Gentilly Girl- a part of the 99%

August 21, 2008

Just Say “NO” to Entergy

Gentle Readers, many of you know my complete disregard and mistrust I have for electric/gas Utility companies. They hold a monopoly over our lives and our pocket books.  Under Entergy New Orleans we are as rats on a cage and the utility does what it wishes to us for the sake of their shareholders. This shit must stop or the rebuilding effort here is going to die on the vine.

For the latest threat to our ability to live here, I must direct you to the American Zombie’s take on the topic.  (Yes… go read it! I can wait)

There are two main reasons I champion Alternative forms of energy- one is the lessening of harm to the planet and it’s denizens, and the other is the use of what Nature provides as energy that is Goddess-given to each and every one of us (no one can own the tides, or the wind, or the Sun or the temperature variations  of the Earth’s crust. ) These are the gifts given freely and are not subject to the whims of a corporate Board or the demands of shareholders in said corporation.

Betts and I have already taken the first steps to independance on this issue by rebuilding Green and getting the Geo-thermal system in. The next step is the final one needed to cut the umbilical cord, and that is adding the Solar system to complete the changeover. I’ll be meeting with a company in the next week in order to facilitate our possibly being a model home (using a 70 year old house) to prove the workability of the concept of home energy freedom.  It won’t eliminate our need for Natural Gas for the stove and our back-up generator, but our excess power production will provide more than enough roll-over credits to cover that expense.

Soon our carbon-footprint, just like our utility bill, will only be the size of a baby’s shoe.

More details on the Entergy poop, the further Greening of the house and a water purication system to recycle grey water to come as the info arrives.

January 9, 2008

Owls’ Tuesday

Filed under: Gentilly,Green Living,New Orleans,Our House,Rebuilding — Tags: , , , , — Morwen Madrigal @ 4:10 pm

Yesterday brought some much needed tension release for the Owls (our community’s name for Betty and myself).

I woke up to hear that the framing inspector approved the work on the house with flying colors. He stated that the work was perfect, and that we have done overkill on the strengthening and stabilitization of the entire structure. (We haven’t had the railroad iron added to the corners yet.) It’s safe to say that the man was impressed. Our garage doors were also installed to our delight.
Later in the evening we sat down and talked out the insulation and attic poop with our contractor. Seems we can’t close the attic completely because the house might suffer due to moisture concerns. I had done some research on this matter in my studies about Greening the place, but ours is not adaptable to this concept. Oh well, the new approach being taken costs less, and at this point we need to scale back on the money being laid out.

Tomorrow the guys can put the Tyvek over the sheathing, and then in goes the insulation. Next week the walls are to be closed in. Flooring should start right afterwards and then it’s paint time. Our cabinets are to be installed and the appliances moved in. After that I’ll be putting in the Game Room’s sconces and Bath vanity lighting whilst Brent builds our office desks (48 running foot of them, and one of mine must be able to handle 50 gallon aquariums.)

Then I guess we just move in as soon as the last City Inspection is done. The outside will be unfinished, but the inside will be cozy and livable.

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Later in the night we went to the Pool tourney at the Phoenix. All three of us lost early, so we retired to the Starlight for more pool and drinks. Thank the Goddess that the tourists are gone… there’s parking on Rampart! YAY!

Anyway, that’s how Tuesday went and I am so much de-stressed. This flooded house nightmare is finally coming to a close and we can get out of this dump we’ve spent almost two years in. (And I keep telling outsiders that we are the lucky ones in that we can move forward on getting back into our home. My heart is heavy for those who can’t even start on rebuilding yet.)

Pics as soon as I get my tush up there in the daylight.

November 4, 2007

The River is Our Friend

Filed under: Green Living,Mississippi River,New Orleans — Tags: , , — Morwen Madrigal @ 4:42 am

From the T-P, and yes I’ll explain it later if needed. (Going to sleep now.)

April 11, 2007

Recycling Demand For NOLA

The Gulf Restoration Network is now asking us to let Nagin and the City Council know that we want recycling services to be restored in NOLA. Garbage costs have almost tripled here since “No See-Um” Ray let the new contracts, and these companies don’t do recycling here. This is freakin’ B/S.

We along the Coast are seeking coastal restoration and a healthier Gulf. This means doing the best we can when it comes to disposal of glass, plastics and paper for recycling rather than just filling up landfills during their burial. We must do our ecological duty in making our city Greener.

April 7, 2007

“Big Box vs. New Orleans” Petition

Thanks to Think New Orleans, I got word about a petition concerning a retail developer that wishes to build a strip mall right in the middle of Mid-City. Please sign it if you care for the way our city gets rebuilt.

Do we really desire to live in a pseudo suburbia? Could we actually want traffic to congest major streets, tying up time and burnt gas, giving us pollution probs? What’s going to happen with the local stores, especially ones that are trying to get reopened? Will the “feel” of NOLA be replaced by the onslaughts of development that ignores the style of living we enjoyed here pre-Flood?

Can you NOT imagine a day when automobile-driven siting will result in deserted strip  malls pocketed in many parts of the city whilst we are using Transit, walking and using bikes shopping in our neighborhoods? 
If your answer to any question is no, then please sign this petition.

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