Ed Begley, Jr.
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Living with Ed follows Ed Begley, Jr., and his wife, Rachelle, as they green their home, family, and celebrity friends. But if you've ever wondered what kind of advice they'd give the rest of us, then the Ask Ed forum is your chance to find out. Readers submit questions and comments about the show, green living, etc., and Ed chimes in with his green answers; here, we've rounded up some highlights of the past week.
Q. As you know we have a huge plastic garbage patch the size of Texas in the Pacific Gyre. I have an idea of a way to clean it up, but I i don't know who to give it to....you know how static electricity attracts plastic? I don't know how this would work in the ocean, but it's worth a thought.
A. My friend Leonardo Di Caprio is very involved in this issue—I would certainly communicate with his foundation on anything you might have that can help. I believe the website is http://www.leonardodicaprio.org/pledge/oceans.html.
Ed
Q. I have a situation where I need to power a boom box for a week in the desert. The stereo itself normally runs on 8 D-cell batteries (or ac / dc adapter). I would like to run it with a solar panel system but I'm having trouble finding something appropriate online. My main concern is: do I have to use a rechargeable battery to run the stereo and a solar panel to charge the battery? or can i hook the panel directly to the stereo? I don't know much about electronics, but I'm assuming the 8 D-cells are hooked in series for a total of 12V. Would a regular car battery work? Powering the stereo during the night and charging the battery with the solar panels during the day?
A. The easiest way would be to use rechargeable D batteries and buy a solar charger for them. There are lots of small solar battery chargers available. Try www.realgoods.com—they'll probably have one.
Ed
Q. Your wife and mine are similar in that they are "girly girls". What I mean is my wife really likes makeup and handbags and shoes, and all sorts of not so eco-friendly stuff. So my question is, how do you balance being eco-policeman with having a happy marriage?
A. I give in on the small stuff and hang tough on the big ones. And, I offer cash incentives to get her to adopt green practices.
Ed
Ask Ed: Leave Your Question for Ed Here
More about Ed Begley, Jr.
Living with Ed: Inside the Show
The TreeHugger Interview: Ed Begley, Jr.
Ed Begley, Jr., on Going Off the Grid, Greening Traffic, and More
