Becoming less wasteful/more socially responsible

[Milton]

Lots of links here: Solar Oven, Cooker and Dryer Tips and Solar Recipes.

 

[Zathras]

So what is the most energy efficient way to execute someone?

Force the convicted to climb to the top of a tall building and then take the quick way down

 

[Nords]

Hey, thanks, Achiever! I'll get on it.

Well, I wouldn't go so far as advocating capital punishment. But in these parts, it's not uncommon to shoot out their tires. No jury would convict you.

That's because of the popular Texas defense strategy of "Your Honor, they needed shootin'."

Nords...... Have you looked at sun ovens? Bake, boil, etc., by converting sunshine directly to heat bypassing the electricity stage?

Yep, that's our hurricane cooker and we've also used it for Girl Scout brownies years ago.

We haven't figured out yet how to make the sun shine on cue for our cooking/baking plans. We're as lazy & impatient as they come when it's dinnertime. In fact if we had two microwave ovens we wouldn't have to wait so long...

 

[REWahoo]

That's because of the popular Texas defense strategy of "Your Honor, they needed shootin'."

It's killin', not shootin'...

 

[ERD50]

P.S. This site is satirical: Al Gore's Hummer Club

THAT was funny! Lotsa gold in there, I think my favorite is the hummer limo - 'The zebra stripes on the side remind people that I care about the earth.'




- ERD50

 

[Texarkandy]

Good info on carbon credits:

Carbon Credits for Sale | Carbon Credit Warehouse

 

[Milton]

Gore and Suzuki both seem to believe that it is A-okay to be as environmentally unfriendly as you wish, provided that you offset your excessive consumption by purchasing those offset credits.

Aside from many other questions, the above assumes that everyone has loads of surplus cash available ... which I rather doubt.

 

[Nords]

My thanks again to Achiever for the FastaPasta cooker. Ours came yesterday (Achiever, is that from your neighborhood?) and it rocks. If you buy one for yourself, buy the recipe book too and learn how to cook phad thai the easy way.

We only use our oven a half-dozen times a year, and now we're probably only going to use the stove burners for browning meat & stirring gravy...

 

[StJohnsWood]

Actually I'm more curious about all the cows, pigs, and chickens. What happens to them if we do not eat them? Do they become extinct because they have not needed to survive for all these years without a farmers helping hand? Do they become roadkill because we have too many? Do they become a problem like mice getting into your house?

I'm curious - do vegetarians only eat plants because they love animals, or cause they hate plants?

 

[TromboneAl]

My thanks again to Achiever for the Fasta Pasta cooker.

Hey, could you or Achiever scan in and post the cooking guide so that us tightwads can experiment with making our own? No, CFB, not with 2x4s and wood with holes in it, I have some microwavable rubbermaid containers that could work fine, assuming the "patented reservoir" isn't really that important.

Thanks,

 

[tricky88]

Good question!

We needed to replace a car and got a Prius which is getting over 50 MPG. My wife and I are carpooling to work most days which really helps cut down on gas. We have cut way down on the amount of fruit we buy that's shipped from other continents. We now buy fruit and vegetables in season grown locally.

We compost, we've cut back on air travel (Not only is it a huge polluter, but airlines and airports are horrible, and we do less "fun" flying trips than we used to - Now we do a lot more camping trips we can drive to).

We started a vegetable garden. Hopefully we'll get better at it. Something ate the lettuce and the peppers didn't make it. Tomatoes though are huge. We should have a ton of them.

As much as possible, we dry our clothes on the line rather than a gas-powered dryer.

These are all "small" things I realize. The fate of the world won't change with the switching of lightbulbs. We also donate significantly to charities that are working full-time to protect remaining natural habitat. My wife donates weeks or months each year to do field work in animal population studies, and at some point once we are closer to FIRE, I'll start donating my time to groups like that as well.

 

[Achiever51]

Hey, could you or Achiever scan in and post the cooking guide so that us tightwads can experiment with making our own? No, CFB, not with 2x4s and wood with holes in it, I have some microwavable rubbermaid containers that could work fine, assuming the "patented reservoir" isn't really that important.

Thanks,

Al, I can definitely scan in the cooking guide, but I do think this is one time that you might want to just bite the bullet and buy the real thing. Over the years, I've tried to cook pasta in the microwave in every conceivable bowl, Tupperware, bag (really not recommended!), etc. But there is something about the way this FastaPasta thing is constructed (probably that "patented reservoir") that makes it work like a charm. When the water boils, it does not overflow in the microwave, yet the pasta doesn't come out "clumpy" or starchy.

And Nords, yes, the inventor is from Michigan - about 30 miles from where I live. I read about him in a local paper -- he says he was throwing away something like 20 pounds of pasta a day while he was developing this invention; and wore out several microwaves in the process!

 

[Nords]

And Nords, yes, the inventor is from Michigan - about 30 miles from where I live. I read about him in a local paper -- he says he was throwing away something like 20 pounds of pasta a day while he was developing this invention; and wore out several microwaves in the process!

Good for him, and I hope he makes a fortune-- whether Al buys his cookbook or not.

We found out that FastaPasta's recommended "two servings" hole will make enough (with leftovers) for a family of three.

If Wal-Mart calls to take FastaPasta worldwide, tell him to talk to the guy who agreed to sell his "Makin Bacon" through Wal-Mart instead of through direct sales, and then run away fast...