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Pumping water, raising the elevator, and generating
electricity, while feeding off the garden from the sun,
and giving off manure to fertilize the garden.
[link]
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Aha! not if we use their excess methane for lift. They don't need to be fed from the garden. Inner city power-cows... love it. |
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In residential buildings, elevators spend much of their time
at rest. One ox plodding away at a capstan for hours
charges a bank
of batteries, which in turn powers a normal-speed
elevator. The batteries recharge when the elevator is not
in use. To extend excessive wear on both battery and
bovine, you let the ox take a break every time the elevator
runs. |
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The weight differential between oxen and elevator passengers could be geared down so that a drop of one story for the oxen could equal several stories of lift as well... after which they could walk back up a ramp to get back to their food source. |
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By my figuring, one ox can lift 4 people at a respectable 2.5 m/s (based on a power of 10,000 W (reasonable for a shortish stint), 1000 N per person). |
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//walk back up a ramp// But I thought we were using methane balloons to lift them back up, or something. |
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This would be a handy solution for some consequences of Mayan Apocalypse :-) |
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It would also be useful if some nut-job religious sect developed that forbade the operating of electrical devices on certain days. |
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Well, technically speaking, the Amish forbid the use of
electrical devices every day. Only the dairies have
electricity, and it only goes to the barn. |
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<Reaches for hanky> <sneezes> pashute! <coughs> Sabbath! |
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Excuse me, it must be the pollen. |
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Aaah ... aaaaah ... a Jew! |
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How soon are these anti-histamines meant to start working? |
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//Well, technically speaking, the Amish forbid the use of electrical devices every day. Only the dairies have electricity, and it only goes to the barn//. I know I could probably do some research to find out buy why do the Amish use electricity in their daries? Refridgeration? |
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[+] Pratchett's "man with water buffalo" comes to mind, as does the picture of a suburban street of flat-roofed houses, each with a ruminant on top, spreading gossip amongst themselves, along with the manure. |
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The electric power used in Amish dairies (which due to the
practicalities of modern dairy operation can be quite
sophisticated) are mostly used to run pastuerizers and
refrigerated tanks, but on the larger farms you'll also see
electric feeders, manure sloughs, and automated milking
machines. |
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A properly counterbalanced elevator uses much less
electricity than you would believe. The cost of
maintaining an ox would far outweigh the savings in
electricity and the extra methane and environmental
cost of maintaining the garden would far outweigh
the environmental benefit. |
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unpasteurized milk cannot legally be sold in several
states. |
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'round these parts a farmer (rancher?dairyman?) ran a raw milk business, servicing a herd of cows which were owned, fully or partially, by individuals. |
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I think they pretty well bent and loopholed the law as far as it could be, in their efforts to drink unprocessed milk, but they still got busted. |
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And what 21 just said: perhaps the unprocessed stuff is just for in-house, with the governmental blessing of the religious-tolerance department. |
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[21], Amish dairies (and many other Amish businesses) are
not solely devoted to the service of their own community--
quite the opposite, in fact. According to their own
religious tenets, of which I have only the barest
understanding, the Amish do quite a neat job of
conforming to state and federal requirements concerning
commercial enterprise whilst still adhering to their own
beliefs. They even pay their taxes. Just because somebody
reads his Bible by candlelight doesn't mean he isn't a
shrewd and canny businessman with a detailed
understanding of modern finance. |
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Actually, its not a good solution for orthodox Jews.
The Torah specifically lists the Shabbat (or Shabbos
if
your ultra orthodox like me) as a day of rest for
everyone, including your livestock. |
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There's a story about a convert to Judaism who had
a problem stopping his smoking on Saturday. He
went to the reform rabbi who told him she
believed if it felt good, it was ok. Then he met
with the conservative rabbi who told him that by
decree of the Jewish Theological Seminary converts
who find it hard to stop smoking may continue to do
so on the Sabbath providing they change the brand
on that day. Finally he met with an ultra-orthodox
rabbi in Monroe who found a simple solution. All he
had to do was sell his lungs to a gentile, and split
the revenue with the synagogue. |
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Notice I didn't say anything about food. (hint - we
are vegetarian at home) |
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Ah. I'd forgotten the bit about resting livestock. What do you do about milking? |
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Would it be acceptable to wait in the lift until the ox decided to pull you up, just because it felt good? |
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It would certainly be acceptable for the ox. |
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Especially with the methane buoyancy assist. |
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His burden is easy,
His yoke is light(er than air). |
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