Snow day in Ehime-ken, Japan

[bakubo]

As it happens, I grew up in a small farming town, and the switch from rectangular to round bales happened (mostly, anyway) while I still lived there. I asked once about why they'd switched, and got an earful.

Ahh, thanks for explaining things from someone who was there!

[Greg Beetham]

I think you can still get the square bales from the produce store here, I think they call them Chaff bales and I think it's supposed to be a lot more nourishing than just grass.
I also see the big round bales of grass occasionally here too, but I think the do them only when it necessary to transport out west when it's been a bit poor for grass, either it's a drought or it's a flood lately it seems.
Greg

[bakubo]

I think you can still get the square bales from the produce store here, I think they call them Chaff bales and I think it's supposed to be a lot more nourishing than just grass.

Thanks for that info! I have decided that from now on it is only square bales of hay for me since I care about my health and good nutrition.

[Greg Beetham]

I think I got the name wrong Henry, make sure you get the right stuff, I’m pretty sure it’s called lucerne (alfalfa), that's done up in rectangular compressed bales, don’t order chaff for goodness sake.
Greg

[bakubo]

I think I got the name wrong Henry, make sure you get the right stuff, I’m pretty sure it’s called lucerne (alfalfa), that's done up in rectangular compressed bales, don’t order chaff for goodness sake.

Thanks for the update because it caught me in time. I was planning to go out today to get the nutritious stuff and am glad I didn't get the wrong one. Tonight we will have a feast.

[jcoffin]

Thanks for the update because it caught me in time. I was planning to go out today to get the nutritious stuff and am glad I didn't get the wrong one. Tonight we will have a feast.

Be careful how you store it though! Alfalfa, especially if it's cut when a little too green, is prone to spontaneous combustion if stored without enough ventilation (seriously).

[bakubo]

Be careful how you store it though! Alfalfa, especially if it's cut when a little too green, is prone to spontaneous combustion if stored without enough ventilation (seriously).

That is excellent advice. As we know, a major cause of global warming is bovine gas so good ventilation is a must. We will be sure to have all the windows open during tonight's feast. The big question though is if Al Gore is going to show up to try and sell us some carbon offsets.

Cow 'emissions' more damaging to planet than CO2 from cars

http://www.independent.co.uk/environmen ... 27843.html

[jcoffin]

The big question though is if Al Gore is going to show up to try and sell us some carbon offsets.

Now that raises a tough question: is it more dangerous to lock up the house and chance a little spontaneous combustion, or leave it open so Al Gore might come in?

More simply, is it worse to burn, or be bored to death?

[agorabasta]

Cow 'emissions' more damaging to planet than CO2 from cars

Not quite. It's methane component of greenhouse gases that comes mostly from cows and humans.

The biggest supplier of CO2 is the tropical forests. All that green vegetation accumulates carbon in the life cycle, and then dies and releases it as CO2 while decomposing (or being eaten). Thus, the more is there green vegetation in tropical/equatorial areas - the more CO2 is cycled in the atmosphere.
But that's no problem whatsoever as the more CO2 gets into the air, the more vegetation may feed off that.

The absolutely worst and most dangerous greenhouse gas is actually the water vapour that is not taking part in any long cycle. Such free vapours are supplied into atmosphere by the desert areas, both by the natural deserts and the urban areas. And the only way to reduce deserts is to have more vegetation to hold and recycle the water vapours. And that, in turn, requires more CO2 be put into the air to lend the carbon needed to form the body of vegetation and also to create fertile soils.

And one more thing - the CO2 helps cloud formation with further precipitation, and that's also necessary to reduce desert areas.