Do you ever wish you could have true freedom? In this day and age we never really seem to be free. You can buy your own piece of property but you have to pay property tax, which adds up to a lot of money. It is like paying rent, really.
I like to imagine a world where no one owns poperty... we all simply float around where ever we want.
I imagine a world of total self sufficiency where we live entirely from the ocean. The ocean provides everything we need.
- Floating home that can SUBMERGE like a submarine during storms for PROTECTION.
- Large netted containment area below home for fish farm to provide limitless food stores. Fish skins can also be turned into leather for clothing(see link below).
- Solar and wind power
- Home is essentially one large funnel for collecting rain water for drinking. Plus solar heated system that evaporates salt water which can then be collected for drinking.
Now all we need is somekind of free wireless internet...-- Leotardo Da Vinci, Jan 02 2004 Fish skin leather clothing http://www.skinilon...com/collection.html [Leotardo Da Vinci, Oct 17 2004] I'd like to be under the sea, in an octopus's garden in the shade... http://www.geocitie...n-takes_2_8-ly.html [DrCurry, Oct 17 2004] Drinking water from the sea http://www.sailgb.c...olar-Still&PID=1296A few of these would just about do it. [Klaatu, Oct 17 2004] Seaweed power for your floating home http://www.halfbake...dea/Seaweed_20Power [Leotardo Da Vinci, Oct 17 2004] What about hurricanes? This is why I feel it needs to be submersible. Just to a depth where it will be safe from storms. Which I believe isn't that great... maybe 50 feet, at the most?-- Leotardo Da Vinci, Jan 02 2004 "Find a safe haven"? Like underwater? :D
Are you Japanese Tsuka? They are part of my inspiration. They have learned to live from the ocean quite a bit. I need to figure some way to grow rice in the house aquatic. Then I could have a nice japanese diet.-- Leotardo Da Vinci, Jan 02 2004 I wonder if it would be possible to have a snorkel type system during storms? So only the snorkel is above water during the storm while you are submerged safely below.-- Leotardo Da Vinci, Jan 02 2004 That is a good question... and something I have considered. You could design it like a thermos to insulate it. And depending on the material used it would insulate it as well. The solar and wind power could be used to create pure hydrogen which could be stored for the times when you would need to be submerged or for night time use. Flywheels could also be used to store energy.
I have already discussed fresh water recovery -- fresh water wouldn't even need to be used but for drinking... and we don't drink much water per day really. Salt water could be used for most everything else.
These Aquatic homes also would not be speedy crafts at all. They could essentially "float" in water currents and that is about it. They could maybe use those solid "wing-like" sails and a small electric motor for for slow and short movement.
Another possible method of creating energy would be to use the heat conductive aspect of the water and the house material absorbing heat from the Sun and make one huge Sterling engine and create power this way.-- Leotardo Da Vinci, Jan 06 2004 Actually, salt water isn't that great for washing. Even if you purified it to remove the bits of fish and whatnot, you'd end up with teeny bits of crystalized salt all over you. Which is why I always shower after swimming at the beach.-- Eugene, Jan 06 2004 http://www.goals.com/ClassRm/SailSci/osmosis1.htm-- Leotardo Da Vinci, Jan 06 2004 Where would you grow your vegetables and fruit?
// Large netted containment area below home for fish farm to provide limitless food stores //
While your utopian vision relies upon the confinement and murder of other creatures, you will never create the mind-set required to achieve a genuinely harmonious existence. Only when you fill your mind with compassion instead of cruelty can you live a fulfilled life. Whether you live on land or sea is of little relevance to your happiness in the face of such a mental obstacle.-- dobtabulous, Jan 07 2004 //Where would you grow your vegetables and fruit? //
This is a great question. I am not really sure. I was hoping that there might be some way that we can get all the essential foods we need from ocean growing foods... like fish... which are the source of man made vitamins. Kelp... which is used in sushi I believe is tremendously high in nutrients.
But the other aspect I envisioned is that these Floating houses would be parked right next to small tropical islands and you could grow and/or harvest things like this there.
There is another really tough one that I havn't been able to figure out.... toilet paper! Salt water bidet anyone?-- Leotardo Da Vinci, Jan 07 2004 How do you get to work/school (no fish schools puns please) if this thing only potters around slowly?
And yeah. Use reverse osmosis to produce fresh water. Some existing units turn out gallons and gallons a day. Might make us notice how much we use too.
Why has no one mentioned using wave motion as an energy source?
Instead of the netted fish farm, why not just have a net? Extend it for, oooh, a day a week, or two if you don't catch much and then eat whatever you find in it. The random nature of the fishing would be much less damaging than commercial fishing which tends to concentrate on a small number of highly marketable species. You might have to close your eyes whilst eating some of the more interestingly formed fish...or make them into crab sticks like they do now.
Plus for underwater living idea, natch, and if mine can have huge brass knobs everywhere (the handle sort, o.k.?) and spinny wheels on the doors you can have a pat on the head too (think Captain Nemo's sub in the film with Omar Sharrif).-- squeak, Jan 08 2004 Happy New Year, [tsuka]! Hope you had a good holiday.-- squeak, Jan 08 2004 //How do you get to work/school //
Well... the school portion could be kind of tacked on to the "wireless internet". With Computers/software, video camera and the internet do we really need shool? Think of a virtual schools. Also consider that the ocean is "flat" Not acounting for the curvature of the earth and tidal swells. It is essentially flat, if within a certain distance. I am thinking we could all be connected with an optical network? OR maybe even some kind of accoutsic connection through the water? Just some pipe dreams really.
And a big reason behind this whole idea would be to not have to work. You live off the sea... but there are a lot of problems with this. But this was the main reason I posted this idea... to brainstorm... with people such as yourself. :D
//Some existing units turn out gallons and gallons a day. Might make us notice how much we use too.//
Fantastic info. Thanks! If you have any links I would love to see em.
//Why has no one mentioned using wave motion as an energy source? //
This is a great idea. Do you envision this attached to the house? Or for a communal power source?
//Instead of the netted fish farm, why not just have a net? //
I like the way you think! You have a lot of great ideas. The only potential problem I see in this is maybe getting a porpoise caught in the net. But apperently there are methods to keep them away from nets also. This is a neat idea to ponder though.
//Plus for underwater living idea, natch, and if mine can have huge brass knobs everywhere (the handle sort, o.k.?) and spinny wheels on the doors//
Don't forget one of those cool red striped shirts Kirk Douglas wore. : P-- Leotardo Da Vinci, Jan 11 2004 //Also, you might want to take a good look at pressure vessel design and see what it takes to withstand a submersion of 50-100ft not to mention the ballast exchange requirements to submerge a house.//
Yeah... I realize it wouldn't really be easy... but I do believe it is possible.
If you have any technical info it would be much appreciated. Where might I find this info? My hope is that with the constant advancements in materials science this might be possible now... or in the very near future. Actually... I know it is physically possible... the question is... is it financially plausible? Or what would be the most financially plausible solution?-- Leotardo Da Vinci, Jan 11 2004 Thanks for the info [dag]. Do you work in some type of engineering field?
[Klaatu] Thanks for the link. That is exactly the system I was thinking of using for purifying water. I was thinking of incorporating that system into the floating home... But on a much larger scale if possible.-- Leotardo Da Vinci, Jan 13 2004 [dag] Are you aware of any materials other than metal that could be safely used for a submersible? Are the clear bubbles used in many crafts lexan?
Ideally I would like to try to use nature's methods. Every living thing in the ocean can submerge below water for protection from the elements. This is why I feel it is so important for the house aquatic.
But the material the house is made of needs to be maintenance free.
One thing that came to mind that I wonder about is the possibility of using plastic... but extremely thick plastic. Supposedly the environmental problems with plastic is it doesn't breakdown for thousands of years, right? Or is that only in landfills when not exposed to the sun? Because my dashboard seems to be made of inferior plastic that started breaking down after a couple years. :/
How about ceramics? Too brittle? How would it hold up to the elements?-- Leotardo Da Vinci, Jan 13 2004 random, halfbakery