A significant energy truth not well understood is that the shift from fossil fuels to renewable electricity will decrease total energy need. Electricity is a capable workhorse. Appliances and tools run on electricity, and lighting as well. Comparatively, fossil fuels are heat creators.1 Gas tools are leaf blowers—noisy, inefficient, polluting. Much of fossil fuel use […]
Light-Weight Backpacking and Photography __ 10/2009
I was tempted to call this tip “Small is Beautiful”.I started pruning backpacking poundage after a 1995 trip to Washington State’s Enchantments, when my pack for five days in mid-September tallied 55 lbs. There’s no reason to re-hash the old gear, but the same trip today would weigh in at about 35 lbs, with better […]