I would like to apologize for being born and a contributer to global warming.
I would also like to apologize for having 2 children that contribute to global warming.
I would also like to apologize in advance for my chidren's children and of course their children.
And life goes on...better go check on them green beans and make sure the cat isn't chewing on a solar panel wire.
*sigh*
Hi Emorata,
Thanks for bringing this subject up.
I have recently started thinking about my family’s impact on the planet and global warming.
Though I haven’t got a clear plan in front of me at this point there are a few things I am considering.
We have been using a single solar panel to power our television, dvd player and a small light for the past 4 months. It works. Of course we have to be conservative about how much energy we use and for what but that’s a good thing right?
HELCO is available in our subdivision but at this point I am set against tapping in to the grid. Solar inconveniences aside, it is nice to not receive a monthly electric bill or worry about power outages. If we run out of power that is my problem not HELCOs at this point.
Of course we are using propane for cooking. Hot food is quite the luxury. Hot showers and baths are also. Especially if you don’t have the means to make them happen. Like a wall outlet tapped in to the grid.
Perhaps in the future I will have the necessary solar panels to no longer use propane. It simply costs money to achieve this.
We air dry our clothes which can be a chore in Mt. View, however, chore aside, it works also. I have learned that dryers are major offenders when it comes to sucking up electricity. Would anyone like to by my electric dryer? Still for sale. Never been used. Seriously.
We have just started growing veggies up here. I checked the growing stuff in Puna section on Punaweb and decided we would just go ahead and try growing any kind of veggie we fancy eating. I hope to create an over abundance and be able to sell it to others in the subdivision that perhaps do not have a green thumb. This income will perhaps help me get more solar panels or at the very least propane to cook ours.
I have become intrigued with the idea of incorporating a greenhouse as part of our living space. I say intrigued, however, I haven’t educated myself enough about it to know the ups & downs. Sounds neat though.
Prior to this thread appearing I had already made the decision that more children aren’t in our future. I hope to teach my son how to grow food, conserve energy and be a good human. In the end he will decide what to keep or ignore after he leaves the nest just as we all did.
Beyond these obvious things I often think about maybe riding a bicycle to the store, etc. Since we live rather far away from even the nearest expensive convenience store that is probably not going to happen soon.
With Hilo being 20 miles away I have begun to think about economizing the trip and not forgetting things that require me to make the trip again. I’d like to limit my trips to Hilo to twice a month. This may be hard to achieve but I will try.
I hope that we can live happy, healthy and less energy dependent lives. I have begun to take action and educate myself and incorporate the things I am learning.
For me it will take a commitment to maintain this less convenient lifestyle but I am already seeing the benefits.
Perhaps we shouldn't regard Aloha as a requirement of the people of Hawaii and just be grateful when we recieve it?
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From the 60's and 70's there was a forward thinking mantra going throughout the land about zero population growth. Essentially it meant for families to limit their children, voluntarily of course, to two children. Just enough to ensure your gene pool entered the next decade. These were heady times but went unproven, and virtually untested by the masses.
In the early 70's there was the gasoline crisis, where you could only get gas on even or odd days depending on the last number of your license plate (I believe that is how it was set). Of course on your day to buy petrol, it was necessary in populated areas to wait between 1 and 2 hours in a horrendous line for your ration. With the panic of the OPEC induced rationing, what did Detroit do but build more OPEC Cruisers! You know, Cadillac, Lincoln Continental, Oldsmobile Delta 88. What did Japan do, hey they stole "OUR" auto industry with the Honda Civic, Accord, Camry and such you get the idea!
Being proactive as a society is a good thing. Anyone who makes an attempt at self sustainability rather than keeping head in sand with the status quo, and keeping with the same old same old, is a positive to society as a hole I believe. Ingenuity of the Japanese, stole the auto market, good for them.
One last comment is that a friend here has constructed a very nice green house for himself with used glass doors, windows, shower doors and sliders etc. You might even be able to put in a little cloths line in a corner to dry cloths. Don't know, depends on watering cycle! LOL
But limiting water to your veggies, would save on compost and nutrients from being depleted from so much water, limiting burning sun, protecting from the bugs unless you don't mind sharing. Could work.
Hope I haven't needlessly run up the numbers with my post. Perhaps Rob would send me a personal email if I offend.
mella l
PS A good read for those contemplating growing their own foods.
"The Omnivore's Dilemma" a celebration of alternative agriculture by Michael Pollan, a current best seller, well if 90 weeks on a best sellers list is current! It's worth reading some reviews at the very least.
Edited by - mella l on 07/01/2007 09:24:33
mella l
Art and Science
bytheSEA
Interesting the things we run across when paying attention.
I want one of these cars!
http://www.theaircar.com/
Perhaps we shouldn't regard Aloha as a requirement of the people of Hawaii and just be grateful when we recieve it?
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Yeah, I've been watching the air car development for a few years. There is one developing in Australia too. Very interesting, especially for island life.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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Another interesting factor to the population data is relative ages of the people we have. We are running out of working age people. Other than not having enough folks to get necessary work done, we are running out of tax payers to keep the systems paid for.
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
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After the dog food scare (when it looked as if every major dog food was poisoned by ingredients made and adulterated in China), I started buying local food only, through a Community Supported Agricultural food supplier. Very fresh, delicious vegetables. I would like to be able to grow at least some of my food, and, if on island, stop eating things that have to be shipped in. That would be hard, but it is important to be to support Hawaiian agriculture to the greatest extent possible. We can't turn all of Hawaii into a resort like Lanai. I found it ridiculous that the Federal Government has made it easier to important mangos, pineapples and papayas from the Phillipines and Indonesia. If necessary, we should set up huge, unfriendly trade barriers so we aren't shipping coals to New Castle, so to speak.
Free trade is not free. The price is the death of local agriculture, local flavor, and local agrarian economies.
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"Free trade is not free. The price is the death of local agriculture, local flavor, and local agrarian economies."
AMEN...it would be great if all could stick together and live off of the island. I am sure it can be done. Just Imagine!!!
Jean Hopper
Jean Hopper
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I just want to touch on the population thing again. I had my son when I was 18. I had no business being a single parent at that age, so i gave him up for adoption to a couple who simply could not have children, unless science comes up with some way for two men to conceive... I have remained involved in Ethan's life since birth. He's got a great support system and his parents are wonderful people. Both are teachers.
As I've watched my son grow up over the last 12 years and grown myself, I've decided that should I have any more children, I'll be adopting them. Just knowing that there are so many kids out there without homes or good role models to guide them makes the idea of birthing another one seem pretty selfish to me. That is not to say that it isn't the right decision for someone else. But please! Limit it to one or two!
My husband feels that he is less of a man if he doesn't get to raise a child, but he also feels that it is the experience of guiding someone into adulthood that is more important than genetic procreation. Our plan is to adopt one or two kids who are a little older, like around 4-6 These are the kids that everyone forgets about because we're all so busy thinking about how we want BABIES.
I think if everyone tried to make a difference in just one kid's life, we could make drastic changes around the world. Just my 2 cents.
"How do you know i am mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the cat "or you wouldnt have come here."
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I just want to say that if there is a Heaven, there's a special place in it for people that adopt children. I think adoptive parents get special "Heaven Points". I wasn't adopted or anything, but I do know a number of adopted friends and the love that the parents that chose to raise them is astounding.
John Dirgo, R, ABR, e-PRO
Island Trust Properties, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.hawaiirealproperty.com
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