Low-hanging Fruit #2: Let there be (more efficient) Light!

Okay, so you've sealed up and insulated your house and you are hungry to taste that next piece of low-hanging fruit. Well, look up...at your light fixtures.

[Alternative title: How to get paid $23.24 for installing 6 free light bulbs in your home!]

First and foremost: Turn off your lights!

Turn off your lights when you leave the room. It's that simple. If you are not in the room and the light is on, you are wasting energy, spending extra money, and damaging the planet. I know - it's harsh, but it's true. (My wife and I are working on doing a better job at this too.)

Second and pretty darned huge: Go buy some LED bulbs already!!!

JG and I ran by Lowes at lunchtime today. (She still has a bunch of incandescent bulbs in her house.) We found this deal on LED bulbs:

That's $1.66 per bulb!

So let's say, hypothetically speaking, that she bought this 6-pack of LED bulbs. (She did indeed buy a 6-pack of LED bulbs, but she bought the daylight bulbs which ran closer to $1.85 per bulb, but I did not take a pic of those.) She plans to install them this weekend.

Back in blogger world, I googled incandescent vs. LED and this was the first graphic that popped up:

Find the original here 

Now, here is where it gets even better - very few modern homes have less than 24 bulbs in the house. And it's not rare to find homes with closer to 60 bulbs. So, if your home is still running old school light bulbs, you could be saving big money just by swapping for LEDs. And that doesn't even factor in bulb life. Most incandescents are rated for 750-950 hours of life. LEDs tend to range between 10,000 and 50,000 hours. I have been replacing bulbs in our home for a few years now and have not had a single LED burn out yet.

Okay, Okay. Enough about money. Let's look at what's really important here: saving the planet!

Check it out - a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions!

Learn more here.

Imagine the impact if we all just switched to LED bulbs overnight. And this one is easy. It's easy on the budget, it's not labor intensive, and it saves you money. This one's a no-brainer. Just do it already!

A few more things about LEDs

• Various formats, shapes, colors, sizes and features (some are even controlled by smartphone apps!)
• Instant light (unlike CFL)
• No mercury hazard (unlike CFL bulbs - the twisty ones)
• They generate very little heat
• They are more rugged than incandescent or CFL
• They make you eco-sexy
• Don't forget that 90% reduction in CO2 emissions!

So, here are six radical ideas for you to pursue after you get your own bulbs swapped out - start giving LED bulbs gifts!

1. Have bulb swapping parties!
2. Have LED interventions!
3. Give them out for Halloween - save the planet while reducing cavities!
4. Don't go to Jarred - go to Lowes or Home Depot or wherever to show them that you really love them!
5. Coffee, tea, or LED?
6. They make great stocking stuffers!

Okay, that's about it for low-hanging fruit #2.

May you save money and save the planet! And, may you now have a lot more gift ideas!

PS. LEDs make great Christmas lights too.

A Quick Getaway: Abilene State Park

Who knew Abilene had a state park?

 

Get the map here

 

A few weeks ago we got away for a bit. Oh, it was nice! Some good friends had invited us to spend the weekend at Abilene State Park. It's a few miles south of Buffalo Gap and adjacent to Lake Abilene.

We stayed in a yurt (and we loved it!)

 

Inside the yurt

 

Yurt ceiling

 

It's a small place. Actually, it was just the right size for pedaling about on a bicycle. If you go, be sure to pack a bike! We did and were happy we had them. One of my favorite places in the park was the bird blind. It's maintained by local birders. We saw dove, several cardinals, and a few small wrens of some sort. I also read that the blind is a popular stopping point for painted buntings during their migration. (Note to self: Re-book the yurt for bunting season.) 

Don't know what it is, but it's beautiful.

Amarillo in Abilene

The Buffalo Wallow fishing dock

Tiny frogs bounded and abounded

and swam

 View from the smaller tower (CCC) 

The water tower

 

The centerpiece of the park is a very cool picnic area built by the Civilian Conservation Corp back in the 1930's. There's a huge swimming pool, a playground area, and horseshoe pits. I always enjoy seeing the CCC handiwork in person.

The water tower window

Things are looking up

 

Centipede outside the yurt

 

Mantis preying in the yurt

Mantis gets a close-up

 

For a tiny vacation, this place is just right. May you have a chance to get out and enjoy the world with which we have been blessed.

Low-hanging Fruit #1: Conserving Electricity at Home

Okay, I am scrapping my first attempt at this post. It sounded like I had just graduated with an online associates degree for technical writing.

 

So, let's try again and start this off with electricity. Most US electricity is produced in coal-powered or natural gas plants, both of which cause environmental destruction and create serious health problems for living beings - especially for those who are stuck living near these plants. If we want a healthier planet and a better life for people we have two options: start using cleaner production methods (wind, solar, etc.) or start using a lot less energy. (Or both.)

30% of our country's greenhouse gas emissions come from electricity production!

If you are like me, the solar/wind thing is out of the budget and you live in a town (like Lubbock) that strongly discourages solar and wind with prohibitive local zoning. It ain't easy being green (or frugal) here in the LBK.

It ain't easy being green! (Kermit)

So, I guess we need to focus on using less electricity at home.

Take a look around your house to see what is powered by electricity: heaters, air conditioners, washers, dryers, TVs, phones, computers, fans, lights, ovens - the list is extensive!

Let's pick out some of the low-hanging fruit - heaters and air conditioners.

Now you are probably scratching your head here. Does this crazy Mesquite Hugger know how expensive heaters and air conditioners are? Yes, I do. But this is not a post about scrapping it all and starting over. This is a talk about efficiency. Let's look at three steps.

Step 1: Stop those embarrassing leaks.

Energy.Gov: Air Sealing Your Home

Yep, your house probably has air leaks. Doors, windows, light switches, vents, ductwork, ceilings - all of these are possible place where your conditioned air is sneaking out. The leaks cause your heater/ac to work harder which requires more electricity to be consumed which causes you to pay higher bills and our environment to suffer. So, stop those leaks! The hardware is cheap and the skills required are minimal for those of you who want to do it yourself. If you don't want to, then pay a handyman to help you out. You will be amazed at the bang for the buck.

Step 2: Dress appropriately.

This guy gets it!

Let's say it's 30 degrees outside but you are comfortably running around the house in your undies. There's a problem here. Put on more clothes and turn the thermostat down a few degrees. It's a simple but very productive approach to lowering your electricity consumption. And who knows, you may look smoking hot in a sweater! It's all about insulating yourself.

Step 3: Speaking of insulation...

Energy Star: Attic Insulation Project

Add more insulation to your home. Heat rises, so a lot of heat escapes a house by going up. By adding more insulation to your attic, you invite your conditioned air to stick around longer and keep things cozy. Yes, this step is a little more involved than the first two, but it also pays big dividends in conserving energy (and money!)

So there it is - our first low-hanging fruit post. I hope you are finding it tasty and helpful.

May we all find ways to (easily) work together to heal our ailing world.

Bonus Mr. Rogers post: Vintage Electric Car in Mister Rogers' 'hood!

Another Bonus Mr. Rogers post with a dash of Jimmy: Misters Rogers and Carter again? MH looks back a bit.

And another post about energy conservation at home: MH Disclaimer 2: Solar/Wind Power vs Energy Conservation

Low-Hanging, Eco-Helpful Fruit for Everyday Life (Intro)

Sometimes it's okay to say it again.

 

While I was preparing for last week's big event, I spent some time on the EPA website. (Yes, I know that I am weird, but I like spending time there. I learn a lot.) This time I ran across this graphic on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions:

 

EPA: Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

 

Yep, 56% of greenhouse gas emissions come from electricity generation and transportation. Holy moly! So, let's all scratch our heads and find someone to blame. Let's see...who in the US uses electricity? And who's out there using all that transportation? We need to find these people and have a serious talk!

 

EPA: Carbon Footprint Calculator Try it out!

 

So now for the serious talk, Self. Yes, we need to act on a bigger scale and look at businesses and governments and all kinds of big stuff. But we also need to take a look at ourselves. And ourselves are often pretty darned lazy when it comes to change. So, Selves, let's look at what we can easily do to make an impact.

 

What I am really trying to say here is that the next miniseries of posts will deal with very simple and low-cost ways for each of  us to shrink our carbon feetprints. These won't be the buy-an-electric-car-and-move-into-a-solar-powered-tiny-house-on-a-communal-organic-farm posts. These will be posts where we look at our light bulbs and our drafty windows and some of our consumer choices so that we can find better ways to go about our daily lives in an eco-friendly fashion.

 

While we're at it, I'll be highlighting some older posts where we already covered a few of these topics. For you followers on Twitter, please watch for the MH Rewind image:

 

 

As always, thank you for reading! May a little simplicity lead to a lot of improvement!

 

PS. Really - try the Carbon Footprint Calculator. It's amazing what you can learn!

Get Your Green Up Follow Up (Lubbock, TX)

The Green Revolution Exhibit is still up at the Texas Tech Museum - get your hiney over there!

 

 I would love to post all the photos of the great exhibits and presenters and SPWRC birds of prey and all that good stuff. But I did not take any. And that is a very good thing. I can't even tell you much of what was going on. Once everything started, I never had a break. And that was awesome! I was invited by the Texas Tech Climate Sciences Center (Thanks, Breanna!) to talk to people about electric vehicles. Matt brought his Leaf, Jennnifer brought her Fusion Energi, and I threw an electric bike together to display. I also took along a bag full of tiny Teslas.

 Electric Bike over Marsha Sharp Freeway After the Event

 

And people came by! And they had questions! It was a good day to be the Mesquite Hugger! I had a chance to share my passion for carbon-free transportation with interested local people! After two hours had passed I looked up and found that mine was the last booth still standing and that people were still there wanting to talk! Thank you, Lubbock!

 

Trending questions and topics at the Mesquite Hugger EV booth: 

• Where can I buy an electric bike?
• Several people wanted to know where my (non-existent) e-bike shop is located.
• People told me that Lubbock really, really, really sucks for bicyclists.
• The Tesla Model 3 came up a lot.
• How far? How fast? How much?
• Very few people were aware of the Chevy Bolt's existence.
• Very few people were aware of plug-in hybrids.
• People were excited to learn about powered wheels (GeoOrbital, Evelo, Copenhagen Wheel, etc.)
• Why does Lubbock really, really, really suck for bicyclists?
• People were excited about the Rad Power Bikes brochures - the RadMini and the RadWagon prompted a lot of questions. (Rad Power team, thank you so much for sending those!)
• What can be done about Lubbock's lack of bicycle infrastructure?
• Why doesn't Lubbock have an electric bike retailer?
• A surprising number of people asked about regen (electricity regeneration) on electric bikes.
• Others thought that my e-bike was a generator.
• Many were surprised to learn that our local Nissan dealer actually sells an all-electric car.
• Most were surprised at how affordable electric cars can be to purchase, maintain, and operate.
• A few people asked about the existence of electric-powered 3-wheeled bicycles.
• Lots of people asked where the Mesquite Hugger name originated.

What did you miss out on if you weren't there?

• The Heart of Lubbock's Neighborhood Garden (Hi, Beth!)
• Texas Tech Recycling (I am a big fan!)
• Texas Tech Wind Institute (They look like really big fans!)
• One seriously awesome raven! (SPWRC) Hi, Daniel!
• Native Texas plants and a local greenhouse that sells them*
• Hydrogen power with Nick*
• KTTZ/ Global Weirding
• The Lubbock Master Gardeners
• Lubbock Lake Landmark - Check out Bison Day!
• High Plains Water District - Hello, Katharine!
• Bugs!!!! (Texas Tech Entomology Club - you could even try mealworm snacks!)
• Texas Agrilife Extension (Hey, Vikram!)
• I got to meet Baron from A123 Recycling in person!
• An LED guy was there with an electrical wholesaler from Lubbock - It think it was H and H*
• The Texas Tech Climate Sciences Center (Hi, Kylie!)
• A social media service that supports two great initiative for sustainable water use*
• And a great talk from the always charming and inspirational Dr. Katharine Hayhoe!
• [Apologies to the booths I did not mention]*

* Please send me your info and I will edit the post.

 

If you weren't there, I hate that I did not get to meet you and I sincerely hope you have a chance to meet some of the many people who are working hard to make our area healthier and more livable for all.

 

May you be surrounded with great neighbors!

 

PS. Special thanks to Bella, Devin, Linda, Chris, Barbara, Brian, Matt, Jennifer, and Grizz for being there!

World-Famous Scientist, LBK Experts, and a dork at the TTU Museum tomorrow!

One of these three people is speaking at the Texas Tech Museum tomorrow (10/16/2016) at 2pm: (And I am excited about it!)

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe and a couple of dorky guys

If you've never heard Dr. H speak, you could be in for a real treat tomorrow, but you have to get yourself over to the Texas Tech Museum (4th and Indiana). It's a bit ironic that Lubbock [where we work so desperately to convince ourselves that we have nothing to worry about or that there is nothing we can do about it] is home to one of the world's most respected and influential climate scientists.  

Dr. Hayhoe and her unsung colleagues at the Texas Tech Climate Sciences Center offer a clear voice of inspiration, wisdom, and hope in an area that offers lots of sound and fury but little else.

The whole event is in support of the Smithsonian/Chicago Museum of Science and Industry Green Revolution exhibit which is now on display at the museum.

All the info you need

Besides the speaker, the reason that I am excited about this event is that it is designed to offer encouragement and support to local people who want to lead greener lives. From 2:30-4 you can visit booths manned womaned peopled by local experts on a number of topics. You can meet the LP&L guy who is the Mother Teresa of LED lighting, you can meet the Tech Recycling people; you can meet our local authorities on xeriscaping, community gardening, water conservation, wind energy, solar power, and so much more. There's even going to be a dorky blogger there talking about electric vehicles and their ability to help us pollute vastly less while saving money and enjoying the ride! (He might also talk a lot about bicycles, give away a few {tiny} Teslas, and give away three self-promoting t-shirts.)

May the dorky blogger see you there and may we all find new ways to make our world a healthier place!

PS. Personal Carbon Reduction makes me so very happy!

Fossil Free Friday: Hope for a Vintage E-Vespa Kit

Vintage. Retro. Classic. Old school.

It's a rough thing sometimes to be a reformed gashead.

Old cars, trucks, motorcycles, they still turn my head.

 

Oh, the choices - but I prefer all those on the left!

 

But that whole gasoline thing messes it all up. Yes, cool vintage vehicles still turn my head, but if it burns gas, I don't want it.

No room for negotiation on this one.

 

For me, there is no vehicle more enjoyable than a vintage scooter, I am especially fond of old Vespas. But there's that whole messy gas-and-2-stroke-oil-destroying-our-ability-to-live-and-breathe issue thing that ruins the whole thing.

 

Here and there I run across news of someone who is working to create a green upgrade for old scooters (and the people who love them). Keith (good friend and accomplished Vespa restorer) shared one such venture with me earlier this week, and I am smitten!

 

Unlike almost all Vespa electric conversions I have seen, this one does not use a hub motor in a redesigned swingarm - this one uses the original swingarm, transmission, and clutch. The top-end of the engine is replaced with a specially designed brushless motor conversion. Ah, the best of both worlds. More power, no emissions, and you still get to chunk through those original gears! Sweetness!

 

ScooterLab UK - Stoffi FlowEr Power Vespa Interview (Video included)

 



Here are my two favorite quotes from the video:

 

"The guy who is doing this [at CRANK-e], he is a freak, and he's doing it perfect!"

"There will be, for the future, a kit." (!!!!!!!!!) 

 

Stoffi's Garage is an Austrian Vespa shop known for their high-quality work and components. I am excited to see them working on green alternatives for vintage eco-dorks like me! The electric motor setup is from an Austrian company called CRANK e. It is a very cool design. They refer to it as an electric crankshaft.

 

May your inner eco-dork be granted its greenest wish!

 

PS. The video also mentions a kit for the Vespa Ape (3-wheeled pickup), the large-frame Vespa, and the Lambretta. Whoohoolio!!!