Sustainable St. George, UT Forward thinking, Energy Efficiency

   

Expend Energy & Create it too!!
Pedal to Re-charge Your Batteries! 

The once sleepy little St George, Ut has undergone a major shift in growth and development over the last 20 years and especially during the housing boom that exploded here in Southern Utah in the new millennium until the bubble burst in 2008. During the late '80s and early 90's this rapid expansion was more than the tiny town power grid could handle. Growing pains were felt in the form of brown outs, and rolling power outages, especially during peak usage hours in the heat of the day. Water supplies were challenged as well being a resort community with a swelling snowbird, tourist driven seasonal influx in population and numerous golf courses, pools and a desert climate only exacerbated the problem.  Some actions have been taken within the community to solve or skirt around the problem. The County, city, and individuals have tried to implement tactics and technology to lessen the ecological footprint we make as growth occurs, some have stuck, other ideas come and go, still with expanding technology, other's are developed and encouraged to ensure a quality of life while helping to preserve our resources.

     There's always more to learn, explore and develop as our knowledge and technology catches up to our creativity. Necessity is the mother of invention, and ideally our ingenuity is far enough ahead of our necessity that we can avoid the discomforts of "growing pains"as before, or heaven forbid, the loss of viable resources without backup plans. 

     In some cases, forward thinking may be thinking backwards, or retro. I'm actually thinking in order to think and be more energy efficient, we need to back up and become more responsible consumers, and encourage, expect and engage in quality production of goods and services. We have become a throw away society. I've lived for a few years on this planet and I remember growing up in my family home and when an appliance stopped working there was this person mom would call and he'd show up stand on his head under the sink, washer, behind the fridge, or said appliance, and fix the thing and it was good for another 10,000 hours. Most major appliances lasted a good 15-20 years. My parents were using their original wedding gifts in our home well past their 25th or 30th wedding anniversary. Today, I can't tell you how many toasters, blenders, and refrigerators I've had during the 30 years I've been married.  And lets not get started on phones and tech stuff. But repairs are unheard of, just toss it and buy a new one, is what technician says, if I can get one to come to my home at all. When our fridge went out Thanksgiving week, after the repairman told me it was the compressor he went on to say all compressors are made by the same manufacture for all makes and models and that they were made to last for five years. Now that sounds like a plan to stay in the business of selling new refrigerators. I maintain that a throw away world is NOT a green world. We need to make things to last. We certainly have the ingenuity, technology and skill to make quality merchandise and to keep in in good repair and running for a lot longer than we are doing in the world today. All the smart houses, incinerating toilets, electric, or hybrid smart cars, wind energy, solar panels and so forth, won't make a dent if they aren't built to last along with everything else we use if we are having to re-place in all every couple of years. That is unsustainable!! The video below is an example of a energy efficient home. It would work well here in St George. 

     In my research besides the vertical farms, and aeroponic gardens, or heat source water pumps (already in use in the area), solar panels, and the usual energy efficient glass, etc.. I also found several new designs for toilets that are different than we now have saving water, burning waste, and in some cases, heating homes, or fertilizer, for food supplies. Water is one commodity that we must conserve, especially living in the desert.   

 Some programs that St. George is already participating in. Buying green energy..

 Sunran: http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2013/08/01/suntran-info-now-available-on-smartphones-google-maps-app/

bike trail system

DIXIE Power DEREA ground source heat pump, hybrid heat pump

co-generation: citizensenergy.com/english/pages/134/energy-solutions

 Questar Natural Gas:Questar Gas

One more energy efficient home construction alternative already in use today. 

Where to connect to social media for Energy Efficient Community resources, ideas & information

Green Plug, Social Media Connection

The Bottom line:   Until we unitedly change our thinking in the ways we consume, and our production of our precious resources there will be no effectual or overwhelming change for the better. As long as we continue to selfishly consume energy, food, water, fuel, and material goods.. until we rethink and engineer and produce products and services to outlast their usefulness to us.. that is, we must manufacture machines, appliances, vehicles and tech devices that are upgradable, hardware that is sound and repairable, NOT disposable, but sustainable.. the battery that keeps on ticking....Until we change business from consumer based.. the 'toss out the old, buy a new one' attitudes to producing products with a more permanent buy it once and keep it running, state of mind, where the repairs specialist are in the future. They are the jobs of tomorrow, the challenge to build things to last and last.. until we shift to that way of thinking and stop generating acres and acres of landfill's, and waste of all varieties... until that shift starts to take hold and people really reduce reuse and recycle.. many of our efforts to lessen our footprint on the earth will be in vain. We are not doing enough. We are not serious enough to make the impact or rather reduce the impact we are exacting on the environment today. If think we can wait until things are so bad their is no other way than to take drastic measures.. then at that time I fear it may be too late. We must see the need now and fill it. "A stitch in time saves nine", way of thinking. A preventative, proactive innovative approach be truly sustainable, out of respect for our stewardship of the earth rather than a backed into a corner, necessity wait until we have to mentality. And it must be across the board, everyone involved and not just a few forward thinkers. Until we shift to a new way of resourcefulness and self control over our need for bigger and better "stuff", we will never in my opinion, "be green"or environmentally conscious enough to make the difference that is needed. We are doing some things better, but not enough. Now to effect that change.. that's the mission before us.