BY: BAG
these are the nine ways to make your home more energy efficient.
1. make sure your insulation is propely installed. this makes it easier for the house to heat up.
2. check your window and install new ones if cracks or leaks. this helps you save 7 to 20 percent of your homes heat.
3. plant trees and landscaping that will keep your house cool in the summer.
4. replace an old furnace with a new more efficient system.
5. improve the efficiency of your hot water system.
6. replace old lightbulbs with new more efficient ones.
7. unplug used items such as an old refrigerator
8. take advantage of new tax incentives to inprove your home.
9. bring in a professional to check for energy wasting items.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Biofuels Coalition
By Deputy Johnson
Ways to make biofuels are being researched in Western Colorado. Fields of switchgrass, timothy alfalfa, and prickly pear cactus are going to be planted and harvested for the production of biofuels. These crops were chosen because they are easy to tend to and are perennial crops. The planting will begin in the spring of this year in Carbondale, Rifle, and Fruita. The rare part of this process is that the two year colleges will be doing research, which is not normal for two year colleges. This will diversify the local economies and maintain the environment. The growth of biofeed stocks may eventually become an opportunity for farmers and ranchers. The plants are chosen to be able to grow on maginal agricultural soils and have neutral carbon emissions. This will decrease the amount of emissions on earth compared to conventional fossil fuels.
Ways to make biofuels are being researched in Western Colorado. Fields of switchgrass, timothy alfalfa, and prickly pear cactus are going to be planted and harvested for the production of biofuels. These crops were chosen because they are easy to tend to and are perennial crops. The planting will begin in the spring of this year in Carbondale, Rifle, and Fruita. The rare part of this process is that the two year colleges will be doing research, which is not normal for two year colleges. This will diversify the local economies and maintain the environment. The growth of biofeed stocks may eventually become an opportunity for farmers and ranchers. The plants are chosen to be able to grow on maginal agricultural soils and have neutral carbon emissions. This will decrease the amount of emissions on earth compared to conventional fossil fuels.
Kids Can Get Involved!!!!!!!
By Chaaya
Kids, I'm sure all of you have heard about trying to save energy. Well there are ways for you to help. Even though it may just be a litlle bit, it's a lot when it comes to saving. Just do some of the following to help save energy.
1. Bike or walk whenever possible
2. Recycle pop cans, plastic bottles and anything you can find that is recyclible.
3. Turn off the lights when your not in the room.
4. Don't Litter
5. Plant a tree
6. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth
7. Take out the phone charger
Kids, I'm sure all of you have heard about trying to save energy. Well there are ways for you to help. Even though it may just be a litlle bit, it's a lot when it comes to saving. Just do some of the following to help save energy.
1. Bike or walk whenever possible
2. Recycle pop cans, plastic bottles and anything you can find that is recyclible.
3. Turn off the lights when your not in the room.
4. Don't Litter
5. Plant a tree
6. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth
7. Take out the phone charger
Gas Prices Rocketing
By Marengo
Gas prices in just the last ten years have rocketed by three dollars. It took six years to double to two dollars. Four years later, gas prices doubled once again to four dollars a gallon. The dramatic increase in price of oil has been the biggest factor of gasoline price increase. The increase is also just simply a supply and demand case. The increase of the supply of oil has not kept up with the supply of demand of the oil so the prices go up.
The United States uses one fourth of the world's oil even though it's less than 5% of the world's population. Gas prices can go up not just based on the prices of oil. It can go up from the cost to make oil into gas, the transportation costs, and the profit the gasoline dealer has. It's predicted that the price will become $6 or $7 very soon.
Gas prices in just the last ten years have rocketed by three dollars. It took six years to double to two dollars. Four years later, gas prices doubled once again to four dollars a gallon. The dramatic increase in price of oil has been the biggest factor of gasoline price increase. The increase is also just simply a supply and demand case. The increase of the supply of oil has not kept up with the supply of demand of the oil so the prices go up.
The United States uses one fourth of the world's oil even though it's less than 5% of the world's population. Gas prices can go up not just based on the prices of oil. It can go up from the cost to make oil into gas, the transportation costs, and the profit the gasoline dealer has. It's predicted that the price will become $6 or $7 very soon.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
NatureMill
by Greg OrtizNature mill is what I think a very clever invention. What it does that instead of sending food waste into landfills (which make up to about 40% of the landfills) it turns it into rich organic compost that you can use for your garden. Almost any organic food waste even coffee grounds and tea bags could be put in except citrus foods, bones, or peach pits. All you have to do is put the food right in, and it will then turn the food into compost in about two weeks by increasing the levels of oxygen, heat and moisture which it takes to make compost. Fortunately it only takes ten watts of power. It can take in about five pounds per day about the amount of food waste from an average family of five. After the food waste breaksdown it is released by a trap door into another chamber where it sits and dries for about a week. Then after a week the final product is ready all you have to do is open up a compartment and into your garden it goes.Oh, and don't worry about the smell there is a built in air filter that should last you about five years. Although these are a little pricey it will reduce the need to build more landfills that will take land and part of your wallet.
Landfillls
by Greg Ortiz
Landfills are affecting our planet greatly. Although the trash is being buried greenhouse gases are still being released into our atmosphere. Methane is the main gas being released. What happens is that over time the waste in the landfills deteriorate, but as these deteriorate the output from this trash puts methane into the air. As landfills build up the trash is covered up which then can effect the groundwater. The main trash contributing to this landfill problem are plastics. I think that if we as humans try to recycle these plastics then this problem will decrease and hopefully go away.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Disadvantages of Biomass
By zim?
In the push to find more efficient sources of energy, biomass is a somewhat popular option. Biomass is the changing of organic material in a manner that creates heat or propulsion. A example of this would be the burning of wood. This examples easily demonstrates the problem with Biomass. First, before we tell the disadvantages you must understand the Biomass cycle that is naturally occurring on our planet. Simply put, the Biomass cycle regulates the amount of carbon (Stated as the cause of global warming) in the atmosphere. The primary form of Biomass lies in plants (plants use carbon to grow) which act as natural sponges that take the carbon out of the atmosphere. But they have their limits on the amount of carbon they can take this is a disadvantage in itself and it is made even worse due things such as deforestation. With the Biomass cycle in perception the disadvantages of Biomass energy is that it puts more carbon in the atmosphere. So simply stated Biomass energy does not really decrease the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Even though plants are renewable unlike fossil fuels we do not decrease our carbon use.
In the push to find more efficient sources of energy, biomass is a somewhat popular option. Biomass is the changing of organic material in a manner that creates heat or propulsion. A example of this would be the burning of wood. This examples easily demonstrates the problem with Biomass. First, before we tell the disadvantages you must understand the Biomass cycle that is naturally occurring on our planet. Simply put, the Biomass cycle regulates the amount of carbon (Stated as the cause of global warming) in the atmosphere. The primary form of Biomass lies in plants (plants use carbon to grow) which act as natural sponges that take the carbon out of the atmosphere. But they have their limits on the amount of carbon they can take this is a disadvantage in itself and it is made even worse due things such as deforestation. With the Biomass cycle in perception the disadvantages of Biomass energy is that it puts more carbon in the atmosphere. So simply stated Biomass energy does not really decrease the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Even though plants are renewable unlike fossil fuels we do not decrease our carbon use.
Compressed Air Car (CAT)
By Tito the Flying Asian
Scientists are currently working on a car that completley runs on compressed air. The engine works by taking air from a 4500 psi. tank and presicely letting out bursts of air which pushes a piston similar to a regular combustion engine. The cars are being made of extremely light carbon fiber to allow better mileage. When combined with a small gasoline engine the mileage can be increased drastically. City versions are also availible that run completely on air.
Scientists are currently working on a car that completley runs on compressed air. The engine works by taking air from a 4500 psi. tank and presicely letting out bursts of air which pushes a piston similar to a regular combustion engine. The cars are being made of extremely light carbon fiber to allow better mileage. When combined with a small gasoline engine the mileage can be increased drastically. City versions are also availible that run completely on air.
Cheap Energy Saving Appliances
by. Julie
When you ask people why they don't save energy or make an effort, the usual answer is that they don't have the money or the time. This answer is no longer acceptable. Now there are new appliances and tips that help you save energy without emptying your wallet or taking a lot of your time.
When you ask people why they don't save energy or make an effort, the usual answer is that they don't have the money or the time. This answer is no longer acceptable. Now there are new appliances and tips that help you save energy without emptying your wallet or taking a lot of your time.
- Energy Star compact flouresent light bulb-It pays for itself in about 6 months and lasts 10 times longer than regulat light bulbs saving you the constant rechanging process.
- Plug your power cord of your computer into a power saving smart strip-It saves you time by you won't have to constantly turn of this strip off like the regular ones.
- Window treatments-they add style to your home and can reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. They are also alot less expensive than buying all new windows.
- Water-efficent showerhead-they can save a family of four about $300 a year. Average costs are $40
Light Bulb Energy Savings
By Grace
Turning off light bulbs is essential to save energy. An average light bulb uses 75 watts of power per hour which costs on average 9 cents. So, for every light bulb you have on in our house for an hour, you add 9 cents to your energy bill. The average household uses 45 light bulbs. So if all the lights in your house were on for an hour, you would be using 3375 watts of power and have to pay $4.05. This may not seem like very much, but it adds up over time. If each of the 102 million of households in the United States had all the lights on in their house for 1 hour, 344,250,000,000 watts of power would be used. That's $413,100,000. That's a lot of money for Americans to be paying every hour while we're having economic problems. People spend an average of 8 hours at home while they are awake. So, if each household had all the lights in their house on the whole time they're home one day, they would be using 27000 watts of power and it would cost them $32.40. That's $3,304,800,000 down the drain every day and 2,754,000,000 watts of power. If every household turned thier lights off for one more hour every day for a year, we could save 125,651,250,000,000 and $1,507,815,000,000. Just by turning off the lights in our houses, we can save a lot of energy and money.
Evil Energy Appliances
By: Chaaya
These appliances are in every house and are used everyday. They are essential to our daily
lifestyle. For instance, there are refrigerators, dishwashers. Then there are shower heads which aren't an appliance but still release a bunch of green house gases due to the heating system for water connected to them.
Refrigerators contribute up to about 20 percent of electricity use in a home. When dishwashers go through a full cycle, they use a lot of energy. If you just let your dishes air dry or manually stop the washer you could save a 20 percent of the energy the appliance.
The one vital thing that uses energy that we don't think of is the shower head. A low flow shower head saves 300 pounds of Co2 for electrically heated water. Think that if you don't have a low flow shower head how much Co2 is being let out into the air.
The Power Of Biomass
By Xena
Biomass comes from plants and animal waste. Like solar and wind energy, biomass is also a renewable resource. But unlike solar energy, you can find biomass anywhere, as long as there are plants or animals. With solar energy you need sun. And with wind energy, you need wind. So in my opinion, biomass is easier to find. But why is biomass a renewable resource? It's simple, since biomass is mostly from plants, you get photosynthesis, which comes from the sun. And chlorophyll, which also occurs in plants, converts carbon dioxide from the air, and water from the ground, to carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen compounds. When this stuff is burned it turns back into carbon dioxide, but it also releases the solar from the sun. So in a way, biomass can also be bad by causing some pollution, but for most part, it is good.
Biomass can be found in anything from grass to trees to urban waste. According to "Clean Energy: How Biomass Energy Works," biomass is one of the first renewable resource known to humans.
We have been using biomass for thousands of years, although lots of people don't know it. A long time ago, people use to burn it for heat. We still use biomass in the same way, but now we use it for cooking and even for producing electricity. Maybe in the future, we can use biomass to power our houses or even our cars!
Biomass comes from plants and animal waste. Like solar and wind energy, biomass is also a renewable resource. But unlike solar energy, you can find biomass anywhere, as long as there are plants or animals. With solar energy you need sun. And with wind energy, you need wind. So in my opinion, biomass is easier to find. But why is biomass a renewable resource? It's simple, since biomass is mostly from plants, you get photosynthesis, which comes from the sun. And chlorophyll, which also occurs in plants, converts carbon dioxide from the air, and water from the ground, to carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen compounds. When this stuff is burned it turns back into carbon dioxide, but it also releases the solar from the sun. So in a way, biomass can also be bad by causing some pollution, but for most part, it is good.
Biomass can be found in anything from grass to trees to urban waste. According to "Clean Energy: How Biomass Energy Works," biomass is one of the first renewable resource known to humans.
We have been using biomass for thousands of years, although lots of people don't know it. A long time ago, people use to burn it for heat. We still use biomass in the same way, but now we use it for cooking and even for producing electricity. Maybe in the future, we can use biomass to power our houses or even our cars!
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