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Ty Gwyn
Joined: 22 Sep 2010 Posts: 4603 Location: Lampeter
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15836
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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tahir
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 45612 Location: Essex
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tahir
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 45612 Location: Essex
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Slim
Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Posts: 6594 Location: New England (In the US of A)
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gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 8792 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15836
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Posted: Fri Aug 14, 20 7:49 am Post subject: |
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As you say Gz, there are downsides to things like the Severn barrage. Perhaps where a barrage has to be put in to prevent flooding, like the Thames barrage, incorporating turbines might be a good idea. Lots of small with batteries seems far less environmentally unfriendly as with tide mills etc.
I have been watching this technology unfold for over 50 years, and in some ways we are coming on well, but over 45 years ago we were interested in solar power for the home, and it has taken until the last few years to materialise.
As for meat, I would dispute going vegan/vegetarian as an aim. In this area we have a lot of grazing land that is unsuitable for growing crops. It has been tried and failed as the land is too steep and too stony. It seems to me that we need to consider carefully how meat is produced, and what the alternatives are. The options for vegetable protein in the UK are pretty limited, so there needs to be a balance between importing vegetable protein v locally produced meat. I think scale and use are two of the major issues. Using as much of the carcass as possible and using the vegetable protein available are of course the most important ways we can minimise our impact here. |
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Shane
Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 3467 Location: Doha. Is hot.
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Shane
Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 3467 Location: Doha. Is hot.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 20 4:27 am Post subject: |
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Mistress Rose wrote: |
As for meat, I would dispute going vegan/vegetarian as an aim. In this area we have a lot of grazing land that is unsuitable for growing crops. It has been tried and failed as the land is too steep and too stony. It seems to me that we need to consider carefully how meat is produced, and what the alternatives are. The options for vegetable protein in the UK are pretty limited, so there needs to be a balance between importing vegetable protein v locally produced meat. I think scale and use are two of the major issues. Using as much of the carcass as possible and using the vegetable protein available are of course the most important ways we can minimise our impact here. |
Livestock manure is also a fairly good fertiliser, I believe. I'm a fan of the circular farming philosophy, in which waste from crop growth is fed to livestock and the resultant manure used to fertilise the crops. Obviously there is still a need for external animal feed and agrichemicals, but I'd like to see a holistic study that looks at the overall process, including environmental impact of the production of the external feed and chemicals versus the Big Agriculture method of only growing a single crop and blitzing it with chemicals.
Also worth pointing out that recycling the manure, in combination with responsible crop management (rotation, green manure, fallow periods, etc.) can also significantly reduce soil erosion, which is a looming issue that could be potentially catastrophic to the human species.
This thread seems to have diverged somewhat ![](images/smiles/icon_lol.gif) |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15836
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 20 6:54 am Post subject: |
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We do thread divergence very well here.
I always noticed on my two stroke moped (never graduated to a motor bike) that it seemed to be more powerful on damp days; probably because of the cooling. It would go a bit over 30mph rather than being happy cruising at just under. As for power, going 2 up on it, my husband managed to accidentally do a wheelie once and dropped me and the back number plate off the back. I thought I was very restrained in just saying that was a bit silly.
Although I don't think they actually practice completely circular farming, the place I get my meat from does grow some crops which I think get sent for processing into animal feed. They have pigs, cows and crops, so tend to keep a few fields for specific things and circulate the animals and crops on some others. Because they slaughter all year, they do have to feed the cows during the winter, but overall, the balance of crops and animals must be about net balance. Although I think the pigs in the same village are part of a rather large, mainly pig, farm, they do move them around and grow maize on the fields after they have had pigs on them. Again, I think the maize goes for fodder, but not sure for what. |
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Ty Gwyn
Joined: 22 Sep 2010 Posts: 4603 Location: Lampeter
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tahir
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 45612 Location: Essex
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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Shane
Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 3467 Location: Doha. Is hot.
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