Thinking about Legacy: The Story of McHenry County’s Oaks

About 12,000 years ago, as the last ice sheets retreated from McHenry County, small animals like squirrels and blue jays moved back into the area, bringing with them nuts from the trees that survived further to the south. This area was recolonized with hickories, oaks, and even hazelnuts that were carried - and buried – by these small critters.

Other plants could be spread into the area by the wind, but these trees with heavy nuts and acorns needed assistance to make the trip northward.

In the years that ensued, this area experienced a 3,000 year long drought where fires raged across the landscape, shaping the character of the plants that would one day form the prairies and oak woodlands that native American people found in McHenry County.

The bur oak, with its spreading crown, and its cork-like bark thrived in this fire-tested landscape, while species like the shagbark hickory, white oak and red oak managed to survive in wooded areas more removed from the open prairies – areas where the regular prairie fires did not penetrate.

Fast forward to 1837, when the area we call McHenry County was officially surveyed by the US Government to ready the area for settlement. At that time, the men conducting the public land survey found a landscape that was about one-third covered with oaks.

Oaks & hickories. Not maples. Not ash trees. Not pines or cedars or firs, but 98% oaks & hickories.

We have the surveyors’ written records – at every section corner, at every quarter section point as they measured their way across the land, they noted in their journals the plants that they found, including the trees that were nearest to the corner point. If a tree was very near the corner, they would often mark that tree with a gash as a “Witness Tree.” There is one of these trees still living south of Marengo. There may be others!

The majority of the oaks were bur oaks.

Picture the squirrel with his cheeks full of acorns or hazelnuts, digging small holes to bury his cache for the winter. Is it any wonder he forgot some of the nuts and they grew up into trees and bushes?

Fast forward again to today. Nearly 90% of our oak woods are gone. Farming, development, and most recently age and invasive species have impacted these once extensive groves of oak trees.

So what? A tree is a tree, right? The squirrels seem to be doing okay! Isn’t there something more important to worry about than some trees?

A friend shared an experience with me the other day: she was driving through a small town in the county, past a house where a large oak tree was being cut down. She stopped to ask the homeowners what was wrong with the tree. Their reply: “Oh, nothing, but it was messy – all those leaves and nuts every fall – we just didn’t like having it in the yard.” She asked their permission to count the tree rings and found 125 rings, meaning 125 years old. More years of life than the two homeowners’ combined. The tree was there before their home was built, before they were born – before their parents were born. And in one moment, that 125 year-old, healthy life was extinguished.

So what? Well, to put it into terms even the coldest among us can relate to, a mature street tree adds $2,000-5,000 to the market value of a home. A tree located on the south side of a home (which this old tree was) will provide shade that cuts cooling costs by 20% or more, and will provide shelter from winter winds, thus reducing the winter heating bill as well.

This story plays out every day in the county, whether one homeowner choosing to remove an oak tree, or a developer destroying hundreds because it is harder to build those cookie-cutter homes if you have to work around some pesky trees.

Now, I’m not telling you this story to get you depressed, but rather to get you to think. To think about how this story of the oaks in McHenry County has something to teach us about the work of our church and the legacy that each one of us will leave behind.

What do we do? Maybe we speak up at a City council meeting to ask our elected officials to do a better job of preserving the oaks that are our legacy. Or maybe we plant an oak tree.

Climate change questions

Recently, I attended a program about “climate change.” Ever since, I have been wondering: What is this thing that is going to be changing?

In the simplest sense, climate is the average weather conditions observed for a given geographic location over many years.

Weather includes such things as precipitation (measurable rain, sleet and snow), temperature (highs and lows), as well as wind (speed and direction). The weather in a place is determined by the pressure and moisture of the air. Weather is influenced by large-scale things such as the jet stream and by local factors such as pavement or agriculture.

But back to climate.

Climate is influenced by the latitude, altitude, vegetation cover, and even the presence of mountains or large bodies of water such as oceans or large lakes (like Lake Michigan).

Watching the weather reports recently, I noticed that northwest Indiana had about a foot of snow on November 18th. This is known as “lake effect” snow because it is influenced by the proximity of Lake Michigan. Towns just a few miles away had no snow – because they were just that much further from the lake and it’s effects.

So, what’s the big deal about a changing climate?

Consider this: the reason that the Midwest is known as the “breadbasket of the world” is because of the unique combination of climate and soil that is found here. The cornbelt was once a vast tallgrass prairie, which is why the soils are so productive for growing crops.

But, it isn’t just the soil that makes the Midwest a great location for agricultural production, it is also the climate. Simply put, in the Midwest it rains during the growing season in a quantity needed to grow most crops without irrigation. This phenomenon of rich soil and ideal climate is unique when one looks across the globe.

What happens, however, if – when – the climate changes?

What if the growing season becomes longer or shorter than it is today? What if the average rainfall increases or decreases by a significant amount? What if the rainfall occurs during a different time of the year – earlier in the year or later, rather than primarily during the growing season? What will happen to food production if average temperatures increase?

What happens to the Midwest agricultural system if several of these things happen at the same time?

The short answer is: no one knows for sure.

But a clue can be found when one looks at what happens during a long, hot, dry summer. Crops die. Crop yields are lower. Some farmers irrigate with well water to supplement the scant rainfall. The government pays farmers something for the losses to help them get through the crisis, but folks know that a drought is a unique weather event, so no one panics.

When the next year arrives, the rains return and all is right again.

What if the rain doesn’t return the year after the drought? What if the rain comes in April and October, but not in June or July?

Again, no one knows for sure, but I have the feeling that if – when – this region starts to experience a changing climate, residents will adapt. Keep in mind that climate is the average weather over a period of time, so let’s pay close attention to changes in those averages, and take steps to be prepared.

Thinking about light pollution

Let’s quickly review the consequences of light pollution.

Direct glare caused by excess or inappropriate lighting makes it harder to see. Think of how difficult it is to see when an on-coming car fails to dim its brights. Bright light shining directly into the eye causes the pupil to contract, and it can take up to an hour for the eye to recover. While recovering, nighttime vision is greatly impaired. It is helpful to keep in mind that the eye always adapts to the brightest object in the field of view. When the brightest object is the light fixture itself this causes everything else to appear darker than it truly is.

Migrating birds are disoriented by bright lights. Hundreds of species of birds migrate at night. But brightly lit structures, or spot lights aimed to the sky, can confuse the birds, drawing them towards the light, often resulting in collision with buildings, towers or other tall, illuminated objects.

Energy is wasted. By having bright lights spreading light pollution all night long, billions of dollars are wasted each year by homeowners and businesses.

Neighbors are annoyed. A bright light shining into the bedroom at night is the classic example of neighborhood light pollution.

And, light pollution makes it hard to see the stars in the night sky.

There are several simple, inexpensive steps that everyone can take to reduce light pollution.

First, a homeowner can stand at the edge of her property and check to see if she can see any lightbulbs. If so, then she is contributing to light pollution in her neighborhood, but a few simple changes will fix the problem.

Shield the bulb/point floodlights towards the ground. By directing light towards the objects it’s intended to illuminate, people will avoid something called “light trespass,” or light leaving the property and trespassing onto someone else’s. Sensible lighting also means that lights are directed towards the ground, not up into the sky or out into space.

Reduce the wattage. A 40 watt incandescent (or 11 watt compact fluorescent) bulb is bright enough for a front porch light.

Attach a motion sensor. This is by far the best application of security lighting because when a light turns on suddenly it immediately attracts the attention of everyone within its field of view. Police and security personnel are drawn to investigate an area usually dark where sensors have triggered the lighting.

Lights off after 10pm. Most people are at home and in bed (or getting ready for bed) by 10pm, making “decorative” lighting an unnecessary waste of energy. This is also the time when excessive lighting is most likely to affect migrating birds.

Talk to the neighbors. After a homeowner gets his or her lighting in order, it is time to approach any neighbors who are causing light pollution. Explaining the steps taken at ones own property, and emphasizing the energy savings is probably the best way to start the conversation.

Maybe the neighborhood can hold a star gazing party once the light pollution is gone!

The Value of Trees

On a hot summer day, sitting under a tree, there is something almost hypnotic about the way the leafy shade moves ever so subtly around us. It calms, cools and soothes. In those moments we feel – we know – the value of trees.

Each year it seems there is more information showing that the benefits of trees go well beyond the aesthetic and comfort values most of us recognize.

Clean air. Trees clean the air by trapping dust particles on the surface of their leaves and twigs. One study found that tree lined streets were up to 100 times less dusty than those without trees.

Peace & Quiet. Trees reduce noise by absorbing sound waves and by increasing local humidity (which also helps reduce noise levels).

Reduced run-off. Trees reduce run-off rates from property by catching rain, slowing its progress to the ground, thus allowing more time for the water to soak into the ground. A US Forest Service study found that trees can reduce run-off in urban areas by up to 17 percent.

Good health. Spending time just looking at trees can literally lower your heart rate and reduce your blood pressure. A study at a Pennsylvania hospital found that patients who had views of areas landscaped with trees required less pain medication and recovered faster than those whose rooms overlooked areas without landscaping outside.

Temperature control. Our urban and suburban areas often result in what is called a “heat island” – an area that is hotter and dryer than surrounding undeveloped areas. Trees moderate temperatures by providing a windbreak in winter, and offering their shade in the summer. Properly placed trees can save 20-25 percent on a home’s energy use. Nationally, it is estimated that up to 10% of the electricity used is just to compensate for the “heat island” effect. That translates into about $1 million an hour nationwide.

Greenhouse gas absorption. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, the leading culprit in global warming. Scientists say that there are three ways to reduce carbon dioxide: improving auto emissions, improving our electrical supply system, and planting trees. It takes about 20 trees to absorb the carbon dioxide released by one car in a year.

Increased property values. Studies across the United States show that well placed trees increase property values for residential and commercial developments by as much as 15 percent. Homesites with trees tend to sell faster than those without. This is especially true in new developments that save existing trees rather than clearing the site and planting small parkway trees.

A place to call home. Trees provide habitat for a wide diversity of creatures. Birds, squirrels, raccoons, frogs, and a wide variety of insects make their homes in trees.

So, before you curse the neighborhood trees as you rake your leaves next fall, stop and consider all they do for you. Trees are working for us all day, every day of the year, rain or shine. So what if trees are a little messy sometimes? Besides, we all need the exercise.

Web resources:
If you are interested in learning more about trees and the benefits the provide, check out these web sites:

http://www.americanforests.org/ for American Forests. They work to protect, restore and enhance the natural capital of trees and forests.

http://www.arborday.org/ for The National Arbor Day Foundation. They inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.

Eleven simple things anyone can do to reduce his carbon footprint

I read two books last fall: Low Carbon Diet by David Gershon and Hell and High Water by Joseph Romm. Both books tackle the issue of global warming. The first is from the perspective of how individuals can take simple steps over a 30-day period to reduce their personal carbon emissions by at least 15 percent. The second is a pretty intense discussion of the science and the politics behind global warming inaction in the United States.

My recommendation is that if you intend to read the second book – which is very well written and quite comprehensive – that you read the first book at the same time so you can switch back and forth between the two. At least that is what I find myself having to do.

Romm’s book is not for the faint-hearted. He runs through the many facts of global warming in the first few chapters. His intensive summary of the science left me literally gasping for air thinking about a potential 80 foot rise in ocean levels by the end of this century (unlikely, but possible, depending on how certain situations play out over the coming 20-30 years). So, as the science or politics start to overwhelm me, I switch to the Diet book to get a new tip I can use to reduce my own carbon footprint.

One of the last tips in the book is to share the carbon-cutting information with other people in your community, so that is what I’m going to focus on today. Here are twelve inexpensive things anyone can do today to save money and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide he or she produces:
1. Drive the speed limit. Most cars are their most fuel-efficient at between 45 and 55 miles per hour.
2. Make sure car tires are properly inflated. Most tires are underinflated, which reduces gas mileage. If all car tires in the United States were inflated properly, we would consume about 5% less gasoline as a nation!
3. Dry one load of laundry on a clothesline each week. Eliminating one dryer load a week for a year = 250 pounds of carbon saved.
4. Change the filter on your furnace.
5. Turn down the temperature setting on your hot water heater to no more than 120 degrees. And, if you are going to be on vacation, go ahead and turn the hot water heater off! Does your empty house need to have a ready supply of hot water available?
6. Choose products with the Energy Star rating if buying a new household appliance.
7. Turn down the thermostat at night and when you are away from the house, or, even better, install a programmable thermostat that adjusts the temperature automatically.
8. Recycle. By reducing the amount of garbage you throw away each week through increased recycling, you can dramatically reduce the amount of carbon dioxide you are responsible for. For example, if you make changes so that you can switch from a 90 gallon garbage tote to a 60 gallon tote, you are in effect cutting your carbon by over 3,000 pounds a year!
9. Turn your computer and monitor off at night and when you are away from the house. Another related tip is to not use a screen saver, but rather set your monitor to go into a low-energy “sleep” mode after several minutes of inactivity.
10. Telecommute. Granted, not everyone can do this, but see if your employer will allow you to work from home one day a week.
11. Plant trees. Over the course of its 90-120 year lifetime, a tree will store one ton of carbon.

Geothermal Energy for the Home

Hugh and Marlene Frisbie built their home in rural Woodstock twelve years ago, and since then have worked to transform the former farm fields into a haven for people and nature. Restored prairies, woodlands and wetlands provide habitat for wildlife throughout the year. A natural pond doubles as frog habitat and a swimming hole for people. Both their cars are gas-electric hybrid models.

Last fall, they took a big step to increase the home’s energy efficiency by installing a geothermal heating and cooling system to replace their gas furnace and air conditioner.

Geothermal heating and cooling systems use a heat pump to draw heat from the earth in winter and dissipate heat into the earth in summer. In northern Illinois, the ground is a near-constant 53-55 degrees once you get 10-15 feet beneath the surface. The systems access the constant earth temperature in the ground through a closed-loop system of water-filled coils that are installed from 15 to 125 feet underground. As the water flows through the underground coils, it warms or cools to about 55 degrees. The 55 degree water then runs through a heat pump that converts the “ground heat” into warm air that heats the home in winter. In the summer, the heat pump pulls hot air from the home and sends it underground.

Bill Beattie from Rockford Geothermal installed the Frisbie’s system. The company placed about 1,200 feet of narrow tubing fifteen feet beneath the ground on the property in late October.
Beattie has been installing geothermal systems for five years, working primarily in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. He explained that those attracted to geothermal tend to be looking at the long-term costs and benefits. His customers are thinking about the 50% or more that their utility bills will be cut after the geothermal system is installed.

While up-front costs are 2-3 times those of a conventional heating/cooling system, reduced utility costs mean these systems pay for themselves in 5-7 years for new construction, and 7-10 years for retrofits like the Frisbie’s. Along with saving money, use of geothermal heating and cooling dramatically reduces a household’s or business’ impact on the environment. Because the systems use the heat naturally present in the ground without burning any fuel, geothermal systems release no greenhouse gases.

Rockford Geothermal focuses exclusively on geothermal systems, and primarily does residential installations - both new construction and retrofits. “Green is a growing area…” in the custom home building field said Beattie. He referred me to a new development in Hampshire that will use geothermal for all of the 114 homes that are planned, and also discussed a growing trend towards new homes that utilize multiple technologies – wind, solar and geothermal – to virtually eliminate the need for energy from public utilities.

The company consults on commercial projects like Other World Computing’s new building in Woodstock. In fact, it was at OWC’s groundbreaking ceremony earlier this year that Beattie met Marlene Frisbie. The rest, as they say, is history!
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Those interested in geothermal systems can contact Rockford Geothermal at 815-979-7275, or email Beattie at rfdgeobill@t6b.com. Beattie suggests that before installing any expensive energy saving item like solar panels or replacement windows or doors, homeowners hire someone to perform an assessment of the home to see how “leaky” it might be. Sometimes the easiest and least expensive way to cut utility bills is by plugging leaks and making sure the home is properly insulated.

Introduction

For the last two years, I have been writing a column about the environment for the local newspaper. Also, about a year ago, I started a blog called "Polar Bears Don't Lie" to raise issues about global warming for my friends and family.

Basically, it all got to be too much, so I am kind of combining the two into one blog where I can post my columns each month and also include other tidbits that come across my desk.

If you find something of interest or use here, great! That's the only reason I'm doing it.