Environment | What Steven Cousley Does

Stop That Drip – Water Leak Repair And Other Money Savers

Feb 112009

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.

Solutions to Plastic Bags Pollution

Environment, Videos No Responses »

Feb 112009

Plastic bag Alternatives – Why We Need Them And Some Of Your options

Plastic bags are one of our icons of convenience culture. Some people say that the disposable plastic bag is the most common consumer item out there, with trillions of examples loose in our waste stream and our environment. The hazards of plastic bags pollution start with the production, since they’re made from petroleum products (with all the impacts of using fossil fuels) and the inks used in some bags contain lead and other toxic colorants.

Then the bags have to be transported to stores, using fuel on the way, and purchased or given to customers. Each year in America alone, over a hundred billion plastic bags are tossed. Some of them have only ever carried one small item – it’s standard for anything you buy to be placed in one of these bags, and you’ll get one unless you request otherwise. Throwing away that many bags is the equivalent of throwing out about twelve million barrels, all full of oil.

Only about one percent of the bags we use are recycled, if you look at world numbers. For the US by itself, that number rises to two percent. However, almost all bags are thrown away, adding to the plastic bags pollution problem and they’ll never decay. Whether they’re spending forever buried in a landfill, or they’ve been tossed by the side of the road and blown away, plastic bags don’t leave us.

They don’t necessarily stay put when landfilled, either. Plastic bags can be lofted by the wind and carried miles away. Once they’re in the air, these bags become a nuisance in streets, get hung up in trees and on fences, clog drainage systems, and wash into water systems and eventually out to see. There’s a huge raft of floating trash – mostly plastic bags and bottles – floating in the Pacific Ocean, and it’s only growing larger. Right now it’s about twice as big as the state of Texas. Birds take bits of bags to their nests, animals accidentally eat them or get tangled in them, and bags leach toxins into the water, too.

Some countries are choosing to ban or otherwise take measures against this plastic menace, as are some cities in the US. In Oakland and San Francisco, for instance, you have to use either paper bags with a high recycled paper content, or bring your own. Taxes on bags in Ireland have reduced usage, and incentives by some stores (such as a nickel off your bill for every bag you don’t use), have increased the number of bags brought from home.

So what are your options if you’d like to stop using plastic or cut down on how many bags you use? There are quite a few, and it’s easy to make the switch. You can make bags on your own (knitted, knotted, or crocheted string bags or sewn totes), or purchase a number of ready made bags. In many areas, stores are offering more durable bags made from paper or cloth for a relatively low initial cost. Look for reusable bags that fold up small enough to be kept in a purse, satchel, brief case or car trunk, so you’ll be more likely to remember them.

For situations where a reusable bag doesn’t work, such as a trash bin liner or for pet waste, investigate recycled or biodegradable options. It’s true that biodegradable plastic doesn’t degrade very quickly in landfill conditions, but it’ll last for fewer years than regular plastic. Avoid using a plastic bag when you don’t have to, and you’ll be making a real difference to the plastic bags pollution problem and the world around you.

Include Solar Water Heater Plans for Your New Home

Home Improvement, Science 1 Response »

Sep 212008

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.

—————————————————-
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

Homemade Wind Generator Plans

Home Improvement, Science No Responses »

Sep 162008

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!

—————————————————-
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

Solar Powered Generators & Battery Chargers

Home Improvement, Science No Responses »

Aug 202008

Solar Battery Chargers, Clean Energy in the 21st Century
Though solar battery chargers have been around for decades,
their popularity has increased a lot in just the last two
years. This is partly due to advancements in technology,
and partly due to our increased awareness of the need to
shift to cleaner renewable energy sources.

Advancements in technology have reduced the sizes and
weights of solar panels, while increasing their efficiency.
This allows for small lightweight portable solar chargers
to be produced. Another factor which plays a part in the
rapidly expanding field of portable solar power, is the
increased amount of electronic gadgets that we carry around.

Twenty years ago there were not many people walking around
with cell phones. Today, a cell phone, iPod or MP3 player,
and a digital camera tend to be the least that carry around
with us – either on a daily basis, or during our time off
or when going on a trip.

With all these electronic gadgets comes the need for
electricity and power. And, thus portable solar chargers
have found their niche.

There are several advantages to solar chargers and portable
solar panels. First of all, they are
eco/environment-friendly. They do not produce harmful
waste, and can be used anywhere where there is daylight.

Many people think that solar chargers can only be used in
warm sunny areas. This is not necessarily true. Solar
panels are more effective in colder temperatures. In fact,
a solar panel or charger would create more electricity on a
clear day in Alaska, than it would in the sun of the
Arizona dessert. This is because the temperature of the
solar panel influences the effectiveness with which it can
convert solar energy into electrical energy.

The above fact, combined with the increased effectiveness
of solar panels, has made solar chargers an attractive
method of powering or recharging small electronic gadgets.

These days, a small solar battery charger can run your cell
phone, iPod, or MP3 Player. It can recharge your digital
camera and it can be used to recharge batteries.

Some solar chargers, such as the Solio Charger, even come
with internal batteries which are automatically charged
when the solar charger is exposed to daylight – allowing
you to recharge your cell phone or other electronic device
from the solar charger, later on. Solar chargers with
built-in batteries commonly store enough power to recharge
your cell phone twice, or to run an MP3 player or iPod for
many hours. A digital camera can also be fully recharged by
one of these devices.

Solar chargers are starting to be a part of many standard
emergency kits. They are a reliable source of power so
long as there is daylight available.

Solar chargers are a convenient source of power in remote
areas, on field trips, or when out hiking and camping.
They can recharge batteries, cell phones, or other gadgets
in any location.

In addition to being convenient, solar chargers are a
clean energy source and do not cause pollution or other
harmful emissions while creating electricity. They also
reduce the need for disposable batteries, and thus reduce
the overall volume of harmful chemicals and toxic waste in
circulation on the planet.

—————————————————-
Anna Stone supports green energy and a cleaner environment.
For more information about solar battery chargers, see
Anna’s website, at
http://www.findportablesolarpower.com/batterycharger.html
You can also find information about the Brunton Solar
Charger at
http://www.findportablesolarpower.com/batterycharger/brunton
solarcharger.html

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