Comments for The Earthworm's Lair: Owen Dell's Sustainable Landscaping Blog http://owendell.com/blog Musings, humor, and practical advice about sustainable landscaping and related subjects by the master of the craft: Landscape architect, educator, and author Owen E. Dell Mon, 07 May 2012 15:39:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Beyond Sustainable Landscapes by Owen http://owendell.com/blog/general/beyond-sustainable-landscapes/comment-page-2#comment-55055 Owen Mon, 07 May 2012 15:39:41 +0000 http://owendell.com/blog/?p=122#comment-55055 Thanks! I try to keep it real and look deeper and get to the truth, whatever that is. I appreciate your comments. Thanks! I try to keep it real and look deeper and get to the truth, whatever that is. I appreciate your comments.

]]> Comment on Beyond Sustainable Landscapes by Will http://owendell.com/blog/general/beyond-sustainable-landscapes/comment-page-2#comment-55052 Will Mon, 07 May 2012 15:21:07 +0000 http://owendell.com/blog/?p=122#comment-55052 Wow, I have to admit, in terms of all the landscaping blogs I've come across, yours has the most unique perspective and is, of course, quite timely as sustainability and anything "green" are all the rage right now. These are all very important things to consider as it's not only good for business, but keeping in mind our "resource" expenditure, good for the earth as well. Wow, I have to admit, in terms of all the landscaping blogs I’ve come across, yours has the most unique perspective and is, of course, quite timely as sustainability and anything “green” are all the rage right now.

These are all very important things to consider as it’s not only good for business, but keeping in mind our “resource” expenditure, good for the earth as well.

]]> Comment on Roll Out the Rain Barrels? by Rachel R. http://owendell.com/blog/general/roll-out-the-rain-barrels/comment-page-17#comment-54946 Rachel R. Sun, 06 May 2012 02:48:11 +0000 http://owendell.com/blog/?p=47#comment-54946 Thanks for this article. I was thinking about buying a rain barrel, but now I think it doesn't make sense for my climate when the financial savings is put into perspective (I'm in Florida, where it rains nearly every afternoon in the summer). Thanks for this article. I was thinking about buying a rain barrel, but now I think it doesn’t make sense for my climate when the financial savings is put into perspective (I’m in Florida, where it rains nearly every afternoon in the summer).
Rachel R.´s last [type] ..#BloggingTips: How to Save Time & Money By Cleaning Up Your Email Inbox

]]> Comment on Roll Out the Rain Barrels? by Chris Carmody http://owendell.com/blog/general/roll-out-the-rain-barrels/comment-page-17#comment-54773 Chris Carmody Fri, 04 May 2012 03:07:02 +0000 http://owendell.com/blog/?p=47#comment-54773 I think so at least they make you feel like you're doing a little something for your piece of the earth, check out mine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIiqF30sJxA&feature=g-upl I think so at least they make you feel like you’re doing a little something for your piece of the earth, check out mine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....ture=g-upl

]]> Comment on Roll Out the Rain Barrels? by landscaping spokane http://owendell.com/blog/general/roll-out-the-rain-barrels/comment-page-16#comment-53313 landscaping spokane Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:47:46 +0000 http://owendell.com/blog/?p=47#comment-53313 140,000 gallons is a big number of water but if you get this information from Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District then it is legitimate. This is hard to believe but I need too LOL 140,000 gallons is a big number of water but if you get this information from Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District then it is legitimate. This is hard to believe but I need too LOL

]]> Comment on Beyond Sustainable Landscapes by Groveton http://owendell.com/blog/general/beyond-sustainable-landscapes/comment-page-2#comment-49518 Groveton Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:48:17 +0000 http://owendell.com/blog/?p=122#comment-49518 Like anything wrapped up in money/politics, answers vary greatly. One British estimate is that the energy payback from a wind farm is about 6 to 8 months. A different, 2006 study estimated 13 months, including the energy used constructing the foundation. I have two problems with these studies. The first is with the numbers. Some of the numbers appear arbitrary/theoretical, as opposed to real world production numbers. Some focus on one turbine, some focus on wind farms. Most don't include end-of-life figures for dismantling worn out turbines. It's hard to pin anything down. The second objection is my biggest: Every report I can find is done by someone promoting wind energy. Let me make something clear: if you tell me who is paying for a study, I can tell you the results without ever seeing it. The most objective,well rounded study I found is at http://www.apere.org/manager/docnum/doc/doc1249_971216_wind.fiche37.pdf . So yes, leaving social considerations out, wind farms do pay for themselves fairly quickly. Over their life span they should return 80 times the energy used in construction/installation/maintenance. Like anything wrapped up in money/politics, answers vary greatly. One British estimate is that the energy payback from a wind farm is about 6 to 8 months. A different, 2006 study estimated 13 months, including the energy used constructing the foundation.

I have two problems with these studies. The first is with the numbers. Some of the numbers appear arbitrary/theoretical, as opposed to real world production numbers. Some focus on one turbine, some focus on wind farms. Most don’t include end-of-life figures for dismantling worn out turbines. It’s hard to pin anything down.

The second objection is my biggest: Every report I can find is done by someone promoting wind energy. Let me make something clear: if you tell me who is paying for a study, I can tell you the results without ever seeing it.

The most objective,well rounded study I found is at http://www.apere.org/manager/d.....iche37.pdf .

So yes, leaving social considerations out, wind farms do pay for themselves fairly quickly. Over their life span they should return 80 times the energy used in construction/installation/maintenance.

]]> Comment on Beyond Sustainable Landscapes by Owen http://owendell.com/blog/general/beyond-sustainable-landscapes/comment-page-2#comment-49496 Owen Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:39:45 +0000 http://owendell.com/blog/?p=122#comment-49496 Thank you for your comments. It's all true. We need to look at the big picture so that we don't fall for delusional feel-good band-aid pseudo-solutions. We need to do full lifecycle analysis of everything. Of course, that's not so easy. So how long DOES it take to recover the embodied energy in a windmill? Did you find out? Thank you for your comments. It’s all true. We need to look at the big picture so that we don’t fall for delusional feel-good band-aid pseudo-solutions. We need to do full lifecycle analysis of everything. Of course, that’s not so easy. So how long DOES it take to recover the embodied energy in a windmill? Did you find out?

]]> Comment on Beyond Sustainable Landscapes by Groveton http://owendell.com/blog/general/beyond-sustainable-landscapes/comment-page-2#comment-49479 Groveton Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:29:48 +0000 http://owendell.com/blog/?p=122#comment-49479 I stumbled across your site and the rain barrel post while researching rain barrels. I have to admit I laughed long and hard. Not at your article, which is great, but at the fact I found it while writing an article for my company on why rain barrels are needed. Oh, those 30 pieces of silver.... My problem is with "magic manufacturing." I teach business classes. At some point we always get into the impact on environment and I can lay money on someone bringing up wind farms. I then point out that the Keebler elves make cookies, not windmills. Standard speech: "Nothing is free. Do you know how much energy it takes to build a windmill? Not even counting mining the ore or pumping the oil, you have fuel for material delivered to the factory, electricity, fuel for forges, petroleum for the plastics, etc. Then you have to transport it to the site. Since over 75% of these are manufactured overseas that involves shipping to a port and putting on a ship. Ships drink fuel. Once at the dock the average windmill takes 7 heavy duty transports getting about 3 to 5 mpg to move. Most come from the various ports to the central states. So that's 7 trucks going 1,000 miles at, say, 5 mpg. Do you know how long it's going to take to conserve all the energy you used making that windmill?" Too many people think anything that conserves energy is made with 'magic manufacturing.' Batteries for the Prius, rain barrels, windmills, even the cloth grocery bags that are so popular today all take energy to make and deliver. Please conserve resources. I'd like for my grandkids to have a good life. But understand the ENTIRE cost of what you do, not just the feel-good part. Thanks. I stumbled across your site and the rain barrel post while researching rain barrels. I have to admit I laughed long and hard. Not at your article, which is great, but at the fact I found it while writing an article for my company on why rain barrels are needed. Oh, those 30 pieces of silver….

My problem is with “magic manufacturing.”
I teach business classes. At some point we always get into the impact on environment and I can lay money on someone bringing up wind farms.

I then point out that the Keebler elves make cookies, not windmills. Standard speech: “Nothing is free. Do you know how much energy it takes to build a windmill? Not even counting mining the ore or pumping the oil, you have fuel for material delivered to the factory, electricity, fuel for forges, petroleum for the plastics, etc. Then you have to transport it to the site. Since over 75% of these are manufactured overseas that involves shipping to a port and putting on a ship. Ships drink fuel.

Once at the dock the average windmill takes 7 heavy duty transports getting about 3 to 5 mpg to move. Most come from the various ports to the central states. So that’s 7 trucks going 1,000 miles at, say, 5 mpg.

Do you know how long it’s going to take to conserve all the energy you used making that windmill?”

Too many people think anything that conserves energy is made with ‘magic manufacturing.’ Batteries for the Prius, rain barrels, windmills, even the cloth grocery bags that are so popular today all take energy to make and deliver.

Please conserve resources. I’d like for my grandkids to have a good life. But understand the ENTIRE cost of what you do, not just the feel-good part.

Thanks.

]]> Comment on Beyond Sustainable Landscapes by Owen http://owendell.com/blog/general/beyond-sustainable-landscapes/comment-page-2#comment-46337 Owen Sat, 25 Feb 2012 05:27:55 +0000 http://owendell.com/blog/?p=122#comment-46337 Excellent! Good to know about the program. Thanks. Excellent! Good to know about the program. Thanks.

]]> Comment on Beyond Sustainable Landscapes by nikki http://owendell.com/blog/general/beyond-sustainable-landscapes/comment-page-2#comment-46336 nikki Sat, 25 Feb 2012 05:23:46 +0000 http://owendell.com/blog/?p=122#comment-46336 Beyond Sustainable Landscapes is why we created the permaculture club at the local Cabrillo Community College, designed an edible food forest and lobbied for curriculum change;2010-2011. Curriculum passed and Permaculture will be taught there, starting Fall 2012. This was a slog to do, and we had to prove our point relentlessly and speak to the ethics of land use, in the horticulture department and throughout different channels on the main campus and administration. It was worth it. Beyond Sustainable Landscapes is why we created the permaculture club at the local Cabrillo Community College, designed an edible food forest and lobbied for curriculum change;2010-2011. Curriculum passed and Permaculture will be taught there, starting Fall 2012. This was a slog to do, and we had to prove our point relentlessly and speak to the ethics of land use, in the horticulture department and throughout different channels on the main campus and administration. It was worth it.

]]>