Let's get personal

Uh, hi. Okay, I’ve never done one of these before, so I don’t really know where to start. Um... okay, my name is Tee, and I joined this dating service just because, I mean, you know, I’m sort of looking for that special someone, but I mean, I’m not, like, looking for “the one” or anything, but if I found “the one,” you know, that would be awesome. But, whatever. Right?

So, okay, about me. Let’s see. First of all I’m really passionate about the environment. But you probably guessed that from my shirt. Yeah, it’s 100% organic cotton, and it has this funny message that says, “Solar Power Turns Me On.” (http://www.teehugger.com/product_p/thas1006_thjs1008.htm) Heh. Er. I mean, it’s just a joke though. You know, figuratively turned on. I don’t, like, get sexually aroused at photovoltaic cells or anything.

But I guess, you know, solar panels really are pretty exhilarating, in their own way. They take energy from the sun and turn it into electricity without having to harvest, mine, process, or transport anything. The sun just shines onto the panel, part of it is absorbed by a semiconductor, and then the freed electrons are directed a certain direction, and pow, you’ve got free electricity. It’s all right here: http://science.howstuffworks.com/solar-cell1.htm You’ve got to admit, that’s pretty hot.

Let’s see, what else is there? Oh, my interests include sports, old kung-fu movies, and taking long walks in romantic places. Places like, I don’t know, Spain. Have you ever been to the wine country around Jumilla? The farms in that area are amazing. Like, for example, did you know that they have the largest photovoltaic solar power farm in the world? Seriously, that thing covers almost 250 acres, and it has a peak power capacity of 20 megawatts. That’s enough to power 20,000 homes for a year! (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/02/powering_20000.php) Yeah, I think that’s probably the most romantic place there is.

If you decide that you want to go out with me—no pressure, though—there’s something you should know: I’m very frugal. Not that I wouldn’t pay for your dinner or anything like that. I just mean, well, for example, last weekend I was fitting my house with solar panels to generate my household electricity. I figured I could save a few bucks on my electric bill, but man, solar panels are expensive! So what I did was—oh man, I can’t believe I’m telling you this—I called a company that maintains highway solar panels and asked if they would sell me some broken ones. They ended up giving me some for free! They’re kind of old and busted, but every bit of solar energy helps, right? Here’s the whole process I went through to get ’em: http://cleantechnica.com/2008/02/07/how-to-cheap-or-free-solar-panels/

So, uh, yeah. I guess that’s all the time I have for this personal ad... blog... dating thing here. If you think that maybe you want to go out with me, just go ahead and send me a text. I’ve got my phone on all the time. Literally, all the time. It never runs out of charge, ’cause it’s solar powered. Pretty sweet, huh? (http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/samsung-unveils-blue-earth-a-solar-powered-mobile-phone/) Maybe we can get together and do some karaoke or something. You are the sunshine of my life... Okay, uh, sorry. Call me!

We pass the savings on to you!

It’s the second week of March, and that means most of us here in good ’ol North America have just switched over to Daylight Saving Time. According to Wikipedia, this practice of rolling our clocks ahead one hour near the start of spring was first conceived by the English outdoorsman William Willett. Because Willett thought it was unfortunate that so many people slept through the morning of a summer day, and he also hated to quit golfing at dusk, he petitioned tirelessly to get Daylight Saving Time enacted. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_savings_time) The practice did not come into use in Willett’s lifetime, but it was eventually adopted by much of the world, proving that one person’s ideas can make a difference. If Willett can save the hours of a summer day, then we can save the Earth by saving other things. Let’s start saving, savers!

1. Save water! Here in the United States, we have enough water for drinking and washing, and still have enough left over for some pretty awesome water parks. But that is not the case in much of the world, where up to one half of the human population suffers from diseases directly linked to a lack of clean water. (http://whyfiles.org/131fresh_water/2.html) Every drop of water that you save is a drop of water that can be put to use somewhere else, so that’s why we at Tee Hugger encourage you to “Save Water—Shower with a friend.” It’s more than just a catchy slogan, it’s also a 100% organic cotton tee! (http://www.teehugger.com/product_p/thas1004.htm)

2. Save power! If we’re saving water, we can also save power. Heck, a lot of us buy them from the same utility provider. When California’s overloaded electrical grid forced rolling blackouts a few years ago, a collaboration of the state’s utilities, residents, businesses, institutions, government agencies and nonprofit organizations formed an initiative called “Flex Your Power.” “The campaign includes a comprehensive website, an electronic newsletter and blog, and educational materials. Flex Your Power has received national and international recognition, including an ENERGY STAR Award for excellence.” Whether you live in California or not, the “Flex Your Power” website is an excellent resource to find out how you can save power in your own home. (http://www.fypower.org/)

3. Save gasoline! Everyone has heard about the big fuel savings that you can get from buying a hybrid car, but who has the money to drop on a new ride just to increase their gas mileage? The good news is, there are things you can do to up the efficiency of your old jalopy as well. Even better, a lot of them come from just changing your driving habits, which is absolutely free! There is a list of 32 ways that you can save some gas listed here: http://www.opentravelinfo.com/travel-guide/uncategorized/how-to-save-money-on-gas-29-tips.html

4. Save landfill space! Did you know that Americans throw away over 200 million tons of garbage every single day? Sure you can recycle your cans and bottles, but what about your golf balls? Or dishwasher parts? Or pickle vinegar? To keep those things out of the landfill you’ll want to enlist the help of the folks at “How Can I Recycle This?” This web community is dedicated to finding ways to recycle... well... anything! Join in the fun at: http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/

We’ve got more hours of summer daylight thanks to Willett’s ideas, but we’ll have more water, energy, gas, and space thanks to yours. Chew on that, Willett!