Recycling oil

Recycling oil
For the most part, you cannot recycle motor oil – it has to be disposed of properly. Your mechanic will do this for you.
You can, however, recycle cooking oil. Through proper treatment, the oil can be recycled for use in modified engines. This is called biodiesel. More about this in my next post

A common myth about recycling: not everything can be recycled.

A common myth about recycling: not everything can be recycled.

It is true that we cannot recycle organic waste to make anything useful, but nature uses organic waste in order to keep the ecosystem going. Such a system has kept this planet alive for many millions of years. They say coal and oil are not recyclable. Certainly this may be true in our lifetimes, but if coal and oil takes many millions of years to form, then certainly coal and oil are recyclable and replenishable, but it will take many millions of years to do so.

the nuclear debate - Nuclear waste can be made 'safe'

Nuclear waste can be made safe

You can make it ‘safer’ by enclosing it in a lead container, then burying it, but you cannot make it safe. Such a technique only removes radiation from alpha and beta particles which cannot go very far, but some gamma radiation particles, which can pass through almost everything, will escape. This is fine, as there is background radiation regardless, but if the box corrodes away, then we start having problems.

Also, radiation is affecting fish in rivers and streams where such boxes are already buried, which make them unsuitable for human consumption.

the nuclear debate - You can guarantee that uranium will not reach the hands of rogue nations

You can guarantee that uranium will not reach the hands of rogue nations

No you cannot. After you sell your uranium to a ‘trusted’ country, most likely at the highest price, then it is possible for that country to sell it off to another country. In other words, you cannot control the uranium once it is out of your hands.
If it somehow reaches the hands of a country of organization that wants to blow up another country’s national icon, than what is to stop them creating a more devastating effect?

The Nuclear debate - Nuclear reactors are not safe.

Nuclear reactors are not safe.
While the nuclear reactor disasters in Manhattan Island and Chernobyl showed nuclear reactors then were not safe, the Chernobyl disaster was worse because shortcuts were taken in the safety of the place (and safety is not likely to be a factor again if we ever learn things from accidents), my concern lies with someone who is willing enough to blow the place up. Chances guarantee that there will be at least one person willing enough to try. If such a thing happens, then the consequences will be worse than that of Chernobyl.

the uranium debate - There are alternatives to nuclear reactors

There are alternatives to nuclear reactors
There are indeed alternatives to uranium mining – fossil fuels, solar panels, wind farms, hydroelectric dams. As we are trying to find alternatives to fossil fuels, solar panels, wind farms, and hydroelectric dams can be considered.
The biggest two potential usurpers for nuclear power are solar panels and wind farms. It is not possible to generate all power by wind farms, as the current maximum output is 1MW. You would need hundreds to supply the energy necessary to power a major city.
It is also not possible for solar panels to be our major source of energy – the current efficiency rate suggests we need a panel 1km by 1km in size to generate the energy necessary to power a city of 1 million people in a developed nation.

The uranium debate
Many governments are trying to look at alternative to fossil fuels. One that has repeatedly come up us nuclear reactors and uranium mining. There has been heated emotional debate going on, especially in Australia, in relation to these matters. I aim to take a purely non-biased standpoint on this debate, in relation to what is being said. over the coming weeks, we will examine the rasons put forward for nulear reactors.

There is no alternative to nuclear reactors if we are to reduce fossil fuel use.
Currently, the most efficient energy is produced using fossil fuels, especially coal, at 60-80% efficiency. Solar, wind, and hydroelectric are around 20-30% efficient. Nuclear rectors currently are 50% efficient.
The reason why reactors are so enticing is the amount of potential energy output. If we used all the uranium in the core, we could get enough energy to power Australia continuously for a number of years. Since we can only use 1-2% of the core before we have to replace it, we can only imagine the amount of waste by-products generated.

Recycling plastic bottles

Recycling plastic bottles.
Many people reuse plastic bottles with drinking water. Yo should, in fact, buy a good plastic bottle for your drinking water. These plastics are designed to degrade and may be harmful to you.

How to recycle plastic bottles.
The best way is to throw it out with your recyclables. These one-use only bottles can often be melted down and reused to make more bottles.

An innovative way of recycling paper

An innovative way of recycling paper.
When you make a mistake in printing something, usually yu only print on one side. Don’t throw it away. As you write notes and scribble bits of info, you can use the back of the printed paper for this purpose. You save paper, and a little bit of the environment this way.

recycling paper part 1

What is recycled paper?
Recycled paper is paper which is repulped and made into new paper.

Can I recycle paper in my own home?
Yes. There are kits you can buy, but these are for single sheets. They are usually used for making special one-off paper. You can make these yourself – they are mesh wires in a wooden frame to allow to paper to dry. You can use old paper and old newspaper, a bucket and the mesh frame to do this.

recycling water

Recycled water.
Why recycle water?
In the old days, fresh water was considered an expendable resource. There was more supply than demand.
We now know water is not infinite. As population grows, the demand on a finite amount of fresh water increases. New ways of procuring ‘new’ fresh water is becoming increasingly expensive. There simply is no other viable alternative to get the supply we need to meet demand in our increasingly thirsty cities.

Is recycled water safe?
At some stage of a waters’ cycle, water get reused. Although we have billions of litres of water in the oceans and seas, this is not drinkable. The fresh water we drink is, to an extent, recycled. It is also safe
Recycled water (or treated sewerage) is just a sped-up version of this process. Most of the toxic substances are removed through treatment and pumped either back into the dams or straight back onto the drinking water supply. If it is pumped directly into the drinking water supply, extra treatment is needed to bring it up to safe levels.

I heard that a town in Victoria, Australia rejected recycling water. Why?
Although recycled sewerage is safe if treated properly, and the government supported the plan, the instant you say it is recycled sewerage, you start losing support for the idea.
People have a way of conjuring up good or bad images, and recycled sewerage sounds bad. Campaigners against the idea used this to sway people who were undecided to their side. Note that sounding bad doesn’t necessarily mean it is bad.
That particular town wasn’t the first to float the idea. Indeed, if you have visited Singapore or Saudi Arabia, you have used recycled water. There, they have no other choice if they want their cities to survive.

recycling

Recycling – a community way of helping save the environment
What is recycling??
Recycling is the reuse of waste materials. Most people think only of recycling metals, paper, wood, and the like. In fact, you can recycle just about anything in the house.
Where is recycling done?
If you have recycling collection bins, then you should already be recycling. If you are not using these bins, then start using them now. If your council does not have a recycling program, then you can lobby them to get one started.
You cannot place everything into the recycle bin. Normal refuse (organic waste), for example, cannot be put into a recycling bin. You can, however, use it for compost (see previous article on composting). Toxic chemicals are not usually allowed. You should receive a calendar showing collection dates. This will have what you can and cannot put into the bin.
Can I recycle other items?
Yes you can, but not into the recycling bin. There are special collection services that will take these and dispose of them safely for you.
Benefits of recycling:
• Less energy used in recycled products
• Less waste produced
• Some materials can be recycled indefinitely

dumpster diving - one way of reusing what the earth gave

Dumpster diving.

What is dumpster diving?
Dumpster diving is the practise of diving into dumpsters to find usable items the original owner has found unusable.
The word ‘dumpster diving’ means, literally, to dive in a dumpster. The common image derived from this is a person leaping into a large trash bin, the best-known being produced under the brand “dumpster” in reality, it is more like fishing.
You can obtain produce and other goods this way, but take caution – make sure it’s been decontaminated first. You will never be able to obtain ‘new’ items this way as what most people throw are almost gone, or the food is near its use-by date.

Take precautions when dumpster diving – in some locations it is illegal.

organic fertiliser - living off the earth naturally

Organic fertiliser – what is it?

Simply put, it is fertiliser that comes naturally. There is no manufacturing process involved, except for the decomposition process required to make the fertiliser. The fertiliser itself comes from waste products.

Making your own fertiliser – composting and compost

You can make your own organic fertiliser in your backyard. This is called composting. To compost, you simply put waste material into a compost bin. Put in organic microbes to help the process. Get two bins so that when one is in use for in the garden, you can use the other one to continue composting.

There are certain materials that you should not compost in the backyard, as they require sophisticated, environmentally sound, and cost-effective technology. These include:

• Pet droppings
• Non-vegetarian animal manure
• Meat scraps
• Dairy products

These should be left to commercial operators with proper equipment (high-rate, thermophylic composting systems.)

You can compost:

• Dry, straw-type material, such as cereal straws
• Autumn leaves
• Sawdust and wood chips
• Some paper and cardboard (such as corrugated cardboard or newsprint with soy-based inks)
• Green plant material (fresh or wilted) such as crop residues, hay, grass clippings, weeds
• Animal manures (choose vegetarian horse manure, cow manure, llama manure, etc.)
• Fruit and vegetable trimmings
• Seaweeds
• Used Coffee grounds

You can compost eggshell, although it take a year or more to fully decompose.

Talk to your local nursery for more composting advice. They will generally have more specific information on you local area.

Growing lettuce in your backyard - naturally

Growing lettuce in your backyard.

There are many types of lettuce varieties available. You can get seedlings or seeds for many varieties at your local nursery.

Seedlings have shorter harvest time, while seeds require more water. Pick according to your requirements.

There are many ways to classify lettuce types. Two ways of classification are – cold or warm weather, or by taste. There are a few things to keep in mind when growing lettuce:

• Lettuce will grow on most soil types, but they must be well drained (moist, not soggy).
• Soil acidity must be between pH 6.0 and pH 7.0. if it is below pH 6.0, add lime to your soil to increase pH
• Temperature must not exceed 28°C for warm weather varieties
• No variety can withstand heavy frost.
• Leave 18 inches between the rows for leaf lettuce and 24 inches for other varieties

With all varieties, keep in mind they have shallow root systems. Plant them in ½ an inch of soil, and water them regularly,

You should harvest your lettuce when it is young and full – old lettuce tastes woody.

Talk to your local nursery for any further help.

Natural Living and Living off the Earth

What is natural living?

Ask anyone this question, and you will get different answers each time. So what exactly is natural living?

All the products we use contain chemicals. Some of these are refined, some of these artificial, some of these are completely natural. When you go to your greengrocers, the fruit and vegetables have probably been grown with artificial help – fertiliser. This is not natural living. Natural living entails us living alongside nature – not adding artificially to it to grow food. Natural living also asks us to heal our body holistically – with herbs, not medicine. Natural living asks us to be holistically minded – to think of ways of improving out lives without being materialistic.

How do we ‘live off the earth’?

In a sense, we already do live off the earth. Every thing we eat or use starts out from the ground in raw form. The problem is that we don’t use our resources effectively. We use more and more, and the earth is starting to become tired. Adding chemicals to continue production is like a sugar boost, but how long can it last. Over coming weeks and months, I will be teaching you how to live sustainably, naturally,