Connecticut College CELS Internship Blogs 2007

And all of a sudden, I'm done with my internship. Funny how the summer zipped by so quickly. I now have a week and a half, then it's back to school for orientation stuff (I'm one of the coordinators) then, two weeks after I arrive, classes start. Jeez.

But my internship wrapped up quite nicely! On Monday I went in and rushed around, finishing up all my tasks, passing on information about what I'd done and where everything was to those who needed to know. At lunch time, I was presented with three gifts: a bag, a notepad, and a glass all with the CET logo on them. The coolest one was the glass, because it's made from the bottom of a recycled wine bottle. Pretty awesome. More poignant leave-taking comments below the fold.

Continue reading "The Days Flash Past" »

Posted by Alexander Krogh-Grabbe at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I only have two days left!

I am frantically trying to finish up these two big projects I've been working on: the Green Audit folders and the LEED resource binder. Yet even with the permanent deadlines fast approaching for these my lasting legacies, I find my mind wandering to Conn more than is productive. Normally, with the due date for an assignment so near, my productivity and focus skyrocket. But this time, they remain at a mellow buzz.

I love CET and everyone there, and all the things they do, but have deplored the drudgery of all my office work. I have learned so much here that I am exceedingly grateful for, yet about half of what I'm glad to have learned has come from procrastinatory projects, researching lifestyle improvements to help fight climate change.

But there was excitement today! I was interviewed! More ponderings as well as that story below the fold.

Continue reading "Leaving Lasting Legacies, then moving on" »

Posted by Alexander Krogh-Grabbe at 09:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So I'm still plugging along on those Green Audit handout folders. They're almost done.

However, the real exciting thing today was going on a final inspection. I got to work early (8) and headed down to Springfield (~30 minutes) with Jonathan, one of our energy auditors. We went to three houses, actually, all around a little intersection in Springfield. The first house was a Final Inspection for EnergyStar. That means, the house is pretty much done, and all we're doing is running tests to make sure everything's in order, as well as installing compact fluorescents in all the light fixtures. Jonathan did the tests, I did the lightbulbs. It was great, because I was very useful: doing the lightbulbs usually accounts for about half of the normal 2-hour Final, and thus the inspection only took about half as long. I installed about 25 bulbs, though Jonathan did a few more in the basement and they had already used CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs) for the bathrooms. Jonathan did the Blower Door and bolometer tests, inputed some data into his laptop, and I measured the insulation depth in the attic. And that was this house done and on to the next two.

The rest of my exciting day after the jump.

Continue reading "How many lightbulbs does it take to change an intern?" »

Posted by Alexander Krogh-Grabbe at 06:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The past week or so I've experienced some pride in my work and the realization that I'm pretty good at some of the stuff I'm doing. I've also settled into a melancholy that has made me think more about what I want do with myself professionally after I graduate.

Also, I've started appreciating my officemates a lot. They're all so cool! A fun lunchtime story about landing a hot air balloon in a sketchy place, after the jump.

Continue reading "Satisfaction, Melancholy, and Hot Air Balloons" »

Posted by Alexander Krogh-Grabbe at 07:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past week was split up by Independence Day in the middle, and was varied and unusual on either side. It was exciting, though; lots of new things here and there. And the kindling of a project that may take up a lot of the rest of the summer! Have I described something that way before? I may have; there are a lot of grand projects proposed for me to work on that end up dwindling into something more manageable. But anyways, summaries and tangential environmental ponderings below the fold.

Continue reading "Live Earth and Living for the Earth" »

Posted by Alexander Krogh-Grabbe at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So apologies for not blogging in a few days or more, but I was waiting to say this:

I'm done with the ReStore mailing!!!

I was literally working on this thousand-piece mailing for the majority of most of the days since my last post. Parts were grueling, parts were with company, and thus less grueling. A little more about the mailing and my minimal other exploits below the fold.

Continue reading "Done with the Mailing! and other fun" »

Posted by Alexander Krogh-Grabbe at 01:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've been thinking a little recently about why people don't take public transportation more often.

We all know that automotive transport is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions. And many of us purport to care strongly about global warming etc. So why do so many people stick to commuting by themselves?

There are plenty of perfectly reasonable answers, and I'll look at a few of them (plus fun anecdotes!) below the fold.

Continue reading "Bikes, Buses, and Bag Ladies" »

Posted by Alexander Krogh-Grabbe at 07:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So if anyone reading this is younger than me, let me repeat some advice I've heard: networking and contacts are everything when you're trying to get a job. Okay, not everything, but really, really important.

So I leapt at the opportunity to do some networking amongst people in various environmental industries in Western Mass. CET organizes a monthly get-together called Green Drinks at the Northampton Brewery, where professionals from all sorts of environmental fields get together and chat and network. Great fun, greatly useful. Especially for a young buck like me, just starting out. More after the jump.

Continue reading "Green Drinks and Talk of the Future" »

Posted by Alexander Krogh-Grabbe at 09:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's a free tip about making your house more energy efficient, and thus saving yourself TONS of money on your heating and electric bills every month. Your house needs to be as airtight as possible, so if there are any gaps in the insulation or cracks in the walls, any places where air gets through, they ought to be sealed up. Thing is, to find them, one generally has to do tests that require professionals like the people at CET. But it's an investment that pays for itself in a matter of months.

So that's the tip: fill in the gaps. In your house's envelope (that's a jargon-y term that means basically the line between what you heat and what's outside) and in your ductwork.

But now, allow me to fill in a few gaps of my own by telling you what all I've been up to in the past two weeks:

Continue reading "Filling in the Gaps (in more ways than one)" »

Posted by Alexander Krogh-Grabbe at 08:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Frighteningly. Not that professional, but enough that it reminds me I'm approaching adulthood. Please don't suggest that I'm there already; I'm clinging onto childhood as to the scraps of a tattered, ragged security blanket.

So how am I professional? Well, all my interesting correspondences, networking, and research, of course. Read about them below the fold.

Continue reading "I am frighteningly professional" »

Posted by Alexander Krogh-Grabbe at 09:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So let me first just tell you a little story from this afternoon. I take the bus home from work, waiting at the bus stop for about a half hour. Another bus comes right before mine. Today, I saw a young woman in a white tanktop, white skirt, and short blond dreadlocks get on the bus. Thing is, she had bare feet and apparently the bus driver wouldn't let her on in that fashion. So, she took her jacket out of her bag and stood on that as she shuffled onto the bus. Apparently that was temporarily good enough. However, later, I saw her leave the bus, and, through my iPod, heard her shout at the bus driver, "I have INVISIBLE shoes!!" then disappear around the front of the bus. Oh Northampton. But that's only the most recent tasty experience I've had in the past two weeks.....

Continue reading "An Anecdote and a Profundity" »

Posted by Alexander Krogh-Grabbe at 08:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have done so much since I started at the beginning of last week. I've read a LOT about all sorts of environmental stuff, I've gone out on site visits with some of the raters, and I've put together quite a few materials for builders, as well as putting out a mailing today. However, one of the most fun things so far has been getting to know the other people in my office. Let me introduce you to my new friends:

Continue reading "Members of a new, vibrant environmentalism" »

Posted by Alexander Krogh-Grabbe at 09:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I wrote this post immediately after the first day of my internship, June 4th, about a week ago.
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So today was the first day of my internship. I had a lot of trouble getting to sleep last night. This morning I got up and drove there, through the rain and the stop-and-go Route 9 traffic. I was thinking that this seemed frighteningly similar to a real job. I got there, and met Megan, who told me the basic info. Keep reading for more information about what this organization does and what I did on my first day.

Continue reading "Helping Build a Greener America" »

Posted by Alexander Krogh-Grabbe at 08:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Alex is a rising senior at Connecticut College majoring in philosophy. Pursuing a lifelong commitment to environmental issues, Alex is interning at the Center for Ecological Technology in Northampton, Massachusetts. The environmental nonprofit works with energy efficiency, renewable energy, and waste management providing services to all of Western Massachusetts. During the school year, Alex works at the Information Desk in Cro, sings in an a cappella group, has a radio show on the college radio station WCNI, and works at the student-run coffee shop, Coffee Grounds. In addition to his frenzied activities at Conn, Alex has kept two blogs prior to this, one full of general environmental nuggets and the other chronicling his experience abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland during the Spring 2007 semester.

Posted by Administrator at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)