One area of renewable energy that ought to be looked at is the technology associated with geothermal energy. Geothermal energy is a topic that has great opportunity but has been underutilized. Our earth produces a huge amount of energy that hasn't been taken advantage of. Without us even realizing it, below our feet lies an awesome amount of energy that has predominantly gone unnoticed. All we have to do is find a way to take advantage of that energy for ourselves. The middle of the Earth is about sixty times hotter when compared with boiling water. There is a lot of energy only a few miles below the Earth's surface that have been created from the high temperature generated from the Earth's core.
If you ever viewed a lava flow, you can see the awesome power and energy made from the magma. Some of these fluids come to the surface in the form of vapor that is produced in vents. Some individuals have created their own personal vents and containment chambers to convert the magma into energy to power their homes. A plant which could take advantage of this powerful resource needs to be built near an area with a good source of heated fluid. Steam would be produced from the fluids and forced through to the surface via pipes which will then produce energy. An ample amount of the steam would produce electrical power, by turning a turbine motor.
Geothermal energy is being prevented on a large-scale as a result of lots of criticism for the energy source. Some critics think that the cost of research and implementing is too pricey and too time intensive. Moreover, the cost to build a plant is high with no guarantee that it could turn a profit. There is furthermore a chance that after a plant is completed, there might no longer be an adequate amount of steam to generate electricity. Not only that, many environmentalists are nervous that the magma might bring up dangerous materials, also.
But the benefits to making use of geothermal energy significantly outweighs the criticisms. It can quite easily be concluded that any energy organically coming from the Earth will have almost no pollutants. Once a geothermal plant is set up the work needed to channel the energy is not that great, making this kind of energy very efficient. The natural world would be disrupted less, because the plants are small compared to giant dams, atomic energy, or electrical plants. With extensive use of geothermal energy, there would be less reliance on coal and oil for energy.
One thing is certain is that geothermal energy is an unlimited resource that will still drop in price. Once the original cost to build the infrastructure is reimbursed, geothermal will be a cheap energy resource. It is a way to obtain energy that will one day be required.
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Thursday, 21 July 2011
The PicoTurbine Company Kits Educate Our Kids About Green Energy
Among the bigger problems of the green movement is education. A company named The PicoTurbine Company is making an effort to teach our children. Arguably an effective way to teach kids about the value of employing and creating alternative energy is to use the PicoTurbine Company's kits, books and projects. These things are made available in an effort to convince young people who will develop the environment they will inherit. PicoTurbine has the purpose of getting kids to see the need for the advancement of renewable energy sources. To have a better future, learning about green energy is a good place to begin.
One of the fundamental concepts of the PicoTurbine Company is that if you tell somebody something, they will forget it. And if you show them, they might remember it. But if you get them involved, they will master it. The kits the company offers are developed to get young people involved in different learning situations through hands-on tasks. The company's specialty is wind energy so they show how to produce heat using a picture wire as the heating element. They have learned that ordinarily reaction of people to wind energy is that it is cold energy, but when they learn that wind can produce heat for the home, they are quite astounded.
One other activity is having a class split into several groups and have them make wind turbines. The groups can compare their respective turbines to see which ones produce the most electricity, which one requires the least wind power, or which ones look the best. They offer a program for the instructors to utilize for the activity. The curriculum includes alternative sources of power that are renewable, such as solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and biomass, together with their own, energy produced by the wind.
Dependence on oil originating from countries who are not our allies can decrease when individuals start making use of alternative energy sources. These alternative sources of energy are becoming more and more cost-effective. Several of the things pointed out by the PicoTurbine Company kits are that a commercial success is already being enjoyed by manufacturers of wind farms and solar arrays. The cost per-watt of photovoltaic cells has gone from about $1000 to merely $4 in the last two decades, and is forecast to be just $1 by the year 2015.
One more area of focus is how fossil fuels are doing serious damage to the environment through pollution. It's been established through studies that burning fossil fuels leads to serious health issues. Many major illnesses like asthma, allergies and cancer are the direct outcome of utilizing fossil fuels. The environment would be bolstered by using clean, green energy through preventing air pollution. At least the PicoTurbine Company is trying to make it happen.
One of the fundamental concepts of the PicoTurbine Company is that if you tell somebody something, they will forget it. And if you show them, they might remember it. But if you get them involved, they will master it. The kits the company offers are developed to get young people involved in different learning situations through hands-on tasks. The company's specialty is wind energy so they show how to produce heat using a picture wire as the heating element. They have learned that ordinarily reaction of people to wind energy is that it is cold energy, but when they learn that wind can produce heat for the home, they are quite astounded.
One other activity is having a class split into several groups and have them make wind turbines. The groups can compare their respective turbines to see which ones produce the most electricity, which one requires the least wind power, or which ones look the best. They offer a program for the instructors to utilize for the activity. The curriculum includes alternative sources of power that are renewable, such as solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and biomass, together with their own, energy produced by the wind.
Dependence on oil originating from countries who are not our allies can decrease when individuals start making use of alternative energy sources. These alternative sources of energy are becoming more and more cost-effective. Several of the things pointed out by the PicoTurbine Company kits are that a commercial success is already being enjoyed by manufacturers of wind farms and solar arrays. The cost per-watt of photovoltaic cells has gone from about $1000 to merely $4 in the last two decades, and is forecast to be just $1 by the year 2015.
One more area of focus is how fossil fuels are doing serious damage to the environment through pollution. It's been established through studies that burning fossil fuels leads to serious health issues. Many major illnesses like asthma, allergies and cancer are the direct outcome of utilizing fossil fuels. The environment would be bolstered by using clean, green energy through preventing air pollution. At least the PicoTurbine Company is trying to make it happen.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Save Transportation Energy By using Green Living Principles
Transportation is one of the best approaches to save energy and help the environment, but it isn't necessarily the most convenient. One of the huge problems is that people like driving their cars, and quite often it is inconvenient to carpool. Carpooling does reduce the pollution emitted into the surroundings but it necessitates planning and organization. The number of people that could fit into a city bus equals that of 40 vehicles. A single person car makes seven times more pollution than a van having seven voyagers. Therefore, carpooling is a valuable way to save energy as long as you're willing to do the work to set it up.
Going for walks instead of driving, when doable, is another way to save on emissions, but how many people are willing to do it. According to one study, each year the normal driver takes in excess of 2000 trips that are not even 2 miles from their personal garage. Imagine how many of these outings could be accomplished by foot or bicycle. You could significantly decrease carbon dioxide emissions by simply walking rather than driving for some of these trips.
When you do drive, don't waste gas by leaving the car idling. Idling puts unneeded pollutants into the atmosphere, consequently if you are sitting in traffic for more than ten minutes, turn off your car. Turn off your car should you be waiting to pick someone up. Instead of starting your car early on a frigid morning, let it warm up while you are driving. And when stopping at a drive-in for something to eat, choose inside rather than idling in the drive through. If enough people would make these small modifications, it would make a big difference in the amount of pollution created.
Whenever you are driving, you can use a reduced amount of gas, mainly by not accelerating so much. One method to accelerate less often would be to utilize the cruise control. Combine this with driving at a reduced rate of speed and you will see fuel savings and reduced emissions. There is a reason why you are provided a maintenance timetable after you buy your new car. Maintaining your car or truck correctly enables it to run efficiently. If your tires are low or your car is late for a tune-up, you will use extra gas when you drive. The same thing happens in case you are past due for an oil change and also have a dirty air filter. These troubles will cause reduced gas mileage and create more pollution.
Should you are in need of a new vehicle, then consider buying a hybrid. They may well cost more to begin with, but they will definitely save you money on maintenance and gasoline. But better than that, they release much less green house gases into the air. If a hybrid is out of your budget, try to purchase the most fuel-efficient automobile that you can afford. Alternatively, you can operate your current car in the most effective possible way.
Going for walks instead of driving, when doable, is another way to save on emissions, but how many people are willing to do it. According to one study, each year the normal driver takes in excess of 2000 trips that are not even 2 miles from their personal garage. Imagine how many of these outings could be accomplished by foot or bicycle. You could significantly decrease carbon dioxide emissions by simply walking rather than driving for some of these trips.
When you do drive, don't waste gas by leaving the car idling. Idling puts unneeded pollutants into the atmosphere, consequently if you are sitting in traffic for more than ten minutes, turn off your car. Turn off your car should you be waiting to pick someone up. Instead of starting your car early on a frigid morning, let it warm up while you are driving. And when stopping at a drive-in for something to eat, choose inside rather than idling in the drive through. If enough people would make these small modifications, it would make a big difference in the amount of pollution created.
Whenever you are driving, you can use a reduced amount of gas, mainly by not accelerating so much. One method to accelerate less often would be to utilize the cruise control. Combine this with driving at a reduced rate of speed and you will see fuel savings and reduced emissions. There is a reason why you are provided a maintenance timetable after you buy your new car. Maintaining your car or truck correctly enables it to run efficiently. If your tires are low or your car is late for a tune-up, you will use extra gas when you drive. The same thing happens in case you are past due for an oil change and also have a dirty air filter. These troubles will cause reduced gas mileage and create more pollution.
Should you are in need of a new vehicle, then consider buying a hybrid. They may well cost more to begin with, but they will definitely save you money on maintenance and gasoline. But better than that, they release much less green house gases into the air. If a hybrid is out of your budget, try to purchase the most fuel-efficient automobile that you can afford. Alternatively, you can operate your current car in the most effective possible way.
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Save Energy And Money By Living Green At Home
There are numerous things that you can do around the house to save energy. You can have plants around your place to help clean your immediate environment. Cutting down indoor pollutants by more than half can be done by merely adding plants to your home. Some plants that absorb gases which are toxic such as benzene and formaldehyde are English ivy and peace lilies. If you have small children or pets, get plants that are non-toxic.
There are numerous ways to avoid wasting water, such as using less when you bathe. It's better to take a bath than to shower because you utilize less water. If you have to shower, be sure that you shower for 10 minutes or less. Installing low-flow shower-heads and faucets can reduce the amount of water utilized by nearly half. Installing new lavatories that use less water can be a great idea as well. You can conserve a good amount of water with the new low-flush toilets, and they actually produce less greenhouse gases during the process of purification. If you are not planning to get a new toilet, you can place a plastic bottle with the cap on in the toilet's water tank so the tank uses less water.
Save money by getting your gadgets restored instead of having them replaced unless there are energy saving models. The advantage of getting them repaired is not merely saving money, but keeping them out of the landfills. Yet another way to save energy is to not make use of an appliance at all, by hanging your clothes out to dry. The typical family does 400 loads of laundry per year, so that's a lot of energy being expended if they all used dryers. By drying your laundry on a rack, you can save a considerable amount of electricity each year. There are a variety clothes-line designs and many can easily be put away when not needed. Clothes can be hung wherever, even outside if the weather is nice and sunny.
If you are taking medications, you may have a couple that you didn't finish. They could be in your cabinet and may be past their expiration dates. Don't try to flush these down the toilet, because that puts the drugs into the water supply, which could be really dangerous. What you must do instead is take the expired pills to your local pharmacy and they will be able to get rid of it for you.
If you have an open fireplace, do not waste the heat, instead burn more efficiently using a direct-vent gas fireplace. About 85% of the gas used in an open fireplace is wasted. The most terrible type is the wood-burning hearth because the heat is sucked in and directed up the chimney. If this occurs, make sure that you have the correct settings so that the heat won't escape your home.
There are numerous ways to avoid wasting water, such as using less when you bathe. It's better to take a bath than to shower because you utilize less water. If you have to shower, be sure that you shower for 10 minutes or less. Installing low-flow shower-heads and faucets can reduce the amount of water utilized by nearly half. Installing new lavatories that use less water can be a great idea as well. You can conserve a good amount of water with the new low-flush toilets, and they actually produce less greenhouse gases during the process of purification. If you are not planning to get a new toilet, you can place a plastic bottle with the cap on in the toilet's water tank so the tank uses less water.
Save money by getting your gadgets restored instead of having them replaced unless there are energy saving models. The advantage of getting them repaired is not merely saving money, but keeping them out of the landfills. Yet another way to save energy is to not make use of an appliance at all, by hanging your clothes out to dry. The typical family does 400 loads of laundry per year, so that's a lot of energy being expended if they all used dryers. By drying your laundry on a rack, you can save a considerable amount of electricity each year. There are a variety clothes-line designs and many can easily be put away when not needed. Clothes can be hung wherever, even outside if the weather is nice and sunny.
If you are taking medications, you may have a couple that you didn't finish. They could be in your cabinet and may be past their expiration dates. Don't try to flush these down the toilet, because that puts the drugs into the water supply, which could be really dangerous. What you must do instead is take the expired pills to your local pharmacy and they will be able to get rid of it for you.
If you have an open fireplace, do not waste the heat, instead burn more efficiently using a direct-vent gas fireplace. About 85% of the gas used in an open fireplace is wasted. The most terrible type is the wood-burning hearth because the heat is sucked in and directed up the chimney. If this occurs, make sure that you have the correct settings so that the heat won't escape your home.
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Green Living Tips For Conserving Household Energy
Individuals have numerous reasons for taking up green living, but saving money is somewhere on the list. The furnace in all probability utilizes the most energy in your home so you make make sure it's in proper working condition. Simply heating the household up accounts for approximately 60% of the energy costs. The filter in the furnace must be replaced every couple of months in order for it to be work properly. One option is to buy a reusable filter and clean it on a regular basis. Reusable filters might be expensive, but in the long run they will pay for themselves, costing much less than the number of disposable filters you would otherwise have to purchase. Merely by performing some basic maintenance, you can up the efficiency of your furnace by up to 50%.
As energy is wasted every night, it is best to get a programmable thermostat. Keeping the temperature a few degrees cooler when no one is around will save money as well. If you get an insulation blanket for your hot water heater, you can save quite a bit also. Insulation blankets can be installed easily, and they are available at any hardware store. The fiberglass blanket keeps heat in saving the tank from consuming more energy to heat water.
One other option is to use a tankless hot water system. It's something worth looking into if you are planning on replacing your old hot water tank. Instead of heating the whole tank of water, and keep it heated, you can get the water heated as it is needed. Tankless systems will consume considerably less energy, saving you as much as 50% on what you are spending hot water. You can save a consuderable amount of money and energy by keeping your house cool naturally. You can save quite a bit during the sumemr months if you use a ceiling fan and keep the sunlight out of your home. If you have an AC leave it at 75 degrees and just use it on really hot days.
One other thing that you can do that costs a little in the beginning but will save in the long haul is replacing your incandescent light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are very efficient, using 75% less electricity and lasting ten times longer than typical lightbulbs. This will not only save you money, but put less light bulbs into the landfills. If you just changed five light bulbs, you can save up to $30 every year. The most effective thing that you can do is to just flip the lights off when you leave a room. We are all guilty of this, so if we make the effort, we will save lots of electrical energy.
If people make it a habit to turn the lights off whenever they go out of a room, then they can do it for all electronic gadgets.
As energy is wasted every night, it is best to get a programmable thermostat. Keeping the temperature a few degrees cooler when no one is around will save money as well. If you get an insulation blanket for your hot water heater, you can save quite a bit also. Insulation blankets can be installed easily, and they are available at any hardware store. The fiberglass blanket keeps heat in saving the tank from consuming more energy to heat water.
One other option is to use a tankless hot water system. It's something worth looking into if you are planning on replacing your old hot water tank. Instead of heating the whole tank of water, and keep it heated, you can get the water heated as it is needed. Tankless systems will consume considerably less energy, saving you as much as 50% on what you are spending hot water. You can save a consuderable amount of money and energy by keeping your house cool naturally. You can save quite a bit during the sumemr months if you use a ceiling fan and keep the sunlight out of your home. If you have an AC leave it at 75 degrees and just use it on really hot days.
One other thing that you can do that costs a little in the beginning but will save in the long haul is replacing your incandescent light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are very efficient, using 75% less electricity and lasting ten times longer than typical lightbulbs. This will not only save you money, but put less light bulbs into the landfills. If you just changed five light bulbs, you can save up to $30 every year. The most effective thing that you can do is to just flip the lights off when you leave a room. We are all guilty of this, so if we make the effort, we will save lots of electrical energy.
If people make it a habit to turn the lights off whenever they go out of a room, then they can do it for all electronic gadgets.
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