On the Bus

This anecdote is a powerful incentive for those who could not care less about consequences of fossil fuel consumption.

Total electric  bill this late spring/summer by month so far:

May 2011:  $6.92 (PEPCO carrying charge); solar output exceeded usage

June 2011:   $6.92 (PEPCO carrying charge); solar output exceeded usage

July 2011:  $6.92 (PEPCO carrying charge); usage exceeded solar output, but by less than the extra output in May and June

Wow!  How much was your monthly electric  bill in the Southern and drought states?  Do you know any one who would be persuaded only by the money?  Tell them what a great investment it is, and they will start thinking seriously about it.  Putting a dollar value on social good is the way to get through to those who only look at the numbers and do not see how budget numbers relate to real living beings and honoring the beauty of the web of creation (this would not be a veiled reference to something going on in that big domed building down the street; definitely, not).

It may not always work, but putting what you want in the language of those whose actions and beliefs are not in synch with yours is the beginning of communication and change.   These cost savings say, in the language of those who care most about the money, that alternative energies are worth considering.