RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES

(Click on the title for a link to the Future of Food website)

Photo: Some houses are better insulated than others.

If you get chance, try to see the film ‘The Future of Food’ by Deborah Koons Garcia that is doing the rounds at the moment. It gives a frank and in depth look into the worldwide use of genetically modified (gm) crops that end up in the food chain. Watching the film made me more determined to read the labels on shop bought products and to expand my veggie patch so I can grow more home grown food.

At the conference at the Letterkenny Institute of Technology , it was felt that farmers around Donegal will not have to bother about a GM invasion, as they will all be moving towards growing bio-fuel crops. The conference was looking at renewable energy resources and had a packed audience of at least 125 people. Bio crops such as willow and hemp were high on the agenda and with the introduction of grants being made available in the spring of 2007 for growing elephant grass (Miscanthus) and willow, the incentives look very promising. The grants will only be available for large-scale farming but it’s a step in the right direction.

The day was very positive and it is generally thought that the North West of Ireland could be a major exporter of wind-generated energy to Europe within the next twenty years as we are in the windiest place in the country. The greener homes scheme that has been introduced is proving to be very popular. This initiative gives grants to those of us that would like to include solar panels, wood chip boilers and the like to our houses. Up to yet 1600 applications have been sent in and 1100 have been approved. This, it is hoped will help to focus on the need for houses to become more energy efficient and less reliant on fossil fuels for heating.

Hemp housing was mentioned a few times, especially by Tom Wooley, Professor of Architecture at Queens University. He concentrated on energy efficient housing and hemp seemed to be the answer to the eco-house builders dream. Hemp can be ground down and mixed with lime to produce a concrete like material that is not only strong and durable but manages to lock carbon into the structure of the house, which makes it one better then being carbon neutral, reducing the environmental impact compared to traditional built houses. The insulation properties are phenomenal too. Hemp can also be pulped up and used as a moulded wood substitute that can be injection moulded like MDF to form banisters and skirting boards. It doesn’t end there either as it makes a fluffy insulation that can line the loft space.

Hemp could be grown easily in Inishowen and hopefully it won’t be long before the eight foot plants are part of the landscape. These techniques are going some way to build what is known as ‘passive houses’. These are properties that are so well insulated, ventilated, sealed and designed that they need little or no heating whatsoever. The energy that is used comes from solar panels and wind turbines. They also are designed so they do not get overheated in the summer, which could be a big saving on air conditioning in offices where the idea could also be used.

Environmental