Free Products!

Happy March! In celebration of our early spring (fingers are crossed!) and in a shamelss effort to promote our products and spread good will we are giving away our products every week!

This week we are giving away two outstanding environmental videos. First we are giving away ‘After the Warming’  (episode 1 and 2) and the National Geographic Polar Bear Alert! Both videos are in VCR format and in good condition. Both are well-documented informative educational videos sourced by leading researchers and scientists.

How do you get your free videos? There is no obligation to buy anything or even pay postage! Of course we would like it if you got the word out, tweeted us, said a public thank you or bought our products. But all you need to do is this. Just send us an email telling us who will be using your videos!

Thank you, and while you are at it check out some of  our other products!

The Vermont Green Home & Living Show coming this weekend (Feb 17th-19th at the CV Expo in Essex) is one of my favorite places to check out the latest technologies and innovations in northern Vermont. The traditional log home and timber frame builders will be there there as usual.  Hopefully I will see another photographer Rick Libbey, aka “The Mooseman” who has an amazing collection of photography, inclduing moose (of course), wild bear and loons to name a few, all found in their native habitat.

Last year we enjoyed some local businesses including yours truly, the EHS Environmental Club, Sales Rep Jim Johnson with a Toyota Prius, Bob Clark and the crew from Efficiency Vermont and Ken Torino, the Pocket Socket inventor.

As always, the value in attending always surpasses my expectations because the ideas we get from each other outweigh whatever goods or services we sell.  A new friend, local engineer Ken Torino exhibited at the show and had one of the most exciting inventions I have seen in a long time, known as the Pocket Socket. The Pocket Socket is an ergonomic hand-held charger. You’ve got to see this. I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of it in the future!

Video: solargroupies, youtube

Again, see you at the Vermont Green Home and Living Show Feb 17th-19th at the CV Expo in Essex!

Spectacular Views of Vermont

Crystal ice on trees this morning in Starksboro, Vermont in 5 degree temperatures.

As solstice approaches we realize that we are well aware that we are in a zone of darker, shorter days and longer, colder nights for the next few months. For many elders, talk of moving to the sun belt or at least towards lower latitudes becomes common. If nothing else it is comforting to conjure up fantasies and images of of places where the sun shines more than it is cloudy, where you don’t need a jacket to go outside now, and you don’t need to turn the lights on after four pm. But the real Vermonters, including my parents, who descended from generations of hearty Vermonters before them, stayed put. One of the things they realized was that Vermont IS a community that still has a working political system, has a healthy economy despite periodic fluctuations, and has natural beauty that is unheard of in most places. Above all else, the natural beauty is reason enough for me to second-guess ever leaving this place. Enjoy the Vermont pictures in our gallery. If you are interested in purchasing any photos you see, please send us an email. Prices are based on standard sizes in our Vermont Pictures Photography and Vermont scenery note cards.

Looking west from Charlotte Beach on Lake Champlain

Hills and meadows with Mount Mansfield in the background

Southwest view from Mount Philo in Charlotte, Vermont

Vermont fall foliage in Williston, Vermont

Photo By Glenn Fay, Jr.

Sunday I was on the Church Street Marketplace in Burlington, Vermont, enjoying a leisurely afternoon, picking up some new winter clothes and getting a bite to eat. After checking out Frog Hollow‘s local photography and picking up a bow tie at Macy’s I cruised towards Eddie Bauer, right past him. I wouldn’t have noticed him except the street was empty and he was alone in the middle of the plaza. He was sitting in a wheel chair, holding a cardboard sign that read, “Anything Helps Thank You God Bless”. I noticed he looked cold and was missing a leg as he looked straight ahead down the street from his wheel chair.  I said hi and he nodded, but made no direct appeal to me as some street people do.

After walking by  something in his eyes made me stop, turn and go back and touch base with him. I rarely give panhandlers money, not that you see many in Burlington like you do in other places. I pulled out a buck and handed it to him. “Thank you very much,” he said to me. “what’s your name,” I asked. “Steve.” “And where do you live, Steve?” “On the street, anywhere I can, it was College Street last night.” I paused. This guy was the real deal. I had to know more about how he ended up like this. “And what did you do before you lived on the street?” I asked. “I was a sheetrocker for Chuck – Chuck’s Drywall. I got diabetes, lost my leg, and couldn’t work.” I nodded in understanding.

But it was so foreign to me. I have a friend who lost his leg to diabetes – an athlete, hard working guy so I could see how that could happen. Apparently this guy Steve, who doesn’t look any older than me had had a series of devastating experiences and voila, here he is living on the street, day to day. There is probably more to Steve’s story. Hopefully he is supported by the network of caring social workers in Burlington, Medicare or Medicaid, COTS , Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf and others who are there to help keep people like Steve from slipping through the cracks. But he didn’t leave me convinced that he was taking advantage of those kinds of services.

At that moment I heard human voices, in unison, chanting slogans and a narrative, coming up Church Street. It was Burlington’s Occupy Vermont protesters, an eclectic band of folks, marching up the street, carrying signs, inviting others to join them, speaking out about the disparity in wealth and corruption in America. How ironic. The Occupy protests on Church Street in Burlington, Vermont have something in common with a common man, Steve. Steve could be a poster boy for Occupy. Hopefully his thanksgiving holiday will include a warm place with a dinner among friends.

I don’t believe it is Steve’s choice to live as he does. I think his lifestyle is beyond his locus of control at this point. Steve illustrates for me why we need to pay attention to others less fortunate than ourselves. As we approach the holiday season I hope we keep in mind that there has never been a time in US history when the gap between rich and poor has been so great. How can you help? Talk to the person you walk past on the street. Ask them if they are getting support from public services. If it moves you and you can spare a dollar, give some money to someone less fortunate than you. His or her gratitude will be well worth our investment in their peace of mind and future. Anything helps thank you.

Vermont Foliage Photography

Old Stage Road in Westford, Vermont

Sugar Maple Reflecting Orange

One of the joys of living in Vermont is the incredible light show that happens for a couple of months every fall. This year has been as bright as any as I remember. In fact, I was so excited about the leaves I decided to take some photos from my car on the way to work, while the car was moving! This is not recommended for everybody! I admit, it is a bit impressionistic, definitely need to work with the aperture setting a bit.

My Foliage Commute

Here is a Vermont foliage photography video that will show you what I mean. If you decide to show up to check it out in person, there are still bright leaves in central Vermont at lower elevations and in the southern part of the state and there will be good color for a few more weeks. Catch you on the trail!

Untitled from Solargroupies on Vimeo.

Interested in buying Vermont photography pictures or note cards? Check out our Vermont photography store.

Apocalyptic Weather: You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!

Unless you have been avoiding the news and life in general, the epic weather conditions are starting to get noticed. The record floods, heat, snows, tornadoes, fires, and more importantly, their after-effects are waking up even die-hard climate change deniers.  Although extreme weather and unpredictable systemic impacts have been predicted by NASA and NOAA climate models, the mainstream media is actually paying attention and getting nervous. Not only is extreme weather dangerous, unpredictable and enough to spoil your party, destroy your home and way of life, it is conceivable that it will change our lives sooner rather than later.

As weather becomes more unpredictable,  and extremes happen more often, we will all be looking for ways to survive and thrive in spite of it. This will test the abilities of our elected leaders and it will test our character as a society. US military leaders have been engaged in strategic planning for for some time and it is important that ordinary people plan for the impact of climate change as well. Our governments cannot protect us from Mother Nature! What are some of the impacts and what should we be doing to be safe and live well?

Unpredictable Weather will result in:

Flooding. Large quantities of moisture rising off warmer than usual oceans are creating bigger, wetter weather systems resulting in flash floods, enormous snow packs and floods several feet above flood stages in some places. If we have a wet summer in the Champlain Valley of Vermont, for example, many homes and camps and parks now under water will stay uninhabitable, possibly for some time. Aside from the social consequences and health issues of thousands of septic systems overflowing into the lake, which supplies the water to hundreds of thousands of people in the valley, the monetary damages are already exponential.

Tornadoes. We are seeing tornadoes in places that have never experienced them before like Vermont and Massachusetts. The high school where I work with 1400 students and a couple of hundred adults has an underground fallout shelter with a capacity of 100. Severe weather bulletins happen at a moments notice. Building shelters in public buildings for tornado events will be very costly.

Crops. This spring many farm fields were washed out repeatedly, after spreading fertilizer, after seeding, and after growing had begun. Climate models show that the wheat belt will migrate into Canada as the climate warms. What does this mean for a state and a nation that is used to being a bread basket and agriculturally-based? Food producers will become wealthy and poorer countries without basic commodities will become hungry.

Melting ice packs. Melting polar and continental ice is draining freshwater supplies in places where there are large populations. Californians and Arizonans to mention two states, know this already. In countries with billions of thirsty people, with little or no water, or with water being owned by private companies or used for industry, it is logical that we will see social unrest and political instability. This will become expensive.

I am not predicting an apocalypse but it is possible that there will be some panic, some finger-pointing and some disruptions unlike anything we have ever seen. It is possible we will see the federal government having to prioritize what it can afford to support in the FEMA budget as disasters become even more commonplace. It is possible that food and energy will become much more expensive and continue to erode your standard of living. Although this is not a popular view, the lions share of energy use and carbon pollution comes from business and industry. Scientists say the climate models show that the difference between doing nothing about carbon emissions and curtailing them will result in avoiding cataclysmic climate impacts during the next 20-40 years. So what can you do so you will be prepared for these possibilities or worse, if it happens?

For Your Health and Survival

1. Be prepared for disastrous weather that is sure to come. This means find a place to live far above your local flood plain. Make sure you have an emergency shelter.

2. Learn to grow your own food, preferably without fertilizers and pesticides which may become expensive, as they are made from crude oil.

3. Get a good water filter or a still. You need clean water every day.

Lifestyle Changes That Will Minimize Climate Change Impacts

1. Carpool whenever you can. It will save money and improve your social life!

2. Become politically active and lobby your congressional reps and senators to curtail carbon emissions immediately. Since business and industry contribute the most to climate change, even widespread personal activism will not equal the efforts of modest commercial changes.

3. Support local farmers and community sustainable agriculture. Food that is grown locally and without carbon-based chemicals lowers our carbon footprint.

4. Use energy wisely. Energy costs are predicted to skyrocket in the coming years. Most of our energy comes from coal and other fossil fuels that put a lot of carbon into the air. Unplug.

5. Recycle, reuse, repurpose. When we reuse and recycle our stuff, whether it is cars, clothing, or toys, it costs less energy and less money.

6. Minimize your lifestyle.

7. Actively work towards solutions. One highly regarded organization that is approaching climate change and other significant problems is Solutions. Solutions is a nonprofit print and online publication devoted to showcasing bold and innovative ideas for solving the world’s integrated ecological, social, and economic problems.  Chek them out and join the team!

In your own home, you can save money and energy, up to thousands a year. Get our ebook here: How to Save Thousands of Dollars on Energy in Your Home.

The Next Hurricane Will Be Easier to Deal With

When Tropical Storm Irene hit a few weeks ago my family was lucky to be on high ground. But when the power went out for a couple of hours I knew that I would have instant light. I grabbed my Energizer Crank Solar Flashlight off the window sill and was in business.

The Energizer Solar Crank Flashlight is my life saver because it never runs out of juice like most flashlights. And  it is well-made and does what it is supposed to do- really well. Flashlights are notorious for not working when you need them. The Energizer Solar Crank Flashlight will be there when you need it!  It charges quickly just sitting on your window sill in the sun, or you can pull it out of a drawer and wind it for a few second for instant bright light.  And oh yeah, you can drop it like I did and it might not break!

I described my Energizer flashlight in a ‘show and tell’ to my engineering class. Small, light, powerfully bright with three LEDs. Charges on a window sill while you forget about it. Durable and ready to light your way. “How much do you think it costs?” I asked them. “Twenty five or thrity bucks?” came one answer. “Fifty dollars” was another. When I told them they could buy it for under $15.00 they didn’t believe me at first. “Why don’t people buy the?” I asked. The consensus was people don’t own them because people don’t know about them

Now YOU know about the Energizer Solar Crank Flashlight and you can buy it here at the best price anywhere. I am so sure that you will want to keep it that if you are not completely 100% satisfied with your Energizer Solar Crank Flashlight after 10 days, you can return it for a full refund.

Check out the quickie video below, then go the Energizer Solar Flashlight page and buy some for the whole family and be ready for the next time the lights go out!

Glenn Fay Photography 12 Photos Showing Now Through Mid-October

Glenn Fay, Jr. has been snapping photos since childhood, first with a black and white Kodak film camera, then with a Polaroid Swinger camera he won in a barber shop drawing. He learned to use an Olympus OM-1 in the 1970s. In 2002 Glenn graduated to digital with a Canon 545 then stepped up to a Canon Powershot a couple of years later. Most recently he has been exploring the magic of a Nikon D300. Glenn is fascinated with capturing the wonder of light with water,  Earth, sky and life. Most recently he has become intrigued with wildlife and the human form. Glenn is available for freelance work in the Vermont area.

These framed 16 X 20 gallery prints can be purchased for $99 directly through Glenn. Five-pack note card sets can be purchased for $ 12.99. Contact Glenn: Glenn@LoveEarthAlways.com or call (888) 225-0429.

All proceeds from sales through November 1st will benefit the VT Irene Flood Relief Fund: http://www.vtirenefund.org/

You can find more of Glenn’s photography here: Vermont Pictures Photography