Crystal Fullerton Fine Art

Roamin the Wildman 4x5 oil portrait SOLD

It is hard to believe it is so close the Christmas. Up until yesterday we still had a few die hard Rubeckia and Dandelions blooming on our property. Those who think global warming is not happening in Canada has not been on my property. I am still watering my animals out of the trough which has been going on since early March! I have had animals for over 25 years and this is the first time I have had almost 10 months of uninterrupted trough use.

It has been a blessing to my back but I see the effects on my animals and in my pastures. The sheep are prepared for cooler temps and their heavy wool fleeces has them in some discomfort. My pastures must be sectioned off earlier or else the animals will chew the vegetative growth to the root stocks and kill the plants.

For those of you who live in Northern climates look around and you'll see these effects however minor you perceive them and take note. You do not have to live in an island nation like the Maldives to be acutely aware of the impacts of our changing climates.

We built a ICF concrete house with solar in floor heating and south ward facing exterior that houses the best thermal windows money could buy. Sound excessive? Our construction people thought so. They claimed on more than one occasion that our home was excessive. I suppose if you think global warming will never affect you then yes this is true.

With the time of day heating rate installed and the thermal capacity of our home it is not uncommon to have the power go off for 6 or more hours and our home only loses 1 degree of temperature. When you compare the heating rates of our home which is 3600 square feet to a stick built home of 12oo square feet our electric bills (which includes heat) is less than theirs. Yet our ways are too expensive?

The sad fact about this is we did it without government support. While our federal and provincial governments tout that we should take environmental issue seriously , the programs they have in effect such as the Energuide and rating system is not programmed to handle newer houses such as ours. This is a grievous error on their part for there are almost 12 ICF homes in my immediate area but the government will only aid people in building traditional non efficient homes and the retro fit of heritage homes. Why is there an incentive for people who do not believe our actions are destroying the planet?

As I listen to the news this morning and heard of the newest price increase for gas all I could think of was the reason I built this home. While attending my mothers funeral I talked with many of her peers and they all remarked that they could not afford to heat their homes. They had resorted to closing off sections of their homes and layering their clothing to stay warm. I was so shaken by this that I told my husband that I do not want to be elderly or retired and unable to heat my home. Thus the ICF house with its "extreme" modifications. While my neighbors eat less and stop donating to charities in order to keep their families warm I will sit in warmth and wonderment at what it will take to change their attitudes towards this global issue.