My Solar Energy Plus to Meet Your Needs

So greenhouse has to do with plant energy — that is how this article relates to solar energy plus dot net, right? I can see those brain wheels turning. Answer – not really.

GreenHouse is two things at UW-Madison with CALS Department of Community and Environmental Sociology Professor Jack Kloppenburg heading it up. Newly housed in the old Cole Hall, GreenHouse combines many different UW-Madison’s programs or interest groups. This includes cooking to gardening to solar living to community gathering. Secondly, it is a state of mind of being sustainable. According to Dr. Jack Kloppenburg the definition of sustainability includes ” both the biophysical world and the social context. It’s about creating an environment where no one is in need, where we are mindful of our impact on our natural resources and on other people.” © Photographer | Agency: Dreamstime.com

To that goal, they will be adding solar collectors to the roof of Cole Hall and greening up the one stove – one refrigerator space in the basement to make it a community gathering place where they learn to cook meals for each other and more.

I love the concept of interdisciplinary studies. Isn’t this how a person lives once they leave the school environment? Perhaps if our schools had been more integrated with the community, then ideas that “that sounds too much like ’school’” wouldn’t be shunned by many older individuals. GreenHouse encourages faculty to get out of the classroom and the lecture halls and interact with the students and other faculty in learning and sharing innovative ideas and down-home training as well.

University Housing Food Service staff fully supports this with foodservice classes offered in the future which will include simple cooking techniques. Dr Jack Kloppenburg envisions students returning from the farmer’s market on the Madison Square and in no time preparing them for lunch or supper from the knife skills taught them.

Looking to hear more about the solar collectors and how efficient they are able to make them. Stay tuned here and to http://www.cals.wisc.edu/grow for all energy happenings.