Bill Nye's Evil Twin

Shout out to the folks over at Eco Watch. They shared a pretty funny video bout climate change denial and how oil spills are actually good for animals. It is satire, of course, and you can check it out here:     Bill Nye's Twin Brother Reveals the Truth About Climate Change

Who knew Bill Nye had a twin brother?

Climate Reality Thursday

     It's been a few weeks since I posted a video. So, what better way to break that streak than with a video of young Climate Leaders striving to make a difference? Enjoy.

Something to Think About

Friday Meme

Let's all take the time to really understand what we are talking about before waxing poetic about how much we know.

Where Does Your Waste Go?

     One of the main goals for me here is to get people to reduce their ecological footprint. Using less materials that can't be recycled, reducing the amount of single-use items (I'm looking at you plastic bags!) and making compost out of food waste. Without being obnoxious, I try to help my friends think a little bit about their actions and the repercussions that those actions have. Yes, my advice is at times unsolicited, however I do my best not to cram said advice down people's throats. I just try to share what I have learned reducing my amount of waste. Point out that some things are thrown away for no reason. If you're just gonna toss it after using it once, why not skip that step and not even use it to begin with, you know?

     Yesterday, a friend from my German class drove me home. She asked me if it was okay with we stopped at the supermarket so she could pick up a few things. First stop was the produce aisle (supermarkets are pretty much the same in Germany as in America, just smaller). My friend grabbed some bananas off the shelf, pulled off a plastic bag from the roll and threw them in, like so many of us do. How many times to do you that? Grab a bag for something that really doesn't require one?

     I was like, "Whaaaaat? You don't need a plastic bag for bananas. They are already attached together in nature's carrying case. They come pre-wrapped in their own organic wrapper! Do you really need a bag?"
     My friend looked perplexed and said, "But the bags are here for us to use." It seems that she hadn't really considered why she had grabbed one, but just automatically grabbed the plastic bag off the roll because they were there. "It isn't a big deal. So what?" she waved me off and moved on to the spice aisle.
     So I asked her, "Are you going to use that bag again?"
     "Well, no," she answered...and then there it was. The look. The look that many people get when they realize something for the first time. I had interrupted her normal behavior with a question that she could not quite answer.

     My friend kept the bananas in the bag and after checking out, she drove me home. I did not convince her to not take the bag, nor did I try. But, I did get her to think about it. In a week or so, she may very well show up to class and tell me that she bought bananas at the market again, but this time didn't put them in a plastic bag. Which is a small victory. We have been so conditioned to grab things when we shop that we really don't need: plastic bags, individually wrapped meals, all that crap at the check out counter. Many times, we grab that stuff because everyone else does without thinking about what happens to that plastic bag once you get home, remove the bananas and toss the bag away.

     Quite often, when I point these types of things out to people, they stop and think. If I can get someone to re-evaluate those small actions, then it makes a difference. Because the person I get to reconsider their behavior with something as ingrained into every day life like grocery shopping, they will most likely share with others what they now do if they make a change. That helps shift towards a more closed-loop and sustainable way of life. Less waste because we reduce, reuse and recycle. That's how you change the world.

     Here's a video about food waste. Its short and good. Enjoy!

Sustainable Thursday

Happy Friday

Time Out

    I am sorry I have not been around these past few weeks. I have had some life altering experiences make place. Quick update:

1. The new house is finished and the solar panels are working! I waited a long time to say that. Damn it feels good.

2. I became a father two weeks ago. I can't even describe the feeling. Only a parent knows what it is like. People have said those words to me before and I didn't understand. Now I do. For those of you out there that don't have kids, I want you to understand that I am unable to put into words what it is like to become a parent. Wow. That's as close as I can get to describing it.

Look for me to back up and running in a week or so. While I'm away, you can still make a difference and fight the good fight. The world needs clean energy and people to stand up and demand that we use it.

This is also a good time for you guys to check out some past posts. There is some gold out there. Enjoy and see you soon!

Message to All Readers

     Due to life changing events, Climate Guy will be on hiatus for a few days.

     I think this is a good enough excuse, don't you? My son. Handsome little guy. Mom and baby are doing well. Now, this makes my mission to raise awareness and combat Climate Change even more important. I take my responsibility to leave the planet better than I found it for my little boy seriously.  You don't have to like Whitney Houston to agree that children are our future. But what kind of future they will have is up to us.

     While I am away, take a look back through some of my more popular posts from the past 10 months. You can find the links on the right hand side of this page. Be sure to leave a comment. You can also follow Climate Guy 73 by signing up on the right.

    See you soon!

Tesla, Batteries and the Energy Revolution

     Tesla announced its new battery storage system last week. Tony Stark himself- oops, sorry- I mean Elon Musk himself introduced the new energy storage system that could be the game changer renewable energy advocates have been waiting for to jumpstart the Energy Revolution. You can read about Tesla and Mr. Stark's...(damn, did it again...) Mr. Musk's breakthrough and announcement here.

     If you visit this site, you already know I am a HUGE advocate for clean renewable energy, sustainability and energy independence. Energy storage has long been the missing link when it comes to energy production from renewables. Opponents of solar and wind power have often moaned that because the Sun goes down or that the wind stops blowing, renewables are unreliable and cannot replace fossil fuels as out main source of energy. Well, I think Tony's- (shit) Elon's announcement basically tells those people that they can "Suck it!"

     An energy storage system for homes and businesses as well as for utility companies is a game-changer. It is the missing link between energy production and usage/demand. The biggest argument against renewables is that they are unreliable for the reasons I mentioned above. With a battery storage system in place, one can make energy with their PV system during the day and store it to use at night. Or they can store wind energy when the wind is blowing and use it when the winds die down. Here is a great article from the Washington Post that talks about Tesla's plans and the coming "Energy Revolution".

     Anyone seen this cartoon before?

     You may remember it from my post on March 31st:  Electric Cars and Dirty Energy.  In that post, I talked about how this meme represented an opportunity to be more sustainable. Instead of using energy from coal-fired power plants, you could use a solar array to charge your electric car, eliminating fuel costs and CO2 emissions. The Tesla Battery takes this idea one step further...and its a big step! Now, when you are at work, your PV system can make a ton of energy and store it in the battery. When you come home, that energy in the battery can be used to charge your car and power the house when the family is home watching tv, making dinner, surfing the net and playing video games. Sustainable energy system. Holy crap!

     Already, I have had some friends dismiss the Tesla Battery because of cost. If you check back to my post Electric Cars and Dirty Energy, you will see how a broke down what a person could save in gas by driving an electric car charged by a solar array. The payback on the Return On Investment starts immediately with these systems. Money for fuel is now earmarked for to pay-off the array. Now, imagine not only saving money in gas, but in utility bills as well! I realize that the cost is quite substantial, but Banks realize that Solar is a good investment. The numbers don't lie. You reduce your monthly utility and fuel costs by going solar, which frees up capital to pay the bank back it's money. You make the Bank whole, and you reduce your monthly bills once the system is paid off. You were already spending that money before, except now there is an end in sight. You are eliminating those costs completely after a few years.

     Americans love their credit and love to finance things. Here's an opportunity to finance something that is worth more after it is paid off, unlike your car, that drops in value as soon as you drive it off the lot. You are already spending the money for gas and electricity right now. Investing in solar, a battery system for your home and an electric car transfers what you are spending for gas and electricity to paying back your loan. Tac credits for solar, the battery and an electric car significantly reduce your initial upfront costs, which means the government pays you for doing this. Winner winner chicken dinner!

     And THAT is what is meant by the Energy Revolution. The Tesla Battery pack means no more blackouts, no more rate hikes, no more transmission fees and hidden costs. No more days at the gas station, filling up with Super Unleaded because Regular is "out" or the pump is broken. All it takes is thinking outside the box a little bit. Outside the box, where power is clean, renewable and works for you. Thanks Elon Musk! I just can't wait until he builds the Iron Man suit.

Climate Reality Leadership Training

     As some of you may know, I trained with Al Gore in the Summer of 2013 to become a member of the Climate Reality Leadership Corp. It was an experience I will never forget Not only did I learn more about the Climate Crisis, but I also was able to meet many different people from many different walks of life. Being able to share my story and hear other's drove home the importance of standing up and doing something NOW to ensure a better and cleaner future.

   
     You can have the same experience I had. May 5th thru May 7th in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, you too can attend the Climate Reality Leadership Corp training. Learn how Climate Change is affecting us today and what we can do about. Click the graphic above to sign up! It is an experience you will not forget.

     Climate Change is real. It is happening. And we are the cause. Now is the time to do something about it. Click this link if you too want to become a Climate Reality Leader.

Oh, The Things People Say

     Former HP executive Carly Fiorina the other day blamed environmentalists for California's record drought. She said that environmental groups blocked the construction of new dams and reservoirs over the past decade or so, which has only made California's water shortage issue worse. Apparently, it has nothing to do with the lack of precipitation.

     I guess Ms. Fiorina (a potential presidential candidate) doesn't understand that if those reservoirs had been built, they too would all be low right now. You know, due to the lack of rain and snow which has lowered the water levels across the state. Reservoirs catch and hold rain water and snow melt...they don't make rain. To put it in laymen's terms: if you have 8 empty glasses outside and it doesn't rain, and you add 4 more empty glasses and it doesn't rain...you still have empty glasses! Someone should show her a poster of the Hydrological Cycle, which can be found in every 6th Grade Science classroom in the country.

(Illustration from Trenberth et al., 2007, Estimates of the global water budget and its annual cycle using observational and model data, Journal of Hydrometeorology.)

     The sad part is that some people out there will hear or read Ms. Fiorina's words and actually believe them. They will blindly support her and push for more reservoirs, so they can have more empty ones to be concerned about, without regard for the real facts and evidence. The MOUNTAINS of evidence! Facing and acknowledging climate change and the fact that humans are causing it is too much for many to face, because it means they have to change how they live, which many are unwilling to do, regardless if it means leaving this whole mess to their kids and grandkids to deal with.

     However, there is silver lining to what Ms. Fiorina said. She has graciously given me some really good material for this blog. If she believes that environmentalists are to blame for California's water shortage, I wonder what else she may believe:

- That Narcotics Anonymous is the main reason that there is a drug problem in the United States.

- That if there were no Gun Control Advocates, than there would not be a gun issue in this country.

- That coal ash and chemical spills are good for rivers and streams.

- That polar bears are to blame for the ice melting in Antarctica.

- That if the poor had more money, than they would make all of us poor.

- That since sea level is rising, there really isn't a drought.

- That if we put more cars on the highways, traffic would get better.

- That if we all held our breath, breathing would be easier.

     Good grief. It just goes to show you, even a former CEO of a Fortune 500 company can be completely clueless. Someone should hire her an adviser to prevent this kind of crap.

Walls!!

SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM FOR THE LATEST UPDATES AND PICS!! 

9:23am Central Europe Time

Today, the house goes up. I'm so excited I may actually pee my pants. For real.

Check out that big crane they will use to put the walls in place. Reminds me of hanging roof trusses in my Bay Mills days.  The roof goes on tomorrow. Then they will finish the inside over the next month.

The scaffolding is set so as the prefab pieces slide into place, they guys can secure them.

Check back for more updates throughout the day! There will be many. 

10:21am

Well, that escalated quickly! 

Three walks up and counting. This is wicked cool.

11:09sm

First floor walls are up. Did I mention how cool this is?

2:06 pm

The 1st Floor walls are all in place, including the interior walls! They are now unloading all the materials needed to finish the ground level. 

You can see the pre-made walls for the 2nd floor on the right in the picture below. They are ready to when the 2nd floor goes up. 

The next truck is on its way with the 2nd floor walls and the rest of the materials. The fourth and final truck will bring the roof. 

We should be under roof by tomorrow. Crazy. 

4:49pm 

There has been steady activity all day, but the last few hours have been all inside work. I couldn't get in to snap photos. Not yet. But there is time for that later. The 2nd Floor walls are next in line. I will post picks in a few minutes. 

6:55pm

The Sun is going down here. This is how far we got. Tomorrow the house will be under roof. Check back tomorrow! 

Electric Cars and Dirty Energy

     I love memes. Who doesn't? Every few days I scour the world wide web, trying to find new ones to store in my "Meme Locker". You just never know when you're going to need a good meme. While many are funny, others can be a bit misleading. Like the one below. Sure, if you buy an electric car and just plug it into a power outlet at home, you are most likely charging it with electricity generated by coal. At first glance, the picture below shows the hypocrisy of buying an electric car and charging it with the dirty energy that comes from environment-polluting coal power plants.

     But, this image also shows the huge opportunity we have when it comes to our power needs and the future of transportation in the world. Just because your house is getting its power from a coal power plant doesn't mean it has to stay that way. If you could utilize solar power, you could charge your car with the Sun. You could even power your house and charge your car with the right size solar array, but that would depend on a lot of factors. Does your house get enough sunshine? Do you have tall trees that cast shadows on your roof? How big of array do you need? Is your home energy efficient? Can you afford it?

     Let's say for arguments sake, you just want a PV system to charge your car, with whatever is left over being used to lower your home energy bills a little every month. Sure, it will cost more upfront, but your return on investment happens a lot faster than you think. Let's do the math.

     The average American fills up there car once or twice per week, according to GasBuddy. So, lets go with 1.5 just to be on the safe side. The average fill-up per person is about 15 gallons (you have to factor in those SUVs). Current gas prices are about $2.00 per gallon, so that's (15gal x $2.00) x 1.5 = $45 per week in gas. Multiply that by 52 weeks that's $2,340 spent per year per car. (This is just an exercise. Prices vary from place to place and not everyone drives a Toyota or a Ford Focus. SUVs use more fuel, so maybe the SUVs bump the gallons and fill ups higher? Only a more detailed study would be able to tell you, which I did not do nor did I find.)

     Now, a brand new Photovoltaic system on your roof costs anywhere from $4,500-$30,000,  depending on the size. Average cost is about $12,500 for a 3kw system, which would provide about 25-30% of an average American household. US citizens receive a 30% federal solar tax credit for buying the system. Your state and/or county and/or city may also have a grant program in place that would further increase your rebate. At the very least, you get $3,500 back in the federal tax credit in year one. You also no longer need to buy gas, because you car runs on electricity that you are producing with the help of the Sun. So you start saving on gas immediately. (Check out the site PVWatts to figure out what size system you could have at your house and how much you could save each year.)

     Current gas prices are hovering around $2.00 per gallon depending on where you live (sorry New York, DC and California...it just costs more for you to buy gas. It's called demand.) You would see a Return on Investment of $2,340 per year. Places with higher gas prices would obviously save more. At that rate, you would recoup your solar investment in 3.85 years. That's if gas prices stay as low as they are now. History says they won't stay low and will go back up. If gas goes up to $3.00 per gallon by next year, you would save $3,510 in year 2 in gas-not-purchased, and the ROI accelerates. You would then pay back the PV system in just under three years. If prices drop again, or rise again, it will change the ROI time. You still get your full investment back faster than you would with most other investments.

     So, as it stands today, if you buy an electric car and plug it in at home, yes, you are most likely using a local coal-powered power plant's dirty energy to charge your environmentally friendly electric car. But, with a little foresight and some planning, you can charge your car with clean renewable energy. It takes investment and some out of pocket expenses, but it pays back in the long run. Then, we can redraw the meme above and show solar panels on the house and the disconnected power lines to the power plant. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, there are ways to do it. You just have to take the first step.

Check out the these websites to learn more about clean energy, energy efficiency and what you can do to start making the transition to renewables!

http://epa.gov/greenpower/buygp/index.htm
http://energy.gov
http://pvwatts.nrel.gov/index.php

LOCAL Comes in June!

     I found a new organization called LOCAL on Twitter. LOCAL is a new video and social media channel that launches this June. They are dedicated to sharing stories of people from all over that are changing their communities with projects that involve renewable energy, urban food sources and things like that. LOCAL wants to provide a platform for crowdsourcing for others who want to do the same in their neighborhoods. You can find out more about LOCAL here.

Sea Grass planting at my neighborhood marina, 2013

     Did you help turn an eyesore in your neighborhood into a garden? Or a green space? LOCAL wants to hear your story! Check out the LOCAL website and share!

Myths and the Ease of Change

     Popular Mechanics released a great article about the myths of Climate Change. Some of the things being said are grossly inaccurate, so I was tickled that they shared. Yes, I said I was tickled. So what?
You can read the article here.

     To think, just by not throwing away that leftover meatloaf so the kids can eat pizza, you can reduce waste, reduce methane emissions and safe yourself some money too! I think that is one of the huge misconceptions about being "Green". Being more environmentally conscious isn't more expensive, it can save you money from the get go! Sure, solar panels, beefed up home insulation and LED lightbulbs cost more upfront, but that stuff pays you back pretty fast and then you're in the black! Green is the new Black!

      If you want to be more green, check out these websites and learn how easy it is to reduce your footprint on this lovely planet. Sometimes its as easy as having certain houseplants to clean the air or planting a tree in a strategic place outside. For real. You don't have to be a tree hugger to like trees.

Green Living Ideas
Sustainable Baby Steps
Earth Easy
Real Simple

     If you want to speak out and speak up to encourage our elected officials to take action and stop ignoring the cold hard facts, visit Citizens' Climate Lobby. You can make a difference. You just have to say something.

New House Update

     The new house is coming along. What you see here is the rainwater cistern. We will be using rain and snowmelt to flush the toilets. Drainage from the lot will be directed into the cistern, where there is a pump that will direct the water, through a filter and then to the service lines for the toilets. You can't see it, but the cistern is about 3 meters deep, which means quite a bit of water capacity.

     Not a big money saver, but it's a water saver. Reducing how much water we buy from the city was important to us. Utilizing rainwater helps reduce our impact on the environment and make our house a more sustainable domicile. 

     We will also use rain barrels at strategic downspouts around the house so we will be able to water the garden and plant beds.  The cistern and rain barrels will only save us pennies in terms of what we save from buying water from the city (which we still do for showers, sinks, etc.) but it helps save water resources going forward. We are just redirecting rainwater for our use. We will use less of the city's supply, which makes more available for others. The rain barrels will allow us to water where its needed without it flowing onto the street or other impervious surfaces where it can't soak in. 

     There are other sustainable things we have planned, so stay tuned and I will show them to you as we progress! Have a great weekend. 

Milk Bones for People?

     My dog Mona is more than a handful. If she were a bra, she would be size EEE. Seriously. We found poor Mona at the Anne Arundel ASPCA in December of 2013 on Christmas Eve. A pure bred, chocolate lab with the shiniest coat I have ever seen, of course we jumped at the chance to own her. The angels above sent us a dog with very little discipline and no training, so to say she has been a pain in the ass is an understatement. But, like most rescues, she has been well worth it.

     While Mona is difficult, she is also very trainable. It did not take us long to get her on a schedule, nor did it take long to teach her to sit, lay, shake, speak and stay (sometimes). What has been the real mother is breaking her of her old habits. She has incredible focus. But when she attempts to charge down the street and tackle some kid on a bike while out for a walk because she thinks thats how you are supposed to play with kids, that focus is a monster. Getting her to train that focus on me or my wife has been a struggle, but it has been paying dividends. Small, incremental dividends. At a snail's pace. An excruciatingly painful and slow snail's pace. Like if the snail was frozen and crawling across the surface of Pluto...in the winter...at night...billions of years from now after the Sun has burned all of its fuel and disappeared from the sky. And the Universe has grown cold and quiet.

     With progress there are growing pains. Mona knows

Funny

Stephen Hawking is Pretty Smart