Walter's Ruminations

Walter Gets Into Hot Water

Monday, 29 June 2009 09:41 |

Recently, my daughter Kate has been trying to bond with me over my whole eco-freak thing by telling me about a television show on the Planet Green channel that follows the life of actor Ed Begley, Jr. and his wife, Rachelle Carson. Apparently, the show is about how Ed strives to make his home more environmentally-friendly as he comes up against resistance from his…less-than-enthusiastic wife. The plot reminded me of my recent attempts to get my wife, Christine, excited about getting a solar hot water heater.

Last Updated (Sunday, 24 January 2010 22:22)

I have seen the future and it's not that bad!!

Sunday, 05 April 2009 16:35 |

Now, I’m not talking about Obama-mania – although god knows things are already better in many ways. No, I’m talking about the Power-down. I’m talking about kicking the fossil fuel habit. So when did I have this vision? During the Storm of ’08, as we like to call it. The Big One. Lots of snow, ice and wind. We live out in the sticks, at the end of the pavement, the end of the water pipe, and the end of the electric line. So when a storm hits, we know it. There we were: no juice, no water, and no escape. We had our own private Power-down. (For those of you who missed it, the Power-down is a term coined by American journalist and educator Richard Heinberg to describe a way of reducing oil and coal use.)

Last Updated (Wednesday, 22 July 2009 21:41)

Save the earth! (while making some green)

Friday, 25 April 2008 12:42 |

There is a really cheap and cost-effective way to reduce your “carbon footprint ”. It’s pretty simple, actually. It’s called “conservation” and it pays nice dividends. How does a return of 15% sound? Here’s one example, from The Carbon Buster’s Home Energy Handbook by Godo Stoyke, of the changes you can make (2007):

Last Updated (Sunday, 27 April 2008 11:46)

A Grain of Salt and Ounce of Precaution

Saturday, 15 March 2008 14:46 |

Suppose you lived in a place subject to hurricanes. You would know the value of observation and preparation. Let’s suppose the place you lived in was called New Orleans. Let’s suppose that the Corp of Engineers said the levee would never fail, and FEMA said it was ready for any problem. It might be wise to have a plan B. You might keep an eye on the horizon or the barometer. You might have the candles and fresh water in the basement. Well, it’s the same for the energy crunch.

Last Updated (Sunday, 06 April 2008 14:27)

The Oil Crunch - For Busy People

Sunday, 17 February 2008 13:15 |

The Oil Crunch – For Busy People
Jack tells me he needs a new rumination. Well here’s a short guide to the Oil Crunch. Later I’ll fill in all the details. Here it is short and sweet.

Fun Facts about oil
85 million – the number of barrels of oil the world consumed per day in 2007
20 million - the number of barrels of oil the US consumed per day in 2007
14 million – the number of barrels the US imported per day in 2007
35 million – the number of barrels available worldwide for export per day in 2007
Between 1980 and 2005, the amount of oil production increased each year at a rate of about 2%. Since 2005, the production has barely increased. The price of oil in January 2005 was $45/barrel. In January 2008, it was over $90/barrel.

Last Updated (Sunday, 17 February 2008 13:17)

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