Sustainable Living. Any other freaks here?

[sarcrew]

Pneu, I think you hit the nail on the head for the meaning behind this whole thread. Independence. Most folks I know were into being as self sufficient as possible long before the word "sustainable living" came into vogue. The folks I know aren't "conspiracy" nuts, they just have enough of the ole "pioneer spirit" to want to be able to do for themselves. The only help we ask for is from God - and the few like minded folks we barter our goods and skills with.

Wayne

[qwerty guy]

I've read about the street car take overs before, and other such things that have happened in the past. I like how the web site though opens with "Streetcars provided pollution free, comfortable transportation without receiving any government subsidy."

Street cars at that time ran on electricity from coal burning plants. How is that pollution free? Anyway, that's off topic. Where did someone get killed because they wouldn't sell the street cars? Where is this great "make them gobble energy" conspiracy, this was about using cars. Auto makers have no stake in what the cars use for fuel, they want people driving cars.

You can liken this to Microsoft deals putting windows on pcs sold in stores to keep other ops off them... does that have to do with high MPG practices? Microsoft buys out smaller competing companies all the time, and the technology gets integrated into the windows operating system.. they don't just throw out something they bought that is better.

The second site, takes us to this miserable world of car pollution in California and how for a nickel a ride we could all ride these pollution free trolleys and blah blah blah. 1st, Take a look at co emissions in the world and you'll find that most of that nasty smog in california is not coming from California, but Asia. 2nd, power must come from somewhere, and it takes power to transfer power. The power plants that would run these "pollution free" trollies, pollute. And the amount of energy required to move 10,000 pounds of trolley is the same amount of energy it takes to move 10,000 pounds of bus. This is basic physics. When you factor in the energy loss of transferring the power over a line network, instead of direct draw from an internal engine, guess what happens? Do cars pollute? yes, but so do power plants that power electrical engines.

The third page won't load.

Now, that I've pointed out the obvious, I ask you, why are you changing the argument? It was stated here, that if you try to come up with a more efficient engine, they WILL KILL YOU!!! I won't be knocking on your door P.E., by the posting on here, if you ever do unplug some company is going to put a hit out on you lol.....

coming up with a way to get more power from a gallon of gas is good. But there is only so much power there to be got. No one is going to kill or hide the technology to make engines more efficient. Engine manufactures have spent billions on developing high bred technology, are you saying they spent all this because they don't want to bust out a 100mpg engine? lol.. yea right... those greedy car makers are spending billions so they don't have to make billions.... that's a great argument.

I ask again... for the last time before I run away from this nutty talk...
Please name me one cost efficient high mpg engine
Or, give me the news artical or some paper trail of the inventor of it who got killed or sold out

I like also P.E.s comment that people are going to knock on his door in need... he's smart, everyone is stupid.... it's the normal conspiracy nut type thinking. I'm not trying to be offensive here, please don't take insult, but this is the SAME way people are about UFOs, black helicopters, Illuminati... I've heard it all, it's been around for hundreds of years, it's never proven, it always just adapts to modern times.. I'm sure 300 years ago, someone was talking about how the government is killing people who come up with a more efficient sail that allows ships to go 10mph!!!!

Finding more efficient uses of energy is great. Finding better tech is great. But look at P.E.s comment

You just wait' date=' those same people that scoff at us will one day come crying to our door for us to help them do the same thing we do.[/quote']

You're not doing this to better your life, or others. You're doing this to prove something, and you're waiting for the day you're redeemed by people wanting to be like you and you can look down on them.. bravo!

answer the questions.

[pneu-engine]

Pneu, I think you hit the nail on the head for the meaning behind this whole thread. Independence. Most folks I know were into being as self sufficient as possible long before the word "sustainable living" came into vogue. The folks I know aren't "conspiracy" nuts, they just have enough of the ole "pioneer spirit" to want to be able to do for themselves. The only help we ask for is from God - and the few like minded folks we barter our goods and skills with.

Wayne

A hearty AMEN, Wayne.

Let me know if I can be of any help in your design work. :thumb

I do electric, electronic, mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic circuit design and engineering, and would be happy to help you in any way I can.

[sarcrew]

Pneu, thanks for the offer - I'll definitely keep it in mind.

Qwerty, my last comments to you on this - I can't take your attitude anymore.
Just for fun - research the death of Diesel - if you don't know what I mean it's called bio-fuel, if you don't know who I mean, well, never mind.

Wayne

[pneu-engine]

Pneu, thanks for the offer - I'll definitely keep it in mind.

Qwerty, my last comments to you on this - I can't take your attitude anymore.Just for fun - research the death of Diesel - if you don't know what I mean it's called bio-fuel, if you don't know who I mean, well, never mind.

Wayne

Hi Wayne, :lol

I PM'd you with the perfect solution for the highlighted portion up there. :thumb

You'd be amazed at the peace of mind it affords. :clap:

[qwerty guy]

ok, I read about Mr. Diesel from 3 souses. I read about how he died, and the numerous theories on why he died.

You all just seriously wanna be crazy about this subject, none of it supports your arguments. We still have diesel engines, bio-fuel, nothing was "stopped" or "hidden" by his death, IF you even go with the crazy theory that the mysterious "they" got to him.

You still haven't answered my questions. I'll leave you to your compound.

[war_eagle]

It's not something that I have accomplished... but something that I agree with and try to do...

Anyone into sustainable living/gardening/farming here?

We raise chickens, turkeys, pigs, rabbits, goats. We don't use growth hormones, we grow organically with no chemicals and we can our excess.

Still have a long way to go, but I can't help but feel a lot better about our food when I hear about antifreeze in chinese toothpaste, food recall after food recall, etc.

When I first bought the farm (er, that is, in the real estate sense, not in the dying sense), I got really excited because I spent a lot of time on my grandparent's farm and, in addtion to just having the peace and solitude and a place to build a real workshop, I really wanted to have space to have a nice garden for my tomatoes and peppers and such.

So, I did. One thing led to another and before long, I had the garden, I had chickens and I had a pair of sheep that I rescued.

The sheep aren't food, they're pets. The chickens aren't so lucky.

We trade and barter a lot with local farmers and we have a blast doing it and it doesn't hurt that I can walk out my back door and catch striper the size of a small child right off my dock. Plenty of catfish and crabs, too.

I've always been intrigued by solar power, ever since I was a kid in the 70's and did a school project about it. So, when the power company refused to run my lines underground (I didn't want anything to spoil the view), I did my research and decided to take a chance.

The panels aren't anything like the big, bulky, inefficient panels back in the 70's. They're now so small, so thin, and so unobtrusive, that unless you were actually standing on top of the house, you'd never even know I have them.

The best part is that my house, and the workshop are both run by solar power and we even have a surplus so, at the first of the month, when most people are paying money to the power company, we're actually getting checks from the power company.

I guess our only other contribution to sustainable living is that Mrs. War_Eagle and I are considering an electric car for our running around town and errands and things.

Gas prices are so high now, I guess that would pay for itself in no time.

I was raised around a lot of old people and I guess I grew up with a real appreciation for the way they lived then. My dad and grandfather knew all of the old ways and so I grew up learning them.

Melody can sew and can vegetables and other things, and Jason loves being outdoors. He lived in a tent all summer two years ago.

My sister and her husband are just baffled at the way we live, even though she spent a lot of her childhood with our grandparents, who lived essentially the same way.

My brother in law just can't understand why, when everybody else is chasing after convenience and taking it easy, we do things that require a little more effort.

Sure, it's a little more effort, but there's a satisfaction that we're not going to get by just coming home from work and sitting in front of the TV.

There's something very gratifying about sitting down to eat a meal that you grew, that you raised. Or sleeping in a bed that you remember bringing home as lumber and know that you made a bed.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to make it sound like we're the Ingalls or anything. We've still got the big TV (which we really don't watch), we still like to ride to Philly to see the Phillies and Phantoms play. I still never leave home without my ipod or my laptop.

But, overall, once I turn off the road onto our farm, it's like paradise.

My kids' friends and their cousins come to visit all the time and they're just blown away.

They come and they can swim, fish, canoe, climb trees, camp out, play in the woods, etc, and it's like they've never been outside before.

My mom is a social worker, so every now and then she'll send us a kid to take in for a few days. I never will forget taking one of them and showing them the chickens and how he just couldn't believe that's where eggs come from.

If God calls me somewhere else, then I'd go but, otherwise, I'm not leaving until they carry me out feet first.

[bzmomo7]

This is a curious thread I've never seen before! Hey, don't you engineer-guys ever get concerned that IF you do actually build something to produce electricity etc. during a time when others don't have what you have (like say, during a depression)--that it will put you in harms way? I do think we Americans need to learn how to do some things the old fashioned way. You guys are working on the complicated end. Do you know how to make homemade bread or biscuits or pancakes? I'm sure you are laughing......I meant by capturing the yeast from the air. In the ol' days, you didn't buy yeast; you made your own. That is how they still do it in poorer countries. It is worth it for us ladies to give some of these things some thought as well don't you think? I suppose we could live on veggies, but hey, I like meat, potatoes and BREAD, too! YUM!

[zealyouthguy]

This is a curious thread I've never seen before! Hey' date=' don't you engineer-guys ever get concerned that IF you do actually build something to produce electricity etc. during a time when others don't have what you have (like say, during a depression)--that it will put you in harms way? I do think we Americans need to learn how to do some things the old fashioned way. You guys are working on the complicated end. Do you know how to make homemade bread or biscuits or pancakes? I'm sure you are laughing......I meant by capturing the yeast from the air. In the ol' days, you didn't buy yeast; you made your own. That is how they still do it in poorer countries. It is worth it for us ladies to give some of these things some thought as well don't you think? I suppose we could live on veggies, but hey, I like meat, potatoes and BREAD, too! YUM![/quote']
Sour dough cultures are the way to go for bread. Each location has it's own unique taste due to it's own unique yeast.

[Colin Stolzer]

My wife makes her bread yeast from potatoes. Our life looks very much like we stepped out of the 1880's in alot of respects. We even give up the car and truck in the summer time in favor of horse drawn stuff for alot of the things we do.

C

[pneu-engine]

This is a curious thread I've never seen before! Hey' date=' don't you engineer-guys ever get concerned that IF you do actually build something to produce electricity etc. during a time when others don't have what you have (like say, during a depression)--that it will put you in harms way? I do think we Americans need to learn how to do some things the old fashioned way. You guys are working on the complicated end. Do you know how to make homemade bread or biscuits or pancakes? I'm sure you are laughing......I meant by capturing the yeast from the air. In the ol' days, you didn't buy yeast; you made your own. That is how they still do it in poorer countries. It is worth it for us ladies to give some of these things some thought as well don't you think? I suppose we could live on veggies, but hey, I like meat, potatoes and BREAD, too! YUM![/quote']
I LOVE homemade bread. :drool Very few things are more satisfying as comfort food than homemade bread right outta the bread-maker. My wife and I both can make bread from scratch but, alas, I thoroughly enjoy my high-tech gadgets. Because of that I have a breadmaker wherein I only need 3 minutes to throw in the ingredients and 3 hours later the whole house is filled with the heavenly aroma of homemade bread. My favorite is oatmeal bread. The unit is capable of a full three-pound loaf. :lol

To answer your question as to how do we keep from getting ourselves killed when we fully perfect a device of ultra-efficiency that will run on water, or even petrol that could achieve 100 mpg:::::::::::: We keep it pretty much quiet, and don't go bragging about it to the media or general public. Only a few trusted friends would know.

Speaking of pancakes:::::::::::

Here is a recipe for Whole Wheat Pancakes that will tickle your taste-buds. :lol

You'll notice there is no sugar in the recipe. That just makes it all the more simple. You don't have to buy buttermilk. Use ordinary whole milk with a teaspoon of vinegar in it. Let it sit for a while to get to room temperature.

[bzmomo7]

This is so true! When on a mission trip in Haiti, my husband was dumbfounded at first why their bread tasted different.......and then it dawned on me that it was the yeast from their region of the world that was different!

[qwerty guy]

So this is what I'm doing and this sounds like the place to post it to get the answers I need.

I am starting a herb garden, inside my kitchen, to provide me with fresh herbs.

I have just ordered: Scarlet beefsteak tomato seeds, spearmint, sage, peppermint, parsley, oregano, brown mustard, chives, basil, dill, rosemary, tokyo long white bunching onion.

Some of these grow to about 2' tall. For the tomatos, I have a 2' diameter deep pot, and ordered a cage to support it. I have a light and timer for the area.


What I'm asking: Does anyone know with what I have listed above, if there are any that should not be mixed in a pot next to each other: If any have blooming cycles and I should plant new ones every 2...3...4 months so that I always have some ready for harvest... Special needs any of these might have besides some light and water with good soil.

I ordered a booklet, but I'm totally new at this so real info would be awesome to help. I hate trial and error, and would rather not spend 20 hours in research, I could buy spices for 10 years for that amount of time.

[pneu-engine]

So this is what I'm doing and this sounds like the place to post it to get the answers I need.

I am starting a herb garden, inside my kitchen, to provide me with fresh herbs.

I have just ordered: Scarlet beefsteak tomato seeds, spearmint, sage, peppermint, parsley, oregano, brown mustard, chives, basil, dill, rosemary, tokyo long white bunching onion.

Some of these grow to about 2' tall. For the tomatos, I have a 2' diameter deep pot, and ordered a cage to support it. I have a light and timer for the area.


What I'm asking: Does anyone know with what I have listed above, if there are any that should not be mixed in a pot next to each other: If any have blooming cycles and I should plant new ones every 2...3...4 months so that I always have some ready for harvest... Special needs any of these might have besides some light and water with good soil.

I ordered a booklet, but I'm totally new at this so real info would be awesome to help. I hate trial and error, and would rather not spend 20 hours in research, I could buy spices for 10 years for that amount of time.

There are books that discuss companion gardening. I found out the hard way that tomatoes and green beans do not mix. The tomatoes destroy the beans.

[zealyouthguy]

So this is what I'm doing and this sounds like the place to post it to get the answers I need.

I am starting a herb garden, inside my kitchen, to provide me with fresh herbs.

I have just ordered: Scarlet beefsteak tomato seeds, spearmint, sage, peppermint, parsley, oregano, brown mustard, chives, basil, dill, rosemary, tokyo long white bunching onion.

Some of these grow to about 2' tall. For the tomatos, I have a 2' diameter deep pot, and ordered a cage to support it. I have a light and timer for the area.


What I'm asking: Does anyone know with what I have listed above, if there are any that should not be mixed in a pot next to each other: If any have blooming cycles and I should plant new ones every 2...3...4 months so that I always have some ready for harvest... Special needs any of these might have besides some light and water with good soil.

I ordered a booklet, but I'm totally new at this so real info would be awesome to help. I hate trial and error, and would rather not spend 20 hours in research, I could buy spices for 10 years for that amount of time.

I will look closer at the herbs, but just to get this straight, are you going to plant all of these in the same pot?

I personally would think about breaking them up into annuals and perennials.

Check this link out for growing tomatoes indoors. Pollination can be tricky (thank God for flies and all the other bugs we have that do it outside for us). http://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organ ... atoes.html

http://www.zetatalk.com/food/tfood02i.htm

I am excited for you, but I wouldn't get to set on the tomatoes. Onions and herbs will do fine.

When starting out, don't start out because of cost... start out because of taste. One tomato out of your own garden tastes better than ANY store tomato.

Another hint. Grow any of the "mints" you have in a separate container because they grow like weeds and propagate through their roots, so they will overtake wherever you plant them (including outside... so make sure they are contained to a specific bed or something with a good deep border if you transplant).