(Picture is of our past house resident Micah. Micah was an african sulcata tortoise that VCC inherited and we found him a forever home in a natural habitat)
Reptiles aren't the only thing going green at the Veterinary Care Center.
Dr. Horn recently invested in solar panels to supplement the energy usage at his veterinary practice. Buildings such as the Veterinary Care Center, account for 68% of the electricity consumption and 38% of the carbon dioxide emissions, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Electricity's negative impact on the environment stems from teh need to burn coal during its creation. The process of burning, harvesting and transporting coal causes air and water pollution, and land and water resource consumption.
The EPA calls solar energy "environmentally friendly" because its production does not require the burning of fossil fuels. And, unlike non-renewable energy sources such as oil, coal and natural gas, the sun will never run out.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, "More energy from the sun falls on the earth in one hour than is used by everyone in the world in one year."
Solar panels contain cells, called photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight directly into electricity. PV technology uses the electrical properties of materials known as semiconductors. These materials, when exposed to sunlight, produce electricity which can then be transferred through a circuit to anything that uses electricity.
This summer, Dr. Horn looks forward to leaving his footprints on the sand instead of on the planet.
Dr. Horn recently invested in solar panels to supplement the energy usage at his veterinary practice. Buildings such as the Veterinary Care Center, account for 68% of the electricity consumption and 38% of the carbon dioxide emissions, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Electricity's negative impact on the environment stems from teh need to burn coal during its creation. The process of burning, harvesting and transporting coal causes air and water pollution, and land and water resource consumption.
The EPA calls solar energy "environmentally friendly" because its production does not require the burning of fossil fuels. And, unlike non-renewable energy sources such as oil, coal and natural gas, the sun will never run out.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, "More energy from the sun falls on the earth in one hour than is used by everyone in the world in one year."
Solar panels contain cells, called photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight directly into electricity. PV technology uses the electrical properties of materials known as semiconductors. These materials, when exposed to sunlight, produce electricity which can then be transferred through a circuit to anything that uses electricity.
This summer, Dr. Horn looks forward to leaving his footprints on the sand instead of on the planet.