Monday, March 12, 2007

 

Building a Bigger Choir/Think & Do #15

Great...what now?
It’s OK to preach to the choir....because the choir has a lot of expertise, and the choir knows what to do. But we need to do much more than that....Instead, we need to build a bigger choir. The environmental movement isn’t about lifestyle. It’s not whether we eat tofu or not, or whether we are Republicans or Democrats or not. It’s whether or not people care about things like the health of their children, the quality of the water they drink, the quality of the air they breathe. That’s what is going to appeal to most people–the things that directly affect their lives.

Lenny Kohm --Appalachian Voice --Autumn 2006

Lenny writes about the larger environmental movement, but his words speak to our efforts as a local Climate Change Coalition. We must have a down home message for our community about the issues "that directly affect their lives."
Let’s look again at Energy Star-rated appliances. Greentips–Union of Concerned Scientists gives us the following on refrigerator/freezer usage:
Keep your refrigerator away from heat sources (including dishwashers, ovens, heating)
Leave a few inches of space behind the refrigerator and vacuum the coils once a year.
Open the door as little as possible
Don’t keep your refrigerator too cold. Recommended 37-40 degrees F and 5 degrees F for freezers.
Keep the refrigerator and freezer full to better retain the cold. If fairly empty, store water-filled containers inside.
Since our appliances account for about 20% of a household’s annual electricity
use, we must take our appliances seriously.

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# posted by Dan Manweiler @ 3:50 PM 2 Comments

Sunday, March 11, 2007

 

"Toast" Think and Do 7

Most of the energy we consume is in the form of electricity. Transportation needs take second place and heat is third. Add it all together and each of us uses the energy equivalent to one and a half toasters running all the time. That doesn’t sound too alarming until you realize that is like cooking nine hundred sixty pieces of toast a day or around three hundred fifty thousand slices each year. That’s a lot of bread.

Instead of feasting on our resources, lets all work to slice down our energy use and save some manna for those that will follow us to this great table.



Roger Golden and Dan Manweiler
Think and Do Series #7

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# posted by Dan Manweiler @ 7:19 PM 0 Comments
 

Gasoline and energy density Think and Do #6

America uses three hundred and forty million gallons of gas each day and one hundred ten million gallons of diesel fuel. Each of us consumes the equivalent of five hundred gallons of gasoline every year. If we use diesel as the measure, our average is less; four hundred fifty gallons. That’s because diesel fuel has a higher energy density than gasoline. Nothing we have today takes us farther on a gallon than diesel fuel does.

America’s diesel fuel is dirtier than that sold in Europe but it is getting cleaner. With cleaner diesel we can expect more diesel cars are to be offered to American buyers in the next few years.

Decide to make the switch to a diesel (or a hybrid vehicle) and get the most out of your five hundred gallons each year. Doing so will make a big change towards a cooler future for all of us.


Roger Golden and Dan Manweiler
Think and Do Series #6

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# posted by Dan Manweiler @ 7:15 PM 0 Comments
 

Low-input High Diversity Biomass Think and Do #5

In a 2006 issue of the magazine Science there was an article entitled Carbon-Negative Biofuels from Low-Input High-Diversity Grassland Biomass. Now that’s a mouthful. The article was discussed on NPR’s All Things Considered on December 7, 2006, also, and its an interesting study. Translated to plain English the study states that using prarie grasslands to produce biofuel would consume (sequester) more CO2 in its growing than it releases when burned. That is a “carbon-negative” cycle. Further, these grasses flourish in poor soils and require no help from humans in the process.

Learn more about the fields of renewable energy and climate change. Don’t let the technical nature of the subject deter you. Knowledge is a power source we can all generate and through which we can live healthier and happier lives.

Roger Golden and Dan Manweiler
Think and Do
Series #5

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# posted by Dan Manweiler @ 7:12 PM 0 Comments

Sunday, March 4, 2007

 

Learn More About Renewable Energy - Think and Do # 5

In a 2006 issue of the magazine Science there was an article entitled Carbon-Negative Biofuels from Low-Input High-Diversity Grassland Biomass. Now that’s a mouthful. The article was discussed on NPR’s All Things Considered on December 7, 2006, also, and its an interesting study. Translated to plain English the study states that using prarie grasslands to produce biofuel would consume (sequester) more CO2 in its growing than it releases when burned. That is a “carbon-negative” cycle. Further, these grasses flourish in poor soils and require no help from humans in the process.

Learn more about the fields of renewable energy and climate change. Don’t let the technical nature of the subject deter you. Knowledge is a power source we can all generate and through which we can live healthier and happier lives.

is this a comment field???

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# posted by Dan Manweiler @ 7:42 PM 1 Comments

Friday, March 2, 2007

 

Think and Do # 12 -From Uncertainty

Plainly nobody will be afraid who believes nothing can happen to him…
Fear is felt by those who believe something is likely to happen to them…
People do not believe this when they are, or think they are in the midst of great
prosperity, and are in consequence insolent, contemptuous and reckless…
But if they are to feel the anguish of uncertainty, there must be some faint
expectation of escape.

Aristotle (385-322 B. C.), Rhetoric 1382b29


You don’t study climate change long before reaching your first conclusion; correcting it is an immense undertaking. Nothing we’ve faced yet compares with this problem’s scope. It’s consequence harkens to that of “nuclear winter”, and at least cockroaches could survive that catastrophe.
Still, our signature amongst all creatures is writ to rise against all perils and to prevail. We will do it again, and it will be big. Spiritually we’ll honor God by showing that we can take care of the great garden given to us all. Technically, we’ll demonstrate our skill in monitoring and correcting the planetary impacts we impart. We will sacrifice where it’s needed and, in so doing, become the proud partners in saving a world unrivalled by any once again.
So, how about getting up and cutting out the lights left burning around the place will you?

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# posted by Dan Manweiler @ 10:12 PM 0 Comments

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