Peak Oil Task Force Report - City of Bloomington - State of Indiana

5. Restrictive covenants on use of clotheslines.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 5.8 percent of residential electricity use goes
towards the use of clothes dryers. 197 Many residents
are subject not only to state and local laws regarding
their property, but also to the rules attached to their
property by way of covenants and rules of
homeowners’ associations. Several Bloomington
neighborhoods have such covenants against the
placement or use of clotheslines. Whether or not such
rules are enforced by the neighborhood, now is the
time to change the stigma against clotheslines.
6. Lack of retrofitting expertise in community.
If the residents of Bloomington and Monroe County
were persuaded to make the sorts of deep changes in
their homes and habits that seem to be necessary for survival in a post‐petroleum world, it
is questionable whether there are enough people in the community with the knowledge
and skills to help us figure out what to do. Many services are currently offered in this area,
such as home energy audits, site assessments for renewable energy, landscaping design,
and basic home improvements. 198 However, once a homeowner has completed the basics of
sealing air leaks, insulating, and replacing windows, there are few who know how to assess
a particular site and advise how to take it to the next level to address questions such as:
Should I install a south­facing window? Build a water storage tank? Add thickness to the
walls? Plant a shade tree?
197 U.S. DOE, Energy Information Administration, U.S. Household Electricity Report,
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/reps/enduse/er01_us.html.
While clotheslines save energy and money, some
local neighborhoods ban the use of a clothesline.
Source: Michael Jastremski, Wikimedia Commons
198 A list of local green building experts is provided by the City’s Environmental Commission at:
http://bloomington.in.gov/green‐building‐local‐resources
Report of the Bloomington Peak Oil Task Force 162