Use common sense for heating and cooling 

Troy Spindler writes (Aug. 5) from the EnergySavvy website that the “average home in the U.S. wastes about 30 percent more energy than an efficient one.”

I take exception. The average American home wastes nearly all of its energy usage.

Properly placed shade trees eliminate all summer season cooling energy needs for single family homes with places to plant trees, and add natural, nighttime air conditioning through open windows.

Warm woolens and thermal underwear eliminate all winter season heating energy needs in well-insulated homes in America’s temperate climate, 49 states. Those that feel the arctic blasts in the winter solstice season months of December and January can adequately heat their homes for a pittance of what is now expended.

In this tale of two homes I know, the one with a 20K BTU, un-vented, 99 percent efficient, gas-fired furnace will slowly, but surely, adequately heat a 3,000-square-foot house, while the other, with a 125K BTU, standard 80 percent efficient, vented-gas-fired furnace, which heats the outdoors as well as the indoors, will do the same, quickly, and with enormous waste.

Do the math. You can effectively eliminate your winter season heating energy usage and costs with a little common sense.

If you question atomic nuclear energy power plants, no problem. Simply do what all Americans did for three centuries: Use financially free, pollution free, direct solar clothes dryers, and all of America’s nuclear power plants can be taken off line overnight—and not be missed.