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

Batteries. Dead batteries. Recycled Batteries.

By Mallory Coats



Most people know why you should recycle batteries but most people dont know how they are recycled.

this is the process broken down so its possible for the average human to understand.



1. the batteries are shipped away.

2. they are heated up so much that the chemicals leak out and the plastic is vaporized.

3. the metal is melted down.

4. then that melted metal becomes a new battery.



end of story

Energy Saving Tips at Home

Here are some ways to save energy at home:

Fireplace

• Using a fireplace sends valuable heat up the chimney. Reduce the loss by installing glass doors.


• Have the chimney checked and inspected reguarly and burn only fully dried hardwoods to produce the most heat output.


• Provide an outside air source to fuel the fire in your fireplace to prevent sucking out conditioned room air.


• Keep your fireplace damper closed in the winter when not in use.


• In the summer, open the damper to create a natural cooling draught.


• If you don't use your fireplace, plug the chimney with fiberglass insulation and seal the doors with silicone caulk.


• Use grates made of C-shaped metal tubes to draw cool room air into the fireplace and circulate warm air back into the room.

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

Feather, water, and organic mattresses?

When people buy a new mattress they don't think about what it could be doing to the environment. They are thinking about what a great night's sleep they are going to have. But really, every mattress is made of a variety of chemicals that have not thoroughly been tested for safety. These chemicals are very bad for the environment. Fortunately there is another option. Natural latex comes from trees that are only within 800 miles of the equater. The latex they produce though can be made into mattresses that can last up to 30 years! And another great thing about this latex? It constantly is replenished by the trees!! I think we should start using these mattresses more! They are efficient and all around great!

Ways to Save Energy #2

Here are some more ways to save energy:

• Plant a tree. One well-placed tree can reduce 25% of cooling costs.


• When planting trees, place leafy shade tree to the south and west, and evergreens to the north.


• Use cellular shades for your home or office.


• A ceiling fan should blow down in the winter and up in the summer.


• Set your ceiling fan to on rather than auto.


• Make sure your window air conditioner is proper size.


• Vacumm registers and vents regurlary.


• Raise the thermostat to about 78-80 degrees when you go to bed or leave the house.


• If your home can't accomodate central air conditioning, try a whole-house attic fan.


• During the winter, remove window air conditioning and seal the windows with caulk and weathering strips.

www.savewithces.com/365in2008.html

Video Games may save the world

Some people consider video games as bad news that do nothing but corrupt minds and turn them into psycho killers... quite the opposite is true. Because the atmosphere is not doing so great, people are becoming anxious and are starting to spread the word. Toyota had a contest to see whoever could make a level that informs about helping the enviroment with a Prius. Another way to help is to put out unnaturally caused forest fires. Little Big Planet 2 informs you to do this. Super Mario Sunshine is a game where you clean up oil (this sounds familiar) so an island city can be clean. In Super Mario Galaxy, there is a part where you have to blow up trash. This could all lead to a healthier planet, because kids played videogames

Energy Saving Tips

Waisting water uses electricity by supplying water to residents in the town/city. If you use less water then you can use less electricity and save money. Using less water can cut down water bills and save water for the oceans. By using less water you can also cut down carbon dioxide from forming in the air because water plants won't be working as long. Please turn off your water when doing this like dishes and brushing your teeth.

Algae Energy

by Ivy Long

Three years ago an inventor (Jim Sears) shut himself up in his garage and began tinkering with a desgin to mass-produce biofuel. The experiment worked and today Sear's company, Solix Biofuels is located in Fort Collins, Colorado. If we were to replace all the diesels in the United States we could do it on an area of land that one half of 1 percent of the current farm land that we use now. This is a new soure of biofuel.

Reuse Rainwater!

Rainwater is usually only used once. It falls from the sky, goes down the gutter, and then it's over and gone. But rainwater can be caught and saved for future use using barrels, underground catchment systems and similar products. When people decide to use this energy source they deliberatly allow the first flush of rainwater to just go through and clean the roof and gutter. After that though the continued rain is directed to barrels. It is screened to remove any debris and and then it is stored indefinitely. This rainwater can later be used to easily flush toilets, wash cars and lawns, and, with proper filtering, water livestock and pets or even wash clothes or use to bath in. One full 50 gallon rain barrel is enough to water a 200-250 square foor garden all summer long, depending on the usage. I think this is an amazing thing and would help save alot of water!

Water Conservation #3

Here some more tips to save water:

• When running a bath, plug the tub before turning the water on, then adjust the temperature as the tub fills up.


• Walkways and patios provide space that never needs to be watered. Use that space wisely.


• Collect water from roof and use it to water plants


• Use a water bottle and wash it every three days to cut glasses used and plastic bottles.


• Don't use automatic sprinkler system. Instead, check amount of moisture 2-3 inches under grass.


• Install a rain sensor on your irrigation contorller so your sprinklers won't run while it rains.


• Defrost food in refrigrator.

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

Efficient Washing Machines

By: Rachel Skillicorn

Energy efficient washing machines from ENERGY STAR are a great way to save money and water. An average American does 400 loads of laundry a year and with this specific one you can cut one third of the energy by switching to the energy efficient washer. It also uses 50% less water than any other washers. Switching to one of these is going to save you energy and water which in return can save you a ton of money.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=CW

Is it worth it.

The average family spends $1900 dollars a year on electricity alone. However , many families have made the switch to solar actually started making money. Electric companies have started paying for the excess electricity made by the panels. This way instead of losing money you can make it by selling off your excess electricity.

Ways to Save Energy #1

Here are some ways to save energy:

• Change or clean your furnace filter once a month.


• Install a programmable thermostat.


• Don't set the thermostat higher than you actually want it.


• Don't let furniture and draperies block the air flow from air registers.


• If your home has a boiler system, avoid covering radiators with screens or blocking it with furniture.


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


• When you use a fireplace, set your furnace to 55 degrees. If you don't, then all the warm air will escape the chimney.


• Keep plantings at least one foot away from your central air conditioning unit for adequate airflow.


• During late afternoon or early evening, turn off unnecessary lights and wait to use heat-producing appliances.


• Shade south and west facing windows during the hottest parts of the day in the summer.

www.savewithces.com/365in2008.html

Google backed start up prevents electricity waste

By Rhyan Montgomery



A Goolge backed start up called Transphorm came up with a way to dramatically reduce the amount of electricity wasted by data centers, solar panels, hybrid cars, and other things. Transphorm has made a module that will cut energy waste by up to 90%. It will also convert currents in laptops, elevator motors and computer servers. The US power grid wastes an equal amount of electricity to 318 coal powered plants. It also costs our nation 40 billion dollars a year. Google led funding for this module that raised 20 million dollars for Transphorm. The company will reveal of their first product at a conference in March 2011.



Sources

http://www.yahoo.com/

Water Efficient Sprinklers

By: Rachel Skillicorn

Energy saving sprinklers help you save money. They have made them mostly for farmers and their crops. People who have researched irrigation, they said that the new water efficient sprinklers will cut down about $55 or 77 kWh per acre, annually. We would save a lot of money if every farmer switched to the energy efficient sprinklers to water their crops, they would get the same healthy crops but with less water which in return is helping the environment.

http://www.extension.org/pages/Introduction_to_Energy_Efficient_Irrigation