In the utterly rational realm of an old forester, whose job is picking out the best trees to chop down, the oak destined for the ax is no more than a certain number of cubic meters of wood that the man is trying to estimate as precisely as possible. He barely pays any attention to the human face that the wrinkles of the bark might sketch. Those do play a role, though, in the magic world of a young girl for whom the forest is still full of gnomes and brownies. This young girl will flee in terror from an oak that eyes her wickedly. For her, the entire tree can transform into an evil spirit.
For the fox who has built his den between the tree’s roots, the oak has been transformed into a solid roof that offers him and his family shelter from the storm. The tree does not mean “resource to be harvested” as it does in the forester’s world, and it does not have the connotation of “danger” that it receives in the young girl’s world; it simply means “protection.” Its configuration plays no role in the milieu of the fox.
The connotation of “protection” is similarly taken by the oak in the owl’s world. However it is no longer the roots, which are totally foreign to the domain of the birds, but the branches that are designated as protective.
For the squirrel, the oak—with its many branches offering countless springboards—has a meaning to do with climbing, and for the many birds who build their nests in its higher branches, the oak is viewed as support.
In conformance with its various meanings, the perceptual images of the oak’s many inhabitants will be structured differently. Each milieu carves out a certain region of the oak, whose particular features will be apt for becoming the surrogate mothers of both the perceptive natures and active natures of their functional circles. In the world of the ant, the oak vanishes as a complete entity unto itself for the benefit of its cracked bark, whose holes and depressions form the insect’s hunting grounds.
The spruce bark beetle looks for food in the bark after detaching it. This is where it lays its eggs. Its larvae will dig tunnels beneath the bark and feed protected from outside threats. But this does not mean they enjoy complete safety. In fact, the woodpecker that attacks the bark with rapid strikes of its beak is not their only danger; this wood, which is hard in all the other milieus, will be bored through like butter by the slender auger of the ichneumon. It will destroy the spruce bark beetle larva by laying its eggs there—the larvae that hatch from these eggs will feed on the beetle larvae.
In the hundred worlds it offers its inhabitants, the oak plays multiple roles, each time with another of its parts. The same part is sometimes large and sometimes small. Its wood, which is sometimes hard and sometimes soft, can be used for protection as well as for attacking.
If someone wanted to assemble all the contradictory characteristics the oak displays as an object, he or she would end up with chaos. Yet all these characteristics form part of a single subject that is solidly structured, and which bears and contains all these different milieus—without being recognized, if that were even possible, by all the subjects of these milieus.
This is the explanation provided by J.V. Uexküll in his remarkable book Animal Worlds and Human Worlds. And the human is certainly less enlightened than the fox or spruce bark beetle, because he has lost all sense of proportion by forgetting the cosmic complicity that connects the smallest blade of grass to the largest star. It is unfortunate that he does not prefer the life of a tree to his own; then he would no longer tear them down heedlessly, and his own disappearance would discomfit the Earth less than that of a tree.
From the undergrowth, where high water of the previous spring had lodged a supply of seasoned twigs, he got his fire-wood […] On top, tangled in the underbrush about the trunks of several small spruce trees, was a high-water deposit of dry fire-wood—sticks and twigs, principally, but also larger portions of seasoned branches and fine, dry, last-year’s grasses. He threw down several large pieces on top of the snow. This served for a foundation and prevented the young flame from drowning itself in the snow it otherwise would melt. The flame he got by touching a match to a small shred of birch-bark that he took from his pocket. This burned even more readily than paper. Placing it on the foundation, he fed the young flame with wisps of dry grass and with the tiniest dry twigs. He worked slowly and carefully, keenly aware of his danger.
Yes, because this hero of Jack London’s To Build a Fire had just drenched his feet up to the calves in the middle of the white Klondike desert of snow, whose -75° temperature could prove fatal unless accompanied by another person who knew how to make a fire like this man, who paid for a minor moment of carelessness with the loss of his fire and then his life.
Few of us know how delicate making a fire can be, first and foremost so that it catches rapidly, holds, and does not spread to the surrounding area especially when we are pressed by urgent situations like the cold, a stiff wind, or humidity. Where it might take a seasoned trapper seven minutes to start a fire, one hour or more is necessary for the novice.
The first thing we need to consider when it comes to those wooden or cardboard sticks whose tips are covered with phosphorus or a chemical mixture that is set aflame by friction that we know as matches, is that we may not have any, or they may be too wet to use, or they may all go up at once when striking one, just when we need them most.
Phosphorus can be found in the mineral phosphates, certain iron ores, in the form of phosphoric acid in arable soils, and in animal tissue (especially bones).
But plants like club moss and others in the genus Lycopodium (Lycopodium clavatum, L. complantum, L. annonitum, L. inundatum, L. selago), which are common in arctic and temperate regions, are able, through their spores, to provide a highly inflammable powder that can be ground into a paste and smeared on the ends of homemade matches using splinters from equally inflammable wood like hornbeam, birch, spruce, pine, and linden … Once the paste has been applied to the matchstick, it must be allowed to dry before using.
Magnifying Glass or Shard of Glass
You can set fire to small twigs and mosses (or newspaper for starting a fire) by focusing the rays of the Sun with a magnifying glass or a fairly large and thick shard of glass—provided the Sun is strong enough. The point of impact for the solar rays on the material to be set alight must be as small and concentrated as possible (move the magnifying glass closer or father away as needed).
Lighting a fire with a magnifying glass or a piece of glass
Take a slightly curved branch that is about a foot long and attach either a lace or a string to it or a well-oiled leather strap. This will give you a fairly loose stringed bow.
Take a very dry cedar stick that is completely straight and that is about a foot long and around one half-inch in diameter, and sharpen one end. Fit the stick in the bow, which should now be shaped into a ring, and push the pointed end of the stick into another piece of cedar into which a hole slightly larger than the stick has been drilled, and which is about nine-tenths of an inch deep.
Around the stick, arrange some very fine birch or cedar shavings in the hole. To ensure the stick rotates well, take a piece of wood with a hole and fit it onto the top of the cedar stick with your left hand, while rotating the stick with your right. You should blow on the shavings while doing this.
You can also produce sparks by rubbing two hard stones like flint together, or even by heating the wood by sawing it, with the help of gunpowder and a firestone.
Other Methods for Lighting Fires
GUNSHOT Paul Provencher, in his book The Trapper’s Guide, tells a story about how his Indian guide lit a fire one day: He removed the lead and packing from a shotgun shell and replaced them with the driest part of his shirt, and then fired his gun into a pile of small dry twigs mixed with strips of birch bark, which he then fanned with his hat.
FIRE THROUGH FRICTION Provencher also relates this anecdote: To make a fire using friction, you need a bow, a three-foot-long leather strap, a fire stick, a fireboard equipped with a V-shaped notch that will let air and oxygen into the pile of carbonized wood fibers, and a greased block of wood to protect the hand applying pressure to the bottom of the fire stick.
Sergeant Brunelle, to whom I gave the test, chose a very dry cedar stump. With his ax he carved a step into it to serve as a fireboard. With the corner of his axe he made a hole on the edge of the step in which the bottom end of the fire stick was intended to fit. At this spot he carved out a V-shaped notch. He stretched his bow and wound the leather strap around the fire stick. He opened his lunch box, took out a piece of butter and greased the inside of the hole in the wood meant to protect his hand. He began gently “playing his violin” to heat the contact surface where the fireboard met the spruce stick. The back-and-forth and rotational movement increased. When the pile of carbonized wood filled the notch, he increased the pressure, creating a thick smoke. The sergeant redoubled his efforts for several moments, then suddenly dropped everything and began gently blowing on the embers, which he fed with strips of cedar bark and tiny twigs. With the help of his hand making a fanning movement, the current of oxygen caused a flame to spring up. It took him seven minutes to make a fire without matches.
Note: It is now possible to find solar lighters that are about four inches in diameter. They consist of a bendable plastic case holding a mirror in whose center a small dart is placed, on which the object to light (paper, dry grass, cigarette …) is stuck. They work under cloudless skies or when the Sun is blazing.
The best place to build a fire is generally dry and sheltered from the wind, a spot that shares the desirable qualities of a home site, and is therefore a good distance from a river, lake, or pond that gives off humidity and fog. You should avoid being too close to trees, especially the resinous ones. The fire site should be surrounded with large stones or logs in order to avoid the spread of the blaze over dry grass. It is better to gather the maximum amount of wood you need before you light the fire. It should be divided into three distinct piles: small, medium, and large pieces of wood.
SMALL PIECES AND TWIGS Rather than using twigs and small branches that have fallen on the ground and are consequently somewhat damp, the dry undergrowth, and the dry twigs and branches remaining on the trees, form the best material for burning. Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) is much sought-after for this purpose, as are spruces, pines, hazelnut trees, and privet, which are an excellent source of small branches. Pine cones as well as bramble bush stems are also good for starting fires. If none of these kinds of small pieces of wood are available, shavings and small logs can be chopped out of the center of a larger log.
Fire starters when small pieces of wood are lacking include: small and very dry sticks that have been carved with a knife; a rolled-up newspaper that has been waxed with paraffin.
MID-SIZED PIECES Some soft woods (willow, white poplar) are good for making summer fires. Their texture changes in the winter when they become water-saturated, and it is preferable to use branches (from juvenile-transitional trees) that have been cut and split from beech, hornbeam, or ash trees.
LARGE PIECES These can be divided into three categories—Hardwoods provide little flame, but their slow and prolonged heat makes them excellent woods for cooking and heating. Among them I can single out the ash, maple, oak, black locust, olive tree, beech, elm, and hornbeam.
Softwoods are consumed quickly with continuous flames, which makes them an excellent choice for lighting fires and as a source of light. They include: linden, birch, poplar, alder, chestnut, willow, horse chestnut, elder, hazel, plane, and hawthorn.
Resinous woods provide better combustion with their hardwood branches than with the softer wood of their trunks; their flames are quick and short-lived and often give off a thick smoke. Among them we find spruce, pine, fir, and larch trees.
Note: A table displaying the characteristics of all the different woods used for heating is provided at the end of this chapter.
DRIED COW PATTIES
ALCOHOLS, FOR QUICK BLAZES IN IRON CONTAINERS
CHARCOAL IN A BRAZIER (for more see section 3.3)
Note: Wood also provides a heating source in the form of charcoal. This is the residue of the slow combustion of wood piled in the shape of a pyramid around a chimney formed in the center.
DESCRIPTION Start by laying out an insulating carpet of small branches.
Surround them with two large logs that are at least twice as long or by several large stones. On this support, arrange a grid of small branches about four to six inches high (the height is based on the size of the fire pit).
Place a piece of crumpled paper on top of the grid, then several handfuls of loose, not packed, tiny twigs around wood shavings, bramble branches, or birch bark. Above this construct a pyramid of small branches that are no wider than a finger.
Make a torch with paper: If the twigs are very damp, make a long-lasting torch by rolling up a newspaper and dripping an even layer of candle wax over it. Move this lit torch around beneath the grid while continuing to add small branches wherever the flames are catching. These branches should be arranged in the same way. Make sure you leave spaces that will allow the circulation of small flames into the air.
AWNING FOR POURING RAIN If the rain is pouring down, you should take the precaution of building a shelter for the fire consisting of two stakes and two long leaning sticks that are held by rope and two more stakes. On this frame stretch a waterproof canvas a reasonable distance from the future flames. You should dig a furrow that runs beneath the canvas and extends beyond it on either side. The canvas should be placed facing the wind.
FIRE REFLECTOR This is a reflective wall that will send the heat back. A large boulder or the bottom of a large tree provides an excellent natural reflector. This method is perfect for getting the maximum benefit of the heat. You need only sit between the fire and the reflector. You can also build a reflecting wall with the help of small logs stacked one on top of the other that are held in place by four stakes stuck in the ground. If this wall is built with a pronounced tilt, it can serve as a roof to the fire and the person enjoying its warmth. This same wall can be built behind a fire that has been constructed in front of a tent that has been left open.
When there is a thick layer of snow on the ground, as in the northern regions, there is no way to clear it out of the way to build a fire; however, there are two ways to build fires under these conditions.
The Swedish campfire; the Scandinavian campfire
THE SWEDISH CAMPFIRE Two long poles are laid parallel on top of the snow, on top of which a bridge of logs placed side by side will be built. In this way there is no risk that the fire will fall through the snow.
THE SCANDINAVIAN CAMPFIRE This fire is based on the same basic principle as the preceding one. Two logs are laid down parallel to each other on top of the snow. The four stakes are stuck against their sides facing each other (two stakes on each side). The space left between them will be based on the width of the logs piled atop each other, that will be separated by wedges leaving a space between them in which the fire can burn. A single log split in half can also be used for the base.
When this kind of cold is prevalent, it is to your best advantage to arrange your sleeping surface so that it slants toward the fire so that your entire body can benefit from its warmth.
Installation of a tent facing the fire: Swedish fire; snow reflector
Other Kinds of Fires on the Ground
These are campfires built with parallel walls. One of their openings is sealed by a reflective wall attached to the other two walls—this wall should always be built to face the wind.
WITH CLUMPS OF SOD If the ground is thick and grass-covered, you can dig clumps of sod that can be placed together to form a rectangular shape inside of which you can build your fire.
WITH WOOD This is the kind of campfire customarily constructed by trappers. Two branches are laid on the ground in parallel. Two large logs that have had notches cut into them are then laid across them parallel to each other. The notches should be large enough for branches to fit snugly into them. The lateral surfaces of these logs should be planed to remove any bark and soft wood. Two fire bars are laid across them to prepare the fire with the smaller pieces of wood arranged underneath. Several logs can be placed atop each other between the branches in the notches of the first logs to form a windbreak and heat reflector.
WITH STONES This is prepared the same way as the fireplace using clumps of sod; the only difference is the material.
This fire can be used for heating, but its primary function is for outside kitchens. First you make a table of around seventeen inches, with the help of six logs that are crossed in alternation and parallel to each other, on top of which you will place a grid of boards. This grid is then covered by a four- to six-inch layer of dirt so it will be incombustible. A hearth of brick, stone, or sod is then constructed on top of that using the same arrangement as the stone or sod fireplace described above. Fire bars are laid across this for building the actual fire and for holding the pots used for cooking.
Raised Fireplace
These campfires are only used for cooking: all the heat will be concentrated on the cooking utensil and even when they are uncovered there is no spread of heat on the ground above to speak of.
IN A TRENCH First dig a slanted trench: one side will start at ground level, making a gentle slope to the other end, which will be slightly inclined and dug at a depth around eight by twenty inches long and ten inches wide. The bottom is covered with stones, and two fourteen-inch fire or metal bars are laid across the trench. The trench should be dug in the direction of the prevailing wind.
POLYNESIAN This is the most efficient campfire for cooking; its embers stay red hot for a long time and provide strong heat with next to no loss. It gives off very little smoke—a valuable aspect for people who do not wish to reveal their presence.
Note: These last two campfires are quite rudimentary and very quickly installed: they are only meant for short stays in a given location.
TIN CAN OR OTHER CONTAINER Any kind of good-sized can works here. All you need to do is set it atop several logs and to pierce two rows of regularly spaced holes around its base in order to ensure a good draw. If the heat is too intense, it can be placed over the openings between the fire bars for cooking.
TIN CAN OR BOX This can be used to keep live embers for several days, which avoids the need to relight a new fire every day. To slow the combustion of these embers, use the wood of a green or moss-covered stump and reduce the draw to the minimum extent possible (few openings and only very tiny ones). The embers should be covered with ashes.
RODS This makes an excellent burner with an excellent draw. For simple food it is quite easy to build. Stick four concrete reinforcing bars in the ground to serve as a frame for a cylindrical grill (made from chicken wire or similar fencing material) that is around forty inches high and twenty inches in diameter.
Fires can be built fairly high so their light carries a good distance without losing much of their intensity: on hillocks, mounds, posts stuck in the ground that are topped with an incombustible plate.
Oil lamps can also be used (for more see the section on ____ in the chapter on oil-producing plants, or make candles with dried mullein stems (Verbascum thapsus) that have been coated with suet.
The stems of plants with creeper branches like dogwood, combined with small pieces of pine that have had their bark removed, and then dried and crushed to remove the marrow, burn slowly while giving off good light, provided they have been bundled together with a fairly steep lean.
Birch candles can be made just using the tightly rolled bark from this tree.
A good torch can be built using a staff on top of which a small tin can has been set. The can is then filled with sand that has been moistened with gasoline or some other combustible fuel.
Avoid making fires in forests.
Remove all flammable materials in a ten-foot radius before building a fire.
Never leave a fire unsupervised.
To put out a fire, never scatter it, but drown the embers with water, then crush them without burying them (because of roots, which can smolder for a long time before bursting into flame, even for several days after the campfire was extinguished). Cover the dead embers with wet dirt.
Note: for more, see the chapter on Protection and Treatment.
The Characteristics of Several Woods Used for Heat
THE HARD WOODS These provide slow, prolonged heat with little flame—good for both cooking and heating.
Ash: Good, with good embers and slow fire
Beech: Good, with good embers and bright flames
Black Locust: good, but poor embers and produces a lot of sparks
Elm: Strong heat, slow-burning
Hornbeam: highly combustible, hot flame, good embers
Oak: good (also as charcoal), consumes slowly, darkening and carbonizing
Olive wood: excellent, long-lasting embers
SOFT WOODS Quick-burning, with continuous flames; good for campfires and as a source of light.
Alder: burns well and quickly
Birch: burns well and quickly with bright flames, a good wood for creating light
Chestnut: little heat, crackles with lots of sparks
Elderberry: small pieces of wood, good for lighting
Hawthorn: burns well and quickly, even when green
Hazel: wood for lighting
Linden: mediocre
Plane Tree: mediocre, pops when burning
Poplar: mediocre
Willow: bright, hot flames, good wood for lighting
THE RESINOUS TREES The branches of these trees are hard woods while their trunks are soft.
Fir: hot flames, lots of smoke
Larch: average, makes sparks and good charcoal
Pine: hot flames that give off good heat, but short-lasting; pinecones are an excellent light source
Spruce: heats quickly, nice flames, short-lived embers
CUTTING BRANCHES It is better to cut the lower branches of young trees (this will activate the growth of their sprouts) and the dead branches of old trees. The tops of old trees should also be cut, as this will cause them to create new shoots.
CHOPPING DOWN A TREE If you are forced to chop down a tree, choose it wisely or on the advice of someone who is expert in these matters, otherwise you risk shortening its life by dozens if not hundreds of years. Don’t forget, for every tree you chop down, you are obliged to plant at least four.
Cut a notch with your axe at the base of the tree on the side you wish it to fall. Then saw from the other side at a spot several inches above the lowest part of the notch. Stick a wedge in and hammer it to the center of the trunk with a mallet or sledgehammer behind the saw, until blocked by the tree. Saw until you have almost reached the notch on the other side. Remove the saw and strike the wedge until the tree falls. Remove the jagged edges of the stump with an axe.
SPLITTING, SAWING, STORING Introduce a wedge into the center of one end of the trunk until it splits lengthwise; add wedges along the sides until the trunk has separated in two.
Split the smaller pieces of wood with a clearing axe that can be struck with a mallet while advancing the handle laterally until the piece has split apart lengthwise.
A long saw is held by two men, one on the ground and the other standing on a piece of wood that has been set up at least six feet above the ground.
Store the boards in the order in which they were cut; arrange a space between them to facilitate the drying process, which should take at least eighteen months.
SMALL THERMAL STORAGE UNITS Heat various materials like sand, dirt, or stones, then use a shovel to place them in a large cooking pot or cast-iron container: do not fill this container completely, and seal it with a cover or some thick newspapers. This container will hold and radiate a gentle heat for several hours in shelters like a tent, shack, sheepfold, work shed, or small room.
WOOD HEATING SYSTEMS There are still some very good means of heating with wood or charcoal. There are a variety of woodstoves and cast-iron heating stoves, some of which have the added benefit of being able to cook food.
These stoves require a fairly long stovepipe so that the heat does not immediately go up the chimney, but warms as much space as possible without any adverse effect on the draw.
THE COMPONENTS The hearth is the base on which the fire is made. It must be made of some incombustible material, including its back, which insulates the adjoining wall from it and throws back the heat. (Obviously there is no need for this in fireplaces that are placed in the middle of a room.) The hearth cannot be shut off by the jambs, even if it is located against a wall.
The jambs are vertical elements that frame the fire-back. They are also built from reflective materials.
The mantelpiece or hood is the part that rises from the jambs (which are often topped by a beam) to the ceiling.
The flue is the inner part of the chimney, often lined with a smooth, fireproof plaster to allow the smoke to rise but prevent the accumulation of soot. An annual sweeping is still necessary. The chimney travels through the building and on through the roof.
The chimney top is the outer part of the flue atop the roof. It should be fitted with a chimney hat above it to prevent rain from entering the fireplace.
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
Basic mason tools
Fire brick or resistant stone or cement
Large hollow bricks
Ordinary cement and plaster
Shoring wood and beam
THE ACCESSORIES
A bronze plate to attach to the fire-back to reflect heat back into the room.
Andirons (to hold the logs up) or a raised grid (to hold the charcoal).
Fire screen, to prevent sparks and/or embers from flying into the room.
I have made one out of a bed frame and a fine wire mesh that is not at all bad-looking and works perfectly.
Fireplace stand and its instruments: poker, shovel, hearth broom, tongs.
LOCATION The chimney stack should not be exposed to the prevailing winds (which can cause extreme variations between high and low pressure).
Avoid building the chimney against a wall that receives a lot of sunlight, as this will counter the draw.
Build the chimney stack and flue as straight as possible (with no bends); this will ensure a good draw.
THE PROPORTIONS The proportions of the hearth between its depth height and width should be in a ratio of 4, 5, 6 (the golden rule of fireplace craftsmen) and the height of the hood should be equal to that of the hearth.
Example: 60 cm wide [23.62”] by 50 cm high [19.68”] by 40 cm deep [15.75”].
The section of the chimney flue can be no less than 20 × 20 cm [7.87”] and greater than a ninth of the hearth surface, and its height seven times greater than that of the hood and hearth combined.
The surface of the hearth is proportional to the smoke flue section:
A hearth of 60 × 60 cm = a flue of 20 × 20 cm;
A hearth of 90 × 75 cm = a flue of 25 × 30 cm.
The opening is based on the size of the site to be heated.
HEATING MATERIALS A fireplace can use either wood (obviously) or charcoal. If the fireplace is correctly proportioned, lighting a fire in it is relatively simple: dry paper loosely rolled into balls, small pieces of wood or twigs; small branches, branches, or split logs; all arranged on top of the andirons in the right order and in such a way that air can circulate freely (see the section on building a fire).
Note: Fireplaces are now built that heat more efficiently through ventilation of the warm air. An air intake is installed beneath the hearth that crosses beneath it, and between the wall and the fire-back that comes up through the mantel into the room to be heated.
THE REQUIRED SITE
Near a wooded area for raw material
Ease of transport for the charcoal
An extremely flat area around ten feet in diameter that will provide the protection necessary against fires (see the section Watch Out for Fire!).
CONSTRUCTION OF THE MOLD Using three large stones or a lot of cinder blocks, build a tunnel that connects the center of the circle to the edge, and orient its opening in the direction of the prevailing winds.
In the center of the circle, by the tunnel entrance, pile straw, paper, and twigs for lighting a fire.
Pile branches of increasing size and logs to a height of five feet over the entire surface allotted for the mold.
Cover it with a four-inch layer of dirt, leaving a hole in the middle around one foot in diameter, which will create a draw and make it possible for the wood to burn.
Using a pole around six and a half feet long with a burning, alcohol-soaked rag at the end, push through the tunnel and light the fire in the center of the mold.
MONITORING THE MOLD Once the draw has been established, close the outer opening of the tunnel, then use the same flaming pole to set fire to the rest of the mold all the way around its base (openings spaced around eighteen inches apart from each other should have been left in the mound of wood, for this purpose). This will ensure a good even consumption.
Each of these holes can be sealed to prevent the draw from becoming too strong.
Once smoke is no longer coming out of the fire pit, let it rest for forty-eight hours, then uncover the mold and take out the charcoal.
Note: You use charcoal just as you would use regular coal.
In the context of this book, I must limit myself to merely mentioning other forms of energy that can be transformed into heat. Other books will focus on them exclusively, and I urge my readers to investigate them further.
SOLAR ENERGY This is a fairly complex technology that is still developing rapidly. One good resource is The Passive Solar Energy Book by Edward Mazria (Emmaus: Rodale, 1979); another is DIY Solar Projects: How to Put the Sun to Work in Your Home by Eric Smith (Creative Publishing Intl., 2011).
WIND POWER A windmill makes it possible to pump water and other liquids and also produce electricity, but the inconsistent nature of the wind makes it necessary to store energy with storage batteries. The book Wind Power for Dummies covers all the basics for residential use. More on this subject appears later in this book.
HYDRAULIC POWER If you are close to a river with a fairly strong current, with the installation of a waterwheel connected to a generator, you can produce your own electricity. The water flow should be regularized with a holding dam equipped with a sluice gate.
BIO-GAS FROM MANURE AND COMPOST This is produced by decomposing animal manure and human waste in an autoclave. All cellulosic waste (biodegradable garbage, straw, grass clippings …) can be used for this purpose. This bio-gas (60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide) provides an excellent energy source.
Note: The manure recuperated after this operation is complete has been shown to be even richer for fertilizing the soil.
The least costly and demanding method remains one that was practiced in most old farms. It consists simply of lodging above the stable, cow barn, or sheepfold, and taking advantage of all that good animal warmth. The only separation between the farmers and their domestic animals in these living conditions was no more than a floor with a lot of poorly joined boards that provided many gaps through which this heat could rise.
I will leave this section with this recipe for the solar car from the cartoonist Reiser (published in La Gueule ouverte). Bring one or more junked cars, whose frames and windows are still intact, per every seven to ten feet of the home to be heated. Put them on the side that gets the most sun, pierce a hole in the roof of each car, and run a stovepipe through it. Run the other end of the stovepipe into the house, through a snug hole cut into the wall for this purpose. Arrange stones on the floor of the vehicles so that they will store the heat of the day and then release it at night. This heat will enter the stovepipe and then penetrate the house.
DIY solar heat source created from junk cars and stones.
