Rethinking Some Decisions

Years ago I had the option of buying my electricity from wind power. I chose not to. I like wind power but I didn't want to pay more money, month after month. I thought I could help the environment in other ways than paying the energy company. Today, I am rethinking that decision. According to an article in the Star Tribune, in July of 2008, I would have SAVED money for my energy if I had purchased it from wind power. As gas prices go up, the energy company charges us a surcharge to make up the difference. In July, wind energy was 3.5 cents per kilowatt hour and natural gas energy was 3.6 cents per kilowatt. This is the first time wind energy has been cheaper and, with the price of a barrel of oil going down, it may be a long time before this happens again. It makes sense that wind energy would be cheaper but I am still amazed. This week I am rereading one of my favorite books, "Small Wonders" by Barbara Kingsolver. Kingsolver is one of my top five favorite authors. Her series of essays in "Small Wonders" talks about genetically modified seeds, eating locally, poverty, war, sustainability, and Charles Darwin. Because of my experiences this year in traveling to Africa and seeing the Masai Mara Park plus taking the nature classes, I am getting a whole new understanding of these topics. I wish I could write like Barbara Kingsolver. She talks about doing dishes and seeing a hummingbird build a nest from start to finish. I almost felt like I was looking out that window with her. She writes about the ecological wonder of the San Pedro river in southern Arizona and I want to go there. She describes a wilderness on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and I am ready to make travel plans. I am sure that it helps that she is a tree hugger like me and I agree with her views but the way she uses words is sublime. I feel like I'm taking in calories when I read her words - she's that good.