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The Path to a More Sustainable Life

Jan 10

28

The worm has turned

Posted by Mac on January 28, 2010
Posted in A Sustainable Life • naturehouse • Rants, Raves & Musings  | Tagged With: , , , , , , | 2 Comments

My wife is going to kill me!  I’m not sure she’ll understand or appreciate that I just spent $250 for some worms.  They’re not really very special worms, just everyday garden variety composting worms.  Red Wigglers to be exact.  At today’s prices, this should buy about 10 pounds of the little buggers.  I’m not going fishing I’m buying them because Red Wiggler worms create the earth’s best natural fertilizer.  Their poop is like gold if you’re into organic farming or gardening because worm castings provide what soil needs to grow delicious, nutritious food.

There is PERMACULTURE and VERMICULTURE … and now there’s WORMICULTURE.  (pardon me, I couldn’t resist.)

Vermicompost is the process of composting using worms to create a rich mixture of decomposing vegetable and/or food waste among other things.  Worm poop, or “castings” as it commonly referred to, is the end product of the breakdown of organic matter by earthworms.  In this process kitchen waste and yard debris becomes valuable nutrient rich fertilizer and it is becoming a hot commodity in the sustainability community.  In this age of oil and energy depletion, farmers and gardeners need naturally made, organic fertilizer to grow food.    

Bright Neighbor's Worm Island logo

Bright Neighbor is a local cooperative that understands this and they have established a going concern under the name Worm Island.  I should say “we” because I am a member of Bright Neighbor and now a partner / shareholder in this new venture.  My $250 buys a single share in  this CSA.  

Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer.  Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products (like worms and their secretions) may also apply. Interested consumers purchase a share (membership or a subscription) and in return receive produce throughout the farming season. This means I can get all the poop I need!

Bright Neighbor members will grow worms and living soil for all shareholders.  As a paid CSA member, at the end of one year I can take my fair share of worms and soil for my own garden, or I can consign my worms and soil for sale at fair market rates.  (I’m told casting sell for around .50 cents a pound.)  Like any CSA, I am sharing the risk with the people growing the “crop”.  The current plans is … at the end of 2010, Bright Neighbor’s Worm Farm Cooperative CSA will sell 75% of the crop and split the profits (worms and soil) three ways:

  • 50% of worms and soil divided among paid CSA members
  • 40% to Bright Neighbor for managing operations
  • 10% to the worm farm operators (for using their space & managing their location)

The goal is to set up at least one worm farm in each of our city’s 95 neighborhoods.  Wait ‘til I tell Noriko that I’m signing us up to be the Worm Island “ranchers” here in the Arnold Creek neighborhood.  I’ll be sure to invite you all to the big worm round up at the end of the year.  Yeee Haww! 

Now if I just figure out how to brand them little fellas.

Jan 10

21

Hey, no PEAKing … please

Posted by Mac on January 21, 2010
Posted in A Sustainable Life • Rants, Raves & Musings  | Tagged With: , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

El Nino sure creates some strange circumstances.  Today is Thursday, January 21st, and the weather in Portland is beautiful with clear blue sky and a temp of 58 degrees while huge storms are pounding California and Arizona where there is heavy rain and flooding.  Why there’s actually WATER flowing in the Los Angeles River.  (I saw video of a dog rescue on that river, so I know it to be true.)  A tornado was reported in Ventura County for heaven’s sake.  Residents in SoCal must think it’s the End of Days!  Local weather reporters here tell us this is one of the driest winters in Oregon history and they’re concerned the snow pack won’t be able to produce enough water later in the spring.  

Is this a condition of climate change?  Who really knows … but things are different, that’s for sure.

All that being said, this afternoon I’m looking dreamily at our solar PV system as it hums along producing clean electrical power and I’m happy that it’s NOT raining for a change.  Days like this give a feeling of satisfaction and I make decisions I normally wouldn’t at mid-day, like doing the laundry for instance.  You see mid-week /mid-day is PEAK TIME for utility companies so at our place we usually wait until evening or weekends to turn on a dishwasher, clothes dryer, or use other energy intensive appliances.   

Peak time is highest demand on the electricity grid which means it is also the most costly.  Generally speaking this is Monday-Friday, 8:00am – 6:00pm in most areas of the country.  As I listen to my appliances spinning along using our home-grown power, I thought I’d take this opportunity to talk a bit about how to better manage residential electricity consumption (and associated costs) by going to off-peak, time-of-use, or time-of-day metering.  These options are available to many of us connected to the grid, but we often aren’t aware, or haven’t been properly informed, to be able to apply to our daily life. 

I hope this post helps readers to better understand and then make the appropriate adjustments in their daily activities in order to reduce peak demand across the grid.

Shift usage to Off-Peak hours

This is SIMPLE as it requires us to do everyday tasks that consume electricity during off-peak periods such as:

  • Set timers on pools or spa filters to run during off-peak hours.
  • Operate washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and non-essential appliances during off-peak hours.
  • Adjust your air conditioning thermostat to a higher setting and heater to a lower setting during peak hours or when you are not at home.
  • Install a timer on water heaters so that they operate mainly during off-peak hours.
  • Turn off lights and un-used electronics during the day. 
  • Enjoy your electricity-consuming hobbies during weekends and holidays.

Time-of-Use (TOU) Program

Time-of-Use is a utility company program that encourages customers to reduce electricity use during peak hours.  The electric company benefits because this creates a more balanced and efficient use of their generating resources.  Energy conscious customers benefit by having an opportunity to control their bill and save money if they use electricity during off-peak periods.  Under this program, your supply rate varies and you will be charged for electricity depending on WHEN you use it.  If you use at least 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per month and 20% of your energy usage occurs during nighttime service hours, you may certainly benefit from this kind of program.  

Again … simple, but it requires some discipline.  Contact your utility company to see if you are eligible for TOU rates.  TOU hours are defined by your local distribution utility, so check with them for specific hours in your area.

Will you need a new meter?  Probably so.  If you do not have a TOU Meter sometimes referred to as a Day/Night Meter to measure your electricity usage, you will need to contact your local utility and they will change or modify your meter so that it can measure the amounts of electricity you use within different time periods each day.  With this modification, you can check your usage during each of the TOU rate periods and monitor your electric usage patterns. 

Time-of -Day (TOD) Metering

Time-of-Day metering involves dividing the day, month, and year into tariff slots and with higher rates at peak load periods and low tariff rates at off-peak load periods.  While this can be used to automatically control usage on the part of the customer (resulting in automatic load control), it is often simply the customers responsibility to control his own usage, or pay accordingly (voluntary load control).  This also allows utilities to be able to plan their transmission infrastructure appropriately.  In the industry this is often referred to as Demand-Side Management.

TOD metering normally splits rates into two segments, peak and off-peak, with peak typically occurring during the day, such as from 1:00pm to 9:00pm Monday- Friday during the summer and from 6:30am to 12 noon and 5:00pm to 9:00pm during the winter.  This option is really more important for commercial customers, but if you are a big user of electricity, you might wanna look into this if your local utility is offering.

Jan 10

18

Mr. Sun Solar

Posted by Mac on January 18, 2010
Posted in naturehouse • Solar  | Tagged With: , , , , | 3 Comments

Mr. Sun Solar – http://www.mrsunsolar.com/

Mr. Sun Solar is Portland’s leading solar contractor.  They’ve been around for 30 years, have installed thousands of solar modules and have experienced first-hand the evolution of solar technology and growth of the solar market.  Mr. Sun Solar specializes in commercial and residential solar hot water, photovoltaic, and solar pool heating systems. They do other stuff too like solar attic fans, tubular skylights, and they provide training for aspiring solar contractors in the Portland metro area.  I’ve actually attended several of the PCC “Solar Installer Series” classes taught by Mr. Sun owner John Patterson.  The man knows everything about solar.  He is my guru.

Mr Sun delivered solar modules to naturehouse

John Patterson started Mr. Sun Solar in 1980 and he is the Board Chairman of OSEIA.  He’s considered a real solar pioneer around these parts.  Patterson’s office is the first business in the entire Willamette Valley to be NET ZERO ENERGY and he’s quite proud of that naturally.  Although I used to live across the street from his sister, Suzanne, I had not met Patterson before I attended his presentation at the NW Solar Expo at the Portland Convention Center. 

I liked the guy immediately because he was quoting Plato and talking about reducing our carbon footprint.  I think I decided to do business with the man right there and then. 

My instincts proved to be correct … from initial contact to the final bill the Mr. Sun Solar team was a delight to work with on this project.  They visited and conducted the appropriate due diligence, re-checked the solar access, and designed a simple, but efficient, system that we could afford.  Sales Manager Heath Kearns was the point man on our project and he met with us to explain options, determine sizing and discuss pricing. 

When I requested system monitoring, Heath saw that we got it as part of the deal.  He handled all of the paperwork and permits and ensured a speedy and problem-free installation of our PV system.  There is paperwork involved, of course, but Mr. Sun dealt with it all and we simply signed on the dotted line once we had agreed on price and stuff.  I’ll talk about what this paperwork consists of in another post.  The only bummer was that we wanted Sanyo HIT 210N modules but nobody had any available at the time we wanted to do our install, so we settled on the 205N mods instead.  We decided we can live without those extra 100 watts.

SANYO Solar –  http://us.sanyo.com/solar/

Sanyo HIT 205N

 Boots on the Roof

One early morning in November (2009), Mr. Sun Solar sent over their lead installer, Sarah Freel, and her able sidekick, Steve Sefchick, to do a site survey/walk through in preparation for the installation.  They were satisfied to see that the poolhouse had a south facing orientation and an open spot on the horizon between the tree tops. Sarah used a solar pathfinder to measure the poolhouse roof at various points and her assessment showed we had 78-80% of solar resource available at that site. 

Although it was November in Portland, the morning sunlight streaked through and hit the roof almost exactly where we stood on the roof.  It was as if God was pointing and saying … there it is, man, there’s the spot. 

Sarah gave me a confident smile as she measured off the roof starting from the westside where the most sunlight was hitting.  “No problem putting a 4.1kW PV array on this roof”, she said.

Mr Sun team installing PV on our poolhouse

Sarah and Steve are NABCEP CERTIFIED Solar Technicians and I found them both to be experienced and professional.  My son was particularly impressed with Sarah as she hoisted the metal mounts and solar panels onto the roof and set ‘em all up.  Steve also installs Solar Thermal (hot water) systems for Mr. Sun and is working to obtain his STL/LRT simultaneously.  He did most of the DC connect side of the install including set up of the Fronius Inverter. Steve explained how the inverter operates, how to read the AC meter, and how the disconnect is enabled if need be.

Steve installs the Fronius InverterThe AC side was handled by WEST SIDE ELECTRIC Company.  They installed a new sub-panel and added a surge protector and generally cleaned up the hoge poge of electrical issues in that pool pump control room.  They did a great job as well.  I highly recommend them.

I was impressed by how quickly the actual install took place. 

The Portland City Inspector stopped by to sign off on the PV install just a few days after the team mounted the panels.  Following that the PGE guy came over to inspect also and then he switched out our old analog utility meter for a digital bidirectional “net” meter.  This new “smart” meter keeps track of the power we acquire from PGE and also what we supply to the grid from our own solar PV system.  

The PGE employee explained how the meter worked and how to read it.  The “caterpillar” icon shows the direction power is flowing, in from the grid (arrow pointing right), or out to the grid (arrow pointing left).  Since the first week of December was very clear and cold (the absolute best condition for PV) I was excited to see the arrow pointing left every day that first week.  We were producing more electricity than we were using and we sent 6 KWh to the grid! 

Since then the Oregon winter has really set in and we’ve seen very little sun, but these Sanyo modules really do work good in the Oregon RAIN.  For the entire month of December we produced and consumed almost 90,000Watts [90 KWh] of self-generated electricity.  This is electricity we used but didn’t have to pay our utility company for.  Man, I can’t wait until this summer.  With those long summer days and a great Southwest exposure for our array, I bet we’ll be supplying electricity to our entire neighborhood. 

The last inspector to stop by was a man from the Energy Trust of Oregon who validated the entire PV system to ensure we complied with conditions in order to receive the rebate — which gets paid directly to our installer Mr. Sun Solar.  

We turned on our PV system on December 2, 2009.   Thanks, Mr. Sun team!!

Jan 10

14

Residential Solar PV: How to get started

Posted by Mac on January 14, 2010
Posted in Solar  | Tagged With: , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

So, you’ve decided to install a clean and renewable Solar Photovoltaic system at your residence.  For that I applaud you, but what are you going to do next?  Every endeavor needs a start and for many things what to do is almost intuitive.  This ain’t one of them. 

In fact, the place to start isn’t about solar it’s about a home energy efficiency (EE) audit … and that should be your very FIRST STEP.  Every house can improve in energy efficiency no matter the age, style, or composition. 

Good insulation is vital for home EE

Last summer we contacted the Energy Trust of Oregon and they completed a thorough evaluation on our home and poolhouse.  Based upon the results, we made several improvements before we began our pursuit for renewable energy and I recommend you do the same. 

It enhances the value proposition so to speak.

Doesn’t make much sense to install rather expensive solar panels on your house if your place leaks energy, does it? 

For Oregonians, here’s the place to start - http://energytrust.org/residential/

But for the sake of this post let’s assume you’ve already done the EE thing and you’re ready for this next big step to solar – quite possibly for one of the reasons cited by the Oregon Dept of Energy:  

  1. Personal preference and pride in owning a renewable energy generation system.
  2. Fixed future energy costs.
  3. Return of investment from reduced energy bills.
  4. Environmental stewardship.
  5. Supporting local economy and/or patriotism.

That’s the why, but we wanna talk now about the how.  Naturally, the easiest place to start is to simply look up “solar” and get listings for your area then make some phone calls.  If you think it’s that easy then please consider this … 

  • If you are planning on buying/owning the solar array, we’re talking about a commitment of some serious dollars contingent upon the size of your system; 
  • Plus it is something that’ll be at your residence for 25 years, which is longer than many marriages, so you’d better be happy with your decision;
  • This decision is right up there with buying a new car.   

Research and information gathering is always the best place to begin.  This is one purpose of my blog, to help educate people like myself who are uninformed and need guidance at the outset.  If you live in the Western U.S. you have a lot of resources at your disposal.  Here in Oregon we have two great websites to start your research which.  I highly recommend a visit.

Oregon publication Home Power Magazine is another place to go.  We’ve had a subscription for a few years and I find the articles interesting, entertaining and very useful.   http://www.homepower.com/home/

Okay, you’re ready to go so here’s some proven ways to get started (Oregon-centric, but many states are equally resourced and several of these are national organizations).  Spending time at any or all of these websites will get you on your way towards clean energy in a hurry. 

  1. Look to those who’ve gone before you with Solar Oregon’s Solar Ambassador Program   — http://www.solaroregon.org/solar-ambassador/?appSession=054119022763424&RecordID=73&PageID=3&PrevPageID=2&cpipage=1&CPIsortType=&CPIorderBy=
  2. Sign up for a Solar Oregon workshop — http://www.solaroregon.org/workshops/workshops
  3. Attend Northwest Solar Expo 2010 — http://www.nwsolarexpo.com/
  4. Solar Home Tour — http://www.solaroregon.org/tours
  5. Media & Readings:
    • Blogs, books, newspapers & magazines (“Solar for Idiots” isn’t a bad read)
    • Gov’t & renewable energy association websites
    • DVD – Nova’s “Saved by the Sun” is a good hour spent
  6. Membership Organizations – ASES  http://www.ases.org/  or Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association (OSEIA) http://www.oregonseia.org/
  7. Solar Installer/Contractor and Energy Trust Trade Ally  http://www.mrsunsolar.com/
  8. Attend a Solar summer festival – SolWEST  (OR) http://www.solwest.org/

As you review these websites, there are any number of questions you need to keep in mind which will help you get the answers needed to move forward. 

Some of the basic questions …

Q:  If you’re on the grid, does your state allow for “Net Metering”? 

Oregon’s net metering law allows all utility customers to generate their own electricity and reduce their electricity bills. If you install a photovoltaic system, your utility will come to your home and switch out your existing utility meter for bidirectional “net” meter. This meter keeps track of the power you acquire from the utility, and what you supply to the grid. Each month, the power you used from your utility is offset by the power you send to the utility. You are only charged for the difference or the net.

To do this you’ll need to sign a net-metering agreement with your local utility. 

Q:  Do you have enough available sunshine to make solar practical? 

If you live in the trees (like we do) or have shading on your roof, you might NOT be able to make solar work at your residence unless you have alternative site options as we did (more on this later when I write about SITE and SIZING.)

Q:  Are there any zoning or permitting conditions you need to be aware of? 

Sure, such as roof life.   If you are looking for a roof-mounted system your roof must have at least 15 years of life remaining.  This is important because you don’t want to install and then have the inspector tell you they won’t approve until you replace the roof.  This is something you need to avoid.

Q:  What incentives are available in your state? (rebates & tax credits)

One major factor related to PV is always the up-front cost.  Because this is a new industry and one that our government is supporting to grow, there are a number of incentives available at both the state and federal level.  Currently, the incentives in Oregon for installing solar energy is better than in most states.  If you are a Pacific Power or PGE customer you are eligible for an Energy Trust of Oregon rebate, but certain conditions apply so do your homework. 

For us this rebate was sizable and cut our out of pocket costs by $9,225.

Oregon also offers a State Tax Credit up to $6000. depending on the size of the installed system.

The Federal  Gov’t offers a Tax Credit of 30% of the installed cost (after Energy Trust rebate) that now has no cap and is in place until 2016.

To make good use of a tax credits like these you need an income to apply against and in this economy that isn’t a given, however, there is a way to “pass through” your tax credit to someone else who may have a need for such a credit.  (More on this later.)

Q:  Should I buy my PV system or lease?

Check with Solar City as they offer a lease program which means little or no up front costs to the homeowner. 

 

Message:   Get your home Energy Efficiency audit and actions done first … then do your homework before you make the next move to renewable energy!

Oh … and read my blog!

Jan 10

6

Solar Early Adopters

Posted by Mac on January 6, 2010
Posted in A Sustainable Life • naturehouse • Solar  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

 

EARLY ADOPTERS aren’t especially clairvoyant, but they are forecasters of what’s to come. 

In some ways, I guess that is what I am.  I do kinda like the sound of it.  Being early … as in one of the first to do something that’ll someday be mainstream … well, that’s pretty cool. I’ve been one before you know, back in the early days of microcomputers and networked & computerized business systems.  Yeah, I’m that old.   I remember feeling real bleeding edge with my “portable” Kaypro computer.  It wasn’t that long ago I carried a backpack just to lug my cellular phone with me.  Man, that thing was heavy!  I was also a pioneer in video conferencing … and yes I suffered, but that didn’t stop me. 

During my career I became associated with new and improved and felt a bit of pride when people referred to me as a change agent.  This attribute propelled me into the Semiconductor and IT worlds where being an early adopter was considered a desirable trait as it gave competitive edge.  It was a necessity frankly.  I liked implementing new stuff so much that I morphed into the prototypical project manager just so I could do it full time.  I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked on a number of “leading edge” technologies in my day, but the IT and web development projects simply became too mundane.  Just not enough left brain remaining to go the distance.

In the case of sustainability and renewable energy, I don’t think I am an early adopter.  I feel more like I’m a bit late for the party.  I did show up however.  Truth seems to be that relative to most Americans, I may be a cutting edge-er in my embrace of RE.  Way ahead of the pack, I’m told.  I should say “we” because I have to include the people I live with, primarily my darling wife, Noriko.  

Clean energy – yes, we’ve gone Solar. We just installed a 4.1 kw PV System here at naturehouse.  We’re also harvesting rain water, creating RainGardens, composting & building worm farms, and starting up a greenhouse to support our own food garden.  In fact, if we’re lucky enough to be selected to participate in the Nissan LEAF pilot here in Oregon starting Spring 2010, our next car will be fully Electric (EV). 

 Yep, we plan to be the first on the block to have one.  Gotta keep up with the Begleys.

So sure, from a certain perspective I suppose we could be seen as early adopters.  Thing is … there are thousands of others just like us and our numbers are growing every day especially here on the Left Coast.  Once we’ve been awakened from our slumber, we become active.  Writers say history will look back on this as a transitional period – the “living sustainably movement” it will be called.   At the heart of this movement it is a belief that we are doing good.  Keep in mind that there are approximately 76 million Baby Boomers in the US between ages 46-64 who are re-evaluating values and thinking about our legacy.  This bulge of mega-consumers leverages $2 trillion in spending power and 70% of us believe we do have a responsibility to make the world a better place.  * (Entrepreneur Magazine’s “2009 Trends Report”) 

Ever wonder what happened to those early microprocessor leaders like Kaypro or Osborne Computer Corp?  They are no more and haven’t been for a long time.  These were companies that were slow to adapt and adopt.  We find lessons in so many places.  It saddens me that there are still millions of people that don’t believe we need to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and find alternatives.  Even Texas oil man Geo W Bush told us we needed to deal with our addiction to oil.  Actually, he said foreign oil … I guess there’s no problem burning Texas crude, that’s good stuff!  

Look, I understand not everyone buys into the notion of Global Warming or Climate Change, but why the strong resistance against clean power and a more sustainable infrastructure?   In the long run, it will make our nation stronger.  Once we get seriously aligned we will be unstoppable as a nation. Renewable Energy and associated technologies can be the next big technological revolution and we have a unique opportunity to lead it. Problem is people can’t see that far into the future and some just don’t care.  (If you have children or grandchildren, how can you not care?)

 As Thomas Friedman says the world is Hot, Flat and Crowded, and we in America are looked upon as leaders on the global stage.  It is time to become a nation of early adopters in things like clean energy, water conservation, and sustainable practices, so as to show the world, and each other, that we are all in this “survival” thing together.  

In this context I embrace the idea of being considered an early adopter.  I want to model my behavior and advocate for the transformation away from a carbon-based world to a life of clean and abundant energy and a healthier planet.  Sign me up.

Jan 10

6

Solar Power at naturehouse, Intro

Posted by Mac on January 6, 2010
Posted in naturehouse • Solar  | Tagged With: , , , , | 1 Comment

Aren't they beautiful? We think so.

By late 2007 I was committed to the idea of solar energy for our residence.  It’s a long story and I’ll post about that later. [Why Solar Electric?]  In the meantime, the Oregon Department of Energy provides a list of Top 5 reasons cited for investing in a solar energy system.  They are in order:

  1. Personal preference and pride in owning a renewable energy generation system – Check!
  2. Fixed future energy costs – Check again.
  3. Return of investment from reduced energy bills – Certainly!
  4. Environmental stewardship – Yep!
  5. Supporting local economy and/or patriotism – That’s me!

                                 I’m all of the above and even more. 

Putting them up on the poolhouse

Sarah is installing on the poolhouse

Install day!

Install day!

For a myriad of reasons we decided to purchase and install Solar PV before this 2009 year-end.  The work began and education is always the best place to start. 

 Although we know a deal more than your average person about solar power technology, it still wasn’t easy getting all the answers and making the decisions required.

 There are a lot of vital questions to be asked … you know, the basics. 

  • How do we get started?
  • Which site is best for solar availability?
  • How will fit and look on my roof? 
  • How much PV power do we need? 
  • More importantly, how much can we really afford? 
  • How will we pay for it? 
  • How long will it take to recoup the costs?
  • What incentives or credits are available?
  • How does net metering work?
  • What solar products do we buy/install? 
  • Which solar technology do we choose … mono, poly or thin film?
  • Which modules are most efficient? 
  • Which Inverter do we use? 
  • How do we find a good Solar Installer company?
  • What permits are needed?
  • Do we need an electrician?
  • When can we turn it on?
  • Is there system monitoring?
  • How long will all this take?

This is a basic starter list.  There are many choices within each question and the decisions are important because you might be living with these things for the next 25 years as is our case.  I intend to answer each of these questions for you kind reader if you’ll indulge me some time.  There is a process to it (like most things), but I may not go in any particular order for purposes of categorization and explanation.   

There’s lots more to know about, especially on the technical and market side, but I’ll cover that stuff after I’ve covered the basics on this starter list.   

Fair enough?

WE wanted Sanyo Solar ... they're the best!

Jan 10

5

The land where people garden

Posted by Mac on January 5, 2010
Posted in A Sustainable Life • naturehouse  | Tagged With: , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

It’s a new year and for many that means making resolutions.  We all get that opportunity … a fresh new start year after year, at least conceptually.  I’m not one for new year resolutions myself.  I don’t need to ‘cuz I’m still working on resolutions I made when I turned fifty.  Some might call this my bucket list as these are things I wish to accomplish before I’m done with this planet or it is done with me.  It is one of the items on my list I wanna write about today, in the spirit of renewal you understand. 

So, this year (2010) I’m going to use our greenhouse for what god intended and start a FOOD garden! 

Okay, so it’s not that exciting on paper, but this is a big deal here at naturehouse. 

Although we have ample room and we’ve planted flowers, trees, scrubs, lawns, etc… we’ve never had a food garden.  It’s been looked at as too much work when a trip to the grocery store is so much easier.  My wife grew up in South Africa & Japan and never had a food garden so this will be a first for her, but not so for me.  Growing up we moved around a bit, but no matter where we lived my mother always had a small garden.  It was one of the first things she did when we arrived someplace new, find a place to dig in the dirt and get some beans, peas and carrots in.  Mom (Lucy) was raised in a small Idaho farm town and was a child of the Great Depression.  Like many of her generation, mom preserved the fruits and vegetables of her labor.  In a way it was her security blanket.  I have fond childhood memories of the times I helped mom in her garden and canning (or jar) her fruits. 

Don’t think many people in America are doing this anymore as we’ve become way too reliant on convenience and fast food.  We live in the microwave age after all. 

But not too far in the distant past our ancestors labored in their gardens and grew their own food.  Mostly out of necessity.  They composted too it just wasn’t called that back then.  What they didn’t eat, they fed to the animals, or recycled and used it later for fertilizer that went back into their garden. 

Niece Mayumi at Portland Farmers Market

I am not alone in my ambition to plant a food garden, certainly not here in Portland, Oregon.  One thing I’ve learned by sitting on the Portland City Green Team meetings is that COMMUNITY GARDENING has really taken hold here and growing (!) ever stronger.  Although the back to the earth movement has existed since the seventies, I sense a renewed commitment especially in the young folks I’ve met lately.  

A poster child of food gardening and living sustainably within the urban boundary in Portland is Tryon Life Community Farm which happens to be in our neighborhood.  Yep, it’s located off Boones Ferry Road and is adjacent to Tryon State Park.  It is a beautiful area and one that was spared from development during the housing boom by the actions of the TLC residents, with help from the city and private donors.  I supported their communal efforts from day one and over the years I’ve gotten to know several of them personally as we sit on the Arnold Creek Neighborhood Association and other SWNI committees together.  I’ll blog about these folks later but in the meantime if you want to know more check out their website — http://tryonfarm.org/share/   

However, it seems anyone with a yard does some kind of gardening here in the Portland metro area.  I’m reminded of a conversation I had with a young man I met at the Solar Living Center (SLC) last spring.  Anukene is a city boy from Los Angeles who had recently moved to Sonoma, California.  We were both attending class and camping out at the SLC and we spent time together after class.  I described to him what my ambitions were (are) and the plans I had for our home in Portland.  He’d never been to Oregon and had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned water harvesting, storm water management, rain gardens, worm bin composting and the like. 

When I spoke passionately about the greenhouse and starting my own food garden, he just got glassy-eyed.  He said he’d never heard of such a thing in his twenty-some-odd years.  Several weeks after our training, Anukene sent me an email that asked, “Are you now back in the land where people garden?”  

Reflecting back on his question for a moment, I must answer YES, I am back to the land where people garden and I mean that both literally and figuratively.  One meaning is related to our community’s thirst for gardening, while another refers to the Garden of Eden.  In my own mind, it literally means getting back to a natural relationship with the Earth.  It is a purest view of nature (if you’ll allow) and one that is harmonious between our species and the planet.   

In an earlier post, I mentioned the Joni Mitchell song Woodstock and the lines, “I’m gonna camp out on the land.  I’m gonna get my soul free.”  Yeah, that still resonates but the words that have stayed with me longest are, “… and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden”.  There it is.  Huh … I’ve probably been carrying that message around with me for thirty plus years now. 

This year I’m going to do something about it! 

 

Jan 10

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Happy New Year – 2010

Posted by Mac on January 2, 2010
Posted in A Sustainable Life • About  | Tagged With: , , | 2 Comments

WELCOME to my Blog

WELCOME to my Blog

Hello, my name is Mac and I’m on a transformational path to a more sustainable life. I dream of a life filled with clean and renewable energy.  Please join me and my family as we struggle to better understand the what, whys, and hows that will reduce our carbon footprint while still enjoying the life that we Americans take for granted.

Here we are … the first year of a new decade.  Through my goggles, I see us headed to a decade of growth in clean and RENEWABLE ENERGY and a steady move away from Big Oil’s stranglehold on our government and energy policies. I believe that clean energy is THE next great global industry and I’m joining those who’re working to ensure America leads in this transformation.  

Let’s do this together!

Jan 10

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Greeting the new decade

Posted by Mac on January 1, 2010
Posted in Rants, Raves & Musings  | Tagged With: | No Comments yet, please leave one

So, it is a few minutes after midnight on January 1, 2010.  YIPPEEEE, a new decade has begun and I for one am grateful.   I hope this post finds you/your’s safe, warm, healthy, and happy on this first day of a promising new decade. 

Hey, did anyone watch  Dick Clark on the Dick Clark’s New Years Eve show on TV last night? 

You know, the annual countdown in NYC Times Square now co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest.  A creative Hollywood concept … the pairing of Old Dick with No Dick to help ring in our new year.  What a country!  Clark must’ve had a stroke or something the poor bastard.  OMG … he was more robotic and plastic than Max Headroom.  I swear I saw something sticking to the side of his mouth that made his lips move.  It was bizarre, the guy couldn’t remember that 13 follows 14 in the countdown. 

I can’t believe TV execs and major advertisers would’ve agreed to dragging Clark’s carcass out for another countdown if they had seen it first.  Seacrest must have hid Clark in his closet and had botox and collagen injected into his 80 year old face.  It was a sad specticle and distracted me from the moment at hand.

His tan was perfect, of course.

On a more serious note … I tend to agree with numerious pundits who have declared the 00’s a horrendous decade.  I guess It’s really not that hard of an argument to make.  A recent Time article entitled, “Goodbye to the Decade from Hell” pointed out a number of reasons why this past decade was so rough.  http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1942834,00.html. 

For me, the Bush presidency was a particularly long and painful sentence to endure.  It didn’t help that Bush’s term was bookended by 9/11 on one end, and the economic meltdown/global recession on the other, with two long and difficult wars connecting the two.  In many ways, our country went on a long downward spiral and we haven’t course corrected yet.  Today, however, I’m thinking progressively and optimistically for the first time since the nineties.  I embrace the new year and wish to tag these next ten years as the “Sustainability Decade”.   I hope this will go down in history as the time America re-rights itself and reclaims the global & economic leadership its had for over a  hundred years. 

Welcome 2010! 

nikon 2 004

McDowell family walks on an Oregon beach … and towards the future.