Gas Prices Rise Again

So here we go again. Gas prices are on the rise. $3.70/gal where I live. This time the media is hush hush. (Don't want the silly little people to realise Obama isn't doing anything about it). Don't think he tried to keep them down though. He just recently stopped the pipeline from Canada. He could also muzzle his EPA dogs a little and allow America to produce it's own oil instead of giving permits to foreign countries to drill and then sell to us. He could also allow current wells in the US to get more than there current 300 barrell limit. Now I certainly don't think this should be the fix for us. Eventually we need to walk away from using soo much fossil fuels. Like most addictions though, you just can't up and quit. There is a much needed transition phase. During this transition phase I think it would be in our best interest to use the oil from our own country to provide jobs and keep what little money we have left here. I won't even get into the benefit that has on getting away from our oil link with the ever so stable Middle East. Once we start down that path we will have the money and security to really begin developing cost effective "green" energy production methods.

Personally I would like to get into bio-diesel. I would even go as far as to say it would be an interesting business to start. Imagine being able to have all the resturaunts in a community get rid of their waste vegetable oil to a company that will then recycle that into a fuel source to power the vehicles of that community. I have done a pretty good amount of research on this. Producing bio-diesel from waste vegetable oil is not very diffcult or expensive. I have a grand plan for community "fuel depots" that would handle production and sales but I have one HUGE road block I can't seem to figure out how to overcome. What are the regulations and paths to take to accomplish this goal?? For example; Say I purchase a gas station that is currently being unused. This gas station has a typical 2 bay maintenance garage attached to it. I would convert the garage into a secure room in which the bio-diesel can be produced. It is then pumped into the underground tanks that used to hold gas. Now the gas station will function as it did before except it will only sell bio-diesel. Now how would one start with the process of making that happen. Can you just buy the building and start producing and selling?? I think not. What types of permits and steps would I need to take to accomplish this?? I see people working in development for large scale bio-diesel production, but I think the small scale local production idea would work really well and you have a good source of base product from the restaurants. It is also a nice way to recycle some waste don't ya think? Speaking of thinking of this a a recycling loop, the two by-products of bio-diesel production from waste vegetable oil are: Bio-diesel fuel and glycerin. The fuel part obviously gets used to power vehicles, trains, boats, and heat homes while the glycerin can be used in the production of soap. Ah the recycling continues. This method keeps communities supporting themselves which is also an added benefit.

Ron Paul on The Daily Show

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-september-26-2011/exclusive---ron-paul-extended-interview-pt--1?xrs=share_copy

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-september-26-2011/exclusive---ron-paul-extended-interview-pt--2?xrs=share_copy

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-september-26-2011/exclusive---ron-paul-extended-interview-pt--3?xrs=share_copy

American Made E-mail

I received the e-mail chain today. As are many of these this type - VERY ACCURATE. We all need to take this into our own hands. The Government seems to not care about bringing and keeping jobs in America - Even if they base their campaigns on it.
ONE AT A TIME
This probably sounds crazy, but just yesterday I was in Walmart looking for a wastebasket.  I found some made in China for $6.99.  I didn't want to pay that much so I asked the lady if they had any others.  She took me to another department and they had some at $2.50 made in USA . They are just as good.  Same as a kitchen rug I needed.  I had to look, but I found some made in the USA and they were $3.00 cheaper.  We are being brain washed that everything that comes from China and Mexico is cheaper.  Not so.  That is also why I don't buy cards at Hallmark anymore.  They are made in China and are expensive.  I buy them at Dollar Tree .... 50 cents each and made in USA .
One Light Bulb at a Time
A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very much, a billion of them would.  With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American . . .
Good idea . . .. one light bulb at a time . .. ..
Check this out. I can verify this because I was in Lowe's the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments ..... They were all made in China .The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there.  They were made in USA .  Start looking . . ..
In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else - even their job.  So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track ... Let's get behind her!
My grandson likes Hershey's candy.  I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now.  I do not buy it any more.
My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico ... now I have switched to Crest.  You have to read the labels on everything ....
This past weekend I was at Kroger . . . I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets.
I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off-brand labeled, "Everyday Value." I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the price . . .. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA in a company in Cleveland , Ohio .
So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here ...........
So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets ... yep, you guessed it - Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada ... The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA!   I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!
My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!
If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time!  Stop buying from overseas companies!
(We should have awakened a decade ago ....)
Let's get with the program and help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the USA .
I passed this on .. .. . will you???

Keep our heritage foods

The link to the article below is very distrubing. Will we be left only with Frankenfoods?

Please Save non-GMO seed sources

A little cartoon history lesson

Very informative and entertaining short cartoon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6OQzH07u0U&feature=related

Enjoy!!

ANND we're back

Well I have been away for awhile with ZERO posts. I appologize. Life takes off and time is to little. My wife and I moved and she is pregnant with our first. This has kind of sent me on another path for self sustainibility; trying to find products made:

1. Locally


2. In the USA


3. Not in China

Let me say that is a huge feat to overcome. It seems our government has done a stellar job of turning our country into a dependant consumer country. I will be on a quest to locate quality products and I will post good sources as I find them. This quest is where I am starting to turn to self sustainibilty into perspective from the eyes of the country. It is all well and good for us to individually become self sustainable, but we also need to bring our country into that realm as well.

Now that I am back and have a new fuel to make sure I add new, fun and informative posts.

Save $$ without skipping out on little luxuries

http://qb.cm/r4670717 Many of you may already know about sites like the one above; however this is relatively new to me. Since times have been rough for awhile many of us have had to push our wish lists for gadets and toys and other non essentials back to stay financially safe. I would say that this is a good way to maybe keep those wish list items and actually get them soon. Part of self sustainability is being able to sustain the lifestyle that you want. Just because you want to support yourself doesn't mean that you have to live like a caveman.

Garden Planning

Although we are back to cold and snowy days, the recent warmer weather was a little reminder that spring is coming soon. With spring comes the excitment of peparing and sowing the backyard vegetable garden. Before it gets to late we need to start planning for that awesome veggie producer. Now is the perfect time to choose which vegetables and how many of each you would like to plant this season. Check your notes from last season to see what you liked and what worked to try again this year. It is also important to see where each crop was planted in the garden and make sure to rotate this year.

As early as it may seem, in many areas, now is the time to start planning and start some seeds indoors. Use this CHART to figure out when you need to start your indoor seeds for the coming season.

Now is also a great time to get a quick inventory of your seed stocks and gardening tools. Do you need anything? I know I do. Last year my seedlings that were started indoors were started a little late and were weak and leggy. I had only used a germination station and some shop lights with growing bulbs. This would have been ok except for the temperature of the basement at night. This year I will be adding a propagation heating mat. This mat will keep the soil an average of 10-20 degrees above ambient room temperature. This mat can be more precisely controled with the addition of a thermostat. I have found that Seeds of Change has a great selection of seeds and other supplies. I also plan to organize my set up better this year. Last year was slightly rushed and not PLANNED well, hence the reason for this post. Don't let it happen to you. Once I have everything set up I will post some pictures that can be used as examples. No copyright on how my stuff is set up. I am here to help and share.

Biodiesel

I have talked about the steps to self sustainability when it comes to cars in prior posts. I was focused on EV's. As I'm sure you are aware of, they are popping up everywhere. These are surely a viable option in a self sustaining lifestyle, but there is the looming question/ concern of range and initial cost. I'm not sure why this slipped my mind before but I should have went into some detail about the use of biodiesel. I didn't/ don't know too much about how or what biodiesel really is, so like any good person who is looking to become self sustainable I went to learn about it.

What is biodiesel?

Biodiesel is the name of a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. -(source; http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/biodiesel_basics/)

That description is the best and most appealing I have come across to date. I benefit of biodiesel for being self sustainable is that it can be produced by you on your property. There are countless websites that explain how to build your own processor, purchasing a kit, or purchasing a fully built and ready to use processor. Just google biodiesel and there you go.

I have personally become more interested in biodiesel for a number of reasons.

• It is a simple conversion to use from a typical diesel powered vehicle.
• farm equipment and lawn tractors typically run on diesel.
• it is far less expensive than EV's -(2011 VW golf, loaded, for less than $30k)
• biodiesel can greatly speed up the self sustainability process.
• Biodiesel is far less complicated than using solar/ wind to charge an electric vehicle.
• domestic! domestic! domestic! in terms of the fuel source.
• you can recycle waste oil from local restaurants.
• it is also possible to power your home with biodiesel.

I will more than likely post more about this at a later date as I learn more about it. I will also be doing some research on the processor's themselves and where to get the oil to use. Stay tuned!!

ps - this LINK has good information about biodiesel.

What happened to United States of America's Self Sustainability?

Self sustainability is very important for a country. It was a major roll in how our country grew and got to where we are now. Unfortunately we have stopped doing what made us succeed and became a country of dependence.

Currently the U.S. relies on other countries for most of the things we consume and use. We have the ability to support ourselves, but for some reason the government has chosen not to utilize that ability. It is extremely dangerous for this to be happening and the average American has no idea what the consequences are. With what has been happening the past couple of years the only thing that is holding us from civil unrest and the country basically collapsing is that the dollar if still considered the world currency. All it would take is for a country like China to say they won't accept U.S. dollars to pay back debt. That would cause a ripple effect resulting in other countries that we rely on for products and produce to stop accepting dollars.

The U.S. imports close to 70% of the oil it needs for everything from fuel to petroleum based products. Not only is it a huge displacement of jobs and money out of the country, it leaves the country open to pressure and "control" from foreign nations. We have the potential to supply all of the oil we consume along with exporting some for profit. Now I would much rather see the U.S. move towards a clean energy future, but that will take time and we could more quickly start supplying our own oil first. One person who is working hard for this is T. Boone Pickens. CLICK HERE to learn about it.

You can also see how much of the products we use are made in other countries. What happens when those countries decide to drastically raise prices or stop selling to us all together? We used to be an industry and textile giant exporting all over the world. It is very important for a country to be able to rely on itself for the products the people need within it.

Food is another thing the U.S. imports more than it needs to. Even exotic fruits could be grown in greenhouses if there isn't a location within the country to grow out in a field. We have a unique country that has many different climates which allow for many types of crops. I would also break crops down to local farm instead of big corporate ones, but that is for another topic. Let's just start with staying with growing produce within our boarders.

The United States has gone from a a leader, innovator, and exporter to a dependent bunch of consumers that has put itself in a dangerous spot. Not only does the country need to wake up and fix what is happening we as individuals need to as well.

Still think you don't need to be able to rely on yourself?

Please view this with an open mind. Whether this is true at the moment or not, it is definitely a possibility. Just think about it.


VISIT HERE

If you find it to be up your ally then visit HERE

If this strikes some questions you would like to discuss please comment.

Simple steps to self sustainibilty

The road to self sustainability is a long one with great rewards. This is can be a problem, however, with most peoples lifestyles today. Everyone wants results instantly. As you travel down this road there are things that can be done to help achieve this smaller, but more rapid results.

Garden: I would have to say that one of the best ways to start down the self sustainable road would be to start some type of garden. Even if it is only a couple vegetable plants in a container garden. This is also a very important step.

Food Storage: Storing non-perishable food items can fall more under the "survivalist" or "prepper" category, but isn't life survival? Being self sustainable is being able to survive on your own without needed to rely on an outside source. You could easily start a substantial food storage supply and plan by grabbing a couple items every time you go to the grocery store. Look for things on sale or discounts for buying in bulk.

Cooking At Home: With the amount of restaurants and take out places around today it is easy to grow distant from the traditions of home made meals. There are a good number of people that can't even put together a simple meal on their own. Being able to create healthy and nutritious meals is essential in becoming self sustainable. This is also a quick and simple way to start towards self sustainability.

The path is long but it can be taken in mostly small steps. It is really changing your lifestyle more than anything. The reward is well worth the work even if you don't become a full off-gridder.

Spacial Gardening

Click the title to link to the video.

This is a great idea for people with minimal or no garden space. Perfect for Urban environments. It would also come in pretty handy if Senate Bill S510 goes through and creates steps towards making home gardening illegal. I could see this in my basement or safe room hidden away from government home gardening gestapo.

If I could make one change to it however, I wouldn't built it from PVC. I would want something that didn't leach chemicals into my food supply.

The wind is blowing the wrong way

Our country is making big moves towards green energies to combat "global warming". Most of these projects are wind farms. Here in New England there are two such projects being proposed for offshore locations. Cape Wind, which is a project located in Nantucket sound on Horseshoe Shoals. Then there is one called, Deepwater Wind located near Block Island. Both of these projects are massive and cost BILLIONS.

My view on these projects is along the same lines as "The False Green Movement". The intent presented to the people is very appealing. Why not make a wind farm to create clean energy? There are many things to take into consideration. The cost is such that some company is paying to create their means to sell energy to the market. Much of the cost will be covered by government subsidies and grants - yea those come from tax dollars. After they are finished being built with your tax money, the energy will be sold to you - forcefully - by power suppliers such as National Grid. Oh and that clean energy comes with a huge price increase. click the title link to read a news article about that.

Cape Wind's problems start with it being a project too strongly supported by Governor Deval Patrick. This project has become his Legacy. Even with all of Cape Wind's horror he will make it happen. The timing for this project couldn't be worse. In the middle of a depression (yea not a recession anymore) Cape Wind will increase the already burdened MA resident with higher electric rates. Cape Wind's electricity will cost near $0.18 more per kilowatt hour than the electricity produced now. Cape Wind's location is also a poor choice. A Shoal is a shallower section of the ocean similar to a reef. These area tend to be areas rich with sea life. The foundations could seriously damage that eco-structure. Well said by this guy.

Deepwater Wind is somewhat new to me. Though I learned that it is an older idea that has recently been reintroduced on a much larger scale. The title link better explains the magnitude of this project. Again, Deepwater Wind along with Cape Wind is an offshore wind farm. The problems are similar and the added cost of maintenance adds to the stupidity of the projects.

What we need to learn is to step into clean energies with cost in mind. It is too easy to come up with an idea half-heartedly and plunge headlong into a disaster. We need clean energy but we need to consider cost. Why not develop new technologies and make the costs less. Cape Wind and Deepwater Wind are two projects that are going forward in the wrong direction. With political motivation and the greed of the developers they will likely become serious burdens and thorns in our sides. Go green but, go smartly.

Self reliance through your home/building

With new technologies emerging every day it is becoming simpler and simpler to become self reliant. A major step towards self reliance would be getting your home/building off grid. Energy in the form of electricity is extremely important in our way of life today and being able to produce it yourself is the epitome of self reliance by today's definition.

Architecture of the home is itself being somewhat self reliant. It is your shelter and place of comfort and safety. Now imagine that home can supply it's own power to function as a home by today's standards. That would give you a ton of piece of mind, not mention eliminating those pesky bills. That is how most people view the benefit of off grid self reliant homes/buildings. Let's look deeper into the benefits. Think of the pride it brings you knowing that you have created a true safe shelter free from someone Else's control. Someone Else's control?! Yes you heard me correctly. Now before you block that out think for a moment the control of say, a power or gas company, has over your home. You miss a bill, they cut your ability to see in the dark and provide heat in the winter. Who is the crazy one now? It doesn't even have to be a result of something you do. Storms can cut off the power supply to your house. A crisis in the major oil producing countries or a dissolving of our relationship with them could jack your costs or eliminate the oil to produce electricity almost completely. And if you think our own country can just switch on their power production to supplement that you are just naive and disillusioned. Now it is very easy to see why it is a major step to produce energy for your home yourself.

In today's world you could really take off grid and self reliance to the max. I would say you really don't have to be connected to anything physically and not miss out on the cushy comforts we enjoy. Let's go through the list. You can have your home produce all the energy it consumes and more. You can supply your own water through a well (if possible) or by harvesting rainwater and purifying it within your home. Heating and cooling systems along with water heating can be electrically powered with the self produced energy. Most people use their cell phones as there primary phones which could eliminate a land line. Even TV and the Internet can be obtained through satellites. If you purchase an all electric vehicle(EV)in the near future you can charge it with the power you produce at your house. Now you can see that basically through your home you can really become self-reliant, self-sufficient & self-sustainable. You may say, "hey, Free, what about the cell phones, TV and Internet being controlled by someone else!" unfortunately these items can't be supplied by yourself however; there is plenty of competition with mobile phone providers and you can access the Internet with free wi-fi hot spots. TV, though not how you typically may envision it, can also be accessed through the Internet. That is not your control totally for those three items, but I would say it is pretty good.

Applying these steps provides a crucial part being totally self reliant. This is a personal goal of mine and for many people. Some is for self pride and some is for lack of trust in the powers that be that we "depend" on to help us survive and live the lives we hold dear. Either way it is a good path to be on.

Eminant Darkness

One of the best benefits of self-reliance is the ability to avoid most the effects of disasters, be it natural or man made. If you can take care of yourself you don't need to hope that someone will be there to support you. There is nothing scarier than the "what if" question. If you can answer that question before it becomes a harsh reality you will be much better off. If you think that someone such as the government or the like will be there to pluck you from the aftermath of a disaster and place you in a warm safe place you are seriously misguided. All one needs to do is look back a few years to Katrina. People "helped" in that disaster were placed in a sports arena full of criminals and/or provided FEMA trailer homes that off-gassed poisonous formaldehyde. Personally I would have taken what few things I could quickly and easily carry and bugged out on my own. Self-reliance can be most valuable in a survival type situation however; I find the pride in knowing that it is myself that I can fall back on is the true reward.

In the survival sense some of the first things you will need to know are the essential NEEDS to allow someone to stay alive; air, Water, food, shelter, fire, & I add security. If you can maintain those you don't need anything else. The next steps can be focused on getting out of your situation. Many people are against this but owning a gun and being able to use it proficiently can seriously make two of those things much easier; food and security. I highly recommend this. Anything that can give you the upper hand or make things simpler shouldn't be disregarded. If you are plan to be able to sustain yourself in this type of scenario it would be to your advantage to keep a small pack filled with some of the essentials that will allow you to accomplish the survival NEEDS. Preppers call this a "bug out" bag.

Taking these bits of information and any good info about self-reliance will bring a strong pride in yourself. This feeling is calming and can allow you to extend your knowledge to friends and family. Since most disaster type of needs for self-reliance result in entire communities effected, it is good to make sure you aren't the only one with the info. That can be very burdensome. More on community reliance stemmed from self-reliance in a later post. Also feel free to comment questions should you have any..or any additional information is always good.

Let's catch up

Well, it’s been awhile since my last post. I apologize! I am also going to focus my posts more towards their purpose; self-sustainability/ self-reliance. I will do my best to avoid politically charged posts unless they relate directly to the idea behind this blog. From time to time I may post about how the US as a country/community should and can also become self-sustainable/ self-reliant. With that said I will proceed to providing you with useful information.

Let’s catch up. This year I had great improvements in my backyard vegetable garden. I built a more organized layout with a fence to keep out pests, namely a woodchuck that had been enjoying use of my garden. I found that woodchucks are far more clever than I had given them credit for. He/she found the fence to only be a small obstacle in the trip to a wonderful meal. I quickly solved this with a live trap (have-a-heart) and removed him from the property to a nice waterfront piece of public land. Once that problem was solved the garden took off.

I would argue that one of the easiest and beginning steps in the path to self-reliance is a backyard garden. Now for those of you without a backyard don’t get your panties in a bunch. Container gardens are just as effective and can be indoors or outdoors on a porch/deck/patio. All you need for either is some good soil with mixed in compost (preferably compost you make yourself), seeds (that are GMO free and non-hybrid), and natural or simulated natural light. Be sure to plan, well before planting, on which items to grow and when they need to be started.

If you choose to use fertilizer I would recommend a product called “Neptune’s Harvest.” For me being from New England I get an added bonus on top of its outstanding fertilizing abilities. Neptune’s Harvest is made in Massachusetts so I am purchasing a product made in close proximity to my location. I used this fertilizer in a method called foliar feeding. This is spraying the liquid fertilizer directly onto the plants leaves. This is best achieved using a pressurized container that allows the liquid to come out in a very fine mist. I purchased the one I use at Sears. It is more commonly used to apply insecticides.

My garden is an insecticide and pesticide free area. I figure that one of the major benefits of becoming self-reliant is being able to control things that involve your life. This is very important when thinking about food and what you ingest. There are many organic and “safe” products out there to protect against pests and any other aliments that may harm your garden. This year I had some problems, but I did some research and will be applying my findings next season. I will be trying to attract natural pest predators to take care of any problems. These would be typically, ladybugs, lacewings, trichogramma wasps, etc. There are ample websites explaining how to attract these protectors of the garden, but you can also purchase them online.

As your garden begins to produce the pride of harvesting something that you have grown yourself is indescribable and very rewarding. It is more than likely that towards the end of the season you will notice you have more vegetables that you know that to do with. There are a few things that can help with that. It is always nice to give to others so giving your neighbor some extra harvest is nice and can strengthen local community. Another is to allow some fruits and vegetables to go to seed and harvest the seeds for storage or the following planting season. This will require some knowledge and I choose to purchase a book called “Seed to Seed.” In something like that you can learn the ins and outs of seed saving. The method I used this season to handle extra harvest is canning. The most effective way for me was mason jars and a “ball” canning kit found in stores such as Target. The secondary benefit to canning is the ability to store the food over a relatively longer period of time. This comes in handy for the “survivalist/ prepper” as well. The last method I am going to mention would be drying or dehydrating. I think this would be best used for herbs, but I may get into trying this in a future season.

The False Green Movement

Don’t get me wrong, the green movement is a step in a good direction. I would like to point out a few problems with the mainstream movement. The government is using this idea, of “doing good” for the environment to solve “climate change,” as a way of creating a derivatives market for the elite to trade in the marketplace and starting new taxes on the masses. The false research about the Earth warming only helps the masses follow and buy anything they see advertised as “green.” If you have stuck with me for that little rant I will now explain how I have come to these conclusions.

I would say about 5-10 years ago the green movement began to grow serious roots. Due to a certain political figure that was nearly washed up and wasting away in God knows what elitist crap hole. He had scientists cook up numbers and predictions about the Earth warming caused by greenhouse gases. Al Gore came back onto the seen squawking about the end of the world and toting a bag full of, paid off, environmental scientists. Let’s all get real, he doesn’t give a shit about the environment flying around the Wourld on a private jet and powering his very un-energy efficient mansion. He cares about the new market he can create by scaring people into going green. It is a ploy straight from how to be a politician 101, create a problem and provide the solution. Recently it has come out that most of the numbers and predictions have been completely made up. I could list a hundred mainstream and alternative media articles about this topic, but part of waking up is to do the research yourself and not blindly trusting someone else’s information.

The Earth naturally goes through a cycle of warming and cooling over a period of hundreds of years. Try to remember some American history and think back to the revolutionary war. When General George Washington, who later became our first official President for those of you that are that thick, was crossing the Potomac River it was full of ice. This is a not “normal” for that river. The reason the river was choked with ice was the Earth was going through the Little Ice Age. The Earth was in a cooling period. We are currently going through a warming period. We may have sped up the timeline in which this happens, but by no means are we all going to die with the Earth in the near future. The favorite green house gas for the government to use is carbon dioxide (CO2). For those of you that don’t know, that is the gas we exhale and plants “breathe” in. While we need to make sure there is a healthy balance of CO2 in the atmosphere we don’t need to virtually eliminate it. We can focus on eliminating smog in cities and pollution from trash and non-biodegradable substances.

Now we come to where we are today. You can type green, eco-friendly, or sustainable and instantly get millions of articles and things to buy. Most of these items are definitely not what they portray. Companies can easily see the consumer victims blindly buying anything under the name of green. This has spawned the False Green Movement. The intent is there, and people are ready and willing to make a lifestyle change for the better. Let us all be conscientious in making the correct decisions and changes. If this seems a daunting task, have no fear! I have created this blog to help people wake up to the real freedom of self-sustainability. I will do my best to show you what some of the correct mindsets are. These will help you in making the change to self-dependence and slowly weaning ourselves from governmental coddling.

There are a few things to consider when searching for green items or topics about “how to live green.” Make sure you can find a credible company. This is one of the harder things to do now. The items you are looking to purchase should be produced in the US (definately not China) to be the best. They also need to be processed in a way that uses little to no petroleum based products in their manufacturing. One common mistake that I have even made myself is the use of Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL’s). CFL’s may use less energy than typical incandescent lights, but they contain a very toxic substance inside the tube. There are even warnings about how to handle broken ones to the extent of wearing a nano particle type mask like the ones used by people in China to protect against SARS. Just because an item may be green in one aspect it may violate green living in another that technically cancels out the good you have done. Topics can also give false information about going green. There are plenty of people out there that will tell you that you need to give up your car and ride a bike to work everyday. Though you will get in great shape, that is an extreme and unnecessary.

It is important to be mindful when making the lifestyle change to green and self-sustainability. Don’t blindly follow some mainstream product or article that will either be false and too extreme. One important thing to use as a tool for this is thinking in a way that helps you personally become more self dependant and self reliant. When it comes to products, a little research can go a long way.

Let’s talk, all or nothing

When you make the noble decision to switch over to near full self-sustainability there are some things to consider. Many things you can to do achieve self-sustainability have a symbiotic relationship with others. These relationships need to be understood and preserved to reap the full benefits of self-sustainability.

Many people are seeing the move by car manufacturers to provide plug-in hybrids or EV’s (Electric Vehicles) which are powered solely on an electric drive system). These seem like a great way to quickly step into a self-sustainable lifestyle. This is an amateur mistake. You will partly help reduce our dependency on oil, but will still require power from the grid, which sadly, uses fossil fuels to produce electricity. What you need to do is supply your own power to charge the car. You should already be working towards having your home and/or office building set up to produce it’s own electricity. When your building(s) create energy in an amount that will power themselves during peak use, they will be producing and storing surplus electricity. This surplus would be put to good use charging your plug-in hybrid or EV.

When it comes to producing power for your building(s) there are a couple symbiotic relationships to consider and preserve. Most areas of the world won’t support a single type of clean power harvesting system. For instance, I live in the northeast and solar is a decent option, but won’t fully supply a home without being largely oversized. Also we all know that not every day is bright and sunny. In order to produce sufficient power for your home you need to supplement with another clean power harvesting system. The next most logical system is a VAWT or Vertically Aligned Wind Turbine generator. These are said to be more efficient and practical on a residential level. They also can start at a lower wind speed and continue to function in higher wind speeds. Personally I find that most of the designs for VAWTs are more elegant than your typical wind turbine you are used to seeing. So this system will work alongside the solar array system and produce even when the sun is on vacation for a day or two. Another option in lieu of a VAWT is hydroelectric power, but it is much less likely you will have a location to support such a system. There are also many permits and such that would need to be acquired to install them.

Now let’s call your solar array and VAWT your power producing system. This system is well and good, but what happens when the sun and wind are both gone for a day or two?! This is solved by installing a power storage system. Really this is simply a battery bank located within your building(s). The most efficient batteries are lithium ion and the like. This bank will reserve surplus electricity produced in low use hours. When your power producing system is unable to create electricity, the storage system will supply power to the building.

A storage system is unlikely going to be large enough to supply electricity for extended periods of time. This brings me to my final symbiotic relationship for a self-sustainable building, the emergency back-up system. I would find it wise to account for emergencies. My choice would be an, on site, buried propane/ natural gas tank to power a typical back-up generator. This model will work for the average sized home.

All of these relationships are essential in reaping the full benefits of being self-sustainable. Without one the other will suffer.

One step forward. Two steps back

Lately I have been noticing a lot of talk about helping the environment and going green. Don't get me wrong, I think this is great. But, at the same time, I'm also noticing something disturbing. For every step we take in the right direction towards self sustainability and the reconnection with our planet - we seem to take too many steps back. Right now, in our country, there is a perfect example of this...

- One Step Forward -
For years, there has been a proposal in the making to build a wind farm, Cape Wind, about 5 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Recent happenings, such as the newly shown support from our government, have brought this project closer to a reality. I, personally, see many benefits in building a wind farm in MA. First, the obvious; clean energy produced in our own country which, in turn, brings about self sustainability. Secondly, taking on a job of that size will create numerous job opportunities. As we all know, that couldn't be better in our current state of economic floundering. Third, the farm will become a safe haven for ocean wildlife with the underwater portions of the wind turbine columns providing a base for reef growth. I don't know about you.. but, to me, that seems to be one huge step forward.

- One Step Back -
I'm sure you have seen the news about the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico just off the coast of Louisiana. (If not, you seriously need to get in touch with current events.) I read the article and could feel my blood starting to boil in my veins. Not only should this have NEVER happened, our government and our people should be much more involved in a solution. Let me put something out that I think needs to be said, but may be offensive to some... Why can we, the great people of the United States of America, raise MILLIONS OF DOLLARS (in a recession, mind you) to help the people of Haiti BUT when a disaster happens in our own country that will likely have irrevocable effects on our oceans and wildlife... those same Americans turn a deaf ear??? It seems we have the capabilty to love and care for other humans, but lack the capacity to show the same respect for our own environment. We, as a country, should be racing to get in line to find a solution to the problems within our own country FIRST; then help others. A BP (British Petroleum) oil rig has exploded and pumped thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf. I haven't heard more than barely a peep from the people of our country... SERIOUSLY?! That is the first step back and, honestly, it makes me sick.

- Another Step Back -
During the small amount of care going into the BP oil rig disaster, a little blurb came out about our "administration's" intentions to further look into off shore drilling. The idea behind this being to allow Americans to free themselves from foreign oil dependency. Great, but that is not a solution. We'd still be drilling in the water... and the same problems that have arrised with this BP disaster are still going to be major problems no matter what water the oil is in. So, with that in mind, what was wrong with drilling in Alaska? At least if we brought it on land, those problems could be solved more quickly and more easily. Ultimately, I would love to see wind and solar farms in our country as our primary energy sources. However, I do know that taking a drastic leap like that is nearly impossible. But, I also know, we can't solve one oil problem by drilling another. And with that, we have our second step back.