[EDS_]

Couldn't help but notice that someone with two homes is so concerned with the future of our natural recources.

EDS - I'm just joking with you - I have no idea whether or not you are more energy-piggy than the rest of us!

You bring up a good point. My wife and I decided not to buy a motor boat this summer based almost solely on environmental concerns.

I think about this topic a lot.

[nathanm]

The greenest route of all is to turn off all electrical equipment and commit suicide in the woods.  This is what I am planning on doing in a few weeks.  Then hopefully by next spring my decaying body will act as fertilizer for a nice tree or perhaps prevent a raccoon or two from resorting to the unseemly task of rummaging through human refuse bins for food.

[ZLS]

Hello,

    In Chicago where I live the city government has taken to planting lawns on top of some city buildings.  This is for insulation purposes, and to increasing the green areas of the city.  Believe it or not it works.  I wonder if this can be applied to Audio, i.e. how long before we have an OB Speaker made out of sod?  Think of the possibilities?  We can have tweaks of peat moss and fertilizer. 

                                                       ZLS

[budbrew]

1. I did not say solar is useless-I am all for research and development as it may well be our long term salvation-energywise. The sun has 4-6 billion years to go.
2. In a world where energy is scarce, in the economic sense, using more now to make less in the future is really stupid.
3. Economics does not allow for feelings and statements. Frankly, the best micro-economic theory forbids emotion. I could make a statement by burning an eternal flame outside my front door and feel good about it-that would still be silly.

I was an econ major and that was one of my biggest beefs, that the models were so simplistic and did not take into account people's emotions. We are in fact emotional beings. The advertisers know this and use it to great effect (in econimic terms, to seperate you from your money  )

To your point number 2, in a world where energy sources are limited it makes sense to start investing now so that when all that oil, coal and gas is used up we have something else to power us. In purely economic terms it may not make sense today, but for the survival of humanity and our billions in population we need energy sources to carry us into the next century and beyond. This will not happen overnight. Any loss in the current investment is intended to pay off later on. We should invest now so our great, great grandchildren will receive the dividend.

[TheChairGuy]

The greenest route of all is to turn off all electrical equipment and commit suicide in the woods.  This is what I am planning on doing in a few weeks.  Then hopefully by next spring my decaying body will act as fertilizer for a nice tree or perhaps prevent a raccoon or two from resorting to the unseemly task of rummaging through human refuse bins for food.

  Oh man, what is it like to be in your head, Nathan?  Great stuff - totally LOL 

[lonewolfny42]

The greenest route of all is to turn off all electrical equipment and commit suicide in the woods.  This is what I am planning on doing in a few weeks.

nathan....Sorry to see you going...but....before you "kick the bucket"....could you "will me" that flexy rack of yours....you did a nice job on it. Thanks....

[nathanm]

The greenest route of all is to turn off all electrical equipment and commit suicide in the woods.  This is what I am planning on doing in a few weeks.

nathan....Sorry to see you going...but....before you "kick the bucket"....could you "will me" that flexy rack of yours....you did a nice job on it. Thanks....

Thanks!  I just banged my shin into it last night, right on the pointy edge.  Beautiful, but dangerous.  Actually all the extra oil and trees required to pack and ship it to New York will no doubt cause Mother Earth to suffer and die that much quicker, and your great grandchildren will likely have to sell themselves into slavery in order to eat.  (What little food is left after The Great Calamity that is)  Maybe it is best it stays here, even though it is leaching toxic MDF glue fumes into the atmosphere which might kill me, if I stayed around long enough that is.

But really, much of this misery can be avoided by pursuing the Hi-Fi hobby in a more eco-friendly manner. For instance, stop buying new oil-wasting CDs and instead use the ones you already have to record and playback your own singing and music-making with this nifty DIY gramophone:

[lonewolfny42]

But really, much of this misery can be avoided by pursuing the Hi-Fi hobby in a more eco-friendly manner. For instance, stop buying new oil-wasting CDs and instead use the ones you already have to record and playback your own singing and music-making with this nifty DIY gramophone

Ahhh....Thomas Edison's invention....good call.
Another might be.....a cassette recorder....just need one cassette.


90 minutes of sonic bliss......

[mathmancocc]

Solar energy has been a hobby of mine for 40+ years and I have been living 'off the grid' for the past 15.
Current research indicates after 3-4 years the energy required to produce a solar panel will have been produced by the panel. See Homepower Magazine for more. I find the question itself interesting as I don't see this question even asked for the production of any other type of power.
I use a dynamotor - a motor driven generator - to produce the high voltage for my tube amp and phono amp and batteries for the 6.3 volt filaments and heaters. I use an Exeltech inverter - 12 volt DC to 120 volt AC - to run the turntable. Several years ago, many currently available inverters were tested for waveform purity the the Exeltech brand had the lowsest measured harmonic distortion.
Hope this information helps...