Monday, October 19, 2009

Energy Options: Switch or Stay?

It has dawned upon everyone’s head now that the energy resources we are so dependent upon are not here to stay. Man has switched his energy resources several times in history whenever one source is under threat. Like the usage of coal, which started way back in the 1200s when the wood which was the then most used energy source was causing too much deforestation in habitable areas. But one resource after another like the whale oil, corn based ethanol oil that have provided for our ancestors has come to its own end. Same is the case with the current petroleum and other crude oil resources across the globe. The quest for a renewable resource is still going on with full force.
While the people actively practicing a green lifestyle are obligated to use renewable energy resources, there are only a few options for them and not very viable due to their unpredictable condition and ineffectuality. So the green lifestyle enthusiasts, instead of waiting for the government to put across a huge energy conservation system in place (which might take ages yet) have conceded in their own homes, renewable energy resources. While they do not come cheap, renewable energy harvesters are a wonderful investment as they cut your energy expenditure by more than half.
Solar energy became synonymous with green lifestyle. It is the favorite energy resource for domestic purpose. Solar energy can be harvested at home through photovoltaic technology, which can convert the rays of sun to useful energy. The solar panels are used in several hotels and households to generate steam and hot water. If the energy thus generated from steam can also be harvested at home, all your energy needs will be served.
Geothermal energy can also be adapted into green lifestyle. It is the energy generated through harvesting the heat generated by earth. Holes are dug deep into the earth until a geothermal spot can be found. The steam generated from here is converted into energy by a running generator. The geothermal energy is easy to harvest for household purposes because, for this the holes need not be very deep. A geothermal spot, few hundred feet deep can provide the whole household with air conditioning, hot water, etc.
If you have a farm or an estate, you might also consider harvesting the wind energy, which is also a popular energy resource generating 1.5 percent of the world’s energy needs. You need to install wind turbines for this.
So, choose a renewable energy resource that can serve your household’s needs and is affordable.

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Go Green with Wind Power!

The phrase is constantly thrown at us and we are bombarded by it through all the media, the pressure of going green is mounting by the day. What most people think is, will it help me save money? It is only reasonable that the lesser the energy expenditure the more money we save. Being environment friendly in our choices and picking products that use less harmful energy sources and have lesser content of pesticides and dangerous chemicals helps us save a lot of money as well. Using alternative energy sources is one interesting and pocket friendly way of going green!
The first thing that comes to mind when we talk about alternative energy sources is solar energy. Solar energy is an interesting and viable option, but there is a lot of untapped potential in wind power as an alternative source of power supply. Windmills are being used since centuries to generate electricity. The only difference is to generate electricity at home using wind we would not be using large cumbersome turbines, but smaller compact varieties that are meant for home use. There are models that are small enough to fit in your backyard or even on your roof.
With the passage of time, the traditional windmill has also gotten a makeover. The windmills you keep at home almost look like a piece of modern art. Building your own windmill is easy and actually can be done at home. All the required materials are available at the local hardware store and can be bought easily. It is a cost effective way and the windmill can be built in a few days time.
A guide or instruction manual on how to build your own windmill will be available online or at your local bookstore. Once you buy it, the book will take you through a step-by-step procedure of making and setting up your own windmill. It is not a complicated task and can be completed soon enough. After setting up the wind mill, do not expect your entire household to run on it. It is only a way to supplement your power supply and lower your bill considerably.
Save energy by creating new ways to generate power. Going green is not just about saving power, but also about generating it through alternative means. There could not have been a better time for you to go green. With the help of technology build your own little wind turbine at home and revel in the fruits of your labour.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Let's prevent a Dust Bowl and Save Our Water


OK, maybe not a dust bowl again but we are heading that way. So many people take water for granted. Every product in this world has a water footprint. This water footprint is the amount of water it takes to grow, raise or make something for the final user. The water footprint of a glass of milk is 260 gallons, that is it take 260 gallons of water to get one gallon of milk out of a cow. You don't want to know how many gallons it takes for a pound of beef. Take it from this farm boy you will not guess it right as it is way more than you would think. 4000 plus gallons...

For these reasons I am dumbstruck why we flush so much water down the toilet. I set out for a search on water saving toilets, read about HET toilets, low flow, dual flush and more. I spent days on the net making sense of it all. In conclusion I found if you want to save water you have to spend money until I ran into a Dual Flush Toilet Conversion Kit. This is a system that will transform your toilet from a standard old toilet into a full blown Dual Flush Toilet for under $30.00.

I since have installed 20 SelectAFlush units in all the neighboring farms with no issues and I love the fact that we are all saving water without spending money if only the farm would run like that.
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