This is the 39th posting to this blog.
Again, I have let quite a bit of time pass between blog postings. It is that time of year when there a lot of things going on, and I must say that I have been blessed to be invited to some nice social events. One of these events was a birthday party for one of my close friends. It was a great party, and we all had a lot of fun, but there was a lot of garbage generated. Plastic plates, utensils and cups are really convenient, but they leave a nasty environmental mess. Since it was not my duty to host the party, I kept my mouth shut.
I also enjoyed a small dinner party with three friends. There were on plastic plates or utensils there, but there was a very tasty roast. I have been doing well to avoid most meat products lately, but it is hard to pass on a well-cooked prime rib.
A party that I attended last night was fairly environmentally responsible. Stoneware plates, stainless steel utensils, and real glasses were used even though there were about 35 people there. I must commend Jeffery and Todd for not succumbing to the ease of disposable party ware.
On the transportation front, I have put some mileage on the van the past two weeks. I drove to St. Cloud to pick up some angle iron, and I drove Kenny and myself to that birthday party in Altamonte Springs. By coincidence, both trips were 55 miles each. With the van running so well, I figure that the total CO2 output for both trips to be about 85 pounds. I have been riding the Honda scooter a lot also, and probably put out about 25 or 30 pounds per week of CO2 from that. I have been also using the e-scooter for short trips, and have been using up the old batteries.
We have been very lucky with the mild, sunny weather lately, and power use is very low. My last power bill was $ 16.11 for a record low use of 53 KWh for the month. I only drove the truck eight miles last month, and that accounts for some of the savings of power. Since the meter was last read, use continues to be quite low. In 11 days, there has only been 19 KWh taken from the grid. Gotta love this nice weather!
Although I only generate a small bit of trash for the landfill at home, I do still have some issues with disposable napkins and utensils at restaurants. Today, for example, I am sitting at Panera, and drinking coffee while writing this blog. There is a napkin on my table with two (soon to be more) empty sugar packets and a plastic stir stick on it. This may not seem like much, but it can really add up over time, and I am only one person.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Daily Impact November 25 - December 7, 2011
This is the 38th posting to this blog.
I have not been very good with keeping up with this blog lately. I have been keeping pretty busy doing a lot of miscellaneous stuff. I have been doing pretty well keeping the use of gasoline to a minimum. I do ride the Honda a lot, but because it is so efficient, my total fuel use is very low. The average miles per gallon for the scooter for the last three months is 107. I am very pleased with this number, and that is why I don't mind riding it so much. I have been very lucky to have good weather for riding, and I have not had to use the rain suit for about a month.
The e-scooter is in need of new batteries. The ones which are in the scooter now only last for about 8 miles. This is not enough for me to ride downtown anymore, and I have only been using it for local trips. I have more batteries to put in the scooter, but I want to use the existing ones for a little longer. I am not sure what I will do with the old batteries once I make the change, but they may be good enough to add to my solar power system.
Speaking of the solar power system, shading has really become a factor. Because the sun is so low in the sky this time of year, the oak tree in my front yard now shades the panels from 12:30 until dusk. Power production has been quite low, and I have had to plug the fridge into the grid on most evenings. There is a better spot on the roof which has more sun, and a move of the panels is forthcoming.
The wind generator has been a disappointment. Even when it is spinning well, it does not seem to charge the batteries well. I was hoping that a decent wind at night would at least produce enough power to run the fridge, but that does not seem to be the case. I have also had trouble with the company from whom I bought the generator, and a separate blog deals with that issue. That blog is under construction, and will premiere shortly.
I have been a little better at eating local food. Publix has been selling nice Florida produce, and I have been buying it. They have even been putting the squash, green beans, and navel oranges on sale. Yummy! I have still been eating more meat than I probably should, but that intake is also decreasing slowly. That free Ikea bacon is still my downfall. Maybe I can ask them to substitute grits for those two slices of bacon. Maybe I can open up my wallet, and buy some grits and leave the bacon. I will ponder that one for a while, because this guy can really be cheap sometimes!
There is good news on grid power side of my energy use. I am on track to meet my goal of a total of 60 kilowatt-hours for the month. I am not sure when Progress Energy will be reading my meter next, but it should be next Monday or earlier. I am proud of this accomplishment, and this will be the lowest monthly total ever for me in this house. I am also happy to report that my total energy use for the year will be significantly less than last year. This will be the third year in a row with a big drop in power use. From 2008 to 2009, I cut my use by 28%. This was also true from 2009 to 2010. I think that the percentage drop will actually be higher, but I have not calculated the exact percentage yet.
I have not been very good with keeping up with this blog lately. I have been keeping pretty busy doing a lot of miscellaneous stuff. I have been doing pretty well keeping the use of gasoline to a minimum. I do ride the Honda a lot, but because it is so efficient, my total fuel use is very low. The average miles per gallon for the scooter for the last three months is 107. I am very pleased with this number, and that is why I don't mind riding it so much. I have been very lucky to have good weather for riding, and I have not had to use the rain suit for about a month.
The e-scooter is in need of new batteries. The ones which are in the scooter now only last for about 8 miles. This is not enough for me to ride downtown anymore, and I have only been using it for local trips. I have more batteries to put in the scooter, but I want to use the existing ones for a little longer. I am not sure what I will do with the old batteries once I make the change, but they may be good enough to add to my solar power system.
Speaking of the solar power system, shading has really become a factor. Because the sun is so low in the sky this time of year, the oak tree in my front yard now shades the panels from 12:30 until dusk. Power production has been quite low, and I have had to plug the fridge into the grid on most evenings. There is a better spot on the roof which has more sun, and a move of the panels is forthcoming.
The wind generator has been a disappointment. Even when it is spinning well, it does not seem to charge the batteries well. I was hoping that a decent wind at night would at least produce enough power to run the fridge, but that does not seem to be the case. I have also had trouble with the company from whom I bought the generator, and a separate blog deals with that issue. That blog is under construction, and will premiere shortly.
I have been a little better at eating local food. Publix has been selling nice Florida produce, and I have been buying it. They have even been putting the squash, green beans, and navel oranges on sale. Yummy! I have still been eating more meat than I probably should, but that intake is also decreasing slowly. That free Ikea bacon is still my downfall. Maybe I can ask them to substitute grits for those two slices of bacon. Maybe I can open up my wallet, and buy some grits and leave the bacon. I will ponder that one for a while, because this guy can really be cheap sometimes!
There is good news on grid power side of my energy use. I am on track to meet my goal of a total of 60 kilowatt-hours for the month. I am not sure when Progress Energy will be reading my meter next, but it should be next Monday or earlier. I am proud of this accomplishment, and this will be the lowest monthly total ever for me in this house. I am also happy to report that my total energy use for the year will be significantly less than last year. This will be the third year in a row with a big drop in power use. From 2008 to 2009, I cut my use by 28%. This was also true from 2009 to 2010. I think that the percentage drop will actually be higher, but I have not calculated the exact percentage yet.
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