Congressional’s stalwart Climate Pilots families, after finding ways to lower their household carbon dioxide emissions and learning how to make their leisure time climate-friendly, are tackling perhaps their most crucial challenge yet: discovering how best to deal with energy.
This third challenge tasks the four Congressional families with measuring and ranking their electrical appliances, and testing tips for making efficient use of heating and cooling, and water, insulation, and electric appliances.
An optional third component of the current challenge is for the families to change to green power, an “environmentally friendly electricity that is generated from renewable energy sources such as wind and the sun,” according to the Climate Pilots organization.
Meeting the Challenge
In order to meet the current energy challenge, the families will be ranking the electric appliances they use, taking into consideration, among other factors, the number of hours the appliances are in operation and in standby position.
The families will also be testing at least seven of the tips, supplied by the Climate Pilots organization, for effecting efficient energy consumption, such as carrying out a home energy audit, lowering the indoor temperature by two degrees, and air drying dishes instead of drying them in a dishwasher.
Another interesting tip, offered by one of the Pilot program’s climate coaches, Adam Hjort Ström, suggests that turning off the computers, printers and copy machines in a person’s work environment might be an effective way to conserve energy.
“A normal Friday I switch off 25 computers and their screens, five printers and five copy machines,” says Ström. “It feels great afterwards. It is like a ceremony and when I am finished I feel like my work here is done and I can take two days off.”
Benefits
For Congressional’s Climate Pilots families, there are no days off from the realization of the benefits of participating in the Pilots program. In fact, Congressional grade 2 teachers Mya Akin and Angela Ulsh “feel very fortunate to be able to participate in the Pilots project.
“We have learned many green tips from our Swedish climate coaches and we’re having great success with family, friends and our CSOV community. In addition, it was a privilege and an honor to meet with the Swedish deputy prime minister. We look forward to sharing more eco friendly ideas with the community.”
Going Geothermal
Congressional junior Climate Pilots Lee and Ryker Stokes (center, above) were on hand when Sweden’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Energy Maud Olofsson (right, above), chair of the first EU-USA Energy Council, visited the Stokes home to take part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the installation of a ground source heat pump geothermal system. (Nolan Stokes is pictured at left, above.)
During her stateside visit, Olofsson met with U.S. Energy Secretary Stephen Cho and received an in-person update from the Congressional Climate Pilots at a meeting in Falls Church. At the meeting, it was stressed that Congressional’s integration of Climate Pilot teachings in classrooms was key. Congressional grade 2 teachers Akin and Ulsh are both current Climate Pilots.
“Having two CSOV teachers as Climate Pilots,” says Nolan Stokes, father of Lee and Ryker, “has made a definitive impact on the students’ understanding of climate change and what they can personally do to help and be better global citizens.” Stokes makes note of Akin and Ulsh focusing in their classrooms on “composting, field trips to the local farmers’ market, and other climate friendly lessons.” (Another account of Olofsson’s visit to the Stokes home can be viewed on the Swedish Presidency of the European Union web site. Click here.)
Proudly Associated
Congressional Schools, through the considerable efforts of its four participating families, is proud to be associated with the Climate Pilots project. The progress of the Washington, DC-area Congressional Climate Pilots can be followed by reading the families’ blogs posted on the Climate Pilots web site. Further updates on the families’ progress can also be seen here on the Congressional Schools web site.
Photo credit: Gunnar Seijbold/Regeringskansliet
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As always, you can always track the Congressional Climate Pilots' progress at the official Climate Pilots web site.