Maybe we could start here. I've always thought gas flaring was a crazy waste of energy.
World Bank urges nations to end 'wasteful' gas flaring
Figures show gas flaring among major oil countries contributes as much to climate change as a major economy like Italy
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/24/world-bank-gas-flaring
johnmath
Member
+1 agreed, rockabye.
In fact, the take the topic in a broader sense, the future of the planet depends on the elimination of ALL waste, period. I.E. NO waste water or effluent, NO landfill waste, NO atmospheric waste, exhaust, etc.
All solids, liquids and gases that result from human activity have to be recycled into the environment in a non-detrimental way. All the natural resources life depends on are finite and non-renewable although they may be recyclable. Any consumption that takes resources out of the natural recycling system implies depletion. Any depletion is NOT sustainable by definition - refer to basic mathematics.
The only external input to the environmental system on earth is energy from the sun. The addition of energy to the system is essentially in equilibrium to energy being dissipated or lost to space. This balance has set up the critical conditions that allow all of the ecological systems on the planet to naturally recycle resources in an essentially habitable and sustainable way, although it has vacillated over history and has not always been habitable for species such as mankind.
We have now irreversibly changed the balance of the system and it is not naturally sustainable anymore, hence our current climate crisis. We have added so much energy to the weather system, it is spinning out of control. Man’s vanity that technology can overcome nature is about to revealed up as one of the biggest fallacies of all time.
I was told it was cheaper to buy in and fit two drive shafts than have four cv joints replaced on my car.
That is a hell of a lot of cast steel being thrown out to save replacing 20 ball bearings and their housings and four rubber sleeves.
Seems the labour component is more expensive than the steel shafts being dumped.
Just repaired a set of very good quality gaming headphones with mic. My son was about to throw them out because the left speaker was intermittent. Some quick testing found the cord was dodgy at the entry point to the left speaker so after about 30 mins of carefully disassembly and rejoining the fine enamel cable they are as good as new in all respects. $56US on ebay.
http://willyfogg.com/p175445688/turtle_beach_ear_force_z2_headphones_fg_-_headset__ear/
Water consumption when mining coal is as big a problem as water used by coal fired generators. Fresh water is going to be a limiting factor, particularly in China and India I suspect as coal fired power stations continue to be built.
A good paper on water/energy relationships can be found here.
http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/files/ETIP-DP-2010-15-final-4.pdf
Lance
Key Master
Which was proved false, as it was based on the amount of meat they eat, assuming it was all high grade, which it isn't, and several other factors. Sure, carnivores are a problem as far as ecological footprint and also from an ethical standpoint, but let's face it, the creature on this planet with the biggest carbon footprint, by several orders of magnitude over most others, is the human.
Dogs and other pets (as opposed to those poor dogs who are just shoved in the back yard like a piece of garden furniture) have a positive effect on the wellbeing of their owners, which reduces illness and the corresponding costs, both financial and ecological, so there is a benefit there.
fireflies
Member
Since we moved house 8 months ago from a small house to smaller, and are planning to live in a renovated shed once that is built - even smaller, we have furniture, kids toys, random light fittings that will have no place in 'the shed'. Luckily DW discovered online bartering and ugly vases, excess wine glasses, childrens clothes/toys, old baskets/ bags, extra furniture have been bartered for fresh produce - eggs, fruit - herb plants, etc. In our region there are a number of locality based interest groups on, (in this case) Facebook that have been set up by locals expressly for the purpose of finding homes for unwanted items that are not valuable enough to sell, but not defunct enough for the tip, and not popular enough for the Salvos or Vinnies.
Lance
Key Master
Fab, your problem isn't with the dogs, it's with the irresponsible dog owners, ie people. The dogs bark because they are bored, probably locked in a back yard 24/7 and never walked. This is animal abuse in my opinion, dogs are pack animals and should always be with their pack, ie their owners. If someone buys a dog just to dump it outside then they should not have bought the dog, they clearly don't understand how a dog's mind works, nor do they understand their responsibilities.
Same goes for poo on the street, a responsible dog owner will take dog poo bags with them, they are cheap and readily available and biodegradable ones are common. It's just laziness on the part of the owner, not the dog.
hamish05
Member
rockabye said:
Maybe we could start here. I've always thought gas flaring was a crazy waste of energy.World Bank urges nations to end 'wasteful' gas flaring
Figures show gas flaring among major oil countries contributes as much to climate change as a major economy like Italy
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/24/world-bank-gas-flaring
I have spent a significant portion of my life working in an Australian oil refinery.
I can assure you that “flaring” is a closely monitored and costed operation that has to be reported upon in detail, each and every shift.
The flare is an interregnal and important system to safeguard the manufacturing process and only rarely if ever used in the manner as described in that article.
Maybe some 'water world' residences for cashed up buyers could interest those looking for new digs.
Researching her film The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard discovered that, of the materials flowing through the consumer economy, only 1% remain in use six months after sale.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/10/on-12th-day-christmas-present-junk
johnmath
Member
rockabye said:
Researching her film The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard discovered that, of the materials flowing through the consumer economy, only 1% remain in use six months after sale.http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/10/on-12th-day-christmas-present-junk
Thanks for the link rockabye. The story pretty much explains why my partner and I have become conscientious objectors to Christmas. We don’t give presents, cards or anything. If we're going to give someone something they need, we’ll give it to them when they need it and not save it up for Christmas. And we don’t need any junk from anyone else, we have enough junk in our lives already.
Have to agree. I try and adopt the same approach and often use the same thinking when something is genuinely needed. Xmas day is celebrated as my day off from buying stuff. The guilt industry pushed by business to get people to buy things we don't want is hard to overcome but doable.
Jason Drew is redesigning the future right here in Australia. Shall hopefully have his latest book soon. Great talk on ABC.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/breakfast/stories/s3654983.htm
He's done a TedX talk here.
Jason Drew's fly farm is the most inspirational idea I have heard in years.
After spending my whole life killing flies, I now see that they are beneficial insects that we will have to learn to appreciate.
Looks like Qld is heading back to the dark ages with Newman scrapping the requirements for new homes to have efficient water heaters.
Jeffbloggs
Member
Nature does not know the concept of waste. Everything in nature is reused but mostly never recycled. A war on waste is a war on a artificially created concept of man. We need to abandon these un-sustainable manmade concepts at all costs. Hence waste does not exist per se, it only becomes unwanted or unused natural "resources", that mankind needs to learn how to repurpose in a sustainable way. After all; without purpose everything is just rubbish! 
Trashed is a new documentary movie by Jeremy Irons. Discusses the extent and effects of global waste.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2012/dec/11/jeremy-irons-trashed-film-waste
I'll post this in the Movie thread also.
Jeffbloggs
Member
Rockabye
Aye aye. Some even "waste" their time on forums like us talking about "rubbish" lol
johnmath
Member
Thanks rockabye. Another terrifying portrait of anthropogenic blind sightedness. I can never understand how with so much accumulated knowledge and intelligence, we can do so many things that are so damaging.
I've just finished reading Mine Field http://www.blackincbooks.com/books/mine-field and urge people to watch the new SBS documentary starting Jan 6 2013 on the mining industry in Australia which now have bigger economies than our governments, and which is laying waste to communities, both white and indigenous, ripping through farmland, groundwater, the atmosphere and the environment in general, without any scrutiny or proper monitoring of consequences.
http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/11903555530/Dirty-Business-How-Mining-Made-Australia-Promo
More on Qld reverse progress. Energy efficient hws no longer required for new homes. Time for social media campaign to identify builders who install electric only has because they are cheap. Sad thing is that if the price of a new home is unaffordable than sacrificing the energy efficient bits is going to make it a more expensive place to live.
What next, incandescent globes, remove insulation, compulsory black roofing?
Russell Moore
Member
We have non compulsory black/dark grey roofing spreading like a cancer here in outer suburban Sydney. In some suburbs that is all you can see.
Dark roofing:
People must be choosing it on purpose. Why? What drives that destructive urge?
This idiotic fashion has persisted for about a decade, I think.
Has anyone studied the phenomenon?
Putting double garage doors along the street frontage is understandable: cars are more honoured than people. But dark roofs?
If the roofing materials marketers are driving it, surely it is past time for them to switch to a new colour?
Russell Moore
Member
Check out Nearmap (update, OK looks like Nearmap wants money to view their site nowadays, and Google is way out of date) and look around Middleton Grange, Orchard Hills, and Rouse Hill, a sea of black and grey roofs. Maybe they could use the hot air in the roofs in winter time, and pump it into the house? I won't hold my breath.
