Comments on: a bee for my bonnet http://www.alisoncummins.com/2009/02/19/a-bee-for-my-bonnet/ Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:51:32 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: alison http://www.alisoncummins.com/2009/02/19/a-bee-for-my-bonnet/comment-page-1/#comment-1299 alison Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:43:18 +0000 http://www.alisoncummins.com/?p=407#comment-1299 Oh, and RE <a href="http://loglog.peghole.com/archives/2007/02/marketing.html" rel="nofollow">Pepe's incontinence problem</a>: He was three years old and paper-trained when we got him, so we put out paper (which stinks) or wee-wee pads (which are plastic-backed) for him to pee on, and then we throw them out. Oh, and RE Pepe’s incontinence problem: He was three years old and paper-trained when we got him, so we put out paper (which stinks) or wee-wee pads (which are plastic-backed) for him to pee on, and then we throw them out.

]]> By: alison http://www.alisoncummins.com/2009/02/19/a-bee-for-my-bonnet/comment-page-1/#comment-1298 alison Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:35:38 +0000 http://www.alisoncummins.com/?p=407#comment-1298 Leanne, No, you don't reduce your *own* production/consumption by 90%; you reduce it to whatever 10% of the Canadian average is. For energy use that might mean you have triple-glazed windows, skylights for light, a combination of geothermal and solar for heating, and cook with methane from a methane converter that you feed with your own, uh, waste. That way you just need electricity to run the geothermal pump and your computer. In our situation some of these become difficult because our physical footprint is small and efficient. Say we cover our rooftops with solar water heaters. Does that supply enough hot water for everyone in the building or just the top floor? Even if there's enough water for everyone, it will need to run down into tanks in people's own apartments, not up from tanks in the basement; will our tenants be happy about giving up the space? If the methane converter stinks, what is our obligation to our tenants and neighbours? Leanne,

No, you don’t reduce your *own* production/consumption by 90%; you reduce it to whatever 10% of the Canadian average is. For energy use that might mean you have triple-glazed windows, skylights for light, a combination of geothermal and solar for heating, and cook with methane from a methane converter that you feed with your own, uh, waste. That way you just need electricity to run the geothermal pump and your computer.

In our situation some of these become difficult because our physical footprint is small and efficient. Say we cover our rooftops with solar water heaters. Does that supply enough hot water for everyone in the building or just the top floor? Even if there’s enough water for everyone, it will need to run down into tanks in people’s own apartments, not up from tanks in the basement; will our tenants be happy about giving up the space? If the methane converter stinks, what is our obligation to our tenants and neighbours?

]]> By: Leanne http://www.alisoncummins.com/2009/02/19/a-bee-for-my-bonnet/comment-page-1/#comment-1297 Leanne Fri, 20 Feb 2009 04:51:30 +0000 http://www.alisoncummins.com/?p=407#comment-1297 hahahah! I too might already meet the water one, IF I don't wash clothes. I usually wash in the sink, (myself, not the clothes), so that is about 2 liters of water, we bathe maybe twice a week or once... haha. The electricity... hmmm, well, I hate to say, things don't go so well with plumbing etc if you don't heat. Actually I used to barely heat but since I have a three year old, I tend to heat more than my studio and wear one sweatshirt instead of three, with fingerless gloves, in the house. I am pretty sure if I reduced my heating by 90% I'd have burst pipes. I suppose I could move into a tiny place, well insulated, with one external wall (ie in an apartment block), but someone else would just move into this draughty old place and they'll likely heat more than I do. I'll have to check the weight of garbage. I am not sure about "incontinence": obviously the water in urine will evaporate or drain out. Vs plastic, metal, dirty clay cat litter etc. Because I hang onto boxes, often cans, I compost and recycle, I usually only have one shopping sized bag of garbage a week for two people. For fuel, my trips to Vancouver and Sask by plane and Michigan by car totally ruin my low fuel consumption of not owning a car and living within walking distance of most everything I need and go to. Ahhh dear. Frankly, my main consumer problems now are printed materials and dvds, which must be manufactured, and then shipped. hahahah!
I too might already meet the water one, IF I don’t wash clothes. I usually wash in the sink, (myself, not the clothes), so that is about 2 liters of water, we bathe maybe twice a week or once… haha. The electricity… hmmm, well, I hate to say, things don’t go so well with plumbing etc if you don’t heat. Actually I used to barely heat but since I have a three year old, I tend to heat more than my studio and wear one sweatshirt instead of three, with fingerless gloves, in the house. I am pretty sure if I reduced my heating by 90% I’d have burst pipes. I suppose I could move into a tiny place, well insulated, with one external wall (ie in an apartment block), but someone else would just move into this draughty old place and they’ll likely heat more than I do. I’ll have to check the weight of garbage. I am not sure about “incontinence”: obviously the water in urine will evaporate or drain out. Vs plastic, metal, dirty clay cat litter etc. Because I hang onto boxes, often cans, I compost and recycle, I usually only have one shopping sized bag of garbage a week for two people. For fuel, my trips to Vancouver and Sask by plane and Michigan by car totally ruin my low fuel consumption of not owning a car and living within walking distance of most everything I need and go to. Ahhh dear. Frankly, my main consumer problems now are printed materials and dvds, which must be manufactured, and then shipped.

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