Blog Action Day: My Post

Today is blog action day. The topic is the environment. I am a trained geologist working in the environmental field. I suspect every blog-hole in cyberspace will write some shit about global warming. It doesn't matter if they actually know anything or not, there is enough information out there that any monkey with a brain can pull something together. I would like my post to focus on small changes that I have done and have produced big benefits.

• Driving slower.
  
• driving only 5 mph slower can increase your vehicles fuel use by ~5 gallons per mile. (of course every car is different).

• Second Car
• If you have a gas guzzler, and so many people do, buy a second car.
  
• A small 3-4 cylinder POS for 800$. Use it in place of the GasPig as often as possible and you will save more money in gasoline than you paid for the car in 6 months. You may even like it.
  

• Remove Stupid Shit
• That fuckin' stupid air foil from your trunk. Its robbing you of at least 1 GPM.
• Your kayak rack. Great I get it, you have a boat. Now quit being lazy and take that shit off. 1 GPM.
• Fuckin' cargo racks...on SUVs... THAT ARE EMPTY inside. With one driver. Put the crap inside the car.
  

• Maintenance. You've all seen these before: tire air pressure, air filter, fuel filter etc.... I won't get in to that.

• Ride a Bicycle to Work.

• Do you live less than 7 miles from you workplace? A this distance or less, you can pedal to work in about 30 minutes. Your health will increase and you don't even need a gym membership. I will not further extol the virtues of cycle-commuting. The benefits are huge, quit being such a pussy and do it.
• Walk to Work.
• Two miles or less should be easy enough for most. Try it
• Electricity Use.
• My dad was right! Turn off the lights when you leave the room the power bill will drop. Unplug items not being used. The biggest thing to any reader of this blog would be to unplug battery chargers (cell phone, ipod etc.) They draw power even when a device is not connected.
  
• Home Heating.
• Dial back the thermostat to 65 deg. F. Put on sweater.
• Use a wood stove (carbon neutral)
• Better Home Design
• Acceptance of Wind Turbines
• Solar Panels for every roof in America: tied to a common grid; providing power for all.
  

Where am I going with this post? Shit I don't know...I am writing it while at work so my thoughts are not as well formed as they need to be.

Plus there are so many things one can do to reduce the personal load on the ecosystem. It requires thinking and action.

Enough Talk... DO!

Northern Maine Woods

I took a camping/ hunting scouting trip into a remote region of the Maine woods this past weekend. The Seboomook Region to be specific. While out one day searching for deer signs we came across this slate outcrop----->

45o 53.833N

69o 44.353W

Within the outcrop were some slight kinking, as can be seen in this photo and some pyrite clasts (pods). The pyrite I found occurred within the same bed indicating that chemical differences in sedimentary deposition were in play. But that is usually the case, no? Unfortunately I forgot my brunton back at camp, a stupid error on my part, so I was unable to log structural data like strike and dip of the bedding, trend/plunge of the kinking etc.

This region of geology is far enough away from the real tectonic action that little metamorphism has occurred. We explored along the east end of the lake. The interesting thing is that I found slate in an area that is mapped as sandstone with medium bedding. While that was true for where our camp site was located, a direction south east of out camp (roughly the #2 on the MGS figure to the left) is where I found the slate. Then again this figure to the left is just a generalized map.

I wanted to go check out the pillow lava at the west end of the lake but by the time that idea came around I was half way though an 18-pack of budweiser and lost my motivation to drive the woods roads. Next trip.

The Maine Geological Survey has this page with a really good description of the area geology.

Useless Commuting Statistics

Yarmouth, Maine Par-n-Ride to Downtown Portland, ME.

• Distance: 14.25 miles
  
• Average Speed: 16.7 mph
• Ride Time: 50 min. 56 seconds

Weather: cloudy, cool but dry. 50 deg F.

Blacks Boycott LLBEAN

This vid is a frickn' riot. I think its funnier if you are from Maine and have been to L.L. Bean. After thinking about it actually, I cannot recall ever seeing a black person there.



For this and other vids, visit the onion

Peak Oil

Seems like I haven't done a geology related post in a while and recently I came across an excellent and well written piece on peak oil by Eric Cheney and Marianne Hawkes in the June 2007 edition of GSA Today.

The full article in pdf format is HERE. It is only two pages and definitely worth the read.

The crux of the Peak Oil argument is based on Hubbert's 1956 prediction that annual oil production in the US (lower 48 states) would peak in 1970 and decline (read decline as: use oil) steadily and fast from then forward.

"...that production will fall as sharply in the twenty first century as it rose in the twentieth." (state Cheney and Hawkes (C&H) via Urstadt, 2006).

Image from Wikipedia "Peak Oil"

What I found most interesting in reading the article is that C&H point out the differences in assumptions between predicting peak oil in 1956 to the 2007 knowledge base. Which are:

1. Plate Tectonics (1970's) re-defined rationale for deep-water drilling;
2. Knowledge of petroliferous rocks and stratigraphy;
3. Advancement of geochemistry;
4. Advancement of Technology
• geophysical surveys
• deep and deeper water drilling abilities
  
• horizontal drilling
  
5. Substitution of other sources
• coal (it is possible to get oil from coal)
  
• nukes
• oil sands
• oil shales
• methane ice

Now keep in mind that a few of those, like oil sands, only become economically viable as the prices of raw crude oil increase. It is unlikely that oil shales will ever be worth the energy input to derive oil. More likely is that some smart monkey scientist will figure out a better way to get your 4,000-pound SUV moving down the road. As a side note: ethanol is not the answer.

The article concludes with a point that 2004 oil production is twice what Hubbert projected. Well that is good news, kind of. But the real take away, and one that seems to be logical and non-alarmist in the presentation is that while gasoline will not run out soon it will be come more and more expensive. The every day person will see is gas increase per gallon from 4$ gas, 6$ gas, 20$, 100$ per gallon.

The question I have is; At what price will there be enough outcry and demand for vehicles that are powered by fuel not derived from hydrocarbons?

So, don't freak out. The sky is not falling. Just don't expect gasoline tp be below 2$ per gallon in the U.S. ever again. And have faith in man and science that we will invent a new and better way.

Mars Geology

I stumbled upon the European Space Agency (ESA) site and found cool pictures of the surface of Mars. The image at this link was one I spent a little time looking over.

'It is of the Deuteronilus Mensae region... The area is located on the northern edge of Arabia Terra and borders the southern high- and northern lowlands, at approximately 39° North and 23° East.'

At the very bottom, off center to the right I found an interesting feature, FOLDING.






In the center of the 'round' feature appears a fold string (shortening direction) trending northwest, south east. While this doesn't seem too exciting, it does add evidence of plastic deformation has/does occur(ed) on the planet. It also suggests: active tectonics; temperatures high enough to soften the rock; high pressures and also liquids. Liquids because adding liquid reduces the temperatures and pressures needed to soften rocks and is frequently present here on Earth.

*Of course it may not be a fold at all and I am just spewing prophecies of ignorance. Which is fun just the same.

Fall Vacation

In the Fall, particularly in September and October I like to use up my last vacation days. I enjoy these months because it gives me a week off during or after my birthday and also gives me plenty of time to make the winter preparations. Typically, preparing firewood and outdoor cleanup tasks.

Last night (Friday) to kick off my vacation I went on a bike ride after dark. I live in a rural part of Maine and the roads are totally dark. Street lights are usually only at intersections or tricky stretches. It makes the route seem completely different than during the day time in these ways:
(*)The pace feels faster, although I can't see my real-time speed (too dark) and my average is usually a bit lower;
(*)You can get a tunnel feel from the bike light;
(*)A short trip feels longer.

Last night my stats were: Average Speed 16.1 mph, Max Speed 35.5, 10.39 Miles, in 38 minutes and 27 seconds.
I really like riding at night. Done right, its totally safe.
If a post reader needs advice about road riding at night, just ask, I have suggestions.

St. Lucian Kids

I was looking though my vacation photos and found this great one I took at the airport during our departure of some local children. They were at the airport on a field trip. It wasn't until I got home and looked at the pic before I realized how good it came out. It helped they the kids were animated and quite frankly beautiful children.

Naked-ish Grandmother

Ill probably get a lot of pervy porn hits with that title, but hey, whatever brings in the readers.

On Sunday I went to dad's to have lobsters. Yeah, again. lobsters, lobsters lobsters...I'd say Im getting sick of eating so many but shit, I aint crazy. Anyway, as is her tradition my grandmother always ALWAYS wears a apron. So my dad pulls out this one I got for him a couple of years ago in Italy. She wore it all night. She don't give a shit. She's 86, wishes she was 36 and has an awesome sense of humor. So I bring you...

NAKED-ish GRANDMA