My Electric Addiction

This post is written as part of the What IF? Project hosted here on the Rivera Runs Through It Blog. Each week a new "What if?" question is presented and I do my best to respond to the query.  You are invited to as well. This week's "What if?" was

What if we lost electricity forever?

Earlier this year I decided to participate in Earth Hour by shutting off all lights, televisions, computers and any other electronic devices for one hour along with thousands of others around the world. It was an amazing experience for my husband and I. I am grateful I did it. By the end of the night I had a ton of questions relating to my own (and society's) addiction to electricity.

Time has passed, the summer came along and with it came lots of trips to the movies, the air conditioning going on, staying up extremely late during summer vacation and blogging, writing and computing like mad. In short, electricity has become an even greater part of my existence in these last couple of months. Then last weekend, I was reminded of my thoughts in March when Hurricane Irene came barreling toward my home threatening to take all of my power with her. All types of preparations went into action:

•  extra ice was made so the freezer could be packed tightly and left closed tight
• candles were gathered on the dining room table along with all the matches we owned
• cell phones were charged to their fullest and arrangements were made with family as to how we would communicate if power went down
• hard drives were backed up

At first, it felt like a bit of a panic. My conversations about the great threat of this Hurricane came down to one worry uttered over and over, "I just really don't want to lose the power... I don't know what we would do." And then I heard myself saying those words and I thought, "How ridiculous!" There was a time in my life when a blackout was the greatest fun ever to be imagined! How did I suddenly become this person. 

I decided it was time to reevaluate my thinking. I remembered that in my long list of "What if" questions I had one about losing electricity. I thought it was time for me to really think about that question and answer it. Here's what I came up with:

Note: in the first frame, Buffy is rubbing in the grass - not dead!

So I was back to the core of the matter. Life without electricity does have the potential for some really great stuff. To be completely honest, I think the greatest loss I would feel if I lost power would be the loss of the connection with the people I have met through blogging. Beyond that, I think I'd sleep a heck of a lot better (and more), I'd still be writing (just with paper and pen) and I think the world might slow down a little bit (which is something I'd love! I can't seem to keep up anymore!). I also don't think I'd be the only one that would be happier if we all lost electricity for awhile. If you haven't read it yet, take a moment now to check out Brenna's post from Almost All the Truth entitled "Is electricity natural?" just to see how harmful of electricity usage actually is!

We here in the Rivera household have been long confused by the fact that solar and wind technologies are not used for generating electricity and hope to, someday, be one of the first houses in our neighborhood to employ one or both of these technologies. However, in the meantime, we must be more vigilant in our usage and reduce our electricity consumption!

Do you use wind or solar power in your home? If so, how did the transition go for you?

What are some tips you have for reducing electricity usage?

What would be the greatest thing you would miss if you lost electricity forever?

Let Brenna Tell you Almost All The Truth

Sometimes when you read someone else's blog you are left saying, "Now there's someone who gets it." Such is the case for me when I read the blog of this week's Stumble Buddy, Brenna at Almost All The Truth.

If you just started following my writing since I've started the Rivera Runs Through It blog, then you may not be aware of my obsession with living a greener lifestyle, becoming a more conscious consumer, or, most notably, my obsession with good, natural foods.Brenna's blog, Almost All the Truth speaks to each one of these topics and more spreading an amazing amount of important information for all of us to stay attuned to every single day.

Most times when I write about a Stumble Buddy I say "You'll thank me," for this introduction once you start readng, while this remains to be true in the case of Almost All the Truth, it also goes one step further: I'll thank you for taking the time to think about those things that are truly important in our world. Brenna's got a lot to share with you: sje's going to make you think, she's going to make you question and, if we are all lucky, she'll get us to change for the better!

Here's a quick tour of Brenna's blog to give you a taste of what kinds of truth she has to offer: 

• Is electricity natural?
• Reduce waste through thoughtfulness 
• Top Ten Ways to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
• Wordful Wednesday: vision, glasses and children
• Getting greens with organic and fresh green smoothies

 That's just a bit of a teaser for you. There is so, so much more. Please take some time this week to check out Almost All the Truth and truly think about the words she offers us. 

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This post was written as ta part of my continuing series on My Stumble Buddies. To be a part of our StumbleUpon party to read and stumble week by week, come visit the Kludgy Mom community in Blog Frog!

Other Stumble Buddy Posts:

• Are You Reading Read Aloud Dad?
• Get a Clue With Kludgy Mom
• The Perfect Formula for Learning at Old School with The Damsel   
• Find Out What You Should Know from the I Though I Knew Mama Blog 
• Shape Up AND Have Fun With The Budget Diet
• Ask Alison Golden About Her Secret Life as a Warrior Woman 

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