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Home Energy Conversation Talk
The Chestertown Environmental Committee hosted a public talk by Ed Minch on home energy conservation as the first event in its 2016 First Thursday Environmental Series.
Ed Minch spoke about home energy assessments in Chestertown.
Talk Takeaways
Following his presentation, individuals posed the following questions for consideration:
1. Can Chestertown offer an open house energy audit demo?
2. Is this a good area for residential solar power?
Film Takeaways: Alone in the Wilderness
The Chestertown Environmental Committee concluded the 2016 First Thursday Environmental Series with a presentation of Alone in the Wilderness, a film about a man who built a self-sufficient homestead.
1. Great season and I hope we can look forward to next season. Great job!
2. Great film—thank you. More nature films. Keep up the great work.
3. Amazing, inspiring. Leaves me speechless and wanting to grow and build things and be self-sufficient.
4. Great movie! It would be great to continue to continue the environment and wilderness series of films and presentations.
5. Wow! A good Iowa boy’s amazing legacy. What an adventure. The biggest crowd laugh was his stew with “everything but the kitchen sponge!” THANKS!
6. Great!!
7. Great presentation. I however am too much of a wuss for that life.
8. The resourcefulness and talent of one man with determination.
9. So good of Dick to think of filming his adventure in 1968! This was better than anything on HDTV!
10. FABULOUS! Please keep doing this!
11. I enjoyed the scenery and especially watching him build things. Very interesting.
12. Sharp contrast to our lives and a reminder of what we have given up for our own comforts.
13. Wow! Crazy carpentry skills. I would have to live somewhere where no log cabin would be required.
14. Love the series! I will think about suggestions for next year.
15. “Alone in the Wilderness” is a great example of what one can accomplish and a great closer for the year. Looking forward to seeing more in 2017.
Film Takeaways: The Power of Community
The Chestertown Environmental Committee screened The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil, about how the nation responded to its oil embargo of the 1990s by conserving energy and switching from conventional agriculture to permaculture.
1. Chestertown needs community gardens! Also places for raising chickens.
2. A nice, positive story about a country forced to adapt to a world without oil. I’m going to order worms soon. —F
3. Very interesting, eye-opening, and scary. Makes you start to think differently.
4. Great show and a better trip for everyone who can go. —RAM
5. More bicycle trails—to connect community center and businesses.
6. Our best economic effort is Farmers’ Markets and CSAs! We need to encourage more.
7. Plant more trees!
8. We need to get back to town composting!
9. Permaculture training revitalized Cuban cities, increased public health, and restored the environment while helping local economies.
10. Work with nature! Accomplish more!
Film Takeaways: Passive House Revolution
The Chestertown Environmental Committee screened Passive House Revolution about maximizimg energy efficiency in home construction and remodeling.
1. Since most of us won’t be building a solar house, it would be great to talk about and share ideas about ways to decrease our everyday energy use in the houses we already live in currently.
2. Hopeful future using “passive house” ideas.
3. Great movie; thanks! How about a moratorium on new house starts; upgrade/replace houses and stop taking the land from nature.
4. Maryland has very good energy codes. We should be sure that they are being enforced to the full spirit of the codes.
5. Solar panel awnings in parking areas (covered parking in some open lots).
6. Let’s have a consultant come and talk about costs and process so folks here have a real-action grasp (at Washington College?).
7. I think educating would be a great first step towards applying these concepts. So many people, myself included, don’t realize how much better and more efficient they could be. Maybe we could write something informational in the newspaper.
8. We should see an update to building cost to encourage passive design.
9. Delmarva Power energy audits.
10. A nice straightforward documentary on amazing improvements in home energy. Thanks! — F.
11. Leadership from town, county, and state to consider passive housing — low income housing.
12. Urge business and building owners to rethink insulation and energy needs.
13. Film did not deal with H2O condensation in high levels of insulation. Differing types of windows make a difference.
14. Strategic matrix of most cost efficient first steps.
15. Energy consultant to retrofit our homes.
16. Solar hot water in all public buildings.
17. We have a particular challenge with historic houses in the area. But we have an advantage of smaller homes.
18. Conventional buildings silently exacerbate climate change. The team at Kent County Planning, Housing & Zoning might encourage more rigorous construction standards for our community.