Diamond-Cut Life

More Joy, Less Stuff

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Entries Tagged as 'energy conservation'

How To Slash Your Electricity Bill

November 11th, 2008 · 5 Comments · energy, lifestyle, simplicity, sustainability

by Alison Wiley My diamond-cut household’s monthly electricity use is about half the national average. Besides saving more than $450/year, we’re lowering our carbon footprint because even here in Oregon, coal-burning fuels about 36% of our electricity. And our house is happy, not deprived (diamond-cut = chiseling our consumption down to the core of happiness). [...]

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Heating Our House With Biodiesel, II

October 9th, 2008 · 2 Comments · energy, sustainability

Brrr . . . . we’re suddenly needing to run the heat in the morning, so it’s definitely autumn here in Portland, Oregon. We just filled our oil tank for the winter with biodiesel, B20 this time, from Star Oil, who bought it from SeQuential Biofuel. This will be the second winter we’ll have been [...]

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The Best Moment of the Debate

October 8th, 2008 · No Comments · energy, lifestyle, politics, simplicity

A 78 year old woman emailed Tom Brokaw yesterday to ask this question of  the two presidential candidates in last night’s debate (I’m paraphrasing): “What sacrifices would you ask of the American people, given that we’re in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression?” John McCain replied that as president he would probably have [...]

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Another VP Candidate Wedded to Fossil Fuels

August 29th, 2008 · 6 Comments · energy, politics

I’m getting a sense of deja vu: a Republican candidate for president, protective of wealthy interests, choosing a running mate who is wedded to fossil fuel interests. John McCain’s choice of Alaska’s Governor Sarah Palin to be his vice presidential candidate is parallel to George Bush’s choice, eight years ago, of Dick Cheney to be [...]

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From An Over-The-Top Hotel

August 25th, 2008 · No Comments · energy, lifestyle, simplicity, transportation

Even when we love our work, it can land us in places we wouldn’t have chosen. I’m currently in a luxury hotel, the Intercontinental Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia, because that’s where the transportation conference I’m attending is being held. The overconsumption, the wasting of resources, is setting my nerves on edge. It feels plain wrong [...]

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