Are You Going Green?

[quote]Uncle Gabby wrote:
dhickey wrote:
MaximusB wrote:
I have thought about this whole global warming issue and despite what evidence there is (on both sides of the issue), I generally don’t like massive pollution going into the environment. I love the outdoors and mother nature, and while I won’t consider myself a full fledged tree-hugger, I do believe we should respect our environment more. I say screw the whole global warming issue altogether, lets make better efforts to be cleaner and you solve alot of issues right there.

Well then you should be very satisfied with progress over the last few decades. Lakes are cleaner, the air is cleaner, we have net reforrestation, ect. I am with you. I love the outdoors.

Same here. I believe we should be good stewards of the land and pass things on at least as good as we found them, but I’m skeptical of all of these crises that keep popping up. “Peak water”, What the fuck? I think the crisis is just about giving suburbanites something to worry about other than themselves, and these “green” products are marketing gimics. [/quote]

I think some of the green products are very good. For instance those twisted up flourescent bulbs? Great, I bought a couple packs at BJ’s, turned out to be less than a dollar a bulb, and the 75W equivalent bulbs use something like 13W or 16W, I mean the energy useage is good for my bill and good for the environment so i’m all for products like that.

A couple years ago those bulbs ran 5-7 bucks per bulb, they just weren’t cost effective, now that they are, I can’t see why anyone would buy another incandescant bulb. Also they last for 7 years or something so thats saving me money over the long haul too, plus creating less waste. I just wanted to throw that in there that there are some really good products out there which are “green”.

V

[quote]Growing_Boy wrote:
I’ve also taken the catalytic converter of my truck now that I got it smogged. I did it right in the parking lot of the shop that smogged my truck. It’s a V10. It puts out some narly fumes. [/quote]

GB, how old does a vehicle have to be in California before it’s exempt from the smog requirements? I’m looking for a heavy-duty 4WD pickup with no catalytic converter, electronic fuel injectors, computers, or solid-state electronic components or any kind; solid axles, and the simplest, most durable diesel engine possible. Obviously here in Minnesota anything over about ten years old is either half eaten by rust (many winters of road salt), has had the transmission shot to pieces by rough use as a snowplow truck (forward clunk reverse clunk…) or has been completely restored as a collector’s item, and therefore costs an astounding amount to buy.

I’m thinking about buying a nice old rust-free truck in California or thereabouts, and driving it back here, but I wonder if I could even drive it out of the state without getting pulled over for smog violations. Thoughts?

[quote]Varqanir wrote:
Growing_Boy wrote:
I’ve also taken the catalytic converter of my truck now that I got it smogged. I did it right in the parking lot of the shop that smogged my truck. It’s a V10. It puts out some narly fumes.

GB, how old does a vehicle have to be in California before it’s exempt from the smog requirements? I’m looking for a heavy-duty 4WD pickup with no catalytic converter, electronic fuel injectors, computers, or solid-state electronic components or any kind; solid axles, and the simplest, most durable diesel engine possible. Obviously here in Minnesota anything over about ten years old is either half eaten by rust (many winters of road salt), has had the transmission shot to pieces by rough use as a snowplow truck (forward clunk reverse clunk…) or has been completely restored as a collector’s item, and therefore costs an astounding amount to buy.

I’m thinking about buying a nice old rust-free truck in California or thereabouts, and driving it back here, but I wonder if I could even drive it out of the state without getting pulled over for smog violations. Thoughts?
[/quote]

I think it’s anything before 1975 that doesn’t need smog. I’d probably go with a 1994-1996 Ford F250 with the turbo 7.3 diesel. Those things are tanks and most of them come factory with a straight pipe. They also come with a factory straight under leafs. It wasn’t until 05 that Ford decided to make all their rigs feel like Cadillacs. CHP is being a stickler as of late with the diesel boys checking their exhausts and popping people running stacks. Even though you don’t need to smog a diesel they don’t want you to get too crazy with the mods and be rolling huge amounts of coal everywhere you go. But I think since your leaving the state they won’t really care. They worry about what’s in the state and what is coming into the state.

[quote]Vegita wrote:
Uncle Gabby wrote:
dhickey wrote:
MaximusB wrote:
I have thought about this whole global warming issue and despite what evidence there is (on both sides of the issue), I generally don’t like massive pollution going into the environment. I love the outdoors and mother nature, and while I won’t consider myself a full fledged tree-hugger, I do believe we should respect our environment more. I say screw the whole global warming issue altogether, lets make better efforts to be cleaner and you solve alot of issues right there.

Well then you should be very satisfied with progress over the last few decades. Lakes are cleaner, the air is cleaner, we have net reforrestation, ect. I am with you. I love the outdoors.

Same here. I believe we should be good stewards of the land and pass things on at least as good as we found them, but I’m skeptical of all of these crises that keep popping up. “Peak water”, What the fuck? I think the crisis is just about giving suburbanites something to worry about other than themselves, and these “green” products are marketing gimics.

I think some of the green products are very good. For instance those twisted up flourescent bulbs? Great, I bought a couple packs at BJ’s, turned out to be less than a dollar a bulb, and the 75W equivalent bulbs use something like 13W or 16W, I mean the energy useage is good for my bill and good for the environment so i’m all for products like that.

A couple years ago those bulbs ran 5-7 bucks per bulb, they just weren’t cost effective, now that they are, I can’t see why anyone would buy another incandescant bulb. Also they last for 7 years or something so thats saving me money over the long haul too, plus creating less waste. I just wanted to throw that in there that there are some really good products out there which are “green”.

V[/quote]

On the down side, they contain mercury.

[quote]Growing_Boy wrote:
Varqanir wrote:
Growing_Boy wrote:
I’ve also taken the catalytic converter of my truck now that I got it smogged. I did it right in the parking lot of the shop that smogged my truck. It’s a V10. It puts out some narly fumes.

GB, how old does a vehicle have to be in California before it’s exempt from the smog requirements? I’m looking for a heavy-duty 4WD pickup with no catalytic converter, electronic fuel injectors, computers, or solid-state electronic components or any kind; solid axles, and the simplest, most durable diesel engine possible. Obviously here in Minnesota anything over about ten years old is either half eaten by rust (many winters of road salt), has had the transmission shot to pieces by rough use as a snowplow truck (forward clunk reverse clunk…) or has been completely restored as a collector’s item, and therefore costs an astounding amount to buy.

I’m thinking about buying a nice old rust-free truck in California or thereabouts, and driving it back here, but I wonder if I could even drive it out of the state without getting pulled over for smog violations. Thoughts?

I think it’s anything before 1975 that doesn’t need smog. I’d probably go with a 1994-1996 Ford F250 with the turbo 7.3 diesel. Those things are tanks and most of them come factory with a straight pipe. They also come with a factory straight under leafs. It wasn’t until 05 that Ford decided to make all their rigs feel like Cadillacs. CHP is being a stickler as of late with the diesel boys checking their exhausts and popping people running stacks. Even though you don’t need to smog a diesel they don’t want you to get too crazy with the mods and be rolling huge amounts of coal everywhere you go. But I think since your leaving the state they won’t really care. They worry about what’s in the state and what is coming into the state. [/quote]

Good advice, brother. Gracias.

I grew up in farm country and every farmer I know was a consummate conservationist - they took care of and responsibility for their land knowing their lives depended directly upon it. The same is true of every one of my hunting partners - as outdoor enthusiasts we care for and love the land.

It is urban life than is a threat to nature - the less impact-ful we can make out CITIES the better we will all be. Every natural disaster of a man-made nature occurs because of city dwellers (toxic dumps, etc). Where do you find smog? out where we country rednecks take care of things or over there with them city folk and their “do everything for me” mentality?

As I said before, the first environmental group to completely clean up LA or NYC will get my full support.

I’m going going Amish so I can look down on earth destroying hybrids and their drivers.

[quote]malonetd wrote:
[/quote]

LMAO! I actually do that. I give all the uppity Prius owners shit when I see the pumping gas next to my rig. Y’all know the kind. With all the hippy bumper stickers. “Recycle, hug a beaver” “Give me green or give me death” and the like. They are still contributing to the problem. Their piece of shit vehicles require fossil fuels to operate. That’s fine, more fuel for us.

Global warming is a total crock of shit, but so many “band wagoneers” have signed up to it that there will be no turning back. There is a water shortage in the US Southwest, but we saw that coming 30 years ago, even go back 70 years with water being diverted to Los Angeles.

Going green for the right reasons is cool, but what else is green? Hint, it has pictures of dead presidents on it and you probably have some in your pocket. Green has become the latest cash crop for all the wrong reasons.

Myself, I recycle what I can. I bought a car that gets 24 mpg last year and scrapped my 12 mpg pig to a metal recycler. I switched my house over to gas heat from oil for convenience mostly, but was tired of the oil smell and gas is a lot cleaner.

I do what I can do just to reduce waste and do things that make sense to me.

BG

[quote]IrishSteel wrote:
I grew up in farm country and every farmer I know was a consummate conservationist - they took care of and responsibility for their land knowing their lives depended directly upon it. The same is true of every one of my hunting partners - as outdoor enthusiasts we care for and love the land.
[/quote]
I would agree 100% with hunters. Tree huggers in camo when it comes to wildlife and habitat.

I don’t know about your farmer comment. There are a shit load of once nice lakes around here that are absolutly disgusting from run-off. Western and southern MN mostly. With ethenol being subsidized, a shit load of land was converted to corn growning. Getting paid seems much more important that the downstream lakes.

[quote]
It is urban life than is a threat to nature - the less impact-ful we can make out CITIES the better we will all be. Every natural disaster of a man-made nature occurs because of city dwellers (toxic dumps, etc). Where do you find smog? out where we country rednecks take care of things or over there with them city folk and their “do everything for me” mentality?

As I said before, the first environmental group to completely clean up LA or NYC will get my full support.[/quote]
What do rednecks to prevent smog? Probably less than more populated areas. Same thing with toxic dumps. On a farm, do you recycle old appliances? Nope, you find the lowest spot on the property and dump it. Usually pretty close to a stream or crick. How about garbage? burn it. How about leaves? burn em’. How many chemicles to urban dweller dump into the ground for line of work?

I am actually not apposed to many of the things I mention, but to claim rural areas are better stewards of the land is just plain wrong. They have the luxury of more land, but are about the same if not a bit worse on green scale.

There are many suburban lakes I would eat fish out of long before eating them out many lakes in western and southern MN. Lake that are far less populated.

Ever been on a lake down stream of a poulty farm? Don’t eat the fish. Most people don’t even get in the water.

[quote]IrishSteel wrote:
I grew up in farm country and every farmer I know was a consummate conservationist - they took care of and responsibility for their land knowing their lives depended directly upon it. The same is true of every one of my hunting partners - as outdoor enthusiasts we care for and love the land.

It is urban life than is a threat to nature - the less impact-ful we can make out CITIES the better we will all be. Every natural disaster of a man-made nature occurs because of city dwellers (toxic dumps, etc). Where do you find smog? out where we country rednecks take care of things or over there with them city folk and their “do everything for me” mentality?

As I said before, the first environmental group to completely clean up LA or NYC will get my full support.[/quote]

There is a new farming idea that is being pushed and I think it has a real good chance of really helping out some of the problems with big cities and big farms, two of the more destructive elements ov our society. Vertical farming it’s being called. Essentially, you take an older abandoned commercial building in a city, preferably a good size one with many stories. You retro fit the building to grow hydroponic produce. You install solar and wind generators to help power the ligting that is needed, and you can even do inventive stuff like burning human feces from the city to power a turbine to make more electricity. It could be like a waste recycling station, and a produce production facility, giving jobs to city dwellers, having a small carbon footprint, the produce is in an environmentally secure facility so you don’t need pestacides or herbacides, and hydroponic produces massive yeilds compared to normal farming. The food is nutrient dense and you don’t lose crops due to mother nature. Also you distribute it locally so the food is cheaper than normal and it’s off the vine fresh. Some estimates are that a 5000 sq ft building 10 stories high could feed 60,000 for the year with all of their vegatative needs.

Also factor in the reduction you would need to have big farms out in the country doing miles of fields for farming for city dwellers and some farmland might be able to be reclaimed for pasture, then our meat industry could go back to being a lot more pasture fed and the quality of our meats might even improve, certainly the number of chemicals released into the environment would be reduced. As I said before, a buddy of mine operates a hydroponic greenhouse. His stuff is amazing and I could see him running one of these operations. Anyways, there is some good things on the frontier for man, we just need to shift our focus on doing things that will really help our society and stop focusing on things that mean little. The whole Obama carbon tax bullshit for instance. If we invested some money into getting vertical farms in every major city, just start up costs, Hydroponic farmers could do the rest and help clean up the environment much faster than carbon taxing ever will. I don’t even think carbon taxing is going to clean anything, it’s just another way to give the government more money and put us under more control.

V

I think the problems you mentioned dhickey are caused more by commercial/corporate farms rather than the local farmer . . . I would be curious to know if you knew the types of farms in your area and whether they are corporate farms or not.

Anyone know a good buggy dealer?

[quote]Sloth wrote:
Anyone know a good buggy dealer?[/quote]

http://www.equinehits.com/amish.buggy~24870