Turkey day food for thought

A little food for thought while we all sit down to our turkey dinners.  In doing research for my BSI project, I came across this fact about water use by the EPA:

The average American Thanksgiving dinner for eight people takes about 48,000 gallons to produce.

And yet, the turkey always comes out dry. 

Holiday greetings from Goatradamus

Goatradamus emailed me today with some holiday wishes.

Throwback

So my dryer was on the fritz for the past few days. I called my landlord and he replaced it. Our DVD player breaks and we go get a new one. Our cell phone gets dinged up and we go get a new one. We saw where all those electronics went in that video, but what about the jobs that went in the trash as well. Thinking back to the 2nd week of class, we talked about respect for people. In this day of instant gratification, we no longer have a need for the "repair person." We just need more vendors. Although with the market as it is currently, there seems to be a resurgance of antiquated roles such as shoemakers and tailors.

Windbelt: A Possibility for Cheap Wind Power for Third-World Countries

I came across this video, which could be an interesting possibility to harvest wind energy in third world countries, where the average income is about $10, and expensive turbine technology is out of question.  I thought it was interesting how a simple experiment could translate into the development of alternative energy, not necessarily depending on established but expensive technology.

"key to NC's future:alternative energy"

I was watching the news and saw this story come on...a few weeks too late for the debate but here it is anyways!
Its about a manufacturer who is reducing the cost of producing solar panels already for a 1/3rd of their typical cost. The experts say the are costs expected to match traditional power sources in just five years!

http://news14.com/Default.aspx?ArID=601373

The Eletronic Wasteland

Where do the millions of computer monitors, cell phones and other electronic refuse our society generates end up? Flow this website

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4586903n

Carpet Leader Goes Green

Here is an interesting account of Interface Carpet's founder and chief and his story on beginning his company. After becoming the biggest carpet square company, and being embarrassed when they had no response to "what are you doing for the environment", he talks about  the transition to becoming the best green carpet manufacturer and setting the goal of using nothing other than highly renewable resources in his products by 2020.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?client=safari&rls=en&q=sustainability&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wv#q=ray%20anderson%20sustainability&emb=0

As promised, here is the link to the AIA ethics code: http://www.aia.org/SiteObjects/files/Hyperlinked_2007_CodeforWeb%20page.pdf

Please keep thinking about this subject. I think you all are right about our need as a profession to be more emphatic about what ethics means.

Wind Dam - is this the answer?

(above: Lake Ladoga - Nothern Russia)

(below: Red River Gorge - Kentucky)

UK based, Chetwoods Associates design a wind dam that generates power. How does this change the natural elements of the gorge? I remember many trips to the Red River Gorge in Eastern part of Kentucky and cannot imagine a huge wind dam blocking the natural environment. While a wind dam is an innovative design, there has to be another solution. How far will we go? What do you think? 

Fungus Fuel

Here is an article from Montana State at Bozeman's website,

Dr. Strobel, from the universities' biology department

has found that endophytic fungus produces the same hydrocarbons

that diesel does, and is working on developing it so that we can use it.

http://plantsciences.montana.edu/facultyorstaff/faculty/strobel/

The Story of Stuff

To go along with what we were talking about in class today, here is a quick, informative, video on knowing where things come from. 

It's called 

"The Story Of Stuff"

check it out:

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Air Car

Check this out, car runs on air


http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/106040/

Off the Grid

Star Island Bahamas -  Opens Earth Day 2009

Sustainable Luxury Community and Resort

Solar - Wind - Hydro - Bio Fuels -

http://www.starislandbahamas.com

Class Trip anyone!!