I think everyone has heard about China’s problem with smog. There are days when people don’t go outside because it is so bad. This is one of the problems caused by the rapid industrialization and the amount of coal plants in China. It is not their only problem. They have water pollution as well and the contaminants are often very harmful to humans. LiveScience has an excellent, succinct article here: China’s Top 6 Environmental Concerns. China, of course, doesn’t want to talk about its environmental problems with outsiders and it doesn’t really like to admit problems to its own people. However, many of these problems affect the economy and that may move the government to act. Unfortunately public health problems have not.
China’s rapid industrialization has also led to an increasing deforestation and overwhelming use of all land resources including water. Having 1.3 billion people isn’t making the situation better. It is the largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions. However, it is also now investing in renewable energies and has agreed to up their use of them and cut their reliance on coal. The Council on Foreign Relations has an excellent article on China’s relationship with environmental issues: CFR Backgrounders.
It’s amazing what technology is out there. If we really made use of all the energy-saving technology that exists, our problems would be drastically reduced.
I just came back from two weeks in Europe. It was the first time I was there while keenly aware of renewable energy and our environmental impact. I spent a majority of the time in Germany and was very impressed with what I saw. I drove through most of Bavaria (or Bayern). Almost every town, no matter how small, had at least one house or barn with solar panels on its roof. Driving along the autobahn I saw several solar panel farms. I did not go out of my way and yet I saw solar energy everywhere. If a roof wasn’t at a good angle, the solar panels were tilted on top of the roof. You can see examples in the pictures below. Even as I was working on creating this post, I came across an article on Treehugger (one of my favorite sites) about Germany’s solar power. Their pictures are of better quality and look like what I saw while I was there. I was very glad to know that what I saw was being used.
One of the things I want to do with my blog is help the average person (if there is such a thing) know how to be more eco-friendly and energy efficient. Not everyone wants to go out of their way, but there are still small things we can do. There are also bigger things we can do, especially if we own a home. I do not – I’m a renter with no control over the fact that my windows don’t always shut properly. My parents do own a home. They have recently decided to make some changes and I think they are worth sharing.
The first thing they did was put solar panels on their roof. It was something they had thought about because of the established technology that gives clean, efficient energy. However, they had found out that it cost $40,000 to put them on. A friend of theirs got some help and put them on for half that, but it was still too much. Then Vivint Solar came to their door with a proposal which they accepted. Two of their friends who lived in the area (including an engineer who looked at the schematics) had already had the solar panel installed. The basis for the deal is that Vivint Solar is ‘renting the roof’, and so there is no upfront cost. My parents get a percentage of the electricity generate by the solar panels and the rest Vivint Solar sells to NStar (or whatever energy company who is the energy provider). Their bill to Vivint Solar fluctuates based on the amount generated and the amount used but has been about $60-80. Their electric bill used to be about $200/month. This summer they have been paying nothing or a few dollars to NStar. They expect to pay more in the winter, but it should still be about half of what they were paying before. It seems like a good deal economically as well as environmentally.
Their next step is changing their heating and cooling system so that they are much less dependent on oil. This proposal came from Next Step Living. My parents knew nothing about this, but are interested in helping the environment and this proposal also came with no upfront costs. Two of their friends also have this technology in their homes. It is a Total Climate Control system made by Fujitsu that works with condensers outside of the house. Each room gets a heating and cooling unit or a vent in the ceiling from a unit in the attic, each of which has an individual thermostat. The oil system stays in place because the system doesn’t work when the temperature gets too cold (as in -5 degrees Fahrenheit). Before it is installed an energy audit is required. My parents had Next Step Living do it. They were given a list of suggestions and free energy efficient lightbulbs. They are only paying $500 of the cost of implementing the suggestions. In terms of the money, Next Step Living works with Commerce Bank, NStar and MassSave, and my parents are securing a zero interest loan of about $23,000. It will take them about 7 years to repay after which they will own the system and not have to pay. It means that instead of paying $340/month for oil, they will pay whatever small amount they use when it gets really cold in the winter and $274/month to repay the loan for those 7 years.
bare feet in the sand 