Old Refrigerator

This is not about the bicycle part of my adventures;  this is about the green endeavors.

Our 33 year old refrigerator, out in the garage for garden produce as the freezer part never worked well, really gave up the ghost and some kind of liquid (Freon?) all over the floor.

We called the Appliance store where we purchased it and they would not recycle because we were not purchasing a new one.  But they told us to call Puget Sound Energy before we paid someone to take it to the landfill.

We did!

Puget Sound Energy has a recycling program and they pay an incentive fee.   We set up an appointment; washed and dried the old frig inside and out, and then kept it running.   We took the escaping fluid to hazardous waste management and they accepted it.

The truck came right on time and several forms were filled out and a check will be mailed to us in 4-6 weeks to say thank you for recycling.

80% of the old machine will be recycled and we have already noted a drop in our power bill because it was not very energy efficient in this day and age.

Great Idea and Concept and we were happy to participate.

Do you have a good recycling of appliance program in your area?  We also have a used construction materials store, which we have taken a number of items there such as old windows and door knobs and extra flooring material.   Recycled lumber store? Recycling made fun?

exterior-sun-shade-in-position

I also wanted to check on our production of solar energy from our panels as our payment check from the Energy Company will arrive near the end of July.

Our Personal Achievement:  besides a lower bill and hot water

all-in-a-row

Energy produced  966.9 kWh  over 10 months  and 164.2kWh this month
That could power for 1 day:  2,9230 light bulbs or 967 computers

Light Bulb

The carbon offset equivalency = 19 Trees planted or 85 gallons of gas not spent.

Forest

The Enphase Community has generated   16.6 GWH

Which is the equivalent of:

• Taking 2,280 cars off the road for a year
• 1,030 acres of forest planted
• Avoiding production of 11,923 metric tons of C02
• Consuming 27,728 barrels of oil
• Of powering 565,190 homes for 24 hours.

I was impressed and am still excited about taking the risk for the solar panels…

Related posts:
Solar Construction on our roof
Making exterior skylight sun shades for our house
Solar Energy more than just a bright idea

I thought I would share with you what was going on inside those buildings to get ready for the student and faculty move in!   Quite a different story….

Hanging the Art

Spiral in Place

Hanging Complete

Glass Art

The bigger story:
Green Roof in Progress
Life on the Rooftop
Works in Progress – Pierce College

I am working on exercising my brain and part of the rainy season is doing some reading.  I was reviewing mostly architectural articles and then my family persuaded me to read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

The Day I finished the book Greg Mortenson was on Bill Moyer’s Journal on PBS promoting his new book and schools.   He is also coming to speak at a local high school as a senior project in May 2010.

I enjoyed reading this book.

Why did your whole family want you to read this book?
-    It was a different look at Afghanistan and the effects of war.
-    Mortenson looked at the people and their need rather than the politics first
-    Mortenson came to Afghanistan because of Mountain Climbing – my earliest sport
-    I was amazed at his willingness to volunteer at such an extreme level
What was the most significant idea you took away from reading this book?
-    His vision of the people of Afghanistan was very eye opening and personal
-    Others haven’t presented this vision
-    Understanding people’s goals and helping them accomplish THEIR goals and not dictate our goals.
-    How important educating women is to a society and the development of that society to its fullest potential.
Why is this book an important read for an architect?
-    Totally new way of looking at a green building – simplicity, no luxury
-    Not a great deal of accuracy about architecture – codes very different
-    Good to understand the diversity and situation/culture
-    Green Seismic concerns – bomb concerns – maybe just green because not using so much stuff and computers etc.
How will the read change you?
-    It changes how I view the country of Afghanistan and the war – escalation is wrong.
-    Wanted to change how we assist the people of Haiti in recovery
-    I am reminded to look at Green buildings with greater care and deeper observation. Mortenson did not think so much about design and greenness; he based his concerns on meeting the people’s needs and assisting the meeting of those needs.
-     Working with women and educating women his greatest priority.
-    I am reminded of how important listening to people is – reinforcing how hard I work at this skill.
Why would you recommend this book to others?
-    Exceedingly important because we are at War in Afghanistan
-    Understanding the way to get OUT and how to treat the people as humans
-    Women’s rights and how to negotiate with closed minded people while advocating for others.
-    The importance of personal conversation and listening to others – hearing them
-    All needs are the same for every person….
It was very interesting to me how this man found his life’s work and mission and how it just came to him.

Have you read a good book you would like to recommend?   Thank you for sharing.

I have been working with these folks on the Rainer Building.  They are the LEED consultants and do very fine work.

Thought this was an interesting blog you might want to peruse.

Lots of good information sharing on the New Year’s Challenge for Brightworks for 2010.

Related Posts:
Learning More About Green Roofs
Works in Progress – Pierce College

Designer Chiyu Chen has created a design involvolving two of my favorite things: renewable energy and bicycles. The Energy Generating Rental Bike System was showcased a while ago over at Inhabitat. I hope you will take a moment to check it out.

Electricity Generating Bicycle

Several years ago I found myself in Denmark to visit a daughter who was studying there and I discovered what has become one of my favorite spots. Just North of Copenhagen there is a wonderful ode to design and innovation: the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.

It has been some time since I have been back to visit and I have not been following the flow of exhibits. But just about a week ago I found out a friend was headed to Denmark and she asked if there were any ‘gems’ she should go see. I mentioned the museum and she thought she would look into it.

Yesterday I received a long distance phone call from Denmark. “This place is fantastic… Thank you for directing us here.” I was quite taken aback that she was moved enough to pay long distances charges just to say thank you. So I googled the museum and found, to my surprise (though I shouldn’t have been with the climate summit meeting there later this year), that the primary exhibit is an installation called Green Architecture for the Future.

The purpose of the feature is to look at sustainable design and the inventions, materials, processes and architectural methods that will be used to build the future. I found what little there was online to be fascinating and wanted to share… please go explore. And if you just happen to find yourself in Copenhagen I would highly recommend a visit to this wonderful museum.

Louisiana Museum: Green Architecture for the Future

I will be graduating tomorrow and I am so proud of myself.  There have been many times when I thought I would never get here, and I know I never would have, if it hadn’t been for you and your support.  I appreciate everything you have done for me not only financially but for the other ways you have shown your support. We have been through some hard times, and I have not always been the best daughter, but you have always supported my dreams and encouraged me to reach them, and now here I am, a college graduate, and I owe a big part of my accomplishment to you. 

Ok and Dad

I just hope that I can find a job and get on my own financially so that you don’t have to worry about supporting me in that way anymore.

I appreciate you pushing me to reach my goals and making me strive to better myself. I believe I have done that, and am a better person because of what you have taught me.  Having faith in me has brought me to where I am today and I really want to thank you for everything you have done for me. 

You have educated me in ways no one else could. You have taught me what is important in life; love, happiness, family, friends, work ethic, and much more. Graduating from college is such a huge accomplishment for me and I want to thank you for encouraging me to do my best and try my hardest. Thank you for being someone I could always look up to and for doing all you could to make a good life for me.

Thank you for being a great dad.
Love, Ok

The Birthday Kayak

The voice said, “Do you remember a couple of years ago we were attempting to get the new automotive center building design at our Community College?” Yes, I remembered that well and all the efforts that went into trying to secure that work. The job passed them by which turned out to be an okay proposition…

Memorial Day here in the US the Architect went running by the campus and there, on a holiday, were the bulldozers hard at work pushing down about 100 Evergreen trees into a big pile. The trees had been there for a long time, created a buffer to the hillside and houses beyond and of course consumed 500 gallons of water per day; a good thirsty thing to have downhill in such a rainy climate.

“I nearly cried it made me so sad” the architect continued remembering what he had seen. We put so much effort into getting that project as we wanted to make a statement in our community and the project could be so energy-efficient and zero impact – it could have been a “star” in the climate of today. It is now going to be a beacon to how environmentally unsound a building can be and monument to some administrator’s foolishness and inability to listen, learn, adapt, or think.

So now the hillside is barren and deeply scarred. A bit further down the parkway is a perfect location for an automotive center, flat and rocky and plenty of exposure for solar panels and efficiency. But no, that campus plot will be used for something else or a parking lot.

Not in our lifetime will those trees return.

It reminds us of one day we turned the corner to go out to nursery school on the Point, a couple of hours later on our way home the entire corner had been cleared of stunning evergreen trees to make room for 3 strip malls, a restaurant, 3 fast food places, and the small mall on top of the hill and promenade. It was startling to behold the destruction. Our 4 year old began to sob and cry in witness to the chaos, mess and the loss of her beloved trees.

25 years later the run off of water from that corner has forced the city to develop a park which is a “run off” Lake in the rains and 4 baseball diamonds, parking lots, and picnic areas in the sunshine.

One can always be happy they did not a get a job when people are so difficult to work with, and our firm did get the job that is putting in the massive Green Roof found on this blog. With a bit of foresight and listening an asset could still be standing this afternoon, we would have had some ‘air cleaners’ for an automotive center and an exciting learning opportunity has been missed in our community.

Profoundly saddened by this action and will be for years to come.