[firebrick43]

I am new here on this forum but have lived some what of an “alternate” lifestyle by working with my drafts and using wood to provide the majority of my heat.

First even I considerate alternate because more than 99 percent of humans in this country consider oil the “standard”. In this PC time no one wants to be labeled different but we are.

The rest is a generalization and does not necessarily apply to those on this forum.

Second, being “green” in this country has become a new religion with Al Gore as the preacher.

Solar water heat is an excellent source of energy in most of the US but Solar electricity is not a viable form of electricity unless you live far from the grid and bringing it to your domicile would cost over 10,000-15,000. All products are made of energy and their cost reflects this energy. If it does not make financial sense then it does not make ecological sense either.

The cost of a PV system including battery maintenance far exceeds any savings you will obtain from buying the same KW’s from the grid. The production energy needed for the panels and batteries negates the free energy that you capture from the sun.

Outdoor wood boilers and wood furnaces even fit into this category. The High initial cost and there gross inefficiency do to there design negates switching off of propane/fuel oil. Especially to put up 10 to 15 cords a year most have a large wood splitter and a good sized pickup. My neighbor has a similar house to me, 1400 square ft, and bought a boiler for close to 7000 dollars, has all the associated equipment and burns 12 cords a year. I spent 700 dollars to insulate my ceiling to R60 and my crawlspace, and to make insulated plugs to fit in my unoccupied rooms windows, another 1800 for a high efficient (70 percent) wood stove and burn 2.0 to 2.5 cords here in Indiana, and my wood splitter is my maul and splitting wedges. As good as shape as I am, I would not split 12 cords by hand considering the physical job I already have.

Same goes towards hybrid cars, A honda Insight will never save you money during its life due to the initial cost and maintenance cost, therefore there is no energy “savings” compared to a honda fit that gets a few less MPG compared but has significantly lower maintenance cost and purchase cost.

These products are people penitence for sinning against their earth according to their new found religion. And they preach their “religion” to others using tales of apocalyptic woes.

The majority of people realize this, and do want there “religion” changed.
Same as most Christians get upset when Jehovah’s witnesses come knocking at there door.

To change their minds we cant tell them the end is near, they don’t care about anything but the hear and now.

We cant tell them that solar electric is there answer when the systems cost is well out of the reach of most who live pay check to pay check.

You have to show them and teach them that some forms of “alternate” to their oil energy methods are cost saving and not that hard to implement.

Teach them that instead up replacing their source of energy completely that we can reduce the amount we use through simple low cost methods that don’t require much change in lifestyle.

Little by little, and never as religious zealots but as compassionate neighbors.

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