Frances Sanderson

I feel that educating our youth on energy savings and protecting the environment is part of my service as a Certified EcoBroker^®, and I'd like to share some of my favorites. They range in age appropriateness and levels of difficulty. Hopefully, your children will find them as stimulating as their Nintendo^®, Playstation^® and WII^® games.

Please feel free to add your favorites to the list. (Be sure to scroll through the comments as the list keepas growing.)

http://www.touchstoneenergykids.com/ Touchstone Energy Kid Zone

http://www.eere.energy.gov/kids/ US Department of Energy

http://www.eere.energy.gov/education/lessonplans/ US Department of Energy

http://sciencespot.net/Pages/kidzone.html The Science Spot Kid Zone

http://www.iknowthat.com/com/Search?Search=Environment Learning Skills for Life

http://www.agclassroom.org/kids/ Agriculture in the Classroom

http://content.fsa.usda.gov/FSAKIDS/ Farm Service Agency

www.eia.doe.gov/kids/ Energy Information Administration

http://www.energyhog.org/childrens.htm Alliance to Save Energy

These links are presented as a service only. I do not endorse or warranty this information.

NEW ON ENERGYSTAR.GOV WEBSITE...ENERGY STAR KIDS

www.energystar.gov/kids

Fran Sanderson, Franklin, NH, REALTOR^®, Certified EcoBroker^®

LED (light emitting diode) Christmas lights are the newest thing when it comes to Christmas lights due to their energy saving features and long bulb life. They are brighter than incandescent bulbs, use up to 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs, last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, and they come in all shapes and sizes, just like incandescent bulbs.

According to the EnergyStar.gov website: If all decorative light strings sold in America this year were ENERGY STAR qualified, we would save over 2 billion kWh per year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to nearly 300,000 cars!

So what's the down side?

Well, for starters, they are more expensive than the incandescent bulbs we've been buying. (Anywhere from $10 on up.) However, I've found several stores selling them for 50% off right now, and with this economy the way it is, I expect the deals to be even greater. (The deal I found was for $5. for 60 wide angle bulbs, normally $10.)

I've always been a white light person, though, and the white wide angle LEDs that I purchased were a very cool blue light. They would be great for an outdoor display, but they didn't have the ambience I'm used to with the regular white miniature lights. I actually felt like an alien tree had landed in my living room.

I ended up using the lights that I have used for the last 6 years, but I did purchase colored bulbs for next year. (I'm trying to do my part.)

So, my advice is, if your lights work fine, use them... only use them sparingly. If you were planning on buying them anyway, now's a good time. I don't think there will be many left for a better discount after Christmas. And if you want to hold out for a warm LED light set, put in your suggestions now. Maybe Santa's listening :-)

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker^®

By the way, replacement bulbs can be found at www.imaginarycolours.com

What glows in the dark or remains unseen, but sucks on your energy meter like a Vampire? It's Standby Power.

Most appliances, electronic equipment, transformers (e.g. cell phone chargers), video game consoles, computer equipment and devices with a standby light, such as power strips and alarm clocks, draw electricity even when they are off.

These little "Suckers" are responsible for at least 5% of our total annual residential energy consumption, and add up to billions of dollars in increased energy costs.

So what do we do to eliminate, or at least diminish, their hold upon us?

Well let's start with the right tool. Knowledge. Knowledge is power, right? How do we determine where the beast lies? A Power Meter or Energy Meter

A Power Meter is a device that measures the amount of electrical energy supplied to or produced by a residence, business or machine. It can be a plug-in unit, such as the Kill A Watt^TM, or Cent-a-meter^TM, which measures individual appliances and electronic devices by plugging each device into the unit, or it can be wireless, such as the PowerCost Monitor^TM. They range in price from $24.99- $149.99.

If you can't afford to purchase one of these units, you can always ask if you can borrow one from your local utility company. I've even heard that some libraries lend these out to their members.

Next step, turn off and unplug anything you don't use. Those you do use, turn off before you go to bed.

Last, but not least, check the estimated power usage of each new appliance or device you are about to purchase to see how many watts it uses in standby mode. Devices that are Energy Star Certified® are usually a good choice.

We can all benefit by any changes you make to squash the power of the the Energy Vampires. I started doing this one month ago and I already saw a differnce in my electric bill. You will, too.

New Hampshire is known for many geographic profiles; the most famous being the Old Man in the Mountain. (photo provided by Wikipedia)

The profile that has spurred on this blog today, however, is Profile Falls, in Bristol, New Hampshire. I've mentioned in an earlier blog that the Pemigewasset River starts in Franconia Notch at Profile Lake, and travels South until it joins the Winnipesaukee River to form the Merrimack River in Franklin.

At the South end of Bristol, on the Hill Town Line, which is also the Grafton and Merrimack County border, the Smith River comes in from the West and feeds into the Pemigewasset. This is where you will find Profile Falls and the Profile Falls Recreation Area.

If you are looking for it on a map, it is on Route 3A, South of Bristol Square.

This profile may not be as exciting as the Old Man, but it has been around a long time.

The photo below is from the late 1800's. Compare it to the ones I took a month ago.

Here is a wider shot of the forty foot Falls

.

It's a great place to picnic and hike. And yes, it's a favorite local spot for tubing and it has a boat launch.

And....

It is State maintained. Can't you tell?

New Hampshire takes great pride in its State Parks. This is an outhouse :-) Much nicer than the port-a-potties you usually find.

Profile Falls is just a single must see on the New Hampshire Heritage Trail System, but if you are in the Newfound Lake area, don't miss this one!

What do Snowmobile Enthusiasts do when they can't find snow? Why Grass Drag, of course. After 20 plus years of living in New Hampshire, I had never heard of grass dragging, but this past weekend, I got my first taste of it and I loved it!

The Grass Drags, held at Peterson's Brookvale Farm in Fremont, New Hampshire, is the second largest Grass Drag and Watercross Competition in the country and is sponsored by the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association. Snowmobiles and ATVs race across grass and water in a competition that almost brings as many race fans to New Hampshire as NASCAR racing.

Phil Peterson, owner of Brookvale Farm, recently passed away, but his 200-acre farm on Martin Road has been host to this event since 1980. You may have seen the news of his passing on WMUR. The procession of tractors that gathered for his funeral march, was a symbol of his livelihood and an even more powerful symbol of the love of his neighbors. He never liked to say "Good-bye", so he would say "Good-night" instead. On Saturday, when I attended the event, a sign was posted in front of his home that said, "Welcome... and Good-night".

The first event I witnessed was the freestyle demonstration. Snowmobile and ATVs were flying through the air. I was mesmerized. Look at the photo below. Tell me you are not thinking Type A personalities.

The second event for me was the Water Cross. Snowmobilers race on the water of Brookvale Pond and yes, they do sink. The trick seems to be to maintain your speed while keeping the front runners off of the water. A pontoon boat with medical personnel was ready at all times to pull the unfortunate riders out of the pond. Events included a straight shot across the pond and then the Oval race, where riders had to make laps around the pond, five in total, I believe. They seemed to get extra enjoyment from soaking the crowd who sat too the close to the edge of the pond.

And to top it all off, the weather was in the seventies, and the fall foliage was just about at its peak. Needless to say, I'm hooked on this event. I expect to be a regular attendee from now on, and I hope to see some of you there next year, as well.

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker^®