Quail Eggs are Good to Eat

Although I don't personally like the idea of eating birds that I have raised myself, I do like eggs, so I like the idea of raising birds that are small enough to live indoors and lay eggs. Quail droppings also make excellent fertilizer. Here is a very good article about raising quail: http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/easterly101.html

This picture is from another informative web site:

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/NDG/Quail/JapQ/BRKJapQ.html

Another very good article linked to in the on the above site: http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Stuff/FeatherFancier/FeathFancQuail.html

The Footprint Family - A story of urban subsistence living. Chapter 3: The Footprints Move In

Franny and Freddie Footprint surveyed their new apartment and were happy with what they were starting with. They had found one with two South-facing windows and a great view of a nearby park. It was furnished, but Franny had a few ideas about ways to make it feel more like home. Yesterday, they had gone to the local thrift shop and found several changes of clothes for a little over $30, leaving them almost $20 to buy underwear and socks, on sale, from a local department store. They had located a shower head water heater on eBay for $60, but had to pay $15 shipping, so they were a little over budget on that item. They found the Sterno stove and one pack of the gel on sale at the hardware store, so they were able to get both for only $12.95. The hardware store also had a solar LED light on sale for $11.99. They spent a little more on seeds than they had intended, but by the time they got all the other items on their list, they still had enough money left over to buy a table-top oil lamp and an inexpensive kit for growing sprouts.

They had great plans for next pay-day, to get a couple of solar battery chargers (http://store.sundancesolar.com/siflsochfora.html) and a more practical stove and oven set-up. They also wanted to get a phone and to start saving for a computer.

On a blog called "Judy of the Woods," Franny had found instructions for making an oil lamp, using vegetable oil, so she wanted to make a few of those next week:

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/01/homemade_oil_lamp_from_ju.html

http://www.judyofthewoods.net/lamp.html

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Franny and Freddie relaxed after a light dinner of some sandwiches that their friends Allan and Debbie had made for them, knowing that they wouldn't have their kitchen set up yet. Franny was laying out the seeds they had bought, while some good, dark soil they had dug up from an abandoned lot, "cooked" on the Sterno stove, to kill the weed seeds and any fungal spores that might damage new seedlings. Debbie had been concerned that there might be toxic fumes from the Sterno, but Freddie had done some research during his lunch break at work today, and found out that, not only Sterno was made of ingredients that were relatively non-toxic in this setting, but they could actually make it themselves, using only chalk (or egg shells), vinegar, and alcohol. He printed out an easy-to-follow explanation from an organization called Midwest Native Skills Institute, Inc. This is fascinating organization that teaches skills in survival and self-reliance (http://www.survivalschool.com/)

Here are their instructions on making Sterno:(http://www.survivalschool.com/articles/Fire_Making/How_to_Make_Sterno.htm)
"How to Make "Sterno™"
A solid camping fuel like Sterno™ or Magic Heat™ was discovered several years ago when a group of campers forgot to pack fuel for their camp stove. Because the area prohibited use of campfires, the campers needed to use an alternative fuel source. One of the campers made a gel that they could use as a solid fuel. To make this gel, chalk was crushed and mixed with vinegar. The resulting mixture was filtered through a napkin and the liquid collected was heated using a solar reflector. Some rubbing alcohol was poured into the solution to form a gel which burned. You can repeat this process and make their own gelled fuel at home with alcohol and calcium acetate (C4H6CaO4). Either methanol or ethanol can be used for fuel. Calcium acetate (C4H6CaO4) can be purchased or made by slowly dissolving calcium carbonate (eggshells or chalk) in vinegar, filtering, and allowing to dry

Here's how to do it…

Step 1: Place about 1 oz. of chalk (or egg shells) in a mortar and pestle and grind to small pieces. Transfer chalk to pint container and add 4 oz of vinegar. Stir for 5 minutes.

What’s Happening: A reaction between chalk (calcium carbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid, dilute) to produces carbon dioxide, water and calcium acetate

Step 2: Pour the chalk-vinegar mixture into the funnel lined with a coffee filter and collect the liquid in a pint container.

What’s Happening: Filtration of unreacted chalk from the mixture to leave a solution of calcium acetate in water.

Step 3: Pour 2 oz of the liquid into the dish. Gently heat the dish with a Bunsen burner until the volume is reduced by half. Turn off burner and allow concentrated solution to cool.

What’s Happening: Removal of excess water will concentrate the calcium acetate in the solution.

Step 4: Add 1 oz. of alcohol to liquid in dish. DO NOT STIR! The gel should form rapidly. Pour off any excess alcohol.

What’s Happening: Mixing alcohol with calcium acetate will form the gel fuel"

© 2007 MNSI - All rights reserved.

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Freddie had also set aside papers with information on items that he thought they should budget for, but were not urgent things they should get right away. One product that really appealed to him, since he hoped that he would soon have a bicycle to use to get to work, was the "The Cycle Charger," a unique gadget that permits charging of small electronics, like a cell phone, that can plug into a car's cigarette lighter socket. The bicycle charger was available at http://www.econvergence.net/cyclech.htm, for $89.95, but he was hoping to find something similar, but for less money, if he looked hard enough. --------------------------------------
On the same web site as the solar battery charger, Freddie had found something called a "Solar Shower." (http://store.sundancesolar.com/sosh5ga.html) It was basically a way of heating a 5 gallons bag of water. Since they already had a point-of-use shower head heater, they did not need the solar shower for its bathing function, but Freddie thought that it would be very convenient to have in the kitchen for washing dishes. It was only $15, making it quite affordable.

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Challenges for Chapter 3:
Is there a less-expensive bicycle generator

that Freddie could buy?

What's the most eco-friendly phone they could buy?

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The Footprint Family - A story of urban subsistence living. Chapter 2: The Footprints Lay Out a Start-Up Plan

Freddie and Franny Footprint were sitting with their friends Allan and Debbie, that first night, discussing what they would need to buy in the next few weeks.

"Well," said Freddie. "Thanks to Allan's and Debbie's generosity, we don't have to worry about eating and bathing for the next week. Let's make a list of the things that are absolutely essential to get us started."

"O.K.," said Franny. "First, we each need a change of clothes that are easily hand-washed. We also need a way to cook that does not require plug-in electricity."

Debbie then told them about an interesting web site she had come across when they were setting up a household emergency kit:
http://www.nationalterroralert.com/heatlightcooking/. The site gave some excellent information on cooking without electricity. The most convenient system for indoor cooking on a small scale was Sterno. "Sterno Fuel, a jellied petroleum product, is an excellent source of fuel for inclusion in your back pack as part of your 72 hour kit. Sterno is very light weight and easily ignited with a match or a spark from flint and steel but is not explosive. It is also safe for use indoors.... A Sterno Stove can be purchased at any sporting goods store and will retail between $3 and $8, depending upon the model you choose. They fold up into a very small, compact unit ideal for carrying in a pack. The fuel is readily available at all sporting goods stores and many drug stores. One can of Sterno fuel, about the diameter of a can of tuna fish and twice as high, will allow you to cook six meals if used frugally.Chafing dishes and fondue pots can also be used with Sterno." One type of folding stove, usable with Sterno fuel, can be seen at the following web site: http://www.nextag.com/Safesport-Coghlans-Metal-Folding-564879327/prices-html. You can even make your own Sterno Stove, as described on the Instructables web site: http://www.instructables.com/id/Tin-Can-Sterno-Stove/ve/. It is possible to get two 8 oz Sterno gel cans for approximately $8 (see http://www.winterfix.com/itemlist.asp?Bc=sterno)

A slightly more expensive stove, but one that is still quite reasonable, is the Brunton Raptor Foldable Butane Canister Stove, retailing for approximately $40. (see http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___86634?&&CS_003=2450921&CS_010=86634 ). Unlike portable propane stoves, butane stoves are safe to use indoors.

"On the subject of heating things," said Freddie, "don't forget that we will need hot water. I suggest we try to find one of those point-of-use, tankless hot water heaters. I have done a little research on what is available. We can buy a shower-head type for $70-80. (see:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Electric-110v-Tankless-Water-Heater-RV-Camper-Shower_W0QQitemZ140210492623QQihZ004QQcategoryZ115967QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262



A slightly more elaborate shower water heater can be purchased for about $130. (see: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110264013955&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX_Stores&refitem=110262189170&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget&_trksid=p284.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSI%26its%3DI%252BIA%26itu%3DIA%252BUCI%26otn%3D4%26ps%3D42)

Allan pointed out that there are some other small-scale water heaters for slightly more. They were under $200, but probably more than Freddie and Franny would be able to spend this month. He gave them some web site references for these:

(1) ELECTRIC POINT-OF-USE TANKLESS WATER HEATER $165.29POWERSTREAM PRO INSTANT RP1P 240-208 VOLT 9500-7100 WAT http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190133847170&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX_Stores&refitem=120273617060&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget&_trksid=p284.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSI%26its%3DI%252BIA%26itu%3DIA%252BUCI%26otn%3D4%26ps%3D42


(2) New Stiebel Point of Use Electric Tankless Water Heater $144
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Stiebel-Point-of-Use-Electric-Tankless-Water-Heater_W0QQitemZ360062050210QQihZ023QQcategoryZ115967QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

Allan also showed them a good review article on TreeHugger.com, about the Ariston point-of-use hot water heaters, for $139-169. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/05/pointofuse_hot.php.

In addition, he had found a tankless water heater resource guide: http://www.tanklesshq.com/product-specs.html

"All right," said Franny. We still need to make plans to eat. While it would be nice to buy some packaged potting soil, we can easily heat plain dirt from outdoors, in order to kill the weed seeds and harmful organisms. All we need for pots is some discarded plastic jugs with holes in the bottom. Then, the only thing we have to buy is seeds."

"We can't grow everything at the beginning," said Freddie. "I propose that we buy some inexpensive cans of cooked beans, since we won't have the set-up, yet, for cooking dried beans. We will need some source of grain, so that we are getting complete proteins. How about buying some buckwheat groats (Kasha) and some cous-cous. Both of those cook pretty fast. Once we have an oven, we can start making our own bread."

After a little more discussion, they came up with the following budget:

1) Clothing--An inexpensive change of clothes from K-Mart or WalMart. They were pretty sure that they could get what they needed for about $50.
2) A tankless shower head water heater for about $70.
3) A Sterno folding stove and two 2-packs of 8 oz Sterno gel for about $25.
4) Seeds: assorted salad greens, grape tomatoes, and carrots--$5.
5) Soap and other items for personal hygeine--$15.
6) Canned beans, a pound of buckwheat groats, a pound of cous-cous, some salt, and a small bottle of vegetable oil--$15.
7) The "Lightship" -- portable solar LED light--$13. (http://www.sollight.com/products/lightship.cfm)

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Challenge for Chapter 2:

What do Freddie and Franny need to set up next?

How will they handle their trash and food garbage?

(Let's assume that they have only about $100 left after

paying the rent and security deposit on their new apartment.)

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Venting a Little--Everything is so expensive!

As I have done research for ways for a family without much money to find inexpensive ways to "live green" in the city, I have become increasingly frustrated. There are plenty of articles, television programs, and web sites with great ideas about recycling and alternative energy sources and stuff, but they are, almost without fail, geared toward toward the upper-middle-class, two-income couple who wants to "feel good" about helping the environment. What about the people who do NOT have much money and want to recycle and use alternative energy just to help make ends meet? Those are the people I want to help. There has to be a way to live a "green" lifestyle on a low income!

New Cable Channel, called "Planet Green"

Today, I discovered a new cable channel that gives all sorts of interesting tips and other information on "living green." The channel went on-air on June 4th. Here is what they have to say for themselves:

About Planet Green
Planet Green is the first and only 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network with a robust online presence and community. Launching in June 2008, on-air content will reach 50 million homes with more than 250 hours of original green lifestyle programming. Both online and on-air, Plant Green's content is entertaining, relevant, and accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. By representing a broad range of ideas and perspectives, Planet Green is taking an active role in generating conversation and motivating individuals to take action when it comes to improving the environmental status of our planet.

That mission extends online here at PlanetGreen.com and on our sister site, TreeHugger.com. PlanetGreen.com is filled with solutions-oriented tips and information that can help you make your life a little (or a lot) greener. Our eco-minded community includes fan sites, articles about how to go green, and forums where users can interact. With expert advice and info from our on-air personalities such as Sara Snow, Annabelle Gurwitch, Emeril Lagasse, and Steve Thomas, plus our team of eco-savvy writers, Planet Green is your user's guide to living mindfully on this big blue marble we all call home. Our experts will help you navigate the options for detoxifying your home, life, and planet - without the jargon or the guilt trips - so you can start being the change you wish to see in the world. Passionate, positive, and always practical, Planet Green is bursting with smart tips and inspiring advice.

For the latest in green news, opinions, interviews, and trends, visit TreeHugger.com, the leading eco-lifestyle outlet dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream with more than 1.7 million unique visitors a month.

Solar LED Lighting

Here is an excellent segment about LED lights, in general, and solar powered LED lights, in specific, from... http://www.sollight.com/products/solar-led-lights.cfm

WHAT IS AN LED?

An LED, or Light Emitting Diode, contains a chemical compound that gives off light when an electric current passes through it. They’ve been around for many years, but only recently has the technology advanced so that rather than just an ‘indicator’ light on your stereo amplifier or phone, they can be made bright enough to actually use as an independent light source.

LEDs put out a tremendous amount of light for their size and energy draw. They create almost no heat and use very little electricity. White LEDs were only developed in the past few years; before that they were only available in red, green, yellow and a few other colors. Best of all, an LED will last thousands of hours; some have been tested to over 50,000 hours (vs. a standard flashlight bulb that will only last a few hundred hours). On a more technical basis, the centerpiece of a typical LED is a diode that is chip-mounted in a reflector cup and held in place by a mild steel lead frame connected to a pair of electrical wires. The entire arrangement is then encapsulated in epoxy. The diode chip is generally about 0.25 mm square. When current flows across the junction of two different materials, light is produced from within the solid crystal chip. The composition of the materials determines the wavelength and color of light. The shape, or width, of the emitted light beam is determined by a variety of factors: the shape of the reflector cup, the size of the LED chip, the shape of the epoxy lens and the distance between the LED chip and the epoxy lens. We designed our LED for a fairly wide dispersion of light (rather than very focused). For this reason, if you look directly into our LEDs they might not appear as bright as ones that have a very narrowly focused beam (better for headlamps and flashlights). If you look from the side, however, you will find they display much more light than a focused beam, and are thus better for a lantern application where you want light in a wider area.

HOW MUCH POWER DO LED LIGHTS DRAW?

Different colored LEDs use different amounts of electricity. In general, an LED uses about 1/10th the power of an incandescent bulb and they are up to 90% more efficient than both fluorescent or neon bulbs of similar wattage. If you wired your house to use LEDs instead of incandescent bulbs you could run the lights day and night for a year with just a 12 volt car battery. Therein lies the beauty of our system: finally we have LEDs bright enough for task lighting that can be powered by a very small, easily recharged power supply.

Most LEDs draw between 20-30mA of current. A typical rechargeable AA battery will supply between 500-1,500mA, meaning 15-50 hours of light. Allowing for varying voltage regulating circuits, the actual burn times are about 20% less. The voltage required to power an LED depends on which end of the light spectrum it’s color lies: red LEDs take the least (about 2 volts) while blue take the most (up to 4 volts). When the available voltage drops below the minimum required by more than 10% the LED will not work. This is one of the more curious electrical anomalies of LEDs: Ohm’s law—one of the most basic laws of electricity—does not work.

WHAT ABOUT THE BATTERIES?

Our products use a rechargeable NiCad battery pack because for overall performance they provide the best solution for storable power. NiCads have an observable memory effect (meaning they will tend to only charge a certain amount based on what they are used to). However, this has only been observed in situations where the battery has been discharged to the EXACT same level for numerous cycles (more than 50 cycles). NASA experienced memory effect in its early satellites that orbiting the earth for several months, when they tried to charge the batteries to a greater charge (fuller), the batteries where not able to take this charge. The solution was to drain the batteries below the level that they had been repeatedly drained to, then they where able to receive a greater charge. It is unlikely that the batteries will receive either the exact same charge or discharge for more than 50 cycles, so the memory effect should not be a problem. Regardless, it is a good idea to charge your LightCap FULLY before you first use it, and to keep it charged as much as possible when not in use.

NiCad batteries lose (discharge) 1-2% per day while inactive. This also depends on the level of charge (faster when full), and temperature (faster when hot)). So even if the batteries are fully charged, they will essentially be dead in 90 days. We recommend that you keep your LightCap fully charged whenever possible, and that you give it a good direct sunlight charge at least once a month if you keep it stored.

Finally, while there are several other types of battery/charging systems available, NiCad batteries have the best shelf life of the declarable battery family. NiMh batteries, often used in items that will receive a daily recharge (cell phones, laptop computers, VHF radios, etc.), discharge at a rate of 3-4% a day.

WHAT KIND OF SOLAR PANELS DO WE USE?

There are two basic types of solar panels (also referred to as a PV - photo voltaic cell): mono-crystalline and poly-crystalline. Each has it's own output characteristics. Our Siemens solar panel is made from Polycrystalline silicone. It yields a slightly higher charging output than a mono-crystalline in direct sunlight, slightly less in overcast conditions.

Our solar panel is rated at 90mA (milli-amperes), meaning it will put out 90 mA of power each hour in high intensity light or direct sunshine. In overcast conditions, and even when the PV is not oriented directly at the light source, the output is greatly reduced. They may go as low as 6mA on an overcast day, in the shade or indirect sun. Why is this important? Our NiCad batteries each hold 800mA of power; we use two of these, for a total capacity of 1,600mA. Thus, if the PV is putting out an average or 50mA per hour, it will take approximately 32 hours to fully charge the batteries. This, in turn, should power the WHITE LED for up to 20 hours, and the RED LED (which draws less energy) for up to 30 hours. As the batteries discharge, the output voltage will also decline slightly, along with the brightness of the light. For this reason it's always good to keep the batteries charged, and to keep the PV exposed to light whenever possible (to top off the batteries). Even a few hours in a well lit room can add a half-hour of burn time to our solar LED lights.

Here is a low-cost light made by the above company:

"Lightship" -- portable, stick-anywhere light ($12.75)http://www.sollight.com/products/lightship.cfm

For more information on solar LED lighting and products, try these sites:

(1) Excellent discussion on how solar power actually works.http://www.solarilluminations.com/how.html

(2) Solar lighting products:http://www.solarilluminations.com/

(3) RB02 Rechargeable AA Ni-Cad Battery (1.2 v) (For Solar Lights) $1.99http://www.solarilluminations.com/acatalog/solar_light_battery_rechargeable_AA_batteries.html

(4) Solar Panel Battery Charger / Trickle Charger $44.99 http://solarilluminations.com/acatalog/Solar_Battery_Charger_Panel_RV_Boat_Car_Truck.html

(5) HYmini Portable Power Generator

Base unit wind turbine = $49.99

Solar panel = $24.99

Bike holder kit = $8.99

Armband kit = $14.99---"What we've got now is a simple battery pack that can absorb and store 1200mAh of electricity, rechargeable by wind or solar power. The wind mini-generator is the core of the system, housing the battery and the simple windmill. Strap it to your handlebars or your own body via the optional attachments. Supplement your power-generating ability by adding a solar-panel. You can even attach up to four panels and daisy-chain them together for additional oomph! Green-power is great, but sometimes you need to juice-up when you're in the dark on a windless day. Don't worry - we've got you covered there, too! Plug the mini-generator into the wall using the supplied power plug, and charge off the wall. Easy!" http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/travelpower/a2eb/?cpg=froogle

The Footprint Family - A story of urban subsistence living. Chapter 1: The Footprints Begin Again

Freddie and Franny Footprint stood in front of the smoldering remains of their apartment, too numb to make any plans about what to do next. Everything they owned had just gone up in flames. Neither had any relatives left and their close friends were all on the west coast. They had $200 in the bank and an invitation to spend a week at the house of a recent acquaintance from Freddie's new job. Fortunately, with the two of them working, there should be enough money coming in to get them back on their feet if they were frugal, but it would certainly be a challenge. They took the small amount of cash they had with them, went to a neighborhood food market for sandwiches, and decided to spend the rest of the afternoon brainstorming about their options.

Freddie began: "You know how we've been talking about sustainable living in an urban environment, but never got around to doing anything about it? I think that our new circumstances have given us just the incentive we need."

Franny brightened at the prospect. "You are absolutely right. I'll bet we can take our $200 and set up a sustainable household. The pay period for my job ends tomorrow and yours ends on Friday. If we put our two paychecks together next week, we should be able to rent a small apartment with at least one sunny window and get started right away."

"Let's head over to Allan and Debbie's and start making a list of what we will need. If we do this right, we won't have to use any of our pay check money. It's about time we used our earnings for investing in the future. One of the first things I think we should do is to set up an emergency fund, so we will never get stuck like this again!"

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Challenge for Chapter 1: What items do Freddie and Franny need to get their sustainable household started? Don't forget--They have only $200 to spend.
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