Missing Michael Jackson — The Long View
Posted by Sonja Ebron
These summer electric bills remind me that I need new windows in my home. I still have a few incandescent bulbs to replace, but I’m waiting for them to die. There’s so much going on with energy these days, from the new climate bill to the “pullback” of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, that I’ve been overwhelmed every time I wanted to write.
But losing Michael Jackson has forced me to the keyboard. I’m old enough to remember him as a pre-teen marvel, before he became a cultural icon. Reflecting on his four-decade expression of musical genius, I wonder what we’ll remember in 40 years about the lifestyles we enjoy today. We’ve gone from telephone answering machines to the iPhone, from radio antennas to HDTV, from the Ford Mustang to the Toyota Prius. Michael has left us at the Great U-Turn, trying to be the Jetsons but decked out like the Flintstones.
We’re at the most startling turning point in human history, supporting 7 billion people on resources fit for 2 billion. In 40 years, we will all wonder how we let ANYone drive a Hummer or burn coal to make electricity. The concept of the “job” and the “grocery store” will be gone, and we will know our neighbors well.
But Michael’s is the spirit we’ll need going forward. His exuberant commitment to sharing his God-given talent, even in the face of slander and fear of his grown-man innocence, may give us the courage to share ours in the decades to come. We will need this spirit, cause my new windows and light bulbs ain’t gonna cut it.
Un-Green but learning
Posted by Lisa Gilbride
I just want to let anyone that reads my posts know I am no expert when it comes to being “green”. Matter of fact, upon starting this project I realized how un-green I am. I have to thank Sonja for the opportunity to educate not only you the readers but myself as well.
Just put “green” in a search engine. It’s overwhelming and exciting! We are all heading that way full speed ahead!
While doing research to come up with topics, I was amazed at what is available to us “un-greenies” like myself .
Take for example Solar Hot Water Heaters. I had not a clue someone had already figured that out. What a superb idea, since hot water usage is 20% of your utility bill! Not only that, it’s really not that expensive, especially if you are or are blessed to have a do-it-yourselfer. These systems are sold in kits starting at approximately $1600 if you shop around. Plus, with the added bonus of being able to get a special tax credit from the government, this system would pay for itself very quickly. If you have it installed by a professional, I’m sure that cost would go up considerably. I will have to look into that a bit further when my husband is around; he’s an engineer, so he’s into that sort of thing.
Now when my husband and I move back to the US from Mexico and decide where we will build our dream house, you can bet I will have this system.
Hopefully by that time, I’ll be so green I won’t leave a stone unturned to having a self-sufficient property. Perhaps I will still be here blogging and people can go through the process with me. I’m looking forward to learning more and sharing it with people that are just like me.
Until then……Go Green!!
– by Lisa Gilbride
School gardens teach going green
Posted by Lisa Gilbride
I was watching the news a couple of months ago when an interesting “good” news story caught my attention. It was about an elementary school in Atlanta where the students were growing their own garden on campus. I wish I remembered the name of the school so I could plot their progress as it was a brilliant idea! These kids were growing different kinds of vegetables, and the harvests were being used in the school cafeteria, thus saving the school money. They gave away what the school didn’t use to local food banks.
Now what if this trend caught on in schools and colleges all across America? Maybe they could go beyond gardening and learn how to make their schools even more self-sustaining. Perhaps they could learn how to harness the sun, wind and rain by building systems that would get them off the local utilities and cut the school system’s overhead costs. Maybe there would be more money for their education!
As we hear all the time, our children are our future. It’s true!!! Kudos to the teachers and organizations that developed this learning experience for their students!! I hope to see more “good” news stories about our younger generations thinking outside the box. Like I said a couple of posts ago, no idea should go unnoticed, as one of them could spark a trend and get young people excited about helping not only themselves but those around them. That is what community is all about!
Come on young people everywhere! I challenge you to follow the lead of this Atlanta school and dream green! Anything is possible when you put your mind and passion into something you believe in. One person CAN make a difference!
– by Lisa Gilbride
Collecting rain water for a green garden
Posted by Lisa Gilbride
Last year much of the South experienced severe droughts, so severe that many people were put on water restrictions. My Mom lives in North Carolina, where everyone was asked to water their lawns only on certain days and to limit flushing toilets. Mom has a beautiful garden that she spends a great deal of time trying to keep beautiful. With the water restrictions, she was concerned that she would lose all her hard work. She went and bought two 55 gallon rain barrels for $60/ea and installed them to her gutters on the house to collect rain that falls on the roof. She added spigots to the bottom so she could not only attach a hose and water her garden, she could also use the water to flush the toilets, thus conserving water from the municipality.
I thought this was such a great idea! I looked at the many rain collection systems that are available on the web and they range from simple barrels like my Mom’s to elaborate systems with filtration and water purification. With the more elaborate systems, you can even use the water for other things like bathing and cooking.
I asked my Mom how long it takes to fill a barrel and she said 1/4″ of rainfall fills them both to the top! Think of the possibilities if more people used this simple system!!!
And that is how my Mom keeps her garden “green”.
– Lisa Gilbride
When the lights go out…
Posted by Lisa Gilbride
Have you ever lost electricity and walked into a room only to turn on the switch when you KNOW the power is out? Welcome to my world. I live in Mexico where power outages are quite frequent.
So, with no T.V., no computer, no radio, I have nothing left to do but just think. I keep asking myself one question: What did people do before there was electricity? Then I look to where we are now. Could our answer to today’s environmental issues be found in the past?
People in the past were self-sustaining. They figured out how to get light and water and food. We can figure it out too! We harness the sun with solar energy. We can harness the wind and the rain as well. I am certain before the convenience of electricity and water came along, they were putting nature to work for them. The earth needs a rest from all the mining of coal and oil.
I think instead of being self-absorbed and lost in the land of computers, cell phones, bad T.V., video games, texting etc, we need to look at being self-sustaining and bring communities closer again. I am positive the people that actually lived without electricity relied on other people around them. I believe they were happy with life. After all, they were most likely our kin.
Everything we have now we take for granted. We are so conditioned to flipping a switch and expecting that light to come on. When it doesn’t, we become lost as to what we can do without it.
No idea should go unnoticed. Ask yourself the question when you have a power outage. Let me know what comes to mind. The answers are out there and I think they are in the past.
– Lisa Gilbride
Iraq War Ends When We Get The Oil
Posted by Sonja Ebron
Barack Obama is either lying or crazy when he says he’ll end the war in Iraq, and he doesn’t strike me as someone tolerant of self-delusion. Hate the game, not the player: Politicians lie for a living. No responsible American president could release his hold on a country floating on a sea of oil worth somewhere between $10-30 trillion, not while we remain so addicted to it and are too broke to even pay attention. (And the fact that the war is rank criminality? Look, I said American president.)
Of course, there is another alternative. The Financial Times reports that major Western oil companies are headed back to Iraq this year after four decades of being locked out. I’ve seen this story every other year since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, so who knows if it’s actually true this time. But if it is, does this mean the war is finally coming to an end?
Your Lifestyle Off The Cliff
Posted by Sonja Ebron
Grist.org has a great piece today on whether American lifestyle changes are needed to address climate change. Apparently, some folx believe we can simply change our light bulbs and drive hybrids, and all will be well! Since some of us would rather let the planet boil than give up our iPods, we should pretend there’s no need to change the way we live. Yeah, like Wile Coyote off the cliff, some of us will get the memo too late.
Atlanta Light Swap 2009
Posted by Sonja Ebron
We gave away 700 bulbs last Sunday and expanded the event to serve three Black churches in metro Atlanta. See the press release below:
Saving Money One Light Bulb At A Time
2nd Annual Light Bulb Swap Helps Consumers Save Money Through Energy Conservation
April 26, 2009 (ATLANTA) – On Sunday, April 26, 2009, the Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta, in partnership with blackEnergy and Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, distributed 700 compact fluorescent light bulbs in Metro Atlanta with a message of sustainable living during the 2nd Annual Light Bulb Swap. This free event was designed to introduce a cost effective way of “Going Green” to the African American community and in turn encourage them to be proactive in conserving energy and saving money.
After Service at True Light Baptist Church
Social Networks for Green People
Posted by Sonja Ebron
Social networks are popping up everywhere, Facebook-like platforms that let users upload pictures and profile information and connect with other users on a regular basis. There are social networks for everyone from knitters to hikers. Now a few green networks are helping people learn to live more sustainably together. Take a peek at these:
- 2People is focused on democratic action to find and promote solutions to climate change.
- Carbonrally lets you join or form a team and compete to save energy.
- Celsias lets you join projects and actions around the world and keep up with what others are doing on those projects.
- CoolTribe is a great site for connecting with environmentalists of all stripes doing work all over the world.
- GreenWala is the place to find and share great low-tech ways to replace bad habits and lower energy consumption.
- MakeMeSustainable is a joint carbon calculator that lets you suggest energy-saving actions to members of your group and get good suggestions in return.
- WiserEarth is for businesses, nonprofits and regular people who want to combine their efforts on many global projects.
There are tons more, but it’s great to see people connecting on ways to treat the earth better.
Three Houseplants To Clear The Air
Posted by Sonja Ebron
The TED Talks Conference has a reputation for broadcasting the best ideas on the planet. At this year’s conference, Kamal Meattle described a 15-year study in India that showed three common houseplants — the Areca Palm, the Mother-in-law’s Tongue, and the Money Tree — in combination could clean the air in a home or office building better than most electronic devices.
Meattle’s study is good news for indoor air quality but could also reduce the need for air cleaners and ventilation equipment. Who ever thought living plants could be energy-saving devices? Check out Meattle’s four-minute TED talk:
