RichardinKRV’s Recent Comments

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  All the more reason to harvest rainwater and use it for dishwashing, clothes washing & personal showers/baths.

  On Ask Umbra on rinse aids posted 4 months, 3 weeks ago 7 Responses

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  Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is WAY GREEN!

  I attended a program by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (started in 1980 in Chico, CA) at a Sustainability conference.

  I came away VERY impressed.

  Check out: http://www.sierranevada.com/environment.html

  On September 16, 2007 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.-one of the innovators of the craft brewing renaissance since its founding in 1980-commissioned the first phase of what will be one of the country's largest private solar installations.

  This commissioning comes on the heels of the installation of four 250-kilowatt co-generation fuel cell power units, also one of the largest fuel cell installations in the United States.

  Sierra Nevada was one of the first regional breweries to install a vapor condenser to recover waste steam from the kettle boiling step to preheat process water. We utilize plate heat exchangers throughout the brewing process to recover energy where practical.

  Sierra Nevada focuses on minimizing our usage of this precious resource and continually audits the process to minimize wasteful practices. We have been able to reduce our water usage to almost half of the historical value typically used by breweries in this country.

  Sierra Nevada made the commitment several years ago to treat all of our production wastewater to remove this burden from the local municipality. We installed a European-designed, two-step anaerobic and aerobic treatment plant that reprocesses and purifies all of the water produced from our brewing operations.

  The methane generated from the anaerobic digestion of the wastewater is put back into use at the on site fuel cells. The methane is used a fuel source within the cells that produce a great deal of the electricity consumed at the brewery. Additionally, water used for truck washing is collected and purified through our own facility.

  They have looked at EVERY aspect of production, even the transportation involved in shipping their ale to me.

  http://www.sierranevada.com/environment/trans.htmlOn Umbra on beer and wine posted 8 months, 3 weeks ago 15 Responses

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  "not yet covered by most building codes"

  Modern straw-bale construction is not yet covered by most building codes.

  California has a straw bale building code.

  CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
  SECTION 18944.30-18944.34
  Guidelines for Straw Bale Structures

  http://www.strawbuilding.org/tech/code/cahnscode.htmlOn Umbra on straw-bale homes posted 1 year ago 11 Responses

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  On greening your sex life...

  Since you opened Pandora's Box with this subject matter, I will offer a comment.

  For some kinky folk, a large amount of CRISCO (or other vegetable shortening) is used as a result of some serious recreational SEX.

  With strong soaps, it is washed down the showers or by washing machines in some kinky households.

  I fretted over WHAT this would do to my SEPTIC SYSTEM.

  When I sold that house in the Palm Springs area, one requirement of escrow closing was for a Septic System Maintenance company to come out, open the tank up and pump out the contents, giving the new occupants a 'fresh start' so to speak.

  I was AMAZED to find the tank nearly empty. I'd expected huge 'ice bergs' of coagulated CRISCO to be floating about in a sort of hideous Sargaso Sea. But that was NOT the case. I asked the guys doing the pumping and they said the VEGETABLE FAT is a favorite food of the bacteria in septic systems.

  I imagine that is much the same with sewer systems and treatment plants.

  I guess I should send an E-mail to Proctor & Gamble to add something to their Crisco website...On Umbra on greening your sex life posted 2 years, 7 months ago 12 Responses

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  ALTERNATIVE TO PEEING IN THE SHOWER...

  I have an alternative...

  I use the EMPTY 1 gallon bottles I get from using Crystal Geyser drinking water (99¢ at the 99¢ONLY STOREs). They have handy WIDE MOUTH openings for those of us older men who are aim-challenged.

  WHAT DO I DO WITH THE URINE?
  I pour it into GOPHER & GROUND SQUIRREL tunnels.

  They hate it. Good. I don't want to KILL the things (well sometimes I do). I want them to MOVE over to my neighbor's property instead of destroying my plantings. That and chicken wire cages have brought me to thinking I'm winning the war.

  But, when I encounter NEW tunneling or a plant with no roots, I feel like George W. must with his "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" war in Iraq. But for me, WITHDRAWL isn't an option. On Umbra on peeing in the shower posted 2 years, 7 months ago 18 Responses