What Steven Cousley Does

Buy Recycled Paper and help a bird!

Experts have calculated that Americans throw out so much office paper alone that a year’s worth would stretch from Los Angeles to New York and stand 12 feet tall. While not done so much in America anymore, logging of the boreal forest in both Canada and Siberia is happening at such a lightning-quick pace, it is proving too speedy for many of the native songbirds that live there.

According to a 2007 report on recycled paper facts produced by a coalition of environmental groups, known as The State of the Paper Industry.  One of the most troublesome facts among the report’s findings is that the average American consumes more than 700 pounds of paper a year. Currently, the paper industry is listed as the fourth-largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions among all manufacturers listed, and thrown away paper accounts for one-third of all landfill waste. It was reported that reducing paper consumption by only 10% would produce savings equivalent to taking 280,000 cars off the road.
 
The problem gets even worse around the holiday season.  That’s when Americans throw away up to 25% more garbage (five million tons more than the average daily amount of 3.5 pounds of garbage we usually throw away) between Thanksgiving and the New Year.  About four million of those tons are made up of used wrapping paper and shopping bags. One website recently included a list of websites that sell cool, reusable bags you can buy that offer savings of some 12 million barrels of oil and 14 million trees that go just into the making of plastic and paper bags every year.
Some steps you can take to reduce the amount of paper made each year include cutting down on wrapping paper by reusing some gift bags or buying recycled wrapping paper. Reuse cardboard boxes to pack things in whenever and where ever possible. You can even take a lesson from our grandparents and reuse wrapping paper taken from off gifts by removing it carefully, rather than just shredding it haphazardly from the packages you receive.
 
At the office or at home you can save by printing on the back of printer paper that doesn’t need to be used for clean copies you have to send out to clients.  This option is especially useful for internal correspondence that will end up being shredded, anyway.  One Hollywood production company has recently indicated that they reuse old scripts by printing new ones on the reverse side of old ones before recycling everything in the form of packing material produced from shredding old documents.  You can also cut up used envelopes to make scrap paper.

Believe it or not, it is possible to find recycled paper products in almost all categories, these days. There are other areas besides buying recycled printer paper or recycled copy paper where you can make savings. Use other forms of recycled paper, such as paper towels, napkins and recycled toilet paper. It may take a little work to find some of these items, but you can get your local stores to carry them.  Ask for recycled computer paper or other recycled paper products, then vote for this change with your wallet by buying as many of these products as you can.

The little changes you make will pay off in the end. Remember that each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees, three cubic yards of landfill space and 4,000 kilowatts of energy.   Your feathered friends will thank you, too.

Take Care Of That Water Leak!

Do you know how much water you’re losing from a leaky faucet?  A slow leak – about one drop every two seconds – wastes 12 litres a day.  That’s the equivalent of taking an extra twenty-seven baths every year.  Worse – a leaky toilet can lose about 90 litres a day!  Now would be a good time for a water leak repair. It’s the little stuff that counts when it comes to reducing waste.  However, it’s also hard to convince ourselves to deal with this kind of little stuff.   It’s time to start looking into the places where our homes create waste and deal with it.  Don’t forget to look for a basement water leak. You’ll save money and have a much lower environmental impact.

Start by fixing those water leaks, then take a look at other options, too.  If you have air leaks in your home (around windows and doors, in the attic, or in other areas), you’re losing heat in the winter and gaining it in the summer.  That causes your energy bills to rise and more fuel to be used, no matter how you heat and cool your home.  Take a look at your options for sealing those windows, doors, and other leaks.  You’ll save a lot of money and energy just by making a small change.

Pay attention to your habits, too.  We all know not to stand with the refrigerator door open, but many of us leave our television receivers or computers on constantly.  While a computer uses less power in “sleep” mode, it’s still drawing electricity.  Turning it off will make a small, but noticeable, difference in your power bill.  Don’t believe the nonsense about appliances using more power to start up than to run, either.  That hasn’t been true for decades, if it ever was.  Even the most efficient appliances and electronic devices use less energy when they’re off.

Don’t forget about phantom loads, either.  Many devices have features that allow them to start up more quickly.  However, this also requires them to draw power.  When you’ve turned your television off, do you still see a light on?  That means it’s using electricity to remain partially on, so it won’t take as long to be ready for use.  If you care about waste, unplug the television when it’s not in use.  It really does make a difference.

If the time’s come for you to buy new electronic equipment, fixtures, or appliances, pay attention to their labels.  We’re probably all familiar with Energy Star appliances, computers, and similar devices.  However, you should do more than just look for the logo.  Try to find out the numbers on how much power the device really uses, and plan accordingly. 

Likewise, check out the EPA’s WaterSense labeling for products and services.  Plumbing equipment with this label must use less water than usual.  For instance, the WaterSense label on a toilet means it uses twenty percent less than the standard models do.  You’ll find low flow faucets and shower heads, and you don’t need to avoid them for fear of low performance.  Water saving fixtures have come a long way since the early days, and can now measure up to their water hogging cousins.

A combination of replacing old energy and water hogs with more efficient devices and making simple changes and repairs could make your entire life a lot easier on the environment.  The little stuff really does count, and you’ll notice a difference in your bills and in your environmental footprint.  So get out there and fix that leak.

Solar Hot Water
Solar hot water heating systems are an effective way of
conserving energy and reducing your energy bill.

Contrary to popular belief, solar water heating is not a
new technology. Solar water heating systems have been used
commercially for over a century now, with the first
commercial water heater (the Climax Solar-Water Heater)
going on sale in 1891 in the United States. By the year
1900, over 1600 houses in California were equipped with
this solar water heater.

Due to its effectiveness and low cost, the solar water
heating gained popularity until, by 1941, more than half
the population of Florida was getting its hot water through
solar water heaters!

Solar water heating only lost its popularity as a result of
lowered electricity rates, and an aggressive campaign by
Florida Power and Light to increase electrical consumption.
This was done by offering electric water heaters at bargain
prices. Thus Florida’s solar water heating was brought to
halt.

The United States is not the only country with a solar
water heating history. There are many other countries where
solar water heating was used in the past and has since
fallen out of use – but not all of them. In fact, currently
more than ten million Japanese households heat their water
using solar water heating systems. This is definite proof
that it is a workable technology.

Important Facts about Solar Hot Water Heating Systems

* Solar water heating can be used in any climate. Sound
unbelievable? Check it out on the U.S. Department of Energy
website. They say so as well.

* The fuel used to run a solar water heater is sunshine.
And, at the time of this writing, sunshine is free – no tax
has been added yet.

* A solar water heater can reduce your water heating bill
by 50%-80%. But with energy prices going up, the amount of
savings will soon be even higher.

* Aside from reducing your energy bill right now, a solar
water heating system will protect you from future energy
price increases. Your heating will no longer rely on fossil
fuels for electricity.

* When building a new home, or when refinancing, the
economic aspect of this becomes even more interesting.

You can, for instance, include the cost of a solar water
heater with a new thirty-year mortgage package. This would
usually amount to about $13.00 -$20.00 a month. Federal
income tax deductions for mortgage interest would reduce
the payment for the solar water heater by about $3.00
-$5.00 per month.

If your fuel savings with a solar water heating system is
$15.00 or more per month (which it likely will be) you will
have reduced your monthly heating bill right then and there.

* Solar water heating will significantly reduce your carbon
footprint, and reduce the demand for fossil fuels which
pollute the environment.

* Solar heaters can be installed in combination with backup
systems. In fact, you could install a solar water heater
next to your existing system and make it possible switch to
conventional water heating whenever necessary. This way you
are guaranteed always to have hot water.

-Types of Solar Hot Water Heating Systems

There are two types of solar water heating systems, active
solar water heating systems and passive solar water heating
systems. They both work on the same principles.

The only difference is that active systems have a pump or
other mechanical means of moving the water through the
solar heating systems, and passive systems rely on nature’s
principles: warm water rises to the top, and cold water
sinks to the bottom. With a passive solar water heating
system, the water storage tank must therefore always be
positioned above the solar water heater collector.

- Active Solar Hot Water Heating

There are two main designs of active water heating systems.
Which one is best for you depends on the climate you live
in.

There is what’s called an “indirect circulation system”
which uses a non-freezing heat-transfer fluid to transfer
heat from the collector to a heat exchanger (a device used
to transfer heat from the heat transfer fluid to the water
in your storage tank). This is good for colder climates.

There is also the direct circulation system, where water is
simply passed through solar heat collector and then routed
to the water storage tank for use. This system works fine
in milder climates.

- Passive Solar Hot Water Heating

Passive solar water heating systems are usually cheaper
than “active solar water heating systems,” as they do not
need controls or pumps to circulate the water.

But generally, they are not as effective as the active
systems. If you live in a warm climate, a passive water
heating system might be all you need. Passive water heating
systems are also known for being very reliable.

Essentially, solar water heating systems consist of a water
storage tank and its solar collectors. The solar collectors
are used to collect solar energy which heats water, and the
tanks store the heated water. That’s all there is to it.

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For more information on important facts to consider when
looking for a solar hot water heater, and to find out where
to obtain good quality solar hot water heaters, go to
http://www.squidoo.com/solar-hotwater

Save on Energy: Make a Wind Generator
I do not need to tell you that energy costs are currently
soaring since you are probably all too familiar with the
effect of rising fuel bills on your budget. It may not seem
like it now but time like these can actually be beneficial
over the long run since they force us to seriously consider
alternative when it comes to our energy need. One of these
alternatives would perhaps be to generate your own
electricity. How can you to do this? One of the best
answers to this question would be to build your own wind
generator!

Please bear with me for a second in case that last sentence
almost convinced you to just keep paying your high
electricity bills. It is not nearly as difficult to build
your own wind turbine. There are, furthermore, some very
real benefits to be gained from doing so. Let’s look at the
latter first:

* Cost: The first, and for many the most important, benefit
building your own wind turbine is obviously that it will
slash your energy expenditure. Putting up a simple system,
perhaps combining wind with solar energy, could possible
supply in all of your energy needs. That could amount to
hundreds of dollars of savings per month.

* Environmentally friendly: We are all aware of the fact
that long term dependence on fossil fuels is simply
unsustainable. Using a natural, freely available, resource
like the wind can help you to ‘do your bit’ to help the
environment.

* Profit: Believe it or not, but you can go beyond simply
generate power for your own needs to generating surplus
energy and selling it to the electricity networks. While
few of us have large enough properties to actually make a
living from doing this, most of use would find the extra
few dollars per month very welcome!

This is all well and good you may say, but I am not a
technical person and do not have the skills and know-how to
put up a highly complex and possibly very expensive system.
Good news on both counts! It is not expensive to build your
own wind turbine and you also do not need a great deal of
technical expertise. You can, in fact, use materials that
are freely available and relatively cheap.

I would like to strongly encourage you to seriously
investigate the possibility of switching at least part of
your energy consumption to homebuilt wind generator power.
If you do this you will find that you will reap the
benefits of just a little bit of study and some basic work
for years to come!

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Are you concerned by the way in which your electricity
bills continue to rise? Build a simple wind turbine and
find out how easy it is to reduce your bills to a fraction
of what they are now.  Please visit
http://www.factorfluff.com/Build-your-own-Wind-Turbine.html
to find out more

What Homeowners Need To Know About Getting Solar Panels For Their New Home
Installing a solar power for a new home requires plenty of
planning.  If you don’t have a solid plan in place, then it
won’t work.  The purpose of having solar power in a home is
to help homeowners save on their energy bills.

When everything gets configured with the new home, the
homeowner will determine how may solar panels they will
need.  There are two ways that solar powered panels can be
selected:  there are those that provide power to all of the
needs of the home; the other one connects to the existing
power grid.

The homeowner may or may not have to size up the power with
a separate system.  If they plant to connect to the power
grid in their area, then sizing won’t be needed.  Whatever
the homeowner’s budget is, use what you have and do the
installation.

The grid power is the supplement and starts where the solar
power system stops.  The homeowner should check to make
sure that additional components can be installed later on
if they want it.  Also, they should also see about getting
the grid tied into their area.

With the solar power system, there are several places where
it can be installed:

- Roof

- Ground area

- Posts

If it is to be installed on the roof, the homeowner needs
to make sure that the roof is strong enough to hold a solar
panel.

Solar panels carry a good bit of weight.  Also, the roof
should face the sun for most of the day, if not all day. 
The more sun exposure the roof gets, the more energy your
home will receive.  Make sure that the roof is clear of any
obstacles, including trees or buildings.

There are different providers that make solar panels.  The
homeowner can check online for different distributers that
specialize in solar panels.  Or, they can visit a home
improvement store. Before a homeowner has settled on an
installer, they need to get at least three quotes before
they make a decision.

They should also make sure to check their references.  The
last thing they need is someone that claims to be something
they’re not.   If they’re not sure about who to contact,
one thing they can do is to see if any of their neighbors
have solar panels.  Inquire with them to see who they used
to install theirs. Ask questions regarding the quality of
the installation and the service.

In addition to adding solar power to a home, solar power
can also be used for outside lighting and ponds or
fountains.  The homeowner won’t have to concern themselves
with having wires strung all over the place.

Another incentive to having solar panels installed is that
homeowners can qualify for rebates for appliances that are
deemed energy efficient.  They can check online to get more
information on this program and similar ones.

In the long run, homeowners may end up paying a lot of
money for their appliances, but in the long run, will
benefit from doing so for many years to come.

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William Rigby is a proponent of saving our planet by using
non-polluting energy resources.  To find out more
information on how you to can help save the planet
http://www.windandsolarpowerforhomes.com