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Ecology and Me! What each of us can do...

 

        Thank you!  The Ecology and Me Festival was a great success.  Now, it is up to each of us to make things better! 

  

 

We want to thank all those who made our July 2008 festival possible, especially all of our volunteers.  Now it is time for each of us to take responsibility to do what we can to live sustainably:  Most of the bullet items below are simple, cost little to nothing and WILL SAVE YOU MONEY as well.

 

·      Recycle!  If you have local recycle programs, support them.  Keep items seperate and make sure they get recycled.

·      Do what you can to save energy:  Get a programmable termostat.  Caulk around your windows. 

·      Drive economically:   Hybrid or more fuel Efficient car, join a car pool or take public transportation.  Try to .     

·     Support local wildlife.  Make your yard welcoming to birds, butterflies and more.

·      Support local wildlife groups such local branches of the Sierra Club.

·      Talks and demonstrations on Recycling and other topics are scheduled

·      When you need to build or remodel, talk to your contractor, builder or architect about energy effeciency.  There may be tax credits available to help you install energy effecient windows, heating and cooling, etc.

·      Grow some of your own food.  Buy local food, for example, from farmer's markets.  Ask your grocery store for local produce.  Try to buy less packaged food (the stuff in bags, boxes and plastic) and more fresh food.  (One trick is to avoid the middle isles of the supermarket and just shop the outside aisles:  fresh produce, meat and dairy, etc.)

·      Learn how you can do your part!

 

Please watch this site for more links, practical tips and examples of what you can do to make the world a better place (and often save money at the same time!)

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Electric Vehicles: Now and in the Future...

What Makes a Car "Alternative Fuel"?

Alternative-fuel vehicles run on something other gas or diesel.  These may be using biodiesel or some other fuel that doesn't come from petroleum.  One example is the electric vehicle.  These are vehicles with electric motors which provide some or all of their driving power.  Most people have at least heard of, if not driven, a hybrid which has a gas and an electric motor.  

 

An electric-only powered car, up until this point, has not been widely available for purchase.  Most of the models have been Some avid enthusiasts have gone ahead and made their own "home-made" electric.  Some of the examples I have seen in my area are cars such as a Volkswagon Karman Ghia  coup and a Ford Ranger pickup, both converted to electric.

 

Why makes an Electric or Hybrid Car More Fuel Effecient Anyway?

 

Future Electric Cars: What Will We Be Able to Buy?