Cleansing Blog

My first memorable exposure to the possibilities of pedal power was over ten years ago at Chowpatty Beach in Mumbai. After dodging the attentions of eager head-masseurs, and tripping over a pack of drowsing puppies (it was nighttime), I found myself checking out a rickety, 10-foot tall Ferris wheel powered physically by an intense gentleman pedaling a stationary bicycle to which the whole contraption was hitched. India also afforded me my first experiences with the pedicab, or bicycle rickshaw, as well as human-powered water taxis, and by the time I left, I felt properly impressed by the potential of the pedal.

 

Happily, pedal-power is no longer a phenomenon reserved for far-flung destinations. Thanks to a variety of factors — rising fuel costs, a more widespread interest in do-it-yourself technology, even fashion concerns — serious attempts to harness the energy produced by a pair of wheels and a well-turned ankle are no longer the anomalous terrain of a few fringe thinkers. Touring national events like the Maker Faire and New Belgium’s Tour de Fat, and local culture extravaganzas such as the Bay Area’s Bicycle Film Fest, Cyclecide Bike Rodeo, and Bicycle Music Festival showcase plenty of pedal-powered projects from the straight-up practical (backup generators, battery chargers), to the playful (glow-in-the-dark bicycle dragons, DJ-quality bicycle turntables). But will pedal-powering your cell phone charger really free you entirely from the fetters of the power grid? Maybe not, but it seems like a move in the right direction.

 

It’s easy to forget (until it comes time to pay the bills) that everything we plug into a wall socket or power strip is sucking up energy every second. The action of spending an hour on a bicycle in order to juice up a single battery can, at the very least, put our rampant power usage into perspective, and might encourage us to cut back on our energy consumption just by providing a concrete example of how much actual energy it takes to power something as minute as an MP3 player.

Tempted to give pedal power a try? Here’s some links to instructions for building your own human-powered generator. Tune up, turn on, and drop off (the grid)!

going green

(NaturalNews) How did the powerful gain power over the rest of us? In a time when the power and freedom of the average American is being eroded at terrific speed, many of us wonder how this could be happening. What we may not realize it that the powerful have specific tools or principles to use to con the rest of us into surrendering our power to them. One of the most effective principles used in the last several years with great success is the Hegelian Principle.

The principle is simple, consisting of only three steps toward a preconceived goal. Once you are able to see how it works, you may want to analyze many of the events unfolding around you in terms of this principle. As the principle is often used today, it can be explained as:

Step One: Create a problem or conflict - Perceive a problem that exists and build it up out of proportion to its actual importance, or create a problem or conflict where none existed before.

Step Two: Publicize the problem and create opposition to it - Relentlessly place stories about this problem in the major media outlets. Report on it daily until it becomes a steady drumbeat and a truism for the public who then begin clamoring for a solution to this problem.

Step Three: Offer a solution - The best solutions are those that appeal to the emotions of the public and make them think something really good is being done for them, when in fact, something really bad is being done to them. This solution is one that the public never knew it needed until the conditioning of Step Two was successfully completed.

A simple example of the Hegelian Principle at work was the food industries’ conning of the public to throw out their butter and run to buy margarine. It goes like this:

Step One: Food industry is geared up to provide food for soldiers during WWII. When war ends, food industry needs to turn its capacity into something it can sell during peace time. It wants to use cheap ingredients to make a high margin product and decides on the manufacture of margarine, but needs to find a way to get the public to buy it. They decide on a scheme to turn the people against butter.

Step Two: Food companies spread propaganda convincing the populace that butter is deadly to their health. Appeal to fear. Get doctors and nutritionists to help in the spreading of propaganda. Sponsor medical studies to “prove” that butter is deadly. Convince housewives who had grown up healthy while eating butter that they are placing their families in jeopardy if they serve butter.

Step Three: Food companies rush in to save the American public from having to put butter on their tables. They present margarine. Women who want their families to love them stampede to buy margarine. Voila!

One of the classic and most sinister examples of the Hegelian Principle involves the Nazi’s rise to power that quickly followed the burning of the German Parliament building, the Reichstag, on the night of February 27, 1933.

Step One: Adolf Hitler, the new Chancellor of Germany, has no intention of abiding by the rules of democracy that installed him into the Chancellor position. He intends only to use those rules to legally establish himself as dictator as quickly as possible, and begin the Nazi revolution. But opposition lurks in his path.

The Nazis, led by Joseph Goebbels, devise a scheme to burn down the Reichstag, the building where the elected officials of the republic meet to conduct the daily business of government, and blame it on the Communist opposition.

Step Two: Hitler acts as though he is enraged over the fire and speaks out that the German people have been too soft on the Communists, proclaiming that “every Communist official must be shot. All friends of the Communists must be locked up. And that goes for the Social Democrats and the Reichsbanner as well!” Hitler directs the newspaper’s coverage of the fire. He and Goebbels put together papers full of lies about a Communist plot to violently seize power in Berlin. The newspaper proclaimed that only Hitler and the Nazis could prevent a Communist takeover.

Step Three: Hitler demands an emergency decree to overcome the crisis. There is little resistance, and the decree is signed “for the protection of the people and the State”. According to the decree, “Restrictions on the personal liberty, on the right of free expression of opinion, including freedom of the press; on the rights of assembly and association; and violations of the privacy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications and warrants for house searches, orders for confiscations as well as restrictions on property, are also permissible beyond the legal limits otherwise prescribed.” The Nazi dictatorship is established.

The Hegelian Principle was first described by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a 19th century German philosopher. The principle defined a method used to produce a oneness of mind on any given issue or thought. Since its conception, it has been used repeatedly and very successfully to gain power, status, money and control. The original terms for the three steps were Thesis, Antithesis, and Synthesis.

Under Hegel’s theory, one type of government or society (Thesis) would give rise to another that was the opposite of this type of government or society (Antithesis). This would result in conflict between the two types since they were opposites. After thesis and antithesis ideas battle each other for an extended time without either side winning, both sides become ready for change. This change (Synthesis) is then brought about by the creation of a third type of government or society.

These three steps are easily seen in the example of the Nazi rise to power, in which the Democratic government battled the Communist form of government. When the public was conditioned to ask for change, a new government system was installed.

The principle is often seen at work in the downhill slide of education toward the goal of ensuring children grow up unable to be intelligent participants in their democracy.

Step One - The federal government wants to assert control over the educational system, previously the providence of the states. As a way of doing this, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is created as a tool to gain power by doling out money to the school districts if they would accept the strings attached. Slowly but surely the pot of federal dollars that could be had is increased, while state support is undermined. Under ESEA mandates, academic programs are replaced by social programs.

Step Two - As academic programs are displaced, test scores drop, and juvenile problems increase as children become more and more illiterate, and parental and public outcry becomes louder. Teachers are made the fall guys for the illiteracy of their students. Attempts at fixing the problems involve the creation of ever more social programs, and fail to address the issue of children’s failure to learn. Parents are blamed as schools make inroads into controlling the parent/child relationship by pitting parents against their own children over school issues. Education reform is officially sanctioned as Bush announces himself the education president, proclaiming that “The people have been heard. We must do something about our ailing education system.”

Step Three - We are in step three now. Progressive socialist education is upon us. We are creating a generation of people incapable of thinking, reasoning, speaking and questioning. The individual will soon be extinct, having been stripped of his uniqueness and become no more than a commodity to be valued accordingly. With the loss of uniqueness goes the loss of independence and the ability to advocate for one’s self. The new generation emerges as a willing participant in its own enslavement.

Health News, going green

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXzsqTFwV3Q

Health News, Videos, going green

I’m up at the Columbia River Gorge for the Gorge Games, an action sports extravaganza with everything from slalom skateboarding to kiteboarding, adventure racing to river boarding. They did their best to be a sustainable event with abundant receptacles for recycling and even composting, which I’ve never seen at an event like this. One other thing they had that really got me thinking was ants — ants strutting across the picnic table, ants crawling up my leg, ants basking in the dog dish, ants absolutely everywhere.

Across the country ants are a typical summertime bummer that can ruin a picnic or make a whole house or apartment feel dirty and creepy. Although most ants don’t bite, sting or cause any lasting structural damage, their presence can be so annoying that spraying pesticides or leaving traps around seems absolutely essential.

Yet, among other toxins, many ant control products contain permethrin, which is a strongly suspected human carcinogen. Plus, toxic pesticides tend to backfire because they only target the 5 percent of a colony that actually ventures out and they split a single colony into multiple colonies, which will then yield more ants.

For a more effective and greener method, consider an integrated pest management (IPM) approach to rid your home of ants. IPM is a chemical-free approach that takes a lot more strategizing and usually a little more time, but given the risks of pesticides, it’s worth it.

Stop being such a good host
The first question to ask is why are they there? You may need to know a little bit about the exact type of bug you’re dealing with and what are their habits and preferences. For ants, it’s pretty easy — food. To get rid of ants you need to quit feeding them. That means cleaning up your counters, garbage areas, and cupboards and putting all shelf food, including pet food, in sealed containers or in the refrigerator.

Close the ant door
Next ask: Where are they coming in? With their in-your-face parade style of travel ants make this one easy, too. Follow the line of ants back to where they are entering your home and block them. That may mean sealing a hole or crack or fixing a screen. If the entryway is not sealable, create a barrier of coffee grounds or any combination of cayenne pepper, lemon juice, cinnamon, or a citrus-oil-soaked string, which will deter them from crossing.

For ants already inside, try making your own anti-ant spray. Combine 2/3 cup vinegar, 12 drops peppermint oil, and 2 cups water in spray bottle and squirt the ants. Or put cornstarch in your vacuum bag or canister and vacuum them up.

If the ants have taken over your carpeting, and the previous methods don’t work, garden-grade diatomaceous earth is a good less toxic alternative. Sprinkle onto the carpets and then use a broom to work it in to the fibers. Let sit overnight and vacuum thoroughly in the morning. Always use a mask when working with DE and it’s a good precaution to keep pets and kids out of the room until you’ve vacuumed it up.

A little IPM strategizing can go a long way in raining on the summertime ant parade and taking back your home greenly and cleanly from the little buggers.
Kimberly Delaney is the author of Clean Home, Green Home: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Eco-friendly Homekeeping forthcoming this fall from the Knack imprint of Globe Pequot Press.

going green

(NaturalNews) Nissan Motor Company has developed an electric vehicle that pivots on its wheel axis, can squeeze into tight spots without backing up, and even tells its driver to relax when stressed out. The car was displayed at the Tokyo Motor show in late 2007.

The Pivo 2 is a three-seater commuter vehicle shaped like a ball. The top portion, where the seats are located, is capable of pivoting independently of the wheel frame, allowing the driver to face in any direction. Combined with the fact that the wheels also rotate 90 degrees, the Pivo 2 has an unprecedented degree of maneuverability. Parking in tight spots does not require complex maneuvering, and no reverse gear is necessary.

… (continues) …

Provide your email address to read the rest of this story now… Enter your email address to get INSTANT access to the full article:   You’ll also receive full access to all 25,000+ articles on NaturalNews.com plus: Over 20 free, downloadable reports Exclusive interviews with top naturopathic practitioners Free instant access to all the summaries of the industry’s top health books offered at HealthBookSummaries.com (If you’ve already registered, just enter your email address again to access the full article.) Unsubscribe at any time. We NEVER send spam. Your e-mail privacy is 100% protected! Praise for NaturalNews and Mike Adams: “Mike Adams is the best health and natural products writer on the scene today.” - Ronnie Cummins, founder, Organic Consumers Association (www.OrganicConsumers.org) “I wish that more people had the level of intensity that Mr. Mike Adams has to get the knowledge in our hands and help us get healthy and stay healthy. I have recommended ALL my friends to sign up for this important newsletter.” - Dr. Jack Singh, founder, the Organic Food Bar Company “I’m so impressed with the work that you’re doing and the information you’re disseminating, it’s just vital for people to get this sort of information.” - Michael T. Murray, author of The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods and The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine “Mike Adams has one of the best websites on the Internet. His articles, podcasts and books will improve your life, and possibly save it. As a journalist he is relentless in his questioning, always asking insightful questions to expose the truth. Masterful!” - Suzy Cohen, R.Ph., Author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist (www.DearPharmacist.com)

According to Nissan, the concept car is still too expensive for commercial sale, but the company is working on making it more accessible.

In a new feature from original Pivo concept vehicle, Nissan has added a talking robotic head to the inside of the Pivo 2’s cabin, in order to keep drivers company. The robot’s computer is programmed to detect a driver’s mood based on their facial expressions, voice volume and speaking speed. When it detects a certain mood, the robot’s head speaks preprogrammed phrases. If a driver appears stressed out, for example, the head would say “Relax, don’t worry.” The head is also capable of bobbing up and down.

According to the vehicle’s chief designer, Masato Inoue, the goal was to make a car that people could see as more than an inanimate object and actually grow emotionally attached to.

“We want people to feel how cars can be so much fun,” said Shiro Nakamura, head designer for Nissan Motors.

The Pivo 2 is fully electric and can travel up to 125 kilometers (78 miles) without being recharged. It can be charged from any normal wall socket, and does not need a special charging station or device.

going green

(NaturalNews) Based on my other two articles on sea minerals here on NaturalNews, (http://www.naturalnews.com/022278.html) and (http://www.naturalnews.com/022309.html) , I have received a lot of questions from readers on how to make a Sole and how to ocean-farm. In this article I attempt to teach you in plain English how to do so. I can be reached at mello_music@yahoo.com if you have any further questions.

Sea Minerals as Building Blocks

Minerals are the building blocks of life. The sea is the ‘primal soup’ from which all life on earth originates. There is no place on earth with a higher concentration of minerals than the sea. Sea water covers 70% of the planet’s surface. Animal and plant life thrive in an unpolluted sea environment, so much so that a double life span is easily reached compared to life on land, and in perfect health. This is because disease is the result of mineral shortages and acidification and this does not naturally occur in a sea environment. If it does occur, man is to blame, not nature.

…Provide Your Email Address to Read The Rest of This Story Now… You’ll receive full access to all 25,000+ articles on NaturalNews.com plus free downloadable reports, exclusive interviews by health guru Mike Adams and free access to all the summaries of the industry’s top health books offered at HealthBookSummaries.com. “I wish that more people had the level of intensity that Mr. Mike Adams has to get the knowledge in our hands and help us get healthy and stay healthy. I have recommended ALL my friends to sign up for this important newsletter.” - Dr. Jack Singh, founder, the Organic Food Bar Company Enter Your Email Address to Get INSTANT Access to the Full Article:   (If you’ve already registered, just enter your email address again to access the full article.) Unsubscribe at any time. We NEVER send spam. Your e-mail privacy is 100% protected! Praise for NaturalNews and Mike Adams: “Mike Adams is the best health and natural products writer on the scene today.” - Ronnie Cummins, founder, Organic Consumers Association (www.OrganicConsumers.org) “Mike Adams has one of the best websites on the Internet. His articles, podcasts and books will improve your life, and possibly save it. As a journalist he is relentless in his questioning, always asking insightful questions to expose the truth. Masterful!” - Suzy Cohen, R.Ph., Author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist (www.DearPharmacist.com)

Sea minerals as a plasma

All cellular life comes from the sea. Blood has been shown to be 98% identical to sea water. The only difference is that sea water needs an extra molecule of magnesium, whereas blood needs an extra molecule of iron (hence the red color of blood). When a sea water dilution comes in contact with blood, however, the magnesium is converted into iron, making the transition 100%. Thus sea water should be seen as a plasma.

going green

Objective

The goal of this project is to make batteries from fruits and vegetables using metal electrodes. You will use a digital voltmeter along with resistors and other loads to determine the voltage, current, and power that your batteries can produce.

Introduction

Batteries are like mini power plants that derive electrical energy from chemical reactions. You can make batteries with some pretty simple everyday materials. In general, all you need are:

• two different kinds of metal to act as electrodes (though not just any kind of metals will work),
• a liquid solution, called the electrolyte, which will react chemically with the metal electrodes, and
• a way to conduct the electricity from the metal electrodes to something that is using the energy that the battery provides.

going green

The hemp plant “has played a vital role in world commerce for at least six thousand years,” according to John W. Roulac, author of Hemp Horizons (27). Originally cultivated in China and used for making rope and fishnets (HH 27), today hemp is grown throughout the world - except in the United States, where it is illegal to grow the plant but not illegal to manufacture and sell products made from it. Many hurdles face the reintroduction of industrial hemp into American agriculture, manufacturing, and commerce.

Hemp is an annual fiber crop with over 25,000 known uses (HH back cover). Common products that can be made from hemp include clothing, paper, and building materials. The advantages of hemp cultivation over traditional crop cultivation are numerous. For example, Roulac suggests that “one acre of industrial hemp can produce up to four times as much paper as one acre of trees” (HH viii). Hemp can be grown in most fields “with little or no herbicides or insecticides” and rotates well with grain, beans, and flax (HH 129).

Hemp’s true botanical name is Cannabis Sativa L. In many countries, including the United States, hemp is grown illicitly to produce marijuana. Virtually all varieties of hemp contain “[t]he potentially psychoactive chemical . . . delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)” (HH 9). Marijuana-producing hemp usually has a THC content of three to fifteen percent or higher while industrial hemp usually contains less than one percent THC (HH 9).

Hemp was cultivated in the colonies that would later become the United States soon after settlement (HH 32). The Declaration of Independence was written on paper containing hemp fiber (HH 32). States where hemp was once an extremely important crop include Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, New York, Georgia, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Each of these states has at least one town whose name contains hemp including Hempfield, Pennsylvania (HH 33).

The first law preventing the cultivation of hemp in the United States was the Marihuana [SIC] Tax Act of 1937, which virtually eliminated a farmer’s right to grow the plant (HH 42). In 1937 THC had not yet been identified as the chemical causing the psychoactive effects of marijuana (HH 48). Although THC was identified as “marijuana’s psychoactive agent” in 1964 (HH 64) Congress passed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act in 1970 (HH 62) which continued to disallow the cultivation of industrial hemp because all hemp was still classified as psychoactive, regardless of actual THC content. The United Kingdom and Canada passed similar legislation following the lead of the United States, but both of these countries lifted their bans on industrial hemp in the 1990s (HH 21).

Jon Gettman, in his 1996 Business Survey entitled Hemp Power, discovered that American hemp business owners believe most of the hemp fiber used in the products they sell are imported from China, Hungary, Romania, and Thailand (13). The most popular hemp items in 1996 were clothing, accessories, hats, and caps (HP 11). Gettman found that hemp imports in Germany and the United Kingdom totaled over $3 million in 1994 (HP 15), and predicted in his report that gross revenues in the United States from hemp products sold in 1996 would total at least $23.3 million (HP 19).

The eyes of those involved in the American hemp industry were focused on Canadian farms in the late 1990s. On March 12, 1998, hemp cultivation was once again permitted with license in Canada (ICPIH). In August 1998, Doug Campbell of Consolidated Growers and Processors of Canada Ltd. announced company plans to build a $6 million hemp processing plant in rural Manitoba (CHF). According to David Kuxhaus, legislative reporter of the Winnipeg Free Press, “Campbell said [Canadian] farmers could gross in excess of $400 per acre” (CHF). In a 1998 study the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Kentucky estimated a typical hemp crop in Kentucky would be worth from $220 in net revenue for grain production to $600 in net revenue for certified seed production (FH 3). Tobacco is the only crop capable of producing higher revenues (FH 3).

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration recently allowed a test plot of hemp to be grown in Hawaii. The University of Hawaii received $200,000 in funding for this project from Alterna, a hair care company interested in using the hemp seed in their products (HBHE). The results of this experimental plot may determine the likelihood of further allowance of industrial hemp cultivation in the United States.

Given the rise in petroleum prices, it is unfortunate that so little attention has been paid to the industrial hemp industry. The oils of the hemp plant have been made into both biodegradable plastics (HH 120) and ethanol fuels (BOH). Both of these uses of hemp oil would be more ecologically sound when compared to using their petroleum counterparts because most petroleum-based plastics are not biodegradable and the burning of petroleum-based gasoline, unlike biomass (plant) fuel, is a major cause of air pollution.

Farmers, corporations, business owners, and consumers will all play a major role in the reintroduction of industrial hemp into American society. According to a United States Department of Agriculture report “Canada’s 35,000 acres [of industrial hemp] seemingly oversupplied the North American hemp market in 1999″ (IHUS). An increase in the demand for hemp products as well as widespread knowledge of the benefits of hemp is ultimately necessary for the reintroduction of this crop to be both feasible and successful.

going green

HISTORY FACTS

*Hemp has been grown for at least the last 12,000 years for fiber (textiles and paper) and food. It has been effectively prohibited in the United States since the 1950s.

*George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp. Ben Franklin owned a mill that made hemp paper. Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on hemp paper.

*When US sources of “Manila hemp” (not true hemp) was cut off by the Japanese in WWII, the US Army and US Department of Agriculture promoted the “Hemp for Victory” campaign to grow hemp in the US.

*Because of its importance for sails (the word “canvass” is rooted in “cannabis”) and rope for ships, hemp was a required crop in the American colonies.

INDUSTRY FACTS

*Henry Ford experimented with hemp to build car bodies. He wanted to build and fuel cars from farm products.

*BMW is experimenting with hemp materials in automobiles as part of an effort to make cars more recyclable.

*Much of the bird seed sold in the US has hemp seed (it’s sterilized before importation), the hulls of which contain about 25% protein.

*Hemp oil once greased machines. Most paints, resins, shellacs, and varnishes used to be made out of linseed (from flax) and hemp oils.

*Rudolph Diesel designed his engine to run on hemp oil.

*Kimberly Clark (on the Fortune 500) has a mill in France which produces hemp paper preferred for bibles because it lasts a very long time and doesn’t yellow.

*Construction products such as medium density fiber board, oriented strand board, and even beams, studs and posts could be made out of hemp. Because of hemp’s long fibers, the products will be stronger and/or lighter than those made from wood.

*The products that can be made from hemp number over 25,000.

SCIENTIFIC FACTS

*Industrial hemp and marijuana are both classified by taxonomists as Cannabis sativa, a species with hundreds of varieties. C. sativa is a member of the mulberry family. Industrial hemp is bred to maximize fiber, seed and/or oil, while marijuana varieties seek to maximize THC (delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol, the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana).

*While industrial hemp and marijuana may look somewhat alike to an untrained eye, an easily trained eye can easily distinguish the difference.

*Industrial hemp has a THC content of between 0.05 and 1%. Marijuana has a THC content of 3% to 20%. To receive a standard psychoactive dose would require a person to power-smoke 10-12 hemp cigarettes over an extremely short period of time. The large volume and high temperature of vapor, gas and smoke would be almost impossible for a person to withstand.

*If hemp does pollinate any nearby marijuana, genetically, the result will always be lower-THC marijuana, not higher-THC hemp. If hemp is grown outdoors, marijuana will not be grown close by to avoid producing lower-grade marijuana.

*Hemp fibers are longer, stronger, more absorbent and more mildew-resistant than cotton.

*Fabrics made of at least one-half hemp block the sun’s UV rays more effectively than other fabrics.

*Many of the varieties of hemp that were grown in North America have been lost. Seed banks weren’t maintained. New genetic breeding will be necessary using both foreign and domestic “ditchweed,” strains of hemp that went feral after cultivation ended. Various state national guard units often spend their weekends trying to eradicate this hemp, in the mistaken belief they are helping stop drug use.

*A 1938 Popular Mechanics described hemp as a “New Billion Dollar Crop.” That’s back when a billion was real money.

*Hemp can be made in to a variety of fabrics, including linen quality.

LEGAL FACTS

*The US Drug Enforcement Agency classifies all C. sativa varieties as “marijuana.” While it is theoretically possible to get permission from the government to grow hemp, DEA would require that the field be secured by fence, razor wire, dogs, guards, and lights, making it cost-prohibitive.

*The US State Department must certify each year that a foreign nation is cooperating in the war on drugs. The European Union subsidizes its farmers to grow industrial hemp. Those nations are not on this list, because the State Department can tell the difference between hemp and marijuana.

*Hemp was grown commercially (with increasing governmental interference) in the United States until the 1950s. It was doomed by the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which placed an extremely high tax on marijuana and made it effectively impossible to grow industrial hemp. While Congress expressly expected the continued production of industrial hemp, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics lumped industrial hemp with marijuana, as it’s successor the US Drug Enforcement Administration, does to this day.

*Over 30 industrialized democracies do distinguish hemp from marijuana. International treaties regarding marijuana make an exception for industrial hemp.

*Canada now again allows the growing of hemp.

ECOLOGY FACTS

* Hemp growers can not hide marijuana plants in their fields. Marijuana is grown widely spaced to maximize leaves. Hemp is grown in tightly-spaced rows to maximize stalk and is usually harvested before it goes to seed.

*Hemp can be made into fine quality paper. The long fibers in hemp allow such paper to be recycled several times more than wood-based paper.

*Because of its low lignin content, hemp can be pulped using less chemicals than with wood. Its natural brightness can obviate the need to use chlorine bleach, which means no extremely toxic dioxin being dumped into streams. A kinder and gentler chemistry using hydrogen peroxide rather than chlorine dixoide is possible with hemp fibers.

*Hemp grows well in a variety of climates and soil types. It is naturally resistant to most pests, precluding the need for pesticides. It grows tightly spaced, out-competing any weeds, so herbicides are not necessary. It also leaves a weed-free field for a following crop.

*Hemp can displace cotton which is usually grown with massive amounts of chemicals harmful to people and the environment. 50% of all the world’s pesticides are sprayed on cotton.

*Hemp can displace wood fiber and save forests for watershed, wildlife habitat, recreation and oxygen production, carbon sequestration (reduces global warming), and other values.

*Hemp can yield 3-8 dry tons of fiber per acre. This is four times what an average forest can yield.

HEALTH FACTS

*If one tried to ingest enough industrial hemp to get ‘a buzz’, it would be the equivalent of taking 2-3 doses of a high-fiber laxative.

*At a volume level of 81%, hemp oil is the richest known source of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids (the “good” fats). It’s quite high in some essential amino acids, including gamma linoleic acid (GLA), a very rare nutrient also found in mother’s milk.

*While the original “gruel” was made of hemp seed meal, hemp oil and seed can be made into tasty and nutritional products.

Prepared by the North American Industrial Hemp Council, October 1997

going green

This page documents our solar cell project on our home in Boston Massachusetts which went online February 11th, 2004. A friend forwarded me an article from the Boston Globe newspaper (local copy) about solar power grants through Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) and the state. We immediately signed up for more information via the web, did some research, and got on their list.

Our program is managed or sponsored by MIT but a number of companies in Massachusetts are installing systems under the MTC grant. Our system was installed by CSGS Renewables from Westborough, MA who did a good job — although I don’t have anyway of comparing their work or attention. Certainly they have answered all of our questions (and we’ve asked a ton), have been very flexible, contracted with good installers, and in general have been a pleasure to deal with. Unfortunately they may no longer be in the business of doing residential installations.

The grant, from the MTC which is funded (I think) with public and private monies, is a 2 step process. They give an installation rebate which covered 1/2 of the up-front costs ($16k) and a production incentive of $0.38/kWh for the first 3 years of production (~$7k). The system would have been much more expensive and would have paid for itself only after 20 years without these grants. It looks like they are still accepting applications for new grants as of 1/2006.

Here’s the output from my perl monitoring scripts. You can click on the graph to plot other data fields or change the period.

Economic Details

I try to vote with my wallet as much as possible. I make sure to pay for shareware, buy subscriptions to online news sources that I admire, certainly donate to political campaigns, and make other purchases as a way of donating and supporting organizations and causes. My Honda Civic Hybrid, for example, was purchased as a response to 9/11 and my view that Middle East oil either directly or indirectly sponsors global terrorism. With all that in mind, our investment in the solar panels was more a political and activist statement instead of a financial one. Keep that in mind.

Here’s our detailed solar spreadsheet (open office) showing production, cost, revenue, and savings information. You are permitted to reuse this information (and any other information on these solar pages) as long as credit is given to Gray Watson and this URL is a part of all republication.

Pricing for Our 5kw Solar System
What	Initial Estimate	Actual Thru Feb. 2007
Equipment	-$29,000	-$29,592
Installation	-$6,000	-$5,864
Total Installation Cost	-$35,000	-$35,456
MTC Installation Rebate ($3.50/w)	$16,000	$16,632
Total Initial Cost	-$19,000	-$19,287
Post Installation Cost	$0	-$463
Total Cost	-$19,000	-$19,750
Mass Tax Credit (15%) to $1,000	$1,000	$1,000
MTC 3-year production incentive @ $0.38/kWh	$5,700	$5,980
3-year renewable energy credits @ $0.05/kWh	$750	$787
Annual energy cost savings @ NStar costs (~$0.18/kwh)	$1,800	$2,426
Total cost after first 3 years, rebates	-$9,000	-$9,556

Pricing After 3 Years
What	Initial Estimate	Current Estimate	Actual Thru April 2008
Total cost	-$9,000	-$9,556	-$9,556
Yearly production in kWh	5,000	5,677	23,168
Annual energy cost savings @ NStar costs (~$0.18/kwh)	$600	$881	$3,742
Annual renewable energy credits @ $0.06/kWh	$250	$341	$1,233
Yearly savings	$850	$1,221	$4,975
Break even in total years	13.5	10.8

Basically, our out of pocket is ~$19k initially (yes, a lot). Initial estimations said that after 3 years of rebates the system would have cost $9k with a break even of 13.5 total years. After 3 years of production information, our cost has been $9,556 with break even looks to be closer to 11 total years (2015) if all of the numbers stay the same. Certainly if electric power prices go up (and they are), break even would be sooner. The panels have a 20 year warranty and after 20 years the manufacturers estimate they will be generating 80% of installation production levels.

Our system is called a “quad” system by CSGS. They usually install systems with 12 (single) or 24 (dual) panels. The dual system is popular because it usually is the best fit for a family’s energy usage. The numbers for the dual system are about half of the quad, with the same payoff rate since the yearly savings is halved. When comparing the single system, because the installation and equipment costs for the single system do not drop by half again, it costs about ~$3000 after 3 years and has a longer 13-15 year payoff time.

One of the things that was confusing to Ro and I initially was how the yearly energy savings and the renewable energy credits can both be in effect. The system will be lowering our electric bill by spinning our meter slower (or backwards) on average every month. In addition we will be getting a check from CSGS based on how much energy we produce even if we end up using all of it inside of the house. CSGS sells the energy credits to people who pay more to buy green power from the grid — power from hydroelectric (mostly) as well as solar and wind plants. We are lowering our electric bills by $0.14/kwh and also getting paid $0.06/kwh (initially $0.05) for the green power that we produce. This seemed like double dipping to us but, as we were told, it is done this way by the regulatory agencies as an encouragement for residences to generate power.

Here are some graphs showing our energy usage and savings with the solar system.

• Monthly electric bill
• Cost per kilowatt hour
• Kilowatt hours used
• Kilowatt hours produced per day
• Kilowatt hours produced per month
• Estimated savings with photovoltaics

Roof Installation

The size of the system is very dependent on roof area and configuration. They need a relatively contiguous space to mount the panels, and easy access to go into the house to join up with the circuit panel. I’m sure they also need good line capacity into the house from the street and a newer circuit breaker panel to jack into.

A roof with a southern exposure and a good downwards angle is optimal. Our roof faces ESE (130 degrees) with a tilt of 30 degrees. The tilt is good but the direction is not. Our installer expected us to get 80% of peak for our latitude with the system generating most of its output in the morning and early afternoon. If you are not facing south then a flat roof is better.

Rain is no problem and will help to keep the panels clean so we shouldn’t need to wash them much at all. The panels were installed over our current asphalt shingles and should probably give them a long life since they are intercepting the sun’s rays. Although the tilt of the roof and the slipperiness of the panels will probably mean that most of the snow will slide off of the panels, if they are covered then output will be significantly reduced of course. Because of the dark color however, they should warm and melt off the snow pretty quickly. We got a lot of snow over the 2004-2005 winter and the panels did well. There were a couple of sunny days that were occluded by the snow but in general the wind would sweep the dry snow clear and a warming would cause the wet snow to slide off. The panels higher on the roof definitely did better since the snow tended to slide down and pile up a bit on the lowers. With one set of panels higher than the other, the snow would slide off the upper set first resulting in some strange power output.

Technical Details

Solar cells convert sunlight (photons) into electrical power. On our roof are 48 solar modules, each producing 110 watts DC for a total of 5.28 kilowatts. Each panel is ~11 square feet or ~1 square meter (653mm x 1588mm) so our total solar panel area is ~520 sq feet or 48 sq meters. This DC or direct current has to be converted into AC or alternating current that is suitable to be connected to standard household appliances. Many solar systems charge batteries and feed DC systems directly but mine uses inverters to convert the solar output into AC which then plugs into “the grid”. The grid is the organization of power generating facilities and distribution lines that keeps the electricity to our homes and offices flowing. There are no batteries or power storage mechanisms in the house. I’ve read that you can lose 50% of the solar output because of battery inefficiencies.

The solar panel modules on our house are Evergreen EC100 units which is a Massachusetts company and MIT spin-off. Each module is made up of 72 solar cells which produce 110 watts. This means that with a 12 volt system it can produce 16.1 max volts and 6.84 max amps and with a 24 volt system it can produce 32.2 max volts and 3.42 max amps. The modules are wired on the roof in two sets in series each with 24 panels. They were installed right over the roof shingles using mounting rails screwed into the roof.

As you can see from the below picture, a lot of wiring is needed to support the panels. The numbers on the picture have been added to assist in the identifications of the various components of the system. Click the picture for a larger version.

1. Power comes down from the panels on the roof as two ~400 volt DC circuits (rated at 600v). That’s the sort of voltage that can kill you.
2. It passes through two pretty serious disconnect boxes.
3. Then into the two Sunny Boy 2500U inverters which convert the DC power into AC. The inverters use the line power to sync up the phase on the AC and will shut themselves off if the solar output drops off or the line power cuts off because of a disconnect or a blackout. I am monitoring the inverters via serial ports to my server and I have the graph output online.
4. The output from the inverters gets joined into 2 in-phase 110 volt AC circuits by a combiner circuit-breaker box.
5. It then goes outside to an external disconnect box used if the power company is working on the lines or if there is a fire and they need to disconnect power from the house.
6. The power then comes back in to an electric meter which has been augmented with a sensor on the kilowatt dial.
7. The sensor is monitored by a special sensing box developed by CSGS who managed the installation. This box uses DHCP and connects into our home network. It pushes data via the web to the online site for recording how much output the system generates.
8. The output from the electrical meter then runs into our circuit breaker box and taps into the two 110 volt circuits in the house.

Never Off the Grid

Even though we have solar panels on our house, we cannot disconnect from the grid and cannot turn on lights when the grid is down. The inverters need the grid to sync up the 60hz signal and while we are connected to the local grid, we would be browning the local neighborhood if they didn’t shutdown.

Also, I’ll cut and paste information that one of the SMA techs posted:

So what happens if the Sunny Boys are supplying more power than the house is consuming? In this case the AC voltage will begin to climb as the Sunny Boys will push all of the power that they have available against the impedance of the house circuits. So why does the AC voltage climb and not the AC current? This is because the Sunny Boy Inverter is a current source device, essentially it will push current against the AC voltage waveform provided to its AC inputs. So the AC voltage begins to climb, and if it gets high enough ~259 to 260 Vac, then the inverters will click off line and you have lost all of your power production for five minutes as they cycle though their “countdown” routine. This may not be too much of a problem if it happens once or twice, but it could be a serious problem if this is happening 6 to 10 times an hour for several hours. If you find that this is the case you may want to include some kind of dump load, like a space heater, to handle the excess production from the Sunny Boys.

The problem is how to manage the output from the solar arrays compared to the load from the house. If a cloud goes over the sun, the output could drop precipitously and brown out all of your appliances. If the solar output to too much for the house, the AC voltage will climb and all of your appliances will either blow internal fuses or burn up. It turns out that SMA’s Sunny Island product is effectively a UPS coupled with a controller which monitors the input voltage to the system and regulates the output from the Sunny Boy inverters to not overwhelm the UPS. They use the CMD_PDELIMIT (0×28) command to limit the output from the inverters to an relative or absolute percentage to control the voltage to the system.

I’m interested in programming this for my system. I have a number of UPS units and can see a program which monitors the voltage of the inverters closely and regulates their output. The big question is how to plug the system in so the UPS tricks the inverters to think that the line is operational but allows the UPS to charge from the inverters. It may not be possible. I doubt that the UPSes can stand having something push voltage at them from the load side of the fence. If you have any ideas or have a contact at APC or any other UPS engineers, please let me know.

Other Solar Houses

Here are links to other folks out there like me who have a solar house. For every link there are many, many others out there. Please send me mail to have yourself added to the list.

• Joel Parks has a 2.4 kW array of solar panels on tilt mounts so he can orient it for the angle of the sun.
• Although Jim Baber’s solar house site is a bit confusing, his array is stunning. It completely covers his house. He has some numbers and yield results as well.
• Jim Krutzler’s got 2 PV systems (7kw and a 3kw) and another hot-water solar system that he detailed on his madpower.com site. He’s trying to get his PV systems online and monitored.
• Frank Evans and Susanna Gross are utilizing both passive and active solar to heat and power their house in Colorado. They have graphs of the solar thermal data and their PV output online. Very, very cool design and implementation.
• The Compaan family has a solar house in Toledo, OH and an electric car.
• Bill and Debbi Lord have solarhouse.com domain for goodness sake. They have a beautiful house in Southern Maine.
• Liz Seiberling and Randy Cullom have built a very beautiful solar home near Gainesville, FL. They have a lot of plans and other information including stuff about composting toilets.

Ground Fault

You may have noticed from my data that from May 1st to September 9th, 2006 I had a ground fault on one of my 2 solar array chains. My #6 inverter and 1/2 of my production was offline for 4 months — ugh. Turns out that I had a squirrel nesting below my solar arrays and her 3 babies loved to chew on everything. They chewed on one of the supply lines which shorted out and blew the ground fuse on my inverter. After a busy summer I finally found the time to rent a cherry picker for US$363 for the day to pull 2 panels, find and replace the chewed wires, and prune the trees in the area so the squirrels can’t get back up. So this cost combined with lost production of ~US$300 has set us back a year in terms of break even — bleah.

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