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charles pell, thermostat programmer

10/18/2013

Profiles in Green: Charles Pell, Programmable Thermostat Guru

by Tracey Kline

Swarthmore resident Charles Pell has offered to help neighbors install and program their programmable thermostats.

“Once I figured out how easy they are to use,” Pell said, “I decided to help others.”

Charlie demonstrates his Nest Programmable thermostat. The thermostat can be monitored from a smartphone while you are away from home.

According to EnergyStar.gov, a properly programmed thermostat can save 10-30% on your energy bill. Yet more than 30% of households with programmable thermostats do not use custom or default thermostat programs.

Pell, an engineer, admits that he and his wife Julie had a programmable thermostat for years without knowing how to program it. Committed to sustainability and energy efficiency, he finally perused the Internet and found a programmable thermostat that was both efficient and easy to use: Nest.

“We installed the Nest Thermostat in December 2012,” he says, “and immediately observed our energy bills drop. It took 20 minutes to install, and we got our money back in a year.”

andy rosen, introducing your food

10/17/2013

Profiles in Green: Andy Rosen “Introducing Your Food”

by Andy Rosen

At large extended family events at our house—meaning, primarily Thanksgiving and Passover—we always start each meal by introducing everyone to the food we are about to eat. Paula, my wife and Chief Event Organizer (CEO), started this wonderful tradition because she feels strongly that the meal should be a warm and engaging experience, and our guests should feel welcomed and well-attended. Our relatives love to kid us about this tradition but, in truth, we know they consider it to be an integral part of the festivities and find it very meaningful.

Our introductions have grown in importance and detail over the years as the eating habits and dietary peculiarities of our family and friends have evolved, especially for those who need or choose to eat in a vegetarian, vegan, raw, or gluten-free fashion. My own involvement in “food sustainability” the past two years has resulted in my eating vegetables and fruit that are local in origin and organic, to the extent possible, and meats that come only from animals humanely treated throughout the entire “farm to fork” process.

eric jensen, community gardener

10/17/2013

Profiles in Green: Eric Jensen, Community Gardener

by Margaret Murray

You might see Eric Jensen on his hands and knees at the corner of Harvard and Yale Avenues, determinedly pulling weeds from his garden plot. Weeds have been a challenge for the five years Jensen has had a plot in the community garden.

Now he has a successful counterattack. “I cover my plot with black plastic and poke holes for the plants, so there are no open rows and less space for weeds to grow,” Jensen explains. The perfect weed-prevention method took some experimenting. “One year I used a black cloth, but it was too porous and the weeds grew through it, pinning it to the ground. It was a total disaster!”

For Jensen, a Swarthmore resident and Swarthmore College astronomy professor, gardening has been a part of life since he was a kid growing up in New Hampton, Iowa. “My parents were avid gardeners, and since they were high school teachers we had a garden every summer. It was just part of life.”

charles pell, thermostat programmer

andy rosen, introducing your food

eric jensen, community gardener

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