Comments hosro has made

Energy Used to Make Energy

Wholistic approaches may be more efficient. Advocating a particular renewable method of energy generation is only part of
the equation. Like "shop locally," the idea needs some deaper and honest thought. By honest I mean being willing to recognize the consequences of our position and limitations to its use.

I would appreciate discussion by professional and academic experts regarding size of systems. It has been a long while, but
I remember Edison supported development of many small to
medium power plants, not related to dc transmission.

The Japanese are using fuel cells to power some office buildings and looking at providing power by city block and individual residence using fuel cell technology.

The foot print of the very large power systems we have favored have their consequence simply by their foot print where they are located and the means of transmitting their power over long distances. Now one reads of homes and businesses selling back to power companies excess power their own system provides, solar or otherwise. I know the power companies are required to pay for it.

I lived in a community where power was generated partially using gravity and water to turn turbines. This allowed for levelling energy loads during the 24 hours. Excess power pumped water to a reservoir during the day and the water was released at night to turn turbines and generate electricity that was then sold across the grid. The effect was to lower over all cost to consumers. Other fuels were used to complete the co-generation.

The end to remember is that all of the systems we realise require expenditures of energy to fabricate, transport, erect, and maintain. The total life cycle costs to establish, service, and dispose need to be transparent. The reduction of carbon-dioxide has its costs the non-reduction of carbon costs are much higher to us and with what we share this small globe. The Earth you may recall does not need us.

Life has unintended consequences. I am not passive.

Try A Nice Glass of Soy Milk

Horizon is not meeting definitions for organic product? We shop at WholeFoods and they sell, supposedly, organic products exclusively, and include Horizon milk. If my memory is correct.

They have a store brand that we buy at about $.70 per half-gallon less.

I have not had soy milk. How does it taste different from bovine tapped?  

Watching European broadcasts we note that Germany is lowering subsidies for organic dairy operations. Those effected are claiming shame and inability to compete with large non-organic operations.

Consumers are willing to pay higher prices for a perceived set of
values. Values claimed for "organic" products.

One suggestion, not new, but not often repeated, is to specialize
a market segment with some inherent advantage or feature that
permits pricing flexibility.

Different dairy breed's milk differ in taste and milk fat. Different butters and other dairy products that have special attractions have been marketed all over Europe for centuries. There is more than milk alone.

Certain products are price sensitive, because the consumer does not know the values in the higher price product other than it is "organic." This does not translate directly into benefit to me, but maybe to the cow or chicken which is not seen as a direct benefit to the consumer.

Products and markets develop on differences and pricing. There should be sufficient benefits in organic products to support price differentials.

We farm. As a child my family would  purchase 13 head to pasture only on a small piece of land across the road from my Grandparents house.

We traded with local farmers for vegetables, fruit, and
eggs. There were salt licks and fly rags on wire for the calves to
walk under to better endure the flys that plagued them. Everything we had for food except the canned goods and snacks [few] were organic.

Then came the first feed lot. They had an effect on price, except
locally raised beef sold locally. The farmers knew each other and what they raised. Some was probably sold to the lots also, that not locally purchased for use.

Life has unintended consequences. I am not passive.