Closed Ecological Life Support System

CELSS TRANSFORMATIONS

CELSS (Closed Ecological Life Support System) is a "living machine" which, ideally, provides it's inhabitant(s) with 100% of their life support (organic food, fresh oxygen-rich air, clean water) by recycling the waste products generated by the inhabitant(s) and by the CELSS itself. We call that "closing the loop". As it has been said, "the devil is in the details". CELSS is relatively new in the world. Now, of course, the planet-wide life supporting biosphere it a large scale CELSS. By studying what nature does to recycle we may apply these principles on a much smaller personalized scale. It helps to design for the worst possible scenario in the harshest environments (like Mars) and then it becomes easier and simpler to build robust systems for kinder climates. So, to start, imagine we have landed on a barren planet with no air, water, or food to eat except what we brought with us. Here's what we have to work with (this can get gross):

MATERIAL INPUTS

1) HUMAN BODY: feces, urine, farts, belches, vomit, snot, spit/saliva, phlegm, sweat, tears, earwax, milk, sperm/semen, smegma, menstrual blood, blood, pus, nail clippings, hair, dead skin, water vapor, CO2, trace gasses, heat, medicine residues, and (if someone dies) dead bodies and body parts

2) PLANTS: unused biomass, garbage, plant oils, O2, CO2, ethylene and other trace gasses, water vapor

3) ANIMALS: much the same as what humans output

4) MATERIALS & PROCESSES: oils, soaps, worn out clothing (composed of natural fibers/dyes only), laundry & wash (gray) water, out-gassings (solvents/trace gasses from materials used in the CELSS shell construction and other items inside the CELSS).

That's what we have to work with in the "hermetically sealed version". Of course, on Earth or anywhere there are some useful outside resources, our task would be easier. Yet, if we design the hermetically sealed version, I`m sure, on the way to the final design, we will cover just about any condition or environment we can imagine. While we are brainstorming this "ultimate CELSS" we need to be aware of the amount of energy required to make the whole thing work. The less energy required the better. Also, technologically complex systems tend to break down faster than simple systems. We adhere to the engineering principle of KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). We don't want to design anything which requires a lot of repairs, maintenance, or spare parts. The number of human hours spent per day keeping the system fully operational should also be considered. We're not into this to work ourselves to death. We shouldn't have to spend more than a hour or so a day doing our chores in an optimal system. Remember, we're on a planet's surface so we have gravity on our side. In space we would have to spin the whole thing to simulate gravity. For now, let's stay grounded and focused on the transformations.

The MATERIAL INPUTS listed above must be transformed into the following:

1) nutrient rich water and soil for plants, fungi, and symbiotic micro-organisms
2) CO2 and trace gas-rich air for the plants, fungi, and symbiotic micro-organisms
3) clean water for humans and animals
4) oxygen rich air with few trace gasses (ethylene, methane, carbon monoxide, and other exotics) for humans and animals
5) continuously and regularly producing organic food supply for humans and animals

Get the picture? What goes around comes around. There is a dynamic relationship between humans, animals, plants, fungi, and symbiotic micro-organisms. What we are trying to do is optimize this relationship by building containment vessels which provide optimal conditions for each of the above. We want to make everyone and everything involved very comfortable and in a state of being nurtured at all times. We also want to do this in a way which prevents pathogens from thriving. We're aiming for a high oxygen level (aerobic) conditions throughout the CELSS. Anaerobic conditions (such as found in septic systems) are to be avoided because they breed disease and poisonous gasses like hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg odor) and methane. Plants out-gas ethylene which is, at certain concentrations, a growth inhibitor for the plants. It too needs to be converted or a hermetically sealed system will die.

How large should a fully operational CELSS be? As small as possible and small is possible. Here are some optimistic figures from the CELSS life support research community:

ESTIMATED GROW SPACE REQUIRED PER PERSON
(may be stacked into multiple levels for more efficient operation)

14 m2 - Gitalson
56 m2 - Bios3
20-30 m2 - Cullingford & Schwatekopf
13-50 m2 - Bugsbee & Salisbury
56.9 m2 - Oleson & Olson
8-20 m2 - MacElroy & Averner
15-20 m2 - Eckhart
24 m2 - Hoff
15 m2 - Vasilyew

As you can see, the above figures are tiny compared to the amount of space the average human being requires for life support in both hunter/gatherer and agriculture- based civilizations. Since the Earth's "carrying capacity" is already exceeded because of the rapidly expanding human population, anything we do to reduce an individual's "footprint" (space/resource required to keep a person alive) is a step in the correct direction. Lab work (NASA Ames) has already proven that all the air, water, and food for one person can be grown in a 16' x 16' space under optimal conditions with controlled atmosphere, temperature, lighting, and nutrients. Of course this was a highly engineered "hydroponics" style system which required considerable electricity for the lighting, pumps, and climate control plus an outside source of plant nutrients. So, it cannot really be called a CELSS but it sure is an encouraging experiment. I bet we can do pretty good together too!

That's enough for the moment. Read through the above a few times and start dreaming of how you might turn each of the MATERIAL INPUTS into what we need to get in return. If you have any ideals fleshed ot in some detail, please share them with the group. My job here is to facilitate the "think tanking" and keep us on course to building a functioning CELSS. I'm going to be poking and prodding so don't take it personally when I question you input or put a new twist into the puzzle. Doing so is part of my job facilitating this group. One thing I'm going to be stressing is INTEGRATING FUNCTIONS. If one piece of hardware can do 3 things simultaneously, I'm probably going to suggest it.

Looking forward to working with you all! - Terry Ryan Kok (aka: Jade)

Biodynamic Food and Farming

Biodynamic Food and Farming: "Biodynamics is part of the work of Rudolf Steiner, known as anthroposophy - a new approach to science which integrates precise observation of natural phenomena, clear thinking, and knowledge of the spirit. It offers an account of the spiritual history of the Earth as a living being, and describes the evolution of the constitution of humanity and the kingdoms of nature.
basic principles of Biodynamics
Broaden Our Perspective

Just as we need to look at the magnetic field of the whole earth to comprehend the compass, to understand plant life we must expand our view to include all that affects plant growth. No narrow microscopic view will suffice. Plants are utterly open to and formed by influences from the depths of the earth to the heights of the heavens. Therefore our considerations in agriculture must range more broadly than is generally assumed to be relevant."

Tip: Growing Organic Food Inside Your Home Year-Round

Tip: Growing Organic Food Inside Your Home Year-Round: "Tip: Growing Organic Food Inside Your Home Year-Round

* Windowsill Gardening
By Pauline Lloyd
Growing Green International 9, 2/22/2008
Straight to the Source

Don't worry if you haven't got a garden or allotment! For a surprising amount of food can be produced indoors, vegan organically, either on your windowsill or on a well-lit kitchen surface.

The following plants will all do well indoors:"

Healthier Whole Grain Products

In spite of all that healthful fiber, whole grains and foods made from whole grain flour can be surprisingly difficult for many people to digest. The good news is there is a way around all of this -- sprouted whole grain flour. Where whole grain flours are milled from a dried seed, this type of flour is made from seeds that have sprouted (think grass, but a tiny sprout) before being dried and milled into flour. The sprouting process increases the nutrients and makes them more easily digested and absorbed. Since they are allowed to grow into a plant, the body digests sprouted whole grain flour as a vegetable -- which, of course, is a plant.

Organic whole-food educator Janie Quinn, who helped develop sprouted whole grain flour, is the founder of a food company called Essential Eating (Scranton, Pennsylvania), and author of several nutrition-related books including her latest, Essential Eating Sprouted Baking. She told me that most people are unaware that whole grains are actually seeds whose "destiny" is to sprout and thus "burst into an alive food." Because the digestive tract has difficulty breaking down traditional (i.e. non-sprouted) whole grains and flours, they pass through the body with many of their nutrients locked in and unabsorbed. While losing none of the fiber, sprouted whole grains allow the nutrients to blossom. A University of Minnesota study reported that sprouted whole wheat has higher amounts of bioavailable levels of vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B5 and vitamin C, along with substantially more biotin and folic acid when compared with non-sprouted whole wheat.

Essential Eating manufactures sprouted flours from both wheat and its close cousin, spelt. They can be substituted for all-purpose flour, though the taste is somewhat different -- the sprouting process adds a more mellow flavor.

Since sprouted flours are made from a plant, not a starch like traditional flours, most people (including those who are starch sensitive) can digest them with ease. However, it's not a solution for people who are gluten sensitive. Though sprouting reduces gluten content and changes its form, and spelt is naturally lower in gluten than wheat, some gluten remains present.

BRINGING IT HOME

Breads made from sprouted flour are beginning to appear in supermarkets. A chain in the Northeast called Wegmans carries them and on the national front, Whole Foods Market has started selling it as well. Read the label carefully to be sure a bread or other baked product is truly made from sprouted flour, cautions Quinn. Since the FDA does not regulate the word "sprouted" on food labeling, a product can be called sprouted even when it contains only a small amount of sprouted flour. Look to see that the word "sprouted" appears in front of any flours, such as whole wheat or spelt.

To make your own baked goods, you can purchase the flour online at the Essential Eating Web site, where sprouted whole grain flour pretzels and a number of baking mixes for cookies, butterscotch brownies and other goodies are also for sale. Go to www.essentialeating.com. Quinn's book explains how to adjust cooking time, ingredients and expectations when you substitute sprouted grain flour for regular flour, and offers many recipes as well.

Source(s):

Janie Quinn, founder, Essential Eating, Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Miracle Mineral

Miracle Mineral: "The answer to AIDS, hepatitis A,B and C, malaria, herpes, TB, most cancer and many more of mankind's worse diseases has been found. Many diseases are now easily controlled. More that 75,000 disease victims have been included in the field tests in Africa. Scientific clinical trials have been conducted in a prison in the country of Malawi, East Africa.

Separate tests conducted by the Malawi government produced identical 99% cure results. Over 60% of the AIDS victims that were treated in Uganda were well in 3 days, with 98% well within one month. More than 90% of the malaria victims were well in 4 to 8 hours. Dozens of other diseases were successfully treated and can be controlled with this new mineral supplement. It also works with colds, flu, pneumonia, sore throats, warts, mouth sores, and even abscessed teeth (it's the only thing that controls and cures abscessed teeth)."

Tibetan Exercise of Paradox

Instructions for The Tibetan Exercise of Paradox
(Version October 2002) Cynthia Rose Young Schlosser

Background:

In previous angel messages reference is made to an ancient exercise which allows the brain to do four things at once.

History indicates that this exercise was a state secret in ancient Tibet and that highly trained Tibetan rulers in Nepal were required to do this exercise as a matter of state security.

Doing four things at once is necessary to develop whole brain functioning for enlightenment and mastery. In whole brain consciousness a person is in a state of pure being and will, Delta brainwaves, at the same time they are in deep inward thought, Theta brainwaves, feeling, flowing, psychically sensing and changing in Alpha brainwaves while being aware of the five senses, logic, and memory of Beta brainwaves.

In enlightenment the four brainwave patterns alternate in perfect rhythm.

Energy shifts between WILL-THOUGHT and FEELING -SENSATION, or between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Two at a time fire, the Delta and Theta, and then the other two, Alpha and Beta in a rhythmic manner in a similar manner of REM [rapid eye movement] in dream patterns.

The four levels of whole brain thinking are:

Delta brainwaves which produce a state of pure being, very slow oscillations, roughly 1 to 4 oscillations per second [abbreviated as ops]. This is the seat of WILL, or desire. This is the dominant brain state of infants.

Theta brainwaves which produce a state of deep inward thought, approx. 4 to 6 ops. This is dominant in small children.

Alpha brainwaves which produce emotions and feelings and receives emotions and feelings from others, approx. 6 to 12 ops. All psychic activities are in this range. This brainwave is dominant in adolescents.

Beta brainwaves which produce the five senses, memory, rational linear thought and language, approx. 12 ops and up. This brainwave is dominant in adults.

The following physical and imaginative exercises lead up to the final exercise in which all four parts of the brain fire at the same time, and with even a little practice the brain gets used to working in this manner automatically.

The purpose of step one is to perform a simple physical movement with total focus and awareness of all bodily sensations.

It is important to become ACUTELY AWARE of the bodily sensations of this movement.

If you are working in a restricted area, you may substitute the featured activity of fencing thrusts with another activity that requires less space. If you must use another activity, read over these exercises and apply them accordingly to your chosen activity. The use of fencing thrusts is the actual exercise used by Tibetan Rulers.

We are going to do a double fencing thrust.

Get something that represents a sword or just imagine that you are holding one. Now make a sudden forward thrust to the right, just as if you are practicing the art of fencing.

Pay close attention to every sensation that your body experiences. You will need a clear bodily memory of these sensations later. Now spin around. Make a fencing thrust to the left.

Do not hurry through these movements. The idea is to pay close attention to your body sensations in making these movements. The five senses or beta brainwaves are activated.

Now repeat and turn. Thrust again to the right. Deliberately, carefully, paying attention to every sensation.

Turn. Lunge to the left. Turn. Lunge to the right .

Repeat until you have the clear sensation of lunging in each direction perfectly familiarized and remembered on a sensate bodily level.

******* Remember the sensations from the beta wave level above.
[Beta wave= memory, and the five senses]

This time when you do a fencing thrust to the right, IMAGINE and feel that your body is lunging to the left.

This imaginary state of lunging in the opposite direction of the one your body is doing activates the alpha wave level as you FEEL the imagined sensations and the Theta wave level of brainwave activity as you PICTURE them.

The imagined action of thrusting to the left while the physical body is lunging to the right is repeated often with so vivid an imagination that it feels actually more real to you than what the actual physical body is doing.

The two bodies [ solid and imagined] lunging in opposite directions form a V if a camera could capture both the imagined action and the action of the physical body.

Now turn. Let your physical body lunge to the left, While you IMAGINE that you are lunging to the right.

Your attention is so completely focused on your imaginary body, which is making a fencing thrust to the right, that it is much more real to you than what your physical body is doing, which is making a fencing thrust to the left.

Your mind is fully engaged in the sensation and concept of the imaginary body experience while the physical body is doing the opposite direction.

The physical body is operating on its own like it does in a mechanical activity such as typing or driving a car.

Many variations of this theme can be done in confined spaces. Any double action, like moving the pencil to the right while you imagine moving it to the left, works for this part of whole brain exercise.

Move your mental eyes one way while your physical eyes move the other. Or try lowering your head while in your imagination you are lifting it. Try facing and walking in one direction while imagining you are facing and walking in the other.

The blood supply to the brain greatly increases with this type of exercise.

Step two:

Summary

In the last exercise we learned how to vividly imagine and feel ourselves performing an action that is the mirror image of one that the physical body is performing at the same time. This allowed the brain to do two things at once.

NEXT EXERCISE:

**********

Again, we will do two things at once. This time walk four steps forward.

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY SENSATIONS WITH EACH STEP.
[Activates Beta brainwaves of the five senses.] Do not turn around.

Still facing the same way, take four steps backward. Pay attention to each physical sensation as you do this. Now again walk forward four steps.

Now backward four steps. Do this until you have it clearly imprinted.

Remember, you are facing the same way the whole time, but half the time you are walking forward and half the time you are walking backward.

You are now ready for the next step:

Now IMAGINE and FEEL yourself walking four steps backwards, AT THE SAME TIME that your physical body is walking four steps forward. [Activated alpha and theta brainwave states.]

Then IMAGINE yourself walking four steps forward WHILE YOUR PHYSICAL BODY IS WALKING FOUR STEPS BACKWARD.

Repeat this until the imagined action is more real to your awareness than what your physical body is doing and you can do this easily.

In your imagination, you will pass yourself coming and going.

You may feel lightheaded at first because the brain is getting an increased blood supply.

Remember that the imagined you must feel more real and vivid to you than the physical you.

If you have this part mastered, the rest will be easy. At the end of the next installment, your brain will be doing four things at once.

Just like learning how to ride a bicycle, you will never forget or lose this skill. Practice regularly.

Once your brain gets used to doing four things at once, it will be easy for you to apply this to the meditations of the divine virtues in which you produce Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta brainwaves consciously at the same time .

This means that you will be able to feel oneness with Universal Consciousness in the Pure Being of the Delta brainwave state, create deeply in your inner world in the Theta brainwave state, feel in the alpha brainwave state, and be fully active in the five senses, memory, and logic of the Beta brainwave state all at the same time without effort.

Step three.

This is last phase of the ancient Tibetan Exercise of Paradox.

You are now adding two more movements to the one that you learned in part two.

Hold both of your palms in front of you with elbows bent, as if you were pushing .

Move both palms in slow clockwise circles while you take four steps forward.

Continue going four steps forward while moving your palms in clockwise circles until you can do it automatically and easily , remembering vividly all the sensations and feelings of it .

When you have done this a number of times, practice the other half of the exercise which is the opposite; take four steps backwards while moving the hands in slow counter clockwise circles.

Continue taking four steps backwards moving the hands in slow counter clockwise circles until you can do this easily and remember vividly all the sensations and feelings of it.

It is important to take your time with this. Repeat this until your body remembers the sensations.

By taking time to repeat these motions until the mechanical part of the brain has absorbed them completely, the next step is easy .

FINAL STEP:

Take four steps forward, moving the palms in slow clockwise circles while you IMAGINE that you are moving four steps backwards moving the hands in slow counterclockwise circles.

Then reverse, moving the physical body four steps backwards making counter clockwise circles with your palms, while IMAGINING that you are moving four steps forward with palms moving in clockwise circles.

YOU HAVE JUST DONE THE TIBETAN EXERCISE OF PARADOX!

Repeat.

Your physical body moves forward four steps, your hands moving in a clockwise circle as YOU VIVIDLY IMAGINE YOURSELF stepping BACKWARD FOUR STEPS WITH HANDS MOVING IN A COUNTER CLOCKWISE CIRCLE. Repeat for about ten minutes.

You may experience dizziness at first, since so much more blood is going to the brain than you have ever been used to . This dizziness occurs less and finally disappears entirely after you have done this exercise a few times. The brain will adjust to the blood supply of doing four things at once .

In future exercises, you may decide to skip the warm up steps and go directly to doing four things at once with the last exercise.

As we mentioned in the first part of the instructions, just as a person never forgets how to ride a bicycle, or type, once the brain has mastered this exercise it will not forget how to do four things at once.

The more you practice this, the easier it becomes, and the faster and better the brain gets at doing this.

When you first experience yourself thinking effortlessly on four levels at once in your ordinary activities, it may come as a delightful surprise.

THIS COMPLETES THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE TIBETAN EXERCISE OF PARADOX.

Footnote on brain nutrition and detox. Go to www.futuredynamicad vantage.com for the research on the latest development in brain nutrition. There are links to John's Hopkins and US. Army in their research on restoring nerve function. There is a brain supplement there, called Brain Lightning, that has ingredients for detox, blood supply, and nutrition. Many people have found this supplement to be helpful. One of the ingredients is the only substance that the Army has found that undoes the damage to nerve gas poisoning. If you have pesticide residues in your brain, this will get it out.

© Cynthia Rose Young Schlosser www.spiritussanctus .com

Email Cynthia Rose to subscribe to her daily angelic messages: spiritus at mindspring.com.

For more helpful, interesting and free information, visit
www.esolibris.com

Convert your Honda Accord to run on trash

Convert your Honda Accord to run on trash: "ntroConvert your Honda Accord to run on trash

We may not yet have a flux capacitor for time travel, but we do already have the equivalent of 'Mr. Fusion', which if cleverly applied, will enable you to run your car on everyday 'trash'-- today. This 'magical' device is called a gasifier. And what it does is called gasification.

Gasification is the use of heat to tranform solid biomass, or other carbonaceous solids, into a synthetic 'natural gas like' flammable fuel. Through gasification, we can convert nearly any solid dry organic matter into a clean burning, carbon neutral, gaseous fuel. Whether starting with wood chips or walnut shells, construction debris or agricultural waste, the end product is a flexible gaseous fuel you can burn in your internal combustion engine, cooking stove, furnace or flamethrower. Or in this case, your DeLorean. Well ok, how about a Honda Accord . . .

Sound impossible?

Did you know that over one million vehicles in Europe ran onboard gasifiers during WWII to make fuel from wood and charcoal, as gasoline and diesel were rationed or otherwise unavailable? Long before there was biodiesel and ethanol, we actually succeeded in a large-scale, alternative fuels redeployment-- and one which curiously used only cellulosic biomass, not the oil and sugar based biofuel sources which"


Convert your Honda Accord to run on trash - More cool how to projects