Time to review the success of contributors to the Green Room in making Earth Day 2015 more green than 2014. For my wife and I, these four things stand out:
1) Expanded solar PV system to cover 100% of our household electric consumption, expansion active as of April 9, combined with the success of substantial prior efforts to reduce use of electricity.
2) Completed a Forest Management Plan for our woodlands in 2014 and on April 20 implemented the first major action -- a Golden Wing Warbler habitat improvement wood harvest and brush management to provide new habitat for this bird in steep decline and for other wildlife.
3) My wife volunteering substantial time at Tossed & Found, a local charitable 2nd hand store, including both my wife and me now obtaining nearly all of our clothing from the store, and the store's profits in selling items from community donations used to support the local food shelf.
4) My volunteering as "resident (amateur) engineer" at Deep Portage, a 6000 acre environmental learning center near me, in re-designing its solar evacuated tube domestic hot water system, resulting in performance exceeding expectations and near elimination of use of LP for domestic hot water at a residence facility serving 10,000 visitors annually; also ongoing support of its 1.2 MMBTU wood gasification space heating system and its solar PV system (nearing 40kw in panels) which provides electricity for about 50% of its total electric demand.
1) Expanded solar PV system to cover 100% of our household electric consumption, expansion active as of April 9, combined with the success of substantial prior efforts to reduce use of electricity.
2) Completed a Forest Management Plan for our woodlands in 2014 and on April 20 implemented the first major action -- a Golden Wing Warbler habitat improvement wood harvest and brush management to provide new habitat for this bird in steep decline and for other wildlife.
3) My wife volunteering substantial time at Tossed & Found, a local charitable 2nd hand store, including both my wife and me now obtaining nearly all of our clothing from the store, and the store's profits in selling items from community donations used to support the local food shelf.
4) My volunteering as "resident (amateur) engineer" at Deep Portage, a 6000 acre environmental learning center near me, in re-designing its solar evacuated tube domestic hot water system, resulting in performance exceeding expectations and near elimination of use of LP for domestic hot water at a residence facility serving 10,000 visitors annually; also ongoing support of its 1.2 MMBTU wood gasification space heating system and its solar PV system (nearing 40kw in panels) which provides electricity for about 50% of its total electric demand.
