Several times, My Hero has asked me what I want for Christmas. Every year I beg for Mr. Clean Magic Erasers for my stocking. I am almost embarrased to say, but one Christmas the Erasers were not in my stocking, nor were they under the tree…and boy did I pout. I was so, so, so disappointed! Don’t think he will ever make that mistake again.

This year, I am asking Santa for a solar dryer! Yep! A REAL clothesline, not a make shift line tied between a pole and a hook on the garage. After a couple of days of research, I believe I have made my choice. I think I like the idea of a parallel collapsible clothesline. Whitney make a galvanized steal arm version of a parallel with 182 feet of hanging space. With this type of clothesline, I can store it away during the winter or when we have guests in the back yard.

Unless I want to drive about 150 miles, I have no way of being able to see these in person or to compare a parallel with an umbrella. The parallel above is on sale at Amazon at the moment. After searching several sites, I have found that Amazon has the best price on the Whitney Designs 4000 Parellel Clothesline, so I am thinking I will be including the url on the list I hand over to My Hero Santa.

This past summer was more than crazy for us and I am ashamed to admit that I didn’t feel I had the time to do  what was best for the environment. I never hung any clothes on the line and our electric and gas bill showed it.  Summer before last we saw a 33% energy savings over the prior summer. Soon after Christmas this year, as our household quiets down, I plan to have more time for being more environmentally responsible. The new clothesline is only a first step in the right direction.

From GreenBiz.com

Climate Change as a Security Threat

A front-page story in Sunday’s New York Times proclaimed Climate Change Seen as a Threat to U.S. Security, describing how climate change could lead to “profound strategic challenges to the United States in coming decades, raising the prospect of military intervention to deal with the effects of violent storms, drought, mass migration and pandemics.”

The story noted that “Such climate-induced crises could topple governments, feed terrorist movements or destabilize entire regions, say the analysts, experts at the Pentagon and intelligence agencies who for the first time are taking a serious look at the national security implications of climate change.”

The Times writers, like so many others, have short memories. This is hardly “the first time” the military has examined this topic.
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More HERE.

T. Boone Pickens needs to find homes for 687 giant wind turbines after calling off plans for his huge wind farm project in Texas.

Pickens Calls Off Massive Wind Farm in Texas

from the AP

By JOHN PORRETTO, AP Energy Writer John Porretto, Ap Energy Writer – Tue Jul 7, 5:29 pm ET

HOUSTON – Plans for the world’s largest wind farm in the Texas Panhandle have been scrapped, energy baron T. Boone Pickens said Tuesday, and he’s looking for a home for 687 giant wind turbines.

Pickens has already ordered the turbines, which can stand 400 feet tall — taller than most 30-story buildings.

“When I start receiving those turbines, I’ve got to … like I said, my garage won’t hold them,” the legendary Texas oilman said. “They’ve got to go someplace.”

{snip}

In Texas, the problem lies in getting power from the proposed site in the Panhandle to a distribution system, Pickens said in an interview with The Associated Press in New York. He’d hoped to build his own transmission lines but he said there were technical problems.

{snip}

Renewable energy provides a small fraction of electricity used today, but the wind and solar sectors are the fastest growing in the U.S. In 2008, the U.S. became the world’s leading provider of wind power.

Like most industries around the world, the recession has hurt wind turbine manufacturers and wind farm developers. Companies have shelved development plans and laid off workers.

Check out the video HERE.

Many of you know that I have a thing about air drying our clothes. Unfortunately, I do not have a fancy-smancy, nor handy-dandy, laundry line….just a make-do-with-whatcha’-got line that is cobbled from an inexpensive retractable single line attached to my garage and ending on at a tall pvc pipe slipped over a t-post. Isn’t that something?

Last year I reported to you that we had cut our utility costs by 33% for the months of June/July and that I felt that solar drying and cold water washing made the huge difference. Unfortunately, my solar drying is meeting with some opposition this year from Hais and JMorgan. Both cannot stand the smell of fresh, air dried laundry…nor do they care for the crisp feel of nature on their clothes. Between their protests and my own issues with my life being totally unorganized I confess that my solar dryer is not getting much attention this summer. I still hang MY nicer clothes up in the basement instead of letting the dryer vent fill up with the threads from my favorite garments, but I have to admit that I have thrown loads of towels into the dryer lately.

Maybe the wet beginnings of summer kept me from getting in the groove with things…or maybe it is that I am just being lazy because my thoughts are scattered from here to yon. Who knows? Maybe today will be the day I begin to work toward re-establishing my old laundry habits. Hais’ comforter is hanging on the line as I write. She will be home from school in a few hours…maybe it will be dry before she arrives and I can just throw it in on her bed without her noticing. Maybe she won’t notice the lovely aroma…maybe it will soke up the “aroma” from her room before she gets home….maybe I can get away with saving some money while making a tiny impact on energy overuse.  We’ll see.

For those of you who are looking for ideas and motivation for solar drying your own clothes, I strongly urge you to take a look at Project Laundry List. From their website….

“Project Laundry List is making air-drying laundry acceptable and desirable

as a simple and effective way to save energy.

Save approximately 15% on your energy bill.

Do your laundry the green way.

Want your clothes to last longer?
Use a clothesline and cold water wash.”

They even have a store where the profits benefit the non-profit Project Laundry List.

See what I ordered? Adorable! I can hardly wait for it to arrive…..

from the website….
Nova Scotia Dress Clothespin Bag

“These beautiful bags are sewn in Nova Scotia by a woman who spent decades pinning things up on her clothesline. She wanted to have a place to store the pins that was attractive and whimsical. We bring you…the Nova Scotia Dress Clothespin Bag.”

Stop by and take a look at all they have to offer at the Project Laundry List Store.

Be there or be square….



http://www.earthhour.org