Appalachia
-- Science in the Public Interest
Making
science & technology responsive to the needs of underserved communities
in Appalachia
Appalachia
-- Science in the Public Interest
Making
science & technology responsive to the needs of underserved communities
in Appalachia
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A-SPI is a 501-3(c) Non-Profit
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Flea Market
Books, Tapes, and other Items.
Newsletter of
Fall 2004 Number
81
Expo Survey Shows Demand for Renewable Energy
Exit
surveys were given to 2004 Bluegrass Energy Expo attendees and some valuable
information was gained from them. Attendees
were asked to rate the Expo overall, along with the attractions and free
services, on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 = poor, 2 = fair, 3 = average, 4 =
good, 5 = outstanding). The average
overall rating was a 4.0. The attraction ratings ranged from 3.6 to 4.3,
with the Children’s Expo being rated the best at 4.2. The Free Home Design Consultations were rated
the best free service at 4.3.
Attendees
were also asked what they wanted to see more of in 2005. The most striking
survey result showed that renewable
energy businesses were, by far, what attendees wanted to see more of in
2005 (at 56%), despite the fact that almost every renewable energy business
in the area was present, and three were here from out of state. This suggests a large, unmet demand for renewable
energy dealers and contractors that we hope to
begin addressing this year. Far behind at 42%, 41% and 41% respectively, were educational exhibits, workshops, and commercial
exhibits.
Finally,
attendees were asked to list energy saving actions
they were willing to commit to in the next six months. Sixty-nine
percent committed to replace standard light bulbs with compact fluorescents.
Other commitments included: Weatherization – 45%; Change personal behavior
– 36%; Replace an appliance – 30%; Increase Insulation – 30%; Upgrade
heating or AC – 24%; Replace windows/doors – 19%;
Purchase a fuel-efficient vehicle – 19%; and Install a renewable
energy system – 15%.
Exhibitors
were also given surveys and the results were very encouraging for a first-time
event. The average commercial exhibitor
rated the Expo at 2.8 overall, as a business opportunity, but the businesses
dealing directly with energy-saving products and services rated the Expo
at 4.2. Almost 70% of all the businesses,
and 100% of the directly energy-focused businesses, said they would return
in 2005, if it were identical to the 2004 Expo. We intend, of course,
to improve on the 2004 Expo in 2005.
Fourteen months of planning and labor came together in the
1st Annual Bluegrass Energy Expo, held October 16-17 at the
Major
sponsors included the Kentucky Division of Energy, Lexmark International,
Sylvania Lighting, and Insignia Salon.
Jordan-Chiles & Associates donated thousands of dollars worth
of creative services, production work and media exposure to the Expo.
There were also eleven supporting sponsors and twenty contributing sponsors,
including local and national businesses, non-profits, educational institutions,
government entities, and committed individuals.
In addition, there were dozens of donors of supplies and services,
plus many dozen more volunteers, without which the expo would not have
been successful. Following are
the attractions and workshops:
Indoor Attractions:
·
A Sustainable
·
·
Center for
·
Children's Energy Expo – Solar oven making and other hands-on activities for
kids
·
Free Computer-Based Home Energy Audits
·
Free Consultations with Architects and Designers
·
Home Energy Efficiency
·
·
·
Sunscreen Film
Presentation, by Appalshop – A documentary film presentation about electricity production
in
·
The
·
The
Outdoor Attractions:
·
Five Renewable Energy Businesses – Absolute Energy of
Soft
Energy Associates of
·
The Cruising Cleaner Car Show
– Vehicles using gas-electric hybrid, electric, biodiesel,
ethanol, solar, and used vegetable oil technologies
The Workshops:
Affordable, Safe, Energy Efficient
Homes - Rachel Jagoda, Federation of
American Scientists (FAS) – Presenting recent research
Biodiesel Basics - Michal Vojtisek-Lom,
Clean Air Technologies - What is biodiesel? How is it made? Advantages
and disadvantages? How to retrofit your vehicle to use it?
Choosing Energy Efficient Appliances and Lighting - Sue Badenhop
w/ UK Cooperative Extension - Explaining the life-cycle costs of various
appliances
Designing an Energy-Efficient Solar Home for the 21st Century, Gary Watrous,
AIA - A slide show and discussion of passive solar &
energy efficient design principles
Energy, the Environment, and Economics - James Dontje, Compton Chair in Ecological
Design, Berea College - Ecological
and financial accounting for energy conservation and renewable energy
Healthy Homes: A Holistic Approach - Rodney Wright, FAIA – Health
issues related to building or remodeling a home, from the viewpoint of
an architect.
High Performance House Design - John Robbins, CEM – Design principles which improve
building performance by minimizing heating/cooling needs, using solar
energy, rainwater collection, and other strategies
Introduction to Renewable Energy - Bob Fairchild w/ Eastern Kentucky Appropriate
Technology – Solar energy and micro-hydroelectric system basics.
Introduction to Solar Water Heating - Joshua Bills w/ Sunbelievable Services – Solar water heater basics and financial
analysis of them as an investment
Political Forum on Energy Policy – Moderated
by Geoffrey Young, former Assistant Director of the KY Division of Energy – Cancelled (political
parties wouldn’t participate)
Renewable Energy Systems Under $2,000, Aur
Beck w/ Advanced Energy Systems – Simple applications for solar energy,
including attic fans, and portable power systems
Saving Energy and Money at Home, Charles Raglin w/ Home Environmental
Balance Company - Strategies for saving energy -Testing and sealing ducts
and HVAC systems, insulation, weatherization, etc
Socially and Environmentally Responsible Investing: Aligning Your Investments
with Your Values, J. Chris Cogswell, Progressive
Asset Management
Understanding Mold in the Home, Josh Smith w/ Healthy Indoor Air Services, LLC – Mold
education, identification, health risks, remediation and prevention
The
Film Festival:
Coal Bucket
Outlaw – An Appalshop
film chronicling a day in the life of a coal truck driver, eliciting some
of the human and environmental costs of the way we use energy
The End of Suburbia - Oil Depletion and the collapse of the American
Dream – A sobering
look at the prospects for the suburban lifestyle in the coming post-carbon
age
Kilowatt Ours - Followed by a discussion with filmmaker
Jeff Barrie - Outlines the hidden costs of electricity use in the Southeast-
mountaintop removal, air pollution, childhood asthma, etc., while offering
viable solutions.
Sludge - Followed by a discussion with Filmmaker Robert
Salyer, A documentary investigation of the aftermath
of the
Thoughts in the Presence of Fear - followed by a
discussion with filmmaker Herb E. Smith - New Appalshop film based on
Wendell Berry’s essay of the same name, in response to the 9/11 attacks,
arguing for a localized, “peaceable economy.”
From
the inception of the project, I always held that the essence of the Bluegrass
Energy Expo was initiating and forwarding a conversation about energy:
its social and economic costs and benefits; its political ramifications;
the environmental consequences of its use and misuse; and ways that each
entity and individual can reexamine their use of it and their relationship
to it, offering them an opportunity to explore different options that
can benefit themselves and their families, the economy, the environment,
and future generations. Hosting the Expo will allow us to influence
the tone and content of this conversation, assuring that solutions that
benefit people and communities in the region are included. The Expo is but one of several ways we are forwarding
this conversation, although it promises to be our most high-profile project
in the near future.
At the
organizational level, we hope to realize certain benefits from the Expo.
First and foremost, taking the lead in establishing a high-profile event
such as this will establish relationships that will be invaluable for
our future work in
Ten
days after the Expo, we held a debriefing meeting to review the 2004 Expo
and began planning the 2005 Expo. Much
of the discussion centered on marketing, and it was decided to assign
one person to do nothing but cover the marketing bases for us next year.
We also went over the attendee and exhibitor surveys, and discussed how
to use the abundant data to make next year’s Expo better.
Our task for 2005 is to build on a very solid 1st Annual
Bluegrass Energy Expo and present an even better 2nd Annual.
As always, our supporters are invited to participate. Please contact us
if you are interested.
In
an effort to become more involved in the local community, ASPI recently
hired a new volunteer coordinator. Her name is Laura Wick. She came to
Laura
was drawn to ASPI because of its mission to promote technologies
that can help us live more gently on the earth. She was intrigued by
the opportunity of living at the Demo center, where these technologies
are being used daily. One of her desires is to live simply, and to
be constantly challenged in this regard. She appreciates the peacefulness
of the
Laura’s
goals as Volunteer Coordinator include: 1) Rejuvenating the volunteer
program at ASPI; 2) Working with the local community to improve the local
environment. 3) Offer services that are otherwise unavailable. 4)
Educating volunteers about the region - the beauty and struggle that makes
it a unique place. 5) Educate volunteers and community members about appropriate
technology.
So far,
Her time has been spent looking for volunteer housing, seeking
out possible projects and talking to community leaders, forest service
personnel, Eastern KY PRIDE, and other groups. She is at a point where
she is confident enough with the logistics to begin seeking out volunteers.
She has started by contacting colleges and other groups that have volunteered
here in the past, as well as seeking out new volunteer groups. She
will spend the winter laying the groundwork and groups will begin arriving this
spring, although we are open to hosting groups over the holidays.
She
will bring in groups for a day, a weekend, or week, to work on environmental
and community projects in Rockcastle and surrounding counties. Volunteers
will be recruited from colleges, churches, youth groups, environmental
organizations, etc. Projects will
include river and illegal dump clean-ups, environmental restoration
projects, trail building and maintenance, appropriate technology installations,
low-income weatherization, and other projects that are needed in the area.
If any of you know of groups that may be interested or have any ideas
for the volunteer program please contact Laura at the ASPI office
or via email at lm_wick@yahoo.com.
News
and Notes
Remember the 2005 Simple Lifestyle Calendar for
A hearty thanks to all of you that have ordered your 2005
Simple Lifestyle Calendars. Our
Small Towns of Appalachia calendar theme is getting wonderful reviews
and people are really enjoying Warren Brunner’s “vintage” small-town photographs. Remember that we are relying more heavily on
our calendars than ever, so please give them to as many friends, family
and associates as you can.
Attn: Photographers – Photos needed for 2006 Footpaths
of
Strap on your hiking boots and head for the hills if you
want to see your work in the 2006 Simple Lifestyle Calendar. With Warren Brunner’s blessing, we
are opening the calendar up to other photographers. We are looking
for good photos of paths and trails in
A special thanks to the 97 ASPI Supporters who participated
in the survey sent out with the
The
ratings seem to reflect ASPI’s current priorities with one notable exception.
Most of our time and resources are going into our green building/energy/solar
work and environmental education, which are rated very highly, but our
third most active project is our ginseng work, which was rated the lowest
by far. Interestingly enough, we see our ginseng work as synonymous with
sustainable forestry, which was rated very highly, but our supporters
apparently draw a sharp contrast between sustainable forestry and non-timber
forest products, even though the results are potentially the same. This suggests that we should devote less newsletter
space to our ginseng work, and those with a strong interest in the subject
can contact us to receive our Appalachian Ginseng Foundation newsletter
if they are not already receiving it.
7/14/04 to 10/29/04 - Casey Sterr,
Robert & Beth Gehres, Myrtle Hendrickson,
Gayle Brabec, Ruth & Robert Straus, Wayne & Shirley Davis,
Sr.Mary T. Glass, James & Mary Payne, Christopher
Gurr, Sr. Robbie Pentecost, Paul Tagher, Kenneth Herren, Mary White
Goodwyn, Arnold & Kathleen Simonse, Peter Hrabak, Russell Tucker,
Tim Hensley, C. L. Offerdahl, Marilyn Cleveland,
Donna & Clay Goebeler Chris Klug, Herb Petitjean, Patricia Mundt, John Cleveland & Artie Bates, Margaret Selby, Andy
& Janet Ingraham Dwyer, John & Dorothy
Tohill, Mary Wicksten, Rob Rose,
Tobi Underwood, Liz Kaufman, Nancy Jackson, Alfred Siess, Rev. Richard J. Hoar, SJ., Jerry Redden, Martin Ogle,
Richard & Carol Jackson, Jack Vetter, David Coyte,
Colleen Fogarty & Jeffrey Sciortino,
Katherine Schmitt, James & Hildegard Wachob,
Perry & David Sliwa, Sr.Carolyn
Lambert, Barry Howard, Julia Jay Hensley,
Phyllis Jenness, Randall D. Hayes, Sarah
Peterson, Nick & Julie Schnitzer, Judy Hilton,
Donald Wilkerson, David & Carolyn MacNeel,
Margaret Gorey,
Leif Hagglund, Fred Weckenmann,
Anthony & Susan Verbalis, David & Becky
Grandgeorge, Marty & Hedi Kufamn, Ridge Runner Trading Co. Inc, Judith Bell & Richard Goodwin, Cathy Heying, Cynthia Kaplan, Angela Cox, Joan Davison, Lucy Mahaffey,
Ladene King, Joyce Moss, Lilian Lawrence, Thomas Campbell, George & Charlesetta Perraut, Robert &
Mary Davis, Syl Yunker, Judith Stafford, John
Carmichael, Ada & Timothy Taylor, Paul &
Daniela Wooton, Don Koke,
Gwen Hall, Patrice Emmerson, Lynn Chong,
Denise Peterson, Steve & Patty Boyce, P. Clare O’Brien, Janet Furlong,
Vickie Shufer, Veronica Ries,
Leo Babeu, Allene
J. Long, Kathryn Anderson, Mark & Joni Morgan, Ian Rudick,
Glenn & Joan Gallenstein, Dana Corman, Robert McDonald, Thomas DeLaura,
Myron Hardesty, Betty Stone, Carl Callenbach,
David Anderson, Ruben Angel, Hugh & Janet Crombie,
Jane B. Stephenson, Helen D. Mullins, David & Martha Lester, Kevin
Whelan, Hilary Lambert, Susana Lein, Mary Grisco,
Susanne Fountain, Don & Marianne Kaple,
David & Ethyl Merrick, S.Cecil Perry, John
Jones, Mike Listerman, Richard Murphy, David Arnold, Leonard Levine, Lena
Cramer, Rod Angeroth, Lori White, Judith Sheahan BVM, Richard & Martha Lammers,
Lynda Weaver-Williams, Judith Wilson, Jeff Cantin,
Sr. Agnita M. Hill, Chey
Mi Hendra & Nancy Taylor, Brenda Evans/Brenmar Farm, Jane Nowakowski &
Kevin Mulcahy, Ed & Tricia Cortas, Janice Weber, Laura Poulette
& Strider Deaver, Andy Ries
& Deb Baird, Janice DiMario, Glenn Ihrig, Francesca Bartos O.P., Walt
Bado, Carole Russell, Rosemary Corsetti, Becky Czarnik, Dick &
Janet Futrell, Dan Kendrick, Martin Ogle, Everett
Leggett, Kate Cunningham, Ben Atkins, Patricia Lapp, Marjory Dunn, Dawn
Ramsay, Christine Caldwell, Leah Aasen, Charlotte
Offerdahl, Louise Hamel,
David Cockley, Jerryanne
Bier, Missie & Daniel Knight, Beth Davies,
Charlotte Pyle, Celeste Jirles, Kris Stroad Moore, Mary Dresser, John & Jean Rosenberg, Michele
Handelman, Barbara Rothkrug,
Barbara Spicer, Rose Marie Muzika, Connie M.
Schmitt, Betty Johnson, Sharon Shannon, Barbara Sullivan, Ann M. Magner, Jeffrey
Waters, Robert Guthrie, Royal Graves, Dr. Ronald & Maureen Marion,
Mary Dresser, Lee Amundsen, Betsy Crofts, Susanne Fountain, Marion Mitchell,
Angela Showalter, Nancy Jackson, Leonard Levine, Wil
Lepkowski, Patricia Kenschaft, Delpha & Bob Williams in memory of Gene Hirschberg, Eugene
Krell in memory of Gene Hirschberg, Dr. & Mrs. Andreas Thomsen, Paul & Carol
Brimo, Faculty & Staff at University of
Wisconsin Waukesha Campus, Dan & Lauren Chapman, David Twedt,
Leslie Smith, Maggie Brandt, Katrina Cometa,
Donna Goebeler, Helen Hams, Chuck & Francie
Link, Ronald Seaton, Paula Ferrenburg, June
Tosh, Fred Weckenmann, Willanne Ackerman, Tom & Carol French-Corbett, Katherine
Thiel, Cecile Parker, Vicki Matte, William Galbraith,
Dawn Morales, Rev. Arthur Avery,
Marie Mochy, Jerry & Penny Clark, Shirley
Reynolds, Susan Brockmann, Marilla
Barghusen, Kit Pilgrim, Clara Fister,
Sue Eick, Delbert & Ruth Shirley, Robert
& Pamela Rodey in memory of Gene Hirschberg,
Suzanne Brown in memory of Gene Hirschberg, Bernard & Mary Lynne Rapien in memory of Gene Hirschberg
Library materials (books, reports, periodicals, reference
books) + recent Home Power magazines, fire-box or fire-proof safe, Canoes
or kayaks plus paddles and vests, 2001 plus model PCs and monitors, a
flat-bed utility trailer (12’ ideal), a good local source for large, brown
corrugated boxes, mulch and manure, and a stove.
HELP SUPPORT ASPI Through DISCOUNT COMMUNICATION SERVICES
Receive up to 150 hours a month of internet usage for
$14.95 and designate $2.25 per month to ASPI (at no cost to you). To sign
up, visit aspi.visp-net.com or if you don’t currently have internet
access, call 800-803-5726. Be sure to mention ASPI so we get credit
for the order.
New
Flat Rate – 4.9c for interstate
and intrastate calls. No monthly service fees, no
minimum
billing required, low-cost calling cards, & six-second billing. Good
except
where Quest is the local phone company. TouchTone has recently implemented
a lower 4.25c rate for
New Service Provider – Atcall, EqualNet, CCC/GlobalCom are no longer
honoring our
agreement.
If one of these is your carrier, please call Ian Rudick
at 1-888-622-
0957
to switch to TouchTone, so your calls continue to benefit ASPI. Sorry
for the inconvenience.
For more information
or to order new service, contact Ian Rudick
with Come From the Heart at 1-888-622-0957
Phone: (606) 256-0077 Fax: (606) 256-2779
Web Site: www.a-spi.org E-mail: aspi@a-spi.org