Living Lightly on the Grid

[gateley]

Run time: 02:33 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1BxnEnpe1c   Posted on YouTube: March 31, 2007 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: October 09, 2007 By DU Member: gateley Views on DU: 743

 

[silverweb]

1. I have only one problem with this.

Isn't there something else they could be burning in that fireplace -- something that isn't also a food crop and is less resource-demanding to produce?

Pie in the sky, I guess.

I'd like to see commercial production of fireplace pellets from some kind of weed crop that will grow rapidly, with little water and in poor soil.

Something like... hemp or jatropha, maybe? Is that asking too much? :shrug:

[gateley]

2. I had the same thought -- especially since we're suffering from the effects of

enthusiastic corn for fuel harvesting (weird sentence but you know what I'm trying to say).

Hemp could be such a benefit in so many ways, so I'm sure we can rule that out!

[silverweb]

3. Exactly.

Well, hemp is still illegal, but maybe _jatropha_ is the next best option.

The oil is very, very useful for biodiesel, candles, soaps, etc -- and the pulp left over from oil pressing would make great fireplace pellets and biomass for electricity production.

Yet I don't see any information on jatropha cultivation here in the U.S., which I find really strange.

[gateley]

4. I've never seen the word before your post. I'm on it now, though. Thanks! nt

[silverweb]

5. Great!

I'm want to try growing a couple of the shrubs just to experiment with.

If that works out, wanna invest in my jatropha ranch? :D

[gateley]

6. Sign me up! nt

[silverweb]

7. Okay.

As soon as I find out whether or not I can grow the things without killing them and get a business plan going, I'll be in touch.

By combining it with a worm farm/fertilizer operation, I can't go too far wrong! :D