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The Next Steps Toward a Sustainable Planet

Posted May 21, 2008 10:10 AM

From Discover | Environment:

A couple of years ago, I had dinner with Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan woman who became the first environmentalist to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She has spent the past three decades, with limited resources, inspiring the planting of 40 million trees across Africa and spreading the message that protecting the environment protects democracy. She explained her "lightbulb moment" (the spark that set her on her journey as an activist) to me this way: "Passion begins with a burden and a split-second moment when you understand something like never before. That burden is on those who know. Those who don't know are at peace. Those of us who do know get disturbed and are forced to take action."

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Guru
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#1

Re: The Next Steps Toward a Sustainable Planet

05/22/2008 3:40 AM

<..."lightbulb moment"...>

Shouldn't that read "CFL or LED low-energy lamp assembly moment"?

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#2

Re: The Next Steps Toward a Sustainable Planet

05/22/2008 11:11 AM

Have any of you ever heard of the concept of "CARRYING CAPACITY?" I suggest that investigate avenue making any erudite branding as over a _ _.

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Guru

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#3

Re: The Next Steps Toward a Sustainable Planet

05/22/2008 12:34 PM

I recently made a tracking solar accumulator more or less from scratch as a proof of concept project. I made up a new way of making a parabolic dish in the process, using the mechanical mathematician. I imagined them on flat rooftops, concentrating light on metal blocks above the roof. When heating is needed, air blows through a pipe in the block or water through another pipe, etc. But of course parabolics might blow off in a high wind. So I think the next step will be little flat mirrors lieing on the roofs doing that tracking job instead. Big companys are working on it to direct the light to solar panels. (For some reason they ignore solar thermal!) I bet someone working in their shop or back yard could design a system with one central slow motor, guy wires and cams to control 50 or 60 mirrors at a time for such a tracking system. each mirror might need 2 wires (or maybe just one) if the attachment process is perfect) to control elevation and tilt to keep the heat and light beaded on one spot all day. After making the mechanical mathematician, I think that we should not leave all the great problems to the great thinkers. Someone on this board might get a surge of inspiration about how to control a field of flat mirrors to concentrate light on receptors above the flat roofs of apartement buildings! Wouldn't that be great?

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Guru
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#4

Re: The Next Steps Toward a Sustainable Planet

05/24/2008 10:10 PM

Another rant, pushing the "Global Warming" theory.

Evidently the writer also hates SUV's, because of her problem while using a stroller.

Kind Regards....

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Guru

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#5
In reply to #4

Re: The Next Steps Toward a Sustainable Planet

05/24/2008 10:29 PM

It is not a theory anymore. Your smilie has the dark glasses on so its hard to see that the earth is not flat. Why do people persist with the "theory" stuff. What is the theory you subscribe to called?

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