For those living in Oregon... The annual TREE School is coming. If you don't know what this is ask. ---- The website http://www.winderergy.co.uk now has a profile of alternative energy usage. Did you know that 10 percent of UK's energy could be provided by the tidal stream at Pentland Firth (in the sea between Scotland and Orkney) ---- Regarding nuclear power... i worked with nuclear weapons and did some math once. If we invest in nuclear power plants and weapons then we can no longer afford to have wars. Power plants are a prime targets and eventually the weapons will be used by some brain dead despot. Us humans have been at war somewhere on earth for a thousand years and there is not end in sight. All we can hope for is to slow the spread of nuclear technology and encourage science to look at solving cultural problems. How can we justify trips to Mars and military spending and at the same time ignore painful cultural issues. ---- Reuters (December 24) reports that James Baker, undersecretary of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Peter Ewins, head of the British Meteorological Office, sent a joint letter to London's "Independent" newspaper warning that "our climate is now changing rapidly [and] it's important we take action now." The letter's frank tone breaks with the conservative approach normally adopted in public by climate change scientists traditionally reticent about venturing into the political arena. ---- The Renewable Electric Plant Information System (REPiS Database) is now updated through mid-1999. REPiS is a database developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory that contains information on almost 113,000 MW of renewable energy generation capacity connected to the utility grid. It covers biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, photovoltaics, solar thermal, and wind. To access REPiS, go to:<http://www.eren.doe.gov/repis>. ---- The following is DTE Edison America's list of common household appliances and the average electrical cost per year for each: Refrigerator/Freezer (20 cu.ft.) $ 33.60 Clock $ 0.73 Microwave $ 8.40 Color Television $ 12.60 Clothes Dryer $ 32.34 Spa Heaters & Pumps $ 96.60 Coffee Maker $ 3.36 Dishwasher $ 7.14 Electric Range/Self-Cleaning Oven $ 33.60 Toaster $ 2.10 Electric Water Heater $189.00 Hand Iron $ 3.16 ---- I've been saying the refrigerator is the biggest energy users and it is for us. From the above table i see that hot water heaters are much higher for most people. What i would like to see is another table for people who have attempted a moderate amount of conservation. With just a little effort that water heater and many of the other things on the list would have a different energy profile. Here is a check list for conserving hot water: 1. Insulate tank, pipes, or demand heater 2. Put timer on tank systems 3. Use solar boost 4. put defusers on all faucets 5. use less hot water, showers not baths 6. pre heat water and use as thermal mass in house 7. combine house heating system with water heating. ---- Today i'm working on building a new trail and cutting the fallen trees off old trails. The art of building trails is somewhat universal. I've approached the topic as a park volunteer and as forester building skid roads. Both viewpoints struggle with the same basic problem: water and erosion. I have never worked on flat land but suspect the problem is the same. Our soil is clay which the old farmers called 30 second ground. You had 30 seconds between transition from mud to concrete. It is an exaggeration but does point out that trail building requires good timing and now is the time. jeff
