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Showing posts with label Industrial Hemp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Industrial Hemp. Show all posts

12.02.2016

Home Fire Repair and Remodel

The following photos are images from the job site, highlighting areas that the prior weatherization crews missed -when they were insulating this building.  

The missing insulation in critical areas causes greater energy needs - adding to the carbon footprint of this home.

The missing insulation in critical areas causes greater energy needs - adding to the carbon footprint of this home.

The Hemp Insulation Solutions to Thermal Bridging
Industrial Hemp Insulation stops thermal bridging!
Industrial Hemp Insulation stops thermal bridging!


Fire repair, gut rehab- property was one of the most insulated buildings I've worked on in StLouis (that wasn't mine). The prior so called "energy experts" who installed all the insulation, missed insulting the spots most needed.
In this home's lower floor is where a garage and storage rooms are located. There are two giant heat traps one of which extends thru the home to the roof area- the chimney & The other heat sink is the metal post and beam system that supports the second floor;floor.
Heat and cold transfer thru denser materials faster and more efficiently that a porous substance.
All the second floor boards are supported by this heat sink. This allows the heat and cold a way into the building thru conduction- thermal conductivity.
The homes chimney is also located in the coldest part of the home and thermally conducts all the absorbed heat & cold into the second floor.
To stop the thermal conductivity- building owner should insulate both of these areas and stop the heat or cold from ever reaching the heat sinks. By wrapping the chimney & metal it will never get cold or hot eliminating thermal conductivity.





Thank You for stopping by the Green Blog. If additional information in needed or you have a question let me know by posting a question or comment. Together we can make a difference and create a future that will benefit everyone.

12.15.2015

StLouis Environmental Startup Proposes Phytoremediation of Contaminated Soil

Have you heard about the natural solution to the problem of the nuclear radiation at Bridgeton Landfill?  MOhemp Energy is proposing to utilize Industrial Hemp for Income and to remediate the toxic soil at the Landfill.

Wiki defines Phytoremediation: Phytoremediation (from Ancient Greek Ï†Ï…το (phyto), meaning "plant", and Latin remedium, meaning "restoring balance") describes the treatment of environmental problems (bioremediation) through the use ofplants that mitigate the environmental problem without the need to excavate the contaminant material and dispose of it elsewhere.
  • Phytoremediation is a cost-effective plant-based approach to remediation that takes advantage of the ability of plants to concentrate elements and compounds from the environment and to metabolize various molecules in their tissues  
  • Toxic heavy metals and organic pollutants are the major targets for phytoremediation. 
  • Knowledge of the physiological and molecular mechanisms of phytoremediation began to emerge in recent years together with biological and engineering strategies designed to optimize and improve phytoremediation. 
  • In addition, several field trials confirmed the feasibility of using plants for environmental cleanup.[1]

MOhemp Energy goes on to show how phytoremediation is a low cost alternative in dealing with nuclear radiation from nuclear waste as well as other heavy metal compounds.


Phytromediation a financial vaible option to remove Heavy Metals


Exerts from a EPA Study:




A startup that wants to help the people while helping the environment- a perfect match.








Just recently the startup caught the attention of the Cleantech Open Challenge
MOhemp Energy Scientific Crowdfunding Update-IdeaScale-Cleantech Open,  While promoting the Idea Scale submission of Hemp for Soil Remediation of Nuclear Waste + sustainable insulation 

I was contacted via a Google Plus post and it was suggested that I should also submit the information to the 

CleanTech Open that boasts -who finds, funds, the most innovative cleantech startups on the Planet.





It was also stated that the boostrap-startup was a profitable venture with a profitable ROI of 5 years or less.


To learn more about the startup and its team of advisers see: 

Hemp for Income and Soil Remediation of Nuclear Waste in Bridgeton Missouri and the Cold Water Creek area of the St. Louis Region



Thank You for stopping by-Share and Comment below. If additional information in needed or you have a question let me know. Together we can make a difference and create a future that will benefit everyone. Build a Green StLouis Green Building Tips and Resources via: Scotty- St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog

8.22.2015

Remembering the Lessons of the Elders



SUSTAINABILITY IS KEY TO SURVIVAL


Remembering the lessons of the Elders…

1989-The I first time ever heard about homes being completely self sufficient was in the drafting and engineering classes.  I silently thought: That Old Fool is spouting off at the mouth again.  Recycle their toilet water?  Make their own energy?  Completely self sufficient Homes?  That old blow hard that never grades my futurist home designs with angled roofs, siding on diagonal layouts, round windows…what does this old fool know about the future?

Fast forward to 2015

We now have: Net Zero Energy and Water Homes that are completely self sufficient.  That old fool did know what he was talking about!  Maybe the real reason that my funky and modern designs didn’t grade well, was because they were wasteful or bad drawings.  Now that I’m in the actual building part of the design build community I realize: sure they’re cool to look at; but, expensive and wasteful to build.
I’ve also learned while renovating the buildings around the St. Louis area that the Old Builders who built the area up for the World’s Fair also knew a little about sustainability.
Hundreds and thousands of those old buildings are still standing and in use today. Recently while building an addition for a property, I discovered an: in ground water tank connected to a brick patio, with a sand and gravel filtering system as the water collection point.  Exactly the way a modern day ground filtration system works for a home built in 2015.  In other words: those old builders did have a clue.
It was also the early American settlers who built the first sod or earth homes in the great plains.  They may not have had running water, but they did have a true green home, that was built from Natural resources.  From my research the sod homes were: warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Even as early as 1985 while working on Dads cattle ranch where I helped install my first solar panel with battery backup- that powered the electric fence which kept the cattle out of the road.  I remember it still today because it was one of the first of many “electric jolts” I’d receive before learning to always test electric fences before grabbing the wire. 
(electric fence hint: blade of grass test) We also learned about electric fences. We worked on proving the idea that a short blade of grass laid on the electric fence will give you a shock.




 




So in all actuality today’s sustainable home builders are just relearning what the older generations already knew:
  • Build from local resources.  
  • Recycle your water.  
  • Make and Store your own power.  
Luckily we now have ways to save that power and reuse that water safely.  
Just as sustainability was a way of survival for the early settlers; it is fast becoming a key for the survival for the humans today.  The ability to sustain a life in an ever changing climatic planet fraught with:
  • out of control sea level rise that is forcing island inhabitants to seek higher ground,

  • severe storms and tornadoes wreaking havoc in the Midwest,


  • heat indexes of plus 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60°C) in India,


  • uncontrollable forest fires in the Western USA,


  • drought conditions forcing entire populations to abandon areas in Africa.

Never before has the need for sustainable lifestyle ever been more important.  And just like those early sod home builders of the great plains.  Our generations too will meet the challenge and overcome.  Thankfully we now have cool gadgets to help us.
Today’s electric inventors are figuring out ways to make supercapacitors used in electronics out of natural resources from Hemp Lignin. 
 




Tesla’s energy devices are being re-created and found to be functional.  
Battery and Energy storage engineers are creating: chemical, natural, and rare earth energy storage devices.  
Solar panel output power efficiency are being improved by studying Butterfly Wings.
 



Natural forms of insulation like Hempcrete are being rediscovered and used to block out severe weather while protecting the inhabitants.

Mankind is rediscovering and
                  remembering the lessons of our Elders
                                                                 
                                        sustainability is key to survival.


by Scotty






The International Businesses Standards Organization is a non-profit independent organization which was established under the initiative of entrepreneurs in order to support an international trade and a business development.

At IBSO, we strongly believe that the increasing involvement of enterprises in international markets will help to promote a sustainable future and aids in the solution of many other serious global problems.

We are convinced that cross-border commercial activity provides a great number of benefits. It creates jobs, raises incomes and standards of living, increases the innovative capabilities of market-based national economies, and as a consequence of all this, it boosts local, regional, national, and global economic growth. And finally, global commercial exchange plays an important role in maintaining of worldwide peace and stability.

This reality motivates us to continue to build a robust structure that supports not just a modern, but a progressive and ethically oriented organization around the world. Maintaining and encouraging such an international business activity, there is where we invest our resources.

As a group, the IBSO strongly believes that our organization is a lot more than just a group of people coming together for a common cause. Ever since its creation in 2011, we have gone to great lengths to implement new initiatives and develop new tools that keep us focused on the ever changing interests of international market players all around the globe.

I am sure that now, in today's kind of economical world we are in, it is just the right time to present to the business-society our new project,

This is a global, voluntary initiative designed for entrepreneurs and a wide range of organizations. The Worldwide Charter encourages its signatories to contribute to sustainable global progress by incorporating into their business practices nine specific principles in the areas of environmental protection, and economic and social development.

Coupled with our carefully selected experts, we have developed this initiative as all-encompassing code of conduct that reflects the universal principles of fair dealing and the best international practices in ethics and corporate responsibility.

It is aimed at empowering businesses and organizations around the world to be more strategic in promoting its commitment to sustainable and positive business practices in clear, simple and easily understandable terms for their partners, customers and the public at large.

We have determined that there should be no charge for signatories to participate in the Worldwide Charter. The rationale is that we are thinking it will be illogical to require the fees from the enterprises whose leaders are committed to implement fair dealing practices and to conform to the standards of modern society.

I urge you to consider joining this Worldwide Charter. I hope it will increase your worldwide performance and your ability to compete globally.

In conclusion, I just wanted you to know that we are continuing to work very assiduously to maintain IBSO’s world-class status that is responsive to the 21st Century challenges of our global village. We intend to develop and maintain efficient and flexible standardization solutions to meet the needs of international business society.

We look forward to working with you on growing your involvement in the global marketplace through a collaborative and efficient partnership with the International Businesses Standards Organization.

Sincerely,
Konstantin Krinski,
Chairman of the International Businesses Standards Organization

SUSTAINABILITY IS KEY TO SURVIVAL




Thank You for stopping by-Share and Comment below. If additional information in needed or you have a question let me know. Together we can make a difference and create a future that will benefit everyone. Build a Green StLouis Green Building Tips and Resources via: Scotty- St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog
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7.20.2015

MOhemp Energy: The Key To Green Buildings

So why aren't more people adopting green building techniques into their home or business.  The biggest obstacle for adopting this technique into every building is the short term costs to implement these techniques.   


For those who have been reading about MOhemp Energy's plan to address this biggest obstacle: The technique and system of using the Hemp Seeds and Fibers to pay for every part of the process of growing and harvesting Hemp- from farming to the end result.  

This Will: enable MOhemp Energy to offer
the Hemp Hurds to clients and customers 
at the lowest possible costs.  Enabling the 
Hemp Hurds used to make #Hempcrete 
with little to no expense.  Thus allowing 
cheap and inexpensive alternative to 
building or renovating most any structure 
into a sustainable building.

If you build or renovate as a DIY project yourself, the lower costing sustainable Hemp Hurds materials will be a minimal investment.

MOhemp Energy: The Key To Green Buildings

2.27.2015

Scottys Speech HB830 Industrial Hemp for MO

             Here is a copy of the speech notes and actual presentation notes I gave to the Missouri Legislative Ways and Means Committee Members in support of the HB830 Industrial Hemp Bill working through MoLeg.

              Knowing that my papers would get submitted with my testimony I went a little off my scripted notes and addressed a few concerns that I noticed the Legislators had made during the meeting:

  • During the discussion it became clear that the Legislators were concerned about how Law Enforcement Personnel would distinguish the difference between a Industrial Hemp plant and a Cannabis Plant used for Medical or Personal use.
               Luckily I've been following how the Kentucky Law Enforcement have found in their states latest Hemp Legalization laws and quoted what I read about the Sheriff and what he learned: PR 


FRANKFORT, Ky. — Agriculture Commissioner James Comer applauded Christian County Sheriff Livy Leavell Jr. for supporting the production of industrial hemp in Kentucky during the annual conference of the Kentucky Association of Counties today in Louisville.

              I informed the committee that by reading the Sheriffs suggestions of coaching and training it was easy to distinguish the difference between the two types of hemp plants.  


  • And tied that line of thought into a prior concern that was mentioned by another Member on the Height of the Hemp Plant.
               I honestly had no idea how little the Committee Members knew about the Industrial Hemp plant.  I do know they understand growing Corn in Missouri.  So I tied how growing corn: tall and with multiple ears was desirable on the farm I grew up on.  

                My line of thought was on growing the Industrial Hemp for seeds and use in Hempcrete I wanted the plant to grow as tall as I've seen in the UK.  Where the Plants were as tall than the harvesting machinery.

  • A member also addressed the use in Rope and the previous war effort.  (I got the drift he was implying: people don't use as much ropes as we once did.  Why do we need hemp plants for rope)
                 I made sure of mentioning that almost everyday I learn of a new and innovative use for the Industrial Hemp Plant.  And recently was just reading about how they were used instead of copper in low voltage applications that save the worlds natural resources.  

                  I also touched on the bio fuel applications.  And how the seeds could be turned into non polluting fuel to be used by autos and machinery.

                While I was on the Pollution subject I also mentioned how the Hemp plant is a Carbon Sink that traps the CO2 carbon emissions from the Air into the Soil.  And how when used in Hempcrete it continues trapping the Carbon Emissions within the wall from the chemical reaction of the Natural Products used to make Hempcrete.  

                I made sure that they also were aware of Climate Change and the harmful CO2 emissions that are threatening everyone.

  • The only negative thing I heard about the Industrial Hemp Plant while at the HB830 Committee meeting came from the last witness was by the Farm Bureau Representative.  The Rep had based her presentation on outdated material from years ago by the Missouri Highway Patrol; in that: they were not in favor of the Hemp plant due to the THC issues.

About Show-Me Cannabis
Show-Me Cannabis is an association of organizations and individuals, who believe that cannabis prohibition is a failed policy, and regulating and taxing cannabis in a manner similar to alcohol would better control the production, distribution, and consumption of cannabis than the current criminal market system does. The group seeks to engage Missourians in a serious, public discussion about the issues associated with marijuana consumption, including medical cannabis, industrial hemp, public safety, and financial analysis in order to address problems associated with the current, failed policy.

Looking back I'm sure I was ad-libbing a bit more since there was so much information inside of me that needed to come out in support of Industrial Hemp for Missouri Jobs.


Scottys HB830 Witness Form


INDUSTRIAL HEMP BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMES NATURALLY



Building Product grown by Missouri Farmers
that could be used by Missouri Craftsmen
to build Missouri Homes
This is the Ultimate in Buying Local!

Thank you for allowing me to participate in what I feel will be a game changer for the Missouri Economy, that starts by helping our most treasured resource: The Missouri Farmers who grow our food.  

Which is especially important to me since I was raised on a 4,000 acre cattle operation in North Missouri.  So anytime I can help a farmer, to help me and my business I create a Win Win scenario.  

There is also the added benefit of creating employment opportunities for additional Missouri Residents.

The 3 main parts of the Hemp Plant where I see the most potential for generating income are:
  1. Seeds-for producing a Bio-Diesel
  2. Hemp Fibers for Building Insulation, Wall boards (Particle Board), Clothes, etc
  3. Hempcrete made from the Hurd from the center of the Hemp Stalk



My Goal with the Industrial Hemp plant is to build: affordable energy efficient homes from sustainable materials.

The easiest way I can find of keeping the costs low for the Homes I plan to build with Hempcrete is by utilizing the other parts of the plant to generate income and cost savings for the Farmers who will grow the Hemp Plant.



For me to build these Energy Efficient Homes it will require the cooperation of the Missouri Legislative Department and Farmers.
My initial plans on this venture is to enlist Farmers to enter into a income producing sharecropping venture with sales from Bio Diesel Production and the Bast Fiber to offset the land use.

Hemp Fibers
Hemp Stalk Cutaway
Natural fibers are an annually harvested crop, which produce thread like industrial grade fibers.
There are three outputs after harvesting and processing natural fibers.
The three outputs are as follows:
  • Bast Fiber – Fiber produced around the stalk.
  • Hurd (Core) – Stalk of the crop.
  • Dust – Dust created from processing the material


Why Hemp Biodiesel? BioDiesel info supplied by: http://www.hemp.com/hemp-education/uses-of-hemp/hemp-fuel/

  • Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel that runs in any conventional, unmodified diesel engine.
  • It can be stored anywhere that petroleum diesel fuel is stored. Biodiesel is safe to handle and transport because it is as biodegradable as sugar, 10 times less toxic than table salt, and has a high flashpoint of about 300 F compared to petroleum diesel fuel, which has a flash point of 125 F.
  • Biodiesel can be made from domestically produced, renewable oilseed crops such as hemp.
  • Biodiesel is a proven fuel with over 30 million successful US road miles, and over 20 years of use in Europe.
  • When burned in a diesel engine, biodiesel replaces the exhaust odor of petroleum diesel with the pleasant smell of hemp, popcorn or french fries.
  • Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel in the US to complete EPA Tier I Health Effects Testing under section 211(b) of the Clean Air Act, which provide the most thorough inventory of environmental and human health effects attributes that current technology will allow.
  • Biodiesel is 11% oxygen by weight and contains no sulfur.
  • The use of biodiesel can extend the life of diesel engines because it is more lubricating than petroleum diesel fuel, while fuel consumption, auto ignition, power output, and engine torque are relatively unaffected by biodiesel.
  • The Congressional Budget Office, Department of Defense, US Department of Agriculture, and others have determined that biodiesel is the low cost alternative fuel option for fleets to meet requirements of the Energy Policy Act.

 Mr G. Flavall, Hemp Technologies; advertises Industrial Hemp as having these characteristics when used as Hempcrete 
  • Thermal Mass Insulation
  • Negative Carbon
  • Low Density
  • Clean Air
  • High Thermal Resistance
  • High Thermal Inertia
  • Vapour Permeable (breathable)
  • Design Flexibility (adjustable thickness)
  • Fire and Pest Resistant (NO Termites)
  • Significantly Reduce Co2
  • Emissions
  • Inherently Airtight
  • No Waste
  • No Mould
  • No Termites
  • No Dry Rot
  • Natural Substrates for Plasters and Renders
  • Low Air Infiltration
  • ZERO LANDFILL




The following information was supplied by http://www.americanhempllc.com/



How many cubic feet of hempcrete can I make with one bag of hemp hurds?
When mixing hemp hurds with a localized lime binder and water you can produce approximately 4.5 cubic feet of hempcrete material.


We recommend purchasing the necessary materials for the lime binder (High Calcium Hydrated Lime, Water, and Cement, but sometimes NHL 5, NHL 3.5, or pozzolans are added as well)  



Thank you for taking the time and allowing me to share some of what I have learned about the Industrial Hemp Plant.  

Although I have just focused on 3 of the uses for the plant, I've read about hundreds of additional uses. 

  With such a game changing opportunity for Missourians I strongly urge you to enable Missourians the opportunity for employment in the Hemp Industry. 
End of speech



 In the end I feel they gained a better understanding of the multiple uses and the game changing job creator that Industrial Hemp can bring to Missouri. 

           I also feel that after I explained how Hempcrete has the Energy Saving aspects of Insulation, while being as tough as Concrete, the Missouri Legislative Ways and Means Committee Members have a better understanding of the Greatness of the Hemp Plant 
        And my favorite use for the plant- Hempcrete! 
- See more at: http://blog.stlouisrenewableenergy.com/2015/02/2015-HB830-Industrial-Hemp-missouri.html#sthash.dcnHV5HW.dpuf











Thank You for stopping by-Share and Comment below. If additional information in needed or you have a question let me know. Together we can make a difference and create a future that will benefit everyone. Build a Green StLouis Green Building Tips and Resources via: Scotty- St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog
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