Hmmmm, :-/ I have gained mixed views on the author's story. I like the fact he did a story on Earthaven, and would have like to seen more covered on that alone. Instead, he goes off on a rant twice about essentially how much people (generally Americans) suck. Then in typical hypocritical fashion, admits he's just as bad as everyone he complains about, but goes on to basically blame it on other's. (gov't and big business)
Some things he argues about as wasteful don't even make sense.
He says, "You wake to an electric alarm clock." Well, my digital alarm clock doesn't even register on my Kill-o-Watt meter, even when the alarm is sounding. Can't do much better than that.
Next, "You grab your cellphone, which has been charging overnight." Uh, yea, once every 7 to 10 days, and again, it registers one watt on the Kill-o-Watt when I charge for 4 hours. (4 watt/hrs per week? I can live with it)
Another, "as has your refrigerator, which is a vintage appliance using 7,000 watts a day" Maybe yours, mine averages exactly 0.7Kw/day.
And again, "In 1978, 23 percent of American homes had central air; by 2001, 55 percent had it" Yea, as if multiples of window units is better. He forgets to mention that factor. We use to have four window units cooling half the house before going to central air. (while replacing the giant, dead oil furnace with a far superior unit) The Summer electric bill went down a bit AND we were able to cool the entire house.
One last example, "Only 14 percent of homes had a microwave oven in 1980, but two decades later, 86 percent had one." Oh sure, as if cooking on an electric range is somehow more energy efficient. Unless he can tell me how cooking with the same amount of energy in a quarter of the time is a bad thing, I'll say that statement is just plain stupid, because it's actually counterintuitive to the statement he's trying to make. Yes, technology catches on, and in this example, it's more energy efficient.
I've heard the phrase, "Don't take advice on how to become a millionaire from someone who only makes a hundred thousand." The same should apply to this author. Who's he to discuss solving energy issues, when he's done nothing for himself. Granted, I know he was trying to tie it to the point of why Earthaven exists, but basically 3 1/2 pages of the 5 is just a rant. I hope that when he got home and turned off a few lights, that it somehow set his conscience at ease. Way to go. You're really making headway now Joel.
Rod
