Gulf Oil Spill, not another one.
The other night I had a conversation with some fellow community members about the BP oil spill that has devastated the Gulf and is likely to have long lasting detrimental effects on the coast’s ecosystems and people who make use of these. One member of the group stated that he hoped this would be the wake up call the US needed to understand our dependence on fossil fuels, over consumption and the unsustainable, that’s not sustainable as Timothy S. Bennett confirms in What a Way to Go: Life at the End of Empire, way we go about living. I agree maybe this will be a “wake up call”, but then again if all the other oil spills and mine collapses and paralyzing e. coli attacks haven’t “woken people up” yet, will this disaster make any difference?
Another voice spoke up amidst the group and suggested that if we only hope to ourselves that others will understand and acknowledge the struggles we face when conveniences that we rely on are the same means of our own destruction, then others will not get the message. So, we need to spread the message that yes, this spill and those even less noted in the news like the underground Mobile spill in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (my former abode) must be a wake up call. These atrocities are not going away and have a lot more to do with the way our culture refuses to admit its drug addiction to individualism and convenience than it does to a bad part on an oil rig. I am doing my first part and sharing the news that we need to wake up.
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r2r days 17 and 18
Solar panel install on electric car with Don Young.
Our first garden, more stages… raised beds consisting of top soil and compost, mulch… living trellis consisting of moringa and quick stick.
r2r day 16
This morning I put my higher education to work by assisting a friend on the farm with writing the application for a $25,000 grant. I am not a huge fan of grant writing, or development work, but I felt a bit empowered today when I was able to effectively understand the grant langauge and turn out a kick-ass attempt at c0-writing it and turning it in on time.
Frequently I bemoan my education and the severe debt it has incurred. I often forget that there was perhaps some value to my two years in graduate school so when the opportunity presents its self to use the skills I gained I get a glimmer of hope. I suppose it was worth it… today at least.
Otherwise, my stance is what some might call bitter: Higher education is a waste of your money, perhaps a waste of your time. These days no one is guaranteed a job and there are many ways to get experience and make connections outside of campus. Furthermore these days I am interested in skills that don’t take rocket science courses to master, like farming.
On that note today we installed a solar power system on to an electric vehicle to give it twice the amount of power needed to go further on its journey. Okay, so this may be technical work that requires some classes. But it can happen outside of a degree program and its a trade skill that many are turning to in a time when renewable energy is needed.
r2r days 14 and 15
This week we have moved into Renewable Energy with Don Young. VISFI is 100% off the grid (aside from its vehicles) securing it’s electricity from a solar power system that Don installed and water needs from a large water catchment system. They also have composting toilets and solar water heaters for an occasional warm shower.
With Don we discussed why renewable energy is a concern and a need for our society, our planet and what are the “alternative systems” that can be made use of to secure an end to our fossil fuel reliance. As many of us know, but perhaps don’t remember, we have hit peak oil, meaning that more than half of the worlds oil has been used and that much of what is left is becoming increasingly difficult to access. Prices do and will continue to go up, oil will become more and more difficult to come by, but as of now we still rely on it.
Over the past two day we have explored the basics of how off-grid solar power system are constructed, how to size how to size and design systems in different situations. We’ve looked at voltage, ampage, power and energy and how they relate to one another.
In the US we consumer about 3,400 GW a year, that’s a lot of energy man. Just look at your electric bill to compare your personal usage (then try to decrease it). The number one way to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels is not to increase our renewable energy capacity, but to reduce our overall energy consumption. Conservation is the answer, technology can only do so much.
And remember the more you slow down, the less energy you consume.
R2R day 9
January 25, 2010, 12:50 PM
Filed under: Buildings, Design, Energy, Green, Living, Ridge to Reef, Water
Filed under: Buildings, Design, Energy, Green, Living, Ridge to Reef, Water
This week we are looking at sustainable building, taught by Ben Jones, and how we can incorporate green, recycled, and sustainable materials into good, efficient design. The farm at VISFI has many such buildings that serve as examples of the type of home or community center you would want to build in its given climate (tropical), to serve its needs (shelter, water, and energy) and to make use of appropriate materials (local sustainably harvested wood).
Today we discussed the principles of green or sustainable building which are:
- use green recycled and sustainable materials
- build passive energy systems
- minimize energy use
- prevent all erosion
- disturb the smallest amount of land possible, and leave as much vegetation possible
- use local materials when possible
When then talked about the steps you would take when designing and implementing a building starting with the conceptual design (what is it that you want to design), the schematic design (how will you design it, construct it), design development (blueprint), and construction documents (permits, zoning requirements, etc.)
As for the implementation phase we discussed steps to follow:
- survey the site
- set up erosion control systems
- foundation work
- sub-floor/electrical, plumbing
- structure
- roof’
- skin (interior and exterior walls)
- windows and doors
- floors/porches
- interior/finish work
During this week our class will have the opportunity to work on several sustainable building projects here on the farm including, thatching a bohio (a traditional Taino hut made of wood posts and palm leaves), laying a wood floor down on a new cabana, and setting up the ground work for a living bamboo jungle gym. This is going to be fun.
NYC Composting
Learn how to reduce waste by composting food scraps using worms right in your apartment! This video was produced by my friend Kris French (a fellow permaculture student) and her husband Pascal.
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