tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12954391.post6083935355716620638..comments2023-11-28T22:47:40.465-05:00Comments on Tales from FAR Manor: Peak Oil: the 20% RemedyLarry Kollarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317037795075278427noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12954391.post-32608199198359375602007-09-30T17:33:00.000-04:002007-09-30T17:33:00.000-04:00Funny comments about the lint filter. I've joked i...Funny comments about the lint filter. I've joked in the past about spinning yard from lint & making new material from it… I had a thermal blanket in college that my roomie (waves at CS) referred to as "the lint blanket" because the texture <I>was</I> very lint-like.<BR/><BR/>KB, too bad about the weird hours. You pretty much have to all be able to start & end the workday at the same time to carpool effectively.<BR/><BR/>Wow Beth, that <I>does</I> sound like a nice place. FAR Manor is already in the woods, especially relative to a high-density area like you're in now, and we use some wood for heating. No solar (not even passive) though, but I certainly wouldn't mind having it.Larry Kollarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08317037795075278427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12954391.post-23655399941963491942007-09-29T23:00:00.000-04:002007-09-29T23:00:00.000-04:00Thanks for the suggestion re container gardening. ...Thanks for the suggestion re container gardening. I had a great tomato plant in a pot in ID - they were all getting ripe when I left. :-( <BR/><BR/>kb, I never thought about lint in the dryer like that...I'm going to think a lot harder about drying clothes from now on! My poor clothes, dying shred by shred...<BR/><BR/>At one time in my life I lived in a solar home way out in the woods - huge garden - heated with wood we cut ourselves - seems like a lifetime ago. No beaches...:-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12954391.post-67859069508555661472007-09-29T09:54:00.000-04:002007-09-29T09:54:00.000-04:00I WOULD be jumping on the car-pooling thing, FAR. ...I WOULD be jumping on the car-pooling thing, FAR. But, it's his job that's got the irregular hours. For example, he's worked until 3am the last two days (nights.) He's a film editor and has to be at 'shoots' no matter what the time. And stay on the job to get stuff done on schedule.<BR/><BR/>That's why I've hesitated to suggest it. <BR/><BR/>Also, I forgot to mention that I haven't put my clothes in a dryer since 1977. I use the dryer for linens and underpants -- but everything else goes on the line. Always has. I don't like throwing away bits of my clothes from the lint-trap.katiebirdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17262129879015590898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12954391.post-7665804950932150222007-09-28T23:18:00.000-04:002007-09-28T23:18:00.000-04:00This was a very interesting post, Far. (And very t...This was a very interesting post, Far. (And very thorough.) We have so much and are still disatisfied. So much for the fabled American dream. But I would think that we should cut our ueage back by a third, and still live well.boran2https://www.blogger.com/profile/10483728578007756485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12954391.post-37231874688196012892007-09-28T22:26:00.000-04:002007-09-28T22:26:00.000-04:00Heh... I see I'm preaching to the choir in a lot o...Heh... I see I'm preaching to the choir in a lot of ways. Thanks for all your thoughts & kind words.<BR/><BR/>KB, if I had someone to carpool with, I'd jump on it immediately. My problem (for carpooling) is that I'm in one of those office jobs where the hours are pretty flexible. At least I can telecommute once a week.<BR/><BR/>Crafty, FM, IVG, it's funny how those last old bulbs just hang on… and hang on… and hang on. Seems like those recessed lights in the living room were always burning out until I put in the first two CF replacements (had to find dimmer-compatible bulbs), but now the rest seem to want to live forever!<BR/><BR/>FM & Beth, you're fortunate to have had that experience. I've never even been to Canada, although moving from Michigan to Georgia should count as interplanetary travel. :-P As far as "more" goes, I think people are conditioned (through TV etc) to want it, but when the stimulus is gone they likely to start wondering "why the #3!! do we have all this junk anyway?". Minimalism can be the new chic, just as easily as anything else.<BR/><BR/>Beth, you could try container gardening. When I lived in an apartment, I tried it and all but the strawberries worked pretty well. You just have to water more often, unless the rains are reliable.<BR/><BR/>IVG, good catch about composting… especially since I'm already doing it. I've seen compost bins going for around $130; seems kind of expensive. I'll bet you could make one with two large (plastic, naturally) garbage cans and a little knife work. The renters have a "compost shredder" that they say isn't worth doodly, but I wonder if it could chop up paper & cardboard.<BR/><BR/>Yooper, good point, especially since it's one I should have mentioned in the first place. By the same token, that's the reason I prefer "beater" cars over fancier ones: I don't have to worry about anyone bothering a beater, so I don't have to splash out for insurance or alarm systems.<BR/><BR/>Thanks again, everyone, and keep the discussion going!Larry Kollarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08317037795075278427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12954391.post-21315327163562603902007-09-28T19:29:00.000-04:002007-09-28T19:29:00.000-04:00Hey FAR, and here's the bonus, the 20% you get rid...Hey FAR, and here's the bonus, the 20% you get rid of, that will be 20% less that you'll have to worry about!yooperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11297259993402713368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12954391.post-28522148463238142572007-09-28T18:32:00.000-04:002007-09-28T18:32:00.000-04:00Great post, FAR! After living on a ship for 100 da...Great post, FAR! After living on a ship for 100 days and traveling through 10 countries, some third world, I found myself needing a lot less than I used to. I simplify wherever possible - recycle - use less power - everything I can. I look forward to having my own home again, with a garden, and more control over than I currently have in my rental. If we all did just a wee bit, think of how far we would go. Thanks for the ideas, everyone!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12954391.post-88230631703045890552007-09-28T11:51:00.000-04:002007-09-28T11:51:00.000-04:00Superb post FAR! You've hit on some really great ...Superb post FAR! You've hit on some really great --easy-- ways to conserve and reduce consumption. Today is trash day here ... and in the huge barrel the city provides, there is one small bag of kitchen waste and an empty dog food bag. We recycle everything we can (which is a lot usually) and only the worst garbage actually goes out ... that one lonely bag each week. When I compare to the neighbors, I can't believe how one could fill up that whole barrel in a week's time! I don't think we could do that if we tried (well, unless we finally clean out the basement! lol). <BR/><BR/>I'm surprised you didn't mention composting ... that's another way we get rid of organic trash and produce nice dirt in the process. Oh and btw, we are only 4 bulbs away from having replaced them all with compact fluorescents... like others have said, we're trying to wait till the old ones burn out, but I'm getting impatient. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, great job FAR! Looking forward to more words of wisdom.Iowa Victory Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07220818462081082930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12954391.post-87369542535297685472007-09-28T08:48:00.000-04:002007-09-28T08:48:00.000-04:00Hi FAR.Great post today. I think as long as peopl...Hi FAR.<BR/><BR/>Great post today. I think as long as people have the money that the majority of them will always want more. There are still some people who lived through it and children of the great depression. They knew what doing without and doing with less was. <BR/><BR/>I'm still always amazed by the differences between here and the rest of the world. I would have never even realized it unless I had lived in Europe. I think the majority of Americans and the industrialized nations are that way.<BR/><BR/>We're just about down to the last incandescent bulb. Which is good, because when the rels are here, I'm always going behind them turning off lights.Family Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17101125448247590979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12954391.post-12896812740297224082007-09-28T02:52:00.000-04:002007-09-28T02:52:00.000-04:00Excellent post! Thanks for the link too! I'm glad ...Excellent post! Thanks for the link too! I'm glad you're replacing your incandescent bulbs as they burn out, some people throw them out as soon as they get the energy saving replacements, which just creates waste. I'm surprised though, how long our remaining incandescents are lasting.Crafty Green Poethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12954391.post-25320244699224090112007-09-27T23:46:00.000-04:002007-09-27T23:46:00.000-04:00Hi FAR, this was an inspiration. I'm going to chec...Hi FAR, this was an inspiration. I'm going to check with someone to see if we could carpool a couple times a week.katiebirdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17262129879015590898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12954391.post-65406903020225506222007-09-27T21:06:00.000-04:002007-09-27T21:06:00.000-04:00Great post over at the Green Poet blog too FAR.I'v...Great post over at the Green Poet blog too FAR.<BR/><BR/>I've stopped using plastic bags for some time now -- always carry various cotton or cloth bags. And I never pack veggies in a bag to be put in a bag ... Up here our milk comes in bags, which I recycle. I have a water bottle that I use for drinking water, and I carry it w/ me every day and wash it every night. Yeah, plastic ... ah, I have such conflict over plastic. I can't say that I don't see the benefits of it, but I do see the negatives ... :(<BR/><BR/>We always keep the a/c up a few degrees and always wear long sleeves and sweaters and keep the furnace down as well ... <BR/><BR/>And yeah, about that Your Money or you life ... I can't stand clutter ... and having stuff just to have stuff ... so I don't get the whole buying thing. I'm not interested in filling up my house w/ crap that I never use. And we've actually told family members this year to not buy us Christmas presents ... <BR/><BR/>Anyways, rambling on here, but looking forward to what others have to say.oliviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03401788202984343513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12954391.post-27340440660777547822007-09-27T20:42:00.000-04:002007-09-27T20:42:00.000-04:00FAR, this is a fantastic post!!!I'm going now to f...FAR, this is a fantastic post!!!<BR/><BR/>I'm going now to follow the links and I'll be back.oliviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03401788202984343513noreply@blogger.com