Luxury does not equal gluttony

I debated whether to post my comments here today. I went on my first cruise this week and went to Nassau from Port Canaveral.

I thought a cruise would be something that I would be very excited about and enjoy. I though, how luxurious the concept of the cruise would be. While it was enjoyable, I became very concerned with the message that this environment seem to present. "Excess is Good."

Everywhere you looked there was excess food, and excess waste. I saw people with multiple plates of food, hording more and more. The worst part about this was that people with kids were some of the worst offenders. What do you expect your kids to learn when you dont show them how to respect the environment and respect food as a resource.

Lead by example! You dont have to stuff yourself to enjoy yourself. Food should be enjoyed and respected. Putting recyclables in the trash and trash where it goes is your responsibility not a choice. There is not an army of people running around cleaning up after you in the real world. What happened to the mentaility "When you leave the beach---ONLY LEAVE YOUR FOOTPRINTS!!!"

Clean Coal

I was getting very frustrated during the election and hearing all of the incredible endorsement of 'clean coal'. After doing some research, I discovered that it was indeed a concept, not an actual solution.

I tried to convince some people that....IT DID NOT EXIST...but they bought into that marketing campaign. Let me congratulate the marketing company that put that together. That was impressive.

Here is the REAL "Clean Coal" commercial if you missed it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdHuB7Ovl2o

Solar is EASY

When I started getting interested in Solar Energy and renewable energy. I though that Photovoltaics were the coolest thing ever and would change the world.

I still think they are cool, but from an efficiency and cost perspective I have learned the following:

The cheapest solar to start using is Solar Pool Heating

The next best solar solution that is cost effective is Solar water heating.

Even though these solutions are not as exciting as the photovotaic electric solutions, they work and they work well......and are cost effective.

Check locally for rebates at the Dsire database http://www.dsireusa.org That site is very cool. In a future post, I will discuss the different option for Solar water.....I learned a lot at the Florida Solar Center.

Solar Energy

I just got back from a 3 day training session at the Florida Solar Energy Center in Cocoa, FL where we spent 3 days working on Solar Water installation systems.

I have always loved the PhotoVoltaic side and in October spent a week on learning how to install these systems.

If you believe we need to look at ways to reduce our dependence on other countries and oil.... join in and learn more about Solar http://www.fsec.ucf.edu

I am looking for like minded people to see how we can make Tampa Bay/Florida/United States more green and energy independent.

Thanks,

Steve

Tampa and the Environment

Hi, I created this blog so people can share ideas about how we all can benefit and become more "Green" in the Tampa Bay area.

As I have been told, I "sound like a Califonian on the wrong west coast" when I start talking about Solar Energy, renewable energy technologies, recycling and green living. I know there are people out there with similar thoughts and concerns about the preservation of our environment.

It is easy to do a little to make a big impact. Start now by recycling.

Join in, share your thoughts!