13 Followers
9 Following
293 Posts
I'm on a journey to preserve the wonders of this planet we share.

Friends, thank you for stepping up! Over $40,000 worth of dash cams have been ordered so far for ICE observers in the Twin Cities!

Deliveries have just started trickling in, but we’re getting them packed and deployed as quickly as we can - many were installed yesterday.

Amazon list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/7QT6UP7AIMB0

If you’re more into mail: Nick Benson, PO Box 2081, Burnsville, MN, 55337

Still in the romantic phase of having solar and battery storage.
Today's topic. So many ways to receive and store energy.
1. Ran my cheap induction cooktop for 9 minutes to bring a 6 qt. thermal vacuum pot to a boil and let it cook rest of the day using no further battery power. Delicious food waiting...
2. Filled two insulated flasks - One with heated purified drinking water, the other I heated tap water for washing.
3. Opened the curtains to shine on insulated thermal mass to store heat and decrease space heating needs by heat pump.
4. Used a solar vacuum tube cooker to make two solar cooked meals. (outside temps in the 40's F)
5. Evening lighting, charging and laptop power also courtesy of the pv/battery system.
6. Don't overlook wool and second hand silk sweaters, wool blankets, controlling heat loss/gain.
What did I most enjoy while the batteries were charging up?
The hot potatoes waiting for me almost nine hours later.

RE: https://mastodon.world/@Doppelganger75/115756011444983068

People here in the Great Lakes are talking to their legislators and trying to develop a path to okay rooftop solar and follow Utah's lead.

@UkeleleEric @Fat_Farang @Earth2Ben

The biggest electricity generator on the Australian grid is rooftop solar.

Often we have much more than we need.

Increasingly it is being soaked up by batteries to provide electricity into the peaks and overnight.

@Fat_Farang @Earth2Ben unfortunately, there is a bit of truth in that. But, at least you can reduce your bills and you are doing what you can.
@Earth2Ben We managed to afford a smallish system with batteries nearly 3 years ago. It has reduced our costs ( including slightly reducing our gas bill, as there are times when we can not have the heating on at Spring and Autumn, and just 'top up' in a single room from the electric). But it does take having some money - originally, we had considered one about 5 years previously, but couldn't afford it.

@Earth2Ben

In Germany, you can donate "balcony solar" to people who cannot afford the initial investment.

Quite often systems are also given for free after 20 years when they got old and only serve 80% (which is still considerable).

How can the poor afford solar? Its true its made, seriously as I know how to say it, almost impossible in the US. At the same time its more in reach than ever before. Look up 'balcony solar.' My six figure relatives can't see affording it. But with almost five years of saving and buying year by year on under $25k gross income I largely installed my solar system and am writing this on stored electric power at night after cooking dinner on an induction cooktop. I feel like there are ten billion things I could say, but instead I'll say this: There are definitely issues with this, but the potential for slowing down the increase in destroying the planet's ability to sustain any life we might recognize in the near future, is like a weight has been lifted off my soul and scales have fallen from my eyes. I'm definitely knocking down my winter energy costs and will cover all of my energy costs with solar and battery storage. Simple consumption means easy solution. There's more to it, but for now, this is what I will share.
#solar #renewableenergy #climatechange #Sun #ecosystem #energy
Silent Killers? - Transport Evolved

Are EVs Heavyweight Pedestrian Murderers? Are electric vehicles actually “silent killers” stalking our streets? The internet comments section certainly thinks so, claiming the quiet motors and heavy batteries of EVs make them a menace to pedestrians. But a brand new study published in Nature Communications has crunched the numbers from the UK’s road safety database, […]

Transport Evolved

The Trump administration says it will dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a cornerstone for American climate and weather science. I went on NPR today to explain what this could mean for climate research. Listen here: https://www.npr.org/2025/12/18/nx-s1-5648395/trump-moves-to-dismantle-a-global-mothership-of-climate-research

If you are in the US and you would like to send a message to your elected representative about this, American Geophysical Union has a template here: https://agu.quorum.us/campaign/151565/