How To Convert Excess Body Energy to Electricity

As I was doing a Google search for ideas on small-scale, household electricity generators, I came across a fascinating article, which I would like to share, in the hopes that someone will know how to create one of these energy-harnessing garments. The article is called "How to Convert Excess Body Energy to Electricity" and is found at http://news.softpedia.com/news/How-to-Convert-Excess-Body-Energy-to-Electricity-72381.shtml.
Another thought I had was that there ought to be a way of harnessing the simple power of walking. Why couldn't walking around your house generate electricity? I am sure there is a way, if we ask enough people. Suggestions, anyone???

Growing Vegetables Indoors

To be self-sustaining and self-sufficient in an urban environment, one of the first things that must be established is an indoor vegetable garden. I found a wealth of information on-line and have accumulated some of the most useful suggestions here, along with the web addresses, where you can read the complete articles.

Photo credit: from moonbites.info/Growing, page4_blog_entry2_1

The following is information from a very helpful site called The Southern Great Lakes Gardener: http://gardengal.net/. (© Copyright 2001-2004, Marilyn K. Burns)
The article itself is on page 44: http://www.gardengal.net/page44.html and is titled "Indoor Vegetable Gardening":


"--Most leaf crops such as lettuce, endive, swiss chard and the like require cooler indoor temperatures. If you have a bright room which is more or less unused, it might make a good place to grow some of these plants. Likewise, an enclosed, sunny porch where temperatures will not dip down to freezing would be a good place to grow leaf crops and root crops as well. These plants will tolerate daytime temperatures in the low to mid 60's and can take cool nighttime temperatures down into the upper thirties.

"--Vegetables such as tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, cucumbers and beans do require warmer daytime and nighttime temperatures in order to flower and set fruit. Ideally, daytime temps should be in the upper 70's and nighttime temperatures should not drop lower than 60. A south facing indoor room with supplemental heating and one that warms up considerably in the winter from solar heating would be a good place to grow these crops. . . .

"--Soil requirements are different than those we are used to encountering when gardening outdoors. Whatever you do, do not choose garden soil, no matter how rich it might be, for indoor vegetable gardening! Lightweight soil mixes are the best, garden soil can harbor diseases and insects that are more difficult to control in a confined indoor space, and even the best-quality garden soil can compact when used indoors in containers. A good mix for indoor vegetables would be 1 part potting soil, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part peat, and 1 part perlite.

"--Vegetables will need to be watered daily or every other day due to the confined space in which they are growing and the lack of indoor humidity during the heating season. Because frequent watering can deplete nutrients, a supplemental feeding every two weeks will be necessary. Use a balanced organic fertilizer for best results. . . .

"--Pollination is something that will have to be done manually. An artist's brush helps to distribute pollen from one flower to the next, and is an indispensable tool to have on hand. . . .

"Here are a few vegetables to consider for indoor growing:

Cherry tomatoes, determinate vines
'Gypsy' peppers
Hungarian sweet peppers
Various hot peppers
Short-vined cucumbers
Short-vined squash
Leaf Lettuce of all types
Bush beans
Endive
Small-rooted carrots
Small-rooted beets
Radishes
Miniature cabbage
Bunching onions
Swiss Chard
Spinach
Eggplant

"Another thing to keep in mind is that most vegetables grown indoors will not have the size or yield of those same varieties grown outdoors."
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Another good source of indoor gardening information is found on the site for the Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension: http://www.ext.vt.edu/.
There is an article called "Indoor Container Gardening," by Diane Relf, Retired Extension Specialist, Horticulture, Virginia Tech
Publication Number 426-336, Revised 2004
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-336/426-336.html

"Indoor Container Gardening:

"If you want fresh, homegrown vegetables over the winter, or if you don't have an outdoor space in which you can place containers, it is worth trying some indoor container gardening. Of course you cannot have a full garden in the house, but a bright, sunny south-facing window can be the site for growing fresh food all year. Some small-fruited tomatoes and peppers, several types of lettuce, radishes, and many herbs are among the plants you can include in an indoor garden. . . . However, note that plants will dry out less quickly indoors and will also grow more slowly, needing less fertilizer. . . .

"A sunny, south-facing window, is a must for indoor vegetable growing. Fruiting vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers, will also need supplemental light, such as a combination warm-white/cool-white fluorescent fixture, during winter months. Insufficient light will result in tall, spindly plants and failure to flower and set fruit. . . .

"The small-fruited varieties of tomato, such as Tiny Tim, Small Fry, and the Roma (a paste tomato), may be raised quite satisfactorily in the home. They will challenge your gardening ability and supply fruits that can be eaten whole, cooked, or served with salad. Tiny Tim grows to a height of about 12 to 15 inches. Small Fry, which is about 3 feet tall, and Roma will need more space and should be located on an enclosed porch or in a sunroom. It may be worth experimenting with varieties developed for hanging baskets. Some of the small-fruited peppers may be grown as indoor plants. Like tomatoes, they require warm bright conditions to grow well indoors. Fruit will be ready to harvest from peppers and tomatoes about ten weeks after
planting. . . .

"For a quick-growing crop, try radishes. These must be grown very rapidly if they are to be crisp and succulent. Scatter radish seeds on moist soil in a 6- or 8-inch pot. Cover with 1/4 inch of soil, and place a piece of glass or plastic wrap over the pot to conserve moisture until the seeds germinate. Carrots are slower, but can be grown in the same way; use the small-rooted varieties, such as Little Finger, for best results indoors. Experiment with various types of lettuce. Leaf lettuce and the miniature Tom Thumb butterhead are some to try. Space them according to package directions. Keep lettuce moist and in a very sunny spot.

"If light is limited, an old standby for fresh taste and high food value is sprouted seeds. Almost any seeds can be sprouted: corn, barley, alfalfa, lentil, soybean, rye, pea, radish, mung bean, sunflower, etc. Use only special seeds for sprouting available from health food or grocery stores to avoid the possibility of getting seeds treated with poison, such as antifungal agents. Use any wide-mouthed container, such as a Mason or mayo jar. Soak seeds overnight, drain, and place in the container. Cover with a double cheesecloth layer held with rubber bands or a sprouting lid. Set the container in a consistently warm spot, and rinse and drain seeds two or three times daily. In three to five days, sprouts will be 1 to 3 inches long and ready for harvesting.
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Here's an article that is well worth reading: "Start a self-sufficiency garden even in a cramped apartment," by Nancy Wolcott http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/wolcott61.html
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For an excellent explanation on how to grow all sorts of sprouts, go to this site: http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/lib2/sprouts.htm

A MeMe of Personal Quirky Facts

I was tagged for this MeMe by FishHawk (http://asthecrackerheadcrumbles.blogspot.com/). I had to look it up, because I didn't know what a meme was, but it seems like a fun thing that gets people to one another's sites.

The rules for this MeMe are: (1) Link to the person that tagged you. (2) Post the rules on your blog. (3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. (4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. (5) Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.


(1) When I have time to find good, well-written science fiction books, I love
reading them.

(2) I jump with loud noises. It seems to be quite a source of entertainment for
others.

(3) I like rats as pets. They are quite intelligent and very, very cute.

(4) I managed to kill a cactus once because I didn't water it enough.

(5) I secretly love children's movies. Some of my favorites are Ice Age, Cars,
Robots, and Polar Express. (Pssst.... Don't tell anybody!)

(6) My favorite poet is A.A.Milne. He wrote about Winnie-the-Pooh's young
guardian, Christopher Robin. A good excerpt:

"A bear, however hard he tries,
Grows tubby without exercise.
Our teddy bear is short and fat.
Which is not to be wondered at.
He gets what exercise he can
by falling off the otoman."

Tagger: SS aka "SoulandSubstance", of the following blogs:
http://urbansubsistenceliving.blogspot.com
http://ginnypuppysdogjournal.blogspot.com
http://soulandsubstance.blogspot.com

Taggees:
Harold Morgan-- http://wordofmorgan.com/home.html
Johann the Dog-- http://blog.johannthedog.com/
Judith-- http://artsyclay.blogspot.com/
Global Girl-- http://globallyminded.com/Blog/index.php
Wayfarer Jon-- http://wayfarerjon.wordpress.com/
Brother Mark-- http://growandknow.blogspot.com/

U.S.L. Introductory Challenge-2008

Create a Sustainable Subsistence Strategy:

One couple/ One apartment

I am proposing a challenge, to kick-off this blog project. I call it the U.S.L. Introductory Challenge-2008. Imagine that you need to plan a sustainable subsistence strategy for two adults in a one-bedroom apartment with only one, south-facing window. The apartment is in a typical north-eastern city, such as Boston. Assume they have access to plenty of water and access to public sewage disposal. They will start their project with $200 and no household supplies--only furniture, tableware, and kitchenware, plus a small quantity of clothing and bedding. They have no objection to eating meat or dairy products, but do not feel the need to eat them every day.

Whereas future challenges will ask for proposals to be presented as a completed project, this challenge will be a collaborative effort. Anyone may participate. The finished plan will serve as the prototype for all other Challenges. Feel free to post descriptions or designs.

Here's how it works:

I. Consider what purchases will need to be made for start-up items or consumable supplies, using only the $200 they started with, plus new money generated from any home-based business ventures.

II. What is the plan for eating?

---A) What vegetables will they raise; what will they use for fertilizer; and what will the growing set-up be?

---B) Will they raise any meat or fish protein? If so, keep in mind that most cities have ordinances against farm animals.

---C) If they don't raise meat or fish, what plan is there for balanced protein consumption? Will they raise beans?

---D) Will they raise grain? If so, how will it be processed?

III. What is the plan for heat/cooling and for electricity?

IV. What is the plan for cleaning and hygeine?

V. What is the plan for processing trash and waste in such a way that whatever cannot be recycled can safely be sent through sewer lines?

VI. How will they replace clothing and bedding? Will they raise a source of fiber and process it into yarn or cloth?

***Post suggestions or comment on the suggestions of others. Use pictures or designs whenever you can, but keep them small, please. Now--It's time to start planning.....

What do I mean by "Urban Subsistence Living"?

By "Urban Subsistence Living," I mean self-sustaining agriculture in an urban setting. Still not sure what this is? Here's my vision: a family, below the poverty level, and with a handful of inexpensive start-up supplies--raising their own food, generating (or collecting) their own energy, and manufacturing their own household goods, either for their own consumption, or to sell for a source of income--like subsistence farming* in a microcosm. I would love to say that I know what to do and how to set it up, but I don't. That is why I am looking for input. Please read and contribute.

*For a discussion of subsistence farming and sustainable agriculture, see one of the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsistence_agriculture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_agriculture
http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/concept.htm

Here is the organization that got me interested in the whole concept: Heifer International--http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.201520/

Photo credits: Natural Home Magazine, 7/22/06, Photo by Stephen Dabrowski, article by Justin Clark; Large Rabbit--from Heifer International Gift Catalog