The rumors today that the US Justice Dept. is preparing CRIMINAL! charges for some folks over the Libor fixing scandal - has got the folks on Wall Street seriously spooked! (What! Golly!! You mean- you were expecting us to follow the rules!?? We had no idea!!) And we've got the proof right here!
Bloomberg News feed is currently (but not, I bet, for long) running THIS headline:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-15/libor-probe-may-yield-u-s-charges-by-sepetmeber.html
Yep, that's right. There may be charges- in Sepetmeber!
LOL!!! For a news service that certainly strives for cool and correct- Sepetmeber is just a really huge whoopsie. Only accountable as- oh, some nerves, maybe? Or, maybe that's how you spell it, in Amercia?
------------------------------
UPDATE; next day, the URL is still working, to my amazement- but they DID change the resulting headline, to something quite different, and spelled correctly. Tres amusant.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
It ain't that there's nothing else to talk about...
And it's far from my favorite topic; but I just don't see anyone else really passing this information, and a couple of you guys have said you appreciate it- so; from NHK; again:
S.Korea nuclear plant officials indicted for graft
"South Korean prosecutors say they have indicted dozens of senior officials at a state-run utility for taking bribes in return for business favors. The Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office said on Tuesday it indicted 22 officials at Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, along with 9 others who worked for suppliers or as brokers.
"Prosecutors said the bribes amounted to about 1.9 million dollars in total. They said officials at the utility's nuclear plant in Gori in the southern region received bribes in return for tolerating delivery of supplies that did not meet safety standards. They said other officials instructed suppliers to pad their bills and then pocketed some of the excess.
"The safety of nuclear power plants has drawn attention in South Korea following the explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan last year.
"The revelation of systemic corruption while compromising nuclear safety could severely undermine public trust in South Korea in nuclear power generation.
Jul. 11, 2012 - Updated 07:03 UTC (16:03 JST)"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah, I think that's news. And powerful ammunition for those combating nukes around the world. Anybody wanna bet what's hiding under the rug in France? Maybe the new proprietors there will take a look now; after this incident of "dozens" of "senior officials" taking bribes for installing sub-standard materials- in a nuclear facility.
It will not turn out well. There will be another Fukushima event in our future, of course. My guess is, we'll see little real action on shutting down nukes until that happens. My best two candidates- France, which is incredibly arrogant about their nuclear technology, inspite of their actual record not being that good, and the USA- likewise. Plenty of chances for things to go wrong, in both places. And- do you think the chances of corruption are increasing, or decreasing, as the years go by? It's been a long time since I've seen a headline saying "Investigators find (x) to be squeaky clean."
----------------------------
UPDATE: Roz, in the comments, pointed out the NHK link no longer works (which is why I quote it in toto; they usually quit working in 24 hrs.) But- doing a little Google search, I was able to find the story again. Not on any big international news feeds; of course. On a South Korean news feed. I haven't been to that site before, so not sure how long it will work, but longer than NHK, apparently. Do take a look; there are more details. And isn't it just amazing that no one else in the journalistic world has picked this up? My, my.
S.Korea nuclear plant officials indicted for graft
"South Korean prosecutors say they have indicted dozens of senior officials at a state-run utility for taking bribes in return for business favors. The Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office said on Tuesday it indicted 22 officials at Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, along with 9 others who worked for suppliers or as brokers.
"Prosecutors said the bribes amounted to about 1.9 million dollars in total. They said officials at the utility's nuclear plant in Gori in the southern region received bribes in return for tolerating delivery of supplies that did not meet safety standards. They said other officials instructed suppliers to pad their bills and then pocketed some of the excess.
"The safety of nuclear power plants has drawn attention in South Korea following the explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan last year.
"The revelation of systemic corruption while compromising nuclear safety could severely undermine public trust in South Korea in nuclear power generation.
Jul. 11, 2012 - Updated 07:03 UTC (16:03 JST)"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah, I think that's news. And powerful ammunition for those combating nukes around the world. Anybody wanna bet what's hiding under the rug in France? Maybe the new proprietors there will take a look now; after this incident of "dozens" of "senior officials" taking bribes for installing sub-standard materials- in a nuclear facility.
It will not turn out well. There will be another Fukushima event in our future, of course. My guess is, we'll see little real action on shutting down nukes until that happens. My best two candidates- France, which is incredibly arrogant about their nuclear technology, inspite of their actual record not being that good, and the USA- likewise. Plenty of chances for things to go wrong, in both places. And- do you think the chances of corruption are increasing, or decreasing, as the years go by? It's been a long time since I've seen a headline saying "Investigators find (x) to be squeaky clean."
----------------------------
UPDATE: Roz, in the comments, pointed out the NHK link no longer works (which is why I quote it in toto; they usually quit working in 24 hrs.) But- doing a little Google search, I was able to find the story again. Not on any big international news feeds; of course. On a South Korean news feed. I haven't been to that site before, so not sure how long it will work, but longer than NHK, apparently. Do take a look; there are more details. And isn't it just amazing that no one else in the journalistic world has picked this up? My, my.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Only an "oops"
Hey, it's not hot! My brain is functioning again. Fingers, too, apparently.
In skimming the news today, this one hit me as beautifully relevant to all our considerations of Life, The Universe, and Everything.
From NHK, again, (remember these links only work for about 12 hours) one more little problem not in the original design specs:
"Jellyfish problem at nuclear plants
"Operators of Japanese nuclear power plants have experienced power reductions at times, caused by a swarm of jellyfish being sucked into water intakes.
"Electricity at the plants is generated by steam-driven turbines. The steam is then sent to condensers to be cooled down with pipes in which seawater flows.
"An influx of jellyfish to the intakes sometimes disrupts the supply of cooling water, forcing operators to reduce power output to curb heat generation.
"Many plants now have filters or equipment to remove sea creatures at the intakes. But these measures do not work perfectly when a massive bloom occurs.
"Thermal plants have been affected too. Kansai Electric Power Company says jellyfish problems have forced it to reduce power output in 17 of its generators from April to June, the largest number of affected plants for the utility in the past 5 years.
"The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says reports on jellyfish trouble have been made from spring through fall, mainly at plants on the Sea of Japan coast.
"But the agency says no reports have been made that jellyfish have completely blocked water intakes. The agency says that safety can be ensured by measures such as monitoring the flow of seawater.
Jul. 9, 2012 - Updated 10:50 UTC (19:50 JST)"
-----------------------------------------------------------
So - nothing has blown up yet, so it's all ok, no worries. Yep, monitoring will make it safe. When the big surprise upwelling from the abyss of unanticipated ctenophores arrives next month, totally blocking all intakes, we'll be able to monitor the shut-downs as they happen. Fabulous.
Irony aside- this is what is going to bite us, as a species, on our collective butt. The utterly unforeseen consequences of global change, that our technologies simply have no ability to cope with.
With thanks to T.S. Eliot:
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
With neither a bang nor a whimper;
But with only a soft spoken- "oops."
------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE: HOLY CRAP - IT'S FOR REAL- NHK news update:
"Jellyfish cause problem at Ohi plant
"The operator of the Ohi nuclear complex in central Japan says it will strengthen the plant's defenses against jellyfish plagues.
"Kansai Electric Power Company was forced to reduce the power output of a generator on Sunday after a mass of jellyfish was sucked into a water intake of reactor 3.
"The utility said that conveyer-like equipment used to remove objects that had slipped through a mesh filter at the intake was overwhelmed by the volume of jellyfish.
"The invasion disrupted the supply of seawater that cools the reactor, forcing the utility to power down a generator.
"Last month, the same problem forced Kansai Electric to reduce the power output of a generator at one of its thermal plants.
"Jellyfish are a considerable risk for power plant operators. But predicting an infestation is notoriously difficult and a solution has proved elusive.
"Jul. 9, 2012 - Updated 11:52 UTC (20:52 JST)"
------------------------------------------------
That's the nuclear power plant in Japan that they just restarted- the only one now actually operating, since 2 days ago- and they've already had to cut output, because of a "notoriously difficult" problem, where the "solution has proved elusive."
Fascinating that the announcement of an actual power reduction event at a nuclear plant followed a previous "theoretical" announcement by about 6 hours or so, isn't it? An amazing coincidence.
In skimming the news today, this one hit me as beautifully relevant to all our considerations of Life, The Universe, and Everything.
From NHK, again, (remember these links only work for about 12 hours) one more little problem not in the original design specs:
"Jellyfish problem at nuclear plants
"Operators of Japanese nuclear power plants have experienced power reductions at times, caused by a swarm of jellyfish being sucked into water intakes.
"Electricity at the plants is generated by steam-driven turbines. The steam is then sent to condensers to be cooled down with pipes in which seawater flows.
"An influx of jellyfish to the intakes sometimes disrupts the supply of cooling water, forcing operators to reduce power output to curb heat generation.
"Many plants now have filters or equipment to remove sea creatures at the intakes. But these measures do not work perfectly when a massive bloom occurs.
"Thermal plants have been affected too. Kansai Electric Power Company says jellyfish problems have forced it to reduce power output in 17 of its generators from April to June, the largest number of affected plants for the utility in the past 5 years.
"The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says reports on jellyfish trouble have been made from spring through fall, mainly at plants on the Sea of Japan coast.
"But the agency says no reports have been made that jellyfish have completely blocked water intakes. The agency says that safety can be ensured by measures such as monitoring the flow of seawater.
Jul. 9, 2012 - Updated 10:50 UTC (19:50 JST)"
-----------------------------------------------------------
So - nothing has blown up yet, so it's all ok, no worries. Yep, monitoring will make it safe. When the big surprise upwelling from the abyss of unanticipated ctenophores arrives next month, totally blocking all intakes, we'll be able to monitor the shut-downs as they happen. Fabulous.
Irony aside- this is what is going to bite us, as a species, on our collective butt. The utterly unforeseen consequences of global change, that our technologies simply have no ability to cope with.
With thanks to T.S. Eliot:
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
With neither a bang nor a whimper;
But with only a soft spoken- "oops."
------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE: HOLY CRAP - IT'S FOR REAL- NHK news update:
"Jellyfish cause problem at Ohi plant
"The operator of the Ohi nuclear complex in central Japan says it will strengthen the plant's defenses against jellyfish plagues.
"Kansai Electric Power Company was forced to reduce the power output of a generator on Sunday after a mass of jellyfish was sucked into a water intake of reactor 3.
"The utility said that conveyer-like equipment used to remove objects that had slipped through a mesh filter at the intake was overwhelmed by the volume of jellyfish.
"The invasion disrupted the supply of seawater that cools the reactor, forcing the utility to power down a generator.
"Last month, the same problem forced Kansai Electric to reduce the power output of a generator at one of its thermal plants.
"Jellyfish are a considerable risk for power plant operators. But predicting an infestation is notoriously difficult and a solution has proved elusive.
"Jul. 9, 2012 - Updated 11:52 UTC (20:52 JST)"
------------------------------------------------
That's the nuclear power plant in Japan that they just restarted- the only one now actually operating, since 2 days ago- and they've already had to cut output, because of a "notoriously difficult" problem, where the "solution has proved elusive."
Fascinating that the announcement of an actual power reduction event at a nuclear plant followed a previous "theoretical" announcement by about 6 hours or so, isn't it? An amazing coincidence.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Parenting is hazardous to your health.
I was mortified to see that my "previous post" on poultry was - over a month ago. I'd been intending some updates on our guineas, etc, right? Hey, it was hot.
But, also; about 2 days after that post - chickens started to disappear from the two "tractors" we have going. So I got preoccupied with tracking down causes, before updating; then... hey, it got hot. : - )
It was particularly painful/frustrating/infuriating to lose birds because I hadn't lost any; not one, for months. And zero chicken losses from the tractors, since moving birds out of winter quarters. We did lose a few guineas immediately after the winter to tractor transition. That happens. The guineas are just a little too likely to take off on their own, and simply not come back. We're hoping to select guineas that are better about that, eventually. But the numbers had been stable for a long time. Then, suddenly- 1 or 2 hens a day; failing to come in at night. Long searches of their range usually failed to show either birds sitting on eggs or piles of feathers.
There were a couple piles of feathers, however; unequivocal proof of predation. Both guineas and chickens have a "shed feathers" reflex, in response to fear of predation; suddenly their feathers become very loosely attached, and fly everywhere. In normal predation circumstances, that might be expected to save their lives, once in a while- leaving the predator distracted, or with only a mouthful of feathers.
It can also help the forensics on the farm. Got a big central poof, with a few feathers in all directions out to 10 feet- then nothing? Probably a hawk or owl. Big poof, then another poof 5 feet away, then a trail going in one direction for 30 feet? Probably a mammalian predator. Note the "probably"; lots of variations will happen.
But when the thief took my big Cochin rooster, Thor- with the 40' trail; that let out not only avian thieves but most wild mammals, and focused suspicion on - the farm dogs. Sigh.
Daisy, alas, was looking guilty when I asked her "Have you been after the chickens?" You think they don't understand? I think they do. We're down to two dogs, these days; Daisy's sister Schatze fell victim quite some time ago to her unbreakable desire to chase cars. And Theodore, now far from this puppy. Both have been trained, intensively, to behave themselves around poultry. And both had been allowed totally free access for many months; with no indications of problems; on the contrary, both dogs accompanied me as I tended the tractors and birds- both dogs and birds behaving as if there were no tensions here at all. But. Daisy was now looking... shifty. And we were down 7 hens at this point.
So; both dogs went on chains. During the day. Thankfully, and sadly, the birds stopped disappearing immediately. Dogs were set free as soon as the birds were shut in for the night (our standard practice to prevent them from quickly become owl-chow), then put back on before letting birds out in the morning. They weren't happy during the day; but are well trained enough that putting them on chain in the morning was easy- just call, they come right to the chain, not looking cheerful, but unquestioning.
After 10 days with no poultry disappearing- I let Theodore stay off-chain all day, trepidatiously . Of the two dogs, he's the stay-at-home, oddly; usually males roam more than females, but our current two work the other way round. And - no birds disappeared. Sigh.
That would seem to be pretty convincing evidence. And I'm pretty convinced. But.
Alas, there is more than one threat to free-range poultry. This was a guinea. And the cause in this case was- newly hatched babies. Spice was out early, and found 5 newly hatched baby guineas (keets) running about. She captured them, of course. We have about 10 farm cats at this point, and while the adult poultry are cat proof; baby birds are irresistible cat morsels. They have to be protected, at least until they can fly.
Only 5 keets were in evidence. After catching them (no small feat) and bringing them in, she went back to see if there were more keets, previously hiding (or perhaps not hatched yet) - 5 is a very small number for a guinea clutch ... and found instead, this poof.
Almost certainly, a Cooper's Hawk. We see them pretty often; and generally like to; they catch mice and bluejays. Usually the poultry are too big for them to attempt; but if they're really hungry; they may try. If they try, they'll pretty certainly succeed in killing the chicken, even if they can't carry it off. The guineas rarely are caught, they're too wary.
Unless- they're new parents, or protecting a nest, and distracted.
A few days ago- we had 2 more poofs show up, in the woods. Poof 1 was- an Araucana hen who'd been missing for weeks- presumed eaten by Daisy. But, nope. She'd evidently gone broody, and started sitting on a clutch of eggs, in the woods. The timing of the poof- just right for the eggs to have hatched. And the hen to have become hawk food, while watching the new chicks. Poof 2 was- the Araucana hen who had been proven our best foster mom. Probably- when the original mom disappeared, the chicks started calling; and the 2nd hen's maternal instincts called her into the woods, to also encounter the hawk.
Pretty sad. No way around that. These were birds I'd known for years, as individuals. I miss them. And I feel guilty that I somehow let them down- I wasn't able to provide them with a safe place, or a safe way, to be parents. They'd survived just fine- for 3 years of free range - until there were unprotected chicks in the picture.
Still working on figuring out how to protect them in the future. It'll be work. But the benefits the birds provide are pretty clear. (I'll make a list, one of these posts).
Meanwhile. At least, the 5 keets are protected, and being tended by an adult guinea. I'm pretty sure this bird was NOT one of the birds that hatched the eggs, but she responded strongly to the keets calling, went into the cage I set up, and now broods them when they get a little cool.
They're thriving. With no heat lamp. Life goes on. For some.
Daisy is now resigned about being on chain all day. But the reality is, we need her free, 24 hours, guarding the farm. Particularly since we've now got reports of bears, nearby. More work ahead, one way or another.
But, also; about 2 days after that post - chickens started to disappear from the two "tractors" we have going. So I got preoccupied with tracking down causes, before updating; then... hey, it got hot. : - )
It was particularly painful/frustrating/infuriating to lose birds because I hadn't lost any; not one, for months. And zero chicken losses from the tractors, since moving birds out of winter quarters. We did lose a few guineas immediately after the winter to tractor transition. That happens. The guineas are just a little too likely to take off on their own, and simply not come back. We're hoping to select guineas that are better about that, eventually. But the numbers had been stable for a long time. Then, suddenly- 1 or 2 hens a day; failing to come in at night. Long searches of their range usually failed to show either birds sitting on eggs or piles of feathers.
There were a couple piles of feathers, however; unequivocal proof of predation. Both guineas and chickens have a "shed feathers" reflex, in response to fear of predation; suddenly their feathers become very loosely attached, and fly everywhere. In normal predation circumstances, that might be expected to save their lives, once in a while- leaving the predator distracted, or with only a mouthful of feathers.
It can also help the forensics on the farm. Got a big central poof, with a few feathers in all directions out to 10 feet- then nothing? Probably a hawk or owl. Big poof, then another poof 5 feet away, then a trail going in one direction for 30 feet? Probably a mammalian predator. Note the "probably"; lots of variations will happen.
But when the thief took my big Cochin rooster, Thor- with the 40' trail; that let out not only avian thieves but most wild mammals, and focused suspicion on - the farm dogs. Sigh.
Daisy, alas, was looking guilty when I asked her "Have you been after the chickens?" You think they don't understand? I think they do. We're down to two dogs, these days; Daisy's sister Schatze fell victim quite some time ago to her unbreakable desire to chase cars. And Theodore, now far from this puppy. Both have been trained, intensively, to behave themselves around poultry. And both had been allowed totally free access for many months; with no indications of problems; on the contrary, both dogs accompanied me as I tended the tractors and birds- both dogs and birds behaving as if there were no tensions here at all. But. Daisy was now looking... shifty. And we were down 7 hens at this point.
So; both dogs went on chains. During the day. Thankfully, and sadly, the birds stopped disappearing immediately. Dogs were set free as soon as the birds were shut in for the night (our standard practice to prevent them from quickly become owl-chow), then put back on before letting birds out in the morning. They weren't happy during the day; but are well trained enough that putting them on chain in the morning was easy- just call, they come right to the chain, not looking cheerful, but unquestioning.
After 10 days with no poultry disappearing- I let Theodore stay off-chain all day, trepidatiously . Of the two dogs, he's the stay-at-home, oddly; usually males roam more than females, but our current two work the other way round. And - no birds disappeared. Sigh.
That would seem to be pretty convincing evidence. And I'm pretty convinced. But.
Alas, there is more than one threat to free-range poultry. This was a guinea. And the cause in this case was- newly hatched babies. Spice was out early, and found 5 newly hatched baby guineas (keets) running about. She captured them, of course. We have about 10 farm cats at this point, and while the adult poultry are cat proof; baby birds are irresistible cat morsels. They have to be protected, at least until they can fly.
Only 5 keets were in evidence. After catching them (no small feat) and bringing them in, she went back to see if there were more keets, previously hiding (or perhaps not hatched yet) - 5 is a very small number for a guinea clutch ... and found instead, this poof.
Almost certainly, a Cooper's Hawk. We see them pretty often; and generally like to; they catch mice and bluejays. Usually the poultry are too big for them to attempt; but if they're really hungry; they may try. If they try, they'll pretty certainly succeed in killing the chicken, even if they can't carry it off. The guineas rarely are caught, they're too wary.
Unless- they're new parents, or protecting a nest, and distracted.
A few days ago- we had 2 more poofs show up, in the woods. Poof 1 was- an Araucana hen who'd been missing for weeks- presumed eaten by Daisy. But, nope. She'd evidently gone broody, and started sitting on a clutch of eggs, in the woods. The timing of the poof- just right for the eggs to have hatched. And the hen to have become hawk food, while watching the new chicks. Poof 2 was- the Araucana hen who had been proven our best foster mom. Probably- when the original mom disappeared, the chicks started calling; and the 2nd hen's maternal instincts called her into the woods, to also encounter the hawk.
Pretty sad. No way around that. These were birds I'd known for years, as individuals. I miss them. And I feel guilty that I somehow let them down- I wasn't able to provide them with a safe place, or a safe way, to be parents. They'd survived just fine- for 3 years of free range - until there were unprotected chicks in the picture.
Still working on figuring out how to protect them in the future. It'll be work. But the benefits the birds provide are pretty clear. (I'll make a list, one of these posts).
Meanwhile. At least, the 5 keets are protected, and being tended by an adult guinea. I'm pretty sure this bird was NOT one of the birds that hatched the eggs, but she responded strongly to the keets calling, went into the cage I set up, and now broods them when they get a little cool.
They're thriving. With no heat lamp. Life goes on. For some.
Daisy is now resigned about being on chain all day. But the reality is, we need her free, 24 hours, guarding the farm. Particularly since we've now got reports of bears, nearby. More work ahead, one way or another.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Are you a Greench?
I'm just having fun with the word, which when I Googled it; came up zero. "Did you mean 'grinch?' Google smirkingly inquires? Did I coin it? (Well; apart from the 2007 bit in the NYT... and the 200,000 some other hits when you try it in quotes. Oh, and the World of Warcraft stuff.)
I like it because the meaning is obvious- a Green Grinch, don't ya know. Of course, he was green (colored) in the original Seuss; but I mean the other kind; Green Meanies.
I've been getting cranky about Greenches, recently. You know; the ones for whom anything short of their definition of perfect is a failure, and to be fought to the death against. (Check my comments here, if you like rude and blunt.)
What a disaster that will be; if the people who care about the world adopt the "I'M RIGHT AND YOU'RE WRONG" attitudes currently paralyzing the world.
Lighten up, everybody. We just don't need to go Greench.
I like it because the meaning is obvious- a Green Grinch, don't ya know. Of course, he was green (colored) in the original Seuss; but I mean the other kind; Green Meanies.
I've been getting cranky about Greenches, recently. You know; the ones for whom anything short of their definition of perfect is a failure, and to be fought to the death against. (Check my comments here, if you like rude and blunt.)
What a disaster that will be; if the people who care about the world adopt the "I'M RIGHT AND YOU'RE WRONG" attitudes currently paralyzing the world.
Lighten up, everybody. We just don't need to go Greench.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Chickens And Guineas And Eggs, Oh, My.
I do have a life outside of fretting about Fukushima, really I do. Older readers here will remember I started a series of posts way back there when I launched a guinea fowl keeping project in 2008, the Guinea Saga; with a Part 2, and a Part Trois a year later. I think that was about the last update. Sorry about that!
I've been intending to take up the topic again for months now; the primary reason I haven't being - it's turned into a big topic. I've learned a lot. And as always happens, much of what I've learned is how much there is to learn, and how much of it not only I don't know; but nobody knows. Tackling all that has kind of intimidated me.
Today has provided the key bit to kick me over edge though; I mentioned my chickens over on the NYT, and thought you might enjoy seeing that. It's in a Green Blogs post on water. Do take a look; it'll bring you up to date on what we're doing here just a bit; besides being highly educational on the water thing.
The article states that "It takes 52 gallons of water to produce one egg" - and that stimulated my response. Sure, I'll easily believe industrial eggs use that much; but - any version of home/local/free range certainly won't be even close to that. I'm guessing I pump and carry about a tablespoon of water per egg. Putting those calculations on an honest comparison basis is beyond me, of course; but the basic facts have to be pretty obvious; industrial production is going to use way more.
To re-launch the topic, I think it will make sense for me to just list and outline where we are now. We started with 30+ guinea keets, in 2008. Six of those birds are still alive. They're our wise old survivors. All together, we now have about 55 birds; about 34 of them guineas. Three roosters, and about 16 hens of 3 breeds. I have a database. Most of the birds have numbered aluminum leg bands; and about twice a year they get weighed, as a measure of basic health. The uncertainty in the numbers comes because a few are "missing in action" at the moment; I suspect they are sitting on stolen eggs somewhere.
The majority of the birds are "out", divided between two chicken tractors which are about 1/4 mile apart. Every morning, they are let out of the tractor, and are absolutely free to roam. Boy, do they roam. We see them 200 yards away, and more, daily. Just before sunset; I go out and call them to me- using a half cup of white millet and about a quart of layer crumble per tractor as training bait, to get them back into the tractors for the night. The main reason for that is - foxes etc. for the chickens, some of whom don't fly much; and owls for the guineas, which will roost high in the trees if you're 10 minutes too late. A few birds remain in the big permanent chicken coop, built to winter the birds. The idea of building a soddy coop definitely did not work out; but at least it's semi-earth sheltered; making it cooler in the warming summers, and warmer in the winter.
We do collect the eggs. We have way more than we can eat, but not really enough to make sense to try to sell. And of course, both chickens and guineas frequently hide their eggs, and I definitely don't find them all. Working on that; I'd rather harvest that resource, and the hidden eggs are also an encouragement to predators to hang around.
The bottom line- it's worth while; we intend to continue, and even expand. The details on why and how though, are complex. I'll be writing more, very soon.
I've been intending to take up the topic again for months now; the primary reason I haven't being - it's turned into a big topic. I've learned a lot. And as always happens, much of what I've learned is how much there is to learn, and how much of it not only I don't know; but nobody knows. Tackling all that has kind of intimidated me.
Today has provided the key bit to kick me over edge though; I mentioned my chickens over on the NYT, and thought you might enjoy seeing that. It's in a Green Blogs post on water. Do take a look; it'll bring you up to date on what we're doing here just a bit; besides being highly educational on the water thing.
The article states that "It takes 52 gallons of water to produce one egg" - and that stimulated my response. Sure, I'll easily believe industrial eggs use that much; but - any version of home/local/free range certainly won't be even close to that. I'm guessing I pump and carry about a tablespoon of water per egg. Putting those calculations on an honest comparison basis is beyond me, of course; but the basic facts have to be pretty obvious; industrial production is going to use way more.
To re-launch the topic, I think it will make sense for me to just list and outline where we are now. We started with 30+ guinea keets, in 2008. Six of those birds are still alive. They're our wise old survivors. All together, we now have about 55 birds; about 34 of them guineas. Three roosters, and about 16 hens of 3 breeds. I have a database. Most of the birds have numbered aluminum leg bands; and about twice a year they get weighed, as a measure of basic health. The uncertainty in the numbers comes because a few are "missing in action" at the moment; I suspect they are sitting on stolen eggs somewhere.
The majority of the birds are "out", divided between two chicken tractors which are about 1/4 mile apart. Every morning, they are let out of the tractor, and are absolutely free to roam. Boy, do they roam. We see them 200 yards away, and more, daily. Just before sunset; I go out and call them to me- using a half cup of white millet and about a quart of layer crumble per tractor as training bait, to get them back into the tractors for the night. The main reason for that is - foxes etc. for the chickens, some of whom don't fly much; and owls for the guineas, which will roost high in the trees if you're 10 minutes too late. A few birds remain in the big permanent chicken coop, built to winter the birds. The idea of building a soddy coop definitely did not work out; but at least it's semi-earth sheltered; making it cooler in the warming summers, and warmer in the winter.
We do collect the eggs. We have way more than we can eat, but not really enough to make sense to try to sell. And of course, both chickens and guineas frequently hide their eggs, and I definitely don't find them all. Working on that; I'd rather harvest that resource, and the hidden eggs are also an encouragement to predators to hang around.
The bottom line- it's worth while; we intend to continue, and even expand. The details on why and how though, are complex. I'll be writing more, very soon.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
A Second Whisper from Japan?
Once again, from the NHK news feed- the headline reads: "Review of Japan's nuclear policy suspended." And my immediate expectation was that this major government review was being suspended because it was giving too much attention to anti-nuclear views; like those of ex-Prime Minister Kan. The "nuclear village" still has plenty of clout; enough to pull that off, I'd bet my boots.
But- it turns out- the reasons (given to the public, anyway) - are exactly the opposite. The head of the review is concerned that the nuclear industry has too much presence on the panel. The story, in toto:
"Review of Japan's nuclear policy suspended
"The Japan Atomic Energy Commission has decided to suspend a review of the country's nuclear policy guidelines currently being conducted by an expert panel.
"In a meeting on Tuesday, some of the panelists expressed concerns over the selection of some of the panel, which includes members from power companies and research institutes that are promoting nuclear power.
"The experts also criticized a working group set up by the commission. The working group compiled a report on the country's nuclear recycling policy in mid-May following the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. It later came to light that the unreleased draft report was distributed in closed door sessions to people involved in the government and in the power companies who were promoting nuclear power.
"The expert panel said it is still not clear why the working group distributed the draft, and called for an investigation by a third-party. The panel strongly criticized the atomic energy commission.
"The panel plans to come up with a review of the guidelines by this summer. The commission decided to temporarily halt its review of the guidelines and exclude from the panel any persons from the nuclear industry and research institutes promoting nuclear power.
"The head of the commission, Shunsuke Kondo, said he plans to rethink the commission from scratch following the nuclear accident and try to recover public trust in the commission. The commission plans to draw up concrete proposals by the next meeting of the expert panel.
May 29, 2012 - Updated 12:01 UTC (21:01 JST)"
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Wow. Again. In fact; that's what Kan recommended- that only a panel of entirely outside experts should be consulted; no representation from nuclear industry insiders whatsoever.
If they can pull that off- it will be a huge, huge, change in the process.
But- it turns out- the reasons (given to the public, anyway) - are exactly the opposite. The head of the review is concerned that the nuclear industry has too much presence on the panel. The story, in toto:
"Review of Japan's nuclear policy suspended
"The Japan Atomic Energy Commission has decided to suspend a review of the country's nuclear policy guidelines currently being conducted by an expert panel.
"In a meeting on Tuesday, some of the panelists expressed concerns over the selection of some of the panel, which includes members from power companies and research institutes that are promoting nuclear power.
"The experts also criticized a working group set up by the commission. The working group compiled a report on the country's nuclear recycling policy in mid-May following the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. It later came to light that the unreleased draft report was distributed in closed door sessions to people involved in the government and in the power companies who were promoting nuclear power.
"The expert panel said it is still not clear why the working group distributed the draft, and called for an investigation by a third-party. The panel strongly criticized the atomic energy commission.
"The panel plans to come up with a review of the guidelines by this summer. The commission decided to temporarily halt its review of the guidelines and exclude from the panel any persons from the nuclear industry and research institutes promoting nuclear power.
"The head of the commission, Shunsuke Kondo, said he plans to rethink the commission from scratch following the nuclear accident and try to recover public trust in the commission. The commission plans to draw up concrete proposals by the next meeting of the expert panel.
May 29, 2012 - Updated 12:01 UTC (21:01 JST)"
------------------------------------------------
Wow. Again. In fact; that's what Kan recommended- that only a panel of entirely outside experts should be consulted; no representation from nuclear industry insiders whatsoever.
If they can pull that off- it will be a huge, huge, change in the process.
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