How to Make Biomass Energy Sustainable Again
Categories:
[Obsolete Technology]
From the Neolithic to the beginning of the twentieth century, coppiced woodlands, pollarded trees, and hedgerows provided people with a sustainable supply of energy, materials, and food.
Image: Pollarded trees in Germany. Image: René Schröder (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How is Cutting Down Trees Sustainabl
...Vertical Farming Does Not Save Space
Categories:
[High-tech Problems]
Urban agriculture in vertical, indoor “farms” is on the rise. Electric lights allow the crops to be grown in layers above each other year-round. Proponents argue that growers can save a lot of agricultural land in this way. Additional advantages are that less energy is needed to transport food (mo...
Thermo-electric Stoves: Ditch the Solar Panels?
Categories:
[Low-tech Solutions]
Wood stoves equipped with thermoelectric generators can produce electricity that is more sustainable, more reliable, and less costly than power from solar PV panels.
Illustration: Diego Marmolejo.
If the 2,000 year old windmill is the predecessor of today’s wind turbines, the fireplace and...