Category Archives: burning reduction methods

Changing To A Sustainable Economy A Matter Of Choice – It’s in the can man

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It really is a matter of quitting. We do not have to emit life threatening  green house gases into the upper atmosphere if we do not want to. That’s a fact jack:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-sweden-carbonfree_goeringmar03,0,3023238.story

Going green: Entire Swedish city switches

to biofuels to become environmentally

friendly

Industrial community makes change with a minimum of cost, pain

By Laurie Goering |Tribune correspondent
March 3, 2009

KALMAR, Sweden — Though a fraction of Chicago’s size, this industrial city in southeast Sweden has plenty of similarities with it, including a long, snowy winter and a football team the town’s crazy about.

One thing is dramatically different about Kalmar, however: It is on the verge of eliminating the use of fossil fuels, for good, and with minimal effect on its standard of living.

The city of 60,000—and its surrounding 12-town region, with a quarter-million people—has traded in most of its oil, gas and electric furnaces for community “district heat,” produced at plants that burn sawdust and wood waste left by timber companies. Hydropower, nuclear power and windmills now provide more than 90 percent of the region’s electricity.

Kalmar’s publicly owned cars and buses—and a growing share of its private and business vehicles—run on biogas made from waste wood and chicken manure, or an 85 percent ethanol blend from Brazil.

ust as important, the switch from oil and gas is helping slash fuel bills and preserve jobs in a worldwide economic downturn. And despite dramatic drops in fossil fuel consumption, residents say nobody has been forced to give up the car or huddle around the dining table wearing three sweaters to stay warm.

“We are not eco-freaks,” said Carolina Gunnarsson, a sustainability officer with the Kalmar County regional council, as her teenage daughter, wearing a tank top, lounged on their living room sofa on a snowy February afternoon. “We’re just making it easy to change, giving people the tools.”

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If you think it’s just those liberal Swedes whose sole reason for their success is “it’s small and has a homogenous population”. Like why they can supply nationwide healthcare, universal education, paid maturnity leave and have the happiest population in the whole world. Well they do the same thing in Illinois, I mean the environment part.

http://www.prairiecrossing.com/pc/site/index.html

Welcome to Prairie Crossing

Prairie Crossing is a critically-acclaimed conservation community that was designed to combine responsible development, the preservation of open land and easy commuting by rail. The community offers a variety of housing options, including 359 single family homes and 36 condominiums, all designed in Midwestern vernacular architecture and built to the highest standards of energy efficiency. The single family homes are sold out, but a limited number of condominiums are still available! Please explore our website for information about the Organic Farm, shops and restaurants, Metra commuter rail service, Charter School, and our restored natural areas, as well as the Guiding Principles underlying the community. 

wetlands-home1.jpg

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Then you could say, “well that is all well and good for Illinois. But that wouldn’t fly in a small rural state”. Of course unless you are in say Georgia:

http://www.serenbecommunity.com/home.html

At home at Serenbe.
Let’s say you could create the perfect place to live. Blank slate. Anything you want.

You might want a place where your quality of life was extraordinarily high. Where you felt an easy sense of community. Where the principles of sustainability touched everything from your home’s methods of construction to the organic produce on your table that was grown by one of your neighbors.

Speaking of neighbors, you might prefer an eclectic group, from artists to writers to farmers to business people. You might like to walk paths that take you through both forest and meadow, ride horses along tree-canopied trails, or hear music outdoors in your neighborhood amphitheatre. Maybe you’d just like a place to get away, a place where you can enjoy a simpler life. For miles around you the Chattahoochee Hill Country is protected with a master plan that calls for 80% green space.

Let’s say you’d like a place where you can stroll as well as stride. Where you can spend time being as well as doing. Then perhaps Serenbe is a place you’d be at home.

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Digg Is A Fascinating Place – But as a Blogger it is depressing

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Digg is a great place and as an Environmentalist/Energy person I get many of my ideas for posts there. But it can be depressing sometimes. Over the weekend people posted hundreds of articles to the point where I had to go nearly 10 PAGES into their posting to try to catch up. I never did.

 http://digg.com

http://digg.com/news/science/upcoming

Here is just a sampling of their first page. It is amazing.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/02/ecological-stimulus-package-investing-natural-capital.php

Ecological Stimulus Package:

Investing In Natural Capital

by Earthwatch Institute on 02.16.09

Business & PoliticsBy: Jeanine Pfeiffer, Earthwatch Institute

What if we gave our environment the same wallop of attention we’re giving our economy? What if we valued natural capital as highly as financial capital?

The US Congress has passed a $790 billion economic stimulus package. Last November, the Chinese government approved a four trillion yuan (US $586 billion) financial stimulus plan.

The Chinese plan included 350 billion yuan (US$51 billion) for ecological and environmental projects. These projects, according to the Chinese Minister of Environmental Protection, Zhou Shengxian, will emphasize treating pollution and supporting rural environmental efforts and green industries.

In the US, President Obama’s administration is proposing a ten-year $150 billion plan to create clean energy industries, green jobs, and change consumption habits. The plan aims to reduce greenhouse emissions, but also includes intriguing bullet points like clean coal technology and constructing the Alaska natural gas pipeline.

Where’s the environment – left on the “outside”?
Absent from any of these plans, debates, and discussions on economic stimuli and environmental plans (several million hits on the internet, last time I checked), is a clear focus on our ecology, our natural capital.

Thinking environmentally is not the same as thinking ecologically. In common speak, the word “environment” refers to our surroundings –the “out there” part of our world. An environment can just as easily include tons of concrete buildings, asphalt highways, and diverted waterways as it can include rain forests, furry critters, and mountain streams.

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 http://lafora.com.br/2009/02/o-ar-que-resfria-sua-casa-aquece-o-mundo/

 

“O ar que resfria sua casa aquece o mundo”

16/02/09 | América do Sul/Central/Caribe, Interesse Público, Painéis |

Da Prolam Y&R do Chile para campanha de alerta contra o aquecimento global para a Columbia.

Tags:

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http://www.triplepundit.com/pages/5-dark-labor-pitfalls-in-the-new-green-e.php

 

3 Labor Pitfalls in the New Green Economy

One of the most compelling concepts behind the new green economy is its ability to create jobs in the US. You certainly can’t outsource the installation of a solar system or high-efficiency windows. Industrial-scale wind turbines are enormous, thus favoring local production.Although these concepts are true, there are some pitfalls to watch for:

1. Outsourcing Manufacturing
The US has lost 6 million manufacturing jobs in the last three decades.

2. US Subsidies Benefiting Offshore Manufacturers
US Law requires domestic sourcing for many programs and agencies, including the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, Clean Water Grants for Water Treatment, and the Energy Policy Act of 1992.

3. Low Wages
Not all green jobs pay a lot of green, even when receiving generous local subsidies. A recent study of green jobs found recycling plant workers making as little as $8.25 an hour and manufacturing jobs in renewable energy products paying as low as $11 an hour.

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http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000734_Los_Angeles_South_Central_farmers.html

This is a quick update to bring a few time-sensitive items to your attention that you may want to check out.

First, I’ve just posted an exclusive interview with Dr. Steve from his Real Health show. He interviews me about the economic stimulus bill (15 minutes duration). This was recorded just yesterday, and thanks to Dr. Steve, we got it posted here: http://www.naturalnews.com/podcasts…

Dr. Steve’s Real Health show is the best health podcast on the ‘net, by the way. Listen to all 71 episodes here: http://web.mac.com/drsteve720/Site/…

On a separate topic, when I saw this next YouTube movie, I finally came to realize that the human species is probably not going to make it. What YouTube movie could possibly have such a powerful impact on my perspective of the human race? Watch it yourself and you’ll see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wusC…

Watch LAPD cops stand guard as the food supply of hundreds of poor L.A. families is being bulldozed into dust… this is madness in the extreme, and it’s happening right here in the United States of America, by the orders of city officials!

If you’re not already in tears after seeing that video, watch the aftermath of the city’s bulldozers here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juMe…

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http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/02/12/fish.migration.study/index.html

February 12, 2009 — Updated 2227 GMT (0627 HKT)

 Fish migrating to cooler waters, study says


(CNN) — Climate-driven environmental changes could drastically affect the distribution of more than 1,000 species of commercial fish and shellfish around the world, scientists say.

 

Red areas on this map show regions that are expected to have the greatest increase in fish populations by 2050.

 

Red areas on this map show regions that are expected to have the greatest increase in fish populations by 2050.

For the first time, researchers using computer models have been able to predict the effect that warming oceans, fed by greenhouse-gas emissions, could have on marine biodiversity on a global scale.

A new study predicts that by 2050, large numbers of marine species will migrate from tropical seas toward cooler waters — specifically the Arctic and Southern Ocean — at an average rate of 40 to 45 kilometers (about 25 to 28 miles) per decade.

These migrations could lead to “numerous extinctions” of marine species outside the Arctic and Antarctic, especially in tropical waters, according to the study’s projections.

“These are major impacts that we are going to see within our lifetime and our children’s lifetime,” said William Cheung, lead author of the study, set to be published this week in the journal Fish and Fisheries.

“Climate change provides us with a kick in the pants,” added Cheung, a marine biologist and lecturer at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. “We can’t think about climate change and biodiversity without thinking about the impact it will have on people.”

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http://www.ec.gc.ca/education/default.asp?lang=en&n=3D1A3FBA-1

Go on Stand By

A computer that runs 24 hours a day is eating up electricity, and money out of your wallet. stand by

Pay attention to that humming sound: that’s your computer sucking up energy. Whether you work in an office or at home, powering a computer is probably using more electricity than you think, and contributing to your personal greenhouse gas emissions, particularly when the electricity is generated with fossil fuels like oil or coal.

Research shows that most people leave their computer on throughout the entire business day, including lunchtime and meetings, but only use their computers an average of four hours a day. Plus, running a computer continuously at full power generates heat, which causes indoor temperatures to rise and increases the demand for air conditioning in the summer months.

If you work from home, consider that your network of home computers, monitors and printers can use more than 200 kilowatts per year per computer. Tally how much time one computer is on each day and multiply that by its energy usage. Now take a look at your electricity bill and see how the costs of staying connected can add up.

Going on stand by can be good

Reduce your energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by enabling the monitor’s energy-saving features when you are away from your computer for a short period of time. In “stand by” mode (also called sleep mode, hibernate or power down mode), your computer typically drops to 50% of its maximum power consumption.

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From the green economy, to air conditioning, to bulldozing poor peoples gardens, to climate change to power vampires, how is a simple blogger to compete…yet I will continue to try.

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Oh and a lady wanted me to post a link with her site. So:

http://www.torontorealestatedirect.com?pg=NCYKt

Cisterns, Another Personal Story – A house that was meant to recycle water

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I was reminiscing with a Guy who grew up in a rural Sangamon County household whose house was built to recycle water. I was telling him about my daily bucket brigade duty when I was staying at my great grandparents house. His name is David. He said, “OH yah well I had to do that everyday for almost 15 years”. He said that he grew up next to his grandmother’s house and she already had a well. It was hand dug by his dad and his grandfather. There was no way his dad was going to dig another well. So when they build his families house they put in a huge tile lined cistern feed from all of the downspouts off the roof. That was fed into  a tank inside the house by an electric pump which pressurized the whole system. The holding tank fed a hot water heater and a cold water line. The rest of the house was plumbed like a regular house.

The reader is probably thinking that what we are describing is a classic quaint little farmhouse setting with the large kitchen with the little bedroom off the kitchen for the married couple. They had a slightly larger “sitting room” that had a couch, some over stuffed chairs, a desk and some pictures on the wall for more formal entertaining and the children lived in the cramped attic. Where they sweltered  in the summer and froze in the winter. These house were usually all porch because folks spent most of their time outside. Well yes I am talking about those houses BUT these people have a cistern too:

 

http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~liz/home.html

 house_dec03.jpg

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That’s right please also note that there is a solar water preheat system (not shown) on the garage. This is a house in Floirda that is totally disconnected from any centralized distribution system, and they use a chemical composting toilet.

They did not drink cistern water mainly because of taste. Dave said the well water from his grandmothers house was so sweet it was like drinking candy. So that was his job as the little man in the house, he went to the well and filled up a 2 gallon porcelain bucket twice a day everyday until he went off to college. He noted that the job changed as he got older and so did his grandmother. He first started checking on her to see if she needed anything. Pretty soon he was getting water for her too. He said she had a reservoir on the back of her cob cook stove (which I had forgot about – my grannies did too). Eventually he was taking her ashes out for her too. The advantage was he got one breakfast from mom and then another from his grandma. 2 Breakfasts in one day. What a treat.

But the funniest stories were the ones about water conservation. He said repeatedly, “We were taught water was precious”.  Those lessons have not changed:

 http://www.charlottesville.org/Index.aspx?page=1681

He said, “You got whatever it was wet (teeth, body, dishes) and then you did whatever you needed to do. Then you turned the water back on BRIEFLY.” He said,”When you were in the shower if you heard the pump come on you knew it was time to get out of the shower no mater what because it was about to get real cold.” Laundry day was the toughest because his mother had a wood rod that she could stick in the cistern to measure its level. She knew that she could only use so much water washing clothes because they needed it for other things..the nearest water was 10 miles away.

Finally he said, “This was rammed home to us every couple of years because when it got really dry in some summers and falls we had to buy 500 gallons of water at a time. This guy from Sherman had a water truck and he would fill it up. He run a hose to your well or wherever you wanted it and dumped away.” It was kind of exciting when you were a kid. But, as he got older he realized that those gallons of water meant fewer new clothes for the school year, or that his shoes would have to last longer, or that maybe his sister couldn’t go to the Prom at school.” Then he said it again, “You know water is precious.”

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These people think so too:

 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/30/MNC615JNHB.DTL

Severe drought expected after mild January

Kelly Zito, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, January 30, 2009

 

California teeters on the edge of the worst drought in the state’s history, officials said Thursday after reporting that the Sierra Nevada snowpack – the backbone of the state’s water supply – is only 61 percent of normal.

January usually douses California with about 20 percent of the state’s annual precipitation, but instead it delivered a string of dry, sunny days this year, almost certainly pushing the state into a third year of drought.

The arid weather is occurring as the state’s water system is under pressure from a growing population, an aging infrastructure and court-ordered reductions in water pumped through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta – problems that didn’t exist or were less severe during similar dry spells in the late 1970s and late 1980s.

“We’re definitely in really bad shape,” said Elissa Lynn, chief meteorologist with the state Department of Water Resources. “People can expect to pay higher prices for produce … and more agencies may be rationing … some raising fees. We just don’t have enough water.”

In Sonoma County, water managers are expected to take a bold step Monday – telling residents to prepare for severe rationing within weeks.

“We have entered uncharted territory,” said Pam Jeane, deputy chief engineer of operations at the Sonoma County Water Agency. “A 30 percent mandatory rationing order is just the beginning. Further decline in reservoir levels could necessitate 50 percent cutbacks.”

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Life With Cisterns – My Great Grandparents were big water recyclers

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When I was a young boy in the 1960’s I spent 2 weeks with Edna and Court Lutz, my great grandparents. They were independent hog farmers on a subsistence farm in a rural unincorporated village called New Philadelphia Illinois. It was a subsistence farm which for years had no running water. Part of the roof runoff went into rain barrels, and part of it ran directly into their well. The well was in the back of the house and it had a big 3 foot tall pump on the top it. Court had run a water line from the well into the house in the pantry/sink area off of the kitchen and put in a much smaller hand pump on the edge of the sink. We ate and cooked in the much larger 15 x 15 kitchen area which housed a 6 burner corn cob cook stove a big kitchen table and the refrigerator.

pump.jpg

www.depagro.com

short-pump.jpg

www.oak-barrel.com

I learned a lot about hard work from those folks, but in many ways they were the original eco friendly folks. I got my first tastes of many things the Christmas before our first summer stay. The Ross side of the family had Christmas dinner at Court and Edna’s  house. After dinner (it was actually late lunch but they called the evening meal supper) Edna said, “Would you boys pump some water for me”. So we rushed into the pantry and proceeded to pump and pump and pump. Finally between the two of us we got the water coming and filled up one of the sinks. But we were tuckered out.

Edna filled up a large kettle to heat water to wash the dishes and then started in on them.

kettle.jpg

www.physics.uc.edu

Mabel (my grandmother) decided that she wanted some lemonade and needed a gallon of water to make it. Court offered to go out to the bigger pump and get it. Steve and I said,”Will do it”! Once bundled and outside Court watched amused as we tried to get the pump arm to even move. Both of us at 6 and 7 years couldn’t budge it. Court laughed and said here let me get it started for you and he pumped the handle a couple of mighty pumps. We got water on about the third pump but we filled up the bucket which was way to much water. Damn thing was hard to control. We never asked about the toilets. We were not there long enough to need them. As we were leaving, I asked Court why they had rain barrels on the front gutter downspouts. He said that I would find out soon enough.

rainbarrel.jpg

www.iaswcd.org

We went back the next summer of 1961. We had been prepared somewhat. We had been told what outhouses were and of course because our father was a Biologist we were told how they worked. We had been told about chamberpots and how to deal with them. We had been given a deck of cards and informed that they had no TV. We had been told about their half acre garden and had been given some gloves. Also some advice on dealing with blisters. We had been warned about hogs (they had 5) and that Court got up early in the morning. BUT WE HAD no idea what we were infor. And yes that is all one word.

outhouse.jpg

truenorthhh.org

pot.jpg

www.crabcoll.com

truck.gif

truckpatchfarms.com/products.html

hogs.jpg

www.soc.iastate.edu

Little did we know we were about to become water mules. Court got us up at 4:30 in the morning. Gave us coffee. Something that we had never had before, and then took us out to “slop the hogs”. Which involved hauling food scraps and water in 8 gallon pails out to the hog lot. Then we had to “mix the mash” which amounted to us hauling water out to an out building and pouring it in barrels of corn to ferment. Then we hauled already fermented mash out to the hogs. Then we hauled our sad asses into the house for breakfast. Which we ate ravenously. More coffee. Grandma clucked. Then we went to take care of the garden. Which amounted to….you guessed it hauling water in 8 gallon buckets out to the biggest garden I had ever seen. I mean row after row. We hauled it from the rain barrels which were much closer and easier then pumping at the well. Yep that is what water recycling is all about. PHwefff  Sometime I will tell you about the 2 hole outhouse. Nothing left that farm but pigs and people. The pigs mercifully did not come back.

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For more info about up close and personal water recycling please see:

 http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/

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Green Roofs – The ultimate water recycler

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Green Roofs or the idea that you could grow plants on the roof as a form of insulation and an absorber of water are gaining traction in the US Market. This new, some would say radical, idea is actually not new for people who live in rammed earth homes and underground or planned caves. These structures seed what are their roofs with grass. In the summer they allow the grass to grow tall which adds insulation value to the home. Green Roofs are this idea transferred up in the air.

I think that this idea would work best for low slope roofs with some access to enjoy the greenery. We have a sharply sloped roof so it would not work on our house. We have low sloped roofs on the garage and a very large shed so we could do Green Roofs there. It has the advantage of some carbon sequestration as well, depending on what you do with the green waste.

http://www.toolbase.org/Technology-Inventory/Roofs/green-roofs
Find manufacturers of this PATH Technology Inventory item

Green roofs, also called living or planted roofs, are systems of living plants and vegetation installed on the roof of an existing or new structure. The green roof concept is not new. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon constructed around 500 B.C. were perhaps one of the first green roof systems. Planted components of a prevegetated modular green roof system. Photo courtesy of LiveRoof, LLC Terrace structures were built over arched stone beams and waterproofed with layers of reeds and thick tar on which plants and trees were placed in soil.

Popular in Europe for decades, technology has improved upon the ancient systems, making green roofs available in and appropriate for nearly all climates and areas of the United States. All green roof systems consist of four basic components: a waterproofing layer, a drainage layer, a growing medium, and vegetation. Some green roofs also include root retention and irrigation systems, but these are not essential.

Green roof systems are often broken down into two types—extensive and intensive systems. An extensive system features low-lying plants such as succulents, mosses, and grasses. They require relatively thin layers of soil (1-6 inches), and plants usually produce a few inches of foliage. Extensive systems have less of an impact on the roof structure, weighing 10-50 pounds per square foot on average, and are generally accessible only for routine maintenance. Most residential applications are composed of extensive green roof systems. Intensive systems feature deeper soil and can support larger plants including crops, shrubs, and trees. Intensive systems can be harder to maintain, depending on the plants used, and are much heavier than extensive systems—they range from 80 to more than 120 pounds per square foot. Intensive systems are typically designed to be accessible to building inhabitants for relaxation and/or harvesting.

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For people who are “doing it” so to speak:

http://www.hadj.net/green-roofs/project-info.html

Welcome to the project! We intend to examine the feasibility of green roofs (extensive roof gardens) for residential scale construction. As you know, green roofs are common in Germany, France, Swizerland, and England, and are gaining a foothold in Canada and the U.S.

However, the vast majority of these roofs are commercial scale. The total area of residential roof surface, compared to commercial roof surface, is much larger and has a much more profound impact on the environment. Also, the largest and fastest growing encroachment on open space and riparian waterways is not commercial but residential development.

There are several challenges to developing a residential market:

  • The intial cost of green roofs is higher (however, their life cycle cost is competitive with conventional roofs).
  • Builders and developers want to offer a low sticker price for their product. They are responding to a market that does not frequently calculate life cycle costs.
  • Weight: the 3″ to 6″ of soil plus geotextiles on a roof can require added structure. In seismic zones there is a concern in that more weight is placed higher up in a structure.
  • The simple novelty of green roofs. I remember when the U.S. construction industry was talking about going metric, 35 years ago.

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AND:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/49803/doityourself_green_roofs_eco_roof_installation.html

Home Improvement for the Planet

Green roofs or eco roofs are an excellent way to reduce energy costs and reduce urban “heat island” effects that increase atmospheric temperatures. A green roof is a roof that is covered with vegetation. Green roofs are still relatively scarce in the United States today but appeared throughout the Midwest prairie homes of decades gone by. They are common throughout European commercial and residential areas today, covering over 100 million square feet of rooftops.

In both commercial and residential applications, green roofs offer many benefits to property owners. Green roofs reduce energy costs by adding insulation in winter and absorbing heat in summer. Estimates of energy savings range from 6-50% depending on the roof size. When installed in new construction, the incorporation of a green roof into the project’s design allows a reduction in the size of heating and cooling systems needed. This adds an upfront savings s smaller units may be installed for smaller heating and cooling loads. In today’s housing market, energy savings equals increased property value. Some green roof projects are eligible for tax credits and other “green” incentives. Green roofs transform impervious surfaces such as tar and asphalt into useable green space that absorbs solar radiation and carbon dioxide.

Until now, green roofs in residential areas have been outnumbered by commercial coverage because the task of installing a green roof can be overwhelming for individual home owners. In part this is due to expense but also attributed to a lack of knowledge in general about green roofs, their benefits and how to install them. As such an important feature of a home’s structural soundness, the thought of an “outside the norm” roof treatment can be intimidating.

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For much more information please go to their sites and thank them for being pioneers.

Should You Be Drinking Cistern Water – I am not sure it’s such a good idea.

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Look if the world falls apart, like the survivalists predict. Civilization falls and the barbarians are at the gates. By all means drink any water you can get your hands on. But for day to day useage right now I would not. If you are seriously harvesting rainwater and recycling water your useage would be so low that sipping from the public water supply would be minimal. One of the problems is we so heavily pollute the air that you could never be sure that you were harvesting minute amounts of things like lead and mercury.

But if you must:

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http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education2/9-cistern-water.htm

CISTERN WATER

In some areas there are attempts to collect rainwater in cisterns. In general, these cistern waters are harder and contain more total solids than rain. This is due to the accumulation of dirt and dust on the surface of the cisterns. One study shows that in 500 household cisterns, hardness ranged from 35 to 150 ppm. Further, cistern waters often have a high bacterial count and noticeable color. While in many cases the organisms found in cisterns are nonpathogenic, it is advisable to chlorinate this water where it is used for drinking purposes.

According to recent news and reports, most tap and well water in the U.S. are not safe for drinking due to heavy industrial and environmental pollution. Toxic bacteria, chemicals and heavy metals routinely penetrate and pollute our natural water sources making people sick while exposing them to long term health consequences such as liver damage, cancer and other serious conditions. We have reached the point where all sources of our drinking water, including municipal water systems, wells, lakes, rivers, and even glaciers, contain some level of contamination. Even some brands of bottled water have been found to contain high levels of contaminants in addition to plastics chemical leaching from the bottle.

A good water filtration system installed in your home is the only way to proactively monitor and ensure the quality and safety of your drinking water. Reverse osmosis water purification systems can remove 90-99% of all contaminants from city and well water to deliver healthy drinking water for you and your family.

Click to see details of Ultra Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System !
Healthy and Convenient! Our Featured Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System

 

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Indeed some claim that it could be real dangerous. If you have a weak stomach quit reading:

 http://jeq.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/13/1/38

Atmospheric Deposition and Roof-Catchment Cistern Water Quality1

Edward S. Young, Jr. and William E. Sharpe2 ABSTRACT

The water quality in 40 roof-catchment cistern systems in rural Clarion and Indiana Counties, Pa. was studied to determine the impact of atmospheric deposition. Roof-catchment cisterns are open to atmospheric contaminants such as the toxic metals Pb and Cd, and corrosive acid components present in acid precipitation.

Bulk precipitation samples failed to meet the drinking water standard for Pb on several occasions and were consistently quite corrosive. Mean Pb, Cd, and Cu concentrations were well below drinking water limits for all cistern water samples. Cistern water was corrosive in all but a few cases, as indicated by the Langelier saturation index, although not as corrosive as the bulk precipitation due to the dissolution of CaCO3 from cistern walls and floors. Vinyl-lined cisterns contained water nearly as corrosive as the incoming precipitation.

Seventy percent of the systems on one or more occasions exhibited cistern bottom sediment/water Pb or Cd concentrations that exceeded the drinking water limits. This indicated that metals deposited on roof catchments were accumulating at the bottom of the cisterns. Standing tap water samples exhibited high Pb and Cu concentrations. Nine of the forty systems studied produced standing tap water Pb concentrations that averaged above the drinking water standard. The mean Pb, Cd, and Cu concentrations of running tap water samples all fell below the drinking water standards. Atmospheric deposition of Pb and its infusion into tap water as a corrosion product pose a significant health threat to users of roof-catchment cistern systems in western Pennsylvania.

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On the other hand after proper filtration and clorination these folks seem to think its OK. But I let you read it for yourself:

 http://www.inspect-ny.com/water/WaterCisterns.htm

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Water Conservation And The Purpose Of These Posts – Americans have gotten complacent about water

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Most people in the US assume and expect when they turn on a facet or flush a toilet that water will magically appear. When it doesn’t they have no idea what to do. The point being that global warming could change all that.

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http://ag.arizona.edu/AZWATER/awr/dec99/Feature2.htm

Global Water Shortage

Looms In New Century

When most U.S. citizens think about water shortages — if they think about them at all — they think about a local problem, possibly in their town or city, maybe their state or region. We don’t usually regard such problems as particularly worrisome, sharing confidence that the situation will be readily handled by investment in infrastructure, conservation, or other management strategies. Whatever water feuds arise, e.g., between Arizona and California, we expect to be resolved through negotiations or in the courtroom.

But shift from a local to a global water perspective, and the terms dramatically change. The World Bank reports that 80 countries now have water shortages that threaten health and economies while 40 percent of the world — more than 2 billion people — have no access to clean water or sanitation. In this context, we cannot expect water conflicts to always be amenably resolved.

Consider: More than a dozen nations receive most of their water from rivers that cross borders of neighboring countries viewed as hostile. These include Botswana, Bulgaria, Cambodia, the Congo, Gambia, the Sudan, and Syria, all of whom receive 75 percent or more of their fresh water from the river flow of often hostile upstream neighbors.

In the Middle East, a region marked by hostility between nations, obtaining adequate water supplies is a high political priority. For example, water has been a contentious issue in recent negotiations between Israel and Syria. In recent years, Iraq, Syria and Turkey have exchanged verbal threats over their use of shared rivers. (It should come as no surprise to learn that the words “river” and “rival” share the same Latin root; a rival is “someone who shares the same stream.”)

More frequently water is being likened to another resource that quickened global tensions when its supplies were threatened. A story in The Financial Times of London began: “Water, like energy in the late 1970s, will probably become the most critical natural resource issue facing most parts of the world by the start of the next century.” This analogy is also reflected in the oft-repeated observation that water will likely replace oil as a future cause of war between nations.

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Advances In Home Insulation – That’s right after the Inaugural it’s time to get back to work

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Yah I know it is a downer to have to go back to work after the weekend PLUS back to back MLK/BHO days but life must go on. My motto for 38 years has been “You never ever lose money by investing in energy conservation”.  So put R60 in your attic.

http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/04/11/aerogel-insulation-advances/

Aerogel Insulation Advances

Author photo Written by Philip Proefrock

Published on April 11th, 2008

14 Comments

Posted in Energy, Heating & Cooling, Materials

Aerogel is almost a product out of science fiction.

Nicknamed “frozen smoke,” aerogel is extremely lightweight material, with a density only 3 times that of air. Only a small fraction of a volume of aerogel is the material itself. Most of the volume is filled with air. This makes aerogel an excellent insulator. (Aerogel provides nearly 40 times the insulation of fiberglass insulation.)

Aerogel can withstand great pressures and is also an excellent sound insulator. Aerogels can also be used to absorb airborne pollutants and have been used to clean up oil spills. NASA also used a section of aerogel as part of its Stardust probe to collect samples of material from the tail of a comet.

Aerogel is available for some high-performance applications, but due to its high cost, it has not been widely used. However, new research from a Malaysian scientist offers the potential to drastically reduce the cost of producing aerogel, and could lead to new possibilities for its use as a building and insulation material.

Dr. Halimaton Hamdan from the Universiti Teknologi in Malaysia has developed a method of producing aerogel that could reduce the cost of producing aerogel by 80% by using agricultural waste from rice husks as the feedstock. Rice husks evidently have a high silica content, and silica is the main constituent of aerogel. In addition to potentially being able to produce aerogel for one-fifth the current cost, this also addresses a problem with disposing of rice husk waste.

Because aerogel is translucent, rather than completely transparent, one of the places it has first been used in architectural applications has been in daylighting panels. Commercial applications of aerogel are from companies such as Kalwall and Advanced Glazings,…..

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This stuff is really amazing and no you won’t put it in your attic because it costs a gazzillion dollars and is used in outerspace…still if you built a room out of it you could heat it with a candle until the air ran out…for cool videos however please see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukq5Uy7iv7k

Oh you speak english…sorry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhcgI_DsSa4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeQJ6e_8Wqs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf06j4eWeMk

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Yes I am bored SOOOOwhat? Here is the stuff you can put in your attic:

http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/spray-foam-insulation-drastically-decreases-air-leakage-from-a-home-365453.html

Spray Foam Insulation

Drastically Decreases Air Leakage from a Home

Andrew Stratton

According to the US Department of Energy, more than half of the energy cost of the average home goes into heating and cooling. Furthermore, 30% of the heating and cooling cost is the result of air infiltration. One of the newest advancements in home products, expanding spray foam insulation, can significantly reduce the amount of air leakage within a house.

Air leakage is often most noticeable during winter months. This is because it is during the winter that the maximum temperature difference exists between the warm interior and the cold exterior of a house. This maximum difference in temperature causes a large pressure discrepancy between a home’s inside and outside environments. In turn, this pressure discrepancy causes the warm inside air to be pushed through any small gaps to the cold laying outdoors. Therefore, these small gaps allow the heat which you paid for to escape from your house.

Expanding spray foam insulation can plug these small holes. The spray foam insulation accomplishes this task by expanding into the small gaps onto which it has been sprayed.

However, to be effective it may be helpful to understand where these small holes may occur. One often thinks of the spaces near a door or window when thinking about the possible locations where currents may arise. However, there may be other locations which are not as apparent. These other locations are usually less apparent because they are found within the attic, basement or crawlspace.

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For more please read the rest of the article or:

http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/spray-foam-environmentally-friendly-insulation-601399.html

Spray Foam: Environmentally

Friendly Insulation

Andrew Stratton

Everyone is going green, and many companies are making it easier than ever. If you want to do your part for the environment, a great way to start is right in your own home. With the advent of new technologies, there are now products available that will help keep the environment healthier without having to compromise your own comfort.

Spray foam insulation is one product for your home that has recently gone green. Spray foam insulation begins as liquid polyurethane that is then sprayed onto surfaces, creating a protective, insulating barrier. Since the foam is initially liquid, it easily covers all cracks and holes in the wall, covering a more thorough area than fiberglass or cellulose.

This means that your house will be more climate efficient. The heat will stay trapped inside during the cold months and the cool air will stay in during the summer. Not only will the temperature of your house be more comfortable, but you’ll save energy on your heating and cooling.

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So you can use a little or a lot. More places for this stuff are:

http://www.greenbuildingenergystar.org/home-insulation-sealing.php

http://www.basf-pfe.com/index.php?location=RRE&section=view-PRP&select=117

http://www.sprayfoamdirect.com/?gclid=COTskbqvoJgCFRlcagoddQHZng

www.TigerFoam.com/Insulation 

www.icynene.com/

Or if you like video and it seems we do today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFjxWdPPY1Q

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Energy Tax Credits For 2009 – The last parting shot from GWB

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http://www.ase.org/content/article/detail/2654

Energy-Efficiency Home

and Vehicle Tax Credits

Energy-Efficiency Home

and Vehicle Tax Credits

President Bush has signed into law new consumer tax credits for energy efficiency home improvements, as well as purchases of plug-in hybrid vehicles. These provisions were included in H.R. 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which the president signed on October 3, 2008. The homeowner tax credits are largely the same – but not identical – to those that expired at the end of 2007, and begin again on January 1, 2009.

Taxpayers who claimed some but not all of the $500 federal income tax credit for energy efficiency home improvements that was in effect in tax years 2006 and 2007 may utilize the unused portion in 2009, the IRS has informed the Alliance to Save Energy. Please consult your tax advisor for details.

What’s New:

  • The consumer tax credits for energy-efficiency home improvements have been revived with a few tweaks for the calendar year 2009. To be eligible, most qualifying products must be purchased and installed between January 1 and December 31, 2009. There also are some new eligible products. Please see below for additional details. Efforts to have Congress further extend the consumer tax credits continue! This web page will be updated to reflect any new legislation.

Energy Efficiency Can Lower Your Federal Tax Bill as Well as Your Energy Bills

  1. Introduction to Tax Credits
  2. Consumer Tax Credit Information
  3. Hybrid and Diesel Vehicle Tax Credit
  4. Home Energy-Efficiency Improvement Tax Credit
  5. Geothermal Heat Pumps, Solar Energy, and Fuel Cells
  6. Additional Information

http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/incentive2.cfm?Incentive_Code=US41F&State=Federal¤tpageid=1&ee=1&re=1

Federal Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency

Energy-Efficient New Homes Tax Credit for Home Builders

Last DSIRE Review: 10/09/2008

Incentive Type: Corporate Tax Credit
Eligible Efficiency Technologies: Comprehensive Measures/Whole Building
Applicable Sectors: Construction
Amount: $1,000-$2,000, depending on energy savings and home type
Maximum Incentive: $2,000
Website: http://www.irs.gov/
businesses/small/industries/article/0,,id=155445,00.html
Authority 1: 26 USC § 45L
Date Enacted: 8/8/2005 (Amended 2008)
Effective Date: 1/1/2006
Expiration Date: 12/31/2009
Authority 2: H.R. 1424: Div. B, Sec. 304 (The Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008)
Date Enacted: 10/3/2008
Expiration Date: 12/31/2009

http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/eem/eemhog96.cfm

Energy Efficient Mortgage

Home Owner Guide

THE ENERGY EFFICIENT MORTGAGE means comfort and savings. When you are buying, selling, refinancing, or remodeling your home, you can increase your comfort and actually save money by using the Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM). It is easy to use, federally recognized, and can be applied to most home mortgages. EEMs provide the borrower with special benefits when purchasing a home that is energy efficient, or can be made efficient through the installation of energy-saving improvements.

Home owners with lower utility bills have more money in their pocket each month. They can afford to allocate a larger portion of their income to housing expenses. If you have more cash, why not buy a better, more comfortable home? There are two options with the Energy Efficient Mortgage.

The TWO SIDES of the EEM COIN

Finance Energy Improvements!

 

>  Cost-effective energy-saving measures may be financed as part of the mortgage!

 

Increase Your Buying Power!

 

>  Stretch debt-to-income qualifying ratios on loans for energy-efficient homes!

 

WHO BENEFITS from the ENERGY EFFICIENT MORTGAGE?

Buyers:

 

>  Qualify for a larger loan on a better home!

 

Sellers:

 

>  Sell your home more quickly.

 

Remodelers/Refinancers:

 

>  Get all the EEM benefits without moving.

 

Pay for energy improvements easily, through your mortgage. Your lender can increase your loan to cover energy improvement costs. Monthly mortgage payments increase slightly, but you actually save money because your energy bills will be lower!

HERS, or Home Energy Rating Systems

A HERS report is similar to a miles-per-gallon rating on a car. HERS are programs which provide evaluations of an individual home’s energy-efficiency. A HERS report is prepared by a trained Energy Rater. Factors such as insulation, appliance efficiencies, window types, local climate, and utility rates are used to rate the home and calculate energy costs.

A HERS Report Includes:

 

>  Overall Rating Score of the house as it is.

 

Rating scores are between 1 and 100. Higher scores indicate greater efficiency. Cost-effective upgrades are those which will save more money through energy savings than they cost to install.

U.S. Department of Energy recommended Home Energy Ratings contain a numerical score from 1 to 100, a one to five star-plus rating, and the estimated energy costs. Higher scores indicate greater efficiency. Cost-effective upgrades are those which will save more money through energy savings than they cost to install.

A HERS rating usually costs between $300 and $800. This could be paid for by the buyer, seller, lender, or real estate agent. Sometimes the cost of the rating may be financed as part of the mortgage. No matter how the rating is paid for, it is a very good investment because an EEM could save you or your buyer hundreds of dollars each year.

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Seems like a lot doesn’t? The boat has a hole in it and he hands us 3 buckets. That is a recipe for one sunk boat.

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Family Throws Nothing Out For A Year – Why can’t we all do that?

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Why do we throw things Away? Beginning next year I am goin to visit that question from a behavioral perspective but here is someone who doesn’t through things away.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081223/sc_afp/usenvironmentoffbeat

A rubbish life for LA marathon recycler

by Tangi Quemener Tangi Quemener – Tue Dec 23, 1:37 am ET

 

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Dave Chameides has spent almost an entire year living a life full of utter garbage, and hoping he can inspire other Americans to do the same.

The Los Angeles-based cameraman has lived in his comfortable Hollywood home without throwing away a single piece of trash, from wine bottles to chewing gum and pizza boxes.

Instead the 39-year-old Chameides — nicknamed “Sustainable Dave” — recycles his garbage or else stores it in his basement. He says he wants to show that it is possible to dramatically reduce his family’s consumption habits.

And he can show astounding results. Rather than the 1,600 pounds of trash the average American family produces each year, Chameides, his wife and two daughters have amassed only 32 pounds over the last 12 months

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Here is his web site. It is way cool:

http://365daysoftrash.blogspot.com/

Win Dave’s Bag!! Sign Up Now

Sign up now for the Sustainable Dave Newsletter and earn a chance to win your very own Dave’s Bag!

That’s right, some lucky winner will win a fabulous backpack with a coffee mug, water bottle, reusable bowl, and much much more. Imagine what your friends will say when you can swear off “disposable” single use items for good!

Be the talk of the town, be the coolest employee in your company. Win Dave’s Bag! And, as an added bonus, the first winners will recieve an actual piece of garbage from Dave’s basement, signed by Dave himself. How cool is that?

Own a piece of history and help Dave get rid of his garbage. Act now. Don’t Delay. Sign Up Today!

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