Lights Out

Have you unplugged lately?

Telluride  was the first city street on the globe to be illuminated with street lights, thanks to the advent of AC/DC power conceived right here in our very own Ames Valley. Currently, almost every occupied home in this county is "lit" long after the sun has dropped.

The abundance of electrical energy flowing freely into our homes now allows us to watch a DVD, while on-line shopping, while nuking popcorn in the microwave as our clothes and dishes are washed spontaneously without even touching them. Around here, your fully charged cell phone that you nuzzle with every day, your warm blown dried hair in the winter chill, and your home brewed coffee machine, like all other electrical appliances, are charged by coal power burned at our neighboring Nucla power plant.


Today, in our current environmental and economic crisis, sustainable can simply be defined as "USE LESS!" Once dedicated to sustainability, as an attempt to heal the planet, you will also find that healthy personal, physical, and emotional benefits that follow from the practice of Living Green. Have you unplugged lately?

    My friend Margaret, after working for the peace Corp in Honduras, retuned home to the typical American urban environment to see if she could maintain a connection to the natural rhythms of nature among a culture that does not support it.  Thus, as a way to practice energy conservation, sustainability, and living simply, she vowed to not use electricity after the sun went down.  She says, "Electronics seem to keep us constantly busy feeling that there is no end to work that could be done."  The sun became the natural bell that signified the workday was over, instead of flicking on the lights and keeping the day going longer than it needed. She found that you get your computer work, laundry, and phone calls done during the day, so you can then enjoy time to unwind, be with family, share conversation, and relax.   Think, how many electronics are on in your household at night?    By disconnecting, saving a little energy, burning a little less carbon, she was also able to connect in a meaningful way with her family, enjoy the present moment, and her body, as noticed she was always well rested as bedtime came at a normal hour when darkness set in. This experiment in unplugging is uncommon in American households, as we seem to let our electrical appliances suck time and energy away from us.  Unplugging, simplifying, getting in tune with the natural cycles are not new concepts.  They are rather ways of life to which we strive and struggle to return to. 

Every Friday, Jews celebrate Shabbat fully submitting to a day of rest from sundown to sundown, where all electronics, cars, or anything that "burns a fire" is turned off, in order to spend time with family and on spiritual enrichment. Furthermore, let us celebrate the Amish for all the energy they conserve for the greater good.  Their religion restricts access to television, radio, and telephones since the Inception of these electronics as an effort to keep the modern world from intruding into their home life. 

As the green movement gains momentum, find a small way to get involved.  If you are not moved to change your habits in the name of the health of the planet, you may find that placing the health of yourself first is also a means to living green, and is healthy for you, your home, and the environment.


--
Be Well,

Daniel Kanow
EcoSpaces  "Green Building Solutions"
Telluride, CO  USA
(O) 970-728-1973   (F) 970-728-8007

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