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Absolutely Energized Solar Electric, Inc. American Energy Technologies, Inc. Center for Energy, Marine Transportation and Public Policy Citizens Energy Cooperative of Wisconsin Creative Capital Associates, Inc. Eight Treasures of Kentucky, LLC Energy Market Innovations, Inc EPV, Inc. (Energy Photovoltaics, Inc) Florida Alternative Energy Corp. Garden State Solar and Electric, LLC Mesa del Sol - Forest City Covington NM, LLC Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA, Inc. Novan Renewable Technologies, Inc. |
Premier Power Renewable Energy Progressive Power Solutions Inc. Shenzhen Guanyuan Ind & Dev Ltd Solar Engineering Industries, Inc. Solar Home Energy Solutions, LLC SunTechnics Energy Systems inc. Surrette Battery Company, Ltd. The Citizens Electric Corporation Thermal Conversion Technology (TCT Solar) Third Sun Solar and Wind Power WIND TURBINES - The following manufacturers offer wind turbines for residential applications |
GEOTHERMAL - Manufacturers of residential and/or commercial heating and cooling units DIY SOLAR PANEL CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION - Covers theory and practice information on building solar panels Molecular Expressions Microscopy Primer- Physics of Light and ... Thin Film Solar Cell Construction Interact on KeelyNet Mail List- Dynamo & solar cell construction ... Solar Cells and solar power information at sharpusa.com Solar Electricity and Solar Cells in Theory and Practice ... Sungroper- Solar Panel Construction Thin Film Solar Cell Construction China Solar Cells, Solar Panel Product directory - china ... Polymer solar cell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Arc Reduction Procedures for Solar Cells WorldChanging- Tools, Models and Ideas for Building a Bright Green ... FutureCrisis - Peak Oil Crisis and Renewable Energy Resources ... Solar cell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Treehugger- DIY Eco-tech Contest Sneak Peek- Solar Powered Hydrofoil Home Power Magazine - Your Small Scale Renewable Energy (RE) Source Popular Mechanics - Solar Energy Makes A Comeback Renewable Energy Education & Discussion SOLAR CELL PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS PANELS AND MORE LINKS I - L Alternative Energy, Windmill and Solar Project List Directory-Home Generation - PESWiki David Butcher's Micro Solar Energy System Home Brew Power- Building your own generator. Hugh Piggott - Scoraig Wind Electric DIY WIND TURBINES Re-Energy.ca - Wind Energy - Build Your Own Wind Turbine MAKE- Blog- DIY 1000 watt wind turbine WorldChanging- Tools, Models and Ideas for Building a Bright Green ... Wind generators, alternators, magnets, Wind energy Affordable DIY Wind Turbines- Produce your own affordable ... BBC NEWS | Magazine | Power from the people Wind Turbine - Products for Wind Turbine - Manufacturers, Exporters ... Small Wind Turbines and Home Wind Turbine Kits UKhornets, bio diesel, wind power, UK Hornet, Hornets, Air X ... Hugh Piggott - Scoraig Wind Electric Introduction of EZuse DIY Wind Turbine Ventilator DIY Wind Turbine photo - Stephen LeQuier photos at pbase.com MAKE- Blog- HOW TO make a simple Savonius wind turbine Log Home Builders Association -- View topic - Wind power Technical Information for the EZuse DIY Wind Turbine Ventilator Welcome to www.diywindpower.com photos from liberalredneck.org -- My DIY Wind Turbine Wind -- Energy Beyond Oil Links -- Free Range Virtual Library -- FRAW Home Power Magazine - Your Small Scale Renewable Energy (RE) Source Green-Trust.Org -- View topic - DIY 1000 Watt Wind Turbine Class FutureCrisis - Peak Oil Crisis and Renewable Energy Resources ... Navitron Alternative Renewable DIY Green Energy Solutions UK YourGreenDream, Homemade solar, wind and green power diy projects. MonkeyFilter | DIY 1000 watt Wind Turbine Alternative and Renewable Energy, Windmill and Solar Book List photos from liberalredneck.org -- My DIY Wind Turbine -- wm2 Dulley Column - Solar - Alternative Energy Topics List, energy ... Affordable DIY Wind Turbines- Produce your own affordable ... |
Solar Web Portals and Educational Resources
SolarBuzz.com
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SAVING MOTHER EARTH, SAVING MONEY! |
| Environmental scientists have been warning us for a long time, that Earth was headed towards cataclysmic changes if we didn't clean up our act. Corporations and the politicians in their pockets (including one blowhard national talk radio host) would like us to believe all is fine - no problems here! Well, you need only look at a sky towards a major city or smoke stacked industrial park before dusk to see how much trouble we are really in! At night, how many stars could you see back in the 1950's that you can't see now? To put it frankly, the future is now! House & Cottage is dedicated to encourage individuals to build earth-friendly homes. So here are some tips that might help... |
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...GARBAGE IN... |
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...GARBAGE OUT... |
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WATER TANKS VS. TANKLESS WATER HEATERS Whether you are building a new home or renovating an older one, or need to replace an ailing hot water tank...never buy a hot water tank again! Hot water tanks of thirty gallons or more, use a great deal of energy whether idle or in use. For hot water ready to use, requires the heater elements to cycle on and off - whether you use it or not! Instead we highly encourage you to buy a tankless whole house hot water heater. You only use energy when you actually need to...therefore you save money by eliminating the cycle. Reliability? European countries have been using them for decades. HOME HEATING If you are replacing a gas furnace, consider a model with a 97% AFUE Energy Star Rating. We on Earth will thank-you, so will your wallet! If you are building a slab-foundation home, consider an energy efficient radiant heating system consisting of a boiler and special water tubing imbedded in the slab - just remember to have a lime and water filter before inlet into the boiler. Works well with solar heating, too. Get a digital thermostat which automatically turns down the heat at bedtime, turning it back up before breakfast, then down while at work, and back up just before you are expected home. Most have an override feature for weekends or days off. Close fireplace dampers and doors when not in use. APPLIANCES Gas Stoves & Ranges - Purchase a cooking unit that uses electronic ignition, you'll save 40% in costs over a model that uses a pilot light. Refrigerator - Set freezer temperature between 0 and 5 degrees, refrigerator between 38 and 42 degrees. Vacuum condenser coils annually and keep door gaskets clean. Make sure to repair or replace any gaskets that are damaged. Washers & Dryers - Run full loads and rinse in cold water. Clean lint trap filter after every load. Light - Kick the incandescent bulb habit, switch to compact florescent bulbs which give you the same amount of light for a third of the power required to operate the old bulb - plus they run much longer when compared to Edison's invention. Want to do better? You can now purchase LED bulbs designed to run over 60,000 hours at a fraction of power required to run florescent bulbs. Cooling - Landscape the lot with deciduous trees around the perimeter of the house to provide shade in summer, yet allow sunlight into the house in winter. Of course, insulate the house. Use perforated soffits under the eves and ridge vents on the crest of the roof to allow hot air to escape from the attic. Use a fan at the lowest setting possible. When using an air conditioner, use a fan at low setting to help circulate the air while keeping the temperature at 78 degrees or warmer when in use. Turn off the A/C when not home. Check refrigerant levels at the start of warm weather. Check and clean A/C filters once a month. Vacuum A/C coils and shade outdoor coils. Close attic vents, doors, and windows when the A/C is running. Turn system off in the evening after the sun goes down. ...as RED/GREEN would say, "we're all pulling for ya!" |
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52 THINGS WE NEED TO DO IN GOING GREEN BASED ON APRIL 9th. 2007 ISSUE OF TIME MAGAZINE House & Cottage as well MALL 727 feel it is important that we all work on being more "GREEN-minded" these days. We can no longer take the Earth for granted and we can't "wish away" the problems of pollution. Don't work on it now, we are creating a horrid future for generations to come. Our editors applaud TIME Magazine for their continued interest on Global Warming and we want to keep it in the mind of the reader what he or she or they can do to minumize their carbon footprints... 1) TURNING FOOD INTO FUEL This really is a good idea if done properly. By creating bio-energy via Ethanol we do end up with a cleaner fuel than those made from crude oil. Things that can be used to create biofuels include corn, soybean, switchgrass, municipal (whatever is in that stuff) waste and used cooking oil. The drawback is biofuels can't be shipped via current pipelines, therefore they must be trucked to locations for distribution - meaning much of the benefits from the process can be lost through its transportation. That can be rectified, but it can be costly - naturally a consumer would pay the end bill in higher fuel costs. 2) GET BLUEPRINTS FOR A GREEN HOUSE Doing home improvements like sealing leaks around doors and windows as well insulating attics and walls - including those in the basement will not only reduce heating and cooling bills, but will make your home more cozy in the winter. Other areas include double and triple pane glass replacements. Large roof overhangs in constructing new homes or additions is also a good idea. Things to look for as you can afford them are solar cells on your roof to provide electricity and hot water heating. Ditto the use of wind turbines. Try to design-in "cross-ventilation" if building a new home, or in retrofitting an older home. 3) DUMP YOUR INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULBS Chances are you are using an incandescent light bulb that produces as much heat as light...and to get any useful illumination requires a great deal of energy in watts. The technology dates back to Thomas Edison - well a lot has happened since then. New generation light bulbs using Compact Florescent Light and LED technology run a lot cooler with less watts and last a lot longer. They are more expensive to purchase, but pay for themselves in less energy consumption meaning smaller electric bills. 4) GET YOUR CITY TO LIGHT ITSELF MORE EFFICIENTLY Most city lights in most locations consist of high pressure sodium bulbs which use a high amount of power to light the night and traffic lights. LED bulbs use 40% less electricity. Shaving almost half of what it pays in electric bills for the lights is only half the story - the other, the LED's last much longer than older lighting methods, further saving a city in replacement costs. The only thing we can suggest is the designers find ways to allow the lumens to do the work without adding to light pollution - something that would benefit aviation and astronomers! 5) PAY THE CARBON TAX FIrst, industry should pay the carbon tax and work on greatly curtailing their carbon footprint. What we don't believe in is the buying and selling of carbon credits - pollution is pollution and we need to work on eliminating it. Here's how it works - a company or nation which has more pollution coming from its smokestacks buys credits from another company or country that does not pollute - or very little in any case, to use their credits, meaning that polluters can continue polluting - thus negating the very thing the world needs to eliminate - pollution. It was an unfortunate add-on or pork barrel of the Kyoto Agreement. A straight tax would eliminate the corporate shell games. 6) DITCH THE MANSION SUPERSIZING Both House & Cottage and Mall 727 have no problem with mansions. They can be made as efficient as any home if powered by solar and wind turbine. The problem is under traditional measures of power management, they need a lot of energy. So, if you've got the bucks to buy or build these behemoths - include solar and wind in your plans - over the long haul, its money back in your pockets. 7) PUT UP A CLOTHESLINE Actually not a bad idea in case the dryer craps out. But in the city at current times, there is some prankster who might decide to take advantage of clothes drying in the wind - of course basements (depending on the shape of the basement) would work well - however in an apartment situation - uhhh, not quite. Again, we'd encourage doing only big loads and using dryers that are energy-efficient would be a start. 8) GIVE YOUR OLD FLEECE A LIFE Old fleece heads back to the mountain - or at least it should. Outdoor gear-maker, Patagonia collects used clothing made from Polartec and Capilene and makes new fabric and clothes from them - the process uses 76% less energy and results in 71% in greenhouse gasses. SMART! 9) BUILD A SKYSCRAPER Shades of Donald Trump - building huge tall buildings is out of most of our leagues. But according to TIME Magazine, today's (2000 and beyond) skyscrapers use less energy than before. Making concrete from scratch is energy-intensive, so contactors are now using a mixture of 55% concrete and 45% (a waste created by blast furnaces) slag. Some buildings recycle what is known as gray water from washroom sinks and showers to flush toilets. Buildings going up are also using natural gas to produce electricity as opposed to that from the traditional grid - less polluting then coal-produced power. There is even a cement producer out of Italy who has mastered the art of making cement for buildings that actually eat pollution around it - now that's good news! 10) GEOTHERMAL HEATING Geothermal Heating has been around for a few decades now. Water is pumped from underground to heat and cool buildings. The water is pumped from water that is a stable 55F degrees and transforms heat from the water. 11) GOING FOR THE VINTAGE LOOK Buying vintage (old clothes) saves on the energy to produce new clothing. Great idea, but around the office, it was agreed that wearing used underwear from someone else was not an appealing idea. Outer garments - cool idea! Inner garments...well, lets not get into that! 12) CAPTURE THAT NASTY OLD CARBON The idea is to pump smokestack carbon underground (boy, we wouldn't want to be the joker who was required to clean those pipes) into abandoned mines and other underground reserves. The drawback is it is expensive to set up and operate. The other bad thing is scientists have no idea of the long term effects of pumping CO2 underground. Ah, lets see - things like underground springs and lakes and rivers which supply fresh drinking water turning grey is not too appealing. Pumping carcinogens into the ground to get into the drinking water doesn't sound too appealing as well. 13) LET EMPLOYEES WORK CLOSE TO HOME At Home & Cottage (and for that matter, MALL 727) - we like this idea - in fact, we'll go one better - work from home. Less need to drive cars, roads not overloaded, no bad weather to deal with, no pollution from the exhaust pipe and not a great concern in the commute - hey, you could work in your underwear going from bed to den if you don't have to deal with visitors. But to those unfortunate (most of us) who do have to go into a place of business - closer sounds better! Less commuting equals less pollution. Companies like Starbucks, Key Bank, Boeing as well fire departments are working on this option. 14) TAKE THE BUS Actually, very logical. Cars are responsible for more than 30% pollution according to TIME Magazine. Buses save an estimated 1.4 billion gallons annually which translates into 1.5 million tons of CO2 not going into the air. Plus, a lot of bus lines are switching their fleets over to cleaner-burning natural gas from diesel fuel. 15) LIVE IN A HIGH RISE We're a little nervous about this one - especially after 9/11. New York City is considered more green than other major cities - the reason? More people take buses and subways going to and from work in the Big Apple. Driving in New York? Well, you've got lots of competition from buses, trucks and limousines - can mean one massive traffic jam no matter what the weather. Eight million New Yorkers are squeezed into 301 square miles in New York City and assured daily parking is near impossible to get. So walking and biking in good weather is considered fashionable. And being in a place like New York City means you are usually closer to the stores. 16) PAY BILLS ONLINE Welcome to the Internet Generation! No longer need to mess with writing checks or the ever-increasing cost of US Postage - let your fingers do the tap dancing - and save the trees for making toilet paper. Bill-Payment Online is now offered by most banks, but we'd be a little nervous about automatic bill paying - want to retain some control! 17) OPEN WINDOWS About 25 tons of C02 emissions come from the home. A great part of that comes from the use of air-conditioners. By opening windows for a cross breeze may eliminate the need for air-conditioning in some cases. Where air conditioning is needed, adjusting the thermostat a few degrees higher means you'll use less energy in summer as well adjusting the furnace thermostat a few degrees lower will also save energy and money while requiring less CO2 producing energy. 18) GO FOR AN ENERGY AUDIT Actually an excellent idea! By seeing where the energy goes and where its wasted means making a list on where improvements need to be made. While you may not be able to do everything at once - you now have a plan to tackle one item at a time. The more improvements you make, the more you save in utilities over the long run. 19) BUY GREEN ENERGY AT HOME AND ON THE GO Over 600 utilities are now offering green energy in 37 states. But unless you read the fine print at the back of your bill, you may not know if its offered in your state. A good way to find out is visiting "http://eere.energy.gov/greenpower." to find out. If your state does not offer green energy on the grid, you can buy renewable energy certificates from another part of the country - the green power provider will release energy to the national grid. Although, we can't tell you if you'll save any money on your electric bill? 20) LOOK FOR THE "ENERGY STAR" LABEL "Energy Star" products use 35% or less energy to operate similar items that don't have the label. Even new homes can be "Energy Star" certified. While most consumer companies strive to meet "Energy Star" requirements - its always good to look for the label before you buy! 21) COZY UP YOUR WATER HEATER, BETTER YET - REPLACE IT You can improve the efficiency of your water heater by adding a water heater blanket. Sounds good - they are generally $30 or less. However, you are still paying to heat water even when you are not using it. We suggest tearing out your old one and replace it with a whole house tankless water heater. There are models for gas, propane and electric usage. The great part? You only use energy when you use hot water - and they take up much less space than the traditional 40 gallon water heater - much less space. 22) GO MEATLESS First, its better for your health. And the methane waste produced by cattle produces roughly 18% of world greenhouse emissions. Methane produces about 23 times more of warming gasses then the amount of CO2, where nitrous oxide is 296 times as great. 23) COPY CALIFORNIA'S ATTEMPT TO CUT POLLUTION California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed the world's toughest anti-global warming laws into effect. It requires industry to reduce the state's emissions by 80% by 2050. Other states are being encouraged to follow California's lead. 24) GET A SOLAR CELL By purchasing a 30-watt or greater solar cell, you can can recharge NiMH batteries using the sun. There are one hour quick charge battery chargers for AA, AAA and 9-volt batteries. And properly cared for in an interior location - the solar cells can last for decades. You can even have it power LCD portable color tv sets and radios in the daytime during a power failure. Add a "gel-cell" or similar battery to your portable solar-celled system, and it can power both for hours into the night. The power it generates over the lifetime will pay for itself. Potentially it can give your car battery a trickle charge as well. For any use, make sure to use a voltage charge regulator in-line. 25) SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FARMER By buying from a local farmer's market, you can reduce the amount of petroleum used to truck food from across the country as well help the regional economy in your area. Plus, the produce is usually fresher. 26) PLANT A BAMBOO FENCE We all like privacy, how about a fence that absorbs CO2 as well! Planting bamboo saves a tree and the bamboo can grow up to a foot a day. Plus its much nicer looking and requires little maintenance - if no one complains, let it grow. If there are restrictions, well, you may have to trim some of it off the top!-) 27) USE DIRECT FLIGHTS By going from Point A to Point B with little or no stops in-between, you cut down the amount of CO2 used by a plane. You'll also shave off about 30 minutes of flight time according to TIME Magazine. 28) TAX BREAK BY THINKING GREEN You may be able to get a tax break by buying a hybrid car. To find out, go to "http://www.hybridcars.com" for information. 29) SKIP THE TIE Hooray, finally a good reason not to wear a tie to the office. By going tie-less, air conditioning usage can be scaled back. In Japan, where companies have allowed workers to wear lighter-color clothing where suits were once required, less energy was used. During the summer months, Japan cut an estimated 79,000 tons of CO2. 30) SHUT DOWN THE COMPUTER Turn off the computer when not in use - you could save up to $70 a year in your electric bill and reduce your personal carbon footprint. 31) WEAR GREEN EYE SHADOW Okay, this has us stumped - both from the aspect of how eye shadow has any effect on the environment - and the fact we don't think a woman would appreciate advice about what kind of eye shadow to wear coming from a page on Alternative Energy. Any complaints - issue them to the editors at TIME Magazine. Some of us males here have daughters and wives and female co-workers - and we are not really interested in touching this one. But according to TIME's view, there is a company called Cargo Cosmetics which manufactures a lipstick that is 100% biodegradable - including the package it comes in! According to Cargo - you can actually plant the container into the ground and it will actually sprout flowers - hey, that sounds neat! 32) KILL THE LIGHTS AT QUITTING TIME Actually that makes common sense in the work place. First, if no one is in the building, why run the lights. Second, there are sensors on the market which detect even minimum movement - so you don't even have to worry about turning off the lights. Computers - well for security, you want to turn them off anyway. 33) REARRANGE THE UNIVERSE Sorry, but making changes in the universe is God's department - and man, other than exploring space should leave his hands off of it, period! Mankind makes way too many mistakes and we wouldn't trust mortals who attempted its control. However, the scientific world is researching the possibility of putting a giant mirror (geez, you really think the average taxpayer really would want to pay for this) into space to deflect the sun's energy. Or injecting sulfur into the stratosphere to cool the Earth. Another is finding a way to rearrange the environment on a planetary scale. Uhhh, we don't think so... 34) RAKE THE FALL COLORS Okay, this sounds harmless enough. Basically it means using a rake rather then a blower - we're for that! Blowers use gas and oil - so they create pollution - nuff said... 35) SAY GOODBYE TO PAPER IN THE WORKPLACE Actually a pretty good idea - imagine all the trees we could save - and the damn amount of time it takes to file the stuff - just make sure to transfer the information to an optical disk in case the computer hard drive dies. 36) DON'T DUMP CHEMICALS INTO THE GROUND Sometimes everyday chemicals we use (especially automotive) get dumped on the ground - oh, things like radiator fluid or dirty water from a mop and pail - well, there are things that are called underground springs that connect to creeks and rivers, lakes and oceans which can cause problems for animal life as well the water we drink. So where to put it? Well read the back of the container - hopefully it will give you tips on how to dispose of it properly. 37) THINK OUTSIDE THE PACKAGE Paper and plastics are two things to be recycled - both don't decompose too easily and can cause problems if burned. Suggestion - use canvas bags that can be reused whenever possible. Major retailers are beginning to look at ways to cut down on the amount of packaging products - and those foam peanuts can get all over the place - even in a light breeze. 38) TRADING CARBON FOR CAPITAL Here's how it works. Companies that make a lot of pollution buy credits by investing in environment friendly projects in the developing world - hey that sounds good...uh, not so fast. Companies can continue polluting at regular rates...hey we thought we were suppose to be cleaning up the environment - that's the idea, isn't it? 39) GROW A GARDEN Now you're talking! Rather then using commercial fertilizers, consider using compost to grass clippings which contain 4% nitrogen. The problem with the commercial chemicals is they accelerate nitrous oxide into the atmosphere while the chemicals also leach into the ground, contaminating ground water. Try using seaweed extracts and fish proteins and fish oil as fertilizer. 40) GET A CARBON BUDGET Consumers would buy rights to pollute...we say NO, lets not let pollution continue - we need to deal with it. If we do nothing on a personal to world level, we deserve to poison ourselves. But remember, you take the responsibility of dooming your children, grandchildren - those now and those to come...any way you look at it, its a bad deal! 41) FILL-ER UP WITH PASSENGERS We really can't argue with this. First you do your part to lessen the negative impact on the Earth's atmosphere. Second, you each can equally share in the driving duties - anyone unwilling to take a turn driving, chips in for gasoline. Go one better and buy a hybrid for your next vehicle! 42) PAY FOR YOUR CARBON SINS Contribute money to clean energy projects - ummm, sounds like there may be a tax credit there? However, the best way to pay is go beyond contributions and buy with energy-efficiency in mind! 43) MOVE TO LONDON'S NEW "GREEN" ZONE Not a bad idea. Homes in London account for 44% of the city's CO2 emissions. However, builders are busy constructing a housing development with a zero-carbon footprint by 2010. All 233 homes will be connected to a power system that uses a combination of wood chips, solar and wind power. We say why move? Study how London's project works and build the same thing here! 44) CHECK YOUR TIRES Actually this advice has been around pretty much since the first production car hit the road. Properly inflated tires use less energy to move and have less wear and are much safer as well...but we still won't recommend retreads! Other ways are familiar as well - tune-ups, clean air filters - you'll save 200 fewer pounds of CO2 going into the atmosphere! 45) MAKE ONE RIGHT TURN AFTER ANOTHER Huh? United Parcel Service is using software which plans routes by using as many right turns as possible during package delivery assignments. By not facing oncoming traffic in left hand turns - their vehicles spend less time idling This minimizes the CO2 going into the atmosphere from their trucks, saves UPS fuel and makes the company's drivers more efficient in package delivery. 46) PLANT TREES IN THE TROPICS By keeping rainforests as forests, trees are absorbing CO2. There is an argument that trees in a temperate climate like the United States actually create more of a warming effect with their dark "heat-absorbing" green leaves outweighing their benefit in soaking up CO2. Still, with this said...we continue to vote for the trees! 47) BURN COAL RIGHT We'd rather eliminate the burning of coal altogether. But until we find a way to do that, finding a practical way to use the heat such as thermal warming - half the heat is lost in hot air. But by co-generation in power plants, the recaptured heat can be used for domestic and commercial heating applications. We hope this idea is only for a very short term! 48) DRIVE GREEN RENTALS A firm called "Zipcar" currently rents hybrids in five American cities, London and Toronto. You'll save gas, and you'll feel good with a smaller carbon footprint. 49) SET HIGHER STANDARDS Encourage municipalities to states in regulating the amount of CO2 a factory or new vehicle can legally put out. Its currently a practical idea that can be utilized now. Lets get rid of "cap and trade" for good! Right now things are kinda scary, seems there are 159 coal-powered plants going online in the next decade - we find that with negative environmental changes occurring now, this is a questionable thing to be doing! 50) GET AGGRESSIVE ON PASSIVE Its reported there is a German family that has designed and constructed a home which has 90% less of utility bills then their neighbors - and the home has five bedrooms - wow! How's it done? Extra insulation, state-of-the-art ventilation system that uses the heat from bodies and appliances and the sun. Extra cost to build over the cost of a traditional home - oh, say about 5% to 8% more! 51) CONSUME LESS AND SHARE MORE Buy less and develop an ability to lend material needs between neighbors - a kind of cooperative village kind of thing. Simply doing more with less. 52) VACATION AT HOME Don't look us that way - its a pretty practical idea. By turning your home into a vacation spot - a special magical place rests outside your door and in your recreation room. Using landscaping software, create and firm-up plans to build a park in your yard - front, back and sides - after your initial investment you'll save year after year and hopefully find your home an oasis whenever your there. If you've got a rec room - make it your own personal Vegas with pinball machines, pool table and maybe even a single or two lane miniature bowling alley - just use your imagination. Turn your family room into a home theater - movies go from theater to DVD so fast now, that an investment in a new home DVD release - that you can have a movie night whenever you want without overpaying for tickets and concession stand prices. Plus you'll be able to play the movies over again as much as you want! With High Definition LCD screens or a front projection LCD unit and surround stereo system - hey, no more waiting in line at the theater and concession stand - and no more long searches trying to find a close parking place in bad weather. Its better for your sanity and better for the Earth! Plus there are a lot of used DVD's being sold. Unlike videotape, you don't have to worry about rewinding and tape jams - plus you get a much better picture at a cheaper price. House & Cottage hopes some of these ideas help in making the world a better place from an environmental standpoint and we suggest going to the library and reading the complete article in TIME Magazine. The more we all share environmental ideas, the better it will be for life on Earth! |
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