Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 14:33:34 -0500
Reply-To: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: Bellingham environs
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The Chinese farmers and most farmers in other countries have been terracing
their hillside farm fields for thousands of years.
It wasn't until the 30s in the US after much erosion that American Farmers
started the practice.
I think the rule is "You don't know what you got till you loose it", and
"Jeeze I wish I had paid more attention to what I was doing".
The same goes for windbreaks at the edges of the farm fields. It wasn't
until the great dust bowl in the Midwest that American Farmers started using
to tree lines to protect their fields from high winds. Europeans have been
using these before Columbus sailed to the wrong Cafe'.
Since much of Europe, the Middle East and Far East are almost deforested and
have very little forest growth left the Pease Corps and other groups taught
them how to build methane powered cook and heating stoves.
I'm grateful that I don't have a pig sty with a methane collector to heat my
home or cook my food.
I remember watching the folks on "Good Neighbors" (British Comedy) tussle
with their methane collector and generator in the basement of their home.
I can just imagine the smell in that basement.
Stan Wilder
Engine Ceramics
214-352-4931
www.engineceramics.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Bohannan" <fjazzbass@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2005 12:26 PM
Subject: Re: Bellingham environs
Those fools! Package the methane and run their vehicles with it! :-)
Dave
On 9/26/05, John Rodgers <inua@charter.net> wrote:
>
> In Anchorage, AK years ago the powers that be decided to make a city
> garbage dump and land fill on the Merrill Field airport property. The
> idea was to fill the land, then expand the airport buildings onto the
> filled land. When the fill was complete, it was made beautiful by
> covering with soil, fertilizer, and planting grass. Really makes a
> beautiful spot. It draws Canadian geese and Brandt by the thousands
> because of the tender green grass shoots that come up in spring and
> fall. It's fund to watch the geese, but their numbers create problems
> for the aircraft operating there.
>
> Were they ever able to build there and reduce the numbers of geese?
> Nope, the authorities discovered the amount of methane gas being
> released by the decay of the garbage in the ground made the place
> explosive. Last I heard - a year or so ago - they still could not build
> there.
>
> Sometimes we know not what we do.
>
> Regards,
>
> John Rodgers
>
> Stan Wilder wrote:
>
> >We (Bellingham environs) will all be drinking bottled water in 10 years
> or
> >so and pissed off that we didn't do something earlier. We
> >
> >
> >>just can't make the behavioral adjustment to admit that certain issues
> >>
> >>
> >need attention now.
> >------------------- Clip ----------------------
> >Most research, both private and Government funded proclaim that bottled
> >water is often not as good as the local city tap water.
> >Microsoft threw DejaBlue out of their campus vending machines after it
> was
> >discovered that it was just bottled tap water (might be more to it).
> >I see bottled water as a plague worse than glass soft drink and glass
> >disposable beer bottles. The damn bottles are everywhere and nobody
> collects
> >them for recycling.
> >Who ever thought that so many Flashlight and Dry Cell batteries could
> cause
> >PCB pollution, Mercury Pollution and other major concerns.
> >Our disposable society is disposing of much enjoyment of this world by
> >future generations.
> >I know of a Golf course that was reclaimed from a sanitary land fill.
> >It's a beautiful location built on a huge pile of trash that has been
> >covered with quiality top soil, fetrtilized, watered and groomed to a
> fine
> >state of appearance.
> >Those that play the course dont see the still existant land fill over the
> >restricted hill area and get to breath all the airborne diaper dust,
> rotting
> >food molds that are sun dried to a fetitlized prime dry airborne
> particles.
> >They certainly sell a pretty picture but the nose will tell you it's a
> lie.
> >
> >Stan Wilder
> >Engine Ceramics
> >214-352-4931
> >www.engineceramics.com <http://www.engineceramics.com>
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Don Williams" <williams@FIRE.BIOL.WWU.EDU>
> >To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> >Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 12:53 PM
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>I used to think that humans were rational creatures and would take care
> of
> >>problems as they arose. It''s now apparent to me in my dotage that
> humans
> >>display very little inclination to err on the side of caution with
> respect
> >>to environmental problems.
> >>Our drinking water situation in the city of Bellingham Washington is a
> >>metaphor for global warming. This lake (Whatcom) serves as a water
> source
> >>for 80,000 and yet we have done little to preserve it. We build around
> >>
> >>
> >it,
> >
> >
> >>piss in it, swim in it, boat in it, you name. The data on various
> >>contaminents show it is declining in quality. There are also powerful
> >>economic interests that seek to continue the status quo (new
> subdivisions
> >>and shopping centers in the drainage). And the epithets that they hurl
> at
> >>those who are opposed is that they are socialists or communists or silly
> >>environmentalists or worse. The part of Human nature that is such a
> >>powerful defeating force is self-interest and it will never be
> >>contravened. We (Bellingham environs) will all be drinking bottled water
> >>in 10 years or so and pissed off that we didn't do something earlier. We
> >>just can't make the behavioral adjustment to admit that certain issues
> >>
> >>
> >need
> >
> >
> >>attention now.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> > >>> >> Global warming is not scientifically PROVEN, and
> >> > >>> even if it is happening,
> >> > >>> >> so what? We have NO idea why it's happening.
> >> > >>>
> >> > >>> >Not altogether true. Just like in plague times,
> >> > >>> there were people who knew.
> >> > >>> >they just didn't have the political voice to
> >> > >>> convince anyone who mattered.
> >> > >>>
> >> > >>> The ones who claim to know are rarley chalenged.
> >> > >>> They never admit that they
> >> > >>> are wrong and when proven wrong, they can only
> >> > >>> resort to name calling.
> >> > >>>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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