrogen, enough energy along with the solar and geo-thermal to power his house, his
cooking gas, heat gas and powers his vehicle for an entire year.

Mike makes all the hydrogen himself from ordinary tap water. A process in which an
electrolyzer takes water, runs it through a de-ionizing process and through reverse
osmosis feeds the chemically pure water into the electrolyzer, then a device splits
it off between hydrogen and oxygen.  This process known as electrolysis uses
electricity to separate hydrogen and oxygen atoms from water molecules.  The
electricity used for this process is created by solar power, of course.

He has enough solar panels to provide about 1,000 kw per month.  The extra electricity
is converted into hydrogen in an endless green cycle.

He even built his own hydrogen fuel cell car that runs on the same hydrogen he
generates for the house.  I want to call him “Mr.Greenjeans!”

This is what I call a going green hero!

You can catch Mike’s house on the Science Channel’s program called Eco-Tech and will
air Jun 03, 8:00 pm.

Here are some things to look at for your home in going green.

Non-toxic paint - has the VOC (volatile organic compounds) removed.
You can tell - no smell! Great for any room
but especially the bedrooms. It comes in most any color.
Check for the green certified seal on the can.

Dishwasher Drawers - are about half the size of a normal dishwasher. They
let you run smaller loads with much less energy.

Trash composter - NOT a compacter! Put it in a closet, under the cabinet slide
out, garage, or covered porch. Hermetically sealed so no
odors. Creates rich soil for your garden. Not to mention
it cuts way down on curb side trash. Great for homes with
no room for compost heaps. I absolutely love this, definitely
more on this later.

Countertops - made from recycled paper. Hard as stone with that smooth
stone look. Can take up to 350 degree heat.

Cork - for floors. It looks good, comes in a variety of colors.
A hard surface with some give in it that makes it easy
on your feet. A natural waxy substance in cork that makes
it insect, moisture, and fire resistant. It comes from
the bark of the Cork Oak, native to the Mediterranean area.
It grows to a height of 30 to 60 feet and a diameter of
greater than 4 feet. The bark (cork) is pulled off and
regrows in 10 years.

Bamboo - makes beautiful floors. It has a natural luster that looks
better with traffic. And guess what! Now sheets and
bedding is being made from bamboo. I kid you not. And yes,
i