PEP1: rocket mass heater

white belt:

watch the 4-DVD set
participate in the build of a rmh
start ten fires in a rocket mass heater - clean the ashes out first, each time
start a fire in a totally cold rocket mass heater
firewood:
--- drop at least three dead standing trees
--- cut it into firewood wrist size or smaller and store it properly
--- at least one cord



green belt:

participate in the build of three more rocket mass heaters
live with a rocket mass heater as your only heat source for one winter
HEAT DUTY: for one month out of a winter:
--- live with a rocket mass heater as your only heat source
--- be the sole person managing the rocket mass heater
--- haul all of the firewood, cut all of the kindling
--- if you are living with others, you must manage the system so everybody is comfortable
perform the annual cleaning out of a rocket mass heater
cut, chop and store three cords of dead standing firewood
cut chop and store one cord of green/wet firewood - for use a year later
cut chop and store a face-cord of green firewood and process it for immediate use



brown belt:

design and build a rocket mass heater by yourself
two more months of "HEAT DUTY"
perform the annual cleaning of a second rocket mass heater.
cut, chop and store three cords of dead standing firewood
cut chop and store one cord of green/wet firewood - for use a year later
cut chop and store a face-cord of green firewood and process it for immediate use



what have i left out?

Other things you might include:

1. Building both J-tube and batch-box types

2. Building both with bricks and with castable refractory

3. Building both a bench with tubes and a bell or bells

Paul, you asked, "What have I left out?". Two thoughts:

1. I like the white and green requirements.

2. I like brown too but I think there's a missing opportunity here. The best programs I've participated in had requirements at higher levels that were about contributing something to the community or advancing the state of the art. The RMH innovators' workshop is an example of that, perhaps too extreme an example for PEP purposes, but still a good example. Perhaps this is black rather than brown though.

I think that, in time, it would be good to have something for a black belt.

As is, when I mention the advanced stuff for black belt, then people seem to think that that is for PEP1. So, since this is called "PEP1: rocket mass heater" then I am leaving the black belt stuff out for now.

Adding to brown, I am thinking maybe be the instructor for a RMH workshop.

Maybe this goes to black though? It's not as far as innovating, but it does help the community and demonstrates your knowledge.

Also for white, I think reading the RMH book and watching the "How to build rocket mass heaters" DVD with Ernie and Erica would be good.

It seems to me that the heater is only half the story, for full permaculture design we should also cook off of the RMH as well, to save resources and use it for multiple functions. This then would tie into the food prep pep1.


White belt: use a rocket stove/heater to cook something and to dry preserve something.

Green belt: learn to cook various ways (steaming, stewing, etc.) and preserve a new way (smoking, canning), cook for one season on an RMH (regularly not exclusively) for at least one person

Brown belt: cook regularly on a rocket mass stove/heater for one year, for at least our people.

Seth