footprints

I'd bet that most people actually interested in fly fishing and the places
fish live are also interested in minimizing their personal negative impact
on the planet. In matters environmental, "Think globally, act locally" is
a good motto, imho. With that in mind I plug away at little projects
designed to help mitigate my passage. I plant a new tree here and there,
plan trips to minimise fossel fuel usage, donate money to protect special
places, etc.

One such project was recently adding solar panels to my travel trailer, to
keep the batteries charged. I camp mostly in undeveloped sites and run my
Honda generator to keep the batteries up and use my OTT lights for fly tying
.... or that was the old way. I've had them installed a couple weeks now
and even in the low angled early March sun, my tests show that they are
likely to almost eliminate my use of the generator. I also got a small
inverter and even the OTT lights no longer require my burning gasoline.
Certainly not salvation for the planet, or even noticable really, but that
is the point, little things add up to big ones.

And, I won't have to listen to, and smell, the generator .... maybe my main
point here is that cleaner living, walking lighter on the planet, is SELF
serving.


I post this for two reasons,
(1) to pat myself on the back a bit as I take pride in my little efforts to
reduce my impact, and
(2) to encourage others to make a small change or two. You won't notice
it by itself, but if we all save a bit of gas, coal, or heating fuel or take
care to walk a little more lightly on the Earth in other ways the total
result will be noticed .... by our kids and grandkids and the seventh
generation.



Environmental issues seem to become political issues but I see them as
personal ones ... ones that DO and WILL affect ME and MY family, now and for
generations. And even though I'm a "liberal, tree hugging ex-hippie" I
don't think government is often the real key to solving environmental
problems ( regardless of which ones you may believe are 'real' ) ...
individual, or small group, action motivated by self serving concern for the
future health and happiness of our own families will prove to be "the
answer" if one is found .... and what can be more "conservative" than that?

Do something this week to make your personal world a little cleaner and less
poluting, it can't hurt the planet, and it will make your part just a tiny
bit nicer. ( And I promise not to snitch to your right wing friends, it can
be our little secret :-)

On Mar 14, 9:45 am, "Larry L" wrote:
One such project was recently adding solar panels to my travel trailer, to
keep the batteries charged.

That's pretty cool. I've been wanting to add solar panels to my
house,
but I'm planning on moving within the next year. The capital
investment
is just too large unless you're planning on living there for at least
5-10 years.

Regardless, that's great.
- Ken

On 14 Mar 2007 10:17:15 -0700, "
wrote:

On Mar 14, 9:45 am, "Larry L" wrote:
One such project was recently adding solar panels to my travel trailer, to
keep the batteries charged.

That's pretty cool. I've been wanting to add solar panels to my
house,
but I'm planning on moving within the next year. The capital
investment
is just too large unless you're planning on living there for at least
5-10 years.

Regardless, that's great.
- Ken

Take 'em with you. Panels in the 100-200 (about 18" x 42"-60" or so)
watt range aren't that heavy or large, and 18-20 can be moved fairly
easily. Mount the transfer switch, inverter, etc. on a panel, and if
you can't do the wireup yourself, an electrician shouldn't charge all
that much to handle the unhook-rehook IF the set-up is done properly and
depending on whether you can/want to sell back to the grid. I have a
few such panels and converters that I've rigged for use on boats,
camping, etc. - two 150s (300 watts total at 24vdc) and an converter (to
12v regulated) can easily be carried by one person, even a smaller lady.

TC,
R

On Mar 14, 10:17 am, " wrote:
On Mar 14, 9:45 am, "Larry L" wrote:

One such project was recently adding solar panels to my travel trailer, to
keep the batteries charged.

That's pretty cool. I've been wanting to add solar panels to my
house,
but I'm planning on moving within the next year. The capital
investment
is just too large unless you're planning on living there for at least
5-10 years.

Regardless, that's great.
- Ken

Pretty soon you will be able to buy them at the factory in
Hillsboro.
http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/...870.xml&coll=7

This artical say they are going to cnver a chip plant. I think they
mean the crystal growing plant just north of IDT.

I'm in the process of having a house built for my family. More for
the wiff and I, since the kids are out of the house.
I'm building the house to be "green." Geothermal heating and cooling,
low flow water systems, high R-value insulation using Structural
Insulated Panels or SIP, recycled/recovered materials (including fly
ash "cement"). My energy usage should be about 1/3 to 1/4 of the
standard house of this size. We're even considering solar cells.
I had one "bubba" call me a tree hugging liberal because of this. I
politely (smirk here) responded that with all of his energy usage and
his big truck he had to buy more oil to run all of this than I would.
We buy most of that energy from countries inimical to our "American"
way of life, such as Russia, Iran and Venuzuela. As a matter of fact,
some of that money is used to make weapons for and give support to
folks that are killing Americans and whose stated goal is the
overthrow of the US. I finalized my statement (thank ROFF here) by
asking "why do you hate America so much."
By the way, its really fun watching some bubba's head explode like
something out of a Monty Python skit.
Oh, by the way, my long term goal is less footprint and less pain on
the wallet.
Frank Reid

"Flytyer37" wrote

I'm in the process of having a house built for my family. More for
the wiff and I, since the kids are out of the house.
I'm building the house to be "green."

that is really cool, Frank, enjoy the project ... and the results

On Mar 15, 9:00 am, "Larry L" wrote:
"Flytyer37" wrote

I'm in the process of having a house built for my family. More for
the wiff and I, since the kids are out of the house.
I'm building the house to be "green."

that is really cool, Frank, enjoy the project ... and the results

I will. It will cost a bit more up front and the builder is reluctant
to do some of the things I want because of cost, but I've run the
numbers and it will pay for itself in under 5 years. After that, its
all gravy.
Frank Reid

On Mar 14, 11:33 am, "Flytyer37" wrote:
I'm in the process of having a house built for my family. More for
the wiff and I, since the kids are out of the house.
I'm building the house to be "green." Geothermal heating and cooling,
low flow water systems, high R-value insulation using Structural
Insulated Panels or SIP, recycled/recovered materials (including fly
ash "cement"). My energy usage should be about 1/3 to 1/4 of the
standard house of this size. We're even considering solar cells.
I had one "bubba" call me a tree hugging liberal because of this. I

Once people start building the next 160 coal fired power plants that
are on the docket look for power prices to go up significantly. Solar
power for lighting systems is very good if you go to all LED lamps.
(California and other places have proposed outlawing incandescent
bulbs - it will happen everywhere sooner or later).
The use of LED bulbs will take a little more up front thought and more
detail in the layout of switches etc. Your goin to have more lighting
fixtures with less output per fixture. Lighting a house will require
more task lighting and less lighting of big areas.
As of now you can't easily come by lighting fixtures that are 12 volt
( except for trailers, campers etc. ). If I were building a house I
would consider installing a 12 volt lighting system. There are some
12 volt lamps available and more on the way. IF you go with 120 volt
AC your battery has to power them via an inverter -a not very efficent
machine.

politely (smirk here) responded that with all of his energy usage and
his big truck he had to buy more oil to run all of this than I would.
We buy most of that energy from countries inimical to our "American"
way of life, such as Russia, Iran and Venuzuela. As a matter of fact,
some of that money is used to make weapons for and give support to
folks that are killing Americans and whose stated goal is the
overthrow of the US. I finalized my statement (thank ROFF here) by
asking "why do you hate America so much."
By the way, its really fun watching some bubba's head explode like
something out of a Monty Python skit.
Oh, by the way, my long term goal is less footprint and less pain on
the wallet.
Frank Reid

On 16 Mar 2007 10:48:41 -0700, "BJ Conner"
wrote:

On Mar 14, 11:33 am, "Flytyer37" wrote:
I'm in the process of having a house built for my family. More for
the wiff and I, since the kids are out of the house.
I'm building the house to be "green." Geothermal heating and cooling,
low flow water systems, high R-value insulation using Structural
Insulated Panels or SIP, recycled/recovered materials (including fly
ash "cement"). My energy usage should be about 1/3 to 1/4 of the
standard house of this size. We're even considering solar cells.
I had one "bubba" call me a tree hugging liberal because of this. I

Once people start building the next 160 coal fired power plants that
are on the docket look for power prices to go up significantly. Solar
power for lighting systems is very good if you go to all LED lamps.
(California and other places have proposed outlawing incandescent
bulbs - it will happen everywhere sooner or later).
The use of LED bulbs will take a little more up front thought and more
detail in the layout of switches etc. Your goin to have more lighting
fixtures with less output per fixture. Lighting a house will require
more task lighting and less lighting of big areas.
As of now you can't easily come by lighting fixtures that are 12 volt
( except for trailers, campers etc. ). If I were building a house I
would consider installing a 12 volt lighting system. There are some
12 volt lamps available and more on the way. IF you go with 120 volt
AC your battery has to power them via an inverter -a not very efficent
machine.

Um, you can buy 12vdc stuff all over, such as Lowe's and Home Depot (in
the US). And the funny thing is that much of it is actually sold as
120vac stuff, which it is also because it comes with a transformer.
Simply snip off the transformer, and use with 12vdc (or if you're using
it on a boat or in an RV with "shore power," install a switch on the
12vdc side and you can use the same light with either. Most aren't LED,
they are LV Halogen.

TC,
R

wrote


the US). And the funny thing is that much of it is actually sold as
120vac stuff, which it is also because it comes with a transformer.


The idea of using de-wallwarted lights for an RV is ... well, I admit I hate
to admit it about a 'publican', ..... and I admit I hate hating to admit it
.... but it's damn bright