[va-richmond-general] Re: general feeder question, ecological comments
- From: "Chris Terrell" <cterrell@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 28 May 2005 13:40:25 -0400
I understand this is an Audubon list first and everything else second,
so
I'll throw in a birding observation before replying to Michael's thoughtful
comments.
In the past few weeks consumption at my feeders has skyrocketed.
Normally
I would burn through a 25lb bag of sunflower in a few months, now it takes a
few weeks. Many of my feeders are being completely emptied within a day.
And suet? Over a block a day. Have others on the list experienced similar
results, and if so, why? I've experienced highs and lows at the feeder
before, but I feel like I'm in record territory these days. I only wish I
could get a good photo of the cardinal courtship ritual (male feeds female,
looks like a kiss). No doubt Rich will soon...
The usual suspects (ranked from favorite to less-so)
Red-headed Woodpecker (he's magnificent)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Cardinal
Carolina Wren
American Goldfinch
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Blue Jay
White-breasted Nuthatch
Northern Mockingbird
Chipping Sparrow
Gray Catbird
Mourning Dove
House Finch
Common Grackle
European Starling
Regarding solar panels, I do hope there is an incentive (tax break,
etc.)
to install these in homes over time. Solar provides an excellent
supplement, unfortunately the return on investment takes a lot of time and
it is not a stand-alone replacement for conventional heating and electrical
needs.
Regarding agriculture - corn for ethanol and soybeans for biodiesel -
there
are hidden costs that have to be factored in. Most commercial agriculture
in the US relies heavily on both fertilizer and pesticide. While this is a
justified cost of doing business, there is the problem of runoff into the
watershed. I am generally in favor of agricultural supplements and
replacements for traditionally refined gasoline, however there is a cost to
be factored with any method of generating power - particularly for internal
combustion engines. My hope is that the leadership at the Federal level
will pursue alternate energy sources more aggressively. It is interesting
that President Bush (not particularly popular with the environmental crowd)
toured a New Kent biodiesel plant on the 16th to help promote the emerging
industry. Whether you consider it sincere or lip-service, it was certainly
a new development. Below is a link to the story.
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-18017sy0may17,0,2985439.story?coll=dp-head
lines-topnews
-----Original Message-----
From: va-richmond-general-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:va-richmond-general-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Michael
Shapiro
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2005 8:24 PM
To: va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [va-richmond-general] alternate energy sources, Bluebird
question
Solar can be done less drastically. Individual homes can have their own
solar heating panels, as can cars, businesses, etc... There doesn't have to
be a solar "bank" as with wind turbines or a factory as with coal or nuclear
power. Negative views without alternatives or solutions does not help.
Hydrogen may have problems, but that doesn't mean we should give up on it.
The US, as a whole, has a lot of problems, but that doesn't mean we should
hand the keys to the White House over to Castro. Last I heard about
hydrogen, the conversion process is done in the car.
The use/production of soybeans won't starve anybody. Many farmers in
this country are paid NOT to grow food (or certain foods) so that prices
will remain high. If every farmer grew all the food (s)he wanted to without
government interference, we could easily solve much of the world's hunger
problems. Imagine if half the ranches in the country started raising soy
beans instead of cattle - or even 1/4. Every tobacco farmer could grow soy
beans and not have any effect on hunger. How many farmers grow corn for
ethanol? Let them grow soy beans, instead. Yet another method of farming
that wouldn't affect food crops. Then have every farmer set aside a small
portion of their land for soy beans. This would dramatically increase the
production of soy beans, overall, so that some could be used for food and
some for fuel. Tear down non-functioning oil factories or coal factories, as
well as nuclear power plants, change the land over to farming, and then grow
soy beans. Instead of building more strip malls (how many Circuit City's
does one need in a 20 miles radius? There are four within 20 miles of me -
two within five), how about using the land as farm land to grow soy beans?
You get the idea. Granted, these things would take a lot of time, but
they'll take even MORE time if something isn't done NOW - the longer you
wait, the longer it takes. Should we wait until there is an actual emergency
(as in "The Day after Tomorrow," for example)? I believe Dr. King said, "The
time is always right to do what is right."
Now, just so this isn't all environmental debate, I did have some
interesting bird sightings/hearings: A Northern Bobwhite continues to call
from the field behind our "learning cottage" at school. A male Eastern
Bluebird greeted me from the top of the flagpole as I came into work on
Friday. His nest box is just a few feet away. It's very beat up and reminds
me of the condemned houses near VCU. Doesn't seem to bother him, though.
Haven't seen any juveniles yet. There were eggs in there about three weeks
ago, but I haven't looked recently. I couldn't say with any degree of
certainty when they were laid, but sometime in late April would be my guess.
Anyone know how long it takes between the laying of the first egg and the
fledging of the first juvenile?
Michael Shapiro
Short Pump
PS - Thanks to all who told me that my messages were getting through. Can't
understand why **I** can't see them. Oh, well.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Blowers" <jimvb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 9:15 PM
Subject: [va-richmond-general] Re: my posts
> I got your message, Michael. I quoted both your messages to show that. I
> have the same problem with some but not all of my listserves, namely
> that I don't get my own messages back.
>
> Solar seems the way to go in the future, but it means putting down an
> area of solar panels as great as what our road network now covers. Wind
> means throwing up millions of wind turbines; we already have problems
> with cell phone towers. Hydrogen has many problems and seems to depend
> on solar or wind to get the hydrogen to use as fuel. Soybeans and other
> crops means starving people, as we cut drastically the amount of the
> crop needed for food. None of these are easy, and I suspect an ever
> changing mix of fuel sources is what we will use in the future.
>
> Jim Blowers
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: va-richmond-general-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:va-richmond-general-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Michael
> Shapiro
> Sent: Thursday, 2005 May 26 18:31
> To: Richmond listserv
> Subject: [va-richmond-general] my posts
>
>
> Someone PLEASE tell me if my posts are getting through!! For some
> reason, I don't get my own posts. I've asked this several times and no
> one has ever answered, which makes me think they aren't getting through.
> Are they? Michael Shapiro sc.tanager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Short Pump You are
> subscribed to VA-Richmond-General. To unsubscribe, send email to
> va-richmond-general-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the
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> visit, //www.freelists.org/list/va-richmond-general.
>
> The biggest problem with nuclear energy - aside from plants being
> terrorist targets - is what to do with the waste.
> Solar is a viable, renewable energy source that will last as long as the
> Sun does - about another 10 billion years or so. Water has also been
> discussed as a fuel source (burning the oxygen and releasing the
> hydrogen - or is it the other way around?), and soy beans are currently
> being discussed as an energy/fuel source.
> If more money were given to organizations researching alternative energy
> and fuel sources, I'm sure other things could be found that no one has
> yet dreamed up. Putting up structures that kill flying wildlife is
> absurd (by the way, many cell phone towers kill birds, as well).
>
>
>
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