Archive for Sustainable Energy
How Stopping Your Bottled Water Addiction Can Save Cash & Save The Earth
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- Image by Getty Images via Daylife
Do you love bottled water? If so then you’re just like most other Americans since we consume over 25 BILION LITERS per year!
While sales of bottled water have exploded in recent years, you may be surprised to learn that water from bottles is not necessarily cleaner or safer than water from your tap.
The United States has one of the safest water supplies in the world, and public water suppliers must provide an annual report to customers on drinking water quality. Those reports are available from the water supplier or by visiting the Environmental Protection Agency’s website at www.epa.gov. Read More→
Please (Don’t) Standby?
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- Image by elycefeliz via Flickr
Did you know that some of your appliances use up to HALF as much power while on stand-by as they do then they’re in use?
If you turn off your TV, clock radios, computers, and broadband connection when they aren’t being used, you can save some extra money and cut down on your contribution to global warming. If we ALL do SOMETHING we will help allot!
A plug-in electric meter helps you find out which appliances in your home are consuming the most energy, and can also help you decide whether they should be turned off.
Related articles
- Vampire Power Sucking Money From Your Wallet(frugaldad.com)
- Earth Week Tips-Ten Ways To Save World Without Losing Your Mind (stacyknows.blogspot.com)
- Standby Power reduction (slideshare.net) Read More→
Switch To Organic Coffee Now To Make A Big Impact!
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- Switch to Organic Coffee Today!
bestgreenenergysavings.com
Organic Coffee is not only better for your own health, but also for the health of the workers in the world’s coffee-growing regions. In Costa Rica alone, nearly 700 people fall acutely ill every year, and at least 30 die from toxic pesticidesthat were banned long ago in the United States! Just imagine what you’re drinking in with your “exotic coffee”…literally dozens of toxic pesticides that are banned here in the US!
Organic coffee plantatons also follow more long-term, sustainable strategies for preserving biodiversity. U.S. sales of organic coffee totaled nearly $90 million in 2008, up more than 40 percent over the previous year. Read More→
Save Cash And Go Green Today With Energy Star Products
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The U.S. government’s Energy Star program aims to help consumers make wiser choices about the appliances they purhcase. By using Energy Star products, Americans saved enough energy in 2006 alone to avoid greenhouse emissions equivalent to 25 million cars - while saving over $14 billion in utility bills!
But there’s no need to switch before your current appliances are at the end of their useful life. Remember that ALOT of energy and resources go into making and shipping appliances.
While you’re waiting, make sure you routinely vacuum the coils on the back of you refrigerator so the compressor doesn’t have to work so hard to maitain a low temperature. Defrotsting also cuts the load on the compressor, as does letting warm food cool to room temperature before putting it in to chill. Read More→
Outdoor Solar Lighting
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If you have lights outdoors, why not let the sun power them?
Outdoor Solar Lighting, like all Solar Power, is clean, natural and sustainable. A solar energy home can help you reduce your energy usage which helps reduce pollution. How? By using Solar Energy, we put less of a strain on the power plants that cause pollution.
How Outdoor Solar Lighting Works
Sunlight is collected and stored in a battery so when you need the light, it’s ready to go. Some can even collect sunlight on cloudy days. And they work with no wires.
A Solar Light has two parts:
1. the light itself and
2. the solar panel.
The solar panel collects the energy so it must be in the sun to charge the battery.
Some units have the light and the panel together in one piece and some units separate the light and panel. This allows you to put the light where you want it, even in a spot that does not receive much sunlight, as long as the panel is in the sun. Read More→
Lighten Up Your Energy Use At Home To Save Big Bucks
Posted by: | CommentsAround 35% of all electricity produced in the U.S. is used to run homes. Homes also contribute to air pollution, including 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. The EPA estimates that each homeowner could reduce home electricity use by 30% by just using energy more wisely and purchasing energy efficient products. The most energy intensive appliances used in the home are: water heater 16%, refrigerator 12%, air conditioning/heat 8-30% (depending on climate), lights 7%.
Will Wind Power All Of England?
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- Image by Wayfinder_73 via Flickr
On Tuesday, May 12, the green light was given to build the world’s largest offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary of Great Britain. The Thames Estuary is the area in which the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea. The first phase of the 90 square mile London Array will see 175 turbines producing 630 megawatts (MW) of electricity 12 miles off the coast of Kent.
Planning work for the $2.984 billion, (€2.2bn ; £2bn), program will start this year with offshore construction under way in 2011 and the first electricity produced in 2012. The second stage is dependent on future environmental evaluations, but the ultimate aim is for 341 turbines producing 1 gigawatt (GW) of power, enough for a quarter of all the homes in Greater London.
Onshore work is due to start this summer, with offshore work due to start in early 2011. When fully operational, it will make a substantial contribution to the UK Government’s target of providing 15.4% of all electricity to be supplied from renewable sources by 2020. Based on the current schedule, it is expected=2 0that this project will represent nearly 7% of this target. It would also avoid the emission of millions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) over its life. Read More→
DOD To Spend $346 Million More For Green Energy
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Within the Department of Defense’s announcement detailing further plans for facility improvements, under money allocated to it through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), there are some little green gems that may have gone unnoticed.
In its March Expenditure Plan, the Defense Department had said it planned to spend $300 million on “near-term energy technology research.”
Now it plans to spend an additional $346 million on “energy-related projects, enabling the DOD to lead the way in the national effort to achieve greater energy independence,” according to the Department of Defense April 28, 2009, Expenditure Plan (PDF). Read More→
Show You The Money? Funding Ops For Rurual Renewable Energy
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- Image via Wikipedia
To help make your search a bit easier, we’ve been scouring the internet and talking to local, state, and federal agencies and private companies to learn what funding opportunities they offer: Read More→
Cut Your Electric Bills In Half? Simple Ways to Save Thousands!
Posted by: | CommentsImagine that someone said they would give you $1000 for the next 10 years, just for making some minor adjustments in your house. And on top of that, you would reduce your total CO2 greenhouse gas emissions by 1/3. You would do it, right? Well that’s the choice each one of us has today.
Most people don’t know how “leaky” their houses really are, and how easy the fixes can be. The average American household spends about $2000 per year in heating, cooling and electricity, and if you have a typical home 50% or more of your bill is going for wasted energy. Money aside, home energy use is one of your biggest impacts on the environment, equaling about 12 tons of CO2 per home each year! So making these changes is a key to both saving a bunch of money, and helping fight global warming.
Rocky Mountain Institute, a leading research and educational organization, explains the many ways that we can save energy in their Cool Citizens Everyday Solutions to Climate Change. The guide contains over 100 ways to reduce your home energy consumption. You can get started with our Top 11 picks of the easiest and most impactful moves to reduce your energy use: Read More→
