Book Release: Recession Survival Guide

I will be releasing my book on January 20, 2009.  As the title suggests, it is about the current Recession.   The book covers:

• The history of credit
• How to best survive a Recession
• What sort of goals a person should have
• How to set yourself up so another financial disaster won't effect you as badly
• How to get ahead and stay ahead

The book will be released in PDF format.  Price of the is $13.95. 

(More information to follow.)

What stinks?! Methane

Gas, the smelly stuff that can be embarrassing at times.  The gas you release, in part, is made of methane, and we can use it to heat our homes, run our industries.  NO, I don't have an invention to capture your gas.  Rather I've been suggesting for more than a decade that we convert all sewage treatment plants into methane production plants.

It would work like this:  sewage goes in, in the process of breaking things down methane is produced. Currently the methane is either vented or burned off.  In a methane production plant, that methane would be captured and put right into the network of natural gas pipes.  After all, natural gas is methane with a rotten egg smell added.

Once no more methane can be extracted, waste would then be directed through a greenhouse where plants would finish the job.  The carbon dioxide produced would also be piped into the greenhouse for the plants to use.  Some plants would be used to clean the water, while others would produce food.  This is not a hydroponic system, but a hybrid of soil and hydroponics.  The soil would be removed from-time-to-time, otherwise it would overflow, composted with some of the plants and put back onto fields to become food again.

Some people by now may be wondering if it really would be worth it.  Absolutely, and a number of countries already have methane plants or are building them.  Northern European countries, India and the U.S. where some farms with cattle or pigs are converting waste to methane and an improved fertilizer.

If this system were to be implemented, converting 100% of the poop to methane, it has been estimated we could produce 40 to 80% of our own natural gas.  The numbers vary because of a number of factors like, will animal poop be included, what type of industrial waste, human waste, and the miscellaneous factor – whatever else may end up flushed down the pipes, all play a factor in the methane production and the quality of the gas.

The research I have done shows we could meet at least half of our natural gas needs if poop from: (farm animals) cattle, sheep, horses, chicken, turkeys, pigs, hogs,  our poop, and all waste containing heavy metals or industrial chemicals would have to be treated separately.  We could produce a high quality methane that is suitable wherever natural gas is currently used.  We would also end up with a very high quality fertilizer.

So, why aren’t we doing it?

Why isn't toilet paper 100% Recycled?

I have always wondered, why one use items aren't made from 100% recycled materials.  This doesn't just pertain to toilet paper, but napkins, and paper towels too.  The cardboard roll inside could come from 100% recycle material, as well as cardboard boxes, gift boxes, fast food carryout sacks, perfume boxes, coffee cups - even my toothbrush.  Doesn't your dentist tell you to replace it every six months?

Why aren't more things made from recycled materials?  In fact, why are we throwing out so much that could find at least a second life as something new?  So many things could be kept from the landfill which could be recycled instead, creating a whole lot of new industry and jobs.  I'm wondering why my no one is mining landfills for materials to compost or recycle?

Ask industries and they say it's either too expensive or there is not enough public demand.  Ask the consumer, and they say it because companies don't care.  So which is it?  Both!

The public should yell a bit louder and more often.  Companies should just do the right thing in the first place.  Besides, despite initial costs, it costs less to make use of materials that have been recycled than virgin material.  It would also make a company look much better and attract a whole lot of people who want Green products or buy from companies which are Green.  (No Green washing, people can see through that.)

Every time you, as the consumer, buy something, ask if it was made from recycled materials. Don't except anything that isn't made with less than 80% recycled material.   One use items, like tissues that sooth your nose, should be made from 100% recycle material, nothing less.  They end up in the landfill anyway, so why make it from virgin material?  Better yet, they can be composted.   Demand it, and industry will have to provide it.