Science Scene - Earth Day 2008, Part Deux

Here at Nutwood Junction, we have definitely discovered the joy of recycling, as discussed in my Science Scene - Earth Day 2008 entry. Based on the original entry, and feedback received so far, here is a list of things you can do to be more GREEN :o) 

1.    Use your local recycling program for glass, cans, plastic, and cardboard.

2.    During the spring/summer, use a compost crock that all veggie material and coffee grounds go into.

3.    Use compact fluorescent bulbs where possible

4.    Only use the air conditioning (or furnace) when necessary (open the windows for natural circulation, and wear warm clothes in the fall/winter)

5.   Donate things you no longer use to Goodwill, much better than throwing out.

6.   Take your paper to work for recycling.

7.   Take your batteries to work for recycling.

8.    I often print on paper that has already has something on the other side. I have to remember to tell my students when I'm using previously printed paper to ignore what's on the back side. I've also learned to check what's on the other side first. As I pick up a lot of this paper at the main copy shop on campus, there is occasionally some REALLY interesting stuff that may not be appropriate for my class content!

9.   We also have several places locally that take dead batteries and light bulbs.

10.  Recycle plastic bags when I get them.  I usually try to use my own bags as much as possible.  (2)

11.  Do not throw out printer paper when used.  When no longer needed, I tear it up, and use it for scrap paper.  

12.  Donate cleaned out 2 liter bottles to schools in the area for their art projects.

13.  All magazines we subscribe to go to others who then agree to hand off to even more so many people get the benefit of reading them.

14.  Used coffee grounds go into one plastic bag and at the end of the week they go onto the dirt over many plants in our yard and then we start over with that same plastic bag.

15.  We try to plant a few more trees every year, although at least half of our property is already wooded.

16.      Plant native plants in our yard as much as possible. They thrive in their native climate, and require much less water.

17.       Use green shopping bags (made of recycled materials) whopping price 99 cents.

18.    Whenever possible we purchase from second hand stores. Aside from the $ difference, the amount of material and energy used in packaging, shipping, and manufacturing is significantly reduced.

While this list is a good start, I am not satisfied.  I think there are more things that we can do.  So here is continuing my challenge to J-Land; post a comment for this entry that documents at least one unique thing that you do to recycle and/or try and be green.  My goal is have a list of 50 things.

So please spread the word about this effort - let's do our part!  May this help you in some way do something that helps our environment. :o)

Recycling Resources and Information:

http://www.epa.gov/garbage/recycle.htm)

http://earth911.org/recycling)

Tags: Recycle, Blogplugs, Green

Prime Directive

Today, the Prime Directive was to get the lawn tractor going.  I sure could have used some Star Trek technology to assist me <LOL>.

I grabbed the shed padlock key and headed down the driveway, unsure what to expect after almost five months.  I opened the shed, and noticed that there was a noticeable lean to the right, due to an almost flat rear tire. The good news is that the tractor started up with no problem. I drove the tractor and parked it behind Blacky, retrieved the air compressor, and alas, the dc plug to the car was not long enough to reach more than two feet beyond the rear corner of the car. 

So, what is a guy to do?  I headed out to Lowes to get a new compressor (also got a $10 tool box to keep in the house since my tools moved to the detached garage today).  Not sure how we ever got by without a better air compressor.  I highly recommend the little guy shown to the left - it runs off of either ac or dc power, and the dial with the red arrow is a limit switch to ensure you do not over inflate.  It is really a nice little device, and cost less than $50.

I filled the tires on both tractors, and look forward to doing the same for the bikes (motorcycle and bicycles :o), and for the vehicles.  Remember, properly inflated tires helps with the gas mileage, so take the time to ensure your tires remain properly inflated.

Turns out that was the easy part of getting the tractor in mowing condition.  On the last cut of the year last fall, the blade drive belt broke.  We picked up a new belt at Lowes (note, the generic belt was $20 less than the direct replacement belt at Sears). 

 We go through several belts a year due to the twigs and "junk" that gets up under the mower (this year, I have walked the yard to pick up sticks versus just mowing over them).  This is only the second time I have replaced the blade drive belt, it is usually the main drive belt that goes (resulting in me pushing the tractor back to the shed).  It took me well over an hour, mostly because I was challenged to get a spring removed to properly position the belt.  Lesson learned, grab the end of the spring with needle nose pliers and twist to get it unhooked.  I was finally able to get it all put back together.

So then, it was off to perform the first mowing of the year.  With winter decending on us so fast last year, there were still a lot of leaves left in the yard.  So it was a very dusty endeavor today, as the leaves and new grass were mulched together.  The path I have through the marsh is still too wet to get through, but I was able to get the front and back grass done, as well as the stretch along the road.  Take a look, doesn't the lawn look nice, and so green, I LOVE SPRING.  Sure is nice to be outside.  Hope you are having a nice weekend. 

Off to grill some steaks :o)

Tags: Mowing, Spring, Mulch

Long Range Planning :o)

It has been a busy week, luckily my last week of having to work one night-shift.  I did make an entry on Earth Day, but nothing since then.  However, that does not mean that there is nothing to write about.

 

Beth and I officially achieved a significant milestone this week.  We have officially gotten down to only having one debt, our mortgage!  We have been able, over the past six years, to go from extreme debt (I had more than $100K of credit card debt from my first marriage - I almost declared bankruptcy - but determined that I would meet my commitments), to almost debt free.  It was so bad when I met Beth, and after we got married, that my name could not even be included on the loan for the house.  Beth had to qualify for the loan, based on her income and excellent credit rating, on her own.

 

It has been fun to reminisce over the past several months.  After we got married, we set up a long range plan.  The plan (see below) had a sequence, culminating with a target of Beth retiring on March 31, 2008.  We had some unanticipated legal expenses in 2007, so alas, we missed our plan by eleven days (some at work have said “that’s just sick” :o)  Below were our priorities for the first six years:

 

1.  Determine how much house we can afford, based on Beth’s savings and income – Complete, November 2001 (when we were married)

2.     Purchase house of our dreams – Complete (nine months after wedding, we love Nutwood Junction).

3.     Achieve positive cashflow without using savings – Complete (15 months after the wedding).  A big part of this was paying all new credit charges off in full each month – no new debt!

4.     Purchase Beth’s Mustang – Complete 2005

5.     Purchase Ken’s Mustang and used truck – Complete 2006

6.     Pay off all credit card debt and timeshares – Complete March, 2008

7.  Beth Retire – Complete (4/11/08)

8.     Ken Retire – TBD (9.5 years left in nuclear, then a new career is definitely in order :o)

 

We did this as a team.  We live a fairly frugal lifestyle, we both abhor having debt and owing anything to anyone.  We have common goals, and we are both very disciplined. 

 

We were both blessed to have parents that made provisions for us to get our college degrees, and we work (worked in Beth’s case) in professions that pay well.  But, the thing is, a lot of people spend what they make, and their debts equal or exceed their incomes, making it hard to truly get ahead. 

 

It is very important to have goals, to develop a plan, and to work the plan together.  For us, we had great role models in Beth’s parents (her Dad retired at 55) and my Dad, who went bankrupt in 1974 but recovered to leave his two sons a reasonable inheritance in 1990.   While I was not able to save this inheritance (lost it in California 1995 real estate downturn), it instilled in me a “never again” mentality.

 

My wish for you is to develop financial goals, to then assess your situation and establish a plan – with your partner, and to then live the plan.  You can achieve amazing results!

Tags: Budget, Planning, Teamwork

Science Scene - Earth Day 2008

Here at Nutwood Junction, we have definitely discovered the joy of recycling.  When we first moved in, about six years ago, we used to fill one garbage can (slightly bigger than a 55 gallon drum) every week, plus part of another garbage can on occasion.  Now, we usually only have one 13 gallon bag, that covers the kitchen, bathroom, and kitty litter.  How did we cut down so drastically on the amount of garbage?  We got serious about recycling.  We started off with two small recycle bins from Waste Management.  Since they only pick up every two weeks, it did not take us long to outgrow them.  After the first year, we went out and bought a third bin, and that worked until it was stolen from the side of the road.  We then started using the two bins plus a smaller garbage can, and that worked for a couple of years, but we outgrew that was well.  Now, we have two 50 gallon garbage cans that we fill every two weeks - one with plastic, the other mostly with cans.  We also normally have one of the smaller bins that I use in the garage, plus a bundle of newspapers and some cardboard.  We are so glad that we recycle much more than we simply dispose of.

Other things that we do, besides recycling, are:

• During the spring/summer, we have a compost crock that all veggie material and coffee grounds go into.
• We use compact fluorescent bulbs at every location we can.
• We do not have central air, and only turn on the bedroom window unit when it is extremely hot (we love to have the windows open).
• We take our spent batteries to my work, where we have a recycle program to prevent them from going into landfills.
• We donate things we no longer use to Goodwill, much better than throwing out.
• We take all paper to my work for recycling.

However, I am not satisfied.  I think there are more things that we can do.  So here is my challenge to J-Land; post a comment for this entry that documents at least one unique thing that you do to recycle and/or try and be green.  My goal is to get to at least 50 comments, which I will take and consolidate into another Science Scene entry.  So please spread the word about this effort - let's do our part!  Happy Earth Day to each and every one of you.  May this help you in some way do something that helps our environment.  Below are some references I found related to recycling for your surfing pleasure :o)

[Source: Wikipedia] Recycling is the reprocessing of old materials into new products, with the aims of preventing the waste of potentially useful materials, reducing the consumption of fresh raw materials, reducing energy usage, reducing air (from incineration) and water (from land filling) pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production.  Recycling is a key concept of modern waste management and is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" waste hierarchy, though colloquial usage of "recycling" can also include "reuse".  "Recyclable materials" or "recyclables", may originate from home, business or industry. They include glass, paper, metal, textiles and plastics. Though analogous, the composting of biodegradable waste—such as food or garden waste—is not typically considered recycling.  These materials are either brought to a collection center or picked-up from the curbside; and sorted , cleaned and reprocessed into new products bound for manufacturing.  To judge the environmental benefits of recycling, the cost of this entire process must be compared to the cost of virgin extraction. In order for recycling to be economically viable, there usually must be a steady supply of recyclables and constant demand for the reprocessed goods; both of which can be stimulated through government legislation.  Meanwhile, critics claim that government mandated recycling wastes more resources than it saves. These critics claim that free market prices, and not politicians, are the most accurate way to determine whether or not any particular type of garbage should be recycled. According to these critics, whenever recycling truly does save resources, the private sector will voluntary offer people money for their garbage.

Recycling Facts and Figures (source http://www.epa.gov/garbage/recycle.htm)

• In 1999, recycling and composting activities prevented about 64 million tons of material from ending up in landfills and incinerators. Today, this country recycles 32.5 percent of its waste, a rate that has almost doubled during the past 15 years.

• While recycling has grown in general, recycling of specific materials has grown even more drastically: 52 percent of all paper, 31 percent of all plastic soft drink bottles, 45 percent of all aluminum beer andsoft drink cans, 63 percent of all steel packaging, and 67 percent of all major appliances are now recycled.

• Twenty years ago, only one curbside recycling program existed in the United States, which collected several materials at the curb. By 2006, about 8,660 curbside programs had sprouted up across the nation. As of 2005, about 500 materials recovery facilities had been established to process the collected materials.

 

Curbside Recycling [source http://earth911.org/recycling)

Curbside recycling now serves half of the U.S. population, providing the most convenient means for households to recycle a variety of materials.

While all curbside programs differ, the most commonly included materials are The Big Five: aluminum cans, glass bottles, paper, plastic and steel/tin cans.

Note that this is also an excellent site to determine if there are recycling programs and/or facilities in your neck of the woods.  I signed up for "greentips" alerts :o)

Tags: Recycle, Earth Day, blogplugs

Vitamin D :o)

What a glorious day.  Hope J-Land all had a wonderful day with their loved ones today.

We stayed up late last night, watching SNL, so slept in today.  Did our morning paper and coffee (me)/tea (Beth) ritual, and then headed out to the backyard.  Beth's mission was flower pictures (see them at Nutwood Junction) and cleaning the leaves out of the garden pond. 

My main activity was picking up sticks, how exciting :o)

I also was able to remove some broken-up concrete from the vicinity of our back pond (only 25' x 15', but the deer and other wildlife love it).  This way I will be able to mow closer, and as the summer wears on, I go down and dig the pond out bigger by hand.  It is slow, I have done it for two years now, but it is a great workout, and we plan on being here a long time, so no hurry.  Then we spent some time on our deck, soaking up the rays, and as Beth said, she could feel the Vitamin D being generated :o) 

After getting cleaned up, I got things ready for going back to work tomorrow; making coffee, getting my clothes laid out, setting the alarm (how domestic I am).  Hopefully, this will be my last week of the "crazy" schedule; Monday in office, Tuesday work some from home, Wednesday night at the plant, Thursday work some from home, Friday back in the office.

 

Tags: Spring, Vitamin D

Brain Freeze :o)

What a wonderful 1/2 weekend it has been so far.  I took Friday off, and after a work related phone call in the morning, we headed to Dayton Ohio to spend Saturday with the "kidlets".  We checked into our hotel (Homewood Suites by Hilton, highly recommended and reasonable, with a great breakfast).  After we freshened up, we headed out to O'Charleys (a chain, reasonably priced, with good sized portions and excellent food) to meet Karen and Doug, a couple we met on the cruise last summer.  We had a great time, and spent 4-1/2 hours talking, eating, and imbibing (except Doug, the DD :o)).  It was a wonderful evening getting reacquainted with our friends.  

 

Saturday morning, we went and picked up the kids, and headed off to the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.   The museum is huge, taking up three huge hangers, arranged by WWI, WWII, Cold War, and Missiles/Space.  The picture to the left was taken on my cell phone by my son (and it only took me an hour to figure out how to upload from the camera, download to the computer, and upload to this entry).  It is very humbling, what you see is a bomber and two nuclear bomb casings (post WWII, but bigger in mega-tonnage that the ones actually dropped on Japan). 

As Beth wrote on her journal at Nutwood Junction, "There are planes galore (obviously), displayed on the ground and hanging from the ceiling. I think one of the coolest was the B2 Bomber (AKA the Stealth Bomber). What an incredible piece of machinery, and SO cool-looking. I was also surprised to see a section devoted to the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps--quite a few Allied soldiers were sent to them when they were captured. It was very well done, and very upsetting (as it should be, in my opinion). Since it was a small section, it doesn't have the impact that The Holocaust Museum does, where you're completely immersed in it for the entire day, but it was still a good exhibit. My stepdaughter said that was her favorite, because she's studied about that in school...they had several warheads on display--actual ICBM's and IRBM's. For Ken and I, who remember The Cold War and the threat of being nuked out of existence, it's pretty chilling to see a physical manifestation of complete and utter destruction. "

We ended the museum tour by sitting in for an IMAX theater movie - Operation Red Flag, about the two week training session that is provided to new pilots (if a new pilot survives his first ten missions, then their odds of having a career "skyrocket" (pun intended). 

We ended the day by heading out to Starbucks for a "brain freeze" for three of us, and milk and cookies for my son.  All in all, a great two days, and we still have tomorrow to R&R.  Hope you are all having a great weekend and that your weather is as nice as ours has been.

Tags: Air Force Museum, Cold War, Starbuck

Spring Has Arrived!

Well, another Thursday, after a Wednesday night-shift of work, is behind me.  I slept until about 1:30 PM, which has a tendency to shorten the day <LOL>. 

 

Around 3:15 PM, I decided that today’s workout would be spent outdoors since the temperature here is around 80 degrees (finally).  My main task was to shift items from the old garage to the new garage in preparation for establishing a work-out room :o).  Also, picked up some branches to get ready for the first lawn mowing of the year, and lit the burn pile in the backyard (still some hefty branches that need to be disposed of after our winter storms).

 

I decided to take tomorrow off, except for a work related phone call I need to be involved with at 11:00 AM (still cheaper than driving to work).  Then, tomorrow early afternoon, we are going to head off to the Dayton Ohio area for a Saturday visit with the kids.  We are very excited to see the kids, spend some quality time with them, and as an added benefit, we have made arrangements to hook-up with some friends from our cruise Friday evening for dinner.

 

Hoping everyone is having a pleasant week, and that you are looking forward to a wonderful weekend :o)

Tags: Spring

Rainbow Treasures :o)

 

 

Yes, home of the Fighting Irish, the question has frequently been asked,

What treasure is at the end of the Rainbow?

I give you - the pot at the end of the rainbow :o)

Tags: Rainbow, blogplugs

Science Scene

Below is an article from our local paper, the South Bend Tribune.  While reading the paper today, Beth suggested this would make a good Science Scene entry for Bucko :o). Thanks Honey.

 

As I was looking at the orginal article, my thought was, how does the nasty stuff get into the pipe?  The article hints at sewer and ethanol (we do have an ethanol plant outside the city, but not anywhere near the intersection mentioned below).  My conclusion is that the ethanol plant must have some discharge that goes into the city sewer. 

 

Even though this article is not as well written as Beth's entries at Nutwood Junction, the bottom line message is still valid.  First, what a great time to be an environmental engineer, and what a great profession where you can help solve problems.  Second, thinking outside the box can really result in some innovative solutions to long standing problems.  Kudos to the city engineers, etc., that pursued this idea.  Lastly, bioengineering really has the potential to help our environment, from scrubbing smells, cleaning up superfund sites, helping with our digestion, and the list goes on.....

 

See the details below, and keep Mother Earth in mind as you go about your daily activities :o)  

 

 

SOUTH BEND -- Another spring scent may be used to mask the nasty sewer and ethanol odor that usually fills the air on the city's west side. 

 

A flower bed will be planted at the corner of Riverside Drive and Lafayette near the Leeper Park tennis courts.  But it's not just any flower bed. Beneath the blooms is biotechnology that the city hopes will help control odors and replace the old scrubbing system.

 [Picture added, not part of article]

City engineer Carl Littrell said the underground system will consist of a perforated pipe, surrounded by a layer of gravel, which is covered by mulch. The air in the pipe -- with the noxious hydrogen sulfide and other smells -- will disperse through the gravel and mulch. Littrell said the bacteria that occur naturally in the mulch will absorb the odors. "The scrubber is actually the mulch," he said.

The roughly 2,500-square-foot garden bed atop the biofilter system will also help mask the odors. It won't be perfume, Littrell said, but it will help.

Environmental engineering firm Symbiont will install the system and work with the city greenhouses on what type of flowers will work best in the garden. Littrell said the plants have to be able to handle the pH levels that reach them and a wet environment.

The city discussed many options with Symbiont, Littrell said, some which would've cost in the "six figures." The garden bed project is expected to cost around $50,000 and will go out for bid this spring.

Littrell said the garden bed will cost less to operate than the old scrubber system that used an activated charcoal canister that had carbons in it. Those filters had to be changed at least once a month,he said, and were messy to deal with. The flowers in the garden bed only require replanting every few years, Littrell said.

Tags: Enviornment, Bacteria, Flowers, South Bend

The Hard Way

It never ceases to amaze me on how some people seem to revel in doing things the hard way, or making excuses as to why they cannot do something at all.

If it is losing weight – why not just exercise and consume more calories than you ingest?  No special medications or expensive programs.  

If it is quitting smoking – why not just come up with a plan and stick to it.  Some may feel the need for additional aids, and that is OK, but the thing is, you need to really want to quit.

If it is financial – why not just develop a budget where your “comes in” exceeds your “goes out.”  This make take some effort to focus on the higher interest debts first, and cutting out some things that are “wants” but not “needs”.  

If it is responding to a simple request from someone you are angry with – why not just look at the options and pick one.  A lot of negative energy finding reasons to not cooperate, or simply ignoring the request is counterproductive and will only result in more resentment and anger.  It is easier in the long run to find a way to resolve differences than to keep up the charade of partial cooperation.

I realize that this may be perceived as an oversimplification.  But I ask, are your objections real – or are they “victim” statements.  Sometimes, people expend more energy rationalizing why they can’t or won’t do something, than they would spend just getting started.   What it really comes down to is mindset.  You first need to really want to achieve the results of the action.  Then, you must have the discipline to sit down and develop a plan.  This plan must include some early and achievable goals, to get quick victories.  This may take some research, but that makes it more likely to be achieved than just “winging it”.

Tags: Discipline, Rationalization, Mindset, Blogplugs

Don't Get "Hooked" on Me

Bad Sheeba Poetry II

 

As I lay here on my blanky,

 

Having done my hanky-panky,

 

I get ready to take a doze,

 

My eyes slowly start to close.

 

Perhaps I can “hang” on awhile,

 

All it will cost you is a smile.

 

Certainly I can delay my nap,

 

If you want to give me a wee little pat.

 

 

Lazy Leisure :o)

Ahhhh, a low impact day.  Today is my transition day to tomorrow's night shift at work.  As an added benefit, my bride was off today as well :o) 

I was able to sleep in until 10:00, but the last hour and a half was very restless.  We had a nice morning of puttering on the computer, getting caught up on J-Land.  Noonish, Beth headed out to the store, and I headed out to the backyard.  I am so glad that the winter is finally behind us, today was in the mid-60's.  I decided to get my "workout" in via outside activities instead of the recumbent bike or treadmill (I did manage to get a little weight work in though).

My goal is to slowly empty the old garage in preparation for converting it into a workout area.  To that end, I hung my new bird house (a golf bag that I got from Beth for Christmas), hung all of our wind chimes - it is such a pleasant sound with the gentle breeze - and filled the bird bath we have off of our deck.  Also, with the sustained coldness behind us, I turned on the water to the outside faucets (always a milestone, 'cause that really means that Old Man Winter is gone for the year).

While all the "growth" is dormant, I also headed to the garden area and made the path wider around the deer fence.  Also, I have created a path in the marsh, that the wildlife love to use, and that we occasionally meander along.  There is one particular area that the mower gets caught in, so I went out with the shovel and made the area wider and flatter.  I have to admit, by the time I was done, I definitely needed to hit the showers.

Tonight will be American Idol and stir fry with our new Wok :o)  Beth will head off to bed, and I will most likely watch a Matrix movie or two. 

So, thanks Wifey for a nice day. Spring is definitely in the air. 

Financial Forum

Do you have the stomach?

Most certainly we are in a recession.  Gasoline prices are in the neighborhood of $3.25 per gallon, the Federal Reserve has been lowering interest rates for the past five months, grocery prices are rising based on fuel costs and the commodities market price increases. 

So, what is a person to do?  I recommend buying stock.  I have upped our monthly purchase by several hundred dollars.  It takes a strong stomach to resist the urge to sell when the market is in a decline.  But if you have the fortitude, buying when the market is down can pay off in the long run. 

We keep most of our retirement investments in relatively safe money markets and stock funds, through my 401K, but I do like to speculate with stock to a certain point.  One lesson, I learned the hard way, is that frequent buying and selling can cause stress with a volatile market, and after commissions and taxes, nets only a meager gain.  However, if you cost average (buy monthly, so the highs and lows balance, and keep for multiple years), then you can come out ahead in the long run.

So, with tax rebates coming for a lot of America, I say, either pay down debt or invest in a stock fund, and start building for a brighter future.  One motto that I adopted after nearly going bankrupt 10 years ago, is to pay myself first - putting as much as I can afford into my 401K, and also having a cushion for every day expenses.  Over the past 10 years, and with the support of my wonderful wife, we have been able to pull ourselves up by our boot straps and see a bright future for our retirements - some sooner than others (less than three days for my bride - you go girl).  One down, one to go :o)

 

Tags: Invest, Stock, Bankruptcy

Dr. Phil and Raising Children

Since I was home yesterday in the middle of the day, I turned on Dr. Phil, and I was not disappointed.  At least twice he uttered "It's Not About Yooouuuu."  :o)

The segment was related to parents that push to hard to be involved in their children's lives, and are actually living vicariously through them, at a high price for the children.  When the kids finally get out from under the thumb, they rebel and many end up ruining their lives in one way or another.

Dr. Phil asked each of the parents, how do you define success in raising your children?  After dialogue and "coaching" from Dr. Phil, words such as; confident, self assured, clear values, own skill sets, own goals, and being who they want to be" were the key elements.  While we may aspire for our children to be successful (Doctor, Lawyer, Scientist, Artist, Musician, Engineer, Teacher, etc.), the true measure of success is for our children to do something that they are passionate about. 

Lastly, the biggest measure of success as a parent is to prepare our children for life.  When we are no longer around, whether due to them going off to college or living on their own, or due to our death, they have the values and self assurance to move on with their lives.

May all the parents out there be "successful".

Tags: Parents, Success, Dr. Phil

Who Do You Laugh At?

Ah yes, for the past three days, I have been trying to catch some ZZZ's in the late morning, and let me tell you, it is difficult to get restful rest.  I got up at 1130 before my alarm went off, and called in to work - luckily, I get to keep to my one night per week schedule (this morning, there was a chance that due to an illness, I might have to go on nights for the remainder of the outage).  Yea! I get to stay on my current schedule (Beth is very pleased also).

After I got up today, I was in the basement getting my workout in.  I started the new Stephen King novel, Duma Key, and was really getting absorbed in it as I did the recumbent bike.  In the background, I heard an incessant beeping sound, the kind that you hear when a truck is backing up.  We have some neighbors across the street that have such vehicles, and I was thinking to myself, wish they would get a grip on this and stop the beeping.

Lo and behold, as I came up the stairs, I determined that the incessant beeping was coming from my bedroom, as the second alarm on my clock continued its 30+ minute beeping :o)

I know I felt foolish, but actually laughed out loud as well.  We all do silly things at times.  So I ask you, if you cannot laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?

Science Scene

Could the U.S. run on biofuel?  Even if 100% of soybeans and corn were turned into fuel, it would be enough to offset just 20% of on-road fuel consumption.

Yes - biofuels are cleaner than gasoline. However, the improvements are only about 20% for corn ethanol because of tractor use, fertilizers, and distillers.  The gains approach 90% for more efficient fuels such as grasses and sugar cane.

However, there is one flaw in the calculation.  Biofuels are only greener if the crops grown for biofuels do not replace vegetation and soils that soak up carbon.  Deforestation in Indonesia and Brazil shows that the carbon released into the atmosphere, and loss of carbon capture, overwhelms the gains from cleaner burning fuels.  Estimates are that it will take between 150 and 400 years to pay back the carbon emitted by directly clearing land for the biofuel crops.

Lastly, the demand for crops for biofuels has driven up the crop costs for food, impacting each and every one of us.  While America used to feed the world, now we are feeding a false premise that biofuels will replace petroleum based gasoline, at the cost of feeding those in poverty.  The amount of corn used to produce one tankful of ethanol can feed a child in Africa for 365 days.

Do your part, slow down while driving, turn down your thermostat, recycle, buy energy efficient devices and light bulbs, and stay educated.  Do not fall for the sexy promises.

Tags: Ethanol, Corn, Brazil, Biofuel, blogplugs