Tread Lightly - Is cruising still an alternative eco-freindly lifestyle?

[Hudson Force]

It is true that undesirable materials are not removed from the environment by having them spend some time in a storage tank. As far as feces and urine, these are recycled in the natural world and only a problem in less desirable concentrations or with the potential for spreading disease. As far as organic content they are not harmful unless their concentrations are promoting algae blooms. I'd be far more concerned with the synthetics that Salty Monkey has referenced, but still, having them spend some time in a tank is not a solution.

I liked the reference to the smaller glass when answering the Half empty or half full question. I have to say that my glass is always full! I just don't get involved in the debate as to how much is liquid and how much is gas.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

You're all BAD people. Very Bad!

You need a grey water tank in your boat so I can swim in the lagoon without oil in my hair from your salad dressing and smelly toothpaste.

Contact me to purchase your grey water tank! Special just for you!

LOL, lucky for you, I'm too poor for salad dressing. Gee, if I had a grey water tank, which I don't, the contents which are mostly water and bio matter and bio degradeable soap which is eaten by the bottom feeders. Just because it goes to a treatment plant, does not mean it's not going right back in the water anyway.

The treatment that treatment plants do, pretty much consists of adding clorox to the solid waste stream to kill the nasties, prior to discharge. Perhaps a bit of digestor with bacteria, but it's not really clean. The food bits generally still go into the water, same as pesticide, drugs, etc. Not really a net gain on grey water.

Just like organic farming eh....

[mcarling]

Originally Posted by Ribbit

The ignorance surrounding the environmental benefits of meat (and so called artificial fertilisers for that matter) is mind boggling.

How do you clean the land up and fertilise the ground without livestock? How do you make it safe to grow crops? How do you keep it in good heart? How do you produce enough compost to make a difference?

So you would have us believe that flora and fauna didn't survive for hundreds of millions of years before mankind domesticated animals for food. Sure.

The main environmental consequence of western levels of meat consumption is the global need to have 8-10 times more land under cultivation than if humans ate plant-based foods, which in turn has resulted in more than half of the world's forests having been destroyed over last millennia.

Originally Posted by Ribbit

Think you will have the strength and energy to do it with lentils, perhaps? Or a handful of rice a day?

If you were to do any research at all, you would find plenty of vegan champion athletes, including power lifters. The idea that strength comes from meat is complete and total nonsense.

[Goosebumps]

We can twist and turn and duck, being human gives carbon footprint, which can be smaller or bigger depending on life style choices made, unavoidably so. Yachties, liveaboards have many different life styles even amongst them ahain with different carbon footprints. It is positive living to at least involve eco friendliness in your life style decision making, ie going solar, using wind to generste yoyr electric power. There are many issues a yachtie gas to make eco responsible decisions about, ie black water discharge, bottom paint, household rubbish management, fishing protected species, anchoring irresponsibly on coral reefs. It us very obvious that those liveaboards in marinas will have many ecological decisions made for them, those living on the hook have a much greater eco task.

[SaltyMonkey]

Yup, no question. yachties sure make RV'ers look good.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Ribbit... cow's chicken and veg come in plastic foam and wrap.. therein lies the problem..

I'd agree with this, and as someone who makes their living supporting what amounts to factory farming I know, unfortunately you just can't feed as many people as there are, any other way.
When you plant thousands of acres of a mono-culture, that is just not the way nature works, and if we don't intercede, more diseases and insects that you can imagine will come to the feast.

Maybe the only thing that has kept Mother nature a bay from a Disease perspective is our Modern Medicine and Food processing etc.

But we can do something about all the plastic that is used to make products more attractive, but add little else. Small things like bringing your own grocery bags to the store may add up over time, besides it's a whole lot easier transporting food in good sturdy cloth bags

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I'd agree with this, and as someone who makes their living supporting what amounts to factory farming I know, unfortunately you just can't feed as many people as there are, any other way.
When you plant thousands of acres of a mono-culture, that is just not the way nature works, and if we don't intercede, more diseases and insects that you can imagine will come to the feast.

Maybe the only thing that has kept Mother nature a bay from a Disease perspective is our Modern Medicine and Food processing etc.

But we can do something about all the plastic that is used to make products more attractive, but add little else. Small things like bringing your own grocery bags to the store may add up over time, besides it's a whole lot easier transporting food in good sturdy cloth bags

This is true..
What I find hilarious is as fast as we find ways to dramatically decrease the labour force with robots we multiply the population faster.. and the fantasists continue to insist 'Growth is the Only Way..!!'
To 'Soyuz Green' for sure..

[Zven]

Originally Posted by boatman61

This is true..
What I find hilarious is as fast as we find ways to dramatically decrease the labour force with robots we multiply the population faster..

That's in human nature. Our most basic instinct is to fornicate, have offspring, and ensure they are successful.
And it's not only humans. The same thing is in the nature of every creature - multiply as far as it goes.


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[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by boatman61

This is true..
What I find hilarious is as fast as we find ways to dramatically decrease the labour force with robots we multiply the population faster..

With no job, people tend to look to other pastimes....

[SaltyMonkey]

I hope this new Zika virus wipes mankind off the planet, the great cleaner of a most infectious disgusting cancer affecting the wonderful beautiful earth.

As a side affect, there sure will be a lot of cheap used boats on the market for SaltyMonkey!

[SaltyMonkey]

Ps nothing personal

[IntoMyHealth]

The OP seemed to really be talking about missing out on the reward of simplicity. I think that there is surely something lost with too much technology. We have a tech-bloated boat and love it. Those in my camp, try switching off the electronics while underway and just...sail. You'll get it. But we're keeping ours cause it's available and we like to know exactly where we are when we want to and a cold beverage when we want one.

For those that are always keeping it bare-essentials... That's cool. You really have my respect. But let's keep it real. The boat itself is also technology. Use it. Enjoy it. 4000 miles across an ocean on a log would really suck.



-Bill

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by IntoMyHealth

4000 miles across an ocean on a log would really suck.



-Bill

On a log? LUXURY!

When we were lads we had to swim 4000 miles in liquid nitrogen every morning. Naked.

Try telling that to these soft youngsters nowadays and they won't believe you.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

I hope this new Zika virus wipes mankind off the planet, the great cleaner of a most infectious disgusting cancer affecting the wonderful beautiful earth.

Well if that is how you feel there as easy starting point for you.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Zven

That's in human nature. Our most basic instinct is to fornicate, have offspring, and ensure they are successful.
And it's not only humans. The same thing is in the nature of every creature - multiply as far as it goes.


Sent from my SM-T805 using Tapatalk

Now this line amuses me greatly.. seeing as the majority of folk credit non-mammal evolution for our existence...
Yet we cannot control Ourselves.. let alone nature..
My impression after 67yrs on this earth... with the male of the species this instinct stops 5 seconds after Fornication...