Home Energy Usage – Why can’t I get my power from Nebraska

These guys are so cool. Because they are public, or nonprofit, I could probably put the whole thing up here BUT go see them for yourself.

http://www.nppd.com/My_Home/Product_Brochures/Additional_Files/electric_usage.asp

Electric Usage In Your Home

Energy Efficiency – Information, Calculators, and Recommendations

Pie chart showing how energy is used in an averge home with four family members.There Are Many Ways You Depend On Electricity

As your electric supplier, we’ve developed this brochure to help you determine your electric usage. We hope this will help you use your electricity as efficiently as possible.

This graph shows how energy is used in an average home with four family members. Your use may vary depending on your lifestyle, the size of your family and the size, age and efficiency of your appliances. The amount used also varies with the weather and the amount of insulation in your home’s walls and ceiling.
Appliances that are manufactured today are typically much more efficient. As appliances age, their efficiency decreases. Knowing the age and life expectancy of your electric appliances can help you understand your electrical use.

Average Life Expectancy In Years
Air Conditioner 18
Clothes Washer 8-10
Clothes Dryer 14
Dishwasher 11
Electric Range 12
Electric Water Heater 10-12
Freezer 15-20
Heat Pump 16
Refrigerator 15
Television 11-12

Replacement
If your appliances are at or nearing the end of their expected life, you may plan ahead. When replacing old appliances pay particular attention to energy efficiency. In most cases, the energy-efficient choice will save you money.

Look for the energyguide labelEnergy Guide Label
To promote conservation, the Federal Government requires manufacturers of large appliances to display energy information. The ENERGYGUIDE is designed to assist you in deciding what appliance would be less expensive to operate over the lifetime of the appliance.

Note: These figures are based on an electric price of 8.14¢ per kWh

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More tomorrow.

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Mayor Tim Davlin Died Today – He was the greenest Mayor Springfield ever had

Mayor Tim Davlin died today. No speculation about why or how here. He was the most green Mayor Springfield has ever known. His accomplishments included expanding recycling in Springfield, the consolidation of green energy services into the CWLP’s Energy Services Department, the building of a new power plant, the signing of a wind power purchasing agreement , signing the Cool Cities Agreement, creating a Cool Cities Advisory Council, creating a Bike Advisory Council and much much more. He will be missed.

http://www.springfield.il.us/mayor/Bio.htm

Mayor Timothy J. Davlin


Mayor Timothy J. Davlin

Tim Davlin has held the office of Mayor of Springfield since April 2003. Since taking office he has overseen great change in downtown Springfield, including the opening of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Tourism efforts have accelerated to the point that Springfield has hosted nearly a dozen auto shows, the Cadillac of which is the highly successful Route 66 Mother Road Festival.

Improvements to the city’s infrastructure have been accomplished along with expansion of programs to help small businesses grow and prosper. Mayor Davlin has instituted inner city redevelopment known as the Old South Towne Redevelopment project, revitalizing a neighborhood retail center.

Mayor Davlin has worked closely with all schools in Springfield by creating the position of Education Liaison. Through it, the city has helped stimulate education programs and worked with community leaders to find solutions to eliminate the learning gap. Davlin regularly spends time in classrooms under his “Talks and Tours” program. It has become a major source of information because it gives students opportunities to ask the mayor questions.

Mayor Davlin has instituted the mayor’s Book Club, a program which highlights selected books for reading and group discussions. The program, which is gathering sponsorship across the community, is in its second year.

Recycling efforts have gotten a shot in the arm when Mayor Davlin sponsored a student driven recycling program within the city’s schools. The pilot program kept hundreds of tons of recyclable materials out of area landfills, instead, making them available for reuse through recycling.

Recognizing the plight of the homeless, Mayor Davlin formed the Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness, which is continuously working on a 10-year plan to assist the homeless and put an end to chronic homelessness. He began a feeding program called “Springfield Restaurants United Against Hunger.”

One of Mayor Davlin’s most successful programs is “Springfield Green,” a city wide environmental improvement program which not only promotes planting trees, flowers and greenery, but also stimulates cleanliness through an Adopt-a-Street program. When two tornadoes struck Springfield on March 12, 2006, Mayor Davlin marshaled hundreds of workers and thousands of volunteers to get the community back on its feet. Within a week nearly every home and business had power restored, all streets were opened and everyone was nearly back to normal.

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More tomorrow.

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This Is Probably A Huge Exaggeration – But

But sometimes the Peak Oil people get all wound up and I want to put their stuff up in a timely fashion. So without further adieu (god I have always wanted to say that ) here it is:

http://phoenixrisingfromthegulf.wordpress.com/

The Gulf of Mexico is Dying

A Special Report on the BP Gulf Oil Spill

It is with deep regret that we publish this report.  We do not take this responsibility lightly, as the consequences of the following observations are of such great import and have such far-reaching ramifications for the entire planet.  Truly, the fate of the oceans of the world hangs in the balance, as does the future of humankind.

The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) does not exist in isolation and is, in fact, connected to the Seven Seas.  Hence, we publish these findings in order that the world community will come together to further contemplate this dire and demanding predicament.  We also do so with the hope that an appropriate global response will be formulated, and acted upon, for the sake of future generations.  It is the most basic responsibility for every civilization to leave their world in a better condition than that which they inherited from their forbears.

After conducting the Gulf Oil Spill Remediation Conference for over seven months, we can now disseminate the following information with the authority and confidence of those who have thoroughly investigated a crime scene.  There are many research articles, investigative reports and penetrating exposes archived at the following website.  Particularly those posted from August through November provide a unique body of evidence, many with compelling photo-documentaries, which portray the true state of affairs at the Macondo Prospect in the GOM.

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dot dot dot as they say
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As the diagrams clearly indicate, the geology around the well bore has been blown.  This occurred because of drilling contiguous to a salt dome(1), as well as because of the gas explosions which did much damage to the integrity of the well casing, cementing, well bore, well head, and foundation around the well head.  Eighty-seven straight days of gushing hydrocarbon effluent under great pressure only served to further undermine the entire well system.  Finally, when it was capped, putting the system back under pressure forced the upsurging hydrocarbons to find weaknesses throughout the greater system, which revealed all sorts of compromised, fractured and unsettled geology through which the hydrocarbons could travel all the way to the seafloor and into the GOM.

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This is a really long post and a really long blog space so I can not really do it justice. Please go there and read it all. Is it truth. I don’t know but there is a lot of destruction in the Gulf with or with out some kind of continuing seepage. More tomorrow.

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Household Energy Consumption – Wikipedia blows it totally

Wikipedia, the fount of all knowledge on Earth, doesn’t do so well with some energy issues.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_energy_consumption

Domestic energy consumption

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page.
  • It does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve it by citing reliable sources. Tagged since October 2008.
  • Its introduction provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject. Tagged since February 2009.
  • It may require general cleanup to meet Wikipedia’s quality standards. Tagged since February 2008.

Domestic energy consumption is the amount of energy that is spent on the different appliances used within housing. The amount of energy used per household varies widely depending on the standard of living of the country, climate, and the age and type of residence. In an average household in a temperate climate the yearly use of household energy can be composed as follows:

Average domestic energy consumption per household in temperate climates
Heating 12000 kW·h/yr (1400 watts)
Hot water 3000 kW·h/yr (340 watts)
Cooling/refrigeration 1200 kW·h/yr (140 watts)
Lighting 1200 kW·h/yr (140 watts)
Washing and drying 1000 kW·h/yr (110 watts)
Cooking 1000 kW·h/yr (110 watts)
Miscellaneous electric load 600 kW·h/yr (70 watts)

Note that for households in the developing world these overview data are incorrect (area heating almost reduced to zero, and less and different consumption of energy).[clarification needed]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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A paragraph and a graph. I am bowled over. More tomorrow.

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If You Live Anywhere Near Baton Rouge Please Attend LEAN’s Fundraiser

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Louisiana-Environmental-Action-Network/103828312998455

LEAN Fais Do Do 2010

Come celebrate the holidays and this past year at a LEAN house party!

Join your friends and family at the LEAN office for LEAN Fais Do Do 2010. Let’s say a goodbye to 2010 with conversation and cheer.

Food, Fun, Drink and Cheer.
Perhaps even a few reindeer games!

When: Saturday December 4th 2010

Time: 3:00pm – until

Where: The Lean Office


162 Croydon Ave, Baton Rouge, LA 70806 (map)

We will have food and a keg of beer. Please bring any other food or beverages that you like or would like to share. If you are musically inclined please feel free to bring your instrument.
Come on over and pass a good time!

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More next week.

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Railroad Consolidation Study Comment Deadline Is December 5th

The deadline is my birthday on December 5th. That should be easy to remember.

Please note the corrected date from the previous email: Comment forms are due by Sunday, December 5.

To view the open house information and complete a comment form, click here.

Thank you,

Springfield Railroad Corridor Study Team
www.springfieldrailroad.com

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He Is Not A Survivalist – He just likes to do things the hard way

MY favorite quote that I shall only paraphrase is, I could just jump in the car and go to the store for a lot of this stuff..but.

http://www.straight.com/article-357270/vancouver/peak-oil-spurring-locals-selfsufficiency

Brennan Wauters believes that the world has reached peak oil production, and that learning how to do things such as grow your own food and fix household items will help you take care of yourself.
By Carlito Pablo, November 10, 2010

What if you woke up one day and found that the world as you knew it had ceased to exist? It’s a thought that has probably crossed the minds of many and perhaps been quickly dismissed by most as silly.

For Brennan Wauters, this prospect is real. That’s why he’s preparing for what he describes as a “collapse”.

From Wauters’s perspective, the game changer is peak oil. He believes that in the past five years, the world has reached the point of maximum production of oil, and that the supply of this fuel source is on the decline. One day, the pumps may run dry.

But the 42-year-old Vancouver man is not the type to hunker in a bunker. He isn’t storing food, buying gold, or stocking up on weapons to survive in a post-oil world.

“I’m more a survivalist in the sense that I think we have to be psychologically prepared,” Wauters said. “I concentrate on being able to do things with as little as possible. It’s also an exercise to me, like there’s many things that I could just go to the store for. But I deliberately take a harder route just to test my own capabilities, to give me confidence that whatever happens, everything will be fine.”

Learning to grow food is one of those things. Peppers were ready for picking when Wauters showed the Georgia Straight the vegetable plots at the East Side house where he lives with a number of other people. There were also chickens and honeybees out back.

“If there’s a general economic collapse, people are not going to have jobs,” he said. “So they’re going to have time on their hands. And that probably means growing food so that they don’t have to depend upon some larger infrastructure. That’s the clear objective.”

Wauters is also collecting books on edible and medicinal plants. That way, when the Internet is no longer working, he’ll have something to rely on for farming information.

He’s also learning “wildcrafting”, or methods of gathering food from the wild and living off the land. He likewise considers knowledge of canning and smoking food to be important.

Wauters builds sets for movie productions for a living, and that partly explains why he has a large collection of tools. He particularly values hand implements—drills, saws, and sets of screwdrivers—which he said will all be useful when power devices can no longer be plugged into wall sockets.

He can also fix a bicycle, noting that this human-powered conveyance will eventually become more valuable than the automobile.

According to Wauters, neighbours come to him to repair various broken household items. The house where he lives has a shed that stores numerous tools, such as pickaxes, shovels, and rakes.

“The survival aspect is really two things,” he said. “It’s a mental exercise which helps you cope with adversity, and then the other thing is that it prepares you to be creative. You have to be creative to solve those problems that we’re going to face. We can no longer run to the store to buy something to solve our problem.”

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More tomorrow.

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Wind Power From Lake Michgan – We want it…No we don’t

Why would wind energy generation on or in Lake Michigan be controversial? Well first there is the “Chicago Attack”. This will just benefit large cities. Then there is the “pristine view” attack. It will block my beautiful view of this beautiful lake on a beautiful day. Finally there is the, “sure it will create jobs….but not ones I will be qualified for”.

http://domesticfuel.com/2009/12/23/scandia-proposes-1000-mw-lake-michigan-wind-farm/

Scandia Proposes 1,000-mw Lake Michigan Wind Farm

28 Comments Posted by John Davis – December 23rd, 2009

A Minnesota company is proposing to build a massive wind farm in Lake Michigan, but some of the residents of Michigan, which has some of the highest unemployment rates in the country, still aren’t pleased about the project that would bring green energy and jobs to the economically distressed region.

The Detroit Free Press says that Scandia Wind, a Minnesota firm partnering with a Norwegian wind developer, wants to put up a 1,000-megawatt wind farm just offshore from the communities of Pentwater and Ludington:

Several companies have been sniffing out offshore wind farm possibilities in Michigan, but Scandia was the first to jump in and publicly announce its plans. The turbines would be visible all along the shore, which takes in Silver Lake and Mears state beaches, Little Sable Lighthouse and Pentwater Harbor.

The firm wants to build foundations on the lake bottom, which is owned by the citizens of Michigan, and place 100 to 200 turbines — 5 to 10 megawatts each — on top.

The total size would make the wind farm bigger than any proposed new coal plant in Michigan and nearly as large as the Fermi 2 nuclear plant.

Local residents say the wind turbines would ruin the view off their beaches and hurt tourism. Scandia officials point out that the $3 billion project would put people to work to the tune of at least 2 million man-hours.

COMMENTS

LakeShoreOwner

I attended the meeting in Ludington. Dirdal (Scandia Rep) said after the project was completed, only about 100-150 jobs would remain, and that national bidding for these positions wouldn’t guarantee they would be local. The skills for these jobs are not your garden variety skill sets.

I believe this project will only help those who need the energy and are willing to pay for it (Detroit and Chicago). Locally, aesthetically, and economically the Oceana and Mason residents will pay for it in lost property values and tax bases.

Julie Burdick

Wind turbines in Lake Michigan would lower property values and lower the tax base because the reason property values are high in this area is because of the access to the natural resources. This includes sailing, boating and fishing on the great lake and admiring the views from the beaches. This may work in Denmark etc. but it is not the reason people live and visit Pentwater and surrounding areas. Why should Pentwater bear the brunt of creating “green energy” for the surrounding metropolitan areas??

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OH then there is the coal, oil and gas push back – they are unreliable and costly.

Dustin

I thought this was interesting…..”Despite their being cited as the shining example of what can be accomplished with wind power, the Danish government has cancelled plans for three offshore wind farms planned for 2008 and has scheduled the withdrawal of subsidies from existing sites. Development of onshore wind plants in Denmark has effectively stopped. Because Danish companies dominate the wind industry, however, the government is under pressure to continue their support. Spain began withdrawing subsidies in 2002. Germany reduced the tax breaks to wind power, and domestic construction drastically slowed in 2004. Switzerland also is cutting subsidies as too expensive for the lack of significant benefit. The Netherlands decommissioned 90 turbines in 2004. Many Japanese utilities severely limit the amount of wind-generated power they buy, because of the instability they cause. For the same reason, Ireland in December 2003 halted all new wind-power connections to the national grid. In early 2005, they were considering ending state support. In 2005, Spanish utilities began refusing new wind power connections. In 2006, the Spanish government ended — by emergency decree — its subsidies and price supports for big wind. In 2004, Australia reduced the level of renewable energy that utilities are required to buy, dramatically slowing wind-project applications. On August 31, 2004, Bloomberg News reported that “the unstable flow of wind power in their networks” has forced German utilities to buy more expensive energy, requiring them to raise prices for the consumer.”

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Bunch of crap if you ask me. More tomorrow.

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