Planet Sustainability your views? Your Solutions?

Question

This is an interesting link about sustainability:

http://www.theirearth.com/index.php/news/planet-sustainability

Do others have detail they could add to the solution?

Answer 1

There is a train of thought asking if the planet would be capable of restoring itself at all. Whether the processes needed by nature have been so damaged that it simply wouldn't be possible to recover.

It isn't just a case of species ending, then nature filling the gaps.

If took millions of years for nature to build an oxygen based atmosphere, to build the protective ozone and then to bring life to a point where it could advance and diversify.

After each of the other grand scale species losses, the protective layers were still present and were properly effective.

There is another point though. Even if the earth carries on after we have gone, is there any point in that? Like having a greenhouse full of flowers that no one ever sees.

Saving the planet is down to us and the reason we should be saving it is for us. In most areas of life i'm an optimist, but in this area I am pessimist, I firmly believe that man will not do anything of significance to save planet earth.

Answer 2

The mention of Al Gore will turn most well meaning people off.  The page you link is nothing but fluff.  Try rereading the page and where you see the word "sustainability" substitute "world peace".  It will read the same.  The answers to sustainability lie in real science, not the publicity seeking pseudo-scientists that dominate the media.

Answer 3

Zero,

Let me start off by saying we (my family and I) live completely, 100% “off of the grid and are completely self sufficient”

The house is built utilizing natures natural elements, in the shape of an octagon with 8ft wide arch doors on every wall to catch every angle of wind (typical 4 sided homes have half the chance as one with 8 sides. A circle being the most efficient design). Woodburning stoves, solar chimney, solar AC, solar heating, solar water heating (pool and home), solar stove, solar power, wind power, hydrogen powered back up generator, hydrogen back up water heater, hydrogen stove, 2 hydrogen powered trucks, 1 EV (electric vehicle) and satellite internet.

We also built many green small cabins on the ranch that we offer to family, friends and our on-site off-grid workshop guests, including one straw bale, one papercrete, earth bag and adobe, one cob and cordwood, one underground and rammed earth, one log and post and beam and one rock. Each one actually started as a test for what the main house would be and were later finished and turned into guest cabins. I later wrote a guide on how to build with alternative materials using alternative methods for next to nothing.

We raise meat and milk goats, chickens for meat and eggs, ducks for meat and eggs, trap havilina (wild boar pig), rabbit, quail. brew our own beer from home grown products, preserve our fruits, vegetables, etc. smoke and jerky the meat, make our own soap, cheese.

There are no utility lines, no water lines, no roads, tv, cell service, etc. on our ranch. EVERYTHING needed is produced here. All electricity comes from 27 solar panels, 2 main wind gens and a back hydrogen generator if needed (typically we can last 9 days with all luxuries of sunless windless weather, hasn't happened yet). Water is caught and storaged from the rain. Hot water is made with solar batch water heaters with an on-demand hydrogen hot water heater as backup. Even our vehicles use alternative energy (2 hydrogen trucks, 1 EV electric vehicle converted). Because of this we have no bills, no debt and no mortgage.

Anyone interested can check it out at..

www agua-luna com

I believe this is the first step anyone can make “help the environment”. Once you convert your own life style to a greener more eco friendly route, you can start helping others.

my home has all the comforts listed above plus some. we live very comfortable without effecting the environment. just saying that tol et you know it's possible. you may not want to go as extreme as me and my family but anywhere in between is something.

Without getting to in depth here, Using alternative fuels in your vehicles and harnessing your own electricity from the sun, water, earth and wind are the 2 are key elements in making a green transition and erasing your carbon footprint.

here's a calculator to find out how much of a green impact your making (carbon footprint)

http://www.conservation.org/act/live_gre...

if you'd like to make your next step feel free to contact me personally at www agua-luna com

I've been installing home made Solar panels. Solar stoves, Solar batch and inline hot water heaters. Solar radiant heating. Solar home heating and AC, along with home made wind gens and other alternative energy items for the last 3 years.

You can even make the above projects on site with simple parts from the local hardware stores or auto stores or junk yards. For more info check out some guides I wrote / compiled on how to DIY www agua-luna com

Again these projects can be accomplished anywhere by anyone.

if you absolutely can't do anything in your home at least you can put alternative fuels in your car. most major automotive manufacturers (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, etc) recommend the use of bio fuels, and nearly every car manufacturer in the world approves ethanol blends in their warranty coverage.

In fact your probably even driving an ethanol car and didn't even know it.

The trick is finding fuel.

I've been producing biofuel for about 3 years now, it's not extremely difficult. Basically you need general household ingredients, a processor (or still for ethanol) and some used oil. Blend it, let separate, screen and use. I complied a guide a while back to help walk you threw the process step by step, just email me or check out..

www agua-luna com

as for recyling the best way i've found without taking money from your won pocket is to join a free freecycle group in your area or visit the habitat for humanity.

If you’d like help in making your self sufficient steps, feel free to contact me directly. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at www agua-luna com

on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others “help the environment”.

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at  www agua-luna com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin

Alterative Energy / Sustainable Consultant, Living 100% on Alternative & Author of How One Simple Yet Incredibly Powerful Resource Is Transforming The Lives of Regular People From All Over The World... Instantly Elevating Their Income & Lowering Their Debt, While Saving The Environment by Using FREE ENERGY... All With Just One Click of A Mouse...For more info Visit:  

www AGUA-LUNA com

Stop Global Warming!!!

Answer 4

My belief is that man cannot continue mining and using-up resources for building materials etc.,

and that we should be using non-biodegradable resins for stronger, safer (weather-proof / water-proof, flood resistant / earthquake resistant) buildings and transport (so that we can protect humanity and ensure our future).

If we switch to bio-oil and use that to make our superior material (resin) i.e. not burning it (as that is wasteful and stupid), we could preserve existing rainforests and give our planet a much-needed breather...

plus we could rekindle the wisdom of our forefathers by creating new forests (not dense forests but woodlands interspersed with these new-style of homes).

Simply switching away from oil towards solar, wind, wave, water and kinetic energy /power (promoting small systems / sensible combinations) (avoiding a grid system) is equally important and we should also aim for each of us to be as self-sufficient as possible.

Answer 5

There is no possibility for man to think they can control sustainability, he may be able to take some punitive steps to r****d the inevitability,but that is all. nature itself will annihilate the human race then the planet will continue to rectify itself, possibly a new form of life

Answer 6

I think it's all a load of rubbish - carbon footprints, global warming, recycle everything.........

The planet is just behaving cyclical as it has done ever since it was formed, global warming hasn't reached me yet in London - that's why I still have to have the heating on two-thirds of the way through April, and WE ALL KNOW recycling is just a means of making money for some people and extracting it from others in the process !

Answer 7

I like Bob M's answer, I don't think there is a better answer.

Answer 8

Unless we learn to control our population, everything else is a waste of time