--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, Al Globus wrote:
> It is really quite easy to run out of O2 or get too much CO2 -- meaning too much for humans to survive. Space settlers will either be environmentalists or dead.

Or they'll use machines that recycle CO2 into oxygen:
http://chview.nova.org/station/life-sup.htm

"
Currently, carbon dioxide is removed from the air by a machine using a material called "zeolite" as a molecular sieve, while hydrogen that is generated from this process is vented into space. Eventually, however, a machine will be used to combines the hydrogen with excess carbon dioxide from the air in a chemical reaction to produce water and methane. The water produced would partially replace the water used to make oxygen, while the methane would be vented to space.
"

wouldnt it be more efficient to USE those gasses rather than vent them into space? They are, after all, both fuels in their own rights.

From: hitssquad
Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2012 4:47 PM
To: spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [spacesettlers] Recycling CO2 (was Re: Could life in solar system complicate space settlement?)

--- In mailto:spacesettlers%40yahoogroups.com, Al Globus wrote:
> It is really quite easy to run out of O2 or get too much CO2 -- meaning too much for humans to survive. Space settlers will either be environmentalists or dead.

Or they'll use machines that recycle CO2 into oxygen:
http://chview.nova.org/station/life-sup.htm

"
Currently, carbon dioxide is removed from the air by a machine using a material called "zeolite" as a molecular sieve, while hydrogen that is generated from this process is vented into space. Eventually, however, a machine will be used to combines the hydrogen with excess carbon dioxide from the air in a chemical reaction to produce water and methane. The water produced would partially replace the water used to make oxygen, while the methane would be vented to space.
"

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, "Victor Smith" wrote:
> wouldnt it be more efficient to USE those gasses rather than vent them into space?

...In a diverse market-economy, yes. In the ISS -- which is what that NASA article was talking about -- apparently not. The ISS crews also throw out tons of solid "garbage" every year, which I have a hard time imagining a diverse-market-economy free-space colony doing, since one man's garbage is another man's gold, and even carbon might not be cheap to obtain.

Also hard to swallow is the fact that the GARBAGE CAN" they use is a fully functioning man-rated spacecraft w/ 6 cubic meters of pressurized cabin space, that they use to bring up supplies and then keep on-station, where they use its thrusters for station-keeping and reorientation as they fill it with garbage then return it in a slightly too steep reentry and burn it all up.
progress supply ship

It seems to me that the ISS could just use a trash compactor then shoot the packages into the atmosphere to burn up WITHOUT wasting the spacecraft, which could be used for all kinds of missions at ISS or, even maybe hook up with others and some of the BIGELOW inflatable habitats like Boeing is planning for.
boeing and bigelow lay plans and achieve goals for 2015

From: hitssquad
Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2012 5:36 PM
To: spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [spacesettlers] Recycling CO2 (was Re: Could life in solar system complicate space settlement?)

--- In mailto:spacesettlers%40yahoogroups.com, "Victor Smith" wrote:
> wouldnt it be more efficient to USE those gasses rather than vent them into space?

...In a diverse market-economy, yes. In the ISS -- which is what that NASA article was talking about -- apparently not. The ISS crews also throw out tons of solid "garbage" every year, which I have a hard time imagining a diverse-market-economy free-space colony doing, since one man's garbage is another man's gold, and even carbon might not be cheap to obtain.