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For over 30 years, Lesley University has helped creative professionals
construct plans of study for advancement in unique areas of
interest. Students have several delivery models to choose from as
they create their own educational paths to pursue their passion.
Recent holistic studies topics:
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Let’s wake up the world.SM
www.lesley.edu/info/change
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The Art of the Landscape
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Large-scale landscapes featuring stone, plants and water
Focus on the feel of the landscape
Achieve harmony in the property, Create sacred spaces for serenity
We work with Nature
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Letters & Notes
Dear Carol,
This is in response to your fall ’08
editorial entitled “Musings.” You’ve
expressed a bright vision of our world,
which builds on our society’s experiences
of just a few generations ago. I’m a student
at Cape Cod Community College enrolled
in the Environmental Technology program
where I study alternative energy and building energy efficiency. My humble purpose
is to chip in whatever practical knowledge
I can to help realize your vision and to
share some exciting developments along
the way which are in the “spirit of change.”
This all has a spiritual foundation
bestowed on us by our native cultures,
namely stewardship with Mother Earth.
Our goal is to achieve global stewardship
in partnership with nature, amidst a
complex global and technological society.
Our native ancestors achieved stewardship with Earth based on a much smaller
and far less interconnected scale, being “low tech” populations.
Yes we can and ought to act as individuals to conserve energy and walk our
talk as advocates of global stewardship. In order to effect a mass movement
in this quest, government cooperation is vital. I find it somewhat enigmatic
that the knowledge I’m sharing here is not plastered over the major television
and radio waves on a regular basis, so it needs to be disseminated through
alternative sources.
On a state level I’ve learned our government is stepping up to the plate with
substantial tax rebates and financial incentives for improving building energy
efficiency for homes and business. “Well I’m not reading Spirit of Change
Magazine to learn about tax rebates and financial incentives…”, you might say.
Bear with me please. If we are to realize a vision of planetary stewardship in
a modern free market, technological society, this means availing the average
Joe and Josephine, who are barely scraping by, some immediate financial
incentives to go along. Many people are just trying to put food on the table.
The thought of having blown-in cellulose insulation in their home is regrettably
one step removed from their consciousness, even though this would save them
thousands of dollars of heating and cooling costs in the long run. If they only
knew about the financial incentives available from our state government, it
might not seem so far away.
Here are two websites which offer many details: www.masssave.com and
www.dsireusa.org/. [DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state,
local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy
efficiency.] Now here is the kicker.
To be eligible for these incentives one needs to have a home energy audit.
If that sounds rather mundane, even a bit scary like an IRS audit, consider the
Zen master who finds spiritual nourishment in the mundane everyday activities
like sweeping the floor. Relax! A home energy audit is simply a procedure to
determine how efficient your home is at using its electrical, heating and cooling
energy for their intended purposes. And if you think having a new home
precludes the need for an energy audit, think again!
Expert technicians arrive at your home with extensive knowledge of building
infrastructure like furnaces and ductwork, electrical appliances, construction
methods, insulation and the like. With various diagnostic tools they can detect
invisible air leaks in your home and monitor the efficiency of your major
appliances along with other more subtle considerations.
In fact, it is a most wonderful experience to witness a home energy audit.
Perhaps you’re the intellectual or artistic type or an overworked homemaker,
and furnaces, ductwork and insulation are like oil to your water and don’t
mix. Relax. Having a close connection with your home and how it works is a
rewarding and a very fulfilling experience. Ask questions to the auditor and get
Talk to us! Send your letters, responses and notes to
editor@spiritofchange.org; fax to 508-278-9641 or mail to
Spirit of Change, PO Box 405, Uxbridge, MA 01569.
