Save the dolphins!

I love to watch documentaries.  There’s something about being entertained and moved by a true story.  And feeling like knowledge is power, and that you can make a difference.

I recently added a documentary to my Netflix queue called The Cove.  It’s about a fishing village in Japan that captures dolphins to sell to the dolphin industry (think Sea World orca and dolphin performances, and swim with the dolphin programs at hotels in Hawaii).  The remaining dolphins are killed and sold for human consumption.  The film is captivating–with Mission Impossible style suspense and action.  It won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009.  And it won an Oscar for Best Documentary.

If you’re thinking of seeing this amazing film, read no further.  If you don’t have time to watch it but are curious about what is happening, read on.

Better fuel efficiency standards

Last week, Obama announced that by 2025, vehicles will have to average 54.5 mpg.  By 2016, cars would need to average 34 mpg.  Supposedly, vehicles currently average a fuel efficiency of 26 mpg, which surprises me given how many SUVs and trucks are on the road.  My hybrid SUV only gets about 29 mpg and my former sedan averaged about 23.  These new standards will save American drivers an estimated $1.7 trillion in fuel costs over the next 14 years.  I’m excited to see what new and improved technologies will surface soon!

Repeal the Clean Water Act?!

I cannot wrap my mind around this… every Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, along with some Democrats from coal producing states, voted last week to repeal the Clean Water Act of 1972.  They would like to get the federal government out of the picture and allow individual states to regulate water pollution–you know, with all that extra money they currently have.  For more, see this link and watch the 7-minute video from MSNBC.

Solar Panels and Pigeons

About six months ago, we had a 6.75 kW photovoltaic (aka, solar panel) system installed on our roof.  We leased the panels, which was a great option, because we put no money down and the monthly fee on our lease is what we were already paying for electricity.  So rather than pay the energy company, we are paying a solar lease.  As energy rates increase, our monthly fee stays the same–for the next 20 years.  It’s been fabulous!

And our system has been generating more electricity than predicted.  The projected power output in the picture below is in green.  Our actual production is in orange.   For every month, except May, we’ve produced more energy than expected.  And May was probably under because it was cloudy and rainy.  Not only are we overproducing, but we’re also underusing.  Our energy use this year is lower than last–impressive as we have added a person, and his cloth diapers, to our family.

Unfortunately though, we aren’t the only ones who love our solar panels…. we have a flock of pigeons nesting under them on our roof.  I did not realize that the panels would be installed with a 6″ gap between them and the roof, making the perfect, warm nesting spot for pigeons (see the attached photo of what they’ve left behind in our gutters).  I hear squirrels like solar panels too, especially chewing on their wires.  So if you’re looking to get a system installed, inquire about animals in your area and definitely look into getting a critter guard.  It’s cheaper and easier to install when the panels go up.

Zero waste video

Watch a nice video about a family trying to produce as little waste as possible.  I love their low clutter, minimalist lifestyle.  After spending more than an hour today organizing toys, this seems like a great idea.  Thanks Meg for sharing it with me!

Solar panels up and running

We had solar panels installed last month.  They are now up and running and producing about 30 kW of energy each day.  It’s only February and when we have several sunny days in a row, our meter runs backwards.  Can’t wait until summer!

Unfortunately, the electric company in my state has filed a request to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in hopes that they no longer need to offer rebates to homeowners that install solar panels.  Hopefully the PUC does not rule in their favor.  We need to promote the use of alternative energy, especially in this economic climate!

Precaution and prevention

It is clear that in America, we do not take a preventative approach to our health.  Rather than use precaution and limit the use of materials that may pose a risk to our health, we mass produce products and insist they are safe until proven otherwise.  Essentially, we are using ourselves and our children as experimental animals.  If enough of us get sick and the research can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that a certain chemical, additive, heavy metal, or otherwise profitiable product is to blame, then steps will be taken to limit its production and use.  But only after years of research and unnecessary suffering and/or death have occurred first.  This was the case with tobacco, asbestos, benzene, and vinyl chloride, just to name a few, and will it possibly be the case with things like BPA, phthalates, brominated fire retardants, PFOA (non-stick chemicals used in cookware, clothing, and carpets), pesticides, and cell phones?

I am currently reading The Secret History of the War on Cancer, written by Devra Davis, Ph.D.  She has a great page that summarizes what is wrong with our current approach in America that I’d like to quote here:

“If we insist that we cannot act to prevent future harm until we have proof of past harms, we are treating people like lab rats in uncontrolled experiments.  If we say, let’s let the experts decide, where do we get experts without baggage?  The costs of experimental laboratory research are growing and debates about the value of various research methods are becoming ever more complex.  These debates are sometimes fueled by those who have a knack for turning molehills of scientific minutiae into mountains of uncertainty.  In a world where information on the health and safety of workers remains locked up in company files, wrapped in the protections of confidentiality, independent experts to make sense of it are an endangered species.

Leasing solar panels

I didn’t even know it was possible to lease, rather than purchase, solar panels for your home.  Apparently in my state, as of 2009, it is.  This is great news for people that don’t have 15-20k to buy solar panels.  Companies like SolarCity can install and finance your panels, while other companies like SunRun can team up with installers to offer you leasing options.

The lease agreement we are looking into involves installing 30 panels that will produce about 6.75 kW of energy by using 538 sq ft of our roof.  This system will cost us $75/month for the next 20 years.  Thanks to incredible federal rebates, as well as rebates from our local energy company, a 35k system only costs 13k, if you’re willing to purchase it now.  But then you will have to maintain it yourself.  Leasing it for 20 years at $75/month will only cost 18k.  The great thing about leasing is that it includes maintenance and repair on the system.  At the end of 20 years, we can sign a new lease, purchase the panels, or have them removed at no cost to us.  

It’s not enough to recycle

While recycling is a good thing, it’s really not enough.  You also have to buy post-consumer recycled paper products.  We need to help create and sustain a market for recycled products.  So, the next time you’re buying paper, toilet paper, paper towels, tissue, wrapping paper, etc., try to find products made from recycled paper. 

My son recently needed some notebooks.  The ones pictured here are made from 60-70% post consumer waste recycled paper.  They’re also printed with soy ink.  And I found them at Target! 

Keep recycling, but also make sure you’re buying products made from recycled goods too.

Reducing oil consumption through our diets

With the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, undoubtedly many of us are thinking about reducing our oil consumption.  The first thing that comes to mind is transportation, but did you know that agriculture in America uses almost as much oil as our vehicles?  Agriculture production consumes 400 gallons of oil per year per citizen, which comes to about 17% of our nation’s energy use.  Not only do tractors, harvesters, and sprayers use oil, but it’s also the starting material of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.  More than a quarter of all farming energy goes into synthetic fertilizers.  In addition to the production of food, oil is used to transport and cool food.  The typical food item in the U.S. has traveled 1500 miles from farm to plate.  According to the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, if every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels each week.

So if you’d like to personally use less oil, drive less, but also try to eat locally and organically.