Happy Independence Day. 

We celebrate our forefathers who 200+ years ago charted a course for this country independent of the influences and taxation of any other country, or king.

It is a cause of celebration for their profound sacrifices, struggle, and leadership. 

Today, July 4th,  also gives an opportunity to look at our efforts in the context of modern America.  We are in a global economy and to a beneficial  extent, we are all mutually dependent on each other for trade and environmental issues. Our greatest achilles heal, our greatest national weakness, is the fact the we are dependent, in fact more dependent than any other time in history, on other countries and kings for the energy to run our households, our cities, and our country.   

Our forefathers are grumbling, and our energy policy leaders in both parties are without rudder.   

We are not independent as a nation today.  

I would offer that we are cheap, and that we seek the “easy button of immediacy” to feed our engine at the very expense of independence. We are desecrating the struggles and triumphs of our  forefathers and the spirit of this nation by our actions and lifestyles. Independence is a remembrance and a slogan instead of a national virtue.

Let us change that.  Today. 

Our  goal as a nation was at its founding,  and should always be, Independence. 

 Today is our family’s energy Independence day.    

For four years we have been researching, planning, building, and living in a manor that allows us to be energy independent in harmony with nature.  We have a home and a  car that is energy neutral, getting energy from the sun.  Our partner that we are dependent on, is mother nature.   

Yesterday we received our statement from SDG&E that verify our beliefs and efforts, our independence. 

Our home, our car, are powered by the sun.

It’s time to go put my American flag on the flagpole in the front of our home. 

Happy July 4^th everyone. 

Peder

The last column shows our SDG&E bill.  In January it was $50  In March we went to Neutral, and from March until October we will be below the zero line.  That's what the minus signs are for!  Our bill last month was -$14.88.

This bill also includes the electrical energy provide by the sun to drive our car 350 miles a month on average.  This is a savings of 23 gallons of gas or approx $108 a month.  Independence is a great feeling :)