Humans are complex creatures, whether we admit it or not, and we create very complex systems. Teasing apart that complexity is difficult, especially when we bring our own limitations and biases to the table. Successfully identifying the positive and negative impacts of our actions in the world requires a lot of humility, flexibility, and willingness to get comfortable with discomfort… plus some interactive software.
It’s been a long year, and I was feeling too burned out for resolutions (of which I usually make at least 10). But what if I made a resolution to have more fun… and backed it up with my own data on how to do that… and employed a color-coded spreadsheet? I’m embarking on something I’ve never done before: committing to one single resolution.
After years of intermittent research and data collection, I’m ready to share what we already knew: we’re saving money by using less energy! But how much, and how long until we recoup the costs of the weatherization work we had done in our attic in May 2021? We’ll never know for sure, but this exercise was a fun exploration of that complex question.
I finally got my hands on our gas usage data, thanks to a very patient husband and a helpful customer service representative. With this information, I’ve been able to take a look at how much we’re saving since our attic weatherization work in May 2021. I’m looking for ways to at least reduce our use of this fossil fuel until we’re in the position to eliminate it.
Although the public has no direct control over who lands in the Supreme Court, we do have direct control over who is tasked with writing the laws the Supreme Court will interpret. With a conservative supermajority on the bench evaluating laws that govern abortion, discrimination, and elections, it is incumbent upon us – the voters – to understand what’s at stake when we elect our legislators.
Election season is upon us once again. With five (or fewer) weeks to get ready, I’m sharing my latest research on this year’s general election in Pennsylvania, which boasts candidates of five parties. Not being a fan of parties myself (or the bias they can inflict on voters), I still thought it beneficial to review the general platforms for these groups. (Election spreadsheet included!)
Once you’ve paid for weatherization work at your house, you may be curious how effective it is in saving you energy (and money). By employing data points called “degree days,” we can get a reasonably accurate view into how much energy gets used before and after weatherization work while keeping an eye on how much heating and cooling demand existed during the period in question.
I arrived at vegetarianism 20 years ago to support animal welfare; I upped the stakes to vegan this month to decrease my carbon footprint. Cutting animal products out of your diet is one of the best things you can do for the environment, and more people are taking steps in that direction for just one meal a day or one day a week, rather than going cold-turkey.
I recently heard that the recycler near my house was accepting plastics #1 through #7, and I was incredibly skeptical. Plastics are difficult and expensive to recycle, which is why they almost exclusively become trash, winding up in the landfill, the incinerator, or the ocean. While this new program isn’t recycling the plastic, it is repurposing them for the time being.
Ballot questions are often written to be confusing and take advantage of psychological principles. Because of that, Pennsylvanians and Americans in general are unlikely to vote them down. This week, we’ll take a closer look at how the PA legislators are about to grant themselves more power without ever needing a super-majority to do it. (And remember to request your ballot if you haven’t already!)