“Round Buildings: Living Outside the Box”

Speakers will include local people who live in or have helped to build such houses. Larry Wilson will talk about a group of connected geodesic domes he and his wife Laurie Graham constructed several decades ago. They have continued to add innovative, green solutions to make their unique home comfortable and efficient.

Dick Riseling will discuss his little round Strawbale house on the foundation of an old silo, built for use by interns at Apple Pond Farm. Dick Crandall will talk about his yurt: a building form that has been around for thousands of years and is used by indigenous nomadic peoples in the high plains of Tibet who call it a “Ger” meaning “home.”  Its shape withstands high winds as does the round house Jim Sanders, another of our speakers, is helping his son build. It is a sophisticated and energy-efficient round home available as a kit from a company in North Carolina called Deltec. Deltec homes have withstood major hurricanes while giant trees and neighbors’ homes have been toppled. He will bring pictures describing the building of this house.

SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support) is a local non-profit group dedicated to helping our community become more energy-efficient, self-reliant, and sustainable. Its forums, which are open to all, are part of this effort. Refreshments will be served. As SEEDS relies upon donations and grants to sustain itself, a free-will offering at the forum is appreciated. Their website is SeedsGroup.net. For more information about SEEDS, call 570-224-0052

Hear how families in the area benefited from SEEDS’ free energy assessment program, The Energy Action Awareness Movement (TEAAM), and how to use PPL’s online energy monitoring tools.   This past summer, TEAAM performed 80 free home energy assessments for residents throughout Wayne and Pike counties, saving them energy and money.  TEAAM will be reaching out to more residents this summer and performing another round of free assessments.

One homeowner commented, “I hired a man for a day, and had him do everything on the list your team suggested fixing.”  She added, “My home was a lot more comfortable this winter, no drafts.”  Another said, “We did a lot of  caulking and covered up holes under the older part of our house.  Overall, we used 2 fewer tanks of oil this winter.”

“During this forum we’ll be demonstrating PPL’s online Energy Analyzer and showing you how you can learn lots about your own energy use. We’ll also explore how your energy use compares to other homes in the community,” said Kayleigh Cornell, Energy Corps member for SEEDS this year.   Computers will be available to get hands on practice, but bring your own if possible.  Also bring your latest PPL bill to get started.

To learn more about TEAAM, how to decrease your energy consumption, and learn from fellow residents, join SEEDS at this free forum.   Refreshments will be available. The Chamber of Commerce building is at 32 Commerce Street in Honesdale.   More info at SEEDSgroup.gmail.com or 570-224-0052.

Kayleigh Cornell, of Jessup, PA was sworn into service on Thursday, Ocotober 20, 2011 in Wilkes Barre, PA along with eight other PA Energy Corps AmeriCorps members. Kayleigh graduated from the University of Pittsburg with a degree in Environmental Studies, and will be working with SEEDS until the fall of 2012.

Kayleigh is currently running Wayne Businesses Conserve, the SEEDS Green Business recognition program. WBC helps businesses in Wayne and Pike counties save energy and money, while giving them the recognition they deserve. Kayleigh will be working closely with over 40 businesses, helping them as they fill out the WBC application and identify target energy savings actions.

In addition, Kayleigh will be working on The Energy Awareness Action Movement (TEAAM) and will be helping organize forums and other public education opportunities.

Welcome Kayleigh!

Wayne Businesses Conserve, WBC for short, is Wayne County’s first green business recognition program. Officially launched during the summer of 2010, SEEDS is excited to announce a re-launch of WBC during the winter/spring of 2012, with an exciting new twist and…and exciting new logo!

In 2010, WBC recognized 9 local businesses for take actions like replacing incandescent bulbs with CFLs, recycling and installing solar panels to offset–or in some cases–supply all of their electricity needs. The 2010 WBC application had 37 conservation options in six different categories: Energy Conservation, Renewable Power, Transportation, Water Conservation, Purchasing & Waste Prevention, Recycling & Composting. Businesses qualified for recognition if they met the 13 required actions & at least 5 of 24 options actions. Businesses either met or failed to meet the programs requirements.

Although no business failed, there was some question within SEEDS & the business participants about the pass/fail system. If a business is recognized, they were sort of done with the program. They had no incentive (from us) to continue saving, or to reapply.

SEEDS is beginning work on a 10 year plan, that is, what we’d like to see happen here Northeastern PA by 2022.  Here is the draft from our preamble:In the coming decade, SEEDS of NEPA commits to achieving measurable progress towards carbon neutrality in our community, which we believe will contribute to our economic, environmental, social, and spiritual sustainability.  To this end, we target the following areas and guidelines for our work:     

• Carbon Neutrality
• Green Building and Renovation
• Business Energy Conservation (Wayne Businesses Conserve)
• Residential Energy & Conservation (including TEAAM and 350 Saved)
• Transportation
• Community Renewable Energy Project
• Regional Waste Processing Plant
• Sustainable Energy Clearinghouse
• Energy & Sustainability Fest

We sometimes get requests for help with a do-it-yourself green project that is a little over someone’s head:  maybe a solar space heating project seen in Mother Earth News, or a gray water system that is beyond a rain barrel in the basement.  Several years ago, before we had local contractors in the know, Home Power magazine wrote about a renewable energy cooperative team that went around installing PV panels and solar thermal systems, barn raising style.  So, how about a sort of volunteer Green-it-Ourselves Squad to help with putting together small sustainable projects?  We’d need real DIYers who know what they’re doing, but also people to provide the soup and cookies and put together the supply and scheduling logistics needed to make this work.  If you might be interested, please reply.

Any aspiring farmers out there?  We know there will be plenty of perspiring ones in a few months, but if you’ve got the itch or curiosity about launching a small farm, the Wayne County Penn State Extension has put together a four week, 12 hour coursethat will include dreams and goals, research and risk, steps to take and putting it all together.  And you’ll get to network with experienced farmers and newbies.  The classes meet on Thursday evenings in March, 6:15 to 9:15 and cost $120, including books and materials.  For more info and to register, call 253-5970 ext 4110 or email WayneExt@psu.edu  Don’t put it off since class seats are limited and you want to be ready to “plant” this spring.

A Circular Economy
Now is a good time to talk about cradle to cradle or total cost effectiveness, whether for food, goods, services or housing.  An interesting study out of the National Home Performance Counsel deals with a lot of acronyms including:  TRC (Total Resource Cost), EUL (Effective Useful Life), and NEB (Non-Energy Benefits.)  ROI (Return on Investment) is the one we’ve been interested in the past, but this points out that “cost effectiveness tests frequently undermine important public policy goals, such as carbon reduction, clean air, job creation, national security,” and health and comfort levels.  The study is aimed at government and corporate planners and funders, but it also provokes us to look at our individual and community purchases and expenditures of energy–calorie out, calorie in—right now and projecting into the future.  Another approach, “Towards the Circular Economy”, with emphasis on industrial production, was sent to us by Jet Mermell.  For a discussion of the life cycles of fabric—cotton, fleece, bamboo, whatever—check out Marcia Nehemiah who has begun a series of columns in the River Reporter.

Courses for your Pleasure and Profit
Bioenergy is alive and ……well now is the time to get on the train before it passes you by.  Penn State is offering another Bioenergy Shortcourse at the end of the month and the USDA is announcing another round of Rural Energy for America Program grants and guaranteed loans for renewable energy and efficiency projects.  For more info see the attachment.

Johnson College is offering an introductory course to Solar Photo Voltaic and Green Building for Building Professionals in March.  Contact Marie Allison at 570-702-8924

Whether you are interested in learning more about mushrooms as art, mushrooms as food, mushrooms for “recycling”, or mushrooms as medicine, the Delaware Highlands Mushroom Society meets the third Wednesday of each month at 7 pm in at the Honesdale Wellness Center, 602 Church St. The meetings are led by Nathaniel Whitmore and are donation-based.

Transition Honesdale has 3 informative, fun Skill Share’s coming up:
What to Do When the Flu Gets You, led by Jamie Stunkard of Nature’s Grace Health Food Store on Wednesday, February 15, at 6:30 p.m. at the Honesdale Wellness Center, 602 Church Street, Honesdale, PA.
Bread Baking Seminar also led by Jamie, Tuesday, February 21 and February 28, 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Nature’s Grace, 647 Main Street, Honesdale, PA
Home Brewing Basics Workshop on Saturday, February 25, 2:00 to 5:00 pm at Salem Mountain Farm, 2518 Easton Turnpike, Waymart, PA 18472 Suggested Donation: $15
Registration Required. Donations welcomed.  Learn more at www.transitionhonesdale.org or by calling 570.253.3469 or emailing skillshare@transitionhonesdale.org to secure your spot.

SEEDS forums are starting again in March.  Upcoming topics are More Do-it-Yourself  Home Energy Conservation; Solar PV #3;  Round Building: Living Outside the Box.   Generally held the third Tuesday of each month at the Wayne County Conservation District, 648 Park Street, Honesdale at 7 pm.

Warm regards,
Michele

Michele Sands
Chair, SEEDS
1023 Main Street
Honesdale, PA 18431

570-630-0592
–

Looking back over last year some obvious and not so obvious observations come to mind.  First, conserving energy saves money. Might seem like a “Duh” thought to you, but for those who might not be as convinced, take a look at  the Optimal Energy report on the effect of PA’s Act 129.  As you might recall, Act 129 was passed in PA in 2008 requiring utilities to develop cost-effective plans to reduce electricity consumption by 1 percent by 2011, and by 3 percent by 2013. Additionally, the Act requires a 4.5 percent reduction in peak demand by 2013. Optimal Energy found a yearly savings of $278 million for PA electric ratepayers, or an expected savings of $2.3 billion over the life of the efficiency measures employed—the overall cost of which was $281 million, an investment which which will soon be paid off through savings.

To back that info up, a nationwide study by the Edison Foundation  found that in 2010 “Overall, electric efficiency programs saved over 112 TWh (yes, that means “terawatt hour” tera meaning 1 trillion, our note)  in 2010, enough to power over 9.7 million U.S. homes for one year, and avoided the generation of 78 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.” Pretty convincing eh?

Unfortunately, not so much.  And that’s the second observation.  While a lot of people see the statistics and care about the environment and their wallets, they’re not doing anything to conserve.  This year SEEDS is really trying to figure out how to engage these folks.  We are fairly certain it’s not that they don’t care about the environment. Perhaps, like many of us, they just don’t relate to facts, especially facts leading to feelings of a gloom-and-doom, insurmountable situation. Most of the research on conservation and change indicates this; and to find out more so that we can be more effective in bringing sustainability to our community, SEEDS sent Doni Hoffman, and Energy Corp Member, Kayleigh Cornell, to the national Behavior, Energy & Climate Change Conference in Washington DC in November.   They were 2 of 650 scientists, university researchers, energy professionals, planners and students at this Stanford University sponsored conference—and BTW your contributions to SEEDS paid their way, so keep those checks coming in (see address below).  For some more ideas on changing behavior, go to http://www.climateaccess.org/resource/what-it-means-be-green.

So, now we ask you, how do we reach the majority of energy users—your neighbors, family and friends?  These are people who deep down care about the planet and our future, and who value the adage “Save and Have” but who at the same time are  caught up in growth, plenty, and over consumption.  Your thoughts?  Until we figure that out…..read on.

The Lackawanna College, Ecological Sustainability Degree program is entering it’s 2nd semester.  The two year degree program at the Hawley Silk Mill campus of LCCC, prepares graduates to gain entry level positions, go on to a four year college degree program, and excel in a focused career of choice, including environmental education, business, renewable energy, agriculture, culinary, design.  For young people looking to make change in the world and older people looking for a change in career, contact Jaime Reeger at 570-226-4625 or ReegerJ@Lackawanna.edu to enroll.

Are you one of the 99% and want to take your money out of the big banks and put it in a credit union where money works for depositers, not corporation profit? John Jose of Beach Lake suggests the Pennsylvania State Employee Credit Union, open to any PA permanent resident. It’s an online service with a debit card for purchases and withdrawals from local ATM’s (no fee within a certain limit), free basic checking, plus credit card availability.  And, their current auto loans are 1.49%.   If you are not a PA employee, you will need to join the PA Recreation and Parks Society ($10 net)—not a bad idea in itself.  Also, check out John’s site http://www.ottercreekenved.com/schoolyard-habitat-development.html

Transition Honesdale DIY Cleaning Products Skill Share Saturday, January 28, 2012, 3 pm – 5 pm Grace Episcopal Church, 827 Church Street, Honesdale, PA Come make healthy and environmentally friendly cleaning products that really work. Suggested donation $12. Everyone who comes will leave with a sampling of products. Please RSVP to skillshare@transitionhonesdale.org

Also, the latest Transition Honesdale newsletter is just out with juicy articles on money, running for local office and grease cars, among others—and I ask you to come up with a slogan!   Pick up a colorful copy around town, or go to www.transitionhonesdale.org. You’ll also find the full Spring 2012 skill share schedule there to help you plan ahead.

PPL Wallenpaupack’s Saturday Winter Programs have begun:  January 28, Close Encounters with Birds of Prey;  February 4, Annual Winter Eagle-Viewing Trip;  February 11, Family Ice Fishing Program.  All programs are free but registration is generally required.  To register or get more info, contact Jenna at (570) 253-7001 pplpreserves@pplweb.com. or click on Calendar at http://pplpreserves.wordpress.com/

For your winter reading pleasure, before you get hooked on seed catalogs,  SEEDS member, Jack Barnett, suggests this book: Low Carbon Diet – A 30 day program to Lose 5000 Pounds by David Gershon.

For more SEEDS of thought, visit our facebook page.   You’ll find recent posts including energy education & video games, CFL recycling, packaging from mushrooms, sustainable pet keeping, and where to get your beer! Make sure to “like” us when you visit.  And if you really like us, send a few bucks to the address below, made out to SEEDS of NEPA and/or tell us your interests and we’ll try to hook you up with a SEEDS circle to suit.

Happy Martin Luther King Day,

Michele

Michele Sands
Chair, SEEDS
1023 Main Street
Honesdale, PA 18431

570-630-0592
–

Finally, if the holidays are getting you down, join Transition Honesdale on Tuesday, December 8th at 7 pm at the Chamber of Commerce Building on Commerce Street, for a discussion about how to Simplify the Holidays.

And a Happy Sustainable Living to All,

The “speed-dating” contestants/stations consisted of duct and pipe sealing with Phil Buckingham, door and window caulking with Jim Sanders, and ways of reducing electricity use with Michele Sands and Kayleigh Cornell.

One member commented that the “duct and pipe sealing” and “door and window caulking” were both very captivating and informative contestants, but she was looking for a more laid back relationship and had to say that the simple “reducing electricity use” contestant stole her heart. For those of you that missed the forum, you can still learn how to weatherize your home. Caulking is important to seal any air leaks, especially between windows or doors. It is also helpful to prevent water damage. Below is a video of how to apply it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEjb70835AE

The second station consisted of learning how to seal ducts and piping. In most homes, 20 percent of heated or cooled air is lost to weaknesses in the duct system. Here is a video that explains how to seal ducting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0AvDUG8Jn4&feature=related

When it comes to insulating pipes, you can never insulate too much according to Paul. Insulating even cold water pipes will prevent condensation from forming. Here is a clear website that explains the process of insulating pipes:

http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-insulate-pipes/index.html#step1

In the last station we talked about reducing energy consumption. One way of being more aware of your energy consumption is using a Kill A Watt, a device that measures how much electricity an appliance may use. Another way of reducing energy use is through using a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat can be set so that in the winter the heat is turned down at night and when you are out of the house and increased when you are waking up or present in the house.

There are several ways you can conserve and be more conscious of the energy you use. We hope to see you at the next SEEDS meeting or forum to share with others and work towards this as a community.

SEEDS is hosting a bus tour of buildings in the region that have used renewable energy, high efficiency, and other conservation measures to save money and resources. It will be on Saturday, October 1st, 2011 and run from 8 AM to 5 PM. The cost is $25. per person. SEEDS urges people to sign up as soon as possible as there is limited space, by calling Kathy at (570) 698-6173 or e-mailing Kathy@seedsgroup.net. The bus will depart from the rte. 6 Mall east of Honesdale. Bring a bag lunch. No high heels, please, as green roofs don’t like them. SEEDS has offered numerous forums on conservation, efficiency, and renewable energy over the past three years. This tour is an opportunity to see some of that information put into practice. We will visit both private homes and public buildings.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:

• Western Wayne School District’s new school in Hamlin, described as the state’s first full-green elementary school, one of whose features is a sewage treatment system that utilizes the cleaning power of wetlands.

• Several residences that feature various efficiency and renewable energy strategies such as passive and active solar, super-insulation and air-sealed envelopes, salvaged materials, geothermal heating and cooling, smart water management, and measures to improve indoor air quality. One house is a beautifully remodeled modular. Another has a solar-vented geodesic dome greenhouse.

• Marywood School of Architecture building, renovated as a LEED Gold-certified structure and designed to teach students about principles of sustainable design. It also has a green roof which will be included in the visit. LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized certification system for green building construction.

• A high performance building housing an Animal Hospital, designed by architects Bakker & Lewis, built on a “brownfield” site–formerly a spoil area for construction debris. Among its many innovations are smart storm water management, natural lighting, and energy recovery units.

Partial funding for this trip is provided by Green Field Energy Solutions. “Sustainability: Making Greener Choices in Energy & the Environment” education program funded by DEP Environmental Education Grants Program.