Ecology friendly, Self Sustaining communities
posted by Edge | February 14, 2011
- Login or register to post comments
- Print this page
Delicious
Digg
StumbleUpon
Propeller
Reddit
Magnoliacom
Newsvine
Furl
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
Technorati
IcerocketLets go back in time to when we were learning what are the basic needs of people.
1) Clean Oxygen
2) Shelter
3) Food
4) Water
The current system in place of capitalism and democracy does not work for the people, does not work for sustainability and does not work ecologically.
We need to stop relying on oil as our means of transportation, I really do not understand why we cannot create electric cars that charge themselves with a generator as they go. I can think up many ways to do this myself and want to create a vehicle that is actually green and does not require oil, unfortunately funds are the only thing that holds me back.
This idea is not purely my own, the basis behind it is from the anime series twelve kingdoms, where each person gets a plot of land and the food is split up among others in the community.
In the past, Aboriginal people around the world could live off the land. What we need are community greenhouses. Why a greenhouse? well because in a greenhouse you can control the temperature and humidity, It would be possible to grow plants that would not normally grow in your own climate. These greenhouses would have defrosters(if required), in this way when it snows the snow that lands on the greenhouse melts off and you do not have a collapse. There could be water collection basins on the outer edge of the greenhouse, this water could be reused for watering the plants in the greenhouses. Think of a defroster on the back windshield of a vehicle, you press the defrost button and slowly the frost melts away.
I believe it is possible to have multi tier greenhouses. how would the lower levels get sunlight? well the solution to that question is quite simple, at the moment the technology is quite expensive but I do not think it should be. Fiber Optic cables connected to light collectors on the outside of the greenhouse. Using this method you can transfer the sunlight anywhere in the greenhouse.
Communities would be built around the greenhouse and no more homes would be built around that particular greenhouse than the greenhouse can support.
Each home would use solar power as their source of electricity. For this to work the greed that plagues the world would have to stop, at the moment solar technology is quite expensive. It is because of this that we still rely on burning fossil fuels.
Comments
Do some research
— Feb 14, 2011
These Greenhouses and other structures were considered years ago but did not become popular. They did have some problems that could have been overcome. The major problem is the sun does not always shine. Because it does not, on days when it can collect therms/heat it most store them in something for days when it can not. This adds to the complexity and cost of solar for earth sheltered structures of any type.
This might be part of the solution.
http://www.thenaturalhome.com/earthtube.htm
Keywords
solar homes
earth shelters homes
solar greenhouses
Video sources
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC5iKYbILXA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISPWpIeNWpc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb2LL00KzRk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hV8Teiskfo&feature=related
Text sources
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2004-02-01/Earth-Shelte...
Greenhouses (cheap and easy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmR7FQ7HTII
You will need to understand this map
http://www.builditsolar.com/References/hddmap.htm
These people at one time were forerunners in promoting these technologies. Contact them for assistance.
Good luck. :)
Slow acceleration of the electric car
— Feb 14, 2011
actually electric cars can have very high acceleration - I mean the movement to have electric cars produced over gasoline powered ones.
First is the problem that gasoline is the most energy dense chemicals known to man. We've gotten used to being able to drive 500 miles a day on a tank of gas at 75 mph. Think about that. So any alternative has to compete with that. The best batteries are still only 1/100th the energy density. So to get a big enough battery to compete with that speed and range would be unable to be carried by the car it's self.
One way is to get used to shorter ranges, 100 to 200 miles - followed by an 8 hour recharge (totally acceptable for commuting) or change batteries at several points along a journey, which will require a lot of change stations. Or we need new technologies. Either way we can have plug in electric cars, but we need to be honest about how they can used.
Thanks for the housing links Harbringer!
6 Tektite Serpent
----------------------------
"That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly" - Thomas Paine
"We never reflect how pleasant it is to ask for nothing" - Seneca
Hybrid cars fix that problem
— Feb 14, 2011
If cars were run on ethanol they could further reduce our dependence on oil and recharge themselves while being used. They are complex machines requiring an engine, a motor and a battery.
Alternators?
— Feb 14, 2011
If they can use an alternator to charge the battery of a gasoline powered car I do not see why we can not use some sort of gearing ratio to charge the battery of a electric car while its moving.
I think that every time someone tries something that would dethrone the mighty Oil companies buy it up and we never see it again.
I saw an episode of dragons den and a guy brought in a hydrogen fuel cell that would take oxygen and turn it into hydrogen or something like that. which was usable in everyday cars today. The dragons were very interested but non would assist this person because they did not want to go against the oil companies.
Electricity
— Mar 14, 2011
Yes it is possible to be done, as a matter of fact there's a video about a guy in 1993 that came up with a buggy that runs ONLY with water, never went to college and barely finish high school. But the $$$$ is what makes OIL so big. SOLUTION???? all of us stop driving a car for at least 3 weeks and see what's gonna happen, gas prices are gonna be lowered, people have the power but are not united. We all should be citizens of this planet not of ONE country.
Biofuels - food or cars
— Feb 15, 2011
For I while I was really excited about bio-fuels like Ethanol and Bio-Diesel - but looking at the required acreage needed to grow enough replacement fuel - it's greater than the area of the lower 48 states!
It goes back to that energy density of gasoline, then remember it takes oil to grow crops, and energy to convert it to refined fuel, so that has to be factored in to the equation too. However, the idea of genetically engineering algae making fuel directly would cut out the inefficiency of growing crops for fuel. It could also be grown in a vat, sealed away from the environment, and it could be scaled up, and made local to it's point of sale - not shipped 8,000 miles around the world. (OK, messing around with DNA can lead to unexpected consequences too)
Really we have to give up the car, get more mass transit.
6 Tektite Serpent
----------------------------
"That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly" - Thomas Paine
"We never reflect how pleasant it is to ask for nothing" - Seneca
There is waste vegetable oil
— Feb 16, 2011
There is waste vegetable oil biodiesel, which uses the waste oil from restaurants. There is not enough of this to fuel everyone's car, but there sure is room for growth from where we are presently.
My issue with electric cars is EMFs.
Obviously the divine needs to bring us a new energy source soon, one that infinitely self-generates.
Mass Transit is the answer, we just don't like the questions
— Feb 17, 2011
"what is the most cost effective way to reduce oil consumption, reduce air and water pollution, and reduce traffic congestion?"
Electric cars are great and all, but we need to replace the *need* to have the car in the first place. We need better designed cities that use more light rail, trolley lines, electric buses, more dedicated bike streets, and more walkable cities & suburbs. I love my car. I loved my old beater that was more rust than paint. Not because I actually love cars, but because I selfishly love the ability to hop in anytime and go. However I spent 7 years in the Chicago area without a car and relied on mass transit to get me everywhere. It was a much cheaper way to live, but having to sacrifice my flexibility was a hassle. (And I almost lost a toe to frost bite once) It is far from perfect for the individual, but a much better solution for the civilization.
6 Tektite Serpent
----------------------------
"That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly" - Thomas Paine
"We never reflect how pleasant it is to ask for nothing" - Seneca
The 4th drive
— Feb 16, 2011
You've added one that didn't have to be considered not so long ago "Air"
Normally the 4th drive beyond food , shellter and sex, is known as drugs or more precisely the ability to alter our perceptions.
I don't know if you can have a functional "drive" for air.
Yeah we all need it, but can we do anything right now to get it ?
Other than travel ?
www.educate-yourself.org
www.cheniere.org
" A rising tide - drowns those without boats " - Cee Are
"The object under your feet is always the dance floor " - Cee Are
Natural air purification systems
— Feb 16, 2011
"Yeah we all need it, but can we do anything right now to get it ?
Other than travel ?"
Yes of course there is, when Nasa sends astronauts to space they had a problem with the oxygen in their living space becoming too dirty, the solution was plants. we need to stop destroying forests that clean the atmosphere. One does not need to travel for clean oxygen just get a plant.
I never said anything about drives, this is stuff you learn in elementary school. Its about needs. The core elements for you to not die. Do an experiment to prove this. goto the pool and dive under the water, try not to breathe. Guess what happens, you drown. stop drinking liquids, you die of dehydration.
This is why I focused on the basic needs of humanity. Everything else is secondary, is Sex very enjoyable? of course it is. But you cannot enjoy it if your dead.
Some good information in those links. thanks.
Transportation
— Feb 18, 2011
I think mass transportation definitely is good, If Europe can have a bullet train, if japan can have a bullet train. Why cant we?
That does not solve the issue of personal transportation, we could use something that is based more on mechanics, like a bicycle or something of that sort. Other than the CO2 emissions from you breathing its extremely eco-friendly.
But there are some places that you just cannot bike year round, I am Canadian and I definitely could not bike year round. Its just too cold and slippery. not to mention after a snowfall you would be travelling very slow in deep snow.
This is why I say something electric, Shivadove I would like it if you would elaborate on why you do not like electric because of EMF's? do you feel it conflicts with the electromagnetic fields of the planet or something?
I think we should go away from having very large vehicles. Moving things to a more local economy would definitely help this. I think smaller personal vehicles that do not require roads to be more efficient. Think something the size of a quad, run on renewable energy, that had an enclosure to aid in exposure from the elements. Thats what I want!
In reality I do not really care how it is done, I do believe it needs to be done soon though.
