AECP SPONSORS GLOBAL WARMING SEMINAR
The Association of Energy Conservation Professionals (AECP) will sponsor a seminar on global warming on May 31 at the Jacksonville Center in Floyd, VA. The seminar will run from 10 – 4 with a tour of AECP’s Sustainable Living Education Center to follow after the event. Global warming and the impact of energy use on our natural environment and climate is the most important issue facing all of mankind in this century. The first step to be taken in confronting the threat of climate change is to first understand those human activities that are causing the earth to warm, what is the potential impact, and how can we move towards an active role in slowing and minimizing the negative impact of global warming.
The seminar will be open to the general public and provide a forum for several speakers to present on a wide range of topics related to global warming. The speakers include the following individuals:
- John Richardson – Environmental Science educator with the Gereau Center.
- David Roper – retired Physics Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech
- Renee Godard – Biology Professor, Hollins University
- Ken Cronin – Director of General Services, City of Roanoke
- Diana Christopulos – Coordinator Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition
- Mark McClain – Chair of the Roanoke Sierra Club
- Sean McGinnis – Chair of the Virginia Tech Green Engineering Department
- Billy Weitzenfeld – Executive Director, AECP
The theme of the seminar is to better understand what global warming is, the problems it poses, and what can we do about it. AECP has a long history of educating the general public about the threat of global warming and also helping people to understand that practicing energy conservation and efficiency in the home is the first step we can all take to help combat this problem.
SIMPLE ACTIONS WE CAN TAKE
- Turn down your thermostat by two degrees in winter and up two degrees in summer – SAVE 2000 lbs. of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year (the leading contributor to global warming)
- Replace 10 60-watt incandescent light bulbs with 10 13-watt compact fluorescent bulbs – SAVE 1500 lbs of CO2 per year
- Replace old refrigerator with a new Energy Star model – SAVE 1700 lbs of CO2
- Avoid driving 25 miles a week by walking, biking, carpooling, or taking mass transit – SAVE 1500 lbs of CO2
- Add insulation to your home – SAVE 2000 lbs of CO2 per year
- Plant a tree – SAVE 2000 lbs of CO2 per year
- Unplug unused electronics – SAVE 1000 lbs of CO2 per year
- Take a shorter shower – SAVE 350 lbs of CO2 per year
- Change furnace and air conditioner filters when needed – SAVE 500 lbs of CO2
IMPORTANT DATES
- April 15 – AECP BOD meeting, Floyd, VA
- April 22 – Earth Day
- May 31 – AECP Global Warming seminar
- June 9 – AECP annual membership meeting, Virginia Beach, VA
- June 10 – AECP Lead Safe training, Virginia Beach, VA
- November 7, 8 – AECP’s ninth annual Green Living and Energy Expo
280-MEGAWATT SOLAR POWER PLANT BEING BUILT IN ARIZONA
Arizona Public Service Company (APS ) is planning to draw power from a 280-megawatt concentrating solar power plant. The plant will be among the largest in the world and is being built by Abengoa Solar. The power produced will power over 70,000 homes in Arizona. The facility will use miles of parabolic trough-shaped mirrors to capture the sun’s heat and focus it upon a length of “absorber” tubing. A fluid passed through the tubing collects the sun’s heat, and the hot fluid is used to boil water to steam, which then spins a turbine to produce electricity.
ENERGY TIP
Celebrate Earth Day on April 22. Go to the earth Day Network at: http://ww2.earthday.net/~earthday/ and find out ways you can plug into this event.