Bill Gates on TerraPower

A must see! One of the richest men in the world putting his time, energy, heart and most (sadly) important thing (money) to good use! He is investing millions into TerraPower - which is a radical advance in Nuclear technology that will allow us to burn up our current "waste". These new reactors will not need to be manually re-filled, they will be dug vertically into the ground and will last for decades until all the fuel is burned up.

All this news of big changes coming is soothing my anxious soul..

Good News!

I found some absolutely great news tonight that I found over at ecogeek.org! It's all coming so fast. what an exciting time to be alive. Look what we can create when we want to! Onward!!!

I remember reading about neighborhood fuel cells. well thanks to a smart move by the government the first ones are shipping. they are very expensive and only big companies like google are buying them, but like with all technologies, what was once very expensive becomes cheap with time and advancements! yes! - Bloom Energy - http://ecogeek.org/component/content/article/3079

New Thin Solar Panel uses 1/100th of material but gets same energy efficiency as regular solar. the inventors believe the product will be integrated into clothing!! yes!! - http://ecogeek.org/component/content/article/3074

New technology increases our ability to capture co2 by 400%. the technology is getting close to the complexities of DNA! wow. http://ecogeek.org/component/content/article/3073

CLEVER! Device mimics leaches to eject itself once it's fully charged - http://ecogeek.org/component/content/article/3080

Good use of our government - it will create the largest solar thermal plant in the world and double our capacity!! yes! - http://ecogeek.org/component/content/article/308

It doesn't stop! New material invented that could be used as the body of a car and store the electricity to power it at the same time!!! wow!! http://ecogeek.org/component/content/article/3072

There are lots more good news on ecogeek.org that you can discover for yourself. news of increased bio-fuel use and lots of efficiency improvements that will buy us more time as we go down the back side of the peak.

Obama's administration is a much better improvement than Bush. Be grateful for the change even if it's not enough.... We're making progress!!

Utopia

I believe the utopia we are looking for will be created when technology becomes married to ecology.

My permaculture teacher Andrew Jones said something very close to that to me on my first day of class.

It really has stuck with me and through my soul searching the last couple of years I have come to the conclusion that technology can liberate us from the drudgery of life so we can be free to do other things. Spiritual growth perhaps? Art and Culture? Love? Just be?

Technology is only as good as its creator. So, if we design our system to be ecologically minded, then we can use technology as a tool to enable humans to achieve enlightenment and we can continue living and creating.

This post was inspired after watching the news update from Geoff Lawton. At the end they make him sound like he is against our culture because all it has brought us is more gadgets while being unsustainable. I think Andrew should have a talking to Geoff. Because with that attitude, permaculture will have a hard time gaining traction - unless we DO fully collapse. But I don't think we need to wait to get there in order to have people adopt the concept of a sustainable human habitat.

We CAN have permaculture used throughout society in the western world. It all comes down to politics and our priorities. Right now people are working multiple jobs just to barely get by, and now are losing their jobs. At the same time, we spend hundreds of billions of dollars on military where we are only matched by all other countries COMBINED!

So, I've got an idea for a solution - I'd like to see those that have money or the power to create money to get our priorities straight and start investing into a sustainable future for human civilization.

We need a vision.

Here's a start. Use money for tree planting for food and energy uses and other community improvements that will help us be more self sufficient and sustainable. The food created will save people expenses and money will be made from products and energy created. Subsequently, the money spent on the workers would be spent again by the same workers in their communities. This money would keep on spreading and multiply further. One action will help many.

So I ask all of you, start thinking about what kind of future you want to live in. Please post your responses in the comment sections and talk to others about it. Together we can create a better future.

I'll start.

I'd like to see us living in a world where:

All energy is renewable.
All elements are recycled.
All people are paid living wages.
Education becomes more about mentoring, guidance and real life opportunities.

I'll stop there for now. I think if just those three things are done, a lot of other problems like poverty, crime, pollution, and potentially even many diseases will begin to disappear.

Bioplastic use is set to boom

As fossil fuels get used less we need alternatives. Enter bioplastics. Great article showing the benefits. We know we can re-create forests and even start growing trees in the deserts. We can use these trees to make bioplastics.

We still need to setup city/community/neighborhood wide composting programs, it will be a joy to live in a world where I can compost my plastic. Since the only thing I really throw away is plastic wrapping, and those paper/wax orange juice containers.

It would be a good idea for us to find a way to make condoms compostable too.. :)

everything below is the good stuff from http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/12/15/eco.bioplastics/

The 215,000-square-feet carpet at the Bella Center that hosted most of the U.N.'s official events was made using Ingeo, a bio-fibre derived from corn sugars.

According to French manufacturer Sommer Needlepunch and Natureworks LLC, the provider of Ingeo, in shunning oil-based products the carpet saved the emissions equivalent of driving an average car 68,869 miles (110,834 kilometers).

It is one small step in a bioplastics and biofibers industry that is fast developing new alternatives to oil-based polymers and turning them into everything from food packaging to fashion outfits, cell phone casings and medical implants that dissolve inside the body.

Bioplastics are not new.

Henry Ford theatrically swung an ax to show the dent resistance of soy-based car doors at Ford in 1940, when the infant science was called "chemurgy."

So far, bioplastics only comprise an estimated 0.20 percent to 0.25 percent of total plastics use. But several forecasts predict a boom for the once-brittle plastics that are now beginning to compete with traditional PET and polystyrene.

A recent University of Utrecht study forecast that up to 90 percent of plastics could technically become bio-based in the long term and that production could grow by on average 37 percent annually until 2013.

Ceresana Research predicts the largest growth rates in electronics and auto industries. The Freedonia Group, an industrial research company, sees demand growing fastest in the Asia-Pacific region, and the U.S. market to reach $10 billion a year by 2020, a tenfold increase from 2007.

The most recent scientific breakthrough came from researchers at South Korea's pioneering Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

They used a metabolically engineered strain of E. Coli bacteria to produce bioplastic polymers through single-stage fermentation, potentially cutting the cost of the usually expensive process by about 40 percent when the new science is market ready within about two years, according to Professor Sangyup Lee, who led the team of scientists.

"We're basically torturing E.Coli but in a way that will benefit human beings and environments," Lee told CNN.com.

Re: Oil

The bioplastics market has swayed to the price of oil.

"The general rule of thumb, if oil gets above $70-$80 a barrel, it gets very easy to compete on a price basis," said Steve Davies, director of Communications and Public Affairs at Natureworks, which owns the world's largest bioplastics facility.

Re: Sources

The menu of ingredients in the biomass used to make the plastics is growing -- corn, wheat, potatoes, tapioca, soy, sugarcane and wood are in the production cycle.

Metabolix is exploring switchgrass, industrial oil seed and has been trialing tobacco crops. Algae is favored for its high yield and oil giant Exxon Mobil this year bought into its potential to produce 2,000 gallons of fuel per acre. That's almost 10 times as much as corn, which remains the cheapest and most widely used feedstock for biomass.

Both Natureworks and Metabolix companies see the future in cellulosics such as grasses and non-edible plant parts.
"Crops like sugar cane and switchgrass have the potential to grow in acres where crops can't be grown or those grown are of marginal value," Peoples said.

Davies also champions cellulosics: "It really allows you to produce bio-based, bio-degradeable materials from agriculture without impacting food."

Re: Environmental Options

Even at competitive cost, bioplastics companies must persuade critics and those confused about how environmentally friendly the different kinds of bio-plastics really are.

"People don't like to deal with complexity. And the answers to all these questions is often: 'it depends'," Reid Lifset, an associate research scholar at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Industrial Ecology, told CNN.

Natureworks' PLAs can be chemically composted into lactic acid and then produce virgin polymer for new products -- yet the composting is still on a post-industrial scale and not widely available for ordinary households.

Metabolix produces a different type, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), which Peoples said will readily bio-degrade in home composting and even in cold oceans.

Lack of composting facilities could push bioplastics into landfills, where certain types would release more damaging methane than traditional PET plastics. Worries that bio-plastics could contaminate the PET recycling stream has some retailers hesitating.

The impact also depends on other difficult variables, including each product's lifespan.

Market growth, stricter government standards for plastics and limits on land filling are encouraging more research into improvements and solutions, but bio-plastics will not be a miracle cure in an "either-or" scenario with oil-based plastics, producers and experts say.

"PET recycling is already very good. Our attitude is that Mirel should be used where it actually makes good sense and not to replace something where there already is a good system," said Peoples.

Said Davies: "Bio-plastics can go somewhere at the end of their life, there are many exciting options for the future,"

Challenge your World!

La Chaussettologie - Challenge your world from Desrumaux Celine on Vimeo.

pretty genius I think.... a better world IS possible. and we are creating it right now! no need to fear, its all going to turn out just the way its supposed to.. :)

http://www.challenge yourworld.com - the plantain idea is great!

Positive Worldwide Change Idea

Here's a quick sketch of an idea to make a video petition and online movement around: - I'd like to get your feedback on this!

Objective: To create a positive, fun, cartoonish video that the whole world can understand and will inspire people to ask for an improvement in their lives.

Visual Start: Tell people that here is an idea. show someone talking and point to a cartoon globe (inspired by the story of stuff).

Content: ask the top 1% or whatever small percentage (show small number of people) to make their names forever eternal in earths history (or some other epic name for this gargantuan deed) to hand back half of their money spread evenly to the rest of the inhabitants of earth - the remaining 99% of people (show numbers).

This would double everyone's income for that year. Think of it like a christmas bonus for all of earth. Do you love earth? Do you appreciate what it's given you (show all abundance of nature and people and creations and technologies and luxuries)

This may sound like a a lot of change, but if you think about it - the lower 99% would still have 45% less than the top 1% (need catchy name for them-leaders,overlords,etc heh and show number).

Raising the income of the lower 99% (show number of people) - (example someone making $30,000 gets $60,000) - would make a very serious impact to improve their standard of living and happiness - and simultaneously create the biggest boost to our economy's growth in the worlds entire history. Or the money could be spread evenly - a set flat amount. I'd have to do the calculations on this.

-what do you all think? any ideas? other catchy points that could be universally understood? please leave them in the comments section.

My own rebuttal - I know this would be have the potential to just be temporary. such as if laws were not changed, jobs did not change, mental attitudes did not change, etc that it would go back to the way it was - but think about this - if people had more money they would have more time to think. and the more time to think, and since everyone just wants to be happy -then we will increase the rate positive change so everyone can enjoy and grow from this experience.

Visualize the idea in action: Imagine you living your life where if you wanted to, you could take a year or two off and really think about life. you could have the freedom to do whatever you wanted to do. Or you could keep at your job but be able to afford the things you really needed to make that free energy invention. Or create that new musical instrument. Or create that cure for cancer..... :)

A world with no fear of money. just simply passion for life. imagine that.

Update: the numbers of doubling and the top whatever percentage of money are just a starting point. it could be top 2% and we increase our income by 5x ... whatever the 75% of people in the world agree on - and that number can be different too!

Please share your ideas!

Update: Catchy quick slogan - "How to increase 100% of the people of the world's happiness" - 99% get more money, %1 feel good about their impact/legacy/responsibility

Update2: Ok so if people are against "something for nothing" aka "a gift" then perhaps everyone could have an equal amount of money if they wrote a paper on what they plan to do with the money, which would give them a chance to really think about it. Combine this with self-improvement brochures or other info to help empower people.

Plasco Energy Group's Zero Waste Technology

Plasco Energy Group is from canada that has been working on this plasma technology since the 80s. Their first plant has been in operation since 2007. Now I read that they are in talks with Salinas, California! Their plants takes municipal waste and turns it into energy and resources we can re-use.

Here is a graphic showing what is created from waste that would otherwise go to the "dump".



So glad to see a way to make use of things we cannot recycle such as old toothbrushes, plastic wrappers, etc.

For more information please visit their website: http://www.plascoenergygroup.com/?Technology_Overview

USA Military Spending vs THE WORLD

Add up the money that all the other countries in the world spend on their military equals how much money we spend on our military. Note these numbers are from 2008, we just increased our military budget again this year. Balancing our budget would be easy if people demanded we spend less on our "defense" budget. Also we need to realize that this is no longer considered "defense", more like "offense", to keep USA #1 at all costs. This also explains why other countries can afford free health care.

Plastic to Fuel

From the ever inspiring ecogeek - http://www.ecogeek.org/component/content/article/2947

A new company in Washington, DC, Envion, believes they've come up with a way to efficiently convert waste plastic into fuel by using carefully-controlled infra-red energy. The $5-million plant was unveiled this morning.

The process that Envion has created is still tightly under wraps, but the plant includes a chemical reactor with internal agitators for mixing the liquid and heating elements that deliver the necessary infra-red energy. Since the infra-red energy is easily controlled, the process is very efficient. The plant is able to convert 82 percent of the waste into fuel and the resulting sludge is usable too.

The liquid can be mixed with other components to become gasoline or diesel. Envion has already signed up one company to use their recycled oil as motor fuel and is negotiating contracts with others.

The plant can process all types of plastic except for #1 PET, which is easily recycled at a better value. For each ton of waste, the plant can produce three to five barrels of fuel, with each barrel costing about $10 to make.

The amount of good news these days is overwhelming. There is something going on. Maybe Ian Lungold was right about us being on a schedule

(For those of you who do not know who Ian is, watch his mind blowing explanation of the Mayan calendar and how he put the pieces together to show the evolution of the universe and the planets and life and animals and humans and all of consciousness matches up to the cycles of the Mayan calendar which ends October 28th, 2011!)

Wireless Electricity

Nikola Tesla's dream is now a reality! How exciting!

"Fake Trees" to absorb co2

Great! So we use "these trees" to capture co2 and pump it into algae ponds for biofuels and/or systems that use the bacteria to create natural gas (methane) which can be converted to energy or even gasoline! We're making progress to a truly sustainable world. There is still hope!

The next step is for governments across the world to change our top priority from economic growth (and profit) to a sustainable world where we are powered by renewable energy and renewable resources and everything is endlessly recycled including our human waste, (where we can also capture the natural gas to generate electricity!)!

Monatomic Elements: The Real Power of GOLD

This presentation is guaranteed to blow your mind. The history and power of monatomic elements and the new scientific and archeological research that explains what the Egyptians were up to and how they created this substance from gold, among other things! Scientific research shows monatomic elements can balance the left and right brain, and also change its weight to be negative with temperature changes. Very powerful information here that opens up great possibilities for the human race. It seems gold is much more valuable than we think!

Zeitgeist 2: Addendum

Much better than the first film as this one focuses on sustainability and why we need to have that as our number one priority. It also touches on our money system and why it is unsustainable (quicker explanation than "money as debt") and has a great interview with the famous "economic hitman" on how the american empire operates behind the scenes.

Imagine what we can do as humans if we simply change our priorities! If we do not proactively change, there will be a revolution. Let us work for a peaceful one :)

Chicken Feathers for Hydrogen Storage

Ecogeek never fails to inspire hope. Following the trend of using waste as a resource, scientists have found a way to use the protein in chicken feathers to create low cost hydrogen containers. Reducing the cost from $30,000 per 20 gallon tank to $200 !

Hydrogen can be burned in existing gasoline cars, reducing our need to create brand new vehicles for everyone. It is not too difficult to convert our gasoline engines to hydrogen and we can create the hydrogen at home through electrolysis machines which creates the hydrogen from water using electricity. The sustainable solution would require the electricity to come from renewable resources. Similar devices to create the fuel at home have been made for natural gas vehicles.

If we can convert our existing fleet of automobiles to hydrogen, then we can save massive amounts of energy. Yes, hydrogen is not as efficient at storing energy as a battery, but is it possible that saving on making new cars would make up for that difference over the long run? I'd like to see the new america repairing and retrofitting its infrastructure, this would also create many jobs all over the country through small businesses, which is the true backbone of any good nation.

full article: http://www.ecogeek.org/component/content/article/2829