The Sustainable House - Chapter 3

The impact of climate change has become ever more apparent here in San Antonio. The wide temperature swings over a short period of time that we have been experiencing are just a part of this. We can continue to look forward to higher highs and lower lows. With our compound climate, keeping comfortable means both heating and cooling.

For the average home in the US, 50% of total home energy use is for heating and cooling, which comes out to about $1,350 a year. Not surprisingly, Texans are among those who pay the highest air conditioning costs, around $550 per year on the average, which represents 1% of the typical family income of $60,000. In total, energy costs are about 3.5% of the typical family’s budget. These numbers are somewhat misleading for San Antonio, due to the wide range of average incomes, which in some zip codes is as low as $34,500 per year. It should be apparent that the impact of these energy costs is much greater in those neighborhoods.

Our concern as good shepherds of this earth is not just about our wallet, but what real effect non-renewable energy extraction and consumption has on degrading the environment and pushing climate change impacts even higher. So what can we do to reduce our energy consumption at home?

While technology isn’t the only answer, there has been positive progress in making the equipment that produce heating and cooling more energy efficient. Previous columns have underscored the importance of insulation and more efficient household appliances. Today let’s address an aspect of heating and cooling equipment.

One of the important changes has been the development and mass marketing of heat pumps. In the simplest of terms, a heat pump is a device which moves thermal energy from a cool space to a warm space. Since it moves heat, rather than generating heat, it is inherently more efficient. Although it may seem counterintuitive, even in winter it can extract heat from the cold outdoors and move it inside. In the hot summer it can extract heat from the hot indoors and move it outside. Early models of heat pumps had problems functioning in cold weather, but newer models with variable-speed compressors remain highly efficient even under adverse conditions. So if the power grid holds up, they will work when the next arctic blast plunges us into days of sub-freezing weather.

Heat pumps’ real climate superpower is their efficiency. Heat pumps today can reach 300% to 400% efficiency or even higher, meaning they’re putting out three to four times as much energy in the form of heat as they’re using in electricity. This is more efficient than even a gas-fired furnace, which means lower toxic emissions.

Currently there are federal tax credits for heat pump replacement installations, although who knows how much longer they may be offered. CPS also offers replacement rebates. So when your old HVAC unit has lived out its life, or if you are thinking of early replacement to save money and improve your green footprint, this is an excellent opportunity to really make a difference.

(Don’t forget to change your return air filters regularly for better efficiency and longer equipment life!).

by John B. Hertz, Architect, Alamo Group Green Building Leader

The Wonderful World of Moths

Moths are cousins of butterflies in the Order Lepidoptera. They have four stages in their life cycle: egg, caterpillar, cocoon and adult. The caterpillar and adult stages are most noticed. The adult moth is mostly active during the night while looking for mates. During the day, moths are mostly attached to the underside of leaves and on tree bark. They are noticed uncommonly. A few species tend to fly in the day in mostly shaded areas. One of the more dynamic species, White-lined Sphinx, can be observed at dusk with wings ablur while nectaring on flowers.

White-lined Sphinx
Photo by Jerry Morrisey

There are many more species of moths in the Central Texas area than species of butterflies. The citizen science app iNaturalist has the images of almost 1500 species in scores of families added from the San Antonio Metro Area. As with butterlies, moths lay their eggs on leaves and stems of host plants. There is a periodicity in the appearance of adult moth species that is in part tied to healthy host plants. The low points of observation are in the winter and the extreme heat of the summer.

Ailanthus Webworm Moth
Photo by Jerry Morrisey

The easiest and most productive way to observe moths is on a surface illuminated by a night light(s) with a broad UV spectrum(blacklighting). My own moth observations were limited to the daytime until I noticed five years ago a large number of species gathering around a light fixture above my garage doors. It had an LED bulb with apparently a broad UV component. This was a start to my nighttime observation to date of 570 species of moths. This high level of divesity is undoubted tied to a 1/3 acre yard that is wildscaped with numerous plant families and not treated with herbicides or pesticides.

Southern Emerald Moth
Photo by Jerry Morrisey

Many moth species have beautiful colors and eloborate markings. Their beauty rivals that of butterlies. Their body sizes vary from 3 inches to 1/4 inch. The term micromoth is used for the smaller specimens that are difficult to identify at the species level. A few photos of moth species in my iNaturalist portfolio are include in this article.

Gray Woodgroin Moth
Photo by Jerry Morrisey

Moths have traditionally been observed, photographed and collected from sheets or clothes hung next to a strong UV light source. A new platform that has been recently introduced in our area is a 5 ft tall cloth cabinet purchasable from IKEA. A battery-powered UV light source or a UV bulb connected to a 120 volt power source is placed inside the closet.

Aon Moth
Photo by Jerry Morrisey

This setup has proved to be very effective and will be demonstrated after the Alamo Group meeting on March 18th. You are invited to a presentation at Eco Centro (1802 N. Main) on the citizen science app iNaturalist and to experience a wonderful introduction to the night life of moths and scores of other insects attracted to UV light. Other opportunities for blacklighting experiences may be provided this spring.

Bilobed Looper Moth
Photo by Jerry Morrisey

Grand Canyon National Park – Comparing Some of Our Experiences With Those in a Book

The book: A Walk In the Park – The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko. Some young strong ambitious characters doing traverses and slot canyons that none of us would have dared to try. Stupendous stories; further to memories of our experiences we can imagine a bit of what theirs looked like. More stuff from the book in a section below. The inspiration for this article resulted from reading the book.

Not far down Bright Angel trail from the south rim in the winter, March 2010. The Colorado River runs right to left 2/3 of the way up the picture center.

Our Experiences and Understanding

Some of us have done trips in the national park along/below the south and north rims of Grand Canyon. There were prior articles in this newsletter Feb 2022, May 2021 about the north rim. May 2018 about the great backpacking route including the Tonto Plateau below the south rim.

Most visitors simply hike along the rim or a short bit down the Bright Angel Trail, taking park shuttles back to their hotel. From the Rim Trail (NPS PDF) there are spots with grand vistas, and there are samples of the geologic strata spaced out distances in proportion to their geologic age. There is a viewing platform at Yavupai Point with a good geological exhibit and information. With binoculars from such spots at least the upper strata is visible and can be identified even across the canyon.

On other of the various trips here, going down a trail to the Tonto Plateau we looked around and remember as identified in the 2nd picture, yeah this is Coconino sandstone, Redwall limestone, Bright Angel shale, etc. The park has a good geology page which provided the strata dates.

Then continuing further down towards the river we are at the Great Unconformity, the boundary between the Tapeats sandstone and the Vishnu basement rocks. I have a picture of a buddy with her hand on this going down Hermit trail. Exactly here 1.3 billion years worth of Earth's history (30%) is missing; a mountain range possibly higher than the Himalayas was eroded away and then the Tapeats sandstone was deposited (likely sand dunes). Another NPS page, super pics and geology info, looking at this surely are planning a trip if we are youngsters.

Doing a couple trips we remember walking past the geological strata. Maybe memorized the key names and recite the sequence, imagining we are rather knowledgeable characters. Then after a more trips realized only understood a little fraction of what we were looking at but were/are proud we had got that far. The book says the Grand Canyon has the most spectacular vistas on Earth (there seem to be other candidates). Reading the book we realize had only visited a little fraction and done “easy” stuff.

On the Tonto Trail looking west near Salt Canyon, walking along the Bright Angel shale just above the Tapeats sandstone, April 2012. My two trip partners are barely discernible on the trail center left. The background picture was used in the May 2018 issue.

A memorable spot on Hermit Creek just upstream of Hermit Creek campground, in the Tapeats sandstone. April 2016.

At Granite Rapids below the south rim, created by flash floods coming down Monument Creek which is out of the picture right, April 2016. The loose rocks look like washed down Tapeats Sandstone; the walls of the canyon are Vishnu basement rocks.

Looking southwest from the Bill Hall Trail below the north rim, June 2020. With other pictures and discussion in May 2021 about hikes across the Esplanade sandstone lower right.

Looking west from Toroweap Overlook June 2020. Lava Falls, the most challenging rapids on the river between Lee's Ferry and Lake Mead, is visible center. More info in June 2021. The cover photo of the book was taken from this spot looking the other direction.

Book: A Walk In the Park – The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko

If we don't want to hold still for this amazing book, at least read an excellent overview at OutsideOnline.com. Startling bits about the beginning of the journey and great pictures.

Fedarko traversed Grand Canyon National Park from Lee's Ferry to Lake Mead mostly with a single companion by 2023 (book copyright 2024), 750 miles. With critically important support by another team of buddies providing food/water/etc caches and meetups. Initially they are trying to move west near the Colorado River, both sides, through thick vegetation and difficult rocky sections. Then they get to the sections some of us have done with developed trails and campsites, along the Tonto Plateau. And move west along the Esplanade sandstone; some sections not bad hiking but very limited water, some slot canyons to get around, and where is their next cache? One companion starting one section a day early summer 2016, descending below the south rim, disappeared during a 120° heat wave. Never found despite serious searches. Then they did Great Thumb Mesa and more sections we are happy weren't along for.

The support team did some other stuff in addition to placing caches. “In four years, they spent more than 100 nights dropping into 165 separate slot canyons, more than 100 of which are believed to have been first descents.” Requiring serious climbing gear; 200' of rope, belay anchors, ascenders etc. Descending into these canyons on the ropes, assuming the anchor didn't fail, the landing would appear as expected, maybe with few hand/footholds on the way down, and that the next section would be fine.

Pg 324 has an overview map of the canyon with the route. The bits some of us have done are only on the right ¼ of the map. Then right-to-left the map passes the Toroweap area in the park (picture above), goes around Shivwits Plateau, a number of canyons and finally Sanup Plateau before getting to Lake Mead.

In the last chapter and epilogue is mentioned the historical presence here of the Hualapai and Havasupai peoples. And the designation of a new national monument by President Biden in 2023, Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. Indian Gardens campground halfway down Bright Angel Trail has been renamed Havasupai Gardens. Hopefully the current US government doesn't succeed in attempts to rescind the monument designation and boundaries, which was greatly supported by Arizona residents and all the involved tribes. January 27th a federal judge in Arizona dismissed two such lawsuits. More info at Grand Canyon Trust.

Outings: The Call of the Wild

Visit the Alamo Sierra Club Outings page on Meetup for detailed information about all of our upcoming Sierra Club Outings.

The Alamo Sierran Newsletter

Richard Alles, Editor
Published by the Alamo Group of the Sierra Club, P.O. Box 6443, San Antonio, TX 78209, Website.
The Alamo Group is one of 13 regional groups within the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club.

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