Clean Energy Open House -- demo your Prius

[pkjohna]

The following is from Mike Tidwell of the "Chesapeake Climate Action Network"

Mike says "We always have at last one Prius on display at this event. We currently have a Prius driver scheduled to be present from 2.30 pm to 5 pm. But I need another car/driver to demo his/her Prius from noon-2:30pm. Are you interested or can you appeal to some other Prius drivers you know? "

Clean Energy Open House & Native Plant Landscaping Tour

Clean Energy Open House and Native Plant Garden Tour!
Sunday July 18th,
noon-5pm
Takoma Park

Come see solar panels! View electric, biodiesel, and hybrid cars firsthand! Eat solar-baked cookies! Learn how to landscape your yard with native plants! Buy wind power certificates and energy-saving light bulbs! Test drive a tofu-powered lawn mower! And more!

Sponsored by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Chesapeake Native Nursery. Free admission to all ages


Dear all,

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network will once again open to the public Maryland's only 95-percent renewable energy household on Sunday July 18th from noon-5 pm. The home, owned by the Tidwell-Varchaver family of Takoma Park, is equipped with energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, and is powered by photovoltaic solar panels, a solar hot-water system, and a corn-burning home-heating stove.

The house has been featured in magazines, newspapers, and TV and radio stations (including NPR) all across the United States and Europe, and was recently featured on the Voice of America all across the world. One of the most newsworthy aspects of the home is the fact that all of these energy changes were made for the cost of just a cup of coffee a day!

Come learn how you, too, can affordably reduce your home fossil fuel use by 50-90 percent and so help fight global warming. As a special feature, we'll also have two hybrid cars and an electric truck for you to view and learn about their affordable, climate-protecting features. And as a new feature, we'll show you how to landscape your yard with native plants and water them with rain barrels that catch rooftop runoff. Plus, there will be a solar food cooker on display (free solar-baked cookies!), we'll be selling energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs for a big discount, and we'll have lots of free literature on the rising threat of global warming and steps you can take to help save the planet.

The world's changing climate is an enormous threat to us all. Take action and join us on Sunday July 18th for a fun outing your whole family will enjoy.

Best,

Mike Tidwell
Executive director
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
mwtidwell@aol.com
301-270-3722

WHAT: A tour of the first home in Maryland/Virginia/DC powered almost entirely by renewable energy and landscaped with native plants.

WHEN: Sunday July 18th noon-5pm

WHERE: 7125 Willow Ave, Takoma Park, MD

DIRECTIONS:

By Metro: Take the red-line train to Takoma Station and walk east along Carroll Ave. toward downtown Takoma Park. After three blocks, turn left on Willow Ave. We're the fourth house on the right. Five-minute walk from the Metro.

By bike or car from DC: Take 16th Street north to Aspen. Turn right on Aspen and follow under the Metro Bridge. Take your second left after the bridge onto Willow Street. At the first light, turn right on Carroll Ave and take an immediate left onto Willow Ave.

By bike or car from the Beltway: Exit at New Hampshire Ave heading south. Take a right on Piney Branch and a left on Carroll Ave. Follow Carroll till you're almost in downtown Takoma Park and take a right on Tulip Ave. Take your next left onto Willow Ave and we're the third house on the left.

PARKING:
Please park in the parking lot at the corner of Willow Ave. and Carroll Ave., just four houses down from the expo.

For more information call 301-920-1644 or 301-270-3722.

[pkjohna]

I got a chance to stop by the Open House this afternoon. It was a educational and a lot of fun. Not only did i get a chance to brag on the Prius for a couple of hours to quite a variety of people but I also had a nice chat with a Civic Hybrid owner to compare notes but I also got a good look at a full-on EV (with assistance from hood and trunk mounted solar panels) disguised as a Sports Car. After my Prius show-off shift was over (BTW my relief was another Salsa Red Prius owner who has been lurking at PC but will probably register now ) I wandered from the Prius to see what else was around. First I checked out the bio-diesel car and EV pickup truck and the tofu powered lawn mower. Okay, the tofu powered mower was really a human (tofu eating of course) powered rotary push mower. There was an interesting variety of herbs, wild grains, etc. posing as a front lawn. Inside the house I saw the corn fed furnace/stove. I didn't have to time to watch the documentary video explaining how the thing works.

I've deliberately left some things out -- you'll just have to show up next time to see for yourself. Of course, if my fellow Prius demonstrator would like to chime in she's more than welcome (hint, hint :wink: )!