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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. We live in Wisconsin and our winters can be bitter. We also travel a lot from the city of Milwaukee to Up North, which can be 300 to 600 miles. My husband is a big, big believer in biodiesel fuel and...is frustrated with the few diesel car options available to us in our area. Will biodiesel ever catch on? How will an electric car function (my choice over diesel) in our cold winter months and what about the extended miles that we would be putting on an electric car—will we eventually have "stations" where we can juice up the cars on the way to our destinations? Will the price of electric cars be way out of reach for the average Joe? It appears as though this is the case from what I have heard. Your thoughts are appreciated.
A. Right now we need all the tools in the toolbox to reduce our dependency on Mid-East oil. Biodiesel comes in many forms and can be produced from many sources....some more eco-friendly than others. Electric, particularly when from a sustainable source like solar, is a tremendously green option. Right now I want to see effort going into both. If you have a diesel vehicle that runs well and have access to biodiesel fuel, by all means continue to use that. It's a good option at this point. I have solar panels and lots of sun, so electric has been a great option for me. I just recently visited an algae to biodiesel plant in California and was excited with what they are doing. Another good option!
Ed
Q. Ed, love your show watch it all the time. Now, where can I get some info on what I would need to hook up solar power to my house?
A. First, have a home energy audit. Contact your local power company and see if they conduct them. If not, try www.lowimpactliving.com or www.reasenergy.com and see if they can recommend an auditor in your area. You'll want to make your house as energy efficient as possible before you start producing power.
Once you're ready for solar, contact local solar installers in your area. Each will come and give you an estimate based on your power requirements and the size, shape, direction of your roof. compare the estimates and GET REFERENCES and CHECK THEM. You'll want to talk to people who already have solar done by this installer and see if they are satisfied with the results—and see if they are GETTING the results they were promised.
My new book has a whole chapter and selecting a solar installer and doing solar—it's a good read!
Ed
Q. I would like to make our elementary school greener. Can you provide some advice on inexpensive and feasible ways to make that happen? I have searched quite a bit online, but cannot find much detail.
A. When I speak at schools, I try to focus on things that parents and students can get involved with. Suggesting solar panels on the roof is a capital investment that requires state and local administration—so instead I focus on fun stuff that everyone can get going right away.
- Recycling Program—yes, #1 for sure and a great fundraiser
- Bike to school day / Walk to school day / Carpool to school day—these are very important and make a huge impact right away
- Compost / School vegetable garden / Fruit Trees—We got this going at Hayden's school and its been great! I highly recommend getting a school garden going and using school lunch waste for compost. The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation does great work at schools—contact them!
- Lights and Phantom Power—so many schools leave lights burning and computers plugged in after hours—there's huge energy savings here and the students can do this themselves each day!
Hope this helps!
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
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