timdiller’s Recent Comments

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  Food for thought

  Wow, Lewis, thanks for the insights. I love hearing the other side of the story, especially in a forum like this.On Umbra on recycled vs. certified paper posted 1 year, 1 month ago 9 Responses

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  diapers...

  I, too, can't get past the diapers 15 years ago. Please tell us that either a) that was a "new math" lapse and really it was more like 25 years ago or that b) you skipped grades 1-4 and have a degree already and are precociously smart and savvy beyond your years... Maybe there is some other option c) that I haven't imagined.
  Now on to the content. Thanks for the well written guide. Any paper procurement policy should include directions for minimizing use in the first place. Some low-hanging fruits are using a print preview to eliminate pages with one or two lines (common on email printous) and printing double-sided. If there is a central printer, you might consider designating a 'scratch' paper tray where you load used paper with the clean side ready for printing. This can be used for printouts destined for markups and non-critical purposes. It's easy enough to select the paper tray from a print dialog.On Umbra on recycled vs. certified paper posted 1 year, 2 months ago 9 Responses

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  A Little bit of balance to the discussion...

  I also am a bicycle commuter and have worried about this some, and I understand the concerns. I also happen to be getting my Ph.D. studying engine emissions measurements and mitigation. I think that Umbra's response makes out automobiles to be terrible polluting machines, which is really just not the case, at least for cars less than, say, 5 years old. For gasoline powered cars, the air emitted from the exhaust pipe is probably cleaner than the air taken in at the front, due to the high efficiency of the combustion process and the even higher efficiency of the catalytic cleansing system.
  The real danger is presented by older diesel vehicles (the newer ones 2007 and later are held to the same standards as the gas-powered) emit a lot of particulate matter (you can see and smell it) and NOx, which are both lung irritants. It would be wise to ride your bike where the buses and big rigs don't go, but there's not much to fear, pollutant-wise from most of the passenger cars on the road.
  In the end, remember too that the human nose is incredible sensitive to hydrocarbons, and if there are any present, in even tiny quantities, your nose will tell you. Move out of the way, and the next breeze will clear the air, so to speak. As for NOx and ozone, these are usually only a problem in the hottest parts of the hottest days and concentrated near the highways where the big rigs run. Not taking your bike on the highway is always sound advice for more than air quality reasons...
  Here endeth the lesson.On Umbra on exerting yourself in traffic posted 1 year, 4 months ago 5 Responses

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  Driveshaft, anyone?

  I use a drive-shaft bike from Dynamic (www.dynamicbicycles.com), and pant cuffs are not a problem now because there's no chain to catch them. I'm sure it would be the same for skirts. Mine's a 7-speed (Crosstown 7) with plenty of range for hills and flats. Overall I've been pleased.On Umbra on biking in a skirt posted 1 year, 5 months ago 22 Responses

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  Thanks for the info

  Thanks for the very interesting article. Does the same thing go for all green covers? Do we really have to turn them under during flowering? I thought clover was a soil builder that did not require any intervention...On Umbra on soil health posted 1 year, 6 months ago 7 Responses