Dumping carbon at sea

TreeHugger is running a story on the debate Is ocean storage a viable option or merely a "dangerous distraction"?

Personally, I will oppose any solution which leaves a problem for the next generation. I also support diversity - multiple solutions to a problem.

In terms of global warming, we need to act fast to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere before it is too late. This urgency obviously gives support to experiments for possible/potential solutions. By experiment, we mean small scale tests which if run into problem will not produce devastating consequences. Deep water injection of CO₂ belongs to the same category of carbon Sequestration at deep geological holes. Once we go down that path, any mishap will have globally devastating effect. It is too high a risk to take.

Peak Oil will not happen - thanks to a bug

Using genetically modified E. coli, these small biological wonders eat biomass (such as woodchips) and excrete crude oil. From the article Scientists find bugs that eat waste and excrete petrol [The Times]:

“Our plan is to have a demonstration-scale plant operational by 2010 and, in parallel, we’ll be working on the design and construction of a commercial-scale facility to open in 2011,” says Mr Pal, adding that if LS9 used Brazilian sugar cane as its feedstock, its fuel would probably cost about $50 a barrel.

If these scientists are successful, peak oil may never need to occur.

By the way, "this “Oil 2.0” will not only be renewable but also carbon negative – meaning that the carbon it emits will be less than that sucked from the atmosphere by the raw materials from which it is made."

Aquaponics Art

Here is the step by step DIY for this wonderful art.

Micro Wind Turbine Utilizing Chimney effect of tall building

We all know that a large buildings create upward air drafts. By installing wind turbines on the parapets of buildings, this natural energy is put to great use.



See Architectural Wind

Local and distributed power generation reduces the waste in distribution of electricity, a win win solution!

FutureScenarios.org

from a recent Permablitz newsletter

Come gaze with us now, into the future. For that is where we are heading, inexorably, the future. Will it be robot housemaids, or ruthless scavengers living on the arctic fringe in a post-oil climate-change nightmare?

Or not quite like either?

Indeed there is little in the world of futurology which looks between these extremes, which looks towards low energy futures with a nuanced vision.

Permaculture co-originator David Holmgren weighs in to fill this gap, drawing on 30 years of permaculture thinking. He envisions four possible post oil peak futures.