Solar Energy, Electric Cars, and Wind Power
Over the last two years, as I've researched and blogged, I've come to believe that L&LNM can help New Mexicans live happier lives by showing them ways to pull themselves out of debt. This doesn't mean giving them money to pay off their credit card bills but teaching them ways to cut costs in other areas so they can put extra money to paying off their debt.
As a bonus, the ideas I hope will become reality also contribute to the effort to make our planet healthier. Although our focus has changed from specifics like offering high school equivalency classes to bigger concepts like learning how to counteract dysfunctional economic systems and global warming, our vision and mission statements hold true.
I've been talking to a friend about projects that we could start looking into with this new focus. She is a member of the Rotary Club in Los Alamos, and they are always looking for worthy causes to contribute to.
My friend said that the club is looking for ways to help northern New Mexicans who live in poverty. She pitched a hypothetical scenario at me -- what if the Los Alamos Rotary had $5,000 each year to contribute to the poverty issue in our state? How could that small amount be maximized to have the most impact? I had to think about that. I couldn't answer immediately.
The next time we met for lunch, I had an idea to share. It ties in with an idea I had last year when I was looking at applying for a YouthBuild grant and I was living on that amazing WPA property in Bosque Farms. I wanted to build one or two tiny houses to use as mobile offices/classrooms around the state. We would put out flyers in the community offering our free class, in which students acquire construction skills as they build a tiny house, and L&LNM gets a completed tiny office/classroom for the program.
Go Solar!
Let's look at solar energy for a moment. If more New Mexicans converted to solar, they could save on their utility bills, a move that could really make a difference for those living in poverty.
L&LNM could work in partnership with Rotary Clubs and other interested parties around the state to start helping NM residents convert to solar energy. We could pick one house at a time in each community to convert.
The residents of the chosen house will learn how to convert to solar as they do the work, and they will help with the next house that is converted. With each house, more people will acquire marketable skills and enjoy reduced energy costs as well.
We could also partner with local businesses that can supply free materials and/or expertise. A local solar company might be able to contribute one or two solar panels for each house we convert. We might be able to tap into their pool of knowledge to provide workshops to our students to help them learn so they can live a sustainable, clean energy lifestyle. There is also potential for jobs.
Go Electric!
We could do the same with our cars. I watched Revenge of the Electric Car. and I learned that a new Tesla costs upward of $100,000 but that converting a car to electric costs about half that. Still sounds unreasonably expensive but that could change.
What if we took one car at a time, help students learn how to convert it to clean energy, and then let them loose to help others convert their cars, just as we could do with converting houses to solar and building tiny houses?
Wind
Don't forget, New Mexico is a windy state, and there's power in that wind. That's all I have on that note as I haven't researched it at all.
Another beautiful day in our beautiful state, a great day to learn something new.
I'll be learning about wind power myself.
Go New Mexico!
As a bonus, the ideas I hope will become reality also contribute to the effort to make our planet healthier. Although our focus has changed from specifics like offering high school equivalency classes to bigger concepts like learning how to counteract dysfunctional economic systems and global warming, our vision and mission statements hold true.
I've been talking to a friend about projects that we could start looking into with this new focus. She is a member of the Rotary Club in Los Alamos, and they are always looking for worthy causes to contribute to.
My friend said that the club is looking for ways to help northern New Mexicans who live in poverty. She pitched a hypothetical scenario at me -- what if the Los Alamos Rotary had $5,000 each year to contribute to the poverty issue in our state? How could that small amount be maximized to have the most impact? I had to think about that. I couldn't answer immediately.
The next time we met for lunch, I had an idea to share. It ties in with an idea I had last year when I was looking at applying for a YouthBuild grant and I was living on that amazing WPA property in Bosque Farms. I wanted to build one or two tiny houses to use as mobile offices/classrooms around the state. We would put out flyers in the community offering our free class, in which students acquire construction skills as they build a tiny house, and L&LNM gets a completed tiny office/classroom for the program.
Go Solar!
Let's look at solar energy for a moment. If more New Mexicans converted to solar, they could save on their utility bills, a move that could really make a difference for those living in poverty.
L&LNM could work in partnership with Rotary Clubs and other interested parties around the state to start helping NM residents convert to solar energy. We could pick one house at a time in each community to convert.
The residents of the chosen house will learn how to convert to solar as they do the work, and they will help with the next house that is converted. With each house, more people will acquire marketable skills and enjoy reduced energy costs as well.
We could also partner with local businesses that can supply free materials and/or expertise. A local solar company might be able to contribute one or two solar panels for each house we convert. We might be able to tap into their pool of knowledge to provide workshops to our students to help them learn so they can live a sustainable, clean energy lifestyle. There is also potential for jobs.
Go Electric!
We could do the same with our cars. I watched Revenge of the Electric Car. and I learned that a new Tesla costs upward of $100,000 but that converting a car to electric costs about half that. Still sounds unreasonably expensive but that could change.
What if we took one car at a time, help students learn how to convert it to clean energy, and then let them loose to help others convert their cars, just as we could do with converting houses to solar and building tiny houses?
Wind
Don't forget, New Mexico is a windy state, and there's power in that wind. That's all I have on that note as I haven't researched it at all.
Another beautiful day in our beautiful state, a great day to learn something new.
I'll be learning about wind power myself.
Go New Mexico!
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