Even if we have to shell out the bucks, a large mass of the American population wants instant gratification, which sadly the production of quick, cheep and instantly pleasing products or services are hardly environmentally friendly. From all of the interviews that I’ve conducted for Microsoft Hohm, there’s always a chuckle about the suggestion on replacing your refrigerator, since for many it will have a payback period of 62 years. I have to admit that it’s a little bit out there; however, this reaction is just an example of the American desire for instant gratification. Anything we can do to reduce our footprint is valuable and makes a difference. Even though it is comical for a fridge to have a payback of 62 years, we have to change out thought process to the bigger picture. What would happen if everyone changed out their fridge to a more energy efficient fridge in America? With a third of the energy consumption coming from residential and commercial buildings it might make people rethink how important it is to make changes even at the micro level – the places where you are not going to have instant gratification.

Easy to hide the dirt

This one is up for debate, but personally I believe that one of the reasons why people avoid going green is due to the fact that there is no personal responsibility that is enforced. I’m not talking about rules, regulations, or a cap and trade for residential homes, but I’m talking about the anonymity of consumption information that individuals and organizations can hide behind. Right now the amount of energy that people, companies, and organizations consume is private, hence letting them hide the dirt. Simply stated, it’s easy to deny something when no one can prove you otherwise. This conversation about anonymity isn’t new and is a continuing problem throughout the web. Check out Seth Godin’s blog The problem with anonymous. This post briefly goes through the many problems that anonymity creates online and in life in general.

It’s not my problem!

Individualism, curse or a blessing? Individualism is one of our nation’s strongest components to free thought, pushing the limits, and innovation; however, it’s very easy to use this card to defend one’s actions. Conserving energy at home needs to be done by everyone. It’s not just the government’s or the utilities’ problem to come up with rules, regulations, and solutions on how individuals consume energy. Everything starts at home, and when facing this issues everyone needs to understand that we’re all connected! Our actions as a whole will decide the fate for our future generations.

So there’s a couple reasons why people might not want to go green. What are your thoughts? Share some of the barriers that you face when you’re trying to make a environmentally conscious decision. If we don’t start putting these problems and concerns on the table, how are we going to fix them?

Well let’s take a look at the Prius. Prius owners and many throughout the green industry have praised Toyota’s efforts to make drivers more effective in their driving habits. This want and need for real-time data has trickled down into the housing market where homeowners want to have the same real-time interaction with their homes as they would with a Prius. This is a very important goal and will be coming in the future. J .ust look at the data feeds that we’ve set up with Seattle City Lights and some of the other energy providers with Microsoft Hohm. However are we jumping ahead of ourselves, are we looking for instant gratification rather than addressing the real issues?

So here is where the question lies. Even through the Prius effect makes the driver very effective, is the car itself as efficient as it could be? Are homeowners wanting real-time monitoring for instant gratification rather than taking the time and money to make their home as efficient as possible? A person can be effective as much as they want, but if they’re not efficient, it becomes a self-defeating process. For example if I have a house that isn’t insulated, has poor windows and doors, and I haven’t changed the lights out to more efficient lights, no matter how effective I am, my home will not be running at optimal levels. Environmental education should address the need for the balance of efficiency and effectiveness. Alone, neither one is a silver bullet,: however if homeowners, car manufactures, agriculture and much more could find this balance within their ecosystem, we could see massive changes in how we consume energy.

So take another look at Microsoft hohm and ask the question: Is my house as efficient as it can be? So when the time comes where the Prius effect enters your home, you’ve already made sure that your efforts to be effective is not being held back by your home;s efficiency.

“One notable skit was on the different size descriptions on cans of food, in the days prior to government regulation and standardizing of labels. Efron sarcastically compared cans of olives with sizes like “Giant”, “Jumbo”, “Extra Jumbo”, “Super Jumbo”, “Colossal”, and “Super Colossal”. The “Super Colossal” can contained one olive that filled the can.

Another piece involved Efron attempting to cook a lemon meringue pie… using mainly artificial ingredients found listed on a box of frozen pie.

A most memorable segment trumpeted the Trash Compactor appliance. Efron’s tagline….”the machine that turns 20 pounds of trash into 20 pounds of trash!”

Even though this series went live in the 70’s, it hit on some of the core issues that are facing us in the 21st century. The connection between consumerism and the American Dream Machine is finite; consumers must be enticed to purchase and use products or services to fuel growth of American. Do American’s need a new vision that helps them deal with reality, a promising story of the future that helps them let go of this consumption based past? Is the “Go Green” mantra this new story?

Small has become the new big, and less is the new more. Now days we want it all in 140 characters with the option to listen to audio, look at pictures, and maybe watch a video. We want it now, not later, and all in my pocket, so I can view it on my own time. This shift in consumerism has rocked the foundation of the American Dream Machine putting many companies bottom up or barely with their heads above water. Simultaneously, there seems to be an overlying theme that the majority of people want to slow down, listen, and get involved with helping their environment.

The chaotic technical genius of the younger generation matched with elder’s wisdom and knowledge of environmental studies can develop a whole new green industry that will create a new American Dream Machine never seen before.

Trying to come up with some blog topics around the holidays for Hohm I headed out to my parents who are always up for a cup of coffee and some strong debate early in the morning. Quickly the conversation tuned into the upcoming holiday and what is the possibility of households conserving energy by preparing food in one location while the community gathers in once place to eat. This idea was almost instantly rebutted by my dad stating that the conservation efforts within one location can easily be outweighed by the amount of energy used for transportation either for the food itself or in this instance the commuting people to come eat a one person’s house.

It might not be directly related to conserving energy in your home; however, the products and food that you buy play a major role into the overall consumption of energy. Your efforts to conserve energy and money at home can easily be mitigated by other actions that you take for instance the food that you purchase.

Did you know?
1. In 1866, 1,186 varieties of fruits and vegetables were produced in California. Today, California’s farms produce only 350 commercial crops.

2. Communities reap more economic benefits from the presence of small farms than they do from large ones. Studies have shown that small farms re-invest more money into local economies by purchasing feed, seed and other materials from local businesses, whereas large farms often order in bulk from distant companies.

2. A typical carrot has to travel 1,838 miles to reach your dinner table.

3.In the U.S., a wheat farmer can expect to receive about six cents of each dollar spent on a loaf of bread—approximately the cost of the wrapping.

4. Farmers’ markets enable farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.

5. About 1/3 of all U.S. farms are located within metropolitan areas, comprising 18% of total U.S. farmland.

If this didn’t catch your attention take a look at Are You Hungry For Change, a film discussing some of the core environmental issues in American agriculture.

Even though Microsoft Hohm is a place to learn more on how to conserve energy and money within your home, we’re also going to host conversations on how to conserve energy throughout your daily life.

Sources
Meter, Ken. “Finding Food in California: local gains, systemic losses.” Crossroads Resource Center. January, 2005. p.8 (accessed online 8/17/08).

Flore, Jan L., Carol J. Hodne, Willis Goudy, David Osterberg, James Klienbenstein, Kendall M. Thu, and Shannon P. Marquez, “Social and Community Impacts,” in Iowa Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Air Quality Study: Final Report. Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, University of Iowa, 2003: 148.

Herriges, Joseph A., Silvia Secchi, and Bruce A. Babcock. “Living with Hogs in Iowa: The Impact of Livestock Facilities on Rural Residential Property Values.” Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Iowa State University. Ames, Iowa, 2003.

Pirog, Rich, and Andrew Benjamin. “Checking the Food Odometer: Comparing Food Miles for Local Versus Conventional Produce Sales in Iowa Institutions.” Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, July 2003.

Pretty, Jules. “Some Benefits and Drawbacks of Local Food Systems.” Briefing Note for TVU/Sustain AgriFood Network, November 2, 2001.

The first three trends are pretty straightforward. First, the energy grid is becoming maxed out in capacity. Second, the major ways we’re creating energy are damaging our environment, and third the overall cost of producing energy is growing at an extraordinary rate, forcing us to look for new ways to produce and use energy. The last three trends are subtler. Consumers’ expectations have changed from just getting cheap energy to getting cheap energy that is produced with minimal impact to the environment. Technology has changed the consumer and the way energy can be used. Consumers are now looking for technologies to help them minimize their consumption while (the user) using minimal effort. The down economy is a perfect time for a whole new industry to arise where a capitalistic economy can latch onto and grow in new ways that haven’t been seen before. Also the technology is finally there in homes where a smart grid can actually happen. Example, for a long time many household appliances were made with 8-bit chips since a 16-bit chip was much more expensive and harder to produce. With the cost of these chips decreasing, most appliances and household products now have 16-bit chips installed since they’re faster, more efficient, and cheaper. But the biggest part of this transition from an 8-bit to a 16-bit chip is 16-bit chips can talk to each other allowing them to be networked to actually allow people the ability to create something as intricate as the smart grid. Simply put, Smart Grid is moving the electric grid from a “static” to a “dynamic” state.

Looking at all of these factors, the green revolution is moving ahead in full force, and I’m personally glad to be part of it by being involved with Microsoft Hohm. We are in extraordinary times where we’re faced with the threat of massive environmental problems. Just like other social economic problems faced in the past, the solutions provided by the new green revolution lie in the ability for individuals to change their view of the world. Join the conversation and don’t be afraid to ask questions, give constructive criticism, and share your thoughts on how we can improve as we all take this journey into a new era.

The 5 Tips Of The Week -

Use it on flyers but change the content behind the tag
Microsoft Tag on wine bottles
Apparel companies Place Tags so people can order directly
Leave notes for your roommates and friends
Place Tag in a elevator

Besides the five suggested tips on how to use Microsoft Tag we mention a social experiment that is in the works

If you have any feedback let me know.