Semi-Organic Gardening; or the Trials and Tribulations of Gardening with Rabbits

Semi-organic gardening;  or the trials and tribulations of gardening with rabbits

Semi-organic gardening; or the trials and tribulations of gardening with rabbits

In an effort to salvage my gardening season, I have given up on my efforts to simply use repellent to keep the rabbits out of the raised bed.  The bottle recommends spraying about 6 hours before any rainfall for a dosage that should be effective for 2 months.  Nope.  Didn’t work.  I’ve sprayed on three different occasions and have found the rabbits to be eating way most of the raised bed including the garden beans, the bell peppers, and the carrots.  I have even spied them through the dining room window and ran outside in frustration to chase them away like a madman.  Grrrr…..

A neighbor gave me some chicken wire last year to put around the bed , but it was limited access to weeding and harvesting inside the bed and eventually rusted in the rain.  This year, I have purchased a galvanized rabbit guard fence and added a fence post on each corner to help keep it supported.  After 2 days and a severe thunderstorm, it appears that I have a winner.

I had to replace nearly half of the produce in the bed with new seedlings.  I dug out what was left of the bell peppers and garden beans.  While June 26th is a bit late to be planting in central Illinois, I’ve added transplant seedlings of 2 bell peppers, 2 garden beans, 2 pea plants, and even 2 corn plants.  For several weeks now, it seemed that my vegetable garden was going to result in a tomato garden.  This was all a lost ditch attempt to salvage my growing season and reap the fruits of my labors.

This crop is more of a semi-organic vegetable garden as I have had to add transplants purchased from local nurseries including my local Lowe’s store.  I can’t vouch for any fertillizer that may have been used on them before the purchase.  However, I now have control over the rest of the growing season, so we are going organic the rest of the way.

Rabbits and I have been at odds with each other this year.  Chasing them out of my garden hasn’t been my only problem.  I found a nest of baby rabbits at my mother’s house.  Finding a nest might seem like a fun discovery, but I didn’t know I had found a nest in the middle of her front yard until I moved over it and found fur flying up in the air!  Fortunately, it was only bedding from the next and the babies were fine.  However, I knew that the parent would not return to a destroyed nest and the fate of the 6 baby rabbits now rested in my weary hands.  Briefly, I considered keeping one as a pet for my girls, but the idea of bottle feeding these infants every few hours around the clock was more that our family could handle.  So, I managed to find a way to donate them to Wildlife Prairie State Park.  They told me it would be hard to care for them and that it wouldn’t be likely they would survive, but that they would try.  Since that episode, I have often wondered if any of them survived, but I’m not sure that I want to tell my girls that they rabbits they fell in love with were all… well… you know… dead.

Natasha and Sydney discovering a nest of 6 baby rabbits

Natasha and Sydney discovering a nest of 6 baby rabbits

Going Green With Medical Advice – Part 2

It has been about 2 months since I was at the hospital getting tested, poked, and probed to see what is wrong with my stomach.  The gastritis that I had been having turned out to be bile reflux.  The pyloric valve between the liver and the stomach isn’t working properly and is allowing bile back into the stomach.  I don’t know what this means for the future.  Will the valve always be defective?  Certainly, if I don’t change any of my diet and don’t work to protect my stomach lining, I could end up with something like a cancer of the esophogus.

In response to these results, I have since altered my diet and begun an chiropractic-related enzyme replacement therapy to help my digestive system better deal with the bile.  I don’t know if the valve will always be defective, but I am confident that my efforts will give my body the tools it needs to maintain excellent health.  Since I implemented these changes, I have felt great!  I haven’t had so much as a cold or sniffle.  My energy levels have been steady with no crashes.  The enzymes are certainly helping my stomach, but there are still some moments where the gastritis is apparent like when I took a nap right after lunch today – the 30 minutes after I woke wasn’t a picnic.

An unexpected benefit of the new diet is the loss of 19 pounds in 8 weeks which is largely a result of my food intake and moderate exercise.  I have challenged myself to try to follow the dietary recommendations of several programs simultaneously.  There is the enzyme treatment, recommendations of my nutritionist, and my attempt to be gluten-free.  I also follow some principles of the Blood Type Diet, the Abs Diet, and even Michael Pollan’s tips from his book In Defense of Food.  So, coordinating the best of all of them is a challenge.  To put it simply, the bulk of my diet is fruit, vegetables, and meat or eggs.  I have eliminated all wheat products because I have continued to suspect I have celiac’s disease.  My nutritionist has encouraged me to eliminate grains and dairy – although I have made exceptions with mozzarella cheese as the enzyme diet allows for it in moderation.

I have also seen a significant improvement in the skin rashes.  They are much more manageable!  I don’t know which element is helping my body fight them off, but I’m not complaining!

The bottom line:  so far, so good.

I have yet to take a medication to treat the symptoms of the gastritis and have largely been satisified with my improvements.  Additionally, my “green” diet already incorporates organic foods as much as I can afford.  Taking control of my health through diet, enzymes, chiropractic care, and excercise hasn’t just benefitted the stomach problems;  it has improved functions such as immunity, mental clarity, and many ofher phsyical functions.

5th Annual Earth Day Festival at Forest Park Nature Center

5th Annual Earth Day Festival at Forest Park Nature Center

5th Annual Earth Day Festival at Forest Park Nature Center

2009 Earth Day Festival at Forest Park Nature Center

This is my second consecutive year of taking and “Earth Day” vacation from work.  I purposely scheduled the week to coincide with events like the Earth Day Festival at Forest Park Nature Center.  This particular event now holds a bit of sentimental value for me as it was the first real step I took in entering the environmental community.  It was at this event last year when I met David and Kiersten who essentially recruited me in helping with their Global Warming Solutions Group of Central Illinois which is a group that was spun off of the local Sierra Club chapter to focus solely on presenting solutions to climate change to Central Illinois.

A year ago, I was a casual visitor to the event.  This year, I was a participant at the the booth shared by the Heart of Illinois Sierra Club and the Global

Sierra Club and Global Warming Solutions Group Booth

Sierra Club and Global Warming Solutions Group Booth

Warming Solutions Group.  I felt like event was a success as we talked with visitors about energy efficiency, the Cool Cities program of the Sierra Club, and even rain barrels.  In fact, it was a last minute decision by Kassy to bring the rain barrel that she has purchased but had not installed yet that brought the most attention to the booth.  By the end of the day, I felt very comfortable talking about how to install them despite the fact that I have not yet at the opportunity to do so.  In retrospect, I wish we were selling the barrels as it could have been a great way to raise funds for the Solutions Group.

Sydney enjoyed the face painting.

Sydney enjoyed the face painting.

We decided recently to build an e-mail list so we can contact local residents with a monthly newsletter or special announcements.  In order to motivate people to sign up, we offered a prize drawing for e-mail subscribers that consisted of one of 3 copies of the book Cut Your Energy Bills Now by Bruce Harley and a package of CFL light bulbs.  I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to take a look at the energy usage in their home.  It is presented in a very user-friendly style with steps that even I can accomplish with my amateur handyman skills.

All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable event.  The weather flirted with us throughout the day delivering wind gusts early on, but the cloud cover never resulted in any rain.  It wasn’t until the last hour of the event when the clouds cleared up and the sun heated things up.

Live entertainment throughout the event.

Live entertainment throughout the event.

The bulk of my time was spent working at the event, but I did escape long enough to visit with some of the other booths including Peoria Wilds, the South Side Mission, Goodwill, and Peoria Families Against Toxic Waste.  All of them had great information, and I found myself trying not to dive in to all of their causes and helping them out.  I have to carefully pick and choose how many commitments I make.  It’s a case of quality over quantity.

Kids decorate an Earth Day 2009 banner.

Kids decorate an Earth Day 2009 banner.

Bob Lindsay Honda provided some hybrid cars for viewing.

Bob Lindsay Honda provided some hybrid cars for viewing.

2009 Illinois Sustainable Living and Wellness Expo

The Illinois Sustainable Living and Wellness Expo

The Illinois Sustainable Living and Wellness Expo

With my busy schedule in the past few weeks, I wasn’t able to make a full day of this event with the family.  It was held again this year at Illinois Wesleyan on April 17th and 18th.  In fact, I had just an hour to blitz through the show.  I am starting to run into people I know working at these events as our paths are beginning to cross with our common interests.  It is nice to see familiar, friendly faces.  There were a lot of exhibitors that I had seen last year and several new ones, so it was easier for me to make a quick run through the exhibits.

The exhibit that caught my attention the most was the Central Illinois Buy Fresh Buy Local table that is sponsored by the Illinois Stewardship Allliance.  They focus on “connecting you with fresh, locally grown food.”  They have a BFBL directory to find locally produced food, BFBL member restaurants, and event labels in grocery stores.  Sounds like a fantastic idea to me!  I loved shopping at the farmers market’s last year.  I find the food to be fresher, tastier, and more nutritious.  I am taking the following text directly from one of their brochures:

Why Buy Local?

Taste – Fresh from the field to your plate, local foods are bursting with flavor and a taste that can’t be beat.

Freshness – Local foods are harvested at their peak ripeness and are available right after harvest, not after a long haul.

Economy – Buying local supports family farmers and keeps money in the local community.

Buy Fresh Buy Local

Buy Fresh Buy Local

I would add one more section:

Ecological Footprint – In the United States, food travels an average of 1500 miles to get to your plate.  Buying local reduces the carbon footprint of your food and helps in the fight against global warming and climate change.

For next year:  I would like to be able to plan a day of the event in order to attend some of the workshops they offer each year.  Some of the events that would have been interesting to me had topics covering organic and sustainable gardening, rain gardens, energy efficiency in the home, and affluenza.

The event was sponsored by the Ecology Action Center of McLean County and the Illinois Wesleyan Wellness program.

Participating Exhibitors:

  • Adam Hoeper Licensed Massage Therapist
  • Advanced Energy Solutions
  • AdvoCare
  • AHHH Hypnotherapy
  • Alexander Technique
  • AlignLife of Bloomington
  • Aqua Ranch
  • Arthritis Foundation
  • Bliss
  • Bloomington Parks and Recreation
  • Brenda Bernt, Licensed Master Esthetician
  • BroMenn
  • Brown Chiropractic Center
  • Center for Sustainable Community
  • Citizenre Bringing Solar Power to Your Home
  • Citizens Utility Board
  • Common Ground Grocery
  • Communication Sciences and Disorders Dept. Illinois State University
  • Community Cancer Center
  • Cortese Foot & Ankle Clinic / Sole Savers Shoe Store
  • Crossroads Global Handcrafts
  • Don Smith Paint
  • Donate Life Illinois
  • Eco-Lawn Organics
  • Ecology Action Center
  • Eden Energy Medicine
  • Energistics
  • Environmental Education Association of Illinois
  • Environmental Maintenance Systems
  • Friends of Kickapoo Creek
  • Frog Cottage Jewelry
  • Healing Arts Network Association
  • Heartland Local Food Network & Buy Fresh Buy Local
  • Heartland Community College
  • Illinois Environmental Council
  • Illinois Stewardship Alliance
  • ISU Horticulture Center
  • IWU School of Nursing Eating In – Healthy Options
  • IWU – This is Public Health
  • Juice Plus+
  • Laser Resolutions & Ascent Counseling & Coaching Services
  • Little Miss Save the Earth
  • Luther Oaks
  • Mended Hearts/Am Heart
  • Natural Health Solutions
  • Natural Pathways Reiki Center
  • Northern Sun Merchandising
  • Nudura
  • OBGYN Care Associates
  • Old House Society
  • OSF St. Joseph Medical Center – Center for Healthy Lifestyles
  • Paw to Paw
  • PinStripes and PolkaDots LLC
  • Progressive Asset Management
  • Recycled Office Furniture
  • Robert Hermann DC
  • Ropp Jersey Cheese
  • Shaklee
  • Sneeze, Wheeze and Itch Associates
  • Successful Aging Center
  • Sugar Grove Nature Center
  • Sustainable Community Development
  • Sweet ‘N Clean Goat Milk Soap
  • The Green Gourmutt
  • Tobacco Prevention / Cessation
  • Tri-Sharks
  • Upper Limits
  • Young Living Essential OIls
  • YWCA McLean County

Planting Vegetable Seeds with my Daughter’s First Grade Class

Planting Seeds in First Grade

Planting Seeds in First Grade

While my “Earth Day” vacation doesn’t officially start until tomorrow, I visited my daughter’s first grade class today and helped them plant vegetable seeds.  I brought in the supplies and each child planted a seed in a cup or glass jar.  To start, each child scooped vermiculite plant mix into their container.  We then passed out the garden bean seeds which were a nice size for first graders to handle.  They each planted the bean under a thin layer of soil and added water.  It looks like they are going to keep the containers in the class for a week to see which ones sprouts first before taking them home.

The class asked some very intelligent questions such as how long it would take to grow and how often they should water the plants.  I was a little nervous taking on the project because I am only in my second year of gardening – certainly not an expert.  But, we kept the project simple and I think everyone had fun with it.

2009 Gardening Season Has Started!

Starting vegetables and flowers from seed

Starting vegetables and flowers from seed

Last year, I started a vegetable garden for many reasons but maintained that it was an experiment throughout the year.  However, this year I am planning on taking it to the next level with a major expansion and a lot more TLC.  On Thursday, I took my first steps by buying Seeds of Change (USDA organic) seeds from Naturally Yours grocery store and a kit to start some of the plants indoors before the frost-free date passes.  I also did some work in the yard by tilling the soil in the raised bed and blending some purchased mushroom compost to it.  I still have to finished dismantling a large portion of the overgrown flower garden so that I can expand the vegetable garden area.

As you can see in the picture, I recruited help in starting some of the plants from seed inside the house.  We now have cherry tomatos and brocolli started.  At the store, I allowed the girls to pick out some flower seed packs, so we have dahlias, marigolds, and echinacea to add to the yard.  I may have to have my wife select a good location for them as my passion is currently in the growing of food.

Reduce Drying Time by Securing the Dryer Vent

Trim your dryer vent hose to properly fit the space between the dryer and the exhaust chute.

Trim your dryer vent hose to properly fit the space between the dryer and the exhaust chute.

You can reduce the drying time of your laundry and save money through efficiency by securing your dryer vent hose properly.  Generally, it is better to have a rigid aluminum dryer vent to exhaust the air efficiently.  In the interest of cost at the moment, I compromised by simply triming my expandable dryer vent hose to properly fit between the dryer and the exhaust chute.  The hose I had was far too long and snaked along the floor behind the dryer.  This morning, I trimmed the hose for a tighter fit and a direct flow of air to the chute.

Clean out the dryer vent hose periodically to improve efficiency and prevent a fire hazard.

Clean out the dryer vent hose periodically to improve efficiency and prevent a fire hazard.

While I was at it, I vaccuumed the inside of the chute and the inside of the dryer opening as far as I could reach with the vaccuum hose.  It is recommended to do this periodically in order to maximize efficiency and prevent a fire hazard from a clogged hose.  I wouldn’t describe my hose as clogged, but there was a thick coating of lint in the tube.  You can also purchase a kit at a hardware store that will properly clean the length of your dryer hose.

Going Green with Medical Advice

Part 1:  Dust Mites

Allergies are stupid.  By definition.

Or, so I have told people when they discover my allergy to dust mites.  Usually this occurs when they see that I have been scratching at my arms or legs and have begun to draw blood.  At times I am not even conscious that I am scratching as I am focused on some other task at work or home.  I may even scratch at a scab which then soils my clothes with a blotch on my leg or arm.  If I am not at home, then I am stuck with the self conscious feeling that people will notice.

A second potential allergy may be the cause of the abdominal pain that I have been suffering with for the past two weeks.  But, more on that later.

I believe it was in 1996 when I first discovered that I had an allergy to dust mites.  I went to an allergist with mysterious rashes on my calves and was tested for many different allergens only to discover that I was allergic to both dust mites and cockroaches.  Nice.  The official word on treating the dust mite allergy is to control the environment.  Use lotion frequently.  Place special covers on mattresses to keep mites from living in the bed.  Wash bedding and clothes in hot water.  I was given a steroid ointment to use on the rashes to keep them at bay.  I was also given oral medications to trick my body to think it doesn’t itch.  The thinking is that stopping the rashes will stop the need to itch and will then prevent rashes from appearing at all.

All of that advice is well and good, but I hate using medication.  It can make me drowsy, makes my skin even more sensitive to sunburns, and generally doesn’t work as I still end up scratching.  The ointment does a great job at getting the rashes down to size, but it doesn’t prevent them from reappearing.  Thus, I have lived for 13 years in perpetual dust mite wars and have succumbed to the idea that I will live with them for the rest of my life.

During this green transformation, it has occurred to me that there may be other factors exacerbating the rashes or even causing the allergy to manifest in the first place.  Maybe it is an exposure to toxins over the course of my life through clothing, food, air, and even furniture.  No one can say for sure how the exposure to multiple chemicals over the course of time will manifest in people.  It may even be caused by the consistent skin exposure to chlorine and other chemicals found in tap water.  I have recently discovered whole house water systems that remove the impurities in the water.  The installation of such a system can only help my skin and may be one of the leading factors in the continual appearance of eczema.  Even if my theories are wrong, a water system certainly is not going to make matters worse.

Part 2:  Stomach Ailment

On the morning of March 9th, I woke early to get ready for work and found myself suffering from abdominal pain.  It seemed to be coming from the higher portion of the stomach beneath my upper abdominal muscles.  The pain wasn’t severe, so I continued on with my day.  Throughout the course of the week, the pain persisted to the point that I found myself in the doctor’s office by Friday to solve the mystery.

It is now 16 days later, and we still do not know the cause.  It could be some sort of ulcer, but what would be causing it?  Maybe it is celiac’s disease – an immune reaction to eating wheat and gluten.  Maybe it’s irritable bowel syndrome.  It could be an infection in the stomach caused by bacteria or a parasite.  We just aren’t sure yet. My general physician ordered a set of labs from blood and urine the results of which were inconclusive.  So, I am being referred to another doctor for an upper GI endoscopy and a colonoscopy.  Oh, happy day!  I can’t wait for that joy.

There is one thing that my doctor told me to do that I have not done.  I haven’t taken any antacids.  I went to my local drug store after my appointment, stood in front of the antacids, read the ingredients on the label, and just couldn’t bring myself to put a medication in my system when all I have been doing over the past year is get toxins and pharmaceuticals out of my life.  I did know, however, that there are other ways to treat the acid in the stomach.  I headed over to the grocery store and purchased a bottle of organic apple cider vinegar.  Each day, I have diluted it in a glass of water and have begrudgingly drank the mixture.  It isn’t pleasant to drink, but it does seem to help my stomach.

A Second Opinion

Historically, I have considered the relationship between a doctor and a patient much like an employer-employee relationship.  You do everything the doctor tells you whether you like it or not – it’s your job.  Somewhere down the line, my perspective evolved into the notion that the patient is in charge of their own health care and use doctors as a partnership in determining the best treatment.  Over the past year, I have been under the treatment of a chiropractor who takes a preventative, holistic approach to health care.  In the time under her care, I have largely been healthy.  The few colds that I have had have been relatively minor and have been brief in their duration.

The appearance of the stomach ailment is my first true test of taking a holistic and green (toxin-free) approach to health care.  I have sought the treatment and advice of both my chiropractor (proactive health care) and my general physician (reactive health care).  I strongly feel that they are both necessary to my overall health.  I can use one doctor to prevent me from getting sick by keeping my spine healthy and listening to advice on proper diet, supplements, and alternative treatments.  I can use the other doctor to help diagnose the more serious problems that appear using all of the advanced tools of modern medicine.

So, when I sent the “inconclusive” lab results from my general physician to my chiropractor, I received quite a different interpretation.  While there isn’t anything definitive, there were some oddities in the results that point to potential causes such as allergies, a parasite, dehydration, and even problems that could appear down the road with my pancreas or liver.  From a holistic perspective, there are several steps I will be taking including continued work my spine, enzyme therapy, and essential oil treatment to cleanse and detox to remove possible parasites or toxins.

From the holistic perspective, the possibility of the allergy to wheat is very real.  Some time ago, I discovered that one of my brothers has celiac’s disease and that it is genetically inherited.  My general physician tested me in the past for the disease but received negative results.  However, he is using a blood test that my brother was told isn’t effective in detecting the disease.  It is a stool test that is the most accurate, but it is not generally used in western medicine.  I had been thinking of ordering a test to find out for myself, but I have hesitated to spend the money.

Interestingly enough, my chiropractor encouraged me to find out what my blood type is because there is evidence that we should be eating certain foods or avoiding certain foods based on our blood type.  For example, those with the O blood type should avoid eating wheat as they have trouble digesting it and end up storing much of it as fat when other blood types use wheat as an energy source.  It came as little surpise to me that I did have the O blood type.  So, now there are two compelling reasons to take wheat out of the diet – because of my blood type and because of the diagnosis of my brother.

For years, we have sold the book Eat Right for Your Type by Peter D’Adamo at work, but I never gave it much thought.  Reading through the potential problems that type O people have from eating certain foods read I was struck at how many correlations I could make in my medical history.  Potential problems with the thyroid – my doctor detected slight thyroiditis in the past and is watching it annually.  Avoid wheat – there is celiac’s disease in the family.  High acid in the stomach that do well digesting meat but can by exacerbated by certain foods and cause ulcers – my current problem.  I can’t say I an a believer, but I am optimistic that the diet could make a big difference.

It hasn’t been easy to take wheat out of the diet, but I have been successful so far through 6 days.  The results?  I am definitely getting better.  The abdominal pain is minimal.  Is it because of the elimination of wheat?  I don’t know.  What I do know is that I am going to continue with the the procedures on Monday to eliminate any of the crazy stuff that might be causing the pain.  I also know that the new diet is also a healthier diet and will likely help me boost my immune system, keep me from getting sick, and work well with my excersie routine to shed those extra pounds.  With the addition of the other holistic steps, I may never quite know the cause or which treatment was most effective.  However, I do know that I am on the road to smarter healthcare and better overall health.

Ameren Energy Energy Performance Audit from ActOnEnergy

I had my $25 energy audit with Ameren on Thursday afternoon and have hesitated to post an update for 2 reasons.

1.  Although the audit is complete, they are mailing a report by the end of next week.  The auditor did tell me that it is just a review of everything he already told me, so there shouldn’t be any surprises.
2.  From a personal perspective, I was disappointed because he didn’t come up with anything I wasn’t already aware of.  Then again, the average person doesn’t think about energy efficiency in the same way I do.

Notes:

  • I thought it was interesting to note that once the attic is sealed and insulated properly, it generally isn’t cost effective to replace all of the windows unless you are selling the house.  He explained that the air doesn’t really have anywhere to go vertically.
  • I’m not sure it was part of his report, but he did recommend the next clothes washer we buy be a front loading one as they save a lot of water in the wash cycle and saves energy from the dryer as the spin cycle does a much better job of getting rid of water.  He even mentioned that the night before he took his work shirt out of the washer and hung it to be worn the next day.
  • We talk extensively about the furnace and duct work.
  • I asked him about replacing my collapsible dryer exhaust with a metal one.  He gave me basic instructions of where to do and how to install it.  (again, not part of the actual audit).
  • We discussed insulating the box sills in the basement.  I could use (1) icynene which is best be messiest, (2) use friction-fit foam insulation, or (3) simply caulk inside the sill.  If I use the foam boards, he recommended caulking around the foam once they are installed.
  • We looked that air conditioner.  He recommended a cleaning of the unit.  The pipes going from the unit into the house need new insulation as the old is pealing off and the hole in the brick of the house needs spray foam.
  • He did a flashlight inspection inside the attic.  I was surprised that I my attic insulation was better than I thought.  However, he pointed out that in areas where someone may have done work, the insulation was just pushed aside and not restored.  I need vent chutes, he gave me instructions on how to do it myself if I chose.  The insulation doesn’t look like extended to the top of the walls.  He recommended spray foaming around the lights and pipes before finished up the insulation.  Another 2-3 inches of blown insulation might help.
  • The bathroom exhaust fan is venting directly into the attic instead of our the roof or through the soffit.
  • I don’t have any wall insulation.  We talked about this extensively from putting holes in the walls and blowing it in to dampering rooms that get more heat to rooms that don’t.  In fact, he was thinking about this issue AFTER he left the audit and called me to discuss it further on his way home.  That sort of “customer service” impressed me.  In the end, my options for to help the bedrooms maintain heat are (1) adding wall insulation, (2) adjusting the damper in other rooms, (3) getting the top of the walls insulated, (4) insulating the attic hatch (which has none), and (5) taping the seams in the ducts.
  • I showed him my efforts to caulk my first window before the winter his and asked for an honest opinion on my efforts at my first ever attempt at caulking.  He was very nice about the fact that I could have caulked 2 or 3 windows with the amount I had used on just that one.  (I thought as much).  Diplomatic and constructive.
  • He would have installed pipe insulation above my water heater, but the pipes were only 2 inches from the exhaust.  It is generally not recommended to add insulation if the gap is less than 3 inches.
  • If I hadn’t already added CFL bulbs around the house, he would have replaced 5 incandescants in high traffic areas.
  • Another part of the audit includes installing a water-saving shower head.  I had done that in the upstairs shower already, but he took care of the shower in the basement.
  • As with the shower head my faucet aerator was already in place in the upstairs bathroom, but not downstairs.  It is now.

Here are the pros:

  • I had a lot of questions and the auditor did an excellent job of listening to each with interest and thoughtful responses.  He could have rushed through his answers or dismissed me – but didn’t.  Major points there.  Calling me after the left to continue the discussion was a major plus here.
  • He kept the options open on how potential repairs could be taken care of.  He recommended getting multiple quotes for insulation work and also gave me some basic instructions on how to make some repairs myself.
  • For $25, having someone to talk through energy efficiency measures was a bargain.  Not to mention the fact that they install 5 CFLs, a shower head, a faucet aerator, and some pipe insulation.

Here are the cons:

  • This wasn’t a full audit with a thermal camera and blower door test.  But, we knew that going it.  I have wondered if the recommended fixes would have been the same regardless of the use of the equipment.  I won’t know until I decide to pay for the other audit.
  • It didn’t occur to me until the next day, but he didn’t look at weatherstripping of the doors which need done.  Maye it will be in the report, but we certainly didn’t talk about it.
  • He didn’t do a window inspection.  If he had, he would have pointed out weather stripping sticking up on one window and condensation inside the bathroom window.
  • We didn’t talk about the impact on air quality of the home when its sealed correctly and what impacts there might be from different kinds of insulation.

Other stuff:

It sounds like there is a lot of stuff in the pipeline with Ameren.  They are expanding their CFL discounts at local retailers to appliances like refrigerators.  So, if a refrigerator costs $1000 and the sale price at the store is $800, that means Ameren is picking up that extra $200.

It looks like there may be an Ameren rebate of sorts coming if you get insulation work done.  He actually recommended that I wait until April to see what the details were before doing more work.

They will have a list or recommended contractors in the future, but there are still in the training and certification process that will be necessary before that goes live.

The only other auditor he is aware of in the area is Brian Kumer.  In fact, there may be only 4 or 5 guys in the state which is a problem.  Ameren has looked at giving the equipment to insulation companies  to encourage them to get more auditors to do the job.

He is not aware of anyone who would rent the equipment like a thermal imaging camera.  It doesn’t sound realistic due to the high cost.  Besides, to get a rebate on work through Ameren, you would want to go through the program first.  He did say if anyone had a friend in the fire department, they might have a camera to borrow.

That’s all for now.  I will post updates in the future on my efforts to tackle this list.

Todd

Stop Junk Mail With the MailStopper Service

[Note:  This post has been updated with the recent announcement that GreenDimes has gone through a name change to Tonic MailStopper.  Here's part of the text from their email announcement:  "Today, we are officially changing the name of GreenDimes to Tonic MailStopper. Nothing else about your service has changed – same company, same service- just under the MailStopper name. When you go to greendimes.com, you’ll be redirected to mailstopper.tonic.com – and other than a new logo, you’ll hardly notice the difference."]

Wouldn’t it be nice to stop junk mail?  Tired of filling up your paper recycling with useless junk mail?  Worried about prescreened credit card offers getting into the wrong hands?

Now you can stop junk mail from ever being delivered to your mail box using a service like MailStopper.  By registering for the service for $20 a year, MailStopper claims to reduce your junk mail by 90%.  The service easily guides you through the steps to removing your name from the major marketing companies that supply thousands of companies.  You will be directed to some web sites to fill out a form requesting your removal.  For those companies that don’t offer the web site removal tool, MailStopper lets you print out a letter for you to sign and send in the mail.

http://mailstopper.tonic.com/

I had signed up in November of 2008, but I procrastinated.  I looked at the list and was not enthused about working through it.  Today, I finally decided to get it done and was pleasantly surprised how quickly it went.  I was done in 20 to 30 minutes.  I whipped through the web site removal tools and printed out the letters.  The only thing I didn’t like had nothing to do with MailStopper;  DMA Choice required me to register on their site and create a password.

Now, the question is this:  how well will it work?  How much mail will I receive that isn’t covered by these mailing lists?  MailStopper suggests waiting for 90 days for all of the removals to be in effect.  So, I’m setting a reminder in my online planner to post the results I find on this web site.

I should also note that you can stop credit card offers through www.optoutprescreen.com.  I completed my registration last year and have been extremely happy with the service.  We were getting offers almost on a daily basis, and we now get one every month or two.  Excellent results!

Todd