It's not easy being green

[andrewo]

Trust me, Dick Strawbridge is totally suited for this, he can bodge, build and run military campaigns with his eyes shut and both hands tied behind his back. Water power is the way forward, reliable and economical, the government though are not commited to this because of initial outlay. You can now get tiles for your roof that produce electricity (not solar panels) and look like tiles (if a bit shiny). However, if every home started selling their surplus electricity back to the big corporations it would decentralise power, and would put the government in a funny spot, as their supporters and funders include electricty magnets (funny that, isn't it). Trust me, water power and solar are manageable, are cost effective but the government would rather play corporate suck up than environmental health.

[dragonz]

I think that every new built should have solar pannels, that would soon mount up, my next house, we are moving in about 12 months time will get solar pannels and now I want a water wheel aswell

[andrewo]

Water wheels are an old technology but the power ratio is high, bigger the wheel higher the ratio, the power in water falling is phenomenol.

[Nicos]

tell me about it!!!! When will it stop raining?????

[rauni]

Heard energy minister Malcolm Wicks on radio the other day saying the government are currently consulting (including the public) about future energy policy, and he was very pro micro generation (or so he said). Lots of problems, including having to change most local authority planning policies, as they are so obstructive, not giving permission for small wind turbines on house roofs etc.
Anyway, they're asking, so we should all be telling
via website: www.dti.gov
One person suggested all new industrial planning apps ( and supermarkets for that matter) should have a condition to include photovoltaic (solar) roof panels. They always have expansive roofs. It would be relatively cheap at the building stage to install energy generation. They are gradually realising there is no alternative but to pay attention to the whinging greenies... lets all turn up the volume!

[eskymo]

I watched this for the first time - missed the beginning of the episode but caught it just as they were discussing making bio-deisel from free veg oil from a fish and chip shop. We've been thinking of doing some thing similar, but instead of making bio-diesel you convert your car to run on vegetable oil. My OH has been doing a load of research into it and it sounds great. Unfortunately you still have to pay duty on the vegetable oil you use as fuel, but it still owrks out cheaper than buying deisel and also reduces your emissions by approx 75% or more...the OH isn't here to offer insight so I'm making this up on the spot from the limited info I've stored in my head from previous converstations.

[blackkitty]

We've considered the solar panels on the roof idea. If you place an order now you might get the panels at the end of 2007.

[dni_dave]

However, if every home started selling their surplus electricity back to the big corporations it would decentralise power, and would put the government in a funny spot, as their supporters and funders include electricty magnets (funny that, isn't it).

I agree with the whole argument of both sustainability and self sufficiency.

One trouble with generating your own electricity is the storage, which is why you sell back to the grid when you are generating more than you use. However, on dark, calm nights in the middle of a dry spell, you may struggle to generate enough for your own needs so you would need to draw from the grid. This would still keep the "power" with the corporations. The supply and demand principle still applies, even if you think you are reducing your demand - you won't be the only one in the area without their own solar/wind/water power. So they can charge increase their charges accordingly for times like that demonstrated.

However, having power stations on standby is a costly and inefficient affair so the benefits may be further reduced.

I think it may come down to lifestyle choice. How many of us would be willing to accept potential power cuts so as to not have power stations on stand by?

What if the freezer has just been stocked with your own, recently butchered, meat? Losing this would have a massive impact on your food stocks and annual budget. I agree there are other ways for long term food storage but what we have now is convenient.

I admire anyone willing to have a go, Dick Strawbridge included. Perhaps the most important factor is the "Never give up" approach to the project, and indeed life, that Dick has.

And yes - I would like to become more self sufficient and less reliant on foreign sources of food and energy.

[Shortie]

Well said Dave, I agree with your sentiments.

I have started to grow my own now etc for that same reason, and don't mind power cuts for things like lighting, tele etc as I am used to this where we go on holiday in the Gambia. Water supply is now always guarenteed all day long either. That said, I understand the importance of having electricity readily available...

I don't have the lifesytle that permits me to keep a farmyard of chicken that I could cull as and when required (therefore negating the need for a freezer) and I do a big monthly shop for my meat and store cupboard goods, so losing a whole shop in one go due to power problem would be awful for me, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't all try to reduce our 'eco footprint' where we can.

Sorry, hope that didn't sound like I was having a rant, really wasn't... agreeing with Dave...

[nick the grief]

I was listening to a programme on Radio 4 all about this type of thing. There is a company now that sells wind turbines that don't generate & store electricity but generate & put is straight in to your domestic system to reduce the ammount used ( it will top up the load basically) this was being marketed as an affordable alternative to the normal systems but when questioned it would take 5 years to recover the costs of installing the system. So that means that if you generate & store (extra cost of Batteries etc) it will take more than 5 years!!!

ALso it touched on the subject of Bio deisel, apparently a proportion of this is made fromthe EEC Wine lake that is made up of "crap" eastern european wine and when thy looked at the costs it was a joke. The best Biodiesel is made from Sugar beet & is 50% efficiet in the conversion this Plonk is less than 30% & they buy it from the producers & the market rate, so there's loads of crap wine being made & bought to be turned in to fuel rather than just putting themout of business or making them improve the quality of the wine!

It made me think!

[dni_dave]

but that doesn't mean we shouldn't all try to reduce our 'eco footprint' where we can.

Since starting to Grow Our Own we have started to examine our Eco/carbon footprint.

Less veg bought at the supermarket by us (and others in the area) means they should be buying/shipping less from abroad which will mean less airfreight. We need to visit the shops less regularly which means fewer road miles.

But I don't think we've reduced our leisure miles that much, and our work miles are fairly fixed. Living in the country has the downside that to go anywhere for entertainment means a trip in the car. There are lots and lots to do at home but when you've been in all winter there comes a time when you need to get out.

We do have a brook that flows down the side of the field and this winter it has been in full flow. I haven't caught much of "Hard Being Green" but does anyone remember the output of the wheel in Watts when it's going full pelt? I did see the bit where they turned it on and powered the low wattage light bulbs. I wonder if they added up the energy it took to mine, cast, ship, store all the raw materials that went into the control and outlets for all those lights (the wheel gearbox, rectifier, copper cabling, PVC coating for the copper cabling)???

Started to ramble now so time to go......

[pigletwillie]

A big dent in your hidden carbon footprint is to buy local produce when its in season.

Eating french beans in season and from your freezer later in the year has got to be more carbon friendly than buying them in December when they have been flown in from Kenya. Imagine all of the water and fuel used just to get them to Nairobi or Mombassa airport even before they are flown out. Add to that the miles travelled to and from distribution centres and then to the supermarket. If you buy them you contribute to the problem.

Support your local farmers markets or grow your own and your carbon footprint reduces with very little effort indeed.

[blackkitty]

and remember that lots of flowers are also flown around the globe. Those bunches of roses often come from Africa. grow your own.

[Earthbabe]

Just catching up with this thread. I fully agree with the sentiments expressed. Like many I don't have the lifestyle to keep lots of livestock but do what I can. We are working on reducing the fuel miles to the allotment by looking at other means of transport. We have also investigated the solar panel/wind turbine ideas. Quotes are not excessive but you don't really start to recoup for at least five years depending on other factors. As we don't intend staying in this house longer than we have to we haven't committed ourselves yet.

Also saw an article recently about bore holes. That looks great as long as you are in the right part of the country.

As therapists working on a product range we are looking at growing our own flowers for flower essences and probably selling surplus herbs and plants. Would like to produce my own essential oils but that's a long way off and would be a very limited range. Still a girl can dream.

[Digger-07]

It's back on again on Monday evening BBC2 at 20.00.

A great programme now showing episode three tonight I think.