Comments for Natural Steps for Lawrence

Comment on Fireworks on Fireworks by Ralph Copleman

Ralph Copleman — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:12:10 +0000

Here’s a response via regular e-mail from my friend Larry M….

You could calculate the carbon footprint of going and buy offsets.
Or:
You could just relax and enjoy the day in freedom;
or do whatever you do however you see fit.

Happy 233rd!

Comment on Fireworks on Fireworks by K

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:23:48 +0000

Use the event as an opportunity to enlighten others who are in attendance. What better time to talk about firework pollution than when people are witnessing it. There’s no reason to feel bad about enjoying the celebration. Remember, your mission is to clean it up, not necessarily eliminate it. It’s important to recognize the good and bad in everything, so we can improve on the good, and whittle away at the bad. Enjoy the fact that you recognize what needs to be done and can educate others.

Comment on Getting over it… by laur

laur — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:33:27 +0000

Comment on Our Home Energy Audit: Expectations by greenhomesamerica

greenhomesamerica — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:11:59 +0000

You’re heading in the right direction. It’s also important to get the right audit–accurate and actionable. For a bit more background what an audit should include and additional links, follow my post at http://greenhomesamerica.wordpress.com/2009/05/07/home-energy-audits-2/

Thanks,
Mike

Comment on Our Home Energy Audit by Ken Weingarten

Ken Weingarten — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:45:57 +0000

Hi Ralph:
Thought I would post my experience with my audit from back in September; I had an open mind, but my expectations where rather low with regards to what else could be recommended for our home; I had thought our house was pretty tight to begin with as we have relatively new windows/doors and had added insulation to our attic a few years ago.

We had a non-commercial auditor, so our experience was a bit different; the auditor was very knowledgable and professional; they found our house was tighter than the average NJ home, but not so tight that it was unhealthy. They found ‘leaks’ and made recommendations for improvements, but if we were to do anything about those ‘leaks’ we would then have to put in an energy recovery ventilator or ERV; an ERV circulates fresh air into the house; we may end up doing this at some point if we are convinced of the health benefits, but as you noted, the costs of doing something like this are quite high; especially when you add in the costs of plugging those ‘leaks’ and the minimal energy savings from plugging those leaks.

Hence, in the end, the big recommendation for energy savings was the one I expected: upgrade the A/C to a newer, more efficient model. Of course, the ‘pay-back’ in energy savings according to the state report is not enough to qualify for a clean energy rebate. Since our unit is now about 15 years old and VERY noisy, I am going to go ahead with this upgrade this spring; we will install a 16 SEER, dual-stage system that I expect will cut our electricity usage by 40-50% in the warmer months. (Also, under the new stimulus package, I will get a $1,500 federal tax credit.)

While I was disappointed that there were no specific action items for me to take (and thus take advantage of the NJ rebate program), I did get a bit lucky as it turned out: we have decided to add solar panels to the hosue, and the new NJ solar rebate program provides for a larger rebate if you do a home energy audit! So, in the end, the $250 I spent on the audit is going to get me an extra $2,000 on the solar rebate.

Comment on The Core of Sustainability? by Ralph Copleman

Ralph Copleman — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:18:02 +0000

John,

Do you live locally? We’d love to get you connected to what we’re doing. Let me know? Thanks.

Ralph

Comment on The Core of Sustainability? by John R. Ehrenfeld

John R. Ehrenfeld — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:13:38 +0000

Ralph,

Thanks for the mention of Block’s book. I have ordered it. I have recently written a book that takes a transformative approach to sustainability, Sustainability by Design: A Subversive Strategy for Transforming our Consumer Culture. Restoring our relationship to ourselves, others (community and ethics), and to the natural world (recognizing that we are a part of that world) is the foundation of my strategy to change our dangerous trajectory. You and others can read about the book and visit my own blog at johnehrenfeld.com

Comment on SUV’s, Yuck! by Steve

Steve — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:50:01 +0000

Great post! SUV owners are selfish people who do not care about the environment, and they follow the incorrect model “bigger is better.” But on the bright side, at least they aren’t driving a Hummer. Those people really are the worthless ones. The only place a Hummer should be is in a warzone – not on the Garden State Parkway.

Environmentally unfriendly = brown. I like that – you should use it more often.

- Steve

Comment on Silver Lining to the Financial Crisis? (Guest Contributor) by Josh Maxwell

Josh Maxwell — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:00:17 +0000

Hi there,

I looked over your blog and it looks really good. Do you ever do link exchanges on your blog roll? If you do, I’d like to exchange links with you.

Let me know if you’re interested.

Thanks..

Comment on Report Card, Part 3 – Business by Jori

Jori — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:29:05 +0000

Ralph – I have to agree with you – there is enormous potential. We can be assiduous with our recycling at home, but when we get to work – what happens there? Is there a way to recycle the paper generated daily? How about a way to recycle bottles or cans? I do bring bottles and cans home to recycle as I won’t toss them into a plain old garbage can. Toting home the paper would be the responsible thing to do, but isn’t too practical (and that is one lame excuse).
A more practical approach would be to have recycling at work. Here’s my plan – I will investigate what the local recycling ordinance says about businesses. Are they allowed to recycle or would they have to pay extra to participate? Would recycling cans or bins be provided gratis or would there be charges per business or per container? Once I find out details and if recycling is available for businesses, I will approach my employer and discuss getting our office to participate.
I expect gathering this info might take some time, but once I pull it all together, I’ll send it along in an Eco-tip.