BeFriending Creation
Resources for using less energy and living in green efficient homes
As an ecologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, I am constantly in mind of my physical, emotional, and spiritual connection to living beings and ecosystems. Aldo Leopold spoke to my condition when he wrote,
One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds. Much of the damage inflicted on land is quite invisible to laymen. An ecologist must either harden his shell and make believe that the consequences of science are none of his business, or he must be the doctor who sees the marks of death in a community that believes itself well and does not want to be told otherwise.
Nevertheless, I struggle daily with how to shed material encumbrances, live with less dependence on industrial energy production, and foster the voiceless wild creatures and their homes. One place to start is in the home. We have had compact fluorescent bulbs throughout the house for over 10 years. Another step was to rid our bedroom of clutter; it has been a spiritual blessing to have one place with greater simplicity than the rest of the house.
Another step is to try to be as energy-efficient as possible. Recently we were able to replace our hand-me-down avocado green fridge (you know the 70s) with a modern efficient one.
I want to do more, yet suffer from inertia, lack of time, support, doubt (can I do this stuff?), and money (now that my son is in college). The industrial Northwest Indiana may be the last place that will embrace green living and construction, despite the presence of long-standing environmental organizations focused on protecting and preserving the unique glacial and dune landscapes. The county just built a large visitor center less than a mile from our house that lacks green technology and features. I fear being an activist. Please hold me in the Light.
In my searchings, I have found a few encouraging and useful resources. The Consumer's Guide to Home Energy Savings by Alex Wilson, Jennifer Thorne, and John Morrill, published by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (Eighth edition, 2003, 247pp), is a great resource to get a homeowner started to reduce energy use. It covers heating, cooling, windows, appliances, and much more. It explains the important principles that are relevant to selecting appliances, windows, and other home amenities. It has information about appliances that may be dated but nevertheless can help the shopper. I now know what to look for to replace my single-pane 1950s windows.
The next book is Green Remodeling: Changing the World One Room at a Time by David Johnston and Kim Master, published by New Society Publishers in 2004 (379pp). This book is a nice guide to remodeling your home from design, finding an architect if necessary, and finding contractors that are willing to work with recycled products and alternative home design. This is not straw-bale technology, but more mainstream in approach. They discuss the use of recycled building materials as well. (Oh could northwest Indiana be as progressive as Boulder, Colorado?) The authors discuss the design features for each room of the house to help you plan and design your energy-efficient and Earth-friendly kitchen, bathroom, study, and more. Checklists for each room project and text boxes with tips aid you in your planning. I need to read this one again.
The third book is titled Green Building Products: The Greenspec Guide to Residential Building Materials by Alex Wilson and Mark Piepkorn, published by—you guessed it—New Society Publishers in 2005 (306pp). This is a guide to sources of green building materials that can start you on the search for green products for your home. The book does not rate the products but discusses their features and lists the company name, address, phone numbers, and e-mail address. It will be up to you to evaluate and choose products. I must make time for this research!
Of course there are lots of other books to help you prevent global warming and save money at the same time that have good ideas, but the three here can help get you started in becoming more energy-efficient. As my father always says, "Rome was not built in a day," so be kind to yourself and pursue your leadings. It is okay if change is incremental. But if you have a revolutionary epiphany then go for it. These resources can help you! •
