I have a clothesline in my backyard
I live in Florida, and unless it’s raining I use it every time I do laundry. Florida is, after all, the Sunshine State. Clothes dry so fast here (despite the humidity) that if you do washing early in the morning, most of the time they are ready to fold way before you can say “Is it lunchtime?”
When I bought my house (built in the 1950s), I discovered the old roll-out line holder hidden behind a tall bush in the backyard, firmly attached to the back wall of the house. Luckily, the pole to which it would attach still stood forlornly in the middle of the yard. However, the cords where the clothes should hang were long gone. So, I happily bought plastic-coated garden wire and strung it up between the old pieces to make my clothesline.
It never dawned on me that most of my neighbors and friends did not use clotheslines, until recently. But now I feel there is NO EXCUSE not to have a clothesline, if you have the space to install one. Heck, you can even use a rack in your garage! The sun and wind make clothes smell great, too, which is just one of the perks (unless it’s in your garage…).
Since I don’t use my electric clothes dryer much, my power bills are significantly lower than those of my neighbors (I also tend to turn my AC off and open the windows when the nights are below 80°f /27°c). Despite that, they still scoff at my natural dryer. When I ask people if they have a clothesline, even some of my friends look at me like I’m crazy, and they don’t give it any more thought (despite my ranting about how good they are). Have you thought about it? You can order one right now or better yet – make your own!
http://www.urbanclotheslines.com/
http://www.breezedryer.com/catalog/Retractable_Clotheslines-2-1.html
http://www.breezedryer.com/catalog/Retractable_Clotheslines-2-1.html
If you are afraid of them being unsightly, there are even companies that make them look less conspicuous and protected from light rain.
Old fashioned? No, retro and progressive!
It seems our generation has become so spoiled and removed from basic cause-and-effect living that we’ve lost touch with what makes our lives of convenient consumption possible. There’s a reason most European, Asian and South American households use clotheslines not dryers – and our grandparents did, too. Clothes dryers are second only to refrigerators when it comes to household energy consumption. And since almost all dryers are created equal in the amount of juice they suck up, there are no “Energy Star” ratings for them. Even if you have a natural gas-powered dryer, it is still using electricity to run the motor. Which leads me to the second part of this post…..
Coal Ash
Do you know what coal ash is? It is the waste by-product generated by power plants that use coal to produce electricity. Roughly 1/3 of all power plants in the U.S. are coal burning, producing tons of coal ash (or fly ash as it is also called) every year. In Florida, 14 of our approximately 74 power plants are coal fired (incredibly, no one at the FL EPA has been able to tell me exact totals for plants we have in this state, but they do provide a map). And the remaining power plants that don’t use coal burn refined oil and/or gas – and you know what that does for the environment…. So even if you stop driving a gasoline-powered car, all of the electricity you use is still powered by fossil fuels. A tough fact to face, I know. [watch for future posts on this very subject]
No such thing as “Clean Coal”
The destructive process of harvesting coal is one thing: blowing off mountaintops in Appalachia, dangerous mines, pollution. But on top of that, the ash produced by burning coal poses a huge threat to humans and the environment (coal also generates a lot of other dangerous waste products). It has been proven that the ash waste contains high amounts of mercury, arsenic, cadmium, selenium and substances that cause cancer and other illnesses. In fact, the burning process actually concentrates these substances so they are much stronger than when they were in a little lump of coal. And coal burning plants have been shown to release more radioactivity into the environment than nuclear power plants! Here’s a good coal ash fact sheet.
No such thing as “Clean Coal”
The destructive process of harvesting coal is one thing: blowing off mountaintops in Appalachia, dangerous mines, pollution. But on top of that, the ash produced by burning coal poses a huge threat to humans and the environment (coal also generates a lot of other dangerous waste products). It has been proven that the ash waste contains high amounts of mercury, arsenic, cadmium, selenium and substances that cause cancer and other illnesses. In fact, the burning process actually concentrates these substances so they are much stronger than when they were in a little lump of coal. And coal burning plants have been shown to release more radioactivity into the environment than nuclear power plants! Here’s a good coal ash fact sheet.
One 500 megawatt power plant produces up to 125,000 TONS of ash a year (and most plants are built to generate 1000 MW or more). So, what happens to all of this toxic sludge? Since federal regulations on coal ash are so sketchy, there is not much complete information on the ash pile-up in the U.S., but here’s a little tidbit:
Some quick facts about the 584 U.S. coal ash ponds:
- Total surface area for 495 coal ash ponds: 29,350 acres (this number does not include 74 large ash ponds for which no data was given due to Confidential Business Information claims made by Duke Energy and Southern Company, among others -- thus the total surface area for all coal ash ponds is significantly higher).
- Coal ash in these ponds could completely cover an area twice the size of Manhattan, or the entire City of San Francisco, about 46 square miles.
- Total storage in gallons for all reported coal ash ponds: 204,316,071,573.
- Coal ash storage could fill up approximately 263 Dallas Cowboys stadiums with wet ash.
(source: Earthjustice)
There are currently very few regulations on coal ash. Workers handling or working near the ash must wear protective respiratory masks, and ‘hasmat’ clothing. Apparently, energy companies have the option to keep it in ‘lined’ reservoirs, or not. Here’s a great slideshow of waste-lands. If linings are used, they often decay and the contaminants leach into surrounding ground and water tables. And, as you’ve probably noticed, almost all power plants are built right next to some body of water or another – a river, lake, stream or ocean. You do the math. This affects everyone, including us in Central Florida. In 2009, contaminants were found to be leaching into the aquifer from the east Orange County landfill, at the Stanton Plant – which is ranked as the biggest polluter in terms of coal waste in the entire country!
Recycled
In the case of coal ash, recycling is a bad thing. This toxic substance re-generates itself into more profits for the coal industry, by recycling into other products. There’s so much of it available, it’s like free money for them. It is trucked through small towns, and transported by train, trailing toxic yet unregulated ash dust wherever it goes.
Some uses for coal ash are (cue 1950s info reel here): filling in abandoned mines, concrete and drywall production, and repairing highways! The American Coal Ash Association touts this as ‘environmentally responsible’ on their website. Apparently, if people are exposed outside of a power plant, the substance is miraculously non-toxic!
And since there are no regulations on the recycling uses, who knows if the sidewalks in our neighborhoods, the paving stones for sale in hardware stores, or the concrete blocks and sheetrock used to build government buildings and schools are wonderful little gifts full of toxic chemicals?!?
In early 2000, the EPA decided coal ash was a hazardous waste. But shortly after that, they caved to industry pressure and changed their minds. Then, in 2009, the EPA once again proposed it be classified as ‘hazarduous waste’ after a huge coal ash ‘pond’ barrier broke and a Tennessee town was completely engulfed. But, true to form, our trusty government has again bowed to industry pressure (that’s “White House review” in political-speak). They’ve now come up with a couple of different designation options that may better please lobbyists and campaign contributors.
Got Hope?
Lest we forget that progress is actually possible, last week Canada said they will work to phase out coal-burning power plants by the year 2025 (although they still list ‘clean coal’ as one of the alternatives).
If Canada can do it, we should too. Isn’t the health of our citizens and our environment more important than profits??
Oh, I forgot. Our government is ruled by the corporations – not the other way around…
Wanna take action?
Call Lisa Jackson, EPA Administrator, 202-564-4700, and call/write/email your congressperson. Ask for tough regulation of hazardous coal ash waste – as well as funding for clean, renewable energy development. (here’s a good contact list, too http://www.epa.go/epahome/hotline.htm )
Use less electricity! Drive less! Recycle more, so that more energy doesn't have to be used to make more new stuff. And really think about how your actions affect the world.
Then go put up that clothesline.
if your neighborhood association won't allow clotheslines, fight back!
http://hookedonhouses.net/2009/11/12/do-you-have-a-clothesline-in-your-backyard/
http://hookedonhouses.net/2009/11/12/do-you-have-a-clothesline-in-your-backyard/
