Energy Fair Shows Alternatives

Where could you sample delicious gazpacho while "talking with a chimney sweep, watching a windmill slowly turning, playing the "Energy Game," or just browsing at literature tables?

Lakeland Community College was the place June 23 and 24 as North Shore Alert! (NSA) sponsored an Alternative Energy Fair. Co-sponsors with NSA were Heights Citizens for Recycling and the Sierra Club. Speakers, films and exhibits provided many practical, interesting ideas. Nutritious vegetarian snacks and drinks were supplied by Genesis Restaurant and Honest to Goodness Foodstore, while NSA's bake sale sold goodies to take home or cat while browsing. Speaker Norm Robbins, of Heights Citizens for Recycling, expressed the belief that city-owned steam plants run on garbage might cause more waste than necessary. Communities would "contribute" certain amounts of refuse a month, and could be taxed for producing less, since the plants must run at full

Photo by Janet Century capacity. Norm suggested we could recycle 50 percent of our garbage if we put some thought into it. While talking about activities he participates in with his children, Norm said, "There is great value in educating your children in ways you can change your lifestyle to save and recycle." George Riester of the Riester Foundation, another speaker, recommended co-generation of power. He said, "Solid waste is one source of alternate energy." He believes there are locations already available in Cleveland where solid waste could be burned to provide electricity.

Others spoke to us about wind and tidal power, solar architecture, gasohol, and electric cars. David Estill displayed the car he had built partly from junk and used parts. He commented, 'Junk has value if you really want to do-it-yourself." He has been driving his electric car for three years.

Enthusiasm abounded at the exhibit of Vermont Log Buildings, Inc. Cynthia Zappia and Michele Hill, partners with their husbands, talked about liv. ing in their log homes for several years. It was easy to see how much they enjoyed it. Michele explained that they help with every phase of the business, including using the 12-pound sledge to drive the large nails used in construction. The partial log building set up in the

Lakeland patio was assembled in 15 minutes. Cynthia noted that men are often hesitant to ask them technical questions, but after several knowledgeable answers, male customers begin to realize that these women know what they're doing. Other exhibitors included Ye Olde Sweeps, wood stove manufacturers, NASA displays, insulation for old and new homes, and several others.

Practical applications of solar power were shown in the film Project Sage about solar apartment buildings. The mood of the film was hopeful, showing that these alternatives can work. Adventuring In Conservation, Diet for a Small Planet, and Ecology Primer were titles of some of the other films.

A visitor to the Fair, Nina Wright of Willoughby, provided some insights. "I'm kind of wandering around here like a stranger because I have not thought about these things [alternatives) much before," she commented. Nina offered the opinion that people need not feel guilty for using energy, since the utilities and manufacturers have created our needs and wunts for such things as hair dryers and other small appliances. She expressed disappointment that large companies such as General Electric aren't supporting those who are searching for alternatives. As it is, she said, a very small start is being made by a very few concerned people.

Many of our "discoveries" are not new, according to the speakers. For example, tidal power was used in the 1600's, gasohol has been around for 40) years, and the pioneer saltbox house was a fairly effective passive solar home. However, it was pointed out that conservation and alternatives will not get far unless they are economically sound and adapted to the market system.

There was an overall hopeful attitude to the Fair, showing that many people are working on new ideas for the future. If you want to be involved, or need more information about anything mentioned here, write: North Shore Alert!, Box 5636, Cleveland, Ohio 44101, or call 687-1900 and ask for Amy.

—Judie Shaffer

To Hell With Shell

Here's an interesting idea that may help you gain control over what seems like a powerless situation. Remember back in 1973 when gasoline was 35 cents a gallon and suddenly in order to get to work you had to sit in line for thirty minutes in order to buy ten gallons? Because of a shortage? Suddenly, the price went to 55 cents a gallon, and we were virtually swimming in gasoline.

Remember in 1977, when all the coffee beans froze and coffee went up to $5 a pound, and 40 cents a cup? For once the people quit buying it and now, suddenly, it is $2 a pound but still 40 cents a cup. Why? Because people will pay 40 cents a cup but not $5 a pound. Now, no one in the world understands the first law of economics better than a major oil company: "Charge what the traffic will bear." They know if they create a large enough shortage, as long as we have a buck, we will pay it for gas.

How many times have you said to yourself that if it wasn't so useless to fight the federal government, General Motors or Standard Oil, you would love to take them on? But what's the use? What can one person do?

There is absolutely no way we can take on all the major oil companies, so let's do it one at a time. July is "To Hell With Shell" month. Don't buy any more Shell products until we get their attention. For one month, if no one uses an oil company's products, such as gasoline, oil, etc., the oil company cannot store a month's supply, therefore the oil refineries must shut down and cannot produce, and this costs

the oil companies millions of dollars—and it only takes one month to do this,

And there is nothing in the world that will get a inajor oil company's attention quicker thun a drop in their excess profits.

The targets for the next few months urc:

August, 1979 Gulf Oil September, 1979 Standard Oil October, 1979 Arco Oil

November, 1979 76 Oil December, 1979 Texaco Oil January, 1980 Mobil Oil

High Court Strikes Down Breadwinner Stereotype

(New York Times, Junc 26, 1979)—The Supreme Court ruled June 25 that in states where the Government pays well'are benefits to families in which the father is unemployed, it must pay the same benefits to families left equally needy by the inother's loss of her job.

The decision was a defeat for the Federal Government, The Department of Health, Education and Welfare had argued that even though the program at issue, known as Aid to Families with Dependent Children/Unemployed Fathers, distinguished between parents on the basis of sex, it did not do so unconstitutionally.

The Justices unanimously rejected that argument They affirmed the decision of a three-judge Federal district court in Massachusetts and held that the pro gram's failure to provide benefits when the mother is unemployed unconstitutionally discriminates against women as a class.

In the unanimous section of his opinion, Justice Blackmun wrote that Congress, in limiting the benefits to families with unemployed fathers, a parently acted "with an image of the 'traditional family' in mind" and "simply assumed that the father would be the family breadwinner, and that the mother's employment role, if any, would be secon dary. Such an assumption, the opinion said, is "part of the baggage of sexual stereotypes that presumes the father has the primary responsibility to provide a home and its essentials, while the mother is the center of the home and family life."

NO NUKES

GIVE

ME A

ANCE

Photo by Janel Century

July, 1979/What She Wants/Pay