Loren commenting on adding mulch:
>Since in many cases this is highly effective, for those who are not too
>interested in ecology, it may be a sufficient point of view.
Yes, viewing organics as mulching, composting, and avoiding
chemicals is a step in the right direction. The risk i see is
that future authors and farmers will take this definition
and try to turn it into simple rules. I guess there is also the
risk that "organic" could become a religion (more spiritual
than practical). This appears to be the view of some BioDynamic
adherents. In the middle of all this are the various ecological
views of the world and ecological principles. In the end the
only viewpoint that makes sense for me is of a chaotic world
that cycles. We are part of the organic cycle and every garden
is a dance with nature for a partner. Yeah, i know... try
explaining that to class of hormone driven teenagers. Boring..
Today i saw an interesting post to the long dead
alt.sustainable newsgroup on building a solar collector
out of pop cans.
============
> Hello group,
> Jim Meaney won a national prise for his invention of a
> pop-can solar collector. He used them as siding on two sides
> of his mother's new house, and a few more on the sides of his
> work shop.
> His innovation was that because the top and bottom of
> each can was very jaggedly reamed, the jagged edges not only
> provide extra heat transfer surface area but also slows the flow of
> air through the collector. Together, this significantly increases the
> outlet temperature...effectively shortening the length of collector
> required to sustain the same outlet temperature .
> Each collector unit has a thermostat-controlled louvre.
> Jim Meaney
> Colliers, Conception Bay
> Newfoundland, Canada
> AOA 140
> Tel. 709-229-4387 [...or e-mail to me]
------------------
> Hi again,
> Yes... The pop-cans were painted black in stacks side by side.
> Each panel was approximately 2 x 8 feet and seemed to be portable.
> Sincerely,
-------------------
Also note: May 26, Y2K
The pop-cans were not cut other than being
reamed through the top and bottom.
A reamer is a cone-shaped plumbing tool with
multiple chisel-type edges meeting at the point.
Jab the reamer down through the top with a twist.
Then jab it up through the bottom with a twist.
All of the jagged edges will be in the can.
Now, hot-melt glue the rims... and stack them in
rows in a collector panel box which has been prepared
with top and bottom headers. The top and bottom of each
stacked row fits snugly into it's matching header hole.
Both the top and the bottom header chambers
have openings at the back of the collector box... one of
which can be fitted with a thermostat-controlled louvre.
Thank you for your interest.
Sincerely,
brian a. m. stuckless
http://avalon.nf.ca/~bastuckl
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
==============
