Sunshine is back

and producing lots of electricity. Had to pop over to Erkheim to get some maize (US-Corn) for the chickens. One hopes that it's as free as possible of chemicals.

Maize is obviously an important staple food in many parts of the world, however here the largest use is as silage for animal feed, followed by energy (bio-gas) with the rest for human consumption. I just wonder how sensible the massive increase in maize cultivation in this part of the world is, given the huge cost to the environment (chemicals, monoculture) and this not just because I keep bees! The local dairy farmers are having to pay much increased rental for acerage as the bio-gas people pay much better. The only one's who are probably grateful for the stuff are the wild boars. (MrB was in the Regensburg area this weekend, boar hunting: Score 0, he's now joining WWF & probably AA after drowning his sorrows)

The economics of using maize for bio-gas (electricity) is very controversial, there being enough other "more natural" alternatives (same applies to using it as feed). Whatever happened to grass? Our parish has just published the Renewable Energy results for the last 5 years. Our parish has 2600 inhabitants and exactly the same land area in hectares (6400 acres). We now produce 60% of our electricity from renewables (2008: 19%)
84% is solar (2008: 64%) now 247 units vs. 74 in 2008
10% water (2008: 27%)
6% bio-gas (2008: 9%).
The number of water & bio-gas units has not increased in the five years but the bio-gas kWh has doubled presumably through increased production. Wind is not yet in use here, probably as we lie too low, have to say thankfully.

So with the maize now more than man-high, our walk today was pretty boring but a change for the dogs as directly near our place there is relatively little maize.