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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. So Bill Nye has a MINI E. Any thoughts on getting a Tesla Model S? Obviously the current Tesla is impractical, let alone tall people don't fit well into it. (I'm 6'4" & my head was above the windshield)
A. I look forward to driving one, but still have issues with the lithium ion batteries and associated cooling equipment. I'd like to see what kind of longevity and safety record they have.
Ed
Q. My wife and I love the show. We were wondering about the denim insulation. Where can you donate used jeans to be turned into this product? We have 3 kids and they wear their jeans out and we hate throwing things away. Thanks for the help.
A. The insulation is actually made from waste materials during the manufacturing of blue jeans and other denim products...not from the recycling of old jeans. You should donate the old jeans to the Goodwill or Salvation Army or other thrift store charity—they are ALWAYS in high demand.
Ed
Q. Here's an idea that I thought you might consider asking car manufacturers about: PV (photovoltaic) cars—that is to say, cars made with contour-molded photovoltaic bodies.
A. It's tough to solar power a car that is big enough and practical enough and can pass safety laws. Most solar cars are specially designed units for solar races and such. On a regular heavy car for passengers that the government will license its hard to create enough surface area to generate useable power. Best way to do it is put the solar panels on your house and charge your electric car from that. That's a solar powered car like the one I drive almost every day.
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
