Earth Day events address sustainable energy sources
By Heather Bowers
IV Leader Staff, May 3, 2007
To celebrate the 37th Annual Earth Day, IVCC hosted two
events and an Earth Day Fair in the lobby on April 24.
Both events surrounded the concept of sustainability. “Earth,
Wind and Solar-Sustainable Building/Sustainable Living” brought together a panel
of builders and consumers that discussed the uses of green energy.
Four homeowners, John McCrosky, Paul and Carol Ebener, and
Dale Balder, owner of Heavenly Winds Co. introduced the ideas behind solar
panels and wind turbines. McCrosky pointed out the value of using renewable
energy. “Why not tap into something that already exists, like the heat in the
ground?
Despite the fact that renewable energy saves money on
electricity bills, McCrosky noted that the monetary payback for using renewable
energy is in the long term. It costs more up front for hardware such as panels
and turbines, but eventually, homeowners will be saving money and can even make
a profit by selling back extra power to power companies.
Paul and Carol Ebener are also using renewable resources to
power there home. Currently, they have both solar panels and small wind turbines
on their shed. Paul Ebener commented about t he availability of renewable energy
sources in the area. “When the sun’s not shining, the wind’s usually blowing in
this area,” he said. Ebener also stated that businesses that use wind turbines
and solar panels can receive tax incentives from the Federal government.
The owner of Heavenly Winds Co., Dale Balder, discussed his
company and how wind turbines have improved his own home. “I’ve eliminated my
electrical bill entirely,” he said. Balder uses a combination of turbines and
solar panels as well as natural shrubbery and energy saving appliances to
completely slash his electricity bill. He said that the average cost for a 5
kilowatt turbine is between 5 and 6 thousand dollars.
Heavenly Winds Co is located at 2828 Chicago Rd., Compton,
Illinois and the telephone number is (815) 631-2970.
Balder also listed many simple things homeowners can do to
cut back on their energy needs such as installing florescent light bulbs,
insulating walls and caulking around windows and doors, and buying Energy Star
appliances. All four panelists were asked if IVCC would be a good candidate for
a wind turbine and all agreed. One student pointed out the amount of wind the
campus is never lacking and Balder said that grants are available for purchasing
both turbines and solar panels.
The event “Sustainable Farming for Sustainable Living” was
also offered. The event featured a presentation by Beth Osmond, co-owner of
Cedar Valley Sustainable Farms. To start the presentation, Osmond played a video
created by the Sierra Club titled “The True Cost of Food”.
The film pointed out how much food actually costs to create,
process, ship, and store. When considering the cost of one pound of meat, the
video considered the energy for the slaughterhouse, grain and water for cows,
the fuel costs to ship the meat, and other factors that cost money to cover for
damages caused by overgrazing and animal disease.
The film also pointed out the benefits of buying food
organically from Farmer’s Markets. Organic growers use no pesticides, practice
safe and humane methods for animal herds, and save fuel costs by growing food
locally. Osmond then discussed the idea behind her farm.
Members join the farm for a season and pay a fee in advance
for an unlimited supply of fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat. According to
Osmond, the idea behind the farm was to “leave the land better than they
received it.” Cedar Valley Farm is located in Ottawa, Illinois and sells food
Ottawa’s Farmers Market as well as other locations.
The telephone number is (815) 431-9544. Osmond also listed
good resources for those curious about organic and sustainable farming. Web
sites, including www.localharvest.org and books such as The Omnivore’s Dilemma
by Michael Pollan provide readers with excellent information.
Besides hosting these events, POWER and Threshold also hosted
the annual Earth Day Fair in the lobby. Information concerning personal
conservation habits was displayed and ideas for sustaining the environment were
provided.
Some of these ideas included carpooling to school, taking
clothe bags to the store, avoiding products with lots of packaging, recycling,
and planting trees to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.