IAF Podcast Episode 29

GSM News

• Sahara covered in snow
• heavy snowfall caused disruption for more than two million people in parts of China.
• 30-yr Snowfall traps 13,000 tourists in Switzerland
• 143 lives taken by extreme cold spell in India
• Massive 7.8 Earthquake in Honduras

Ground Report from Toronto

Fred writes in, sharing this piece of local media: Fourteen Cold Hard Facts about Toronto's Frigid Weather.

Media Coverage

Media is struggling to contain people's curiosity. Headlines from JUST ONE SOURCE, thetimes.co.uk:

• "Global Cooling is not worth shivering about", "the Earth is very slowly slipping back into a proper ice age but technology should enable civilisation to survive it"

• No link between snowfall in the Sahara and a new Ice Age

Viewer Feedback

Wood Gasifier (ActionJackson)

"ActionJackson" wrote in with a PDF summary on use of Wood Gasifiers to produce energy in the GSM. Specifically, these can be used to fuel any existing device that uses fuel: cars, trucks, tractors, generators, grills,

Gasifiers put wood under extreme heat to “crack” the gas trapped inside the wood. Trees essentially store the heat of the sun and gasification releases this stored sun power when you need it most. The Gasifier takes the gas vapor produced in the heating chamber, then quickly cools the gas to about 100F. This cooled gas can then be directly fed to the gas line of a combustion engine

iceagefarmer.com/docs/Energy/WoodGasifier/

I also saw that the "fiskfarm" channel has a video on this, as well as on an aquaponics setup:

• [Wood_Gasifier]

Fermentation (Brooke)

Brooke: I am a nurse who left mainstream nursing years ago. I have written courses for nurses on probationtics and digestion from a holistic perspective. I have and do teach fermentation. Ferments increase bioavailability- and some make their own vitamin C. Our immune systems will be compromised going into this ice age. Cabbage made into sauerkraut is one example of a cool weather vegetable that when fermented increases its nutritional value.

Thank you for all you are doing to wake people up. Sadly it seems many are living in their normalcy bias and wont wake up.until its too late.

One thing people forget is to use filtered water - whether on well or public water supply. Same goes for sourdough and starter. I have a book on building a cob oven like ones used around the world and our own country used until recently- until 150 yrs or so ago. I want to build one this summer to cook my sourdough in. Could become a good cottage business- as long as one can find affordable grains in the near future.

• [Fermentation]

Joseph F: Thermal Greenhouses, Low-power Aquaponics

is burying a greenhouse (walapini style), loading them up on the north side with thermal mass. Also has a nice aquaponics setup, with an airlift pump, -- not quite the same as the geyser pump that I've mentioned before net consumption of 40W across the entire system

Australian Flu (Simon P.J.)

Simon PJ, on Australian Flu outbreak:

Just to give a personal experience of the Australian Flu outbreak. My Sister had it at the beginning of December. It knocked her for 6. She could not move for about 5 days. Completely Bed Ridden. She had to take 2 weeks of work, and is only now feeling normal. It is vicious, to say the least. A work colleague had it over Xams and he said to me he'd never been so ill! This chap is an ex Royal Marine and is still in great shape. He was bed ridden also. When you get it. You feel completely drained, you are constantly Vomiting or sitting on the toilet with the runs. Plus you have a fever and feel freezing cold at the same time. It takes a long time to get over it. The NHS doctors will not give you Anti-Biotics for it either. They just advice you, to take Paracetamol. Only if you've had it for 2 weeks will they give you a prescription. A nasty bigot catch and spreading like wildfire!

Sandra D

You and Diamond have got us into action, we have rented long term an acre or two and we are planning polytunnels and goats next year.  I already keep bees and garden.

Richard in Indiana

We are feeling the effects of the deep freeze here in West Central Indiana. Although not unheard of, definitely rare in recent years. The -19.2 degree F low this week has again reminded us of our infustructure flaws and we have taken notes this time on problem areas around our farm. Although close to our record observed low temperature -22 still remains the mark to best occurring in both 2009 February and January 2014.

What we observe to be different about this cold snap is the duration and rounds of reinforcing cold arctic are into our area.

QUESTION: Good precipitation forecasts?

New Channels: Ice Age 2050, Radical Gardener

Wanting to plug these guys who have added their voices to the choir of talented folks who are working on spreading the word, and finding solutions.