Counting Potatoes

Going green seems to be all in the rage today what with the world's climate going bonkers and the earth's resources dwindling to dangerous levels. Reading up on this topic, viewing the eco-videos and watching discovery channel programs, I've decided to jump on the green bandwagon and give my two cents worth of advice.

I've titled this post the green evolution because I think the way we use our bodies and even the way we deal with our shit (literally) may play an important role in saving our planet.

As for the other half of the title "creative eco-solutions", they are named such because I've never seen them discussed in eco programs anywhere. Maybe someone already thought of them and dropped them after finding out the ideas were worthless.

So anyway, here are my "weird" eco-ideas:

1.The Jebs/Shit Collector

Briefly mentioned in my Top 5 Places for Reflection Post and Chaos Blog, the jebs collector involves connecting all the septic tanks in our cities and piping the pooh to local composting centers. Add to this mix all the organic trash and you have a powerful composting unit capable of providing a substantial amount of methane gas for cooking as well as fertilizer for farming.

Our current dumpsite (Payatas) is also capable of producing methane gas and is in fact already doing this through its prototype methane extraction system. An expansion of this system as well as the construction of the above mentioned jebs collection system will lower our dependence on oil. Furthermore, it's free and sustainable. It's basically a human pooh powered system!

Hmmm...Then again, why collect pooh to produce methane when we can collect fart and cut the process short? He he, imagine fart collector bottles stuck up our ass as we move around? Fart Powered cars!

2.Human Batteries

When we talk about energy, we seem to regard it as something finite and resource based. A change in our basic perception on energy alone can open up a considerable number of opportunities.

Energy can be recycled. Consider: on one hand, we are facing severe energy shortages. On the other hand, it is only in this century that the problem of 'excess stores of energy' in people is becoming widespread. To put it simply, people are becoming obese and this has become one of the most common health issues in several countries. Let's consider some basic perceptions in this scenario:

- People want to be healthy

- Government wants cheap energy sources

Add to this the following:

- Government wants a healthy population (more taxes and less medical programs)

- People would probably appreciate free gym memberships

Putting the two together, why don’t we redesign gym workout machines so as to take advantage of the human kinetic energy being lost? kinda like the matrix without the blood, gore and the naked men. he he

Simply install alternators on the weight pulleys, stationary bikes or treadmill rollers, connect them together in series and what do you have?

Human generated power! This form of energy capture is already being applied to the newest models of hybrid cars through retroactive breaking so why not apply the same principle here?

We can also apply the same principle to shopping carts (new designs are being used as exercise machines anyways), airport trolleys, etc.

3.Drain Water Powered Turbines

We use a substantial amount of energy pumping water to cities and yet we don’t even try to recoup some of this energy as the same water (added with rain water) goes back down to sea level.

Why don’t we install a series of mini dams and small turbines in our cities' drainage system or in high rise building's drainage systems to take advantage of the kinetic energy of this run off water? Just make sure to filter it first else we'll find bloody napkins stuck on the turbines.

4.Cheap Wind Power

Wind power needs not be expensive. So what if the wind turbine design is not that efficient if it is sturdy and can be mass produced cheaply?

A variation of the Savonious rotor design shown below is not only cheap but light as well. It can also be manufactured at a low cost of more or less $300 each.Imagine populating rural towns with this device or imagine a version that fits right on top of our street lights. Even if it only generates enough power for our street lights, wouldn’t it reduce our energy consumption by a big factor?

What's more, the Savonious rotor can also be connected to a water pump instead of an alternator. This in turn can be used for pumping water out for farm irrigation.

Hmmm...What about wind powered washing machines and spin dryers? He he

5.Eco-Paint

This is different from the biological solar cells I've mentioned in my Godhood or Dark Ages blog. This eco-paint is different. Its a cross between paint and algae. You paint it on buildings, trucks, roads, etc and it will extract carbon dioxide from the air and convert it to oxygen. Moreover, it will also reproduce and self-regenerate allowing it not only to repaint itself but to spread over to non-green structures, in time coloring everything green even your car, he he. Talk about Green City!

6.Space Tax

The world is finite, it's resources are finite and unless people stop humping each other, our only option is find a way to support more people with less and less resources. Pretty soon we'll find ourselves drawing sticks to find out who's gonna get eaten next.

The only way out of this vicious cycle in the long run is to find a way to open new horizons much like the New World for the Old Worlders.

Space mining = less stress on the Earth's resources and less loss of species.

Space farming = less stress on food production.

Space based power stations and industries = solar farms, nuclear power and space factories means less pollution.

Space colonies = now we can go humping indefinitely (or at least until several billion years from now when we've exhausted the known universe, he he).

Cynics are fond of saying that space exploration and expansion is way too expensive. Well so are the thousands of outdated and unsold CD and DVD players rusting in the shelves of company warehouses, so are the millions of breakfast cereals, bread, canned goods and whatever thrown away every year because they were not sold. How about the resources that went into producing unsold cars, gaming consoles, big screen LCD TVs, etc, etc, etc??

Do they mean to say that expansion into space and thus the subsequent survival of the human race is way more expensive than the excesses of a consumerist society? Again, it’s not a question of the lack of resources but the lack of political will and our inefficient management of resources. A special tax for the purpose of expanding into space should see this easily accomplished. This idea by the way has already been discussed thoroughly in Stephen Baxter's book - Manifold Time.

7.Mini-Size Me

If we can't make the world larger, our resources more, and expansion into space a reality then maybe we better start thinking of breeding ourselves towards a smaller sized specie. After all, smaller people means smaller cars, smaller buses, smaller homes, less food consumption, etc, etc.

A 32 inch TV will look like a 62 inch one, Asian cars will be as roomy as Humvees and the shrinking food servings due to the shitty economy will start looking like normal servings again.

Filipinos are ahead in this case should this be the next evolutionary step. We are already a race of small people to start with, he he...

Hmmmm... Maybe that's why Gloria is generally optimistic about where we are headed as a nation? Maybe this is her master plan for our economy.O_o