Green Update

I managed to make it the 15 days between paydays on a single tank of gas. I have simply been thinking about that WWII poster that asked if this trip is necessary. A little planning can help to eliminate trips. Planing so that you go to the grocery on the way home from Mom's and save a trip is no great burden.

I have also managed to continue to use the fan instead of AC. So far this summer we have had days that top out around 90°F and lows around 70°F. I am surprised at how comfortable this house is when it is that hot outside. It helps that the house was built in 1929 and has plaster walls which form a thermal mass. It gets cool enough at night that I need a blanket and the walls hold that cool in the day time. The house is also shaded by an old oak in the front yard. I am hoping it will still be tolerable in high summer but am not optimistic. It hits 100°F regularly here from late July to late September.

If you are reading this and have posted a blog about what you are doing to save energy let me know so I can link to you.

Getting Off Oil?

The left has been trying to get us to use our resources wisely for decades. They want a cleaner place to live and for us to quit destroying the environment that sustains us. Global warming has been the threat that they tout as crying out for a solution for years.

Bob Lutz a vice chairman at GM has called global warming a “total crock of shit." What has he got in common with the environmentalists. In this article at The Atlantic he is quoted as saying, “The one thing I care about is getting off imported oil.” Why does he care if global warming is a “total crock of shit"? He cares because it is a national security issue. He is a former Marine fighter pilot and he cares about our future.

If the left and the right both agree that we need to get of the oil teat, why are we still arguing about why? If some of us are motivated by environmental concerns and others by national security concerns what is the difference if we agree that the solution is burning less oil? Who cares if your Hummer is killing the whole world or just our nation? Why are we not doing the things we need to?

Zero Carbon Transportation

Under the tracks and through the hood to Nanny's house we went for Sunday dinner. Bikes are real transportation.

Zero Carbon Lawn Care

Here are the tools I use to care for my lawn. They are safe, silent, burn no fuel, and are joy to use. Since they work on damp grass just as well as dry, in high summer I do my work before the heat then sit in the shade and watch others sweat.

The Fight Against Global Warming

This is the first in a series of posts on fighting climate change. The picture is of an antique window fan I bought at a carport sale for $20.00. It keeps my house comfortable on all but the hottest of days at a large savings over AC.