Why, you might ask, would anyone want to mix material without a strong tarp? In Mali, where I worked recently, there are actually no good tarps at all. The best ones will rip in a day, so we have to use the ‘old’ way of mixing cob and plaster. This is a step by step explanation of how to do this.

If you have a cement pad or smooth rock to mix on top of it will be easier. If you are doing a lot of mixes, it may be worth it to use a little cement to create a dish-shaped mixing area about six feet in diameter. In general, I keep my mixing piles on the small side so I can manage them and reach into the middle of the pile while standing around the perimeter. You need a really good hoe. The best ones are a little bigger and wider than your average gardening hoe. A medium stout handle is preferred. You will also need a strong shovel. I prefer the medium handled spade with a cross-bar at the end of the handle.

Now, you need to place your materials into the mixing area in layers if you want them to ever mix together. If you have sand and clay, try placing some of each in layers before you add water. And try mixing these together for a bit before adding water. Use both the hoe and the shovel, perhaps with two or more people working at a time if you have them. Many hands makes light work, and this is definately not very light work.

When you add water, be sure to make a crater in the middle of the pile so that none of it will escape your pile. Try adding a little at a time to get a feel for how much you will need. It is really easy to add too much.

While adding water you should maintain the walls of your crater with the tool. Let it soak for a few minutes if you have the time to wait. Then, take off your shoes and roll up your pant legs, because you have to get in there! Using the hoe and your feet at the same time, mix the material with the right amount of water, all the while maintaining the walls of your crater with your hoe so that the runny stuff can’t escape your mixing area. At any time from here on you should add fibers while mixing. You can use the shovel from outside the mixing pile as it becomes more mixed, and turn the stuff from the very bottom outside into the middle where it is wetter. Doing this over and over does the same thing as flipping a tarp. If you have two or more people, it works well to have one or more people mix with the feet and hoe, while others use shovels to turn the outside material into the middle.

Another important tip is that you don’t need to worry if not all the material is fully mixed together. Sometimes, if the pile is bigger in size, you may mix only the top layers well before using them up. Then you will have to make sure the Cob or plaster you are taking to use is indeed mixed well. But the unmixed stuff stays on the very bottom, so you can use all the well-mixed top layers, and then continue mixing when you get to the un-mixed bottom part.

It really isn’t that hard once you get the hang of it!

Want to learn more? Take our course!

A 10% discount is available to anyone who brings another person to the workshop. Group discounts are 20% per person for groups of four or more.

Also, please let us know if you are interested in working for us and we might be able to find some way for you to trade your skills.

Scott Howard has taught Cob and Earthbag building since 1999 and 2003 respectively. His experience with diverse climates such as Thailand, Africa, and the US gives great perspective for education in permaculture building methods.

An intensive course like this one is the best way to get your hands in the dirt and see how it is done. Participants will be able to build their own domes after this workshop.

Click here to find out more and to book!

One of 55 eco-friendly homes nestled amongst newly established gardens

An hour or so south of the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo is the fishing district of Kalutara. Although only one of many regions hit by the 2004 Tsunami, post-disaster relief efforts here were unique in that Sarvodaya determined to use the situation to create Sri Lanka’s first eco-village.

Designed with the technical advice and guidance of world renowned Australian permaculture experts Max Lindegger and Lloyd Williams, who are affiliated with Ecological Solutions Inc. and Global Eco-village Network (GEN), the village has become a model of sustainable development.

The Sri Lankan government allocated a parcel of land situated five kilometres inland for the purpose, and financing for construction came via Sarvodaya as well as the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (AJJDC), the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the Asia Pacific Forum for Environment and Development (APFED). The combined gifts culminated in the construction of Lagoswatta – a model eco-village, situated on a gentle five acre slope bordered by rice fields, that is now home to 55 families from three villages in the area.

I was of course very keen to take a look, and so after winding our way from the coast, through small farmlets and a rather beautiful and shady rubber tree plantation, I arrived in Lagoswatta for a brief look.

Beginning in April 2005 and completed in 2006, an important aspect of of the work was the involvement of the intended residents in the construction process itself – providing an excellent opportunity to build a sense of ownership and self-determination for their future, whilst giving survivors a sense of purpose that helps them deal psychologically with trauma, loss of loved ones and their subsequent dramatic change in circumstances.

Each earth-brick home in Lagoswatta is virtually identical, measuring about 46 square metres (500 square feet) and consists of two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and sanitation facilities. Each home has its own garden, and practical involvement of residents are positively encouraged with training in composting, gardening, recycling and also maintenance of the solar panel and battery that provides electricity to each home – something many residents never had before. Homes are also equipped with a recycling receptacle and on the edge of the village is a small recycling station where materials are separated and stored for monthly collection. The project also included a Subterra biological soakage system for household greywater.

Water for drinking and irrigation is one of the biggest problems Sri Lankans face. Construction for Lagoswatta thus included fourteen rainwater harvesting tanks to collect roof run-off, five drinking wells and two communal bathing wells.

An important aspect of design for any eco-village are those that encourage community interdependence. In addition to housing, a multi-purpose community center was built that includes a doctor’s office (manned on Mondays), library, computer room, a childcare/Montessori school centre and a playground – all encouraging community interaction and the pooling and development of the creative abilities of individual villagers. Programs assisting in social mobilization and livelihood support foster this development as well.

A boy plays in the community childcare centre

The edge-of-town recycling station – emptied monthly

One aspect of village life I found interesting was that, unlike other Sarvodaya villages, where the very first stage of development is ‘awakening’ to the Sarvodaya principles based on earth care and the ten basic needs, the villagers of Lagoswatta were somewhat thrown together suddenly at a time of extreme stress. Additionally, many of the villagers were previously fisher folk, so once moved from the coast to Lagoswatta they’ve had to take on a whole new existence. Whilst villagers on the whole largely seemed content and adapting to their new surrounds, it was clear to me there wasn’t the same industriousness and cohesion found in some of the other villages who had opted to join the Sarvodaya network out of acknowledgement and appreciation over time of the principles that forms the basis of the movement.

In other words, these people were somewhat thrown together out of necessity, rather than inspired choice.

A Lagoswatta villager harvests compost from his bin

Practical examples of this could be seen by observing the state of different gardens in the village, where some were making excellent use of their land – cultivating quite a diverse range of fruit, vegetables and herbs and developing a lovely shaded environment that is a major advantage in the tropical heat – while others were making merely token efforts.

Some villagers were making excellent use of their garden space

I spoke with a few villagers about how well their solar system worked. One man spoke despondently about how after only four years the battery had already failed and he couldn’t afford the 15,000 rupees to replace it. Considering this man didn’t have power in the shack he and his small family lived in prior to its destruction, I was conscious of how this ‘upgrade’ in their life was making them dependent on polluting technologies that were too expensive for them to maintain. When I mentioned the failed battery in a neighbour’s house, it was explained to me that the first man had not been maintaining the battery as he was told (topping up with water) and so killed it from neglect. Considering this, I remembered that that particular man’s garden was also largely non-existent, indicating either a general lack of pro-active interest or difficulty in adapting, and it made me appreciate all the more the importance of Sarvodaya’s stepped program that prioritises individual transformation at its base.

Each home has a battery that stores power from a small roof-mounted
solar panel. The only appliances for most houses are normally only lights,

a radio and/or television.

As they say, a house does not a home make. In the same way, a collection of buildings and people does not an eco-village make. It became obvious to me that you cannot just lump a divergent range of people together and call them a ‘community’. A truly successful community requires some planning at a spiritual level to facilitate cohesion – and this centres in all involved being inspired with a sense of positive purpose and collectively shared goals. Disasters like that which gave birth to Lagoswatta obviously do not provide the luxury of time for such considerations, but I think this is an important facet to consider wherever possible.

Villagers said their conditions were improved – homes were warmer in winter,
cooler in summer, and power, water and garden features were all appreciated.

The good news is that Sarvodaya’s efforts in this regard continue to this day, and Lagoswatta has become an excellent model for not only Sri Lanka but also for village development and disaster relief efforts worldwide.

Stay tuned for the next edition in this series….

The community centre is appropriate for culture and climate

The community library was spartan, but it’s a start

Composting toilets are culturally unacceptable to Sri Lankans, so Lagoswatta
utilises septic tanks for black water. Outside are rain-fed washing facilities.

A typical Lagoswatta kitchen. Some homes house two or three families, as
families would open their doors to relatives struggling after the disaster.

A children’s park completes the picture. The sign reads:

"This park is a gift to the children from the American people."

My name is Jay Shafer and since 1997 I have been living in a house smaller than some people’s closets. I call the first of my little hand built houses Tumbleweed. My decision to inhabit just 89 square feet arose from some concerns I had about the impact a larger house would have on the environment, and because I do not want to maintain a lot of unused or unusable space. My houses have met all of my domestic needs without demanding much in return. The simple, slower lifestyle my homes have afforded is a luxury for which I am continually grateful.

So begins the main page on tumbleweedhouses.com. Jay has created an ultra-cool portfolio of tiny house designs – some are even on wheels, and none look too hard to transport!

Jay raises a good point above – in regards to maintaining "a lot of unused or unusable space". If you’re considering a serious carbon footprint reduction, swing over to Jay’s site for a look. Amongst other things, he’s put together a great resources section with links to other sites – with all you’d ever want to know about living small.

We’d be keen to hear your experiences if any of you have tried these or something simlar.

Here’s a link to an interesting option for Australians. Feel free to comment with any other resource suggestions.

It is a place known internationally by its people and its wonderful natural beauty. People from all over the world have come to this region that lies under the magnificence of the Piltriquitrón mountain – finding a fertile land for their dreams of living an alternative experience to the city kind of life.

Since the 70s long haired Argentines from the big cities as well as foreigners came to experience the hippie way of life and their influence is still present. El Bolsón is well known for the organic production of home brewed beer, fruit, bread, jams, milk, yoghurt, cheese, ice cream, cosmetic products and other items that visitors love to find. It has also become the site to celebrate the National Hops Festival and international events such as the Moonbow Festival (a kind of electronic Woodstock party) and the Jazz Festival that takes place every December.

Tuning in

Every year the surrounding areas are visited by people from all over the world – people looking to experience harmony with nature and find pleasant distractions from city living. There are several farms that have become places for volunteers. The CIESA project (Centro de Investigación y Ensenanza de Agricultura Sostenible) is an experimental teaching and research centre, created by Mr. Mark Jordan and Fernando Pia, an agronomic engineer, who started an educational demonstration garden in 1994 in Las Golondrinas Valley, putting into practice the Biointensive method developed by Mr. John Jeavons, Ecology Action Executive Director.

Millalén (pronounced mee-ya-LEN, and meaning "golden cypress" in the local Mapuche language) is a small organic farm situated in a forest of pitra, maiten and cohiue trees, birds such as bandurrias and teros, a mountain stream that crosses the land and provides them with wáter, swampy areas where carrizo grows, and the visual presence of mountains such as Pirque and Currumahuida. They introduced a variety of fruit and other trees, as well as some animals. The land includes an organic vegetable garden that applies bio-intensive principles, a flower garden, areas for recreation and a few buildings. Visitors have the opportunity to participate in the activities of the farm, share meals with permanent residents, go on excursions in the area or go horseback riding with a guide.

Another important centre for teaching and research is CIDEP, started 9 years ago by a group of Permaculturists who have been developing appropriate techniques for a sustainable way of living. They show visitors and neighbours how to optimize the use of natural resources and the use of green energies, as well as developing and experimenting with several natural building techniques and group work.

Following the same path, Mr. Mark Jordan (CIESA co-founder) and his wife Ellie made a dream come true at La Confluencia, a teaching and demonstration center for sustainable self-sufficient living. Developed by the Land Ethic Action Foundation, their endeavor is to use the simplest, least energy consumptive, and, to every reasonable degree, locally available building materials to construct and build the most energy efficient buildings they are capable of. La Confluencia has a lodge and spa, both built of plastered straw-bale walls, dead or wind fallen cedar lumber and local stone. And following this same criteria, they will construct a super adobe/cob building by the end of November 2009, which will be used to house future workshop participants.

The workshop, entitled Basics of Cob and Super Adobe, will run from November 29 to December 6, 2009, and is 7 days of intensive learning appropriate for people of all ages, with or without experience. The backdrop for this workshop is La Confluencia, where you will be able to sample some of what we have experienced. We live in an almost magical corner of the planet where two torquoise rivers meet and where mountains and forests mingle in a symphony of color and form, and where man and animals flourish.

More about super adobe

Earth building techniques such as cob and adobe are among the most ancient forms of construction used by man. This type of habitation is considered to be fairly inexpensive and sustainable as it uses only clay, sand, soil, water and straw, and as such, many of the materials can be found on-site. Cob, although one of the most beautiful and versatile aesthetically, is also one of the most labor intensive. It requires more people, with more skill, over a long period of time.

In response to a growing need for low cost energy efficient housing, a new technique known as ’super adobe’ was developed in the 198’s by the Iranian architect, Nader Khalili. Its roots are in the sand filled bags used to create bunkers during WWI and it is now a proposed design for future use by NASA.

The super adobe technique uses long tubes of material such as burlap or polypropylene and can be filled with virtually any material. The tubes are layered and when complete are covered with an exterior treatment, usually plaster. It is an extremely cheap and easy method. Soil can be taken from the site, the tubing is low cost and the technique requires few skills so that people of all ages and skill levels can participate. Because of this, super adobe has become quite popular around the world, especially in areas where cost, ease and speed of construction are crucial issues. IPEC, a Brazilian permaculture center, is on the cutting edge of this movement in South America and this super adobe/cob building will be the first of its kind here in Argentina.

The experience at La Confluencia

Click for course details (540kb PDF)

Visitors will learn to locate and test soil, sand and straw, create the right cob mix for any situation, and build strong, durable, sculptural earthen walls. This will give them practical experience with super adobe, foundations, windows, doors, arches and niches. Lectures will cover permaculture, other types of natural construction, sacred geometry in design, solar design, drainage, heating, plumbing and electric, roofing and flooring.

Since their vision of a self-sufficient and sustainable life covers even more than the land, the workshop will also offer shamanic drumming, circle dancing, short treks into the surrounding mountains, the spa, and time in the organic gardens for the enrichment of mind, body and soul.

For more information about the workshop:

Contact in Spanish: Mariano Anastassiades – mariano (at) laconfluencia.com
Contact in English: Ellie Jordan – ellie (at) laconfluencia.com
Tel: 54 – 02944 – 498329
Mail: Apartado 111 – 8430 El Bolsón – Río Negro – Argentina

The water is usually that light aqua colour all the way to the shore. Photo: Durnford Dart

A full two weeks after the tsunami, the ocean and the sky still retained a turbulent quality reminiscent of an unimaginably intense energy phenomenon.

I write this article about a month after a severe earthquake/tsunami struck southern Upolu (the main island of Western Samoa). With respectful remembrance of all those who lost their lives, and with prayers for the strength of survivors, I will make no attempt to report about the actual event, or the emotive aspects of disaster aftermath, or the political issues related to disaster aid. I will describe only a small contribution to what is now being practically done in response to this phenomenon.

Many families, with admirable bravery, have started a new life beyond the dead brown limits of the tsunami’s reach. Food and clothing was brought in very quickly and tents and tarpaulins were supplied for those with no alternative shelter to go to. However, in the tropical heat and rain, and with large families to keep together, these tents are less than ideal for living – and rebuilding permanently takes time, especially considering all the hoops aid money seems to have to jump through before being made available for the long-term benefit of people. This is why following the tsunami, METI Permaculture staff stopped work and offered their expertise to construct comfortable, cheap and quickly-erected bamboo geodesic dome shelters.

Attaching the palm frond insulation to the finished frame of this dome.
Photo: Durnford Dart

Locally manufactured metal plates form very simple joints for the dome shape, and traditional roofing is adapted to fit the new domes. Photo: Durnford Dart

Very sincere thanks must go to Durnford Dart (Mr Bamboo of Australia) who volunteered his valuable knowledge and long hours of extended hard work to make this contribution possible. With his help the team selected suitable bamboo clumps around the island and from METI’s own unique bamboo plantation, harvested the appropriate poles, and transported them to the damaged area.

The team (which generally inflates to around 15 people when the village gets involved) can now fully erect a structure like this in 2 hours. An important element in this project is the teaching of local people the construction method, thereby gifting a self-sustaining option for supplying shelters across the country.

The residents Photo: Durnford Dart

Compared to the tents, the domes are very cool, providing shade but letting breeze flow right through. The basic structure does not include a floor, so things can get a bit wet in very strong rain, however the beauty of these simple structures is that the amendments and additions their owners can make is virtually endless – and materials are plentiful to construct a raised platform, woven walls, further insulation etc. Although the domes are intended as emergency, temporary solutions, we suspect many Samoans will be keen to maintain their domes for as long as the untreated, sometimes immature bamboo will hold up (and then of course, it is a simple matter of replacing the poles).

METI is in the process of securing funding in order to continue the project (costs are attributed to transport and materials – like tarpaulins which could be replaced with thatch over time and metal plates to join poles.)

Many other local and overseas organizations are also working ceaselessly to improve the lives of disaster-affected people.

Meanwhile, our Permaculture Demonstration and Training centre is continuing to develop to be in a position to provide all people of Samoa, and especially those displaced by the tsunami, with knowledge and resources to provide for their families abundantly and sustainably.

Plan for our Rocket-Powered hot water system for the Basecamp shower + bath block

Spending all your day gathering sticks for a hot shower is just no fun. No fun at all. Mind you, anything that results in a hot shower (or even better, a hot bath) has to be considered a priority at Milkwood. So when Nick finished converting the old ‘Sunbeam Sheep Shower’ structure (basically a new-fangled sheepdip) to a shower block with a little wood-fired, home-made firebox thingamy to heat the water for the shower and the bath, that’s what we did. Lots of stick-gathering.

The romance of wood-fired hot water quickly wears thin, however, if your water-heating system is not terribly efficient. Because this means the system requires a fair deal of wood to heat the water, which therefore releases a corresponding amount of CO2. And also results in lots of stick gathering. So Nick went searching for the most super-efficient, super-simple and super-funky heating system idea he could find, which could then be converted to a water heating system. And thus we discovered the glory that is the Rocket Mass Heater.

Nick Ritar + Si Horsely cobb around the burn chamber and firebricks to protect them

The basic premise of a Rocket Mass Heater is that the heat energy of a small, very hot-burning fire is used in a optimal way to get the utmost out of that heat energy. Hyper efficiency with minimal fuel input. Ianto Evans + Leslie Jackson, a couple of Permies who are prettymuch gurus on this subject, put together a great little book called Rocket Mass Heaters and this was our inspiration and guidebook for our project. The heat of the small fire is drawn up through a vertical heat riser of some kind, which creates an updraft and therefore causes the fire to burn extremely hot. A hotter burn means less smoke. And less smoke means more hot water per handful of sticks.

Then the hot gases in the riser is put to work – pushed (or pulled) under hot plates, past water boilers, underneath cobb benches, through thermal mass walls – wherever you need to heat. By the time the hot gases make their way out to the outside world, they are spent, and much cooler – the heat energy has been transferred along the way to whatever needed to be heated. Hurrah!

The completed system – two days work, all told

Rocket Stoves are quickly catching on in various places around the globe – because they’re so fuel efficient, for example, they’re being used in development aid projects where fuel is scarce. And because they’re super simple, they can be made by prettymuch anyone with a need, a plan and some simple tools. There’s a stash of great Rocket Stove projects that have been done around the world at RocketStoves.org. 

But back to us at Milkwood. The making of our Rocket-Powered water heater took two days for two blokes. The above diagram explains it all pretty well. Firebricks in a pattern with a burn chamber in front, topped by an insulated heat riser, topped by a small heat exchanger, topped by a chimney. The water came in one end of the system from the bottom of the water tank, then passively circulated between the heat exchanger and the hot water tank (just a normal hot water tank like you would have on your normal western hot water system) once the fire was going via simple pipes and the power of convection. A handful of sticks in the burn chamber set the fire going. Then we waited and finally turned on the shower tap and… voila. Steaming hot water for one shower. Hoo-bloody-ray.

Post-wash, the water flows into a greywater trench which waters a planting of She-Oaks (Casuarinas) downhill from the showerblock. These will, in time, yeild excellent stickwood for the fire, as Casuarina wood is some of the hottest burning wood in the world. Which is the closest we’ll come to closing the loop (in terms of energy, carbon and responsibility) on our daily shower anytime soon… which makes for a very happy shower.

A handful of sticks is all you need…

Here’s a Flickr set of the construction process – it should give you a good idea, it’s fairly thorough. Feel free to ask questions if you like, I’m sure Nick would love to wax lyrical about his beloved Rocket construction.

So viva la Rocket Stove. These things are hyper-efficient. They should take over the world, I reckon – what is a better beacon for sustainable, responsible living than a guilt-free hot bath?

 Happy Nick bathing in the glory of his Rocket-Powered Shower

**Notes on this system for safety: you want a pressure relase valve on the hot water tank (most have them on already) so the water tank doesn’t explode, and also a tempering valve on the hot water outlet (so no water hotter than 60º comes out), so that no one burns themselves during their lovely wood-fired shower.

The area around Zaytuna Farm recently experienced the worst floods for many years (since 1974 they say) – then it dried out for a few weeks. And now, over the last five days, it’s been back to raining again….

When the floods were on, people commented to Geoff, asking how he was coping with the power outages. Geoff was blissfully unaware that there had been any (since Zaytuna runs off grid with solar).

The property is buffered in another way as well – the swales are great equalisers when it comes to water. They keep water flowing from the taps and keep the grass green long after a drought has hit and burnt off the neighbours’ fields, and they also ensure that when a flood strikes, the water is slowed down and sunk – thus avoiding rivers of water carrying away soil and more. To a great degree, the earthworks here not only drought-proof the land, but also flood-proof it as well.

These things are well worth considering with the promise of more and more droughts and floods in the coming years….

Lots of rain has filled up all the swales at Zaytuna,
from where it will slowly percolate through the landscape

Today, because of the inclement weather, some of the team are doing work appropriate for the conditions – finishing off some cob rendering indoors, in the straw bale kitchen that was never quite finished before now. Here are some shots of the process:

Kevin shovels some iron-rich red earth into the barrow

Nadia adds some lucerne (alfalfa) to the mix

Kevin shovels in some sand

Then it’s mixed well, and some water added

Dave applies the resulting cob mix over a foundation of
dry bamboo leaves covered in chicken wire mesh

Later a chaff render made of sieved soil, sharp river sand and fine wheat chaff
mixed with water will be added. Then a lime plaster goes over the top (made of
slaked lime, silica sand, water and red volcanic soil for a nice pale
but warm coloured finish).

]]> http://permaculture.org.au/2009/06/22/life-at-zaytuna-rainy-days/feed/ 2 http://permaculture.org.au/2009/05/26/world-geothermal-power-generation-nearing-eruption/ http://permaculture.org.au/2009/05/26/world-geothermal-power-generation-nearing-eruption/#comments Mon, 25 May 2009 18:33:57 +0000 Earth Policy Institute http://permaculture.org.au/?p=1463 by Jonathan G. Dorn, Earth Policy Institute

With fossil fuel prices escalating and countries searching for ways to reduce oil dependence and greenhouse gas emissions, capturing the earth’s heat for power generation is garnering new attention. First begun in Larderello, Italy, in 1904, electricity generation using geothermal energy is now taking place in 24 countries, 5 of which use it to produce 15 percent or more of their total electricity. In the first half of 2008, total world installed geothermal power capacity passed 10,000 megawatts and now produces enough electricity to meet the needs of 60 million people, roughly the population of the United Kingdom. In 2010, capacity could increase to 13,500 megawatts across 46 countries–equivalent to 27 coal-fired power plants.

Originating from the earth’s core and from the decay of naturally occurring isotopes such as those of uranium, thorium, and potassium, the heat energy in the uppermost six miles of the planet’s crust is vast–50,000 times greater than the energy content of all oil and natural gas resources. Chile, Peru, Mexico, the United States, Canada, Russia, China, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and other countries along the Ring of Fire (an area of high volcanic activity encircling the basin of the Pacific Ocean) are rich in geothermal energy. Another geothermal hot spot is the Great Rift Valley of Africa, which includes such countries as Kenya and Ethiopia. Worldwide, 39 countries with a cumulative population of over 750 million people have geothermal resources sufficient to meet all their electricity needs. (See data here.)

Typically, power generation using the earth’s heat required underground pockets of high-temperature water or steam to drive a steam turbine. Now, new technologies that use liquids with low boiling points in closed-loop heat exchange systems allow electricity to be generated at much lower temperatures. This breakthrough is making geothermal power generation viable in countries such as Germany that are not known for their geothermal resources and is one reason why the number of countries using the earth’s heat to generate electricity could almost double by 2010.

One advantage of geothermal power plants, beyond the benefit of producing electricity from a low-carbon, indigenous energy source with no fuel costs, is that they provide baseload power 24 hours a day. Storage or backup-power is not required.

The United States leads the world in generating electricity from the earth’s heat. As of August 2008, geothermal capacity in the United States totaled nearly 2,960 megawatts across seven states–Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. California, with 2,555 megawatts of installed capacity–more than any country in the world–produces almost 5 percent of its electricity from geothermal energy. Most of this capacity is installed in an area called the Geysers, a geologically active region north of San Francisco.

Thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which made geothermal power generation eligible to receive the federal renewable energy production tax credit, electricity generated from geothermal resources now costs the same as fossil-fuel-based electricity in many markets in the western United States. With favorable economics, the geothermal industry is experiencing a surge in activity. As of August 2008, some 97 confirmed new geothermal power projects with up to 4,000 megawatts of capacity were under development in 13 states, with some 550 megawatts of this already in the construction phase. Expected to create 7,000 permanent full-time jobs, the new capacity will include numerous large-scale projects such as the 350-megawatt and 245-megawatt projects by Vulcan Power near Salt Wells and Aurora, Nevada; the 155-megawatt project by CalEnergy near the Salton Sea in southern California; and the 120-megawatt project by Davenport Power near the Newberry Volcano in Oregon.

Current development is only scratching the surface of what is possible. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that with emerging low-temperature technologies, at least 260,000 megawatts of U.S. geothermal resources could be developed. A study led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology indicates that an investment of roughly $1 billion in geothermal research and development over 15 years (roughly the cost of a single new coal-fired power plant) could lead to commercial deployment of 100,000 megawatts by 2050.

In Europe, the top countries in geothermal energy development are Italy with 810 megawatts and Iceland with 420 megawatts. Italy is expected to nearly double its installed capacity by 2020. Iceland, with 27 percent of its electricity needs met by harnessing the earth’s heat, is number one in the world in the share of its electricity generated from geothermal energy. Germany, with only 8 megawatts of installed capacity, lags behind but is beginning to see the effects of a feed-in tariff of €0.15 (US $0.23) per kilowatt-hour that was implemented in 2004. Almost 150 plants are now in the pipeline in Germany, with most of the activity centered in Bavaria.

Ten of the top 15 countries producing geothermal electricity are in the developing world. The Philippines, which generates 23 percent of its electricity from geothermal energy, is the world’s second biggest producer behind the United States. The Philippines aims to increase its installed geothermal capacity by 2013 by more than 60 percent, to 3,130 megawatts. Indonesia, the world’s third largest producer, has even bigger plans, calling for 6,870 megawatts of new geothermal capacity to be developed over the next 10 years–equal to nearly 30 percent of its current electricity generating capacity from all sources. Pertamina, the Indonesian state petroleum company, anticipates building most of this new capacity–adding its name to the list of conventional energy companies that are beginning to diversify into the renewable energy market.

The geothermal development potential of the Great Rift Valley in Africa is enormous. Kenya is the frontrunner in the effort to tap this potential. In late June 2008, President Mwai Kibaki announced a plan to install some 1,700 megawatts of new geothermal capacity within 10 years–13 times greater than the current capacity and one-and-a-half times greater than the country’s total electricity generating capacity from all sources. Djibouti, aided by Reykjavik Energy Invest’s commitment to provide $150 million for geothermal energy projects in Africa, aims to tap the earth’s heat to produce nearly all of its electricity within the next few years. Further stimulating development is the African Rift Geothermal Development Facility (ARGeo), an international organization partly funded by the World Bank that seeks to increase the use of geothermal energy in the Great Rift Valley by protecting investors from losses during early stages of development.

Industry, which accounts for more than 30 percent of world energy consumption, is also starting to turn to reliable, low-cost geothermal energy. In Papua New Guinea, a 56-megawatt geothermal power station owned by Lihir Gold Limited, a leading global gold company, meets 75 percent of corporate power demand at a notably lower cost than oil-fired power generation. In Iceland, five geothermal power plants planned near Reykjavik, which are slated to have a total capacity of 225 megawatts when completed in 2012, will provide electricity to new aluminum refineries.

Despite development potential measured in the hundreds of thousands of megawatts, tapping this renewable source of power is still in its infancy. But as more and more national leaders begin to see renewable energy as a cost-effective, low-carbon alternative to price-volatile, carbon-intensive fossil fuels, geothermal power generation is expected to move rapidly from marginal to mainstream.

Well…..Salaam Alaykum. Welcome to Jordan.

Beduoin Camp, Dead Sea Valley, Jordan

It doesn’t work like that here.

Not where I am anyway, sitting in a former Palestinian Refugee camp 400 meters below sea level. In the Jordan Valley, the lowest place on earth. Yep that’s right the ocean is 400 meters above my head. I’m currently working on the Jordan Valley Permaculture Project started by Geoff and Nadia Lawton. The intention of the project is to create a Permaculture demonstration site/education center that will enable local residents to replicate the techniques in their homes and add a layer of security that no arsenal of modern weaponry can touch.

The city water turns on maybe twice a week. So everyone has tanks on the roof they fill when it does. And if you run out then you either buy in a truckload or do without. Yeah do without in an area with average yearly rainfall of 200 mm, and temperatures in the summer of 50 degrees celsius (122 Fahrenheit) lets see the residents of Los Angeles or New York City deal with that.

end of the earth?

I’ve been here for 3 weeks now and perspective shift is an extreme understatement. It is quite literally another world here. Just like southeast asia is another world, the middle east is another world. Another culture, another language, another way of life. There are different ways one must conduct themselves, especially when it comes to male and female interactions. You can save your women’s lib comments, the women here don’t want to hear it. On the outside it seems that the women are repressed and forced to cover up. In reality its all done for their protection, the hijab (or covering up) is a personal choice for a woman and serves to protect their modesty and dignity. You see, when a woman is covered, even in male company she can be perceived for her spiritual qualities and her personality, over her physical appearance. the hijab is also for for the men’s benefit. As they say, a man cannot resist looking at a pretty women so the women cover up to save the men bad credit. Oh and a respectful man would never approach a strange woman, you get one look for free and that’s it, if she wants to approach you then you can talk to her. Basically to be safe you spend a lot of time staring at the ground.

Its a far cry from the demonized portrayal we get on the local news back in the states and in most of the western world. Speaking of which a prime example is the War on Gaza. I can only imagine the tired attempt at reporting the news stations back home are doing. Watching the news here you get a bit of a different story. First off on the BBC they say 1000 Palestinians DIED, and 13 Israelis KILLED. on Aljazeera they say 1000 Palestinians KILLED, 13 Israelis KILLED. So what does the BBC think those thousand Palestinians died of? Cancer?!

On tv you hear “Israel is not targeting civilians” on tv I see Schools and UN buildings, yes thats right United Nations Buildings used as safe houses for women and children destroyed by Israeli air-strikes.

If this were Gaza we would see different expressions.

We could go on all day, but sitting here, eating dinner, made to feel like part of the family. Then watching these atrocities on the tv and thinking, jesus christ, this house, these people, these smiling kids are the same ones losing limbs, losing family members, losing any hope at a dignified existence.

So this project here in Jordan, whose population is one half displaced Palestinian refugees, is a real, practical, on the ground attempt at basic human security. Clean water, healthy food, appropriate energy technology, and proper waste management. Something no political leadership can provide.

And a special note for all those change-aholics ga ga for Obama. I’m glad to have a president that doesn’t speak like a moron now, but sorry to burst your bubble, REAL change starts from the bottom up not the top down. That day has long since passed. So if you want to participate in REAL change then please feel free to donate to the project, click here for a break down of items needed. Its tax deductible, so do something positive with those tax dollars before Uncle Sam gets them. We know what that sponsors.

And if you really want a change then come volunteer on the project. Volunteers needed by end of March. Contact Geoff@permaculture.org.au for details. Permaculture Design Certificate required.

wanna see more pictures now? Ok just one more thing before we go….

Check your over-sanitized, toilet paper wiping, isn’t it dangerous, what about Al Queda?, bullshit at the door and come along for a ride. I promise its an experience you never knew you needed.

cheers, Masalama

Eric Seider

for more pics click here

where is a compost pile when you need one