Friday, August 11, 2006

Smart Energy Sources

I have been very busy since I last wrote. My husband, kids and I headed down with my in-laws to see my sister in law in a neighboring state. We went to the coutry's largest garage sale, which occurs every year at this time. http://www.127sale.com/ My sister in law had perused local stops before we had arrived, so she knew which ones were junk and which ones had good stuff we might actually buy. :) We spent some time looking and then headed to a nearby state park, which was very nice. We were only gone from home a total of twenty-four hours, but it was a very nice trip. The car ride down was pleasant visiting time with the in laws, too, as there is always good conversation. We have also been school shopping and had Vacation Bible School this week at our church. We head up to the grandparents' cottage to visit this weekend, as well.

Onto the title. I have been thinking a lot about what I can do to preserve our environment... something President Bush has apparently no interest in. Politics not being my main point, I have been researching other means of energy. A friend of mine and her husband have geothermal heat and it really works for them, so I have been looking around for information to share:
geothermal heat is an environmentally safe and sound, renewable energy. Here is a website with general information
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12660
" According to the EPA, geothermal heat pumps can reduce energy consumption—and corresponding emissions—up to 44% compared to air-source heat pumps and up to 72% compared to electric resistance heating with standard air-conditioning equipment. GHPs also improve humidity control by maintaining about 50% relative indoor humidity."

Another reliable energy source is the sun: solar power. There are small solar power kits you can use to work as your energy source which are reliable and pollution free.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/electricity/index.cfm/mytopic=10710
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/electricity/index.cfm/mytopic=10720

Here are some other ways to reduce energy use:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/electricity/index.cfm/mytopic=11140

A non-renewable resource we are using at a tremendous rate is oil. Now that artic drilling has stopped...which shouldn't have taken place in the refuge as it was, so a viable renewable resource is ethanol. http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/afv/eth_vehicles.html
http://www.greatlakesethanol.com/

Why isn't our government working on these things, making them more available, and cost effective?? Maybe our President likes oil...using up the nonrenewable resources

Speaking of cars and other alternatives, there is a new documentary coming out that sounds interesting, although I have yet to see the trailer all the way through, called "Who killed the electric car?" "Plot Outline: A documentary that investigates the birth and death of the electric car, as well as the role of renewable energy and sustainable living in the future."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489037/

A blog I recently found on alternative engery that is pretty interesting, as well.
http://alt-e.blogspot.com/

One last side note, referring to an earlier post and environmental safety, I have gone back to using dishsoap and water sprayed onto the leaves of a plant for the beetles. I have to spray it on after every rain. The pesticide only killed some and others came from around the neighborhood to replace them, so this soap answer isn't perfect, but it's working as well as the other stuff, and it's better for us and the environment.




3 comments:

Pam said...

I'm interested in what you say and it's good to know that Americans are interested in the environment even if their government isn't.

Here, very few gardeners use insecticides at all - the word is very much that you shouldn't upset the balance of nature, and that other insects will eat the ones eating our plants as long as we don't poison the "good" one by mistake along with the "bad" ones. And this does seem to work, here at any rate. And after all, if soap will kill the ones you don't want, it's a poison and will also kill other ones.

jkhenson said...

Very true. I haven't, in the last 6 years, seen any bugs or birds eat the beetles. It was brought here, so there aren't any living natural predators, at least I haven't found them... So, I'm not sure what else to do. They have something that naturally eats the grubs, or larvae, before they develope, but that also kills other beneficial larvae. So, I'm stuck. Do I get rid of the garden?
And the soap doesn't kill them, it keeps them away, and isn't keeping the bees away...

Thanks for keeping up with the blog, Isabelle. How are you?

Pam said...

I'm fine, thank you, though back at work, which is always a bit of a shock to the system...