Shades of Al Gore

STAMFORD, VT -- Right on, Al, we believe. We were believers even before you won your Nobel. Therefore we are interested in a project we can do at home that will help reduce our carbon footprints and save money on fuel oil, to boot. Call it "Shades of Gore."

The project is to "build," in Alan Silverstein of the Center for Ecological Technology's word, insulated shades of quilted material that keep the cold air out in the winter and, if they're on south-facing windows, reduce the warmth of the summer sun. Such shades, available ready made from various companies and outlets, are half the cost or less if homemade from a Warm Windows kit, sold by CET. The kit comes from the Warm Company, Lynnwood, Washington.

The University of Texas at Austin, under the odd heading in this case of "Conservation Myths," has done the math. In single-glazed windows, regular drapes reduce heat loss by 37 percent. For double-glazed windows, the savings is 30 percent. For insulated drapes (or shades) the savings are 56 percent for single-glaze and 48 percent with double glaze. T he myth is the reality here: the shades (with an R value of 8.5) should cut heat loss through our double-glazed front windows nearly in half.

Furthermore, as Alan (Silverstein, not Gore) explained while giving us a how-to lesson, add to that a feeling of warmth because that window is not sucking heat from us if we're sitting next to it. Alan also said the only skill required was sewing a straight seam on our Singer.

Although few skills may be required, there are a lot of steps. The padded material, including a layer of mylar, comes with the kit, as does the hardware. Hardware includes Velcro to hold the shade to the top of the window and magnets seal it to the window sides. The builder purchases cover material, a one-by-two furring strip to hold the pulleys and a metal bar to hold down the bottom.

Pulling on cords attached to the back of the shade folds it like an accordion as it is raised. It can be removed for cleaning, although owners say on an on-line blog that occasional dusting seems to be sufficient. It would also be possible to put a new fabric cover on it in line with changes in a room decor.

My wife and I have built and installed one and are embarking on a second, each on double, south-facing windows in the living room, at a total cost of $300. They are five feet high and six feet wide. Although we haven't yet had a chance to test it in cold weather - what an amazingly mild October - the seals seems to work.

I can't speak about sewing the seams. For me the most tedious part was fastening on the 60 rings through which the cords run. Accurate measuring is important. The rest is just step by step.

Trying to reduce global warming is frustrating and discouraging, frustrating because of the size of the task and people's unwillingness to seize upon it; and discouraging because some foolish step anywhere in the world can appear to overwhelm the progress we make. Shades of Gore are a legitimate move, however, and we anticipate they will pay for themselves in fuel savings within one heating season.

At least, that's how it looks from Stamford, Vermont.

A writer and environmentalist, Lauren R. Stevens is a regular Eagle contributor.