ONG Energy Efficiency Program

I wanted to give you guys a heads-up about ONG's Energy Efficiency Program.  If you are thinking of switching out or converting to any natural gas-powered appliance or climate control system, they are currently offering rebates. They are also offering rebates so you can get a check-up for your home heating units, so you can be safe, cozy and warm during the winter season.

If you don't have ONG, or don't have natural gas, check with your utility to see what options are available. Many utilities around the state offer rebates, financing, and other services to help you affordably increase your home's energy efficiency.

Durban Climate Discussions (30-second version)

As you may or may not be aware, this week begins the international climate discussions in Durban, South Africa. So here is the uber-short “Cliff’s Notes” version:

The original climate change discussions were in Kyoto in 1997, wherein the Kyoto Protocol was signed. Under the Kyoto Protocol, countries committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The US was not a signatory. The Kyoto Protocol agreement and its emissions reductions goals expire in 2012. Further conferences have been held in recent years to reach agreement on what should be done next. The last two were in Copenhagen and Cancun.  It has been argued that these are both without major developments, although progress was made at both. Under the Copenhagen Accord, countries set forth a series of non-legally-binding agreements.  The Cancun Agreements created emissions goals and action priorities (such as reducing deforestation and funding climate adaptation projects). Discussions in Durban are likewise expected to yield no major progress in policy, but will hopefully lay the groundwork for major agreements in upcoming conferences.

The major topics of the discussions in Durban are:

1.     The Future of the Kyoto Protocol – will it be extended? Amended? Are there enough willing players to continue this effort?

2.     Next Emissions Reductions Agreement – regardless of what happens with the Kyoto Protocol, an emissions reductions agreement must be met which includes all of the major players. This conference aims tol take preliminary steps towards developing such a policy.

3.     Details! -  Details remain to be hammered out regarding some of the Cancun Agreements. Primary among these are “MRV” (Monitoring, reporting, verification) of reductions and management of the specifics for climate adaptation funds.

That’s it in a nutshell, one of the smallest nutshells I could find. If you want to follow the talks, you can find info on them here http://conx.state.gov and here http://www.cop17-cmp7durban.com/ and here http://unfccc.int/meetings/durban_nov_2011/meeting/6245.php

Ethical Christmases and “That Weird Relative”

I waffle back and forth on my Christmas tactics from year to year. Not just for environmental reasons, but also for financial reasons, ‘what do people really want’ reasons, anti-corporatism, Okie patriotism, the list goes on.  And then, on top of that, I’m an American: I love buying my friends funny t-shirts and other kitchy gadgets and doo-dads as much as the next person.  Year to year my gift-giving themes are based on my mood and personal ethical goals as much as on my financial stability. I think I’ve started to settle into a routine, though. One year I will shop ethically – looking for all-local and all-eco friendly gifts with a sprinkling of handmade items, and then the next year I will shop like a normal person. I feel this will keep me from turning into “that weird relative” who always buys you what they think you should want instead of what you would actually like to have. Because as much as *I* am excited about re-usable sandwich bags or clever ornaments from local artists - does not mean someone else will be. And sometimes I like something so much I convince myself that everyone else likes it, too.

I also have a love/hate relationship with Christmas. Sometimes I will be very bah-humbug, convinced that people should actually be saying “Merry Fun Yet Useless Stuff!” rather than Merry Christmas, and “Do what you want,” sometimes means “If you don’t follow tradition I will cry”. I have found that as much as people say it is not about gifts, most of them have no qualms about remembering the Year You Did Not Give Me a Present. In fact, I have found that if my gift is not good enough, they will forget I gave them a gift at all – I should have just saved my money!  That was me last year. I hated buying crap for people who already had too much crap just so they would still know I cared about them, and I hated spending half my month at other people’s houses while the gobs of social interaction jangled my nerves, my dogs were neglected and my house chores piled up to the ceiling, just because getting together at another time of year was not acceptable because it was not Christmas time.

But this year, I’m right back to looking forward to laying around at my relatives’ and friends’ houses for long hours while we all laugh and eat cookies; I’m back to buying everyone every little thing I think they want just because I’m excited to see them smile when they open their gifts. I’m back to admiring my Christmas tree even while I ponder how energy inefficient Christmas lights are, and how I need to buy LED tree lights when they go on clearance in January. Back to planning cooking sprees to make candies and gingerbread cookies. This year is Christmas is Christmas again.

So here are my various efforts at making Christmas giving ethical, and their outcomes. If you find this to be TMI, I’m going to cut to the chase and tell you that in my experience, creative Christmas gift-giving works and is appreciated, but only if I change it up every year. :

      1.      I Made It

When I was in high school I tried making people gifts. I was crafty; I could make all sorts of things. I made bookmarks, jewelry, ornaments, clay figurines, painted rocks (really), mixed cassettes (remember those?), and decorated writing pens for people. After a few years I learned that, even if you make someone the best, coolest necklace you’ve ever made, it won’t be useful to them unless they would have wanted that same necklace if it were in the store. Just because it’s nice craftsmanship, and you made it, does not mean they will want to use it.  Most of these gifts wound up on a shelf, because “it’s so pretty! You made it!” but remained unused. I also learned that I’m not such a good judge at guessing people’s style preferences.

      2.      Food

In college I learned to bake. EVERYONE got plates cookies of various flavors for Christmas! And really, they loved it. The first year. The second year they thought it was nice. And then after that, I kind of felt as though I was giving them cookies as a cop-out because I didn’t want to go buy presents. So then people got presents AND cookies. And then everyone started going on diets. And I finally quit making cookies because they would eat the cookies in front of me while complaining about how it is so hard to keep your weight down and eat healthy during the holidays and how they are too heavy or pre-diabetic or watching their cholesterol. (Awkward!)  I haven’t made cookies the past 2-3 years, but I will again this year. My uncle specifically requested them.

Also… the year I boxed a whole pineapple for Dirty Santa? Well, I still think it was a good idea, but my family will NOT let me live it down! Apparently I am the only one who is excited about getting fruit for Christmas.

3.      Recycled Gift Wrap

One year I refused to buy gift wrap, or to use traditional gift wrap. I used paper bags, printer paper, newspaper, and cloth bundles with ribbon or twine holding them together. Some people thought it was tacky. Mostly they seemed to think it was lazy or cheap. Some people really didn’t care – wouldn’t have minded if I’d left the wrapping off altogether. If I decorated the wrapping by drawing pictures on it and writing messages, they carefully unwrapped the gift and kept the wrapping awkwardly on a shelf, not sure what to do with this strange new form of artwork I’d given them.  And here I have to add that my family has always been amused by my wrapping style, because I have never liked scotch tape. I use little bits of packing tape instead. So the packing tape with paper bags was seen as extra odd.

4.      Let’s Spend Time Together

One year, when people seemed extra focused on trying to get rid of their Extra Stuff, I made coupons. Mostly, I offered to take them out to lunch or dinner, a picnic, the lake, a yoga class together, or some such. I thought they would rather spend time with me than get more junk they already have (and I would certainly rather spend time with them!), so I made up little vouchers and put them in cards. The first time around people seemed to like it, and they also seemed to like having a freebie fun date waiting for them whenever they wanted to use it. It was financially convenient because Christmas giving was spread out through the year. But if I kept giving the same person vouchers for dinner / lunch dates, they quit cashing them in. Even if I reminded them that I owed them dinner, they became too busy for the entire year. And so I quit giving these out, too.

5.      Go Have Fun / Gift Certificates

We all know this one… and it is a good option. But it just seems unpersonal to me. It’s just more fun to give something specific, that let’s the person know you really considered them and hand-picked a special gift. There are exceptions, though. For example, I have a newly married relative, and I like to give him and his wife free dates as gifts. Movie tickets for two, or enough money for two to eat at a nice restaurant or see a play, etc.  They seem to really enjoy it, and I enjoy giving it to them. I feel like I’m helping them strengthen their relationship and giving them something that’s truly fun and meaningful. These types of gifts are probably also good for new parents, stressed caretakers, workaholics, college students, or anyone who seems they may need some fun time to relax but might not have the funds or gumption to do it on their own.

6.      Sneaky Eco-Presents

Last year I vowed to buy 100% ethical gifts. Every gift was locally made, or had an environmental slant to it. Because I was still determined to buy people gifts that they would appreciate, I had to be extra careful with my shopping. It took a lot of time to comb through art shows and craft fairs and boutiques, but I had a lot of fun doing it. I had a hard time remembering that I was not shopping for myself. When someone proved too hard to shop for locally, I turned to Etsy and buying artisan things online. Some of these gifts were huge wins; one of my biggest hits was the Yes and Yes calendar I got for a coworker. So was the sweater mouse I bought.  On the other hand, some of them fell flat. No matter how much I loved the gift and was sure that the person I gave it to would love it, some of them were a bit too quirky to go over well.  I was excited to give one person a glass ornament which had a patch of moss and a miniature gnome habitat inside, complete with instructions on how to attract gnomes… but I don’t think the ornament ever made it onto her tree. Some of the people who got re-usable cloth sandwich bags filled with chocolates were likewise un-thrilled.

After all this, I learned that for the most part, people go straight to box stores because they like the gifts that come from the box stores. And like it or not, if I want them to be the happiest, that’s what I have to do. But at the same time, I feel that something is lost if I do that – that if I shop the same old way, I’m not going to find them something that is truly unique and perfect just for them, replacing that thing (whatever it may be) with loads of nifty yet soulless plastic kitch. I also feel that if I shop at those stores each year, people won’t learn that they like Christmas any other way, and on my own part, I feel that I’m cheapening the holiday by going the mass-market route. Because honestly… can’t they go buy those things from Target without me? I want to give them that cool thing they didn’t even know they wanted, and I want that cool thing to be in harmony with my personal ethics.

So for now, I’m compromising. One year I shop my way. The next year I shop their way. That way, I eliminate the possibility that I’ll buy them two unwanted Christmas gifts in a row and they won’t start dreading my presents, but I still have the possibility once in a while of striking gold on that really awesome, one-of-a-kind, meaningful gift.

I also learned that no matter how creative I get or how old my uncle gets as the years march by… he really does just want me to bake him a plate of cookies!

Eco-Icons: Aldo Leopold and A Sand County Almanac

“A tree tries to argue, bare limbs waving, but there is no detaining the wind.”

-Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

My definition of great books has changed a little as I grow older. There are the delicious books that you gobble down with gusto like a piece of chocolate, and if they were the tastiest books ever you may go back and read them again and again. Or you may just remember them fondly as a once in a life time event, like the time you visited that expensive out of town restaurant. Then there are the books you savor ever so slowly, like a thick mug of hot chocolate (can you tell I love chocolate?).  So that was me. I used to judge books entirely on the yummy factor.

Now my tastes have changed. I consider multi-functional books to be pure genius, whether they are really good references or works of philosophy and fiction that just work for me, in whatever it is that they do.  Sometimes the genius of the literature is only apparent once I realize that I keep referring back to it again and again, to use in different ways. Few books hold this honor for me. A Sand County Almanac is one of those.

I originally read this book back in high school for the sole reason that it was written by Aldo Leopold, who is one of my “heroes,” so far as I have them. Aldo Leopold was an iconic forester, land manager, and professor. In my humble opinion, his life was interesting and accomplished. He was revolutionary in his day for founding the “land ethic,” which means to respect and honor the land and all of the organisms that dwell therein for the sole reason that they are alive. Instead of managing property based off of what could be harvested from the land, he managed based on land ethic, with goals to bolster a healthy and robust, well-rounded ecosystem. And he is also famous for writing this book, A Sand County Almanac, which is similar in notion to Thoreau’s Walden. Aldo has a country weekend get-away where he connects to and works with the land, and he writes his thoughts and observations about it in the book, arranged by month.

The first time I read it straight through. I found it mildly interesting but not earth-shatteringly good or thought provoking, but there was still something unidentifiable about it that made me appreciate the book right off and I considered it valuable, in un-enthralled respect. I used the book a second time in a research paper for school. The third time I read it, I skimmed through it, admiring the sketches and reading my favorite bits in detail. Now, well more than ten years after I first picked it up, I have turned to it again. I am going through A Sand County Almanac month by month. (In November, I read the passage for November. In December, I read the passage for December.) I do this because it makes me feel calm, appreciative, and meditational – almost spiritual - and I enjoy re-discovering gems like the quote I included here.

So I guess if I go back to my food analogy, this would be an “acquired” taste – the thing I am indifferent to at first, but the more I consume it, the more I realize the possibilities  and the complexities of the flavors, until it becomes a favorite. In that sense, A Sand County Almanac is my coffee and tea, or my favorite stout beer. And when life feels hectic, it gives me peace. It feels like coming home.

Governor's Energy Conference Summary and State Energy Plan

Last week I was able to attend the Governor’s Energy Conference at the Cox Center. I found this to be an informative event on various levels; aside from being a good source of information, I was also able to hear the Governor, the Secretary of Energy, and CEOs from Devon, Chesapeake, OG&E, PSO, and GE speak – among other notables. Seeing as these are some of the people shaping the policy and economy of the state, seeing their personalities interplay on stage was interesting to me. I imagined I was glimpsing futures to come as I listened to them banter and present their sides.

In addition to these, Governor Fallin and the Energy Office revealed two policy projects. The first was the commencement of an agreement between Oklahoma and Colorado to procure more CNG-fueled vehicles for state fleets. Other states are also expected to join this initiative, which is designed to trigger a top-down effect to speed up the infiltration of CNG vehicles into the market as well as the expansion of fueling infrastructure. The word around the water fountain is that, because states have the ability to order vehicles to spec directly from manufacturers, they are in a unique position to influence the production of alternative fueled vehicles.  So there’s that.

The second policy reveal was the online publication of the State Energy Plan, which covers the major arms of the energy industry in the state and aims to describe Oklahoma’s current situation and lay goals for the future direction of energy development. If you live in Oklahoma and have ears and eyes, you can probably take a guess that the plan would contain a major push towards the development and use of natural gas in every way possible… and you would be correct on that assumption. There is also a smaller push to enhance Oklahoma’s renewable energy portfolio, particularly in the wind sector, and to continue to pursue more effective use of energy efficiency.

The plan touts Oklahoma’s potential to become the country’s energy capital for a second time in upcoming decades, and the conference described how natural gas reserves have significantly increased in recent years due to advancement in cost-effective technology (from what I gleam said technology consists mostly of hydraulic fracturing techniques and equipment). The conference also featured debates over the definitions and benefits of renewable energy (I know! Really!) and whether or not wind and natural gas complement or detract from one another.

The energy plan is a very manageable length for a read; not overly long or academic yet still hefty enough to be educational and substantive. If you are interested in Oklahoma’s energy future (or even energy now) you may want to consider giving it a flip through. You can find it here. 

Veteran's Day - My Adventure in Converting Casettes to mp3s

I spent Veteran’s Day doing something veteran-related for my family that could also be loosely considered an activity in the “Use Less Stuff” category... or it would be, if I use my newfound knowledge to preserve my old music collection rather than replacing it with a new set of audio CDs. So here's my tale.

I have never been a member of any of the armed forces, but I have a large extended family with relatives in every branch of the military. Most notable to me is my paternal grandfather, who was a WWII marine. I was fortunate enough to have been close to my grandpa and granny, and one summer my Dad set me the task of recording their many stories. This was a memorable experience for me, but the point is that for the past 10-15 years I’ve had a stack of preciously guarded cassettes filled with their voices and memories. The stories span an approximate set of years from 1925 -1995, and contain all of my grandpa’s favorite war stories (among these included meeting and marrying my grandma, having his first baby, how bananas helped him enlist, and a humorous tale involving coconuts).  My grandparents are both gone now, and I don’t listen to the cassettes for fear of ruining them. Somedays I miss their turn of phrase and thick southern drawl and I think to pull the casettes out, then stop myself short. Better to miss their voice than lose the tapes!

Yesterday I finally sat down and figured out how to convert these cassettes to digital formats so I can better preserve them, enjoy them, and share them. I’m not tech savvy. This was a time consuming adventure for me.

This is how I did it.  I’m going to cut out all the steps where I was bumbling around aimlessly, futilely downloading random things, and rearrange the steps until they make sense!

1)     First, I bought this doo-hicky:  Behringer UFO202 

2)      Then I had to buy a cord that allowed me to connect said doo-hicky to my boombox, with a headphone plug on one end and red/white audio jacks on the other.

3)     Download Audacity.

4)     Download LAME for Windows.

5)     Connect cord from step 2 from the boombox headphone jack to the input plugs on doo-hicky.

6)     Connect a pair of earbuds to doo-hicky’s headphone jack.

7)     Connect doo-hicky to computer via USB.

8)     Open audacity and select under the Project tab “New Stereo Project”

9)     Press play on boombox

10) Press record on Audacity

11)  After the allotted length of time, press stop on boombox

12) Press stop on Audacity

13) To save it, do one or both of these:

14)  Click file, click Export as .WAV, select location.

15) Click File, click Export as .mp3, select location. (If this is the first time you are saving as an mp3, you have to show Audacity where LAME is saved. It should be under “C/Program Files/Lame for Audacity/lame_enc.dll“  Select the file and tell it to open.)

Happy Veteran’s Day! Whether or not you believe in war or patriotism, it is always good to remember your loved ones and your history.

CSA Day on the Farm

I mentioned a little while back what a great time we've been having with our CSA, Berry Creek Farm. We've had a huge bag of fruit and veggies and delicious eggs every week since March. We've tasted new things and learned new recipes (the last couple weeks we've been digging on cucumber soup and baked eggplant ziti). We had enough to share with our family, and our freezer is stocked.  Last weekend was the annual picnic at the farm. We invited my parents, who, hearing of our CSA exploits, were considering joining for next year. It was fun to eat outside in the pretty weather, and have a tour of the farm where our food was coming from.

   This is the Berry Creek pest control squad.

This is where my boxes of delicious grapes came from.

These guys made me beautiful eggs all year.

This fellow is ready to make me yummy food next year...

Two tummies that enjoyed Berry Creek food this year, after lunch at the farm...

List of what we got from the CSA this year:

Spinach

Lettuce 

Alfalfa sprouts

potatoes

sweet potatoes

okra

watermelon

honeydew melon

cantaloupe

grapes

beets

radishes

eggplant

turnips

persimmon

Armenian cucumbers

lemon cucumbers

onions

eggs

peaches

cabbage

cauliflauer

broccoli

sweet peppers

The amazing thing to remember is... with drought, record heat, and a late freeze, this was a hard year for farmers!  Just think how great it will be on a good year.