The Official Treehouse Articles Thread

[lxskllr]

Your rotten fuel lines and trashed carbs were for nothing, but we already knew that, right?

Corn ethanol no better—and probably worse—than burning gasoline, study says

Efforts to reduce carbon pollution using ethanol appear to have backfired.

arstechnica.com

 

[Tree09]

It was always just a subsidy for farmers.

 

[murphy4trees]

How the Battle Over a Pesticide Led to Scientific Skepticism

The movement to bring DDT back after its ban found a curious ally: Big Tobacco. But the endangered industry was after something bigger.

www.wired.com

 

[cory]

Why I'm Killing My Lawn and Turning My Yard Into Wildlife Habitat

I'm done with grass. This year I'm turning my yard into a diverse habitat that requires less water and fertilizer.

www.outdoorlife.com

 

[lxskllr]

That's more or less what I've always done. Never watered, never fertilized, and never applied any kind of *cide. I'd like to turn some of my backyard into full blown meadow, but I'd want it in flowers and other interesting plants. Not thorns and ivy. Haven't had much luck in the past with wildflowers, but I haven't given up on the idea.

 

[cory]

I bought a bunch of wildflower seeds, gonna plant in back yard which is pretty shot

 

[SeanKroll]

I could sell my soul to the devil. My neighbor wants to sell his highly profitable, low- risk, low- stress hydroseeding biz. Asked if i wanted to buy it.

He works at least full- time in his management job.

No thanks.


I've been slowly decreasing my lawn, but have a lot. My 1.75 acre property used to be mostly pasture.



A good line, you may have heard for tree customers... if you want a lawn, let it be a nice rug, not wall to wall carpet.

 

[pigwot]

John,
Phacelia is s native that does well in our area for a ground cover. Lacy Phacelia (purple flower) in full sun and Shade Phacelia (yellow flower) in shadier areas. It tends to be aggressive enough to keep the riffraff out.

 

[lxskllr]

That's a pretty flower. Where would one get some? I keep meaning to dig up some milkweed from work to plant a couple stands, but I never seem to get to it. Jewelweed also. I think that would do reasonably well in my sideyard, and popping seed pods is some of the best fun you can have in the outdoors.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I was surprised who pulled this off. Cool Article.

The bridge that crossed an ocean

(And the man who moved it)

getpocket.com

 

[gf beranek]

I remember that. At the time I thought it a fool thing to do.

But later I thought, what the heck. If you got the money, and the time, follow your dreams.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

From chain saws to a bridge who'd a thunk it.

 

[cory]

Crazy story

 

[cory]

I didn't know europe has a thriving wood pellet industry and alot of the pellets come from SE usa

Europe Rethinks Its Reliance on Burning Wood for Electricity

A new proposal would significantly rewrite E.U. rules on renewable energy, ending subsidies for biomass like wood pellets.

www.nytimes.com

 

[stig]

Yep.
Nothing green about sailing wood pellets or chips across the Atlantic.

 

[Steve Mack]

Giant sinkhole with a forest inside found in China

Species unknown to science could be hiding in this gaping hole.

www.livescience.com

 

[lxskllr]

Why the two sides of the moon look different...

Why the Moon's two faces are so different

The far side of the Moon is incredibly different from the Earth-facing side. 63 years later, we know why the Moon's faces are not alike.

bigthink.com

 

[cory]

Who knew

 

[stig]

Good read.

 

[cory]

links I post from NYT are often inaccessible to many of you here, I think I learned a way to make them accessible to all here, lmk.

This is about the hullabaloo re the threatened rail strike a few weeks ago, I learned alot.

Opinion | Mismanagement and ‘Monster Trains’ Have Wrecked American Rail

Decades of cost cutting takes a toll.

www.nytimes.com

 

[stikine]

Hey @cory it's accessible but tht NYT want to sell you a subscription to view.

 

[stikine]

Why the two sides of the moon look different...

Why the Moon's two faces are so different

The far side of the Moon is incredibly different from the Earth-facing side. 63 years later, we know why the Moon's faces are not alike.

bigthink.com

Pink Floyd?

 

[cory]

@stikine lmk if you can read it now

Opinion | Mismanagement and ‘Monster Trains’ Have Wrecked American Rail

Decades of cost cutting takes a toll.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Steve Mack]

Firfox has Toggle Reader View, I can read it with that with no subsciption. You can get it for Chrome, might be a few others if you look. toggle reader view - Google Search - https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=toggle+reader+view

 

[cory]

Andy Detwiler, Armless Farmer Who Became a YouTube Star, Dies at 52

After a childhood accident, he learned how to drive tractors and feed farm animals with his feet. Then he started a popular farming channel on YouTube.

www.nytimes.com