Going Green

During the construction phase of our new house we decided to seek out alternative energy options. Being in a rural area is great in many ways, but it also means that we don't have access to city gas lines. So we are forced to use some other source of fuel, which for most people means propane. Propane = $$$$$$$. We like to keep as much of our $$$$ as we can, so we decided to go green!

We installed a Geothermal system. Though it required an initial investment, it was well worth it. And with Obama in office we'll get most of that investment back in the form of a tax return! Go Green, woo-hoo! Anyway, we're pretty thrilled that our energy costs are pretty reasonable. In fact, our energy bills have hardly increased compared to our old house, even though our square footage has almost doubled!

I've decided that going green is kind of contagious. Once you've done it a little, you itch to do more! Next up is electricity. Our neighbor down the street, who installed a geothermal system when we did, has a hankering for a windmill. I can't stop thinking about solar panels. But Brett, being the handy engineer of the neighborhood, has put his smarts to good use and come up with a more practical and accessible alternative. Considering that we have a high child-to-home ratio in our neighborhood (23 - 8 to be exact), it only made sense to put that to good use. After considering child-sized hamster wheels (a good idea, but efficiency went way down during nap time), he finally came up with this:

The Static Catcher!

Every 1/2 hour or so the kids report to the Static Energy Collection Device and simply place their finger on the collection pad. A quick zap, a few sparks, and done! So far we only produce enough energy to keep this computer running and charge Brett's Blackberry. But don't worry....

....all we have to do is continue reproducing!