Whatever
the reason, for me the answer is simple
Human intelligence
and ingenuity have always been awe-inspiring; at that moment we were
in touching distance of icons of the ancient and modern world. In its
time, the message from the menhir may have been no less powerful than
that transmitted from giant aerials that paved the way for satellite
and internet communication - on that precise spot, the first broadcast
was received to tell the world that men had landed on the moon.
We share more than history with ancient people. They were entirely dependent
on the radiation of the sun for warmth and food and since the beginning
of time, the earth has stored that solar heat. A metre or so down, the
temperature is maintained at around 10C, and being perpetually replenished,
this can provide renewable and sustainable energy, almost doing away
with the use of fossil fuels and reducing carbon emissions to zero.
Ground source heat pumps can tap into
this heat store to provide one of the most energy-efficient ways of warming
homes and providing hot water with low environmental impact. The heat
is extracted from the ground from 'slinky' ground loops containing water,
with a little antifreeze, buried in either a shallow horizontal trench
or a vertical borehole. The heat exchanger then extracts the absorbed
heat and transfers it to the pump, it is then distributed around the
home via radiators or underfloor heating. The pump can be reversed in
summer to provide air cooling.
OK, I'll quit before I dig myself into a hole! I know as much about
anthropology as I do plumbing and I'm stumbling towards one of those, " Stop
talking rubbish mother" moments. All I need to know is that it works!
I live in a home that is always warm and I will never have to see an
oil tanker again or worry too much about the cost of electricity: the
energy I use is renewable, sustainable and as green as the leaves on
the rowan tree outside my window.
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