“We’re in deep do-do”…as one of our Club members mumbled this morning. We’re running out of fossil fuels, the Middle East is in turmoil, and the United States is strategically at risk for energy we so desperately need to survive as a nation.
We were reminded this morning by our guest speaker, Dr. Russell Gentry of the Georgia Institute of Technology, of this fact. In fact, Dr. Gentry and 200 Georgia Tech students are doing something about this crisis. They entered the 2007 Solar Decathlon project, sponsored in part, by the U.S. Department of Energy, held in Washington, D.C. to demonstrate solar energy can be a viable alternative to fossil fuel one day.
This project is an international competition among twenty universities from around the world. The object of the competition is to design, build, and transport-on a RV chassis that had 48 flat tires on the way from Georgia to Washington- an 800 square foot solar-powered house to the national mall in Washington, D.C. for hands on viewing by hundreds of thousands of people and to compete in 10 categories ranging from solar power for heating to solar power for washers and dryers. Hence, the decathlon ‘tag’ for the ten competitions in the 10 individual categories.
The ‘Tech’ house had eight computers to operate and control photo voltaic solar cells that controlled the amount of solar energy coming into the opaque ceilings and walls of the house. The ‘Tech team’ also used ‘soy’ based foam to insulate the floors of their structure to save energy.
“Sustaining life with light”, the ‘Tech’ project motto...is something we’re all going to have to do to survive someday. Supposedly the world will out of all fossil fuels by the year 2060.
Items are needed for the silent auction. Please submit items as soon as possible and see Jerry Hitt or Ronni French for details.
Admiral Dusty Miller said ‘all hands’ are needed to contribute to the Club’s Foundation. Please donate early and often.
Lantz Balthazar said the pizza party was a grand success last week. The young men he and other club members are working with are a great group of students anxious to start their service to their community in January.
Connie Weatherby said nine Club members showed to decorate two Christmas trees this year, at Northlake Mall, for families of a 6 year old boy and an 11 year old girl. Connie and Bob Bodimer and other Club members had the opportunity to meet the families of these two children after the trees were decorated.
Ray Nixon said 13 people showed up Saturday morning to help decorate the children’s building and do a general clean up. Many thanks to the Club members and their friends who helped with this project, especially David Baker, Jacki Baker, Kit Kammer, Caroline Vant Erve, Burt Manning, Jerry Hitt, Bob Bodimer, Lantz Balthazar, Donnie Balthazar, Ronni French, Chuck Roberts, Yvonne Conway, and Ray Nixon, Chairperson.
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