Marblehead Posted May 18, 2018 And there are many places on the planet such that the people have no potable water to drink because they have totally polluted their rivers to the point that they are toxic and unable to support any kind of life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted February 14, 2019 (edited) bump rise out of the Rabbit hole, ye olde thread. Edited February 14, 2019 by thelerner Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kondensation Posted February 14, 2019 https://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahleung/2018/04/21/five-asian-countries-dump-more-plastic-than-anyone-else-combined-how-you-can-help/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rideforever Posted February 14, 2019 Unfortunately the quality of tap water and other resources are decliningj year on year. Ultimately it is not a recycling / energy problem. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted February 15, 2019 Probably varies city to city. On 2/14/2019 at 8:06 AM, rideforever said: Unfortunately the quality of tap water and other resources are decliningj year on year. Ultimately it is not a recycling / energy problem. Probably varies city to city. We hear about the blow ups but not when everything is fine. Be interesting to see an aggregate study. Plus medicines even some hormones make it through, trivial amounts but enough to be concerned about. With different regions you get tiny micro doses. I'm in Chicago and find the tap water pretty good tasting. Makes a fine hard cider and good coffee. On the other hand, water filters are cheap. I use one, its built into the fridge but before that I was fine with a pitcher filter, kept at room temperature. Some resources are seeing a nice come back. Here-https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/nasa-says-earth-is-greener-than-ever-thanks-to-china-and-india/ .. The world is literally a greener place than it was 20 years ago, and the data from NASA satellites has revealed a counterintuitive source for much of this new foliage: China and India. This surprising new study shows that the two emerging countries with the world’s biggest populations are leading the improvement in greening on land. The effect stems mainly from ambitious tree planting programs in China and intensive agriculture in both countries. In 2017 alone, India broke its own world record for the most trees planted after volunteers gathered to plant 66 million saplings in just 12 hours. The greening phenomenon was first detected by researchers using satellite data in the mid-1990s, but they did not know whether human activity was one of its chief, direct causes. This new insight was made possible by a nearly 20-year-long data record from a NASA instrument orbiting the Earth on two satellites. It’s called the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS, and its high-resolution data provides very accurate information, helping researchers work out details of what’s happening with Earth’s vegetation, down to the level of 500 meters, or about 1,600 feet, on the ground.. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted February 27, 2019 (edited) On 5/18/2018 at 11:48 AM, Marblehead said: And there are many places on the planet such that the people have no potable water to drink because they have totally polluted their rivers to the point that they are toxic and unable to support any kind of life. I was reading an article about Africa, how there's a foot disease that causes an elephantitis type inflammation in the legs. The cause is the soil. The prevention is wearing shoes. The cure is compression bandages, clean water soaks twice a day and shoes. Not complex, but millions will suffer from this painful debilitating disease. On the other hand the article talked about other diseases that got press, and money and the numbers were greatly reduced. Its a very sad thing in our world when a cure is not much more sophisticated then clean water and soap and we still have millions suffering. Edited February 27, 2019 by thelerner Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted February 27, 2019 Just got a quote for a new,, top end, solar set up 12 . 5 k (A$) Biggest issue is the batteries and the number of panels, due to so many trees and lack of direct sunlight . But all these trees shield my place from the intense summer sun. To put the panels out in the paddock in the sun, the power leads would be too long for 12v. So I would have to build a little power station box out there with an inverter and run 240v 600mm underground (and then through the garden and tree roots in the ground ) .... nope . Or, put the panels and equipment on/in the shed that I am building in back yard , which still has a LOT of shade , hence all the $$$$$ , and run an (illegal ) 240v cable from shed to tree to tree to cabin, then a step down to 12v at cabin for power in there. That means i can have a 240v washing machine in shed and 240v fridge at cabin. Batteries are massive 2v cells that come in a steel frame ; 1/2 a ton ! but give power (500oah) to everything through 3 days of heavy cloud .... with a full recharge available by running a powerful generator (not in the cost, about another $1700) for a couple of hours - impressive battery performance ! It would want to be ... for the cost ! I got some thinking to do about it . ..... but then I think of what I have to do now having no fridge, no washing machine, manually moving the panels to track the sun, wheel a battery out into the paddock to a sunny panel (and back again ) and when it rains having to lug a battery down to the barn where there is 240v power and a battery re charger and back again ... ugh ! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted February 28, 2019 Drastically trim trees? Keep'em alive but teach'em not to shade your stuff. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted March 1, 2019 I have done that, of course .... where I can. The cabin is in a grove of huge old gnarly turps Syncarpia glomulifera even pressing against the walls on 3 sides. I have taken 3 out though ... VERY radical process ... they where dangerous . and a large very tall bamboo grove immediately to the east . Cant trim bamboo. Anyway, I flushed that plan. There where things I didnt like about it , mostly the cost, the over tech , the 'general solution' approach, the fact the guy worked it all out without even visiting the sight and getting real eyeball on it ! and a lack of inspirational logic . Like, if I need super dooper back up generator and batteries and power cause I want a washing machine , why not just use the washing machine (occasional use ) on the generator ? I can get LPG fridge so dont need the 240v for the fridge (constant use.) . I already had one picked out before this plan . I think then my cabin power usage is a lot less than he estimated and I can run it from a lower cost direct 12v DC upgrade by setting up panels out in paddock and running a lead in. Thats a no no everyone says due to power loss , you need very thick cable (unlike 240v AC ), solar guy says "You could end up spending $1000 on cableing ! " - I doubt it, even so, better than his 12.5 K . Besides I do one panel on a really long lead now, seems ok , and its a shit lead . ... so is the panel actually I bought it 2nd hand off a boat. So an upgrade should cover as is and any new developments. And I can do the installing and set up myself with 12v. - no electricians . Just need to buy some panels, a new rack of good batteries (but not half a ton worth ! ) a simple regulator / controller without an inverter and computerised management system ( it didnt even have a volt or % charge metre on it - $110 extra ! ) Looks like I need to go pricing individual components ..... its GOTTA be less than 12.5 k . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rideforever Posted March 1, 2019 (edited) 5 hours ago, Nungali said: I have done that, of course .... where I can. So that's in Australia is it ? Do you live permanently in the bush ? What do you do for money ? -or is that personal question ? Are you doing a lot of ...spiritual/energy work out there on retreat ... or ? What about the fauna over there, anything unfriendly ? Seems pretty nice Australia lots of space, good weather Seasons are reversed I guess The serpent which came forth from the earth has risen; the flame which came forth from Nun is fallen. .... has fallen or is fallen ? Edited March 1, 2019 by rideforever Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted March 1, 2019 10 hours ago, rideforever said: So that's in Australia is it ? Yep, around the middle of the east coast 10 hours ago, rideforever said: Do you live permanently in the bush ? Nah, I probably be dead in about 20 years. Then I will become absorbed into the 'bush' technically its not 'bush' but east coast sub tropical remnant Gondwanaland rainforest 10 hours ago, rideforever said: What do you do for money ? -or is that personal question ? I withdraw it out of the hole in the wall machine at the credit union or use visa tap and go 10 hours ago, rideforever said: Are you doing a lot of ...spiritual/energy work out there on retreat ... or ? Yes. 10 hours ago, rideforever said: What about the fauna over there, anything unfriendly ? Well, no lions tigers hippos, and I dont need to take a shotgum to go to outhouse (no bears ) . 10 hours ago, rideforever said: Seems pretty nice Australia lots of space, good weather I'm back in the hills , about 20 mins from the beach 10 hours ago, rideforever said: Seasons are reversed I guess Autumn just started , or if we dont get autumn, we get 'the wet season' 10 hours ago, rideforever said: The serpent which came forth from the earth has risen; the flame which came forth from Nun is fallen. .... has fallen or is fallen ? is . ( Ancient Egyptian grammar ) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted March 3, 2019 I got it down to down to $3000 . I still need to pay for a generator and fridge, but that was not in the other quote either . There will be about $1000 extra for a gas fridge , and possibly more bother ... but every one of them made cant be bad ... I'll trust my luck . The first company seemed stuck on a normal family home and a grid connection. A 240v system with underground cabling to step down to 12v at the cabin .... wot ? The 2nd agreed with what I explained and said it made more sense. Now I gotta figure out how to wire all these gadgets together . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted March 4, 2019 I took the batteries off that order ( Chinese imports at $765, as I can get USA made 'Trojan', same size for $598 elsewhere ) I also removed the battery monitor, ($380 ) as basically it is a device for showing charge and adjusting cut off rates . The regulator does that anyway, at a set rate. I wanted to be able to adjust it to recharge after 80% drop . $30 meter can do that and I can then manually recharge, when it drops below 80% * . Took off one solar panel , as I realised they more powerful than I thought (I have option to add another one later if power goes low over winter). Now the bill is down to approx A$ Batteries 600 panel 240 Regulator 320 meter 30 Tilt / tracking mounts 220 (! nearly as much as solar panel ! ) cables 170 -------------- 1580 Adding the other panel, it still works out below 2 G. original quote was 12.5 G Other components - generator as back up for long periods of rain and to run washing machine, occasional use. Around $2000 - 2500 for a decent one. A high power battery charger to run from genny to batteries ( this cuts out an expensive built in controller and having to hard wire the genny into controller ) , got one at half price on special $220. Gas fridge $2200 . I will probably upgrade my inverter ( 240v to charge cordless tools ) another couple hundred. Picking up the goodies on Wednesday . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted March 4, 2019 * reason keeping battery above 80% ; life time of 2,600 cycles. around 50% - 1,200 cycles letting battery discharge, then recharge - 700 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted March 7, 2019 (edited) All the solar gear arrived. Got it all except the generator. Now to put it all together ..... got half way through .... oh, the gas fridge arrived at the same time The back and underside of its workings and have numerous places for rat entry and a nice warm nesting area , , tubes and cables to chew and insulation to rip out and make a nest .. So its off to the hardware for rat proof metal mesh ; cut , bend, shape, fold, wire together and attach .... somehow But ... after 30 + years without a fridge .... Edited March 7, 2019 by Nungali Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lost in Translation Posted March 8, 2019 2 hours ago, Nungali said: But ... after 30 + years without a fridge .... Oh, the humanity! Warm beer for three decades... That's cruel, even for an Aussie. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted March 8, 2019 You should see the milk I bough in 2014 .! Spoiler The local shop sells ice ..... I only like to drink beers when it is hot and they are sitting in a tub of ice and V COLD The colder the better ... FREEZING COLD actually 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted March 10, 2019 Its all go . This morning at first light the bulk charge led indicator went on on control unit. That means charge was going into batteries. They were showing 12.68 v last night , so to see a charge going in on top of that before sunrise is very impressive ! half a mo ' . . . . . . cloudy all morning and now batteries show 13.41 ! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lost in Translation Posted March 10, 2019 Cold beer in 3... 2... 1... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted March 26, 2019 Another 5 hours of rewiring the house internally today and ..... I'm finished ! Hooray ! I has set up all the outside stuff and linked the power source to the old house supply and been running off that, but I knew it needed replacement . What a friggin mess of old wire, rotted insulation tape, multiple line splicing ! What was I thinking ! Anyway, I did good job with new cables, a great new 240v sealed outdoor junction box, with fuse, retouting new wiring where it cant be seen . All I need to do is to stuff some wires in framework and screw the roof and wall boards back on ( when I built it I screwed instead of nailed "just in case' ) . Soon all modern electric will be concealed, electronic gadgets stored inside retro furnishings, one with extenda cord for laptop, a framed painting over tv on wall . A friend told me it now looks like a 1940 gentlemen's smoking club .... YES! Been over cast for 2 days, had normal power usage and its still running like it was when sunny . I would add another $500 for fittings wire, and other - including art deco style bakelite switches, on the wooden wall boards, to match the wall lights so all up just over $2000 for a good set up . " The average household power bill for NSW, VIC and QLD is around $1,500 to $1,700 a year. " The last panel I had lasted over 10 years and is still going, my solar controller has 10 guarantee. the batteries should last at lest 5 years. The wiring and other stuff , well the last crappy stuff lasted over 30 years, and this is much better job. Shove it ' Origin Energy ' . ( Not including the price of a back up generator . - there is an alternative ; any other power source than a generator { wind or water} is either happening constantly - so one would just use that - or isnt happening when solar isnt happening, that is, here when it is long heavy overcast and raining there is no wind, but a LOT of water falling from the sky, I see my neighbours water tank overflowing and water gushing out in a huge stream out the rain tank overflow, forming a creek that runs downhill, adding that to my new shed roof and water storage overflow, it might run a water power generator down hill at the house ? There is HEAPS of water ag pipe lying around ..... hmmmmm . .... Oh yeah ! Platypus Power – Micro Hydro Electric Generator 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
