Every year lately I’ve been receiving ‘Voice Your Choice’ packages from my local gas & electric company. This year I have decided to go with a new electric company which offers “green” energy for a little more per kilowatt hour. Per the brochure, green energy is referring to water and wind energy, as opposed to the non-green energy of burning coal and/or etc.
I was surprised to learn that electricity in my part of the world was generated by anything but water given my close proximity to Niagara Falls. Grrr, this is where I need my Dad so I can ask him, because his Dad used to work at a gas & electric company, and he would know.
So here’s my question, pretending I can believe the ‘Voice Your Choice’ brochure about green vs. non-green energy, if you were in my shoes, would you pay a bit more per kilowatt hour for green energy?
P.S. I wasn’t trying to trip anyone up with the woolly caterpillar question, I just assumed everyone knew that the size of the orange band on the caterpillar represented how mild or how bad winter is going to be. A narrower orange band predicts a bad winter vs. a wider orange band predicts a mild winter (Thanks for the correction Jen - I was totally fried when I wrote this last night). That’s it! Sorry about that.
November 9, 2007 at 10:07 pm
We probably would, Pam. I haven’t heard about the option here in NC, but it would be a good thing.
November 9, 2007 at 10:16 pm
In April I made the switch to costlier green energy. I’ve been thrilled ever since.
Paying a bit more for renewable power is a no-brainer for me. I’d rather spend more each month knowing I’m doing my part than pay a lesser fare to keep making matters worse.
Eventually–assuming we survive that long–green energy will be all that’s left. I figure jumping onto that ship now, even at a higher cost, is better than being the consummate consumer that doesn’t care about ramifications.
November 10, 2007 at 12:42 am
Damn skippy I would! We all HAVE to. Since lots of companies aren’t paying attention to the real facts and threats of global warming, we have to hit them where it hurts. In the wallet. Once folks change over to green energy, there won’t be anyone to buy the dirty kind.
November 10, 2007 at 8:28 am
I pay a little more for groceries because I like the way Wegman’s treats their employees. I pay a little more for coffee, because I want the organic, fairly traded kind. So… yeah…
I’m cynical, though, and sometimes wonder if the extra pennies are really doing any good - other than making ME feel good…
And re: wooly bears… I’ve heard it both ways… which is why I googled it… the two websites I checked both had it the opposite of you: Narrow orange = bad winter. Hmm… I think the width of the orange may be a function of which instar we’re looking at… But I don’t know for sure!
November 10, 2007 at 9:55 am
Depends on the kind of green energy that they are using! Solar or Niagara Falls, YES FOR SURE! But I would never support wind power that is chopping up our migratory birds and did you know, when those turbans are not being used . . . they are using coal energy which isn’t that green!
November 10, 2007 at 10:10 am
We don’t have the choice here but we are exploring the possibility of solar here at the house - doubt we can do anything this year but — better late than never?
November 12, 2007 at 7:56 pm
I would definitely pay more…. the more you pay, the less you use and that’s a good thing! Visit The Non-Electric Life for some other tips to cut down.
November 18, 2007 at 3:14 am
I used to work security for Canadian Niagara Power & had access to things in & around “the Falls” the tourists could only DREAM of. I still have some one-of-a-kind pictures from that experience. Much info on Niagara’s hydroelectric legacy here; http://www.opg.com/power/hydro/index.asp