Eco-friendliness and sustainability are the new watchwords and we all naturally want to play a part in protecting dwindling resources. There are many steps we can take at home to increase our green credentials and an additional benefit is that in the process we will also substantially reduce our utility bills.
Heating (more…)
A public school district in California had no choice but to cancel a necessary lighting upgrade due to strict energy codes. Because of this, the local schools will be stuck with the same inefficient and ineffective lighting that was installed decades ago. This decision will affect many, but most importantly, it will affect the students.
State energy codes are meant to encourage and enforce property managers to choose the most energy-efficient options available in a time when environmental conservation and the consumption of resources is becoming a global concern. (more…)
Here’s a fairly decent conversation about the world’s largest polluters, who’s emitting what, and how this is all changing as Asia continues to grow in terms of energy use per capita, and in terms of its overall contribution to the world manufacturing scene.
In the article, somewhere along the discussion of who’s taking over 4th place, etc., etc., someone makes a good point: “All countries now have responsibility. It’s not just a story about China — it’s a story about the whole world,” said Ottmar Edenhofer of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and co-chair of a U.N. climate report last year.” (more…)
Quick quiz: What form of renewable energy is entirely absent in the U.S., though it’s quite prevalent in Europe?
A reader wanted my feedback on a business plan that would sort soiled horse bedding into clean bedding, compost, and fire-logs.
I don’t find the business plan compelling. This concept implies collecting and sorting horse waste from farms all over the US, to create a low-value product. (more…)
In light of the high cost of energy these days, finding ways to reduce your energy expenditure should be a top priority. There are many ways to do this. Making your home more energy-efficient is one, but it is also worth looking into ways of generating your own electricity. It may be that you can’t generate enough to take care of all of your needs, but if you can at least supplement your supplies, this will help to save you money and reduce your reliance on expensive and ultimately finite energy sources. In this article, energy management system company Blue Pillar explains some of the renewable energy options available to you. (more…)
A few years ago the concept of storing energy derived from solar PV was silly; the curves associated with the presence of the sun in the sky and the demand for power to support our activities were so nearly identical that few people even entertained the idea. But over a very short period of time, with the ever-growing supply of solar energy, all this has changed radically.
The steepening neck of the duck in the now-famous “duck curve” (pictured above and below) is one more factor making life tough for the utilities, as distributed solar energy has greatly accentuated the difference between peak and off-peak requirements by reducing the amount of load during the day that must come from the power companies. (more…)
The agriculture sector and our forests are producing excessive waste materials that may lead to environment degradation and adversely affect public health. To protect people from these adverse effects, government is making special efforts to generate awareness about scientific methods to dispose these residues safely without harming environment or human health. Biomass briquetting machine technology is an innovative idea to use and recycle agro waste and forest waste in most efficient eco-friendly way. (more…)
I recommend the piece on VOCs (toxic volatile organic compounds: acetone, benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, xylene, etc.) not to suggest that fracking represents net damage to humankind, but to point out a few things that everyone should know. In particular:
• The oil and gas industry routinely lies about this subject, denying that these chemicals are released into our skies and waterways, and that they are being absorbed into our bodies. And, speaking of lies, (more…)
Here are a couple of graphs from “The Economist” that illustrate China’s rise to dominance in the manufacturing sector and suggest where this may go from here. We need also to keep in mind that the average factory worker in China earns $27.50 per day compared with $8.60 in Indonesia and $6.70 in Vietnam, meaning that there are other places in Asia that represent even greener pastures for global manufacturers. (more…)
