PATHFINDERS Brought to you by: Straight talk with big thinkers
homes don’t shade the PV panels on the roof—unlike my current home. I’ll also put in another Vertex gas hot water heater from A.O. Smith. It’s a backup for their Cirrex solar hot water system, and I’ve been very happy with the Vertex system I have at my current place.
Leading Role
Brought to you by: After years testing the limits of
green retrofitting, environmentalist and actor Ed Begley Jr. plans to build a new home. By Matthew Power
GB: You often talk about low-hanging fruit—doing the small stuff to save energy first. But is it enough to achieve the major reductions in CO2 that scientists say we need? BB: Well, you don’t want people to tune out. I try to get everyone to base camp, to give them something they can do that’s cheap and easy. After that, they can move up. That’s what I did. Back
in the seventies I was a struggling actor. I had no money, but I did what I could afford. It’s different now, especially for someone building a new home. You can amortize things like solar hot water into your mortgage, and spread the costs over 30 years, so you start saving money in the very first month.
GB: The Washington Post just reported that bigger homes have negated all of the potential energy use gains since the 1970s. Have you thought about tackling the home size issue? BB: Well, I try not to judge people by their size of home or the type of car they drive. If I did, I’d have a lot fewer friends. In the interest of full disclosure, Rachelle and I are about to build a new house. Our current house is 1,600 square feet. The new house will be 3,000 square feet, but it will use less energy than the current home. We’re building it LEED Platinum.
GB: In your TV show, Living with Ed, you and your wife sometimes butt heads about how far to take green living. BB: Well, Rachelle has won me over on aesthetics. She’s helped me understand that beauty matters, and she’s come around, too. She likes low energy bills. When I first started [going green] I lived in what was effectively an energy-efficient bunker for years. But I’ve found that I like being surrounded by beauty. It matters. I mean, if you don’t make [eco-friendly] homes look nice, no one is going to want to live in them.
GB: What lessons will you take with you from the past, as you build your first new green home? BB: Well, I won’t buy a modified sine wave inverter for my solar system—I’m not even sure you still can. It made my clocks run fast, my stereo buzz, and other weird things. I want the new home to have big, thick insulated walls, and it will be sited so that the neighbors’
www.greenbuildermag.com
GB: Let’s talk about sacrifice. Little stuff like changing habits at home is pretty easy. But it’s hard, even for dedicated environmentalists like ourselves, to cut out some of our worst carbon offenses, such as aircraft travel. BB: You’re right. I had this discussion with David Suzuki once, when I would not take a plane to attend an environmental conference. He said, “Your impact at the conference is more important than that one-time carbon cost.” I also think you can use certain carbon offsets. They have their detractors but with a good program such as TerraPass, you’re buying green electrons— investing in cleaner energy. That’s really doing something, not just making you feel better.
GB: You’ve done a lot of work to promote cleaner modes of transportation—bikes and electric cars—but what about those who live outside urban areas? BB: I’ve tried to make that distinction—I only suggest bike riding when weather and fitness permit, public transportation when it’s available. But even in some pretty remote areas, you can often access public transit if you look for it.
GB: In coming years, where do you see your dual role as a performer and eco-advocate leading you? BB: I’d like things to stay just about where they are. It’s been a very good balance for many years. GB
In tandem with a successful career as a film and television actor, Ed Begley Jr. has become an icon of living a more energy-conscious, earth-respecting lifestyle. Visit him at
www.edbegley.com
October 2010 GreenBuilder 21
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