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1500 questions
12
votes
4 answers
Why can't solar stills convert sea water into fresh water?
If I replaced the foliage in this diagram with a gallon of sea water - would the resulting "fresh water" be pure enough for agriculture? For human consumption?
Is the process really that prohibitively inefficient? (like 1 gallon of sea water…
GopherKyrslf
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4 answers
Is biochar actually a viable way of carbon sequestration?
Biochar is often heralded as a great combination of soil improvement and carbon sequestration. However, at least on the carbon sequestration front, it seems to be a mixed bag. Biofuelwatch cites a paper from Nature (2011):
“Persistence of soil…
mart
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12
votes
6 answers
How to get rid of fruit fly infestation in worm composting bin?
My worm composting bin is infested with fruit flies. What can be done to get rid of the flies?
DudeOnRock
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12
votes
7 answers
What is the most sustainable way of making coffee?
Which method of brewing coffee is the most sustainable?
The criteria being: minimal waste, minimal energy (no matter where it's produced)
I guess for the optimal solution it would be necessary to...
use organic and fair trade coffee
not heat more…
Suzana
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12
votes
1 answer
What's a sustainable way to stain and protect wood?
What substances can I find to stain and protect wood that are produced without serious pollution and can be disposed of safely?
Laizer
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12
votes
1 answer
What is the most sustainable choice to write on a whiteboard?
I write a lot on a whiteboard and I would like to find a sustainable alternative to traditional (disposable) whiteboard markers which are what I'm using right now.
I was thinking of getting a refillable marker like this alternative or any of these…
S -
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12
votes
3 answers
Is it economical / sustainable to switch from CFL to LED?
In my house, I currently have a mix of incandescent, CFL, and LED bulbs. I have a supply of additional CFL and LED bulbs. My immediate plan is to go through the house and swap out the incandescent bulbs that I can since they're considerably less…
Sean Duggan
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12
votes
4 answers
Should I worry about the minimum mark on our kettle?
Our electric kettle for boiling water for tea or coffee has what looks like a minimum mark at 0.8 litres (though on closer inspection it says “mini” rather than “min”!). I try to save energy by boiling no more than the amount actually needed for my…
PJTraill
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12
votes
1 answer
What strategy to follow for thinning a woodlot?
I have a woodlot roughly 10 acres (4 hectares) from which I harvest firewood. From a permaculture perspective, this is my Zone 4; Zone 5 lies along the back edge of the woodlot. I'm in the northeast USA, USDA Zone 5 -- it was recently -10°F (-20°C)…
bstpierre
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12
votes
3 answers
How food producers calculate "best before" date?
How food producers calculate "best before" date?
Why I'm asking on SL? Because I'd rather not waste food to be sustainable. And many times I'm advised (by "best before" date put on food package) to waste some food product - but it looks perfectly…
Marian Paździoch
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12
votes
1 answer
What chemicals are used to replace BPA in plastics?
And is there any reason to think that the replacement is any better than Bisphenol A (BPA) itself?
That Idiot
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12
votes
3 answers
Sustainable Roofing Materials
I want to re-roof my home, but want to use a sustainable option. Is there a resource where I can compare different sustainable options and find the best choice for my budget and situation? I'm trying to avoid e-commerce portals.
Can anyone offer a…
pizza247
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12
votes
5 answers
What is a permaculture solution for dealing with deer in a suburban environment?
The old problem of the deer moving into the city. My neighborhood is overrun. So far the best solution I've seen to keep them at bay is fences or hedges. The true permaculture solution would be to simply grow enough that the deer can eat their…
Daniel Bingham
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12
votes
4 answers
Forcing water circulation in solar hot water installation
I'm planning an installation for heating water using solar "exchanger" panels (solar used to heat water directly, not through electricity). I don't want to bind the reservoir, panel and tap locations to the natural circulation cycle though (hot…
SF.
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12
votes
4 answers
Why the tiny input openings on recycle bins?
My local recycling bins look somewhat like these:
As you can see, the opening can facilitate a single item at a time.
How is one supposed to dump a large sack of plastic packages in the plastics bin? How is one supposed to throw a medium-sized…
Vorac
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