Ms. Sue Hall runs an ambitious project, as part of the struggle against the "greenhouse effect" and public indifference to the environment which dominates the United States.
The project CLIMATE COOL, encourages organizations and mega corporations to take action in reducing their personal effect upon global warming.
These organizations are advised to take practical measures on three levels: personal, communal and universal, to assist with reducing the emission of damaging greenhouse gases.
Interviewer: What inspired you to start 'Climate Cool'?
Sue Hall: The driving force for the organization is the urge to promote world-wide awareness of the "Greenhouse Effect," and the interest and support we are receiving from all over the world is strengthening and useful.
Interviewer: What would you identify as some of the key factors contributing to the "greenhouse effect" ?
Sue Hall: Did you know that the amount of wasted electricity from electrical appliances left at a "stand by" position, equals all the amount of electricity consumed in Japan? It's amazing, and it happens due to poor planning and cheap and obsolete electronic engineering.
Insulation of buildings is another "hot" topic in the framework of "green architecture." Heating and air-conditioning of homes is really the sore evil of the greenhouse-effect, as well as vehicles.
Interviewer: As an environmental activist how do you decide where to put your energy and which companies to target?
Sue Hall: It is important to realize that "green deeds" and concern for the wellbeing of Earth is not the domain of merely "green" people or organizations. If we keep projecting our insights and knowledge about the ecological disaster which is happening only within the community of environmental activists and declared nature-guardians, there is little chance that something will change.
In fact, the big commercial companies are of greater interest to me than the members of the "Sierra Club" (the largest and oldest organization of nature protection), because of their effect on the warming process and the huge damage they cause. I have no business convincing a conscious and spiritual nature-preserver to plant more trees around his house, but rather, for example, to encourage Nike to reduce drastically on electricity consumption, especially from driving and flying, and to turn over part of their profits for just and much-needed environmental repair.
Some companies are aware that we need to plan our economic activity wisely, and preserve the two important elements which are the basis of that activity - a healthy environment and a healthy society. For instance, the chemical mega-company Du-Pont, which has increased its scope of activity by 20% in the past decade, has at the same time reduced its consumption of energy by 7% in that period.
Interviewer: So how do you attempt to stop global warming?
Sue Hall: A wide range of existing ways serve as our "tool cabinet," when we are about to execute projects. This range is ever-growing and expanding, and must be updated to integrate new means and possibilities.
In Israel the national forestry project, and the law obligating the installation of solar systems for water heating, are famous world-wide. Planting trees has, of course, many other aspects and benefits, other than reducing the global warming, such as preserving the wilderness, creating a green landscape, generating natural habitats for animals and plants.
We especially emphasize the promotion, development and utilizing of methods for generating energy from renewed sources, which replace mineral sources. The list includes solar energy, energy generated from wind, sea waves and rivers.
Ancient energy sources that are recently being used again are vegetal biomass and sub-earth energies, which take advantage of cold and heat reservoirs for air-conditioning and heating homes.
Another facet of our activity constitutes, in my eyes, the most important way of reducing emission of greenhouse gases, namely economizing on energy. We are talking about light-bulbs, using energy-saving appliances, constant maintenance of heating, cooling and air-pressure systems in homes and factories and improvement in engineering electrical appliances.
Interviewer: I read about your "Green Palace" in the Rocky Mountains. How is it possible to live without a heating system in such a cold and snowy area?
Sue Hall: Many times houses are not insulated effectively and therefore we burn a lot of energy and money trying to heat or cool them, while contributing significantly to the greenhouse-effect. The Green Palace is, indeed, something special and unique. It is situated in a town called Snowmass, and the temperatures in the winter there drop beneath 40 degrees sub-zero Celsius. Even in the middle of summer we can have snow or ice.
The house was built in 1984 and was ahead of its time in its innovative vision. The roof consists of an insulation layer made of poli-urithane, 25 centimeters thick, and the 40 centimeters thick walls contain 10 more centimeters of that material. The windows are double-glassed, like in so many houses in North America. However, each side contains 8-14 glass plates, with isolated Krypton gas confined between the 2 sides. 2-3 transparent pads, which reflect heat, are also integrated in the windows.
The house absorbs heat from the sun and recycles heat in its air-conditioning system. Sun-light, human activity and heat emitted from electrical appliances generate heat, and the excellent insulation causes loss of only 1% of heat.
We balance this minimal loss by bringing the dog in - did you know that a dog chasing a ball generates 100 watts of electricity per hour?!