the price of gas going up, up, up...some crude facts....

[kayakrguy]

Chuck,

Well, electrical is a whole other ball game with the NEC and state and local codes, and the electrician's union can be pretty strong from place to place. But, safety is primary. When I lived in MA, the local E inspector would let me run all the new wire my old Victorian needed (it had 6 circuits total when we moved in, I added 14 more) but would not let me put in the switches and receptacles. Mind you, I had put in all the boxes. Why I needed an electrician to do that, I have no idea--except the E inspector tended to approve projects easiest if they were done by the guy who bought his business from him when he became inspector <G>

Jim

[Chuck Craven]

Arne
A dome at R40 is jeanery the minimum that is built around here. Most are R60 to R90 even more. If you get to high an R value and to tight you need to put in a air recirculation system. The best I have seen now days is 75% efficient, that’s like leaving a small window open. But square houses can be built with higher R value but most people will not put there money their. They want fancy kitchens, bathrooms, family rooms and exc. Meany people are sold a bill of goods as to how good their new construction is energy efficient. Yes the new washer, dryer, dishwasher, are energy star rated but not the house it’s self. They are better than the 1970’s but not what they could be.

Jim
I paid 5k for the building inspections and the inspector would not get out of his little truck for he may get mud on his shoes. The final inspection he walked around the house and pushed the test button on the GFI outlet it went pop that’s good he said. It goes pop with out power on it! When leaving then said your front door is to close to the back door!
I said that is how it is on the blue prints. He said oh yah well enjoy. That was that. If I built just 2 miles north I couldn’t have done any of it. (Different county)!!!

Chuck

[Dewayne_Mellen]

One problem that I've read about with getting permits for domes is that the regulations are written that the roof has to have internal supports which aren't needed in a dome. One person said that they put in a wall on the inside just so they could get the permit. They had wanted it to be more open on the inside.

I want to get either an in-ground house or a dome for my next house.

[Chuck Craven]

Chuck,

I don't understand why unions would be a problem re: dome construction...??? Mind you, I think management and unions can BOTH make blindingly shortsighted decisions--ditto boards of directors and corporate raiders. But I cannot understand what would be involved in building dome roof that would not be involved in building a traditional roof? Heck, your roof/walls look like a cross between mansard and geodesic dome construction....can you clari9fy?

Jim

It’s a Bucky ball, a 3 frequency 3/8 geodesic dome. It’s based on a Tetrahedral 15 equal lateral triangles to form a sphere. 3 frequency means each equal lateral triangle is divided in to 3 parts. With each divided triangle popped out to the cord factor of the original sphere. 3/8 means a sphere is truncated above the equator. Then you end up with X,Y and Z triangles. X base is the same size as a Y base, the Y side is the same as a Z side and only the Z base can be next to a Z base. So in a full 3/8 dome, no extinctions, there are 75 triangles. You end up with 6 pentagons made up of X triangles, 5 octagons made up of 3 Y triangles and 3 Z triangles. Between the X pentagons at the base is 20 Y and 5 Z triangles. That is what makes the dome. My house has 3 extinctions and 4’ high riser walls. The extinction cannot cut through a pentagon of X triangles but can replace two Y and one Z triangle at the base. Make sense?
On Google, look up Buckminster Fuller. I have met him twice. He was a real character a genius gone wild! Neat guy!

Chuck

[Chuck Craven]

One problem that I've read about with getting permits for domes is that the regulations are written that the roof has to have internal supports which aren't needed in a dome. One person said that they put in a wall on the inside just so they could get the permit. They had wanted it to be more open on the inside.

I want to get either an in-ground house or a dome for my next house.

Not any more! The federal codes nix that. The roof is a continues truss. That is why you don’t need internal walls holding up the roof. There have been engineering studies done and a Geo dome is one of the strongest designs one can make. Makes no difference if it is panelized or strut and hub. Just have to be careful not to cut through one of the members that make up the trusses.

Chuck

[madjack]

Chuck, I have built 3 domes over the years and would love to build another to live in...didja work out all the chords and frequencies yourself...didja use a kit...or what........
madjack

[kayakrguy]

Global gas prices «Click column headings to re-sort»
City Effective Date Price in USD
Regular/Gallon
Nation City Price
UK TEESIDE $5.64
HONG KONG HONG KONG $5.62
UK MILFORD HAVEN $5.56
UK READING $5.56
UK NORWICH $5.54
GERMANY FRANKFURT $5.29
DENMARK COPENHAGEN $5.08
NORWAY STAVANGER $5.07
NORWAY OSLO $4.93
ITALY ROME $4.86
TURKEY ISTANBUL $4.85
PORTUGAL LISBON $4.80
KOREA SEOUL $4.71
SWITZERLAND GENEVA $4.56
KOREA KOJE/OKPO $4.53
AUSTRIA VIENNA $4.50
CROATIA ZAGREB $4.32
JAPAN TOKYO $3.84
AUSTRALIA SYDNEY $2.63
CAMBODIA PHNOM PENH $2.57
TAIWAN TAIPEI $2.47
GEORGIA TBILISI $2.31
LAOS VIENTIANE $1.66
THAILAND BANGKOK $1.60
CHINA TIANJIN $1.54
CHINA SHANGHAI $1.48
RUSSIA MOSCOW $1.45
KAZAKHSTAN ALMATY $1.36
KAZAKHSTAN ATYRAU $1.35
TAJIKISTAN DUSHANBE $1.32
AZERBAIJAN BAKU $1.15
VENEZUELA CARACAS $0.14

[Leon]

How many of those listed on the top part of that list have good public transportation systems.......

Where I'm at if you want to go to the mall or Costco to do some shopping, it is a 70 mile drive with no bus service.

[Chuck Craven]

Chuck, I have built 3 domes over the years and would love to build another to live in...didja work out all the chords and frequencies yourself...didja use a kit...or what........
madjack

I did the math but bought a kit. I only had one year to build it so the kit was the fastest.
My house is a panelized dome. But if I were going to do it again I would build a hub and strut. You can get the R factor higher in a hub and strut than the panels.
I also looked in to the Hexadome by Doug Hofstadter. Designed a hub and strut system for the Hexadome but never went any farter than a model. The only problem with the Hexadome is, it’s limited to about 32’ in diameter. Also a Hexadome is not geodesic.

Chuck

[greg34]

Global gas prices «Click column headings to re-sort»
City Effective Date Price in USD

kayakrguy, thanks for the information. It can be useful during travel.

[the dog]

Gas has been going up for years, it's not such a surprise. We have been warned for years to cut back, carpool, public trans. We were warned gas would be $5 a gallon a very long time ago and no one wanted to listen.

I heat with renewable wood from my woodlot (hardwood burnt properly), I cut energy use and get efficient devices as I can, 6" ins in my walls. I drive a 2003 F350 4x4 1 ton Ford but I watch my usage. 2 years ago I bought it with 19K and have 25K,, that's 3,000 mi a year, 250 gallons a year folks, my bad. I get 12.5 mpg empty, loaded or towing someones broken 2003 SUV with 260,000 miles on it. I don't believe my full size truck (or anyones) is the cause of the gas crisis. We as a people are the cause.

It's not the vehicle. It's how you use it, how much you use it, what you use it for. Gas isn't going to go to $10 an hour because people drive fullsize trucks. It could go there because American people as a whole wouldn't/won't cut back on energy use and it's easier to blame someone else. The price of gas is beginning to make some open their eyes but before that, they won't carpool, they won't take public transportation, walk 2 blocks, ride a bike, a cycle, change or reduce other energy uses.

Solar and wind have come a long way. It doesn't take 1/2 the US to make enough wind power anymore, generators are bigger and more efficient, appliances are more efficient. Solar is very affordable if you use the most energy efficient appliances you can and cut usage even if it means the last gulp of coffee is cold vs reheat. The time to recoup cost use to be 20 years but other than batteries your on a free ride after that. Skip that second new car and buy a solar system. If everyone works at it diligently and honestly, TOGETHER, without blame and with a positive attitude we can turn it around. Dog

[kayakrguy]

Well, first, we gotta recognize that we have designed the LEAST efficient transportation system in the world. With the commute to and from work now averaging over an hour for most folks and everyone driving to work alone in a 3500 lb vehicle we have dispersed ourselves into a huge mess.

[the dog]

Well, first, we gotta recognize that we have designed the LEAST efficient transportation system in the world. With the commute to and from work now averaging over an hour for most folks and everyone driving to work alone in a 3500 lb vehicle we have dispersed ourselves into a huge mess.

Kayak. You used the key word 3 times. WE We did it, we need to fix it. We're Americans, we don't wait around for someone else to do it. We do it. We invented most of the technology used today, we went to the moon, we need to fix it. No excuses, we need to accept the blame and make amends. It's not up to the govt to fix it. WE have to stop blaming anyone but ourselves and take steps.

I am not thrilled with the govt but they didn't do it any more than my truck did. Consumers did, all of us. Govt has all kinds of public transportation programs people won't use. Free downtown busses in most cities. No one parks in the free commuter lot and travels Bangor by bus, only the people don't have a car ride the bus. I saw most of Japan by train, that's a system. I'm not one to say a single good word about Clintons but Billy granted money to develop better solar panels, they are here. Work places have car pool programs, they work around schedules and make it work for those who will use it. WE can whine and blame the next guy or fix it, what gives the better result. Dog

[kayakrguy]

Well, 'we' didn't do it without a lot of help from the oil companies, the auto manufacturers and the government--eg--the one the oil companies and the manufacturers bought and used to promote the gas guzzling, inefficient machines we use today as we dispersed into the wild and wooly suburbs on those roads that the oil companies and auto companies and contractors and Dwight Eisenhower and the Congress built to encourage us to disperse. The choked off public transport and killed efforts to make more efficient cars.

We did not do this all by our little ol' selves and your idea that we're going to do this by just driving 3K miles a year is a non-starter. It will take the same political will, capital investment and public policies to change our transportation grid as it took to create the mess we are in today. If you leave government and politics and economics out of the equation you're being naive.

[PaulC]

Global gas prices «Click column headings to re-sort»
City Effective Date Price in USD
Regular/Gallon
Nation City Price
AUSTRALIA SYDNEY $2.63

I'm a little sceptical here as my conversion, based on our current rate of $1.49AUD per litre, converts to $5.10USD for a gallon

Cheers
Paul

I see most of you chose to ignore this.
Excuse me for being cynical here but, all I see is the typical American attitude coming to the fore.
I suggest you all stop whinging about it and do something constructive.
Remember that bloke who said "One small step for man" etc. Maybe that's what you all should be doing.
And I don't mean flying to the moon
Cheers
Paul