Archive for August, 2010
What happened to the Aral Sea?
What happened to the Aral sea and when did it disappear. What caused the disappearance of Aral Sea.
In the 1960s the Soviets started growing cotton crops in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan’s dry climate made it necessary to divert water from the main rivers of Uzbekistan: the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, and their inflow to the Aral Sea decreased. During the 1980s the inflow was only 10 percent of what it was in the 1950s. The loss of inflow, combined with evaporation and little rainfall, caused the shoreline to recede, and in 1987 the sea’s southern and northern parts separated, although they are still connected at times by a channel. By the end of 1996 the Aral Sea’s total area had decreased by 57 percent, its water volume also decreased. The water level of the sea, which receives 80 percent of the flow from the Amu Darya dropped 15-18 meters. The Salt level in the Aral Sea rose to that of the ocean.
The dying sea has an effect on the people as well as the plant and animal life, especially in the region of Karakalpakistan. Because Uzbek soil was not good for growing cotton crops, there were huge numbers of pesticides used on the fields and the runoff went into the rivers. This affected people living along the rivers. Diseases like anemia, cancer, tuberculosis, and allergies are frequent. Lots of children are born with defects. In the first years of the cotton project diseases like the typhoid fever, viral hepatitis, TB, and throat cancer in many areas was as high as three times the national average. Most of it happened because of the reduction in the quality and quantity of pure drinking water, and the spread of toxic dusts and the worsening of the regional climate all resulting from the Aral Sea disaster.
The really big problem about the Aral Sea disaster is that it can’t be prevented. The only way to stop it is for Uzbekistan to stop producing cotton, but it can’t because its economy depends on it. One thing they could do to slow the process down is at least close the canals’ tops because, before the water gets to the fields, about half of it evaporates. The Aral Sea is a huge disaster that affects the whole of Uzbekistan and I hope that one day maybe we can find a way to fix it.
How much does a Home Wind Power generator system cost?
There is a person living off grid a few miles from me. When his house was built it would have cost $15000 to get poles installed to connect to the power grid. That became his budget for the solar/wind energy system. He installed solar heating panels, solar PV and a 1kW wind turbine to charge a battery bank, and even purchased a small portable generator. The system has been operating for several years. Payback on this system was immediate, and he hasn’t had an electric bill since.
I’m putting together a small wind system in my back yard. So far I have the concrete foundations installed for a 80 foot guyed tower. Inside, the equipment rack is pretty much complete with the exception of the dump load. Pictures and diagrams are on my web page.
http://members.rennlist.org/warren/wind.html
Payback on the system is somewhere on the order of about 15 years, but I’m not building it to save money. If I were to smoke or go bar hopping regularly an equivalent amount of money would have been spent long ago. This way I have something concrete at the end of the day and it gives me something to experiment with and learn about.
How much electric power would it take to run all the automobiles, trucks , and buses in the United States ?
What is the potential of electric power in the United States from wind , geothermal, hydropower, and solar power to power electric vehicles???
Some years ago, I calculated that it would take about 180 gigawatts (first link).
The potential wind energy available in the lower 48 states is on the order of 1200 gigawatts, with another 900 gigawatts of potential on the continental shelves. The potential from solar energy is quite a bit more; wind energy is just solar energy after conversion through a rather inefficient heat engine.
EDIT: This is quite a bit less electricity than we generate today. Average US electric generation is about 460 GW (second link), while total nameplate generating capacity is over 1000 GW.
Should green homes with solar power, energy savings technology?
Tax exemptions to homes designed to save and create energy shoul be a national debate.
I don’t even see the need to debate- they should be provided incentives to build them. It costs to build the technology into the homes, but once built they pay for themselves in savings.
Do you mean that discussion should be encouraged? yes by all means. And you’re doing that. thank you! Now write you legislators at all levels until one of them does something about it.
Why does everyone here think that green living is only about energy reduction, and recycling?
Do they not realize that it also means ridding our homes of the chemicals in our everyday consummable products, things like bleach, phosphates, ammonias and other dangerous manmade compounds, including formeldehyde.
There are more concepts out there than any single ad will show you, and we are mostly a population driven by ads and consumer ideas. Think of it as a phase "we" are going through, like Disco, or bell bottom pants. It will come and go, and mean more or less to different people.
The philosophy of living lightly on the earth has been around for quite a while. "Living Green" is just the latest marketing ploy. It really comes down to taking a further step than you mention and rid your home of many of the everyday consumable things we take for granted. It means buying things to last, and this is at times at odds with many greenies.
For example:
I am pleased that I found a local dairy that puts their milk into glass bottles, it costs a bit more, but the milk lasts longer, and tastes better. Not that adult humans need to drink much milk in their daily diets.
Plastic shoes, use petrochemicals and do not last. Cloth shoes are a little better, but not as long lived. Leather shoes will last a lifetime if cared for, but it means you need leather- a dilemma for vegans.
So, the philosophy is not concrete, nor does it fit everyone the same.
However, every thing that anyone does to lighten the load upon the earth is a help, and you should be ready to help educate, not chastise when viewpoints diverge. I know it can be frustrating, just stay the course. Many times it is about economics and big business cleverly disguised by marketing. Educate yourself in the world, then gently work to educate others. The earth needs a peaceful revolution for a change.
Purist Energy Solar Hot Water Install
Dana Fischer from Purist Energy on a solar hot water install.
Duration : 0:3:4
PEDAL POWER BIKE BICYCLE DC Generator Green Energy ELECTRIC BIKE DIY HYBRID
This is a 24 volt Generator attached to a bike. Permanent Magnet Motor.
Duration : 0:10:0
Homebrew Wind power
It is very windy in Wellington 
This thing has been up for a few years, it does about 50 watts flat out. It uses an old washing machine permanent magnet motor.
Duration : 0:0:58
How to Make an Inexpensive Vertical Wind Turbine – Part 1
Kit for sale now- http://www.berezintechnologies.com
Visit Blog at http://berezin.com/jeff for details on wind and other stuff I do.
Part 2 is now done and covers power generation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24LSnATIZhw
Harness the wind for less than $100.
DIY vertical wind turbine of the Savonius style.
Notable is that this cost less than $100 in materials so far and that the largest part of this turbine is recycled materials (the PVC drums previously held Balsamic Vinegar from Italy).
Also, this turns well in a very light wind.
Axle: 3 inch PVC piping from Home Depot
Bearings: 5 inch lazy suzan from Lowes.
Part 2 will cover power generation and connection to the battery bank.
Duration : 0:8:36