Since I embarked on my new position at Sierra Business Council managing the Gold Country Broadband Consortium, my curiosity about how we are connected to the World Wide Web has been piqued. What I’m finding, there’s a complex web being built by a few spiders and some of them are poisonous. I have been uncovering where the various wires are, who owns them, and how unserved communities can gain access to them. The big telecoms own most of the fiber, coax cable, copper, and the conduit to deploy it. Even if you dig the trench, pay an ISP to lay the conduit and the wire to connect you; they own the conduit and the wire. I discovered that AT&T is slowly turning off its old copper lines and migrating to a fiber and wireless network. During this migration process, they are canceling internet services in areas where it doesn’t pencil for them to maintain it. The only reason they’re not canceling all copper services just yet is because the government, by law, requires they provide wireline phone service. In Illinois and other states, AT&T wants to back out of mandates to run landline phones, but approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is necessary before they can pull phone service. As far back as 2014 AT&T and Verizon started canceling landline Internet and phone service leaving people to complain to the FCC.It seems their goal is to implement fiber in high-density areas forcing smaller communities to rely on mobile wireless for all AT&T telecommunication services, including broadband. AT&T is working hard trying to get new bills passed, SB 649 in California is one of them, and similar bills in other states. Allowing them, in part allowing, to put cellular antennae on any public building, or utility pole without needing to ask permission. They’ve also been busy working on changing the FCC’s definition of home phone service from wireline to wireless. Now I know why they don’t have time to return phone calls. Thanks to Jerry Brown, AB 649 didn’t pass.
The FCC is responsible for protecting us from losing our core utilities or getting bitten by one of those dangerous spiders. Broadband should be a core utility and more heavily regulated by the FCC.Broadband provides access to the types of services we are losing in rural America; Healthcare, education, emergency services, and access to more economic development opportunities yet these are the areas that are losing access or don’t have access. In 2015 theWhite House and the Broadband Opportunity Council authored a report that discusses how broadband Internet has become an “essential infrastructure for communities” and is no longer just a convenience, but a “core utility” considered as essential as electricity and water.Regulations were put in place between 2010 and 2015 to help remove the threats to Internet openness, protecting the consumer and preventing providers from deceiving customers, degrading content, or promoting content they favor and disfavoring content they don’t like. With the current administration and the appointment of Ajit Pai as the new chair of the FCC, the regulations to protect consumers are being threatened. Pai, a former lawyer for Verizon, is opposed to regulation and is looking to restore “Internet Freedom” for the providers, in part determining whether regulatory intervention is necessary for this market. The Commission hopes that by reducing the red tape these proposals will spur broadband deployment throughout the country, bringing better, faster Internet service to more Americans and boosting competition and choice in the broadband marketplace.
Recently, I went to the AT&T website and searched for service availability in my area and found only home phone and mobile phone service, no more internet. Many rural providers are filling the gap left by the big telecom using grants and creative funding to lay down their own wires and purchase parts of the World Wide Web with the goal of creating an open-access web. The revolution is well underway.
Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation
www.ttcf.net Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation connects people and opportunities, generating resources to build a more caring creative and effective community. News Letter For Last Splash Fundraising Campaign
Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF) launches new end
of summer fundraising campaign with a Splash! Last Splash Give Back is a creative way to encourage donations from second homeowners, tourists, and the community. The donations go directly to TTCF's programs and administration that support Direct Grantmaking, Community Leadership and Strengthen Nonprofits.
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Starting in August, visitors will find Last Splash messages
like "Make your last splash a cannonball! Give Back to Tahoe
yourlastsplash.org" or "A Tahoe visit is brief, but the memories last forever.
Preserve future memories. givebacktahoe.org" TTCF's goal for this campaign is to attract more donors that
don't live in the area, but appreciate the North Tahoe/Truckee community. They
would like to educate visitors and the community on what they do in
transforming success on the ground into long-lasting change for over 200
nonprofits. Donor's contributions go directly back into the community. Anyone can make a donation at givebacktahoe.org. Please
visit the campaign and tell us what you think! info@ttcf.net
Join TTCF for a cannonball competition sponsored by Squaw at
Lahontan on Saturday, June 24th at 2pm.
Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation connects people and
opportunities, generating resources to build a more caring, creative, and
effective community.
With a long-term goal of securing discretionary resources from many donors to meet changing community needs, TTCF has been building philanthropy in North Tahoe through its work with donors, nonprofits and
communities for more than a decade. Established through the vision of William
Hewlett and the commitment of community leaders throughout the region, the
Foundation serves thousands of people who share a common passion for the
Truckee Tahoe region.
Individuals, families, businesses, and organizations create charitable funds that help meet the challenges of the region. Today, the Foundation's assets of $15 million are held in stewardship for more than 3,000
donors.
Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation grants impact the life of every full time resident, part time resident, and visitor to our community. We make grants in the areas of: • Arts and culture • Education and youth development • Environment, conservation, and animal welfare • Health and human services
Since opening our doors in 1998, TTCF has awarded over $10,000,000 in grants and scholarships. The foundation depends on volunteers to help review grants and community members to build the philanthropic resources so vital to this precious region. Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation is the center for philanthropy in North Lake Tahoe. We will continue that leadership even more vigorously in the future. Come join us!
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Adobe Systems
www.adobe.com OpenHD Program HD Expo News Letter Article for the Adobe OpenHD Program. HD Expo produces premier industry events for the production and content creation communities.
What is Adobe
OpenHD?
In the world of High Definition (HD) production anyone wanting to
create HD content is presented with a myriad of options that often leave them
confused and bewildered. Adobe OpenHD is an alliance of industry leaders whose
goal is to solve some of the mystery that exists when considering a solution
for creating HD content.
By offering customers scalable, open, and certified solutions to support any popular HD format, Adobe OpenHD provides an efficient
way for customers to purchase turnkey solutions and gain expert support for the
ever-changing world of HD content creation and post-production.
Adobe and the Adobe OpenHD partners achieve this by assembling and certifying a line of open, scalable, desktop and portable HDV,
HD, SD and 2K solutions with Adobe Production Studio. This range of solutions
is based upon industry-standard video, graphics, and Windows®-based computers,
which allow industry professionals to get the best performance, scalability and
reliability possible.
By thoroughly testing and certifying the OpenHD
configurations, the Adobe OpenHD program gives customers confidence that the
OpenHD system purchased will operate at the optimal performance level for their
workflow. They can be assured that they're getting a reliable system that
provides the performance necessary for any level of production and includes
dedicated Adobe OpenHD support.
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The Adobe OpenHD certification process resolves support
conflicts that exist when configuring off-the-shelf components or generic,
unproven white-box solutions. And the system configuration scales easily to
support a variety of projects and budgets.
With Adobe OpenHD, customers get
the reliability of a brand-name system along with dedicated comprehensive
support. Customers enjoy an integrated system that allows them to start
producing the instant it is plugged in. Support calls are minimized. Its flexibility
provides video professionals the ability to expand as the world of HD
production evolves.
About the partners The Adobe OpenHD alliance consists of industry-leading manufacturers serving the video post-production community.
In January 2005, Adobe teamed with HP®, Intel®, Dell™ and Microsoft® to create the Adobe OpenHD initiative. By January 2006, the initiative was strengthened with the addition of 10 more key industry partners: AJA, AMD, Blackmagic, Bluefish, CineForm, Ciprico, Focusrite®, Matrox, NVIDIA®, and Rorke®. With the addition of ATTO Technology in November, and more partners expected to join soon, Adobe OpenHD continues to expand its ability to provide
the most comprehensive desktop and portable HD, HDV, and SD offerings on the
market today.
This broad alliance of leading manufacturers behind Adobe
OpenHD makes HD accessible to a much wider audience. Broadcast professionals,
filmmakers, corporate and event videographers, and others will now have a
choice of several optimized, tightly integrated and innovative HD
post-production platforms.
Looking ahead, the anticipated shut down of the analog
signal in 2009 and the lack of a standardized format for acquisition,
distribution and delivery, support for HD solutions is essential. Adobe OpenHD provides
the infrastructure necessary to support the great diversity of HD content
creation needs.
Adobe OpenHD Products and Features Adobe OpenHD turnkey solutions include Production Studio software and hardware for portable HDV workstations, desktop HDV workstations, HD/SD editing and finishing, Real-Time HD/SD/2k editing and finishing. www.adobe.com/adobeopenhd/certified_solutions.
Adobe Production Studio Premium-Adobe Production Studio
Premium provides a complete post-production environment. This well-integrated
solution combines After Effects® 7.0 Professional, Adobe Premiere® Pro 2.0,
Photoshop® CS2, Adobe Audition® 2.0, Adobe Encore™ DVD 2.0, and Illustrator®
CS2 software with Adobe Dynamic Link.
Adobe Dynamic Link-Dramatically increase your productivity by using After Effects compositions in Adobe Premiere Pro sequences and Adobe Encore DVD projects with no need for intermediate rendering. Edit a composition in After Effects and view your updates instantly in the other applications. Available only in Adobe Production Studio. Designed for HD-Work with HD at all
popular resolutions and frame rates. Adobe Production Studio supports HD, HDV,
SD, and DV formats.
Adobe Bridge-Organize, search, browse, preview, and manage
the content for all your post-production projects with this centralized,
powerful, and convenient file-management application.
Broad Support for Industry Standards-Smoothly integrate
Adobe Production Studio into your existing workflows with support for today's
formats, including Macromedia® Flash® (SWF), AAF, OMF, EDL, VST, ASIO,
Photoshop (PSD), ReWire, BWF, MPEG, Windows Media®, FireWire, QuickTime, and
Real.
Adobe¨ OpenHD Expert Support As a key component of Adobe
OpenHD certified systems, Adobe OpenHD Support delivers one-stop, advanced
technical support for quick resolution of software and hardware issues. This
includes: Access to Advanced Support Agents-Adobe OpenHD Support gives
your customers direct access to senior-level technicians well versed in Adobe
OpenHD Solutions. Collaborative Support-With Adobe OpenHD Support, just one
phone call reaches the expertise of multiple platform vendors working behind
the scenes to resolve cross-platform issues. Unlimited Calls-No more per-incident fees, no more incident
packs that run out in the middle of critical projects! With Adobe OpenHD
Support two users can contact a support technician as often as necessary.
For more information about Adobe OpenHD please view the
website, www.adobeopenHD.com
Michelle Gartner
Product Marketing Manager, Consultant Adobe
Systems
From 2:00pm - 5:00pm in the Club Room Adobe
and Matrox will be hosting the intensive workshop: From Ingest to Distribution. This
FREE workshop focuses on a multitude of facets relating to real-world
production and the most recent Adobe support for the latest cameras including
the Panasonic P2 DVCPRO HD and other popular HDV cameras from Canon, JVC and
Sony. Workshop highlights include:
Learn how to Input direct to disk or capture off tape with Adobe Production Studio.
From green screen set-up for the best image quality to editing and pre-visualizing in the field with new portable workstation technology
How to export from HDV, HD and SD formats for distribution on a number of platforms in a variety of formats.
Encoding Flash for web or for Mobile phones, learn how to diversify and empower your content distribution ability.
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Showcasing editing and effects workflows with speed and image quality, learn the ins and outs of the Matrox AXIO LE and how to take Adobe Production Studio even further.
Premiere
Pro expert and Digital Workflow specialist Jacob Rosenberg will be joined by fellow expert and video professional Larry Sherwood to guide you through the motions of this comprehensive session.
To register for the HD EXPO and the Adobe Intensive click
here. If you have already registered for the EXPO, but would like to
attend the Adobe Intensive as well click
here. Seating is limited to 200 and is on a first come, first served
basis.
Jacob Rosenberg is a filmmaker and published Author who
continues to push projects through the bleeding edge of technology. Recently,
Jacob produced and directed a direct-to-disk HD music video for Los Angeles
based artist John Gold. Jacob also serves as the DI supervisor and Online
Editor for the upcoming Cavu release "Lbs." Having already benchmarked a new post workflow with the
feature film "Dust to Glory," "Lbs." reflects a post friendly low cost, high
quality workflow for finishing feature films on affordable desktop computers.
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Truckee Green Network
tgnw.org A networking nonprofit connecting partners that are fostering sustainability and environmental stewardship. News
Welcoming Sagehen Creek to the network
I want to welcome the Sagehen Creek Field Station as the
newest partner. A field station is an experimental natural environment for
biological research, hydrological studies, ecology, climate change studies, and environmental
education. It's amazing to have something of such historical and environmental
importance right in our back yard!
Sagehen
Creek was originally developed by the Berkeley University School of Forestry
and Conservation in 1951 and is now overseen by several entities. The Leopold
family was instrumental in creating the Sagehen Creek Field Station, as they
were in many other endeavors through over 3 generations of environmental
stewardship.
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On one of my visits to Sagehen Creek we watched a film, Green
Fire, about the legendary Aldo Leopold,
his life and his legacy. It's
bittersweet, gives you hope and makes you cry. After the film a few of us had a debate about the "Land
Ethic" as it relates to environmental sustainability. Is the land ethic inspiring
what we do in regards to the environment, or are philosophies around
sustainability what we look to for guidance? There were two camps, one was that
environmental sustainability was the overarching concept while the land ethic
was only a subset of environmental sustainability and the other was that the
land ethic is the main inspiration from which environmental sustainability is
created. I felt that the land ethic is the overarching concept that we base our
decisions on regarding environmental sustainability. The Land Ethic gives us
the guidance to determine what is sustainable. Can we have environmental sustainability
without a land ethic? What do you think?
Here is a link to
the site for the movie. Let us know if you want a screening in Truckee. http://www.greenfiremovie.com/
You may have heard of Aldo Leopold and the Sand County Almanac, which contains this short essay "The Land
Ethic" and has inspired many environmentalists and activists, including myself.
You may have heard of Aldo
Leopold and the Sand County Almanac, which contains this short essay "The Land
Ethic" and has inspired many environmentalists and activists, including myself.
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Sierra Sun News Paper
How Green Is It? Column 04-13-07 How Green Is It? Examining Light Bulbs
As a bi-product of the industrial revolution, the US is the world's largest producer of Carbon Dioxide as a whole and per capita. Since we
are the pioneers who created most of the elements that produce carbon emissions
it's our responsibility to lead the campaign to reduce carbon emissions.
Many of us have the sincere desire to reduce our carbon footprint, but what does that really mean? Carbon footprint is a measure of
environmental impact directly related to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the combustion of non-renewable resources. No, it isn't a direct correlation to your shoe size. Essentially it is a measurement of the energy used to produce, use and dispose of a product, commonly known as the product life cycle.
Well, if you have a large foot there's a good possibility that your product consumption is relative to its size. There are other effects that also impact the environment, heavy
metals, toxic chemicals, erosion, and land use. It's crucial to consider the
complete picture when looking at reducing your impacts on the environment.
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If a product has little or no carbon emissions it is frequently referred to as green. There is an overwhelming amount of information
about green products and services scattered about various media and the number
of companies claiming to be "green" is growing exponentially. Where do you
start and how do you decide what's right for you? Take it one step at a time
and explore how green it really is. There are cost effective, and in many cases
cost saving, ways to reduce your negative impact on the environment.
Let's start with something that is utilized by every person
in this region everyday, lighting. There is a big push to switch from
incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). This helps to reduce
carbon emissions, because most of our electricity currently comes from coal
burning power plants, the most environmentally damaging, energy producing,
non-renewable resource. Using CFLs will also provide you with savings for your
pocket book. This seems like a win win situation, but there are a few things
that we need to be aware of. State of California Department of Toxic Substances
Control (DTSC) identifies fluorescent bulbs as hazardous waste. It wasn't until
recently, February 9th, 2007 to be exact, that it became illegal for anyone to
dispose of them in the trash. They have been considered toxic waste for years,
but households and businesses were exempt from complying with regulations that
keep these and other hazardous waste out of the trash. These bulbs are toxic
because they contain mercury, a highly toxic heavy metal, and if they break
mercury vapor is released. Remember the Mad Hatter? Well, he didn't first
appear in Alice in Wonderland. Mercury was used in the felting process for
making hats that early in the 18th century were very popular in Europe and
North America. It is a cumulative poison that causes kidney and brain damage.
Symptoms include trembling, loosening of teeth, loss of co-ordination, slurred
speech, irritability, loss of memory, depression, anxiety, and other
personality changes, all components of mad hatter syndrome.
California refers to hazardous waste matter as "Universal
Waste" or "U-Waste" and defines them as such, electronics, batteries, mercury
thermostats, fluorescent lights, mercury thermometers, and other products
containing heavy metals. There is no charge to drop-off batteries, florescent
tubes and bulbs and partially filled aerosol cans at the recycling center at
Eastern Regional Landfill (ERL). Fees apply to all other U-waste items, which
need to be taken to ERL for proper disposal. The ERL is off 89 South of Truckee
on Cabin Creek Rd. ½ way between Truckee and Squaw. The hours of operation are
Monday – Saturday 8:00am – 4:00pm.
There is a push to create more efficient and less toxic
light bulbs. Incandescent bulbs are becoming more efficient, fluorescents are
being created with less mercury and, well, then there's LEDs. These lights are
the most energy efficient and the least toxic, but what about the blue hue that
makes you look like you drank too much the night before? There is white light
technology, but unfortunately it's not economical for consumer lighting. The
5th Annual Advanced LED and Solid State Lighting Suppliers Conference, BLUE
2007, takes place this month in Hsinchu, Taiwan to help hasten the transition
to LEDs. Hopefully they will figure out a way to inexpensively cancel out the
blue.
What bulbs to use and where to use them? CFLs are the most
energy efficient and should be used where it's appropriate. I will be addressing
this and more next month, including proper handling of fluorescent bulbs.
Michelle F. Gartner
Through providing information on how one can reduce their
carbon footprint and other negative environmental impacts, " How Green Is It?"
aspires to influence businesses and individuals to become more aware of how
they affect the environment and assist consumers in purchasing green goods and
services.
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How Green Is It? Column 05-11-07
How Green Is It? Examining Light Bulbs Cont…
Thomas Edison was not the inventor of electric light. Like
technology today the inventors aren't usually the ones to bring a product to
market successfully. Experiments with electric arc lamps date back to 1801. Sir
Joseph Swann invented and patented the evacuated carbon filament incandescent
lamp in 1878, around the same time Edison was experimenting. Edison was able to
make it more efficient and partner with Swann to create a complete lighting
system.
The first incandescent bulbs made by Edison converted around
1% of the electrical energy they used to light. When products are first
brought to market they aren't necessarily preeminent. As technology improved, a
tungsten filament replaced the carbon making them 10% more efficient.
Ingenuity, such as putting halogen element gas into the bulb, allowed filaments
to last longer. Halogen incandescent bulbs are about 15% more efficient and
last almost 3 times longer than a traditional tungsten bulb. Of the remaining
80% - 90% of electrical energy transferred into a modern incandescent most is
changed into invisible infra-red radiation or heat.
Peter Cooper Hewitt, a nearly forgotten inventor, created an
arc lamp that used mercury. Low-pressure arc lamps put out large amounts of
dangerous ultra-violet light, so the insides were coated with a fluorescent
chemical, blocking out the harmful UV rays and creating fluorescent light.
Essentially CFLs are mini tanning lights with a protective coating.
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The most efficient fluorescent lights are the industrial
tubes, which use up to 40% of electrical energy as light, but they contain more
mercury than CFLs, which convert 20% - 30% of their electrical energy to light,
are up to 80% more efficient than incandescents and last 10 times longer. LEDs
are even more efficient than fluorescents, use less electricity and last much longer.
Even though they are more expensive to purchase, in the end LEDs are much less
expensive for you and the environment. Though they are the most efficient and
least toxic, currently LEDs are only good for lighting up small areas, or
directional lighting. Don't let the price scare you, they really are cheaper,
can last up to 60 times longer than incandescents and use up to 3000% less
energy saving you money in the long run. Check out these websites… ccrane.com
and theledlight.com
What does all this mean? If you are using renewable energy,
energy that isn't releasing carbon or heavy metals into our atmosphere, stick
with halogen or LED bulbs as not to add to the mercury already being spewed by
coal burning power plants. If you get your energy from Sierra Pacific Power,
like Truckee, most of your electricity comes from burning coal. Since coal
plants emit much more mercury into the air than you ever could by changing all
the bulbs in your house to fluorescents, for now it's best to upgrade where you
can.
And what about all those halogen lights you've installed?
Halogen bulbs are the most efficient incandescent bulbs, but they are still
less efficient than fluorescents or LEDs. The issue with halogens is they
inevitably cause a room to heat up. My suggestion is use LED's when you want
spot lighting, task lights, night-lights and reading lights. A quartz-halogen
is brilliant for achieving natural light in large areas, common areas, living
rooms and dens. CFLs are great for area lighting, but are labeled as toxic
waste and are not directional, so use CFLs in heavy use areas that need
dispersed light, bathrooms, kitchens and work areas are good examples.
Fluorescents don't work well in cold temperatures, so using them outdoors in
the Tahoe area is not advised.
Start by changing the most frequently used lights to LEDs
and CFLs and as the other bulbs burn out replace them with the most appropriate
lighting. Install dimmer switches for your halogen lights. Reduce your energy
consumption and keep current with the least toxic solutions. The good news is
less toxic more efficient bulbs are being produced and we are starting to rely
more on renewable energy.
Some important information on CFLs;
If a CFL breaks take these simple precautions. Open nearby
windows to disperse any vapor that may escape. Use a broom to sweep up the
fragments. Do not use a vacuum and avoid using your hands. Wipe the area with a
damp disposable paper towel to pick up small glass fragments. Place all
fragments in a sealed plastic bag and bring it to the ERL (Eastern Regional
Landfill). See my April 13th column for toxic waste disposal information.
If the fluorescent coating is damaged harmful UV rays will
be emitted. If this happens immediately discontinue use and dispose of
properly.
For a CFL to work in a dimmer, or to work in a 3-way light
it must be specially designed to do so. Read the package before you buy a CFL.
Three-way CFLs can be quite tall, so make sure they will fit.
Don't purchase off brands of any light bulb. These have
proven to be less efficient and don't last as long as brand names.
Ask your self these questions; Where does my energy come
from? For specific products what are the overall effects on the environment?
Think about energy efficiency, consider the overall toxicity of what you're
using, how it's created, used and disposed of, reused or recycled.
The "Alliance to Save Energy" estimates that if inefficient
lighting was phased out, the US could save about $18 billion annually on
electricity bills. According to them this can avoid power plant emissions of
more than 158 million tons of carbon dioxide and 5,700 pounds of airborne
mercury.
In my next column I will have tips on how you can reduce
your energy usage and keep more money in your pocket book.
Michelle F. Gartner
Through providing information on how one can reduce their
carbon footprint and negative environmental impact, " How Green Is It?" aspires
to influence businesses and individuals to become more aware of how they affect
the environment and assist consumers in purchasing green goods and services.
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How Green Is It? Column 06-08-07
How Green Is It? A Learning Experience
I was at the drug store the other day looking for
non-acetone nail polish remover all proud of myself for thinking green, but
when I got it home I rubbed for over 20 minutes only to end up with blotchy red spots on my toenails. I got back in my car, drove back to the drugstore and
purchased the more toxic nail polish remover. I burned excess fossil fuel,
wasted a plastic container filled with useless chemicals and in the end purchased a toxic product. Go ahead, turn up your nose at me and say, how environmentally
friendly is nail polish anyway? Well, not very, but red toenails in the summer are just one of those things that a girl's just gotta have. And guys I know
some of you have had a pedicure and enjoyed it!
So, what's the balance? That's up to you. Becoming greener
is a learning process. As I go through the day I try to think about things that
will support my quest to make less of a negative impact on the environment. Big thanks to my mother who always reminded me to "TURN OFF THE LIGHTS" this is
so deeply ingrained in me that I turn off lights at friends houses and if I see
that one of my part-time neighbors has left their porch lights on I have to
restrain myself from unscrewing their light bulbs.
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I think it's been over 5 years since I purchased a roll of
paper towels. My napkins are cloth and I reuse them until I can't find an
unsoiled spot to wipe my face. I use power strips for all my electronics, cut
down on driving by planning my trips and ride my bike when time and energy
allows, but getting back up Northwoods is always a challenge. I bring my travel
mug to the coffee shop; compost in the summer and recycling is a no brainer.
Unlike popular belief paper cups and plates are not recyclable. They are
coated, so liquids don't make them fall apart.
I use recycled paper products in my bathroom, the roughness
gives you character, and when I think that my mother used the Sears catalogue
in the outhouse on the farm, OUCH! But She does have a lot of character. I also
use flushable biodegradable wipes, to cut down on TP, and the air hanky in the
shower is always a hit.
If you cook a lot, or just heat stuff up, there are simple
things you can do to be more efficient. Microwaves use up to 2/3 less energy to
cook with than your electric oven or stove. Always cover pots and pans when
cooking and turn down the heat. Refrigerators and freezers are more efficient
when full, so if you don't keep a stocked kitchen put large containers of water
in both and keep them turned up as high as recommended to keep food fresh, but
don't drink the frozen water from your fridge. Plastic water bottles release
dioxins when frozen.
I will take a minute to dispel any myths about microwave
ovens and persuade you to use them more often. Any danger associated with
microwave ovens is less than when cooking with other methods. When cooking with
microwaves you're not interacting with flames or extremely hot surfaces. The
only injuries you can obtain are from touching hot food or eating something
that has been over heated causing one of those nasty blisters on the roof of
your mouth, which subsequently peals at the least opportune moment causing you
to overtly lick the roof of your mouth and inadvertently use your finger to
pull off the dead skin.
Now you may ask… What about the radiation? There are many
forms of microwaves, or electromagnetic radiation. They range from the radio
frequency waves used in broadcasting to the more energetic forms used in
x-rays. The electromagnetic radiation used in microwaves is the less energetic
radio frequency waves and should never be confused with x-rays, or the
radioactivity associated with a nuclear reaction, which may be why they call
them microwaves? And if you're worried about those radio waves getting out of
the oven, they wont because they can't pass through metal. Even if they did the
worst that would happen is vibration in your water molecules, so being exposed
for extremely long periods of time may cause your insides to boil, but don't
quote me on that!
The FDA has made sure that in the design of microwave ovens
every precaution has been taken to insure your safety. No, your food does not
become radioactive, radioactive material comes from a completely different
reaction, radioactive decay, and is best explained by wikipedia.org. Just type
in radioactive and they use the analogy of an avalanche, making it perfect for
all you snow gods and goddesses out there.
Now back to all the good things about microwaves. When
cooking with microwaves you use less water, things cook faster, use less
energy, and you don't have to heat an area bigger than your food. The
microwaves cause the water molecules in food to vibrate, which produces heat in
your food and cooks it. Foods like fresh vegetables, that have high water
content, cook faster and because they cook faster they don't loose much of
their nutritional value. In fact food cooked in microwaves can retain more
vitamins and minerals than food cooked in an oven or on a stove because more nutrients
escape the longer you cook food.
If your microwave has a turntable put your food on the
outside edge, so more microwaves can interact with your food and cook it
faster. Never cook in plastic. When heated, plastic can release dioxins into
your food.
Here's some clarity on treated water; to pump water out of
the ground, treat it, deliver it to you and treat it again takes energy. By
reducing water consumption you will help reduce the energy used to manage it.
Here's a few small things you can do…
Only run your dishwasher or washing machine when it's full. Wash your larger dishes by hand. Scrape your dishes with a brush and use cold water to rinse
them when putting them in the dishwasher. Cook in the microwave. Plant low water plants, or native plants in your garden and
if you must have plants that need water please use a drip irrigation system. Don't install a sprinkler system. Don't use water to wash pine needles off your deck. Sweeping
can be therapeutic and give you a little workout to boot. Start composting instead of using your disposal. Use a gray water system. And don't forget, if it's yellow let it mellow, but if it's
brown then flush it down.
When recycling please use blue bags, even though they sort
through our garbage at TTSD more than 80% of items that are recyclable are
recycled when we use blue bags as compared to a meager 10% when we toss our
garbage into one bag.
Join us at Rocker@Squaw for the first Green Drinks Tahoe Wednesday, July 10th 6pm – 8pm
"What are you doing to free yourself from dirty energy
dependence?"
Rocker@Squaw will be offering drink specials and a food special, that incorporates
local, sustainably raised, items.
Blue Moon $3 beer specials for the event! An extended, beer only, happy hour Food special, with a meat, or vegetarian option, for $10 per plate.
Featured Guests
Squaw - Discussion about Squaw's restoration and retrofitting efforts in
becoming more sustainable
Sustainable Tahoe - Information on accessing activities that
increase connection with the environment and provide good clean fun!
Truckee River Watershed Council - Providing education and
information on stream restoration
Tahoe Food Hub - Educating attendees on the regional food
system they are developing to bring nutritious, ecologically grown, foods to
the area.
Growing Domes - Providing education on how to grow food in
the Sierra region
Organize 2 Live Green - Educating attendees on what it takes
to Live Green
We encourage you to use alternative forms of transportation. There will be bike
racks available and schedules for the New water shuttle, buses and all your
transportation needs are below. http://www.laketahoetransit.com/home
