Going off the grid - A practical Guideline by Mark Snow

Going off the Grid for the Non Grid Tied Consumer prepared by Mark Snow,
Ottawa, Ontario Canada. You can click on each slide to enlarge to full screen .....

Poll: What is the best Value / Return on Investment as far as Technology or Strategy for Living off the Grid ?

New Year Poll:

I know that it makes a huge difference where you live, whether you have long cold snowy winters, long hot humid summers, lots of sun, lots of wind, rivers nearby ... but just to get a general idea of what people have found to be the best Value / Return on Investment so far on the things they are using to live off the Grid.

Take the poll in Right hand column   ->

Is it Solar Power ? Wind Power ? Geothermal Energy ? Micro Hydro ? Building a Tiny Home ? Thick walls with double Insulation ? Some other Technology or Strategy not listed -  Earth Ship ?

You could leave in the Comments below and I will revise the Poll at a later date ....

Dandelion Root Extract as Treatment for Cancer

University of Windsor biochemistry researcher Siyaram Pandey has the official go-ahead to test dandelion root extract as a treatment for patients with terminal cancer. Dr. Pandey and his student researchers have successfully shown in the lab how the extract causes cancer cells to go through apoptosis, or cell suicide, while leaving healthy cells alone. - 

More: http://www.uwindsor.ca/dandelionrootproject/

http://www.uwindsor.ca/dailynews/2015-02-18/human-clinical-trials-cancer-killing-dandelion-extract

The Dandelion Root Project is aimed at showcasing scientific evidence for the safe and effective use of dandelion root extract and other natural health products for cancer therapy. The Dandelion Root Project started in 2009 in a bid to investigate the anticancer effect of the root extract of dandelions against cancer cells in the lab (in cells and in animal models). This project started with funding from the Knights of Columbus, Chapter 9671 (Windsor) and has been sustained by funding from other sources, including Seeds4Hope Grant (local Cancer Foundation), Lotte & John Hecht Foundation, The Pajama Angels and the Jesse & Julie Rasch Foundation. Private and personal donations have been made from the Windsor local community, as well as from all around Canada.

Since the commencement of this project, we have been able to successfully assess the effect of a simple water extract of dandelion root in various human cancer cell types, in the lab and we have observed its effectiveness against human T cell leukemia, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, pancreatic and colon cancers, with no toxicity to non-cancer cells.

Furthermore, these efficacy studies have been confirmed in animal models (mice) that have been transplanted with human colon cancer cells. We also applied for Phase I clinical trials in 2012 for the use of DRE in hematological cancers and in November 2012, we obtained approval for the administration of DRE in human patients and currently, the dandelion root extract is under Phase 1 clinical trials for drug refractory blood cancers.

 Studies to understand how dandelion root extract can identify differences between cancer cells and non-cancer cells are underway, while at the same time, the identification of the active components within the extract is ongoing. We are excitingly awaiting the results from these studies.


How to Make Dandelion Wine :

Honda 2000 Generator for Offgrid Back-up

• Honda EU2000I 2000 Watt Inverter Generator

  
  
  Starting System: Recoil
  
  
• Noise LevelP: 59 dB at rated load 53dB at 1/4 load
• AC Output: 120V 2000W Max. (16.7A) / 1600W Rated: (13.3A)
• Run Time per Tankful 3.4hr @ rated load 8.1 hrs @ 1/4 load
• Super quiet, Inverter - stable power for computers and more

  Available at Amazon.com for $949

The Honda 2000W Super Quiet Inverter Series Generator produces 53 to 59 decibals of sound during operation, which is less noise than a regular conversation. It boasts a powerful Honda GX100 engine with a 0.95-gallon fuel tank capacity. It can operate for as many as 8.1 hours on a one tank of fuel. At 46 pounds, this lightweight generator is small and compact. It is still able to produce clean, reliable power, similar to that of a standard household outlet, using inverter technology. The Honda 2000W inverter generator can also be used in tandem with another identical generator for twice the power. To protect this outdoor power equipment, Honda Oil Alert is used. This turns the generator off when the amount of oil reaches dangerous lows. It is also equipped with circuit protection to prevent overloading from occurring during operation...

Question:

Can this generator handle powering 1000watts of lights for 18 hours a day, everyday?

Answer:

I ran this non-stop for 9 days .... Two refrigerators, 4 fans, a small TV, a few 

lights and charged cell phones. 13 years old and still starts on the first few pulls. 

With the coming Floods I am thinking of building a House Boat.

With Flooding all over Ontario and Quebec and the forecast for non stop rain over the next 72 hours I am seriously thinking it is time to build that Off-Grid Houseboat.


" Already high Ottawa River water levels are expected to rise in the coming days as a deluge of spring rain continues.

The levels had been beginning to ease before the rain started Thursday night, but officials fear that's not going to hold. The forecast calls for rain to continue through Sunday, and a rainfall warning is in effect.

Water levels "had been stabilizing in the last day, the last couple days, but the immediate concern, and it's very worrying, is that this rainfall that we're getting now ... the levels will rise again," said Manon Lalonde,

an executive engineer for the Ottawa River

Regulation Secretariat, which carries out the

work ordered by the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board.

The board manages the Ottawa River basin.
"Saturday, Sunday, into Monday, the peaking time and peaking level, will depend really on the locations ... and this will flood even more homes, so that's the big worry," Lalonde told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning Friday.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/flooding-may-5-west-quebec-eastern-ontario-1.4100803

House-Boat Plans:


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3HJtuO1-n5aeFdEUlVvR095bFk/view

Beautiful wrap around porch, and the view is breathtaking.

So we visited Killarney Ontario last summer and were amazed at the beauty of the area. On our way from having a fish fry on the docks we came across this wonderful little house with wrap around porch. It was beautiful. Then we turned to see the view from the porch ...

We made our own Maple Syrup this year !

About 15 years ago I planted 2 Maple Trees. A Sugar Maple in the front yard and an Autumn Blaze (mix of Red and Silver Maple) in the Back yard. Finally they are both over 10" diameter which means I could start tapping them for sap. I used hollowed out Sumac branches as taps / spiles and tapped them when the daytime temperature started to climb above 10 degrees celsius and dropped to -10 celsius at night....

The sap ran for about 2 weeks and we collected about 5 gallons of Sap (20 quarts) .... I ordered a 4 quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven from Amazon for about $ 33 and do far I have boiled 24 cups (6 quarts) of Sap down to 2 cups of Maple Syrup.  So I still have lots of Syrup to make.

Texsport Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Legs  $33   http://amzn.to/2o7mnU7

I think this is going to be an annual practice and we will make our own Maple Syrup each year.