Bees for the long emergency

I'm rethinking beekeeping, not for an immediate project, but down the road a ways.

Initially we considered bees for honey. That wasn't a compelling need, given that our family doesn't eat a lot of the stuff.

But two more uses have come up, which might tip the balance. First, honey as a general sweetener, rather than for its own taste. It could be a useful replacement for sugar, once the white gold gets scarce.

Second, beeswax for candles. See, perhaps we should increase our candle usage at night, decreasing electrical light. This could be a good habit to get in to, and help us minimize electricity use as we shift towards solar (not very effective up here in shadowy Vermont). More candles means DIY candles, and beeswax could be our best bet.

Mexico versus North Dakota: keeping an eye on the peak

A quick snapshot of the difficulties in keeping up with peak oil comes from two news stories.

First, Mexico's big oil fields seem to have hit peak. Mexico's a huge player in the oil market. Crossing past peak means bad news for their federal government, along with impacts internationally.

Meanwhile, the US government announces that a North Dakota formation might have up to 4.3 billion barrels of oil which we can tap with current technology. What to make of it? Perhaps it's the biggest oil find in US history. Or maybe it's overrated.

It's tempting to plunge into either of these stories. They seem like rabbit holes, especially for those new to energy policy. It's even more daunting to think about fitting these stories into the larger picture of global oil resources.

Multitasking

I have a really lovely multitasking device. Right now it is heating my home, evaporating sap for maple syrup, dehumidifying my basement (sap makes it humid) and drying my clothes. Hopefully we can plumb it into our water system and use it as a water heater this year.

Woodstoves are beautiful things

Meanwhile, in the news:

WASHINGTON -- Matt Simmons sounds the alarm like the Cassandra of the oil industry, warning that crude production has peaked and that looming energy shortages could derail global growth and even spark armed conflict.


Interesting that they should refer to Matt Simmons as Cassandra. She was cursed to accuracy, but never to be believed.

Yup, I love my woodstove.

Shell says, "The Peak Has Come"

Found this today.

Its an ad that appeared in Time and Fortune and is sponsored by Shell.

A friend of ours says that once it appears in Time, its already over.

How long could I survive?

Created by OnePlusYou

Bushistans

Remember the Hoovervilles from history class?

Check out their modern equivalent:



How about we call these Bushistans? Or perhaps Greenspanistans? Since he appears to have allowed the housing bubble to reach its manic pitch.

And please explain why this isn't all over the American media? Are they too busy trailing Brittany around, or is it Hillary? I forget.

While we're on the subject, here another grim prediction from the San Francisco Chronicle

Is Suburbia Turning Into Slumburbia?

...But mostly Leinberger is predicting the future rather than describing the present, arguing that the pendulum has swung too far toward isolated, car-dependent single-family-home neighborhoods to be sustainable. (In his description of the city, he's not including older inner suburbs like Berkeley or Palo Alto that have walkable urban neighborhoods and public transit; he's talking about the hillsides of homes detached from urbanized towns.) Now with high gas prices, long commutes, a bad job market and a new attraction to walkable urban living, it's just a matter of time before suburban fringes begin to absorb the people that can't make it in the city.

and she goes on to say...

In Europe, where the cities never died, the suburbs have long been the homes of last resort for the poor and the marginalized. Just last week, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced yet another plan to revive the suburban slums that erupted in riots in 2005 — the 16th such proposal in 31 years.

Florida and Leinberger say that retooling the suburbs is going to make urban renewal look like a walk in the park.

"Suburb development is really fragile," Leinberger explains. "It's going to be very complex to rebuild."