[HimandMe]

Originally Posted by dotti105

I guess I might be considered a tree hugger. We recycle everything we can. I try to always use re-usable shopping bags, I am switching out our bulbs for LEDs, we drive a Pruis and have 2 electric golf carts.

I am not here to lecture or anything like that. Just to inform, if you are interested in solar energy at all, there is a grassroots group collecting signatures for get an initiative on the 2016 ballot.

Currently Florida, The Sunshine State, is one of only 4 states that does not have such an initiative or protocol which allows roof mounted Solar panels to be marketed in the state by anyone other than the big power companies.

The other 46 states allow 3rd party sellers of roof mounted solar systems which gives the buyer several financing options. Most of those other states also offer tax incentives for the purchase of solar panels. Some even go as far as having the power companies credit the customer for any unused power which is produced and goes back into the grid.

"Floridians for Solar Choice" is the grass roots group attempting to get the petition on the ballot.

Here is the kicker..... "Citizens for Responsibile Solar" or "Citizens for Smart Solar" is another group trying to get on the ballot as well. This second group is funded by Duke Energy, Florida Power and Light and several other big Power companies. Their version will not create any change. It is simply a measure to confuse the citizens and protect the monolopy that the power companies have. It pretty much guarantees that converting homes to clean Solar energy will be a very long way off.

If you are interested, you can google this online and add your signature to the legitimate bill. Just do your homework and don't be fooled by the "responsible" or "smart" solar petition. It is big money trying to protect the monopolies in place.

Ok, I will get off my soap box. Just remember "Floridians for Solar Choice" is the real deal.

thanks for reading!

I applaud you for your efforts to reuse and recycle and too wondered why Florida of all States didn't make use of all this wonderful sunshine. (Yes, I do know some so-called environmentally helpful things actually make things worse and we need to be diligent). When in Ontario, Canada I notice people with extra space putting up panels and selling the extra energy back to the electric companies and they have so little year round sunlight. Also, I wondered if recycling was expensive here and therefore just an option. At a seminar in Toronto, I noticed the hostess had a small covered plastic recycling box at one end of the counter. It was filled will potato peelings and other food scraps that the city picked up along with separated plastic, glass, papers, cans. She said her other garbage was down to one little half bag or less a week that went to land fill (or incinerators). People think nothing of always taking their own grocery bags and she said she loves it as she has special insulated bags that insure quality and safety until home. I mentioned how far ahead environmentally she seemed but she said no that in parts of Europe, this has been in effect decades before us and they've cleaned up their water. If this is true...wow...nice to hear.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Even if every American would do everything they could and all American manufacturers would do all they could and all emission control on cars would be effected, and all manufacturing emission controls would be put in place and we weren't allowed to buy products from countries who didn't follow those rules, we still have the rest of the world with lots of huge countries who won't. People will not stop driving cars or buying manufactured items.

It is like pouring sand down a rat hole or ****ing in the wind.

Then it becomes political. I hate when it becomes political. Then the small lies and the big lies are passed around and a lot of money is wasted on television ads and campaigns that will not change anyone's mind.

I think of the story (whether true or apocryphal...) about a huge nor'easter that hit the Jersey shore, resulting in thousands and thousands of starfish being washed up from the Atlantic. A youngster was walking along the shore, picking them up and throwing them back into the ocean.

Someone passing by stopped and called to the child, "With thousands of starfish dying on the shore, do you really think what you're doing will make a difference?"

The youngster replied while flinging one back into the ocean, "It will to this one...."

***********************

Back in the '80s we had solar panels installed on our roof and related equipment in the basement in the Northeast to produce our domestic hot water. By the time we had done our research, we had to do it quickly because of the killing of the 40% federal credit for any alternative energy use and research. (The state continued to offer 15%.) Because of the credits, the system paid for itself in about four years, meaning that even without the credits, it would have paid for itself in about eight. We used the system for 27 years, until we sold the house.

But equally important was the consideration of how much electricity we had NOT had to use to generate our hot water—and our electricity came from a coal-burning plant. Did our one home change the world? Likely not. Was it nonetheless worth doing? From our experience, definitely yes!

[JoMar]

Originally Posted by dotti105

In the case of removing free shopping bags from the stores in northern Ca., that one small change has had a very large impact. It's like separating our recyclables from our trash. Small changes can have positive "big ripple" effects.

How do you define very large impact and big ripple effects in the global picture?
Those terms sound a bit arbitrary so data would be helpful.