Energy Security

[Rick M]

Thanks again, Surfer... interesting stuff.

The rear-axle & drive-belt idea was of course standard on the old steam tractors 100 years ago and had all sorts of applications (except the tractors came with an elevated side wheel for that purpose).

I had not seen the PM article but some progressive work in on-farm methane is being done here in eastern Ontario:
http://www.agrinewsinteractive.com/a...ticle-7716.htm

It's interesting that the pioneers over here in alt-energy and organic ag are so often of Swiss/German background... meticulous in their "attention to detail."

We need more of this, much more, but most Canadian farmers are low-income and lack the investment to undertake such projects.

Meanwhile, farmers are only 2% of the population (same in USA, I believe) and on-farm energy use is only about 10% of energy use in the agri-food sector overall. Most agri-food energy use is for transportation, processing, packaging, refrigeration, etc.

Part of the reason for the UK focus on the "localization" of emergency response is because the panic buying of fuel and food typically occurs by local people stocking up at their local pumps and supermarkets. Supplies which could & should last many days can be depleted in 48 hours, thus greatly exacerbating an already difficult situation. The prevention of hoarding and the administration of more prudent measures can best (only??) occur at the local level.

(But I will state this again: North America has not yet moved in this direction. Actually, here's a challenge for SWC participants: please phone your local and state Emergency Management Office and ask if they have a plan for fuel shortages/oil supply emergencies. They will have plans for pandemics, nuclear attacks & hazardous spills, etc, but no regime to allocate fuel to the public during a fuel crisis. They will probably also indicate their surprise at your enquiry.
Please let this forum know if anyone finds info to the contrary.)

Defence Academy is a research arm of the UK military, and one of their researchers has done an excellent job of examining the UK food supply chain, including the vulnerabilities created by energy shortages.
Here is the link to Helen Peck's excellent study:
Wrong link and refer Post 13 for actual link.

Her study is very thorough (about 170 pages) but the most relevant info to our discussion here may be found in Section 1 (the first 20 pages)... well worth reading.