Geoexchange and Office Depot

Issue:
This month’s featured alternative energy source in Ode magazine was geoexchange, also known as geothermal heat pumps. The Environmental Protection Agency calls geothermal heat pumps the most environmentally clean and energy efficient way to heat and cool buildings (Orzech, 2007). Although, the environmental benefits are huge, the big roadblock is the cost (Orzech, 2007). The executive director of the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium, John Kelly, said, “Geoexchange could cost a homeowner twice as much as a conventional system.” A lot of well to do individuals, like President Bush, the Starbucks boss, and Queen Elizabeth II, are among those who are taking advantage of this type of heating/cooling system. I think that it is great that people who can afford this are choosing to. But why do alternative energy systems like wind turbines, and geothermal heat pumps, and solar panels, which are safer for the environment and efficient replacements of conventional methods, limited in use solely do to cost? Individuals, for example, in a under developed country in Africa, living without electricity or able to bring water up from an aquifer, could use a single or few wind turbines and drastically improve their quality of life. Lives could be changed without the implementation of an electricity company and service, with all that that would entail. I’m sick of hearing that we can’t chose alternative “greener”-healthier methods because it is too expensive! It would be great if across the country we could implement wind turbines, geoexchange systems, and solar panels in areas that make the most sense for that device. (We will have to work on the blade design as not to increase the mortality of bats, naturally.) But think of it. How can it be too expensive to do the right thing?

Orzech, D., “Heat pumps of the rich and famous,” Ode Magazine. 2007 November. 5, 9: 42-44.

Deed: I read a profile about Office Depot as an environmentally responsible corporation. Since I was out of printer paper and ink, I purchased the remanufactured ink cartridge and ream of recycled copy paper that was in the report.