[at-l] gear debate (stoves)

[Bob C." <ellen@xxxxxxxxxx (Bob C.)]

>"...Alcohol is a renewable resource."

Some ecology debates require far more information than most of us could possibly
muster. Alcohol comes from fermented grains. The grains are certainly renewable.
But where does the heat come from that evaporates the water and concentrates the
alcohol? We probably are dealing with a net energy loss.

My fuel for the Zip is mostly the dried tips of dead branches, pine cones and
twigs broken by hiker boots, though never pass up wood chips left by an
ax-yielding maintainer.

The particles in wood smoke are heavy and quickly fall to the ground. The gases
that escape to the atmosphere are identical to the gases that would soon be
emitted anyway were the twigs, chips and cones allowed to decay naturally.

How all this balances out, I can't say, so I'll just agree with Shane, "Taken in
its entirety, it's also lighter, and more ecologically friendly."

Bob