Reduce – Reuse – Recycle

The best way to save energy is to follow 3 simple rules: 1) reduce anything you can, such as the amount of trash or water you use; 2) reuse as much as possible, like plates and silverware; and 3) recycle a lot, like paper, bottles, and cans. if you follow these simple rules, it's easy!

Sun Heat

Summer is almost here, and that means swimming! My family owns a pool. It would take a lot of energy to heat the pool in our backyard. Luckily, we have the sun to do that job for us. It saves us a lot of energy and money. Even if you do not have a pool, you can still use the sun during the summer. Saving energy can occur when you keep the windows open to let in cool air, or hot air, depending on the temperature inside and out.

Top Ten Tips to Save Energy

According to About.com, these are the top ten tips to save energy.

1. Setting Your Thermostat-Install a programmable thermostat compatible with your heating and cooling system. Make sure to set it comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer.




2. Lower Your Water Heater Temperature- Follow the thermostat on your water heater to 120 degrees farenhiet.




3. Using Power Strips-Plug your electronics into power strips. When turning off these electonics, power down using the power strip to prevent stand-by mode from drawing electricity unnecessarily.




4. Washing Clothes or Dishes- Follow the full load guideline. Never use the dishwasher or washing machine unless it houses a full load.




5. Power Down Computers and Monitors- Turning off monitors and computers when they are not being used can save energy and do not damage the computer.




6. Drying Dishes-Air dry dishes rather than using the heated drying cycle.




7. Washing in Cold Water-Wash your clothes in cold water. This decreases heating bill and is better for your clothes as well.




8. Use Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs-These lightbulbs do not use less energy but they do last longer.




9. Take Showers-Take short showers instead of baths. Also, use cold water to take a shower.




10. Look for the Energy Star Label- Buy products that have an Energy Star label.

http://www.saveenergy.about.com/

Water Saving Methods

Here are some methods to save water:

• Throw the old water from a pet's bowl onto trees and plants instead of dumping it down the drain.




• Wash your pets on the lawn to water the lawn and wash your pet.




• Make sure fountains, swimming pools, and ponds are equipped with recirculating pumps.




• Set a kitchen timer for when you are watering your lawn so you do not overwater your lawn.




• Soak pans and pots instead of using running water to wash them.




• After steaming foods, use left over water to make a soup or cool down water to drink it to get your eight glasses of water.

www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php

Energy Saving Methods

Here are some methods to save energy:

• Ensure outdoor lighting is off during the daytime.




• Clear out your car; extra weight can decrease gas mileage.




• Cover hottubs when not in use.




• Remember, it pays to invest in energy saving. Try to install solar panels to save money and save energy.




• Don't buy a refridgerator or a freezer that is too big for your family's use.




• The microwave uses 20% less energy than an oven so heat your food in your microwave.




• Recycle your printer's toner cartidges.




• Use fans to cool your home instead of overusing your AC to cut on electricity in your home.

www.savewithces.com/365in2008.html

The rooftop Eco system

After realizing that the temperature was permanently going up, Chicago got a brilliant idea... put up infrastructures on skyscrapers. These won't be enough to stop it altogether, but it will help. If more cities could put more money int putting these kinds of things up, then the atmosphere would just be a wee bit cleaner. We could even make these on houses, apartments, and even service buildings. If we have them on apartments, it would make a great place for people to hang and encourage them to not be using the computer or whatever else they're doing.

More at http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2011-05/preparing-climate-change-chicago-adapting-itself-warmer-weather

Submarines?

By Mallory Coats

There are many things on land that are energy efficient but what about energy efficiency underwater?

Submarines can't hold enough fuel and they are under water so they can't use solar power, and not very many use hydro power, so what do they use?

They use nuclear energy! And they have a recycling system so they don't dump nuclear waste into the ocean! so it's like an endless supply of awesomely epic energy!

Energy Saving Tips

Here are some energy saving tips:

• Use rechargalbe batteries, instead of disposable ones.




• Use rags and hand towels instead of paper towels and napkins.




• Plant leftover Christmas trees in your backyard.




• Refill your bottles of water and continue to use them to reduce the use of plastic bottles.




• Use public transportation.




• Recylce your engine oil.




• Collect rainwater to water plants after the rain stops.




• Try to wait to turn on lights until the sun officially goes down and it is dark.




• When you are on vacation, turn your thermostat down to 60 degrees.

www.savewithces.com/365in2008.html

energy shoes

Did you know that you could do your part in saving the earth by the shoes that you decide to wear? Not only are you able to buy shoes that are made in energy efficient factories and sold in energy efficient stores, but also some shoes are softer on the concrete so that sidewalks don't have to be replaced as often.

Eco Friendly Hotel!

By Rhyan Montgomery

The Whitepod Resort in Les Cerniers, Switzerland has an interesting eco-friendly concept that has not been seen in hotels before.The resort hotel rooms are located in small white pods. The aim of the Whitepods is to create a suistanable way of tourism that helps guests be connected to the nature surrounding them, but have minimal impact on the environment. There is a limit on water usage and electricity is barely used because of the wooden stoves and oil lamps. They try to use as much local and suistanable materials and fuels as they can. The resort also tries to educate guests on how to preserve the environment. The rooms even have organic bedding! This resort allows you have a comfortable vacation, connect with nature, and also keeps you aware of minimal impact you are having on the environment and the energy you are saving!

Sources:

http://www.envirogadget.com/

Some Ideas that Occurred to me That could Work

I know that this may seem far fetched, but maybe instead of burning coal, we could use animal feces. We wouldn't end up depriving plants of their deserving food, because not everyone uses feces to feed their plants. Another far fetched idea could be to use recycled newspaper to put in the center of doors rather than metal, because newspaper is a better insulator than metal. Or paint buildings white for in the summer to help keep the heat off and have black tarps to use in the winter that cover your roof.

U.S. Energy Milestone

The U.S. is reaching incredible milestones when it comes to electric vehicles. They have to date installed over 1800 electric vehicle charging stations. This was marked by the 500th installation of the ChargePoint electric vehicle charging station in Los Angeles. This was the latest in the Thirty seven million dollar ChargePoint Ameica program. The program hopes to provide 4600 public and home charging points this year. By 2013 they hope to have installed 22,000 residential, commercial, and home charging points along wiht the deployment of 13,000 electric vehicles.

http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/i/4097/

Potato Power

by Ivy Long

This could be a magic formula for the future power generation. scientists are now testing an organic electric battery based upon potatoes. These are eco-friendly batteries based on the hidden power of the potato. Potatoes with low electrical power are used for lights. Not only potatoes have the power to do this some other vegetables may also have a lot of electrical power.

Solar Powered Keyboard

By: Rachel Skillicorn

Normal keyboards, as everyone knows, rely on rechargeable batteries and they have to have a wall charger to make them work. Now all you have to do to keep it going is place your keyboard in a sunny place so you don't have to change the batteries frequently. This is another smart invention.

Energy Efficiency Battles

Five million bulidings in the U.S. are responsible for 20% of the nations energy use and greenhouse gas emmisions. These cost nearly 100 billion dollars annually. Energy efficiency improvements are helping to save energy, reduce harmful emissions, and protect the health of Americans. It has become a competion between many companies to see who can be the most energy efficient. This competition is called "Battle of the Buildings". 26 different types of commercial buildings, some of which are over 100 years old, have been included in the contest. Competitors have the ability to share strategies and ideas through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Out of the 245 competitors, a select few will be chosen as finalists in July. In November, the building with the highest reduction of energy use will be recongized as the winner.





BY RHYAN MONTGOMERY :-)

The Greenest Cities in America

By Kaila Thieman

The greenest states in America might have surprised you, but what about the greenest cities in America, and what makes them enviroment friendly?

The top ten greenest cities are:


Chicago, IL


Portland, Or


Seattle, WA


Washington,DC


Atlanta,GA


San Francisco,CA


New York City,NY


Grand Rapids,MI


Los Angeles, CA


Boston,MA

These cities each have to show that they conserve water, use green resources, use some soloar power, and save energy in other ways. Denver, Colorado is number 19 later down on the list.

Door Snake

By:

sawyer

A door snake goes under your door or window and blocks the cool or warm air from escaping or entering your house. It keeps your energy bill down and saves a lot of money. It also saves energy by using less of it. The "Door Snake" is cheap and effective. It helps save money and energy.

Green Bedroom

By Mallory Coats

Many people are talking about energy effiecent homes but they never seem to focus on specific rooms like living rooms or bedrooms. Here are some ways that you can make your bedroom green.

1. Paint it green. duh


2. make sure your walls have good insulation


3. use natural or compact fluorescent lights


4. install a ceiling fan


5. make sure your windows don't leak air ... caulk them.


6. use organic cotton bedding

Energy Awareness At School

A way to get energy saving awareness at school is by putting posters all around the school. There's many different designs you can play around with. If you're creative and use bright colors then it will draw attention to your poster and will get people interested in the point you're trying to get across. This strategy also works at work too.

Walmart Solar power

by Ivy Long

Walmart is taking steps into the fields alternative energy. In 2007 Walmart joined the enviormental defense fund. Walmart was hoping to have thin film solar panels. the advantage of these solar panels are they are less costly ,are light weight ,and easy to put up.

Recycling Common Objects

by Tori Riggs

There are many everyday objects that can be recycled, such as paper, plastic and aluminum. However, there are also many other common objects that can be recycled that most people don't know about.

1. Athletic shoes. If you have any brand of worn-out tennis shoes, Nike will recycle them through their Reuse-a-Shoe program. You can just drop off any tennis shoes at any Nike or Niketown store to recycle your shoes.




2. Old technology. When you have too many old VHS tapes and cassettes, you can just give them to GreenDisk, a company that recycles those old pieces of technology. All you have to do is mail in the technology, and GreenDisk takes care of it in an eco-friendly way.

For more information, please visit http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21642033/ns/today-green/

Bacteria gets A Promotion

Usually, we try to get rid of waste by keeping it in sunlight and letting bugs and bacteria eat away at it, but that takes a long time for us to be able to do anything with the nasty filth. Good thing though, there is a much quicker way to dispose of the stuff! It just costs 2 million dollars. Although, scientists are currently testing a new idea for getting rid of the waste quickly for a lower cost- two hundred thousand dollars. It only has been recently released, so there isn't much info on it... yet.








More at:http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-04/plastic-enclosures-provide-cheap-bacteria-based-sewage-solution

Trees Trees trees :)

By sawyer

Trees can be energy efficient in many ways. let me explain using a list.

1.Plant trees next to south and west facing windows. That way the shade lowers your cooling costs.
2. Place leafy shade trees to the south and west and plant evergreens towards the north.
3. Try to plant trees closer together instead of spread out to save on water.
4. Intead of watering your trees once a week with a large amount of water try using a small amount each day.
5. Don't plant trees too close to sprinkler systems because it will risk damaging them.

An Expert Solar Power Harvester

Did you know that the common Oriental Hornet that we find in our gardens use solar power? The hornet utilizes solar power and produces electricity. If we could discover how it the hornet manages it, it would make things easier and revolutionize future solar power harvesting. A research team at Tel Aviv University have been researching the insect, and trying to mimic it's solar power qualities. They have learned that the exoskeleton works by converting the abdomen of the hornet into small solar cells. Other studies indicate that the hornet's harvesting capacity is based on the amount of intensity from the sun. Temperature, humidity and solar radiation are factors in what makes this hornet more active during the afternoon. They've found that UB V rays are one of the reasons that the bug has different activity levels during different parts of the day. Researchers have tried to duplicate the body structure of this hornet to harvest solar energy for electricity producion, but they have been unsucessful. Efforts are continuing to create a model and find a way to use the insect for power solutions.

Sources:
www.alternative-energy-news.info/hornet-solar-power/

Carbon Emissions

Today, in our atmosphere, there are 370 ppm (parts per million) of carbon dioxide. You may wonder what that means; well, in the year 2000, there was 6.5 million tons of this stuff released into the atmosphere. That's a 32% increase since before the industrial revolution. Our means of transportation generate 24% of that, electricity generation takes up 42%, industrial processes take up 205, and lastly commercial uses make another 14%. So, we should all do our part to help reduce that. Simple things like riding a bike to work or walking to the grocery store can help. Even just recycling can help reduce such enormous emissions. Bring your own re-usable bags shopping. It's really easy, and just these little things can help you live a happier, healthier life style.

http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/indicators/C52/carbon_emissions_2002

Passive Houses

More and more people have been changing their houses to be energy efficient. But other people are changing their houses to be something called Passive Houses. Energy Star Homes save 20-30% more energy than normal homes. Passive Houses save around 60-70% more overall energy.These are amazing houses and very easy and useful. Citation:www.motherearthnews.com/green-homes/passive-house-zm0z11zphe.aspx

The Greenest states in America

By Kaila Thieman


Which states do you think are the greenest? The top enviroment-friendly states might surprise you.

The top states are:

Vermont

New york

Washington

Oregon

Minnesota

California

Nevada

New Hampshire

Massachusetes

Maine

Hawaii
All of these states have high recycling rates and a low carbon rate. Colorado rates #13.

Info from: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/04/vermont-greenest-state-in-u-s.php

Volkswagen Car More Efficient Than Electrical Car

Volkswagen has recently come up with a new fuel efficient car! It is being sold in China and it sells for 4000 Yuan which is equivalent to $26,000 U.S dollars. This car gets 258 miles per gallon and it has a 1.7 gallon tank capacity. It travels 404 miles with a full tank. This car would be good for commuting and it will probably be known as one of the most efficient cars in the world. Although it is pricey you will make up the money within the year (gas after all is very high cost). This car is amazing and I can't wait for it to come here to America!

Recycling Everyday Items

by Tori Riggs





There are many different things you can recycle and reuse in everyday life. Some of these are:

Turn old milk cartons into bird feeders. Birds honestly don't care if they have a fancy feeder or one made of a carton. Just cut the milk cartons, hang them, and fill them with seeds for the birds to eat.

Organize with tin cans. You can wash out tin cans and cover them with different colored paper. These cans make great containers for pencils, crayons, paintbrushes, and other art supplies.

Reuse old paper. Use the reverse side of paper for kids' art projects as well as notes for later. You don't have to get rid of paper just because it has words or markings on it, so you can use it for many other things.

For more information, please visit http://www.howtodothings.com/home-garden/how-to-recycle-everyday-objects

Getting ready for school

By Mallory Coats





People often take the energy they use for granted but do you realize how much energy the average person wastes? Lets show the consumption on a small scale by showing how much the average American teenager uses while getting ready for school.

1. They use electricty to keep their alarm clock running

2. Their phone is usually charging.

3. They wake up and turn the lights on.

4. They take a shower

5. They may use a hair dryer and or hair curler.

6. They turn on water to brush their teeth.

7. They turn on another light in the kitchen.

8. They use the toaster/oven/ microwave

9. They may watch some TV

10. Many get a ride to school

Electric Plane

By: Rachel Skilicorn

This plane is a major gas and money saver. By having a lot of things rely on a combination of rechargable properties that connect to the motor and that connecting to a generator, this machine provides an endless amount of energy to either the propeller or a compressor for the thrust. This also has the same things as normal planes, but this way you are saving money and helping the environment be a better place.

http://www.smithengine.com/Electric%20Plane%20Cover%20Art_pictureframe.html

Pepsi Bottles Go Green!

The Pepsi Company is one of the leading beverage companies in the world. During the last year, it has been focusing on natural energy resources that use soil, water, and power. They have also been focusing on useful ways to use these components. The Pepsi Company has recently been the first to create a plasic bottle made from only renewable and plant-sourced raw materials. The bottles leave less carbon trace on the planet. Soon product waste like orange peels, potato peels and oat hulls that come from their own food buisness will be used to make these green bottles. They look exactly the same as the old Pepsi bottles, but are 100% recycable and very Earth friendly!

Source:
http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/

Nuclear Power

by Ivy Long





Nuclear power is sustained nuclear fusion. Nuclear power can generate heat and is useful for other jobs. Power plants, ships, and submirines use nuclear power to heat water and produce steam. Nuclear power is used in 6% of the worlds energy. One problem is it can cause serious injuries and sometimes DEATH. So don't try to mess with nuclear power kids it can cause DEATH.

SWEEP

The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project or SWEEP promotes greater energy efficiency in six states including Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. The program was founded in 2001 by Howard Geller who was an executive director for Energy Efficiency in Washington D.C. Sweep focuses mostly on utility energy conservation. Later transportation conservation was added. SWEEP is helping promote energy efficiency in the most booming states of the United States at this time.


For more information on SWEEP go to:
http://www.swenergy.org/

Good News for Countries With Less Money

For all those countries that aren't quite developed yet and don't have quite as much money, there is some good news headed towards your direction. There have been new inventions that could capture fog and keep the water. We could turn this into drinking water for countries that aren't as rich as others.

more info at http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-04/new-fog-harvesting-devices-could-provide-clean-drinking-water-worlds-poor

Energy Efficient India

Energy Service companies and local governments are teaming up to create clean energy and save money. The energy demand in India is expected to double by 2030 so many people are trynig to start early with energy conservation so that it doesn't become as much of a problem as it is for the rest of the world. In 2001 DSCLES worked with the New Delhi Muncipal Council on a high efficiency lighting pilot project that now saves more than 252,000 Kilowatt Hours per year. Their total savings from all of their energy efficient projects has amounted up to 325 million U.S. dollars or about 3.7 billion Kilowatt Hours.





To learn more about India's energy efficiency efforts go to:


http://www.wri.org/stories/2009/04/energy-efficiency-india-part-2

Wind Energy

by Tori Riggs





Because of all of the spring wind lately, it seems like a good idea to talk about wind energy and how it works. Using wind turbines to generate energy is a fairly simple process. First, wind energy is picked up by a turbine and the turbine converts the wind's kinetic energy into mechanical energy. From there a generator turns the mechanical energy into electricity. While wind energy is relatively easy to find an change into electricity, building wind turbines can be expensive and the wind doesn't blow all the time and everywhere.








For more information on wind energy and wind turbines, please visit http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/wind_how.html

New Energy Developement

According to one website, energy efficiency is increasing by 2% per year, and becoming even more efficient as technology increases. This is good news. On the left is a graph of the world's resource management in 2006. It's not the greatest picture, but in 2006 petroleum used 35% of our resources. Many people are working on cutting that down and boosting the alternative fuels % up. I just hope it will get better for this goal.

Savings

Detention every time a kid doesn't recycle? This would be a good way to get students to recycle more. Maybe not necessarily detention but some sort of punishment would get students to recycle more; recycling more would save more money for your school to invest in more eco friendly objects such as solar power. If your school invests in solar energy then you will save money on an electric bill wich can then allow you to purchase something else that is eco friendly such as a green house. Simple things can lead to saving alot of money for your school so, try handing out a ounishment once in awhile.

Indoor Pollution

Indoor pollution is found to be the the 4th leading killer in the world. IAP (indoor air pollution) is when air gets too smoky or is filled with indoor cooking smoke and ends up killing people.Half of the world's population cooks on fires using biomass fuel every day. The result is that over 1.6 million people die each year from IAP. That is one person every 20 seconds. This is a major issue and is being adressed by a few companies. Envirofit makes energy efficient cookers that don't let off toxic gasses. If people invested in these things we could save lives. So let's do it!

Eco...Bicycles?

Most bikes are made of metal...except for one. Panda Bicycles is the only frame builder in the world that is able to make a bamboo frame. They have been tested to far exceed ASTM standards. They have done a lot of research so that it is possible to make a great bend of modern bike tachnology and natural composite materials. Bamboo bikes may just be the next thing in bike technology!

Flat Tower

By: Rachel Skillicorn

When looking at most big buildings and skyscrapers they are growing vertically, which leaves a big footprint on many cities. By having a flat building, it leaves a smaller footprint in the earth's soil in these cities. Not only does the cool design look better than the normal ones, it helps save the earth's natural growing things from being destroyed.

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/inventions/

Energy Saving Ways

Here are a few ways to save energy, if you haven't got enough ways to save already.

-Decrease your carbon footprint by finding alternative fuels to run your car.

-Turn the thermostat down as much as 15 degrees. This can save you up to 10% on heat bills per year!

-Insulate your attic.

-Keep the hot water heater at 120 degrees farhenheit and install a hot water heater insulationg banket.

If you follow some of these ideas, You'll save lots of money!

Nuclear-Is it Safe?

No doubt about it, nuclear is radioactive. And nuclear should always be taken seriously, especially for disposal. But the danger levels associated with radioactivity may be much less than you think, especially in the case of one power plant in Utah. The levels of radiation are monitored at the plant and in the area around the plant constantly to help ensure safety to the employees, as most plants should. Also, in Utah, the plant has a natural advantage because That area recieves less than 8 inches of precipitation per year. Other advanteges that help keep the danger risk down include the distance from seismic fault lines, availability of excellent clay for safe disposal, and that location evaporates more than 60 inches of water per year.

Energy Saving-A Career?

Did you know that you can make a career out of saving energy? You can help resaerch new products that save even more energy, like being an engineer for a car company that researches how to get more miles per gallon out of the engine. Or, you could become a business man or woman that revovles their business around being green. The opportunities are endless! There is a wide variety of money invovled, and you can make a living out of saving energy! Who would have thought!

Fruita 89 State Champions

The Fruita 8/9 School's Sustainability Initiative started with with GT classes in the 2006-2007 school year and has spread its tentacles throughout the school. Now the program includes not only the recycling program which began then but has also expanded into building energy conservation, composting, replanting of the landscaping beds around the building, THE AFTERBURN energy blog and will soon include gardening, a greenhouse and a move to be the pilot program for District 51 as a zero waste school beginning in the fall of 2011.

Nominated in December 2010 by Alpine Bank, Fruita 89's Sustainability Initiative was one of 44 nominees and applicants for the 2011 Colorado Sustainability Championships. With 50-499 employees, the school fell into the medium category and was, in March 2011, named a finalist to compete against the city of Golden, Colorado's Recycling Program and the Metropolitan District of Highlands Ranch, Colorado's PROS Team...a water reclamation entity. These two city government business entities each serving in excess of 90,000 residents, were competing against a teacher mentored yet student driven program in a school with only two grades situated 250 miles to the west of them.

The fact that student driven programs had, over a period of 4 years, identified and filled the needs of the school and the district and had demonstrated continued utility savings of 30% over the first year of operation had an energy blog that has been read by at least one person in all the countries on earth with the exception of just eight countries, had a successful composting and replanting program, and was moving toward greenhousing and gardening as well as becoming an Energy Star School in a building that was never meant to be, turned the championship choice in Fruita 8/9's favor.

The award, a clock made of recycled bicycle parts hangs proudly in the Fruita 8/9 office.

Trane

Trane is a company that helps big buildings save energy by finding leaks for air to escape and by checking heating and venilation. Trane also designs buildings for maxinum energy saving. Trane has always been the largest world producer of massive chillers in air conditioning. In 2007, Trane joined the Clinton Climate Intitative. Trane can be your business partner and help you save energy.

www.trane.com/Default.asp

A good first step

If only we could use less plastic and more recycled materials. Well, some of us do. After going to Denver for 3 days, I ate at a restaurant where the table clothes and straws were made out of recyclable materials. There are many restaurants and stores that promote recycling and saving energy. This is a wonderfully good thing.

Electronic Skin Powered by Stretchable Solar Cells!

A Stanford reasearcher named Zhenan Boa is working on creating a "Super Skin" that is powered by renewable solar energy. Boa and her team have successfully built a sensor that is flexible and sensitive to pressure. It is even able to detect the pressure of a landing fly! It has been made of simple polymers and carbon based materials that together, create a flexible organic transistor. This Super Skin is useful for detecting new types of diseases. With this skin, they can equip it onto a robot and the robot can detect new types of diseases and the side effects of the disease. The stretchable material is stronger and is very usefull in many circumstances and scenarios. Boa has also managed to create a green version of the transistor. This transisitor is made of materials that are biodegradable. This Super Skin is a huge advancement in technology. It will also help with scientific reaseach and experiments. Plus, it's environmentally friendly and uses solar energy!

Source:

www.alternative-energy-news.info/artificial-electrionic-super-skin/

Solar Powered Air Conditioner

by Ivy Long With a solar powered air conditioner you can save money this summer. A solar powered air conditioner is eco-friendly and will lessen your power bill. Also you can make it from your old air conditioner. All you do is install solar panels. This way you can make a huge difference in your energy usage.

Grand Junction's net-zero energy historic building

There has recently been plans to turn the historic grand junction Aspinall Federal Building and Courthouse into the first net-zero energy usage country in America.
The building would produce as much energy As it uses in one year. The building will maintain its historic qualities and it will install the newest technologies.

The building will install energy saving geothermal heating and cooling system and solar panels to meet the energy needs of the building. They will also install state of the art lights and wireless controllers, along with windows with solar control film that control how much sun is needed.

Any of the excess energy that is created will be sent to grand junctions electrical grid.

Additional information from: http://coloradoenergynews.com/2011/03/grand-junction-site-of-countrys-first-net-zero-energy-historic-building/

Drafty Homes?

By mallory coats Is your home drafty? Do you turn up the heat? Is it still cold/wasting energy/wasting money? If you answered yes to this then keep reading. If you answered no then read it anyway. Drafty homes are mainly the cause of bad outside seals or cracks. Heat can escape through these and cold air can come in. This is not energy effiecent . A way to stop this is by sealing these up or you could just turn your heat off and freeze to death.

Energy Saving Architecture

by Tori Riggs Good architecture can help anyone save energy, whether they are at home, school, or work. When building any sort of structure, you want to make sure that there are no cracks in the walls or floor, to make sure that too much air doesn't flow through the structure. You also want to seal everything up tightly to prevent further cracking. This can help you save energy and start you living in a happy, green home.

Aerogel

NASA has designed a product called Aerogel, also known as "frozen smoke". It is 99.8% air. It is used in space shuttles and can endure temperatures higher than 2,500 degrees farhenheit and is the most powerful insulator on Earth. Think of the money it could save you if you had it in your home! I'm not sure it is on the mass market, but it is really cool and I think NASA should put it out there.

Service Learning: More Than Just a Club

Service-learning is a very common club in schools. It is a teaching, learning, and reflection technique that engages participants in interesting service opportunities, reveals the true nature of the community being served, and targets the root causes of societal issues. But service-learning is more than just a club. It is a fun, easy way to volunteer and help your community. Service-learning also helps kids see the connection between what is happening in their school and home and what is happening in the rest of the world. Service-learning let's kids choose their projects and allows them to get as invested in them as they want.

ReDirect Guide http://www.peacejam.org/

Sustainability Values

Here in America we value a lot of things. Family, friends, food, ect. We are always with our family and friends, and we practically worship food. But what if we valued something actually valuable? What if we valued something like sustainability? That would make our country so much better! Maybe if we valued sustainability instead of food we would worship it! then it would help our earth and maybe even our happiness. Atleast we would have less over weight people. so next time you think about what you value add sustainability to your list! http://www.revisioninternaitonal.org/ ReDirect Guide

Alternative Fuels

Since burning oil pollutes the air, there are other ways to fuel your car besides plain old gasoline. These fuels include methanol, ethanol, propane, natural gas and even electricity and water. These are called alternative fuels because they are an alternative to gas and diesel. Alternative fueled vehiclws are called AFV's. Energy officials hope that by 2025, one quarter of all vehicles on the road will be AFV's.

A Modern and Green Yacht Park!

In Vietnam there is a project called South Saigon Yacht Park. The park will be showcased to celebrate the culture and legacy as well as the green focus. It will have green urban fusion to make the city roadsides have zero-carbon- emission zones.It is a prototype to unify city and nature, and also to bring nature to urban areas. This has been a green dream for Vietnam. It will bring green, natural beauty to city dwellers.

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/

Energy saving Ideas

Here are a few ideas for saving energy in your home that can reduce your carbon footprint. -recycle -turning off appliances when they are not in use -turn off lights when no one is in the room -by putting insulation in attics and basements you can reduce the amount of heat it takes to heat them and reduce your bill -Put on a jacket instead of turning up the thermostat -drive a car that gets over 20 miles per gallon, or drive a hybrid car -install solar panels If you want more ideas go to energyquest.ca.gov!

Ways to Save Water #4

Here are some ways to save water:

• Grab a wrench and fix leacy foucets.


• Cover lawn with shrubs, dirt, and rocks so you don't waste water.


• When you doing laundry, match the water level to the size to the load.


• Teach your children to turn off faucet tightly.


• Remember to check sprinkler valves periodically. Keep sprinkler heads in good shape.

www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php

As you may already know Japan just had another earthquake. Lately the Earth as been getting alot of earthquakes so maybe we could find a way to store energy from the earthquakes. Maybe, scientists could build a machine that gets energy from the earthquakes vibrations. They could also use tsunami waters to run through nuclear energy machines, that way they don't waste our freshwater. It's just an idea, so lets just try this!

Plants wasting energy?

By Mallory Coats People are always saying how planting plants is a good thing and that it cleans the air. But have you ever thought that they could be wasting energy? In dry places like Colorado its likely that you are wasting energy in your front yard. When people plant plants that are tropical or not tolerant to dry weather then it takes more water to water them and there is a higher chance that they won't live anyway. So a good way to say energy and water is by planting dry weather tolerant plants. :)

Solar Stereo Speakers

By: Rachel Skillicorn

These stereo speakers are already a great way to listen to your music, but what if you could charge that without spending a thing. When you're relaxing outside, soaking up the sun, listening to your music, you are actually saving money. The speakers get their power from sunlight. Also it's not any different than the usual speakers, basically any ipod or MP3 player can be used in it. This is a great way to save money and energy.

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/inventions/

The Toyota Prius Has Met It's Match

Using the new Ecovative design for styrofoam, Ford has decided to make parts for cars out of *pause for dramatic effect* da dada daaaaaaaaaaaaa MUSHROOMS! It isn't made out of the caps of the mushrooms, but the roots. These will be installed in air bags, dashboards, door panels, and bumpers.

Ways to Save Energy #3

Here some ways to save energy:

• Use safety in all unused outlets.


• Hire an enviromental consultant to asses your residence for hazards.


• If your home has a large, single-paned picture window, use heavy draperies during the winter to help hold back cold air.


• Reflective window film can help reduce heat gain during the summer, and it will keep furniture and carpet from fading.


• Check window to see if they need new glazing. If the glass is loose, replace the putty holder holding the pane in place.

www.savewithces.com/365in2008.htm

Goethermal Energy

by Ivy Long

Geothermal energy is found with in the earth. We can recover steam, heat, or hot water and use it to generate electricity. Geothermal energy is a renewable source and is continuously reproduce inside earth. Geothermal energy is produce deep inside earth that's hotter than the sun surface. Geothermal energy takes place usually in volcano's, hot springs, and geysers.Geothermal energy in the U.S. is mostly located in the west. So geothermal energy is one of many eoc-friendly energys that we should use more often.

Uno vs.Can-am

What is the difference between the one-wheeled Uno and the three-wheeled Can-am besides their wheels? The Uno is steered using your body to lean side-to-side while Can-am has handle bars. The Uno is classified as a motorcycle and Can-am can be classified as a car due to its lack of hand breaks. The Uno has no room for passengers or storage and the Can-am has room for both. The Uno is electic-run and the Can-am is run on fuel and can hold about 27 liters of fuel. So which is better?

Info from: http://www.gizmag.com/can-am-spyder-roadster-review/9434/

Can-am

Uno

The Empire State Building Goes Green

One of the worlds largest buildings, The Empire State Building, has recently become the largest buyer of green renewable wind power. Throughout the next couple years, it will be using aproximatley 100 million kWh of wind energy. From now on, the building will be 100% wind powered! The Empire State Building has also insulated all 6,500 windows with a special type of glass to enhance energy savings. $13.2 million was spent on these energy efficient repairs, but it will save tons of money. This will help reduce the dealdly footprint of cabon emmisons from New York City. The renewable energy movement will help to set an example for other landlords to promote a cleaner, energy saving city. Sources: http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/empire-state-building-brighter-greener/

This is Only to People Who Believe in Global Warming

We all have different opinions. Nothing can change that... good thing. But, global warming, if you don't believe in it, you can stop reading. I think that global warming is caused by humans, but not entirely by pumping alot of CO2 in the air. I'm not saying that CO2 has nothing to do with it. I think a big part of Global Warming is deforestation. I saw some evidence recently that said in the Spring, Co2 levels were down, but when it came to Fall, the CO2 levels rose. So because that trees are getting cut down, there isn't enough CO2 being absorbed. If you or anyone else wants to take evasive action, you should plant a bunch more trees to absorb the CO2.

Biofuels

by Ivy Long

Biofuels are made from corn and some other crops to make gas for cars. Biofuel are eco-friendly. Biofuels are renewable and can be regrown . A disvantage biofuels have are raising the cost of foods and for this reason people are try to see if they can make a biofuel that won't use our food.

CO2 Levels

With all the global warming going on, and CO2 levels rising a lot, most people think that it's a pollutant. But it's really not. CO2 is essential to the environment, because without it, plants wouldn't be able to live. So, maybe the soultion to the co2 increase is to plant more plants. The oxygen levels would increase, and the planet would be much more green.

Genetically ModifiedPlants

Crops can be grown for many reasons, and sometimes it takes a lot of them to get what you want. Growing all these crops takes lots of water, like cranberries. Other plants can conserve water for a long time, but are of no use for eating, like cacti. Now, what if there was a way to genetically alter the seed of, say, the cranberry, and combine it with the water conservation-like seed of the cactus. So, the result would be being able to grow the cranberry, using less water. If possible, another idea is to just take the seed and combine it with whatever seeds you want to suit your needs. You could, say, create a plant that was really tasty, or create other plants that don't have to be planted in such large quantities, or that grew more upward with less root space so you can use more planting area around it. The combinations and possibilities are endless.

Save energy on heating and cooling

5-20% of heating costs will be decreased if you watch your thermostat. Set it lower than 55 degrees or just turn it off when you leave home and during the day. At night keep it at a steady 55 degrees or lower and wear warm clothing. That should take care of some of your heating costs. As far as cooling goes, use ceiling fans instead of air conditioners. The blowing air could make you feel 5 degrees cooler without running a air conditioning system. Try these simple tips and the costs and energy use in your house should go down :)

Energy Saving Paint

by Tori Riggs Surprisingly, the most simple thing you can do to save energy in your home is to paint it. The right color and/or amount of paint can help heat or cool your home, saving you energy. There are a few things you need to keep in mind when choosing the right type, color and amount of paint:

• dark colors attract heat and are the best for winter or cold times


• more coats of paint can also attract heat


• light colors are ideal for summer because they don't attract too much heat

You also need to change your painting ideas if you live in a regularly hot or cold area. Obviously, if you are normally very hot, then dark colors will hinder you more than they will help you. This makes normally cold areas perfect for dark colors because the heat isn't really a problem.

One last thing you need to keep in mind is that your home may have a very specific color that makes it unique, so you don't want to change your entire house's design and style just to be more energy efficient.

How do wind turbines work

BY MALLORY COATS Wind turbines are usually found in places with higher wind speeds or flat land. These places include Colorado, Wyoming, Iowa, Kansas, Arizona and Iowa among others.

Wind energy is similar to energy from water. When water or wind moves fast enough it creates kinetic energy. That makes the turbines move and then it generates electricity. Then the turbines store that energy for later use. To understand wind energy you also need to understand wind. Wind is created when the sun heats up the ground. Then the warm air around it rises and mixes with the cooler air to create wind.

Weird Energy Conservation Tips

Rachel Skillicorn 1. A 6 -inch pan on an 8-inch burner will waste more than 40% of the stoves energy 2. Some water heater thermostats come at 140 degrees, which can cost you more money 3. About 90% of the electricity used by everyday incandescent is lost as heat 4. As much as half the energy used by heating and cooling 5. Electric devices draw in even more electricity when they are plugged in

Community Service/Litter Patrol

By: Davis Deussen



If every person in the United States picked up a piece a trash a day for one year, it would decrease pollution by 10%.

Heating Your Pool...Sun Style

Many pools are heated to keep the water at an ideal temperature during the summer months. Running a pool heater can be costly. A soloar heated pool system uses the pool itself as a thermal storage system and you can still use your original pump system which circulates the water through the solar collectors. This system can save you money and help reduce greenhouse gas emmisions.



http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/PoolHeating/pool_heating.htm

Blogs!

As I was trying to think of a topic for my weekly blog I had an idea. I was having trouble and was looking over previous blogs to see if I could find an interesting topic. And then I thought.....look at all this information! There are 809 blogs on this website and counting. They all put across useful and good information! So what if we replaced newspapers with blogs? We could save so much paper! And money! It could be amazing! I'm not saying that there aren't any problems though. Many people would lose their jobs...but those same people could gain jobs too! I just think that this is something worth looking into. So lets stop the presses...start the blogs!

Artificial Leaf That Turns Sunlight into Energy

Allana Bochmann

Scientists have created a practical artificial leaf that has the ability to turn sunlight and water into energy as efficiently as a real leaf could. The artificial leaf looks nothing like a real one, and is made of stable materials that produce the same energy. It is made of silicon, electronics, and catalysts that create chemical reactions which produce the energy. Scientists believe that if the leaves were left in a gallon of water with sunlight, then they could , after a while, provide a home with basic energy for one day.

Information from,

DUSTING

By: Davis Deussen



Some people change their lightbulbs when they get the slightest bit dim or really dim. This is bad. If you just dust off your lights, you will get more time and save more energy and more lightbulbs, glass, and other pollution/other harmful things.

Coal for Energy

Coal...Why Not? Coal has a bad reputation because of the way it is utilized. With new developments in technology, we can burn coal with very minimal emissions. Coal has the capability to produce tons of heat and is more abundant than many other resources. We need to utilize this resource. A perfectly functional coal plant in Cameo, Colorado was shut down.

The "Uno"

This is a new motorcycle that could save you money and gas. It has only one wheel and it is much smaller than a regular one. It is also different in the way that you steer it because it has no controls and is controlled by the way that you lean. To make it go faster you lean forward and to make it slow down you lean backwards.

Info from: http://www.inventionreaction.com/weird-inventions/Uno-Motorbike-Leans-Into-Action

E- Readers Going Green!

Rhyan Montgomery

A product has come out that is perfect for people who are book lovers and have green ethics. It is called a Biblio Leaf E-Reader and is solar powered. It can connect with 3G and Wi-fi. It has a touch pad and is equipped with a rechargable solar panel. It is also the same size as the Amazon Kindle, which makes it easily portable. This solar powered electronic reader is a way to take baby steps to becoming evironmanetallly friendly. The Biblo Leaf E- Reader help you do your bit towards renewable energy.

Ethanol Fuel

Ethanol is a clean burning, high octane, renewable fuel that is made in America. The use of ethanol reduces auto emissions and offers a cost cutting alternative when filling up at the gas pump. Ethanol is produced at over 175 different facilities across the United States. It is most commonly retailed as E10 ( 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline) but is also available as E85 which is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline for use in flexible fuel cars. Ethanol is also helpful to our economy. It is predicted that ethanol will produce an additional 19.6 million dollars in household income and nearly 700 permanent jobs will be created in areas near ethanol plants. Since ethanol is made mainly from corn and other argricultural products, an inncrese in demand for these products will ooccur. One place where gas is an essential part of what happens is Nascar. Nascar is doing their part to go green by partnering with American Ethanol. Maybe someday we can all run our cars on ethanol but untill then, look for ethanol fuel or E10 in your city. http://www.ethanol.org/index.php?id=8&parentid=8

Western Colorado Carbon Neutral Bioenergy Consortium Project

WCCNBC (Western Colorado Carbon Neutral Bioenergy Consortium) is a project to explore using local plant material and processing them for local use at a small scale power plant built by Colorado Mountain College. The project is said to test the capacity of the region to grow low input, high-biomass bioenergy crops. So as a result of this project, grasses and cacti will be grown in Fruita, carbondale, and Rifle. These crops do not need the space that normal food crops need. The material will be converted to butanol, and butanol can be pumped into your car immediatly. Butanol is no more efficient than ethanol. This project is appealing because these grasses and cactiu can easily be replicated in other desert areas. -Info gathered from sustainability article by Adele Israel in the Grand Junction Sentinel

Alternative car powering methods

by Corey Brown Cars run on gas right? Not always. Here is some info of alternative fuels with some information and pros on each.

Biodiesel: is a mix of diesel gas and vegetable oils. The pros of using this fuel are that it produces less carbon emissions and harmful particulates than standard gas. It is an increasingly easy choice for car buyers to make since there are many biodiesel-fueled models on offer. In terms of fuel availability, while biodiesel outlets may still show short supply nationally, drivers retain the choice of filling up with standard diesel gas.Finally, Biodiesel is more energy efficient in production than gas.

Ethanol:ethanol-fueled vehicles run on a mixture of gasoline and a propellant derived from grain. On the pro side, there are an increasing number of alternative fuel cars now being supplied for this market. The most popular ethanol fuel brand is E85. The name reflects the proportions of 85 percent ethanol to 15 percent gasoline used in the fuel. This makes it an emissions-friendly fuel. It also provides another potentially large and profitable market for arable farmers.

Hybrid Cars: Hybrid cars operate by using a combination of gasoline power and electric power. In addition to the gas tank they have an electric battery that stores energy during the speeding and slowing parts of a typical journey. The pros of this type of vehicle include the substantial saving in fuel costs through the engine's efficiency.

Hydrogen Cars: Hydrogen is a fuel that appears to have enormous possibilities. The pros begin with the fact it comes from water and is, therefore, a renewable fuel with inexhaustible supplies and benefits in fuel cost. The exhaust from a hydrogen-fueled car is totally environment-friendly. Hydrogen cars also give the driver excellent mileage compared to regular gasoline cars.

Earth Friendly Insulation

There are many earth friendly ways to insulate your home. Here are a few.


1) Loose Fill Cellulose: this is made from recycled newspapers, formaldehyde-free and treated to be fire resistant.


2)Spray-in Soy foam: Typically made from natural soy, they act like other spray-ins, but do not contain formaldehyde, are environmentally safer thanb their conventional spray-ins.


3)Batt or blanket insulation: Usually made from natural fibers, such as wool and cotton, and can contain recycled-material such as old blue jeans.


These can help insulate almost anywhere in your home to help save energy!



Citation:Green Now! Here's How.

www.redirectguide.com

Daily Energy Saving Tips

by Tori Riggs Here are some tips for saving energy in any daily life:

1. Recycle. This tip is hardly needed to say, but you have no idea how much energy it can save to recycle. It takes much less energy to recreate an aluminum can than it does to create one for the first time.


2. Take showers instead of baths. An average shower uses 20 gallons of water, and an average bath uses 37 gallons.


3. Open windows when the weather is nice. This eliminates the need for an air conditioner in the spring and fall, and can save a lot of energy and money.

For more easy green tips and information, please visit http://cashmoneylife.com/frugal-money-saving-energy-tips/

Ways to Save Energy #3

Here are some ways to save energy:

• Use safety plugs on unused outlets. These are prime places for outside air to leak into your home


• Hire an enviromental consultant to asses your residence for hazards.


• If your home has a large, single-paned picture window, use heavy draperies during the winter to help hold back cold air.


• Reflective window film can help reduce heat gain during the summer, and it will keep furniture and carpert from fading.


• Check window panes to see if they have new glaze. If the glass the loose, replace the putty holding the pane in place.


• If drafts sneak in under exterior doors, replace the threshold.

www.savewithces.com/365in 2008.htm

Japan's Nuclear Crisis

By: Rachel Skillicorn

In Japan, the recent tsunami and earthquake, affected some of the nuclear plants. That means that radioactive material is now in their air and can be deadly. Officials released other chemicals into the atmosphere trying to counteract the nuclear particulate in the air. People (some 19 miles away) were warned not to drink tap water because the radioactive iodine, which is a element that only comes out in extreme temperatures, is currently 3 times above the normal level. Luckily, Japan is now recovering.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8393805/Japan-nuclear-crisis-Fukushima-50-face-new-setback.html

Kenya's Jatropha

Kenya was recently planning on growing 50,00 Jatropha plants near Malindi to produce bio fuels. This was opposed when the amount of greenhouse gasses was added up.They found out that the amount of gases out-weighs the amount of bio fuel that it could produce. A Jatropha is a species of a flowering plant, that is a poisonous semi-evergreen shrub. The seeds contain oil that can be processed into bio fuel to run a standard diesel engine.

Information from:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110323/sc_afp/kenyaenergyalternativeenvironment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatropha_curcas

Trees are Important Heroes and Killers

Everyone knows that trees are good for

the enviroment, and produce oxygen for the

atmosphere.They also absorb CO2. But, trees shed leaves

and it's a pain to pick up all those leaves. Believe it

or not, but all those leaves that trees drop are

healthy for your other plants or anything growing

underneath the leaves. When the tree sheds the

leaves, they fall on the ground or plants below.

During the winter, these leaves protect the

plants from snow, ice, and the cold.

However, there is a downside.

These leaves also protect

the plants from

the sun and kills

them. That's why

wind is important

in a plant's life... to

blow the leaves

off so it can live.

Wind Energy

by Ivy Long



Her are some facts about wind energy you may our may not know. Many people overlook wind energy as a potential alternative energy source. Wind power should not be over looked. wind energy is a form of solar energy, and therefore, is renewable. wind does not need to be produced so there will be a constant supply of it. but right now wind is one of the least used renewable energy source so let make it our new energy.







http://www.energyrefuge.com/archives/wind-energy-facts.htm

a real workout

By Mallory Coats



Once upon a time there was this guy. You know that one guy with the face? Yeah, that one. Anyway, there is this ocean (the one with water) and its just sitting there. And up on the shore there is a gym for people to work out. Turns out that this gym wastes a lot of energy and isn't very useful. They keep the lights on all day and they pay for electricty for the machines. This gym happens to have a lot of customers and there are people there all day. It takes a lot of electricity to keep a gym open that long. So my idea is, "Why don't we just use the man power from people on the exercise bikes to power the lights?" That way people would get a good work out and save electricity. Their memberships would be cheaper because the gym doesn't have to pay for all that power.

Radiation-The Effects and an Idea

With the power plant meltdown in Japan, and the references to Chernobyl that come with it, some people may be confused-how does it affect us, as humans? A unit used to measure radiation is called a rem, which stands for roentgen equivalent in man. Being exposed to 100 rems can result in temporary hair loss, nausea, vomiting, headache, and some loss of white blood cells. Too much radiation can result in cancer. Half the people exposed to 450 rems die.

Now that we're past the bad part, I have an idea. It probably wouldn't work, but, what if, with all the radiation on free-range, there was some kind of machine that enabled the radiation to be harnessed, and used for energy in, say, homes' electricity. Everyone could put one on their roof or something, and in times like these where radiation poisoning is a factor, the machine could suck the radiation out of the air and use it. Just a thought.

Extreme Weather leads To Energy Efficency Action

By Rhyan Montgomery

A recent study in the UK shows that people are more willing to save energy to when their area is in risk of a flood. The study found that Britian has had many severe floods in the last ten years and there are more to come due to climate change. Awarness of the climate change could help citizens reduce the energy demand in the region. This study proves the first solid evidence that peoples experience with climate related events will promote higher awarness of the issue and suggests new ways for getting people involved with environmental issues. With extreme weather affecting the globe, citizens need to have energy efficency in their thoughts to possibly reduce the impact of climate change.



Sources:

http://www.the-esa.org/

Thorium--The New Nuclear?

by: Morganne Williams



Thorium is much more abundant in nature than uranium and can also be used to provide nuclear energy. India is the only country that sponsers major research on the use of thorium for nuclear energy. Thorium is a slightly radioactive material that was first discovered in 1828 by the Swedish chemist, Jons Jakob Berzelius, he origianally named it Thor after the Norse god of Thunder. It has been discoverd that Thorium can be used as a nuclear fuel like uranium and can be used in a closed fuel cycle. With more research maybe eventually we can use Thorium as a safer nuclear energy alternative to Uranium.





For more Information go to:

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf62.html

Solar power used too heat a pool

By Kaila Thieman

This is another way to use solar power besides heating your house or building. You can use it to heat your pool! It is reactively inexpensive and will save you money in the long run. The cost for installing a simple one is only $100. Another way to go is to use a pool cover that is made from UV-stabilized polyethylene, polypropylene, or vinyl. They will trap the heat in the pool and store some more to heat it better. This will save you lots of money on your summer energy bill.

Information from:http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=13140

Energy Savings

Ways to save energy:

Lighting

• Lighting accounts for 15% of a typical house's energy. Turn off your lights when not in use.


• Electric heating adds extra heat that an air conditioner has to cool off in the summer.


• Replace incadecsent lightbulbs with energy saving compact fluorescent lamps.


• Install dimmer switches to save energy and make light bulbs last longer.


• Install low-voltage lighting for outside illumination.

www.hribar.com/energy-saving-tips.htm

Ways to Save Energy

Here are some ways to save energy:

Kitchen

• Look for the Energy Star label when buying appliances.


• Use electric pans or toaster ovens when cooking small amounts of food instead of oven or microwave.


• Fruits and vegatables take less time to cook when they are in smaller peices.


• Foods cook faster and use less energy when they have a lid on them.


• Preheat the oven only when the recipe calls for it. Boilers do not need preheating.


• Save energy by cooking an extra dish or cooking a whole meal in the oven.


• Let hot foods cool down before putting them in the freezer or refridgerator. They work harder and longer having to cool down hot foods.

www.hribar.com/energy-saving-tips.htm

solar

when power goes out on your block, if your house runs on solar power then it won't go out. That's just another plus to solar energy.

Solar Powered stereo.

By Mallory Coats



During the summer you usually see people working in their yards. Some people think that its a nice thing to have music playing while doing hard work. I agree. Some people try to bring radios out but the house may not have a power outlet on the outside. Others bring battery powered radios but the batteries tend to die really fast. A great solution to this is just to use a solar powered stereo. During the summer there tends to be less clouds and more sunshine. So it all works out in the end. Thats what makes the earth go round. :)

Here are some energy saving tips:

Insulation and Caulking

• More half than heat you use is lose through uninsulated floors, roofs, and walls.


• Insulation keeps heat in the winter but lets it go in the summer.


• Inspect your home HVAC duct system to be sure they are properly connected, sealed tightly, and well insulated.


• Caulking and weather stripping your doors and windows is an efficient energy saving tip.


• Seal cracks in your basement walls and floor to keep heat in and cold out.

www.hribar.com/energy-saving-tips.htm

Green Decorating Tips

by Tori Riggs





A very new and cool way to reuse things is to redecorate them and make them simple art, containers or gifts for your friends. Here are some ways to be green in decorating old objects to make them new.

1. Cover chair cusions with old sweaters. This looks kind of cool and will fit with any style of room.



2. Melt down old candles. You can melt old candles into small flower pots and stick in a ready-made wick to make brand new candles.



3. Make a tiered tray. Collect three plates and two cups that you aren't using and glue them together.



4. Use Altoid containers as supply tins. You can give the covers different looks to make them fit your office's style, or you can just seperate the supplies by flavor.

For more information, ideas, and steps to make your home or office greener, visit http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/eco-chic-on-the-cheap?lpgStart=1&currentslide=14&currentChapter=1

War causes problems, not solves them

War, it somehow solves our differences. Though, it hurts the enviroment, that is, the battlefield. Wherever it may be. Anyways, war solves silly stuff sometimes, and some mediocre not big problems. The bullet shells that get left behind from war aren't cleaned up, so an area that may have been untouched now is littered with bullet shells that take hundreds if not thousands of years to go away. Bunkers with barbed wire are left behind sometimes and pollute the once, a battlefield.

Energy Myth: Using Your Cell Phone at a Gas Pump Will Not Cause an Explosion

The threat of mobile phones to gas stations is really just created because of the sparks that can be created due to the high powered battery inside of the phone. The story of a man getting severe burns and damage to his car because of an explosion caused by him being on his mobile phone was true, but the "phone at a gas pump" issue does not typically apply to all people. A caution is to just simply read your owner's manual.

Water Energy Facts

by Ivy Long

It hard to believe that water can be produced into electricity. The two are a dangerous combination and should never be mixed. True so never bring your stereo into your shower. Hydro Energy is water made into electricity. How it works is, water flowing down a river is used to spin turbines inside a generator. Fast flowing rivers work the best. Canada is the most Hydro powered country in the world, the United States comes in second. So in the future if you live by an ocean you could be using Hydro Energy.

http://www.kidzworld.com/artical/1375--hydro-energy

Robotics

His name is DK and he is the future of robotics. He isn't an inventor, isn't a designer, he is in fact the product. He doesn't have a bionic leg, not a bionic arm but, he has literally never been living. This "man" is completely made of metal, wires, and other non living material. This is the first non Japanese model and is German. The Chinese creator used revolutionary robotics on the face so it could carry human characteristics. Here a comparison of it with and without the fully done face.

Now if your afraid of the robot apocalypse don't worry it is remote controlled by a user not an a.i. A video showing his movement that is pretty unhuman like can be found here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZlLNVmaPbM&feature=player_embedded

Now a scary look at the face in worktime compared to the finished one above.

Energy Savings

Here are some more ways to save energy: Heating and Cooling

• Space heating and cooling accounts for about 45% of your utility bill and this offers the greatest opportunity to save on energy costs.



• Adjust thermostat in small degree changes.



• If your home is heated electrically and you live in a moderate climate like Southern California, then consider installing a heat pump to save 30 to 40 percent on heating costs.



• Cranking up the thermostat on a heat pump system may turn on the back-up resistance heating strips and adding greatly to your electical bill.



• Installing a progammable thermostat that will automatically adjust the temperature according to your schedule and will pay itself in about a year.



• Changing your furnace filter once a month can save energy.

www.hribar.com/energy-saving-tips.htm

Solar Panels

By: Rachel Skillicorn

Solar panels are a great energy saving tool. After you install it you don't have to pay anything else, because it's all up to the sun. Although that saves you a ton of money, when the sun isn't shining you have to rely on the battery pack; like at night or in winter. It also takes a lot of expensive materials to make one. On the other hand, solar energy is renewable and it is much cleaner than gas or coal. It helps the environment by not releasing harmful gases to pollute the air. Those are the pros and cons to solar panels.

http://www.facts-about-solar-energy.com/solar-energy-advantages-disadvantages.html

SOLAR POWERED DEATH RAY!! OMG!

By Rhyan Montgomery

A 19 year old from Indiana has created a death ray, that's solar powered. Eric Jacqmain's solar powered death ray has 5,800 mirrors, that he claims has the power of 5,000 suns. It didnt even cost $90 to make and can almost destroy anything that the ray hits! The 5 foot 9 inch device is set up on a satillite dish and is so strong that anything it focuses on bursts into flames, including non flamible things like rocks! Jacqmain has plans to make a death ray with 30,000 mirrors which will have tons more power! This may convince parents not to let their kids get involved with science because you never know what crazy things they'll create!

Sources:

www.huffingtonpost.com/solar-powered-death-ray

Energy Saving Tips

Here some ways to save energy:

General Household

• Turn off the TV, VCR, stereo or radio when not in use.


• Turn off the dehumidifier on dry days when it's not needed.


• Install low-flush toilets to save water.


• Turn off water while brushing teeth or shaving.


• Don't use toilet as wastebasket or ashtray.


• Cancel orders on printed items instead subscribe to online versions.


• It takes 1,000 years for plastic to decompose so don't use plastic.

www.hribar.com/energy-saving-tips.htm

Green Funerals?

In burials all over the U.S. we use so many different chemicals for embalming and such processes, trees (for the coffin), and tons upon tons of concrete for tombs and vaults. A green burial reduces the impact a normal burial would have of the environment. People have invented biodegradable coffins and as for the embalming fluid and concrete, you don't need them! Cemeteries take up valuable room for trees and other flourishing plants, but with a green burial, you don't need them. It's just you, organisms that decompose your tissues, and pure natural process. This is just another creative way to help out the environment.

Information From: http://www.greenburials.org/FAQ.htm#What_are_the_benefits_of_a_green_cemetery_over_a_traditional_cemetery

Why buy Flourescent?

Incadescent- I

Compact Flourescent-CF

Watts consumed

I-75

CF-18

NO. of lamps used over 10,000 hrs.

I-13

CF-1

Cost per KWH-0.085

Electricity cost per 10,000 hours

I-63.75

CF-15.30

Total life cycle cost

I-73.50

CF- 28.30

Savings with CF- $45.20