Green Living
Por: Guillermo T.
19 de Abril de 2016

Green Living

Inglês

David Mears and his wife Dorothy haven't paid a heating bill in 25 years--not one dollar, not even one cent!  Here's why:  They haven't received a bill in 25 years.  It's not a mistake on the part of the heating companies, nor a stroke of luck.  Mears just put his knowledge of alternative energy sources to good use.

After the energy crisis in the 1970s, Mears, who is a professor of Bioresource Engineering at Rutgers University, installed a system that would virtually eliminate the use of fossil fuel to heat his New Jersey home.  He installed a special space beneath his floor filled with water, then put in solar collectors to heat the water.  On cloudy days, he could use a woodstove which he outfittedwith a water-heating coil and made the system more efficient in extracting heat.  In other words, less wood was consumed.  As a last resort, a fossil fuel system remained in place to heat his home, which he never used.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, more than 85% of all energy consumed in the U.S. comes from fossil fuels.  This means coal, oil, and natural gas.  In addition, 2,700 pounds of carbon per year per person, or 18% of greenhouse gas emissions, comes from operating individual homes.  Most of the emissions come from a typical heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system.

Mears has been able to maintain his home at 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 C) or above for 25 years.  It demonstrates that his energy sustainable residence is not outlandish. Nor is it aninaccessible idea, because the technology is available for everyone.  Green living is a real possibility.

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