AT ISSUE:
With sincere apologies to film director-author Richard Llewellyn,
who wrote "How Green Was My Valley," I ask the question, "How Green
is My South Dakota." Llewellyn's book, published in 1939 and later
made into an Oscar-winning movie, tells the story of the dreadfully
tragic lives in a Welsh mining town of many years ago. Before you
think I am comparing those times to South Dakota, I want to make it
very clear about the "Green" I am talking about. What I am
advocating is looking at what energy conservation (green) methods
South Dakota folks are practicing and how a family can save some
money and save energy at the same time.
GOING
GREEN, as in practicing energy conservation, usually translates
into "sacrifice" for a lot of people. Many folks believe that
practicing conservation means giving up conveniences. Most of the
time by going green a household can actually save money.
Ever since the
buzz words, "Going Green," we have all heard about, read about and
viewed on television about the importance of going green, but few of
us have taken it very seriously. At least it has been that way at
our house until recently when Earth Day hit us right between the
eyes.
First we
started using our ceiling fan more and using less our air
conditioner. It has taken a little time to see a difference in our
electric bill, but a savings was there.
THEN, WE
DIDN'T want to go overboard on light bulbs, but when one of the
two three-way bulbs blew in our living room, we invested in two new
ones, the efficiency kind. I felt financially justified since we
already had to buy a new one anyway. Those two new bulbs worked
great even though when the switch is first flipped it takes several
seconds for them to glow at their brightest.
They tell us
to buy these efficiency light bulbs, but they don't tell us what to
do with the old ones. In my way of thinking throwing away a
perfectly good light bulb is also a waste of money isn't it? That
question hasn't been answered yet.
WE DIDN'T
THINK much about the light bulb saga until three of the six
bulbs over our bathroom sink blew within a few days of each other.
Not wanting to debate whether or not this is planned obsolescence,
we went out and purchased six new ones. Now, the old ones were each
40 watts, times six, about 240 watts every time one goes to the
bathroom. The six new bulbs, at eight watts each put out the same
illumination as the old 40 watters. That's quite a savings as well.
I mentioned
above how the new efficiency bulbs take a little time to get to
their brightest. I might add that has proven to be a bonus in the
bathroom, especially at 4 a.m. That's because those softer lights
for those few seconds are a godsend on old man's eyes when he has
trouble waking up any way. So much for the light bulbs...
Those are just
a couple of things a family can do to save electric energy. There
are several other places in the home that spell energy losses. For
example, electrical outlets on outside walls lose a lot of heat for
you in the winter. This is easily rectified by purchasing insulating
pads that fits between your outlet box and plate.
WHEN I SAID
THERE are several ways to save energy, I was reminded of the
time several years ago when our municipal utilities department did
an energy loss survey for the entire city. This was accomplished by
flying over the city with a special camera that showed which houses
and businesses were losing heat. Our house at the time, an older
one, showed up as bright red, meaning we were way short of
insulation.
Insulating
that old house cost us a few bucks, but the later fuel bills proved
that was a wise investment.
WE ALSO PUT
a solar panel over the kitchen and dining room at that old
house. You just can't imagine the amount of heat it brought in. This
panel was a homemade one being promoted at the time by the S.D.
Public Utilities Commission. Our new house isn't situated right for
these solar panels, but they have commercial ones now that really do
a good job in heating homes.
Duct taping
the connections of your heating and cooling ducts have energy
efficiencies as well. Also, check your windows. There are several on
the market now that in the long run will save you big bucks,
especially if you have an older home. That holds true as well for
installing one of those new high-efficiency furnaces. They are a
little pricey, but will save you big bucks in the future.
All in all,
when I ask, "How Green is My South Dakota," it can get greener and
save you big money in the long run....
Gordon Garnos was long-time editor of the Watertown Public Opinion and
recently retired after 39 years with that newspaper. Garnos, a
lifelong resident of South Dakota except for his military service in the
U.S. Air Force, was born and raised in Presho.
