Earth Day 2015 - April 22

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huh,that is a quote from the article you cited, helps explain their outstanding effort. the next one is from and article at Climate Central."But the reality is that China, because of its sheer size, is in a position to do more than any other country to stop the world from going off the proverbial climate cliff. With the current coal trajectory of China, all the windmills in the world won’t deliver our children a climate they can depend on." http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/chinas-growing-coal-use-is-worlds-growing-problem-16999. I can lol as well as to how folks ignore facts and believe the great effort china appears to be putting forth.
 
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One small step that could help is the Congress/President endorsing and passing a change in US energy policy as follows: "Coal is a critical natural resource that requires protection for the energy security of the United States. Export of coal beyond the borders of the United States is contrary to the national interest and energy security of the United States. Export of coal from the United States is and shall be prohibited."

When the oil runs dry, the gas is depleted, and the sun doesn't shine, this policy will insure that the US in desperate fulfillment of its failure to secure viable renewable and sustainable energy still has coal to burn to further darken the skies.
 
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For me solar would have never made since unless some people ahead didn't pay a premium price for a "new" technology. The price has really dropped and the tech increased in the last few years. I live on property in town that has no gas service/lp tank and I get by just fine. I personally have chosen to gather wood for heat, I have yet to pay anyone for the wood I burn and I have lived on a 150x50 lot for 16 Minnesota winters with a total heat bills of less than $200 most winters, $30 this past winter after installation on a new "EPA" wood stove. The $30 came from testing my hot water furnace supplied by the local utility company, otherwise it would have been zero $ with the new stove for the first time.
Now does that work for everyone else?

Which brings us to the utility company that supplies heat in the form of hot water that would otherwise be wasted burning coal to generate power. This supplies heat for business and residential homes(including my home), does that work for ever other power company? Does that make what they are doing wrong?

The Chevy Volt would be perfect for me since I only live a few miles from work, would charge it from my solar panels, plus I could drive it long distance on gas when I needed. Does this work for everyone else?

Do the naysayers of solar/green power realize that nearly every satellite in orbit is power by solar, the space station... How much more "off grid" can you get the in orbit?
What works very well for some, may not work for others at all. It just happens to be "green tech" that can accomplish this when "fossil" fuel tech just will not work at all or would be more expensive.
Its this belief/desire for cheaper energy that has directed me in the direction to be "green"...

Some will always fight "green tech" and say no way its cheaper or can work matter what you tell them, just like the ones that believed the earth was flat or we never landed on the moon.
 
An appropriate Earth Day success, very small in the whole scheme of things, very large on a personal level. PV Record
 
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  • Eating lower on the food chain
  • Planning trips to town better
  • Eating locally grown food, locally brewed beer
  • Installed a condensing (ventless) clothes dryer in an area with a HPWH to recover the heat
  • Drying large clothes on a line in the basement near the HPWH
  • Attending more webinars,, less in-person meetings, pushing for that option.
  • Installed a pellet stove to supplement our wood stove for heating
  • Continued air-sealing and insulation at home
  • Shutting off the parasitic (vampire) loads like washing machines when not using them
  • Expanded vegetable garden
  • Building an ebike so I can commute alternatively more
 
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My next step in my solar journey is to install a solar thermal system.
I already have a 5.1 kW grid tied system.
Pellets and cord wood are 99% of my heat.
 
just wondering if qualifies as RE
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Yes! ;lol
 
And clarified in paragraph 7.
 
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