Whiteley Creek Homestead

LIFE AT THE END OF A DIRT ROAD IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA

organically grown triticale in our field
canoeing in our wetlands
raspberries growing wild on our property
our back porch fieldstone fireplace

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earth day 2012

Mother Earth News

Did you know that you can support the wind power initiative by signing up with your local power company to donate money (you decide the amount) to be added to your billing statement each month? You won't know exactly which wind turbine(s) you are funding, but you can be proud to know that you are part of the solution towards less reliance on fossil fuels. Dick and I have been doing this for five years now. Maybe, just maybe, we can change the course of the short-sighted, destructive path we are on and collectively reap the benefits by individually doing our small part to alter the bigger picture. 

 
   
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4 responses to “earth day 2012”

  1. wordplayhouse® Avatar
    wordplayhouse®

    No, I didn’t know about this. This is a simple, automatic way to do a little part each month to help out. We’re waiting for the incentives + dropping costs on solar panels to align to a figure manageable for our family so we can install those.

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  2. Adrienne Cahoon Avatar
    Adrienne Cahoon

    Ah, yes, the initial investment and sometimes maintenance costs, too, are budget prohibitive. We had researched purchasing a small wind turbine to power our home. Government rebates made the purchase more affordable, however the annual cost of cleaning the motor and blades was a crushing blow. Self-maintenance is an option, but I had no plans to climb the height required and wasn’t going to volunteer Dick for the job either.

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  3. stacy Avatar
    stacy

    Hi Mrs. Cahoon,
    I am a friend of your daughter’s and stopped by to see what you are up to – I am so glad I did! I wanted to tell you I had heard of this initiative, we live in Texas and our energy company is making a huge push to expand its portfolio, which means new wind & solar markets (sadly, also Nuclear & Fracking …. I would do just about anything to move away from those options). I have been trying to work up the gumption to barter an ad on my website for the $12 extra dollars a month it will take my family to go 100% windtricity … it was my NY resolution to myself … and well, I’ve been slacking on my commitment. Thank you for reminding of all the other reasons I wanted to do this in the first place! Now off to make it happen … I’ll stop back by once it’s done to let you know 🙂

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  4. Adrienne Cahoon Avatar
    Adrienne Cahoon

    What a pleasure it is to meet you, Stacy! Thank you for stopping by for a wee visit. I applaud your desire to transition to windtricity. The small bits we do may seem like a grain of sand washing upon the shore, but it really can make a difference when that grain becomes part of others’ grains of sand. This weekend, I am attending an annual Living Green Expo in St. Paul. It is there that I initially learned of how I could support the wind energy program. Anxiously, I await what new insight I may glean from this year’s event. Please do stop by with an update on your “NY resolution.”

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