AECP will be conducting its annual membership meeting(s) on June 12 and 13, 2006 at the Sheraton Oceanfront, 36th and Atlantic, Virginia Beach. These meetings will include an AECP Board meeting to be followed by a full membership meeting on Monday, June 12. AECP member, Conservation Strategies, will host a reception that evening at Mahi Mahs from 5:30 to 7:00. On Tuesday, June 13 there will be three workshops – a lead safe practice workshop, an EPA certification class in refrigerant handling, and a stress management workshop.
A key issue taken up at the annual membership meeting will be the election of AECP Officers and Directors. The current AECP Board has recommended the following slate to be considered by the membership:
Officers
President – Bill Beachy
Vice-President – John Bodtmann
Secretary – Anthony Cox
Treasurer – Joanne Langford
Directors
James Robinson
Bernard Jones
Tom Daniel
Bill Craig
Pam Palmore
Fred Gross
John Saunders
Thuy Lam
Rick Sheets
BRING BACK PASSENGER TRAINS
There was a time in America when passenger trains were a major source of transportation. Mass transit is good for the environment and for people’s pocket books. Conventional and high- speed trains reduce our reliance on volatile fuel prices, reduces the number of pollution spewing vehicles on the road, minimizes highway expansion and cost and reduces the problem of urban sprawl. Passenger trains in America have been replaced by a downsized freight train service. Europe has continued to provide excellent passenger train service across the continent. European tax- payers are comfortable with subsidizing train service at the same levels as highway construction and repair, and airports and airline service. This is because Europeans have embraced energy saving studies that show trains have a clear 4 to 1 advantage over cars and airplanes. Its time that Americans understand that some technologies are good for the environment and others are not as good and when that distinction is clear then we move assertively in that direction.
STUDY FINDS GLOBAL WARMING WORSENS POISON IVY
Global warming is a product of increased greenhouse gas emissions – gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. Recent studies by Duke University indicate that the increase in carbon dioxide has resulted in poison ivy plants growing three times larger than normal and producing a much more allergenic form of urushiol. Urushiol is the poison that causes the swelling and painful itch.
CONGRATULATIONS ANTHONY COX!
Anthony Cox, Technical Coordinator for Community Housing Partners and a long time AECP member and officer has just received nationally accredited certifications from the Building Performance Institute (BPI). The certifications are Building Analyst I, Shell Specialist, and Heating Specialist. BPI provides certifications in several areas of home energy performance services. For more information please check out www.bpi.org .
SIP’S ARE ENERGY EFFICENT BUILDING PANELS
Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) are rigid foam sandwiched between factory bonded oriented strand board (OSB), or wood paneling. SIP’s are usually 4 to 8 feet wide and up to 24 feet long and can be used for walls as well as structural roof sections. They are simple to erect and go up faster than other traditional wall systems. They are twice as strong as a stud wall with insulation values that range from r-15 to r-45. SIP’s increase the total building cost by only one% to 3% and the reduction in labor cost and energy savings offset this expense. A Canadian study showed that over the course of a year, one home with SIPs used only a quarter of the energy consumed by an adjacent stick frame house with an identical floor plan.
ENERGY TIP
Install solar-powered motion sensor outdoor lighting and save money on your electric bill. Solar motion sensing lights are both affordable and easy to install. This is another opportunity in a simple way to use renewable energy in your home. Check out www.brookstone.com and www.sundancesolar.com for more information.