Fossil fuel is finite, when its gone its gone

We know, but put to the back of our minds, that fossil fuel is being used up and wonder what will we use in future. Our concern is over our grandchildren and their children rather than our own futures.

The industrial age started here in England a few hundred years ago with the use of coal to power steam engines. Now, we are aware that it is harder to get the fuel we require, and so what next? Wood as a fuel would not support the present World's population, so what about nuclear power? Uranium is also a finite resource, how much is there of that? The answer is more than enough for 400 years or so at the current rate of consumption, and then what do we use?  My musings have lead to finding this article from the Scientific Americal: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-long-will-global-uranium-deposits-last

The article together with the comments makes very interesting reading. Is the answer Thorium?

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Campaign to Protect Rural England

 

CPRE’s countryside Manifesto for the General Election calls for progress in three areas:

• the planning system,
• countryside protection,
• and litter and fly-tipping.

 CPRE wants politicians to recognise that planning is the best and most democratic system we have to protect and enhance the countryside, promote urban renewal and improve people’s quality of life. It wants to see the next Government backing higher development targets for brownfield land and investing heavily in low carbon travel, including in often-neglected rural areas.

 

CPRE is asking the next Government to champion:

•  National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty,
•  stand firm on Green Belt boundaries
• and support new areas of Green Belt.

It is also calling for a strong campaign to change people’s behaviour on litter and fly-tipping, as well as the introduction of a national deposit scheme for drinks containers.

 

You can lobby your local parliamentary candidates by sending them an email via CPRE’s website: www.cpre.org.uk [the direct link is: http://e-activist.com/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=21&ea.campaign.id=5351].

 

(The form at CPRE's website is well designed. It enables our parliamentary candidates to be identified by your post code and sends email to them, to which hopefully, you will get a reply Ed.)

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Fossil Fuel and Mineral Exhaustion - No Future for Human Life?

Since the Industrial revolution and earlier civilisation has been plundering the World's resources. All our machines use fuel that is derived from fossil remains, and it is now getting harder and harder to find new deposits. I know that we are not going to run out yet, but we will.

All those people that were borne in the middle of the Twentieth Century will not be affected but it will be the Twentyfirst Century children who will be hit hard and their children,  unless real action is taken now. There has to be a replacement for the materials that we are consuming. Maybe my fear that those who could do so are doing nothing, or even worse don't know what to do.  Is there new technology available? Perhaps. The video link below is to the Bloom Box a new invention

Watch CBS News Videos Online

I am starting to feel a bit happier after watching this video.  I'll be happier still if the planned third runway at Heathrow is scrapped.

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I have burnt eight big bags, builders bags, of wood, to heat my cottage since a week or so before Christmas. I switched off my night storage heater system and have only just turned it on again, as I have run out of wood! Apparently, one of those buider's bag which can hold a ton of sand or other building material can only hold about half a cubic meter of wood. So, I needed 4 cubic meters of wood to keep warm for 8 weeks but, it has been very cold. To grow my own timber sustainably, I would need to own about 1ha (one hectare) which is rougly two and a half acres of land and plant trees for a year's supply. 

I have learnt quite a lot about burning wood, stacking up the fire at night with huge logs was a big mistake as the wood doesn't burn properly and is largely wasted, quite apart from creating pollution. Wood is carbon neutral and is clean if burnt properly. I have found a website which I think is the most useful resource of information I have found so far: wood stove warehouse  I have a Jetmaster fire which is quite efficient for an open fire (50 per cent). I have been researching with a view as to whether to buy a wood stove - they are more efficient than an open fire and can be used for cooking. Aparently to use wood to also heat water is difficult as a simple water jacket lowers the temperature of the gasses to the point where the wood is not burnt efficently and tar and pollution is increased. For a really good review of all the issues I think the link I have included above is excellent.  There are of course many local suppliers.

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Our rubbish was not collected when it should be, last fortnight.  I had to phone Wiltshire County Council to get it collected. This has confused residents, but apparently, has also confused Wiltshire County Council refuse collection who have not collected rubbish on the day when it is due, today: Tuesday 10th March 2009 (every other Tuesday). If the council can't even understand when they should collect rubbish then what hope is there for the rest of us - who might not have the benefit of Microsoft's Outlook Calendar to regulate their activities?

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