EcoDharma Doula
Messages from the Edge
May 2024
“start now start WHERE YOU ARE. START WITH FEAR START WITH PAIN. START WITH DOUBT. START WITH HANDS SHAKING START WITH VOICE TREMBLING BUT START START AND DON’T STOP START WHERE YOU ARE WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. JUST.. START”
– Perna Chodron HAPPIERHUMAN.COM
‘Just where you are-that’s the place to start.”
— Perna Chddrbn, Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living
To review, as your EcoDharma Doula, for the next ten months, I will offer you a monthly contemplation on what is commonly called Getting to Zero.’ Science tells us we have 25 years to reduce our emissions to Zero. We are looking at a carbon reduction diet, which begins by looking at the big picture. We wish to turn the right side to Zero by 2050 or:
(Heating + Cooling + cooking + driving +refrigeration + embodied energy + heating water + utilities + gardening) – (Clean Energy we Produce or Offset) = (Everything we Use)
If we start where we are, how do we discover where we are?
This month, I am joined by Alan Ness. Alan, please introduce yourself:
Introducing Alan Ness
I’m Alan Ness, long time member of Shambhala and Touching the Earth. I am a retired residential architect living in Seattle. I spent thirty years helping people remodel and renovate their single-family houses. Many people asked me “What is the most important thing I can do to work on climate change? I came up with my list of Seven Decisions (followed by my personal story) which I have appended as Addendum 1 below. Since we are discussing ‘where to start’ I will offer my advice on where to begin:
Alan: Where to begin:
A house is a complex system. An audit is an excellent way to begin. (See David’s review of this area, and my footnote #2). But I will repeat my first point from below: Stop burning fossil fuels to limit global warming. At the same time, I agree with Greta Thunberg: “It will take everyone doing everything.’ Whatever motivates you is a great place to start..
David: Where to begin:
I like to start by figuring out where I am beginning. I started my journey with an Energy Audit. An energy audit is a comprehensive inspection and analysis of a building’s energy use and efficiency. It is conducted by an Energy Auditor who will look for areas where the building is losing or wasting energy and recommend ways to reduce energy consumption. An energy audit can be done for any building, such as a home, a workplace, or a large business. An energy audit can help you save money and protect the environment by improving your energy performance. Our home audit included a Blower Door Test, which revealed where drafts originated and needed sealing. Further, the Energy Audit listed the components burning carbon, their approximate age, and most importantly, their predicted remaining effective lifetimes (so replacements could be planned). With an Energy Audit, I had a roadmap for the work ahead and a sense of the priorities to give each concern.
David: How to find an Energy Auditor
Energy Auditors are trained professionals who understand that one size does not fit all. Each home is as unique as the people living within it. We have discussed earlier what results an energy audit should provide. This section will help you locate an Energy Audit resource.
First, with Climate Disruption advancing, Federal, State, and local governments are making incentives available to lower our Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Even our energy utilities
recognize that the cheapest kilowatt hour is not used and, therefore, is not produced. So start with your utility and search for their rebates. Next, you can ask your city and county sustainability offices for incentives and rebates for Energy Audits. There may be non-profits in your area that can offer Energy Audit subsidies. These subsidies typically reduce the cost to $100. If all of these options are dead ends, you may search the Building Performance Institutes (BPI) database of trained BPI energy auditors (on this page, try the Find a Contractor link).
Regardless of how you find an Auditor, you will want to ensure the energy auditor uses a calibrated blower door test and thermographic inspections. In the US, home energy auditor certification is also required for homeowners seeking authorized tax credits and the Inflation Reduction Act. DOE has reviewed the listed certification programs and serves as a list of Qualified Certification Programs for home energy auditors that taxpayers can use to claim the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (Section 25C) under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (commonly referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) for home energy audits. Beginning in 2024, home energy auditors will be required to provide a business employer identification number (EIN) or other type of relevant taxpayer identifying number as part of the written report they provide to the homeowner looking to claim the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (Section 25C) for home energy audits.
David: Preparing for the Audit
Before the energy auditor visits your house, list any problems, such as condensation and uncomfortable or drafty rooms. Have copies or a summary of the home’s yearly energy bills. (Your utility can provide these to you, or you may be able to get them online.) Auditors use this information to establish what to look for during the audit. The auditor will also talk with you to better understand your needs and interests in having an assessment. The auditor will examine the outside of the home to determine the size of the house and its features (i.e., wall area, number and size of windows). The auditor then will analyze how you use your home:
• Why are you undertaking this work (moral, economic, environmental)?
• Is anyone home during working hours?
• What is the average thermostat setting for summer and winter?
• How many people live in the home?
• Is every room in use?
Your answers may uncover simple ways to reduce your household s energy consumption.
David: Your Roadmap to Doing Less Harm
When we begin a journey, many use maps to stay on course. Your energy audit provides the map of your trip to a life free from the consequences of burning carbon. We have 25 years to accomplish this at the individual, household, and collective scales leading to global carbon neutrality. In these 25 years, everything that burns carbon in your life will fail and must be replaced. Your energy audit provides the roadmap that prepares you to anticipate these replacements so they may be done with mindful awareness rather than panic. Significant change often begins with baby steps.
Your homework for May 2024 is to get an energy audit on your home in preparation for the ten upcoming Messages from the Edge.
David: Final Thoughts
In the next 25 years, all the awful things that burn carbon will reach their end-of-life. Our responsibility is to anticipate these transitions and ensure that when replacements are made, they do not burn more carbon. It is uncanny how these devices providing heat have a way of failing on the night before the Thanksgiving holiday when the expedient solution is to replace them with the readily available quick fix of years more burning, baby, burn.’ With a roadmap of expected failure, we can plan and be prepared when our carbon devices show signs of imminent failure and be able to parlay the money we would spend on a conventional solution into an electrified one. A time will come when we will have to pay more for a traditional gas burner than an Earth-friendly electrified replacement: it is not too far off. Until then, our motto will be:
Do what you can, with what you have, where you
Theodore Roosevelt
BrainyQuote
Again, your homework for May 2024 is to get an energy audit on your home in preparation for the ten upcoming Messages from the Edge. If you have an audit done, please ensure it includes blower door test results.
Onward…
Alan: Addendum 1
Seven Decisions You Can Make to Save the Earth
Key Point: Stop burning fossil fuels to limit global warming. Orientation: Simplicity. Electrification. Environmental Justice.
1. Opt out of using a gas-burning car.[11
2. Insulate and seal up your house.[2|
3. Opt out of using an oil or gas furnace.[3]
4. Opt out of using a gas hot water heater.[4]
5. Opt out of using a gas range.|5]
6. Reduce beef consumption and focus on grass-fed beef.[6]
7. Properly recycle your used clothing and plastics.|7]
Bonus:(8|
-Support Climate-Friendly Politicians.
-Support Family Planning.
-Support Educating Girls.
-Support Tropical Forests and Tree-Planting. -Support non-profits like 350.org, Third Act, etc.
Creative Commons Copyright: Ten Direction Design 2021. Copy freely and include this source.
[1 ] Go for an all-electric vehicle next time you buy. And/or use public transportation, bicycle and walk.
|2] Good place to start is an energy audit by a certified auditor (BPI or other certification). Also this step saves money and is more comfortable. Then opt in for solar panels (PV).
|3] Go for an electric Heat Pump system. Remember that Heat Pumps provide air-conditioning as well as heat.
|4| Go for an electric Heat Pump Hot Water Heater.
|5] Go for an all-electric range. Induction ranges are all-electric and prized by top chefs. Also, they eliminate gas indoor air pollution.
|6] Go for beef from smaller and more local farmers.
[7] Go for a paid service to recycle properly, like Ridwell in the western US
|8] Mostly taken from “Drawdown” by Paul Hawken et al. Top 100 ways to reverse climate change.
My Personal Journey
Seven Decisions: My Personal Story
It really began back in 1970 when my wife and I were both active in the first Earth Day and aware of the potential for global warming. That set the stage for our decisions over the years.
2008 Item #2. We bought our current 1912 house and remodeled it extensively. We installed insulation “to code” wherever the walls were opened up, particularly in the new second story addition. Insulation can be tricky when retrofitting an older house, so we were unable to exceed code recommendations at that time.
2009 Item #2. We unexpectedly received a small lump-sum windfall. We started thinking about buying an electric car versus purchasing solar panels. We first investigated buying an electric car, but the choices were very limited, and some cars were not equipped for freeway driving. In the end we went with solar panels. We were able to afford 16 panels, wired together so that the array cannot be expanded. That was the cheaper way to go and was all we felt we could afford. With the tax credits available at that time, we felt that the payback of
8
12 years was encouraging and worth it. Looking back, it was worth it, both financially and spiritually.
2010 Item #6. We started bulk ordering locally grown pastured beef from a farmer south of Seattle. Eventually we bought a small freezer for the basement to keep a larger quantity in stock year-round.
2018 Item #1. Friends of ours announced that they were retiring to Mexico. Would we like to buy their 2013 Nissan Leaf? The price was right and we went for it! The car had only 24,000 miles on the battery pack, so we felt that it would last for a long while. Also, while the range was just 80 miles, it suited us for errands and driving around town. But we have held onto our Honda Hybrid Civic for longer driving.
2020 Item #3. We wanted to go further. We ripped out a perfectly functioning gas furnace so that we stopped burning so much fossil fuel in our own home. In addition, I had seen very hot days in Seattle go from one day a year to one month a year! Coing to a heat pump would give us air-conditioning as well as heating. From the perspective of the 2021 Heat Dome it has already been worth it. A key fact: Seattle electricity is 97% renewable sourced, mainly hydropower. It is important to know the source of your electricity and fight for power companies to convert to 100% renewables.
2020 Item #2. We also completed a long process of replacing the remaining single-pane windows in our old house. We ordered double-pane windows with true divided lights, to mimic the original look of the house. The new windows really help keep the heat out, as well as limit the noise from the street.
2020 Item #7. We subscribe to a local service (Ridwell) to properly recycle a variety of waste from our household. We are just two people, so we don’t create enough waste to fully utilize the service, but still feel it is worth it.
20XX Item #4. Back in 2008 when we moved into our current house, a tankless hot water heater was seen as superior to hot water tanks that constantly heat your water. So we went for a tankless heater. I hesitate to replace our current tankless heater because it works well and allows us to fill our tub in the winter without boiling pots of water to complete the fill. So it will stay for now. A compromise.
2021 ltem#5. We bought an all-electric induction range to replace our gas stove. We love it.
In summary, it has been a long haul to address 6 out of the 7 Decisions. These are ‘stretch’ decisions that take time and money to implement. Maybe we cannot do them all right away but they remain a goal to keep our eyes on.
Alan Ness, Architect, Retired